[video/action]

[bashfulshifter]

[Now this is unusual--the blonde man is on camera! Although it should be easy to figure out that whatever extenuating circumstances have driven him to this were not kind; unkempt, unshaven, blue eyes dead and glistening with tears, his appearance screams of a man in mourning who hasn't left his room for almost a week. And this is, indeed, the case.]

[A text apology would be the path of least resistance, but the last time he tried that people got angry at him, and he's sure that they're all angry enough with him as it is. He wants them to see how sorry he is, even if he's feeling too miserable to leave the first floor dorms. It's about all he can manage.]

[...If even that. Cameras have never agreed with Rick, and as he opens his mouth to try and speak, he realizes that they're certainly not going to be friendly with him now.]

--I-I--A-A-Ah--

[He closes his mouth and squeezes his eyes shut. Don't think about the fact that you're being filmed. Don't think about how everyone checking the terminals can watch your red face blubbering about your horrible mistakes. Which they are already judging you viciously for, by the way. Just ignore that for a minute. Right.]

...S-Some...s-s-s-something-- [Rick grinds on that first syllable a few more times through his teeth, falters, gives up.] --I-I m-m-mean--l-last--th--there--th--u-um--

[He can't do this. Rick swipes off his glasses and buries his face in his hand, taking several deep, long breaths. When he speaks again, his words are still muffled in his palm.]

...I-I've m-made...a m-m-mistake...

[The blonde man sits in front of the terminal for some time thereafter, as if he's going to try and continue, but when the words don't come he quickly reaches over and turns off the feed.]

[He doesn't stay to look at replies to his post--the idea of other people commenting on that embarrassing display almost makes him sick. Instead, he stumbles back to his quiet, dark room on the first floor and curls up in his bed.]

Comments

[stitchedupbodyguard]

Y-you don't... h-haveto.

I mean, if you want me to leave, I-I could g-go...

[bashfulshifter]

--W-Wait.

[Rick straightens suddenly, holding out a hand as if intending to grab Veronica's shoulder and keep her there--but he checks himself at the last second and pulls away, visibly shaken.]

...I-I...I d-don't...w-w-want to b-be...a-alone.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Veronica wasn't going to get up, but when she sees Rick's hand reaching out there's no way she's leaving now.

Reaching out, she took his hand in hers, giving him a nod.]

O-okay, I wont leave.

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods slowly back, giving Veronica's hand a small squeeze.]

...Th--Thank you...

[He drifts into silence, at first not sure where to go from there. Veronica is staying...well, now he has to tell her what happened, doesn't he?]

...There w-was a...a f-f-fight...l-last w-week.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

I-I heard. I n-never g-got to see it though.

[She was too busy and couldn't join in.]

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick visibly flinches. So she knows, then...]

...I... [He gives an involuntary, shuddering sob.] ...I d-d-didn't m-mean...t-to h-hurt...I'm s-s-sorry...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

I-I know.

[She squeezed his hand gently. Even though she hadn't been there in person, she had easily gotten the gist of what happened.]

It's o-okay.... r-really.

[bashfulshifter]

[He vigorously shakes his head.]

--N-No, no it--i-it's not. [Rick swipes off his glasses, burying his face in his hand.] I--I k-keep s-s-saying it w-will be, a-and--and it's n-n-not...I d-don't...know...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Hesitantly, she just sits there, watching him and not sure if much physical contact was a good thing at the moment.]

W-well... y-you were b-being controlled... r-right?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick nods, numbly.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

T-then y-you don't h-have to apologize.

It w-wasn't you d-doing that.

[bashfulshifter]

[He slowly shakes his head with a heavy sigh.]

...The...th--the w-words were m-mine. I d-didn't w-w-want to...t-to s-say them, but...they're t-true.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

...I'm sorry.

[What else could she really say?]

F-for everything. T-that p-probably doesn't mean much, but... I'll be here f-for you. Okay?

[bashfulshifter]

...Th...Thank you.

[The start of a warm smile creeps over Rick's face, but it is still very sad, almost apologetic.]

...I-It's n-not your f-f-fault...

[stitchedupbodyguard]

And it's n-not y-yours either. Even if w-what y-you said w-was true.

[It really didn't matter what Rick had said during the event. Everyone would say that sort of stuff after being here long enough.]

T-try not to w-worry too much, o-okay?

[bashfulshifter]

[Rick sniffs to stifle the impulsive bark of laughter that nearly escapes him.]

Veronica...y-you know I c-c-can't do that.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

I know. I c-can ask y-you to try though, r-right?

[She can dream that you wont suffer a heart attack through your own stress can't she?.]

[bashfulshifter]

[She can dream, yes. Will this stop it from happening? Probably not.]

I...th--thank you. [The smile fades from his face in stages.] ...I-I w-wish...I h-had m-m-more to o-offer than...m-my w-w-words.

[You know--since those don't work very well for him in the first place.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

It's o-okay, j-just...

[Really, what else could she say at this point? She briefly looked uncertain.]

J-just... f-feel better I guess.

[She looked away for a moment. When her eyes fell on the pillow on his bed they lit up.]

Oh, y-you got my present.

[bashfulshifter]

[Subject change! Rick grabs onto that like a drowning man.]

--Y-Yes. [He flashes a quick grin of appreciation.] I've, ah...k-kept m-meaning to th--thank you, b-but...

[Veronica can probably finish that sentence for him. "Busy" does not even begin to cover it.]

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[Yeah, she gets it. Things have certainly happened.]

I-it's o-okay, I'm just h-happy that it's b-being used.

And... [It got a sheepish laugh out of her.] I-I didn't k-know what else to g-get you.

[bashfulshifter]

...Veronica.

[He manages to hold her gaze for much longer than he has so far in this conversation. This is Important.]

...y-you m-made s-s-something for me. That's...m-more than I-I d-d-deserve from a-anyone. I-It...it m-means a l-lot.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

[That's enough to cause her face to blush a little. She smiles in return though.]

T-thanks. I-I just... y-you always s-seem t-t-tired. So.... y-yeah.

Glad y-you l-like it.

[bashfulshifter]

[Realizing that he's made Veronica very embarrassed, Rick blushes back and looks away.]

I-It's...v-v-very th--thoughtful of y-you. I'll, um...I-I'll f-f-find a w-way to r-r-return the f-favor.

[stitchedupbodyguard]

T-thank you...

[It's the fifth time she's thanked him, but whatever. Why did he have to be so nice to her?]

Y-you d-don't have to. It's j-just a p-pillow. But... I-if y-you want to...