010

[tickingheart]

[The robot had been oddly quiet for a few days, even avoiding his family as much as possible during the Thanksgiving dinner. But now the phone in his room was knocked off the hook, and if you're listening carefully, you can hear him muttering to himself. There's something off about the words, slow and buzzing.]

Shouldn't have listen...ed to her... liar... don't hurt me again, no... one hurts me again... can't trust... them.... should have remembered that...



[Family members are free to notice that he has claimed possession of the house's sharpest kitchen knife, and a tool box. The knife was used to cut open the covering on his right arm, and the tools are being used in an attempt to one-handedly install a gun there.]

Comments

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

Hmph. [ Good, he is aware of where he is. ] So what happened?

[tickingheart]

I... told you.. already. It doesn't matter.

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

[ Saguru summons that voice up from his mind. You lost to someone ... before I caught you ... ]

Then why are you sulking like this?

[tickingheart]

[A blink, forcing Poker Face.]

It's nothing.

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

...

[tickingheart]

[His tone has switched to something that, if not entirely normal, is at least not depressed. Words are still difficult to find, but he's able to cover it well.]

Are you okay?

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

[ All those weak evasions had been starting to worry Saguru. And - did Kuroba think him as much of an fool to just accept those lies and leave? It was nigh an insult. ]

I'm fine, you're not. "Nothing" shouldn't even be classed as high as a lie for you. What happened?

[tickingheart]

[The same near-normal tone (now slightly annoyed), but he's still having trouble with words, still faintly slurring sounds together.]

I told you Hakuba. It doesn't matter.

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

[ An irritated huff. ]

Is anyone else there?

[tickingheart]

No idea.

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

... Kuroba, you'd better open the door.

[ Saguru hangs up. ]

[tickingheart]

[By the time Hakuba gets there, Jolt will have managed to get the robot mostly functioning again, and said robot will be in the process of bandaging up his arm.]

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

[ As Saguru rapped on the front door of 1249 he was thinking, good grief could Kuroba actually be drunk? ]

[tickingheart]

[The figure who opens the door looks neither drunk nor tired. His right arm is wrapped in bandages from wrist to elbow, but they look clean, no blood soaking through. He stares quizzically at the detective, silent.]

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

[ Saguru takes in the other teen's outlook. The magician had obviously cleaned himself up rather recently, probably in the space of time it took for Saguru to arrive here.]

Feeling better, are you now?

[tickingheart]

I told you it was nothing.

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

What the phone caught you muttering convinces me otherwise.

[ And it isn't a prank. At least Saguru is pretty sure. Kuroba wasn't so callous. ]

[tickingheart]

[Flat. Stare.]

"Nothing" and "nothing that concerns you" are two pretty interchangeable concepts.

[The odd slur is gone from his voice, and (aside from the bandaged arm) he looks totally normal.]

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

You really should not have moped over the phone then. Don't waste my time making a fuss like that.

[ Neither of them are amused. ]

[tickingheart]

You're the one who came over here. I told you it was nothing.

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

Let's get over this, shall we? I know that whatever happened is most definitely not nothing, and you involved me by acting like that over the phone.

[tickingheart]

What happened was none of your business, and as flattered as I am that you're concerned about me, you didn't need to come here.

[He doesn't even know this guy, but for some reason, he doesn't like him.]

[tea-sipping.livejournal.com]

Someone did something to you.

[tickingheart]

Brilliant deduction, Sherlock.