IC Contact

[fourlevels]

"Hi! This is Viktor Nikiforov!
Please leave a message!"

Comments

[beautiful_monster]

Yeah...but guys like that don't get scared about doing their job.

[fourlevels]

Of course they do.

[beautiful_monster]

How would you know? Isn't it their job not to be scared?

[fourlevels]

Haven't you heard the phrase that you have to be scared first in order to be brave?

[beautiful_monster]

No. How does that even make sense? You can't be scared if you're brave.

[fourlevels]

It does so make sense! It's like ... it's like a quad jump. If it wasn't such a hard thing to accomplish, it wouldn't be a big deal to do it successfully, right? You have to work yourself up to do it. That's just like being brave. If being brave were easy, then everyone would do something brave everyday. But they don't because they're too scared. Being brave is working through that fear and doing it anyway despite being scared.

[beautiful_monster]

I... [He frowns and trails off. There really isn't anything he can think of to say in rebuttal to that.]

I guess... But it still feels like I've got a lot to work through.

[fourlevels]

Anything I can help with?

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri rolls his eyes and mutters around a mouthful of jerky.]

What do you know about getting less scared to seriously fight people? You know I had to use a crossbow the other day?

[fourlevels]

A crossbow?

[beautiful_monster]

A crossbow. [He takes another mechanical bite of jerky.]

...At least they aren't as loud as guns.

[fourlevels]

[ Well that's concerning. He keeps still though, not wanting to overreact since Yurio was obviously trying to keep it cool. ]

... When were you around guns?

[beautiful_monster]

Uh... [He glances away to avoid looking Viktor in the eye.] A while ago. About a week before the flooding. —But I wasn't hurt!

[fourlevels]

How close?

[beautiful_monster]

... Kind of...in the middle of a gun fight. I was lucky Magnus was there to protect me.

[fourlevels]

[ Viktor takes a slow breath, inhaling and exhaling slowly. ]

... Why didn't you tell me before?

[beautiful_monster]

[He can only offer a weak shrug.]

I... I don't know. I guess I didn't want you to freak out when I'm already safe.

[fourlevels]

Has there been anything else you were in or involved with?

[beautiful_monster]

No. Nothing that you don't know about already.

[fourlevels]

[ He finally turns his head enough to look at Yuri instead of staring straight ahead like he has been. ]

How can I believe that?

[ His voice is soft and neutral,but he might as well be asking how can I believe you? ]

[beautiful_monster]

[Yuri looks at him suddenly, startled by the question, and then looks away just as quickly. For once he's not angry about being doubted. Viktor's got every right to be suspicious, and he knows it.

He offers another weak, half-hearted shrug.]

I don't go looking for shit like this. It just... You know how this place is. Things just happen and you can't get away from it.

[fourlevels]

So that means you'll tell me if—when they do happen? From now on?

[beautiful_monster]

...You won't just freak out if I do, will you?

[fourlevels]

Have you known me to freak out? It's the same promise I made you, you know.

[beautiful_monster]

I think anyone would freak out about the shit that happens to people in this shitty world.

[...But he sighs and slouches in his chair, resting his head back against the wall behind him.]

If you want me to, I'll tell you.