Mabell Lover

She doesn't ONLY play acoustics.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

HELLO ALL.

I am the one and only acoustic tenor ball. Your favorite wandering musician!

No, I don't only play acoustic guitar. Why would you think that?

Stop by and watch my show, will you? I promise it'll be worth it.

____

Name: Sol

Pronouns: He/She

Gender & Sexuality: Tmasc Bigender + Bi Ace

Age: Mid 20s

____

Narration looks like this!

"Speech looks like this."

[Thoughts look like this!]

(Format does not apply to paragraph above)

____

Design Under the Cut

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Creator Info & RP things]

Hi, I'm Kas / Juno ! I run the @vankassian account (Check out my other TBCU Blogs: @steampunk-tennis-ball, @tripping-tennis-ball, @explosive-tennis-ball.)

____

OOC indicator is {this} or in tags

OOC Tag is #ooc acoustic tenor ball

Lore and RP tag is #acoustic tenor ball

Non-Canon Shenanigans tag is #silly fun time

____

For More Sol Content, Follow @ritmo-soleado, his in-character Tumblr blog!

I will post art on here sometimes, so stay tuned for that! For now, sit back and enjoy the show.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

— ft. @steampunk-tennis-ball and @tripping-tennis-ball

"Hey, Mikey?"

Micah turns to Sol, head tilted in question.

"What's your last name?"

She looks at them expectantly. They know hers, but he just now realized he never learned theirs.

Micah blinks in surprise.

"Michaelis."

"What."

"My last name? It's Michaelis."

Sol snorts. Micah furrows their brows, looking increasingly confused.

"No way. Really? That's so...posh."

They shoot her a bewildered look.

"Yes...? Where did you think Micah came from, dear? Archie Micha-elis."

They gesture along with their hands as they ennunciate their words.

Sol looks down, furiously typing something on her phone. It pings almost immediately.

He holds it up to Micah's face.

Agent Stoned: WHAT

Agent Stoned: ur joking

Agent Stoned: thats so fancy and for what

"See! Morgan agrees with me."

She laughs at the responding look on their face.

"My last name isn't that unordinary."

Micah pouts.

"Is too."

They squint at him. Sol sticks out his tongue.

"I am not playing this game."

"You're no fun!"

Micah rolls their eyes, huffing fondly.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

🐜 - Thoughts on bugs and spiders?

🪜 - Thoughts on heights?

🐁 - Favorite small animal?

🎮 - Hobbies?

🐜— Thoughts on bugs and spiders?

"Bugs are okay! They're a little loud, sometimes. Especially in swarms."

Sol grabs a large bowl, filling it with water.

"I got used to them pretty quickly. Wandering the woods as a kid builds your tolerance. I like spiders a lot! I think they're really cute."

She smiles awkwardly.

"Can't touch the spiders, though. The crawling makes my skin itch."

🪜— Thoughts on heights?

He turns off the faucet and carries the now full bowl over to his open oven.

"Honestly? I'm a little scared of heights. Not a lot! I can handle being a couple floors up, but being in the open air makes me nervous."

He sets the bowl down on the floor before putting on a pair of dish gloves. Around him are a rag, some cleaning solution, and a sponge.

"I've always wanted to ride a hot air balloon. The view would probably be amazing. I just can't stand the thought of being so high up unsecured."

🐁 — Favorite small animal?

Sol hums.

"Probably those, uhm...cómo se llaman?Sugar gliders! They're so tiny, I love them."

She covers the inner door of her oven in cleaning solution and begins scrubbing. She looks relaxed.

"Snails have been growing on me, though."

🎮 — Hobbies?

Sol perks up but continues cleaning.

"Yeah! Music, for one."

He chuckles to himself.

"I love guitar the most, but I play a lot of different instruments. I'm second best at drums, I think? My brother taught me, though he's a lot better at it than I am."

He looks a little sad for a moment but carries on.

"We used to play together before I went solo. I'm also a pretty good singer, if I do say so myself. Outside of that, I like cooking and any sort of arts and crafts."

She uses the rag to wipe off some of the cleaning solution, dipping it in the water to wash it off. She shivers at the cold, seeping through the gloves.

"I'm absolutely horrible at baking, but cooking is way easier. There are no rules, and I get to eat the product afterward. It's great!"

Sol scrunches his face at the thought of cleaning the rest of the oven and instead takes a moment to stretch.

"I've been learning to crochet recently. Haven't made anything worth displaying yet. Oh! And I take a lot of pictures! So, I've been working on decorating all of my picture frames."

Sol smiles again, small and fond.

"My friends deserve some custom frames, you know?"

He gets back to cleaning.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Putting Soren to work, for once.

🤕, 😨 , 🍽 , 💘, 🪦, and 👑.

Have fun.

— ✨️

what does that mean

shut UP hayte hold ON im getting the questions ready

🤕 - Reaction to being injured?

i never get injured

liar

what

what

i don't get injured

answer the question anyways

apply pressure to the wound until further treatment can be provided. if need be, take care of my own wounds.

you're lame

that is how i would react to being injured.

sigh. sigh. sigh. sigh.

😨 - Biggest fears?

Oh, oh, I know this one!

no you don't

fuck you ok i know everything. just answer the fucking question. my god.

i'm not afraid of anything.

why do you keep lying??? hello???

i'm not lying

ohhhhh you don't know <3333 that's riiiight

if i don't know, how could i possibly be afraid of it?

so true king. hold on let me write something down. give... more... trrraauma. okay anyways.

are you threatening me?

scared? <3

no.

🍽️ - All-time favorite food?

i don't need to eat

what

i don't need to eat

no i heard you. what do you mean you don't need to eat. that's not in my notes.

maybe you don't know everything

wow. okay fuck you too??????? you DO need to eat.

i've never needed to eat.

have you tried it?

yes.

do you like it?

it is fine.

okay, what do you like to eat.

...

that round, red thing?

what does it taste like?

i don't know. good.

oh mygod. hayte. sweet? savory? salty?

what do those mean?

????????????????????????????

sigh. ok. describe it more.

fits in my hand. grows on trees.

AN APPLE? OF ALL THE FOOD IN THE FUCKING WORLD YOU PICKED AN APPLE AS YOUR FAVORITE? honestly i can't even hate i'm just surprised.

💘 - Relationship status?

single.

rip to all the sunscreen truthers

what does that mean.

...

what does that mean?

🪦 - Thoughts on death?

it's inevitable, a cycle that has continued since before i was born and will continue until after i-

you were born? what? this is news to me.

yes.

??wild. sorry anyways. continue.

no.

oh don't be a little bitch about it. at least tell us if you're scared of it? planning anything? bucket list?

why would i be scared of something i know is going to happen? there's no point.

lots of people are scared of death!

i am not.

fair enough!

👑 - Self-image?

how do you see yourself?

hayte.

ok.

...

...

are ya gonna fucken elaborate?

no.

you're a fucking piece of shit.

okay.

[writing-reference-redux]

Character Headcanon Ask Game

For canon characters, AUs, and OCs!

Have your followers send a character and a number, and you give them a headcanon to match! For anachronistic asks (for example, favorite tv show when the character lives in a fantasy setting), just try to imagine what the answer would be.

What is this character's...

🍽️ - All-time favorite food?

🥤 - All-time favorite drink?

🕛 - Favorite midnight snack?

🍺 - Thoughts on alcohol?

✏️ - Favorite creative endeavors?

🎮 - Hobbies?

🧑🏼‍🚀 - Dream job?

😨 - Biggest fears?

🤞🏼 - Biggest hopes?

🤫 - Biggest secret?

😉 - Lying ability?

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 - Relationship with their family?

🛝 - Best childhood memory?

🫂 - Favorite way to show affection?

😍 - Thoughts on romance and/or sex?

😳 - Reaction to being flirted with?

💘 - Relationship status?

🌹 - Favorite thing to do on a date?

😴 - Sleeping habits?

🛏️ - Bedroom setup?

🛁 - Bathing habits?

🤕 - Reaction to being injured?

🤒 - Reaction to being sick?

😷 - Reaction to being put into quarantine/ lockdown?

🪦 - Thoughts on death?

🎁 - Favorite gift ever?

🥸 - Favorite costume ever?

🕺🏼 - Thoughts on dancing?

🎵 - Favorite genre of music?

🎶 - Three favorite songs ever?

📺 - Favorite TV show?

🎞️ - Favorite movie?

🔪 - Thoughts on scary movies?

🍿 - Favorite movie snacks?

📖 - Favorite book?

🐁 - Favorite small animal?

🐘 - Favorite large animal?

🐈 - Favorite pet?

🐜 - Thoughts on bugs and spiders?

🚢 - Dream vacation?

💼 - Must-have items when packing for a trip?

🚗 - Driving skills?

⛺ - Thoughts on camping?

❄️ - Favorite season?

🎄- Favorite holiday?

💸 - Financial situation?

🏃‍♂️ - Athletic abilities?

🏀 - Favorite sports to watch or participate in?

😢 - Biggest emotional triggers?

😡 - Biggest pet-peeves?

👩🏼‍🎓 - Level of education?

🙈 - Visual skills?

🙉 - Listening skills?

🙊 - Speaking skills?

🧮 - Math skills?

👔 - Style?

👑 - Self-image?

🔨 - Handy skills?

🪜 - Thoughts on heights?

🧸 - Most prized possession?

[heavens-gate-ent]

@acoustic-tenor-ball KILL YOURSELF

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"EXCUSE ME? WHAT."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

{ @acoustic-tenor-ball }

Hayte rocks on its heels, waiting for Sol outside of her house. It had refused to enter, for reasons unknown to everyone but it. And me.

It flaps its hand slightly and blinks, thinking to itself.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol flips the latches on her guitar case shut and hauls it over her shoulder. Usually, he'd bring the guitar bag when traveling, but the heavier case can help hold the blanket down.

[Mabell deserves only the best, anyway. Especially for today.]

She grabs two freshly filled, reusable water bottles plus a couple of snacks and shoves them into a bag with the blanket before leaving. He locks his door on the way out.

"Right! Ready to go?"

She smiles, bounding down the steps of her porch.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte follows Sol, two steps behind her, letting him show it where this place that he wanted to go was.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol brings Hayte into a nearby forest, chatting idly along the way.

She'd spent time memorizing the path the moment she'd discovered it. Despite his keen hearing, a lot of things get muddled, so he prefers to explore and find things himself rather than relying on hearing them.

They come upon a clearing. The trees open up to a lake. The water is shockingly clear with a blue tinge. The grass is low enough not to itch, and the lake just shallow enough to swim in. Sol doubts anyone has been here in a while.

And of course there's the waterfall.

Sol walks closer to the edge of the lake, dragging Hayte along. She sets Mabell and her case down gently before laying out the blanket and sitting down.

He pats the spot next to him enticingly.

"Come sit down!"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte sits, looking around the clearing. It doesn't usually leave the Fae Forest, except to visit Sol, so none of this was familiar to it.

It didn't... love the unfamiliarity, but Sol was here, and that was good enough.

eugh, gay people.

It wraps its arms around its knees, looking extremely awkward, but it doesn't shift to get more comfortable.

when did you find this place

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"About a month ago, I think?"

Sol smiles, taking in the scenery.

"I was looking for a place to settle down and play music without disturbing anything. I sorta wandered around until I found this place."

She shrugs half-heartedly.

"Figured the waterfall was loud enough that Mabell wouldn't make too much noise in comparison."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

{ @acoustic-tenor-ball }

Hayte rocks on its heels, waiting for Sol outside of her house. It had refused to enter, for reasons unknown to everyone but it. And me.

It flaps its hand slightly and blinks, thinking to itself.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol flips the latches on her guitar case shut and hauls it over her shoulder. Usually, he'd bring the guitar bag when traveling, but the heavier case can help hold the blanket down.

[Mabell deserves only the best, anyway. Especially for today.]

She grabs two freshly filled, reusable water bottles plus a couple of snacks and shoves them into a bag with the blanket before leaving. He locks his door on the way out.

"Right! Ready to go?"

She smiles, bounding down the steps of her porch.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte follows Sol, two steps behind her, letting him show it where this place that he wanted to go was.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol brings Hayte into a nearby forest, chatting idly along the way.

She'd spent time memorizing the path the moment she'd discovered it. Despite his keen hearing, a lot of things get muddled, so he prefers to explore and find things himself rather than relying on hearing them.

They come upon a clearing. The trees open up to a lake. The water is shockingly clear with a blue tinge. The grass is low enough not to itch, and the lake just shallow enough to swim in. Sol doubts anyone has been here in a while.

And of course there's the waterfall.

Sol walks closer to the edge of the lake, dragging Hayte along. She sets Mabell and her case down gently before laying out the blanket and sitting down.

He pats the spot next to him enticingly.

"Come sit down!"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

{ @acoustic-tenor-ball }

Hayte rocks on its heels, waiting for Sol outside of her house. It had refused to enter, for reasons unknown to everyone but it. And me.

It flaps its hand slightly and blinks, thinking to itself.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol flips the latches on her guitar case shut and hauls it over her shoulder. Usually, he'd bring the guitar bag when traveling, but the heavier case can help hold the blanket down.

[Mabell deserves only the best, anyway. Especially for today.]

She grabs two freshly filled, reusable water bottles plus a couple of snacks and shoves them into a bag with the blanket before leaving. He locks his door on the way out.

"Right! Ready to go?"

She smiles, bounding down the steps of her porch.

[heavens-gate-ent]

@i-hate-freaky-ball @acoustic-tenor-ball KILL YORSLELF

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"HUH!?"

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks. It's confused again. It's said it's sorry. It's agreed that it should not have done that without asking. What does Sol want from it?

...sigh.

I wish I could make it say literally anything else, but unfortunately. It nods and says,

okay.

Please keep talking.

what do you want me to say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU NOT TO RESPOND TO ME YOU BETTER FUCKING-

i don't know what else to say. i'm sorry. and i won't do it. again

sigh.

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground, waiting for Sol to leave. What. Why do you think Sol is going to l- Do you genuinely think you fucked up so badly that Sol doesn't actually want to talk to you anymore? I mean. You definitely fucked up! A lot! Really badly, in fact! But. SOME people are capable of forgiveness.

Even to forgive you.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Fuuuuuck.]

Sol grips her curls again. She closes her eyes, muttering a prayer to no god in particular.

"No- Hayte, that's not-"

He walks forward resolutely. He grabs both of its hands, cradling them in hers.

"I forgive you. I mean, I'm still upset, but I didn't come here just to yell at you. I wanted to, uhm—"

She looks away nervously, still holding its hands. She instinctively starts making circles with her thumbs.

"I wanted to let you know that I was up for talking again...? That I was alright. I needed to know why, too. Set boundaries or whatever. I was just hoping for a little more insight on how you felt, is all."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

oh.

Hayte lets Sol take its hands, surprised again by that, but unbothered. It stares at their hands, still unwilling to look up at Sol's face.

Don't say that.

...Or that.

...DEFINITELY NOT THAT.

...fine i guess you can say that.

felt about what?

It blinks, finally looking up at Sol's face. It has a lot of feelings, mostly of the anger and confusion variety, but it doesn't know which ones Sol is asking for.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol hesitates.

"Well, I- I sorta kicked you out of my house? And then cut off all communication for a while. That's bound to cause some feelings, right?"

He shrugs lightly.

"Plus, I've been sharing a lot of information about myself this whole time. And, besides the basic details of what happened, I don't really know how you felt about the whole...situation."

She stares at their joint hands.

[This is... not what I imagined my first time holding hands with Hayte would be like.]

"Does- does that make sense?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

yes

Hayte thinks for a moment. It- well, it doesn't exactly remember how it felt at the time.

i wanted it to work.

It struggles for a moment, although all that it shows outwardly of that is another blink.

and it didn't.

and you were upset.

It says that like that's an explanation of how it felt about Sol being upset, which it is not. Is it that hard to say that you felt bad about making him upset?

...Yeah. No, I get it. Don't answer me.

There's a long pause, as Hayte struggles to pick out the words that it wants. It stares at their hands, too.

it's okay that you stopped talking to me. it-

Hayte makes a noise, sort of like a hum, and scrunches its nose.

i would have stopped talking to me, too.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"I was never planning on staying away long. I just needed time to recover."

Sol interlocks their fingers. It's not as much romantic as it is self-soothing. Too much uncertainty makes her fidgety. Having something to do with his hands is always a plus.

"Maybe I should," she admits, "but I've never been good at leaving things unresolved."

Connection has always been important to Sol. Verbal communication is a struggle for him, but physical touch isn't. If she can't connect on a verbal level, he can connect on a physical one. She hopes, at least, that his actions carry her intent where words can't.

And, well, Hayte hasn't stopped moving its hands since the start of the conversation, and he couldn't shake the urge to hold them if he wanted to.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte watches their hands, still a bit confused as to why Sol had grabbed them in the first place. But, it supposes, if he enjoys the physical touch, that was alright with it.

Oh, Hayte, don't say that. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, this time, it's just... a little sad. Think of something else.

...N-no I know you don't think it's sad. You're stupid. It's okay.

...I know.

is there anything else?

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol's face drops just a little, lowering their hands, but she doesn't let go yet.

[Is it over?]

"Oh. N- No? Not really."

She looks up, tilting his head a bit as if trying to see Hayte from a new angle. He's not sure how to proceed.

"Maybe we can hang out for a while? Maybe you can explain the magic stuff to me. Or, if you want alone time, I can leave. It's up to you!"

[Please stay.]

She hums.

"If we do hang out, we might want to go somewhere else. I wouldn't want to run into any fae."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte's grip on Sol's hands tightens, for a fraction of second as Sol lowers them, but quickly loosens.

i've had alone time. that's all i have.

nothing else is wrong?

Hayte looks at Sol.

you-?

Hayte, for possibly the first time in its stupid life, cuts itself off. Wild. Anyways.

where did you want to go?

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol lights up. He drops one of Hayte's hands, coming up to stand by its side with renewed vigor. He adjusts his other hand so they are holding hands properly.

She smiles at it.

"Well! I was exploring the forest the other day, the regular one, and I found this really pretty lake. It has a waterfall and everything!"

She bounces slightly on her heels, excited.

"We might have to stop by my house to get a blanket and water, oh and Mabell, but I think it would be fun to go see it. It makes for the perfect background noise. And there's no fae!"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks.

okay

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol jumps a little at the change in volume. He smiles despite it, dragging Hayte along the path she came.

She hums a tune while they walk to his house.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks. It's confused again. It's said it's sorry. It's agreed that it should not have done that without asking. What does Sol want from it?

...sigh.

I wish I could make it say literally anything else, but unfortunately. It nods and says,

okay.

Please keep talking.

what do you want me to say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU NOT TO RESPOND TO ME YOU BETTER FUCKING-

i don't know what else to say. i'm sorry. and i won't do it. again

sigh.

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground, waiting for Sol to leave. What. Why do you think Sol is going to l- Do you genuinely think you fucked up so badly that Sol doesn't actually want to talk to you anymore? I mean. You definitely fucked up! A lot! Really badly, in fact! But. SOME people are capable of forgiveness.

Even to forgive you.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Fuuuuuck.]

Sol grips her curls again. She closes her eyes, muttering a prayer to no god in particular.

"No- Hayte, that's not-"

He walks forward resolutely. He grabs both of its hands, cradling them in hers.

"I forgive you. I mean, I'm still upset, but I didn't come here just to yell at you. I wanted to, uhm—"

She looks away nervously, still holding its hands. She instinctively starts making circles with her thumbs.

"I wanted to let you know that I was up for talking again...? That I was alright. I needed to know why, too. Set boundaries or whatever. I was just hoping for a little more insight on how you felt, is all."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

oh.

Hayte lets Sol take its hands, surprised again by that, but unbothered. It stares at their hands, still unwilling to look up at Sol's face.

Don't say that.

...Or that.

...DEFINITELY NOT THAT.

...fine i guess you can say that.

felt about what?

It blinks, finally looking up at Sol's face. It has a lot of feelings, mostly of the anger and confusion variety, but it doesn't know which ones Sol is asking for.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol hesitates.

"Well, I- I sorta kicked you out of my house? And then cut off all communication for a while. That's bound to cause some feelings, right?"

He shrugs lightly.

"Plus, I've been sharing a lot of information about myself this whole time. And, besides the basic details of what happened, I don't really know how you felt about the whole...situation."

She stares at their joint hands.

[This is... not what I imagined my first time holding hands with Hayte would be like.]

"Does- does that make sense?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

yes

Hayte thinks for a moment. It- well, it doesn't exactly remember how it felt at the time.

i wanted it to work.

It struggles for a moment, although all that it shows outwardly of that is another blink.

and it didn't.

and you were upset.

It says that like that's an explanation of how it felt about Sol being upset, which it is not. Is it that hard to say that you felt bad about making him upset?

...Yeah. No, I get it. Don't answer me.

There's a long pause, as Hayte struggles to pick out the words that it wants. It stares at their hands, too.

it's okay that you stopped talking to me. it-

Hayte makes a noise, sort of like a hum, and scrunches its nose.

i would have stopped talking to me, too.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"I was never planning on staying away long. I just needed time to recover."

Sol interlocks their fingers. It's not as much romantic as it is self-soothing. Too much uncertainty makes her fidgety. Having something to do with his hands is always a plus.

"Maybe I should," she admits, "but I've never been good at leaving things unresolved."

Connection has always been important to Sol. Verbal communication is a struggle for him, but physical touch isn't. If she can't connect on a verbal level, he can connect on a physical one. She hopes, at least, that his actions carry her intent where words can't.

And, well, Hayte hasn't stopped moving its hands since the start of the conversation, and he couldn't shake the urge to hold them if he wanted to.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte watches their hands, still a bit confused as to why Sol had grabbed them in the first place. But, it supposes, if he enjoys the physical touch, that was alright with it.

Oh, Hayte, don't say that. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, this time, it's just... a little sad. Think of something else.

...N-no I know you don't think it's sad. You're stupid. It's okay.

...I know.

is there anything else?

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol's face drops just a little, lowering their hands, but she doesn't let go yet.

[Is it over?]

"Oh. N- No? Not really."

She looks up, tilting his head a bit as if trying to see Hayte from a new angle. He's not sure how to proceed.

"Maybe we can hang out for a while? Maybe you can explain the magic stuff to me. Or, if you want alone time, I can leave. It's up to you!"

[Please stay.]

She hums.

"If we do hang out, we might want to go somewhere else. I wouldn't want to run into any fae."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte's grip on Sol's hands tightens, for a fraction of second as Sol lowers them, but quickly loosens.

i've had alone time. that's all i have.

nothing else is wrong?

Hayte looks at Sol.

you-?

Hayte, for possibly the first time in its stupid life, cuts itself off. Wild. Anyways.

where did you want to go?

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol lights up. He drops one of Hayte's hands, coming up to stand by its side with renewed vigor. He adjusts his other hand so they are holding hands properly.

She smiles at it.

"Well! I was exploring the forest the other day, the regular one, and I found this really pretty lake. It has a waterfall and everything!"

She bounces slightly on her heels, excited.

"We might have to stop by my house to get a blanket and water, oh and Mabell, but I think it would be fun to go see it. It makes for the perfect background noise. And there's no fae!"

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks. It's confused again. It's said it's sorry. It's agreed that it should not have done that without asking. What does Sol want from it?

...sigh.

I wish I could make it say literally anything else, but unfortunately. It nods and says,

okay.

Please keep talking.

what do you want me to say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU NOT TO RESPOND TO ME YOU BETTER FUCKING-

i don't know what else to say. i'm sorry. and i won't do it. again

sigh.

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground, waiting for Sol to leave. What. Why do you think Sol is going to l- Do you genuinely think you fucked up so badly that Sol doesn't actually want to talk to you anymore? I mean. You definitely fucked up! A lot! Really badly, in fact! But. SOME people are capable of forgiveness.

Even to forgive you.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Fuuuuuck.]

Sol grips her curls again. She closes her eyes, muttering a prayer to no god in particular.

"No- Hayte, that's not-"

He walks forward resolutely. He grabs both of its hands, cradling them in hers.

"I forgive you. I mean, I'm still upset, but I didn't come here just to yell at you. I wanted to, uhm—"

She looks away nervously, still holding its hands. She instinctively starts making circles with her thumbs.

"I wanted to let you know that I was up for talking again...? That I was alright. I needed to know why, too. Set boundaries or whatever. I was just hoping for a little more insight on how you felt, is all."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

oh.

Hayte lets Sol take its hands, surprised again by that, but unbothered. It stares at their hands, still unwilling to look up at Sol's face.

Don't say that.

...Or that.

...DEFINITELY NOT THAT.

...fine i guess you can say that.

felt about what?

It blinks, finally looking up at Sol's face. It has a lot of feelings, mostly of the anger and confusion variety, but it doesn't know which ones Sol is asking for.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol hesitates.

"Well, I- I sorta kicked you out of my house? And then cut off all communication for a while. That's bound to cause some feelings, right?"

He shrugs lightly.

"Plus, I've been sharing a lot of information about myself this whole time. And, besides the basic details of what happened, I don't really know how you felt about the whole...situation."

She stares at their joint hands.

[This is... not what I imagined my first time holding hands with Hayte would be like.]

"Does- does that make sense?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

yes

Hayte thinks for a moment. It- well, it doesn't exactly remember how it felt at the time.

i wanted it to work.

It struggles for a moment, although all that it shows outwardly of that is another blink.

and it didn't.

and you were upset.

It says that like that's an explanation of how it felt about Sol being upset, which it is not. Is it that hard to say that you felt bad about making him upset?

...Yeah. No, I get it. Don't answer me.

There's a long pause, as Hayte struggles to pick out the words that it wants. It stares at their hands, too.

it's okay that you stopped talking to me. it-

Hayte makes a noise, sort of like a hum, and scrunches its nose.

i would have stopped talking to me, too.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"I was never planning on staying away long. I just needed time to recover."

Sol interlocks their fingers. It's not as much romantic as it is self-soothing. Too much uncertainty makes her fidgety. Having something to do with his hands is always a plus.

"Maybe I should," she admits, "but I've never been good at leaving things unresolved."

Connection has always been important to Sol. Verbal communication is a struggle for him, but physical touch isn't. If she can't connect on a verbal level, he can connect on a physical one. She hopes, at least, that his actions carry her intent where words can't.

And, well, Hayte hasn't stopped moving its hands since the start of the conversation, and he couldn't shake the urge to hold them if he wanted to.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte watches their hands, still a bit confused as to why Sol had grabbed them in the first place. But, it supposes, if he enjoys the physical touch, that was alright with it.

Oh, Hayte, don't say that. There's nothing inherently wrong with it, this time, it's just... a little sad. Think of something else.

...N-no I know you don't think it's sad. You're stupid. It's okay.

...I know.

is there anything else?

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol's face drops just a little, lowering their hands, but she doesn't let go yet.

[Is it over?]

"Oh. N- No? Not really."

She looks up, tilting his head a bit as if trying to see Hayte from a new angle. He's not sure how to proceed.

"Maybe we can hang out for a while? Maybe you can explain the magic stuff to me. Or, if you want alone time, I can leave. It's up to you!"

[Please stay.]

She hums.

"If we do hang out, we might want to go somewhere else. I wouldn't want to run into any fae."

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks. It's confused again. It's said it's sorry. It's agreed that it should not have done that without asking. What does Sol want from it?

...sigh.

I wish I could make it say literally anything else, but unfortunately. It nods and says,

okay.

Please keep talking.

what do you want me to say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU NOT TO RESPOND TO ME YOU BETTER FUCKING-

i don't know what else to say. i'm sorry. and i won't do it. again

sigh.

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground, waiting for Sol to leave. What. Why do you think Sol is going to l- Do you genuinely think you fucked up so badly that Sol doesn't actually want to talk to you anymore? I mean. You definitely fucked up! A lot! Really badly, in fact! But. SOME people are capable of forgiveness.

Even to forgive you.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Fuuuuuck.]

Sol grips her curls again. She closes her eyes, muttering a prayer to no god in particular.

"No- Hayte, that's not-"

He walks forward resolutely. He grabs both of its hands, cradling them in hers.

"I forgive you. I mean, I'm still upset, but I didn't come here just to yell at you. I wanted to, uhm—"

She looks away nervously, still holding its hands. She instinctively starts making circles with her thumbs.

"I wanted to let you know that I was up for talking again...? That I was alright. I needed to know why, too. Set boundaries or whatever. I was just hoping for a little more insight on how you felt, is all."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

oh.

Hayte lets Sol take its hands, surprised again by that, but unbothered. It stares at their hands, still unwilling to look up at Sol's face.

Don't say that.

...Or that.

...DEFINITELY NOT THAT.

...fine i guess you can say that.

felt about what?

It blinks, finally looking up at Sol's face. It has a lot of feelings, mostly of the anger and confusion variety, but it doesn't know which ones Sol is asking for.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol hesitates.

"Well, I- I sorta kicked you out of my house? And then cut off all communication for a while. That's bound to cause some feelings, right?"

He shrugs lightly.

"Plus, I've been sharing a lot of information about myself this whole time. And, besides the basic details of what happened, I don't really know how you felt about the whole...situation."

She stares at their joint hands.

[This is... not what I imagined my first time holding hands with Hayte would be like.]

"Does- does that make sense?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

yes

Hayte thinks for a moment. It- well, it doesn't exactly remember how it felt at the time.

i wanted it to work.

It struggles for a moment, although all that it shows outwardly of that is another blink.

and it didn't.

and you were upset.

It says that like that's an explanation of how it felt about Sol being upset, which it is not. Is it that hard to say that you felt bad about making him upset?

...Yeah. No, I get it. Don't answer me.

There's a long pause, as Hayte struggles to pick out the words that it wants. It stares at their hands, too.

it's okay that you stopped talking to me. it-

Hayte makes a noise, sort of like a hum, and scrunches its nose.

i would have stopped talking to me, too.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"I was never planning on staying away long. I just needed time to recover."

Sol interlocks their fingers. It's not as much romantic as it is self-soothing. Too much uncertainty makes her fidgety. Having something to do with his hands is always a plus.

"Maybe I should," she admits, "but I've never been good at leaving things unresolved."

Connection has always been important to Sol. Verbal communication is a struggle for him, but physical touch isn't. If she can't connect on a verbal level, he can connect on a physical one. She hopes, at least, that his actions carry her intent where words can't.

And, well, Hayte hasn't stopped moving its hands since the start of the conversation, and he couldn't shake the urge to hold them if he wanted to.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks. It's confused again. It's said it's sorry. It's agreed that it should not have done that without asking. What does Sol want from it?

...sigh.

I wish I could make it say literally anything else, but unfortunately. It nods and says,

okay.

Please keep talking.

what do you want me to say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU NOT TO RESPOND TO ME YOU BETTER FUCKING-

i don't know what else to say. i'm sorry. and i won't do it. again

sigh.

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground, waiting for Sol to leave. What. Why do you think Sol is going to l- Do you genuinely think you fucked up so badly that Sol doesn't actually want to talk to you anymore? I mean. You definitely fucked up! A lot! Really badly, in fact! But. SOME people are capable of forgiveness.

Even to forgive you.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Fuuuuuck.]

Sol grips her curls again. She closes her eyes, muttering a prayer to no god in particular.

"No- Hayte, that's not-"

He walks forward resolutely. He grabs both of its hands, cradling them in hers.

"I forgive you. I mean, I'm still upset, but I didn't come here just to yell at you. I wanted to, uhm—"

She looks away nervously, still holding its hands. She instinctively starts making circles with her thumbs.

"I wanted to let you know that I was up for talking again...? That I was alright. I needed to know why, too. Set boundaries or whatever. I was just hoping for a little more insight on how you felt, is all."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

oh.

Hayte lets Sol take its hands, surprised again by that, but unbothered. It stares at their hands, still unwilling to look up at Sol's face.

Don't say that.

...Or that.

...DEFINITELY NOT THAT.

...fine i guess you can say that.

felt about what?

It blinks, finally looking up at Sol's face. It has a lot of feelings, mostly of the anger and confusion variety, but it doesn't know which ones Sol is asking for.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol hesitates.

"Well, I- I sorta kicked you out of my house? And then cut off all communication for a while. That's bound to cause some feelings, right?"

He shrugs lightly.

"Plus, I've been sharing a lot of information about myself this whole time. And, besides the basic details of what happened, I don't really know how you felt about the whole...situation."

She stares at their joint hands.

[This is... not what I imagined my first time holding hands with Hayte would be like.]

"Does- does that make sense?"

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks. It's confused again. It's said it's sorry. It's agreed that it should not have done that without asking. What does Sol want from it?

...sigh.

I wish I could make it say literally anything else, but unfortunately. It nods and says,

okay.

Please keep talking.

what do you want me to say

OH MY FUCKING GOD I HAVE TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU AND TOLD YOU NOT TO RESPOND TO ME YOU BETTER FUCKING-

i don't know what else to say. i'm sorry. and i won't do it. again

sigh.

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground, waiting for Sol to leave. What. Why do you think Sol is going to l- Do you genuinely think you fucked up so badly that Sol doesn't actually want to talk to you anymore? I mean. You definitely fucked up! A lot! Really badly, in fact! But. SOME people are capable of forgiveness.

Even to forgive you.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Fuuuuuck.]

Sol grips her curls again. She closes her eyes, muttering a prayer to no god in particular.

"No- Hayte, that's not-"

He walks forward resolutely. He grabs both of its hands, cradling them in hers.

"I forgive you. I mean, I'm still upset, but I didn't come here just to yell at you. I wanted to, uhm—"

She looks away nervously, still holding its hands. She instinctively starts making circles with her thumbs.

"I wanted to let you know that I was up for talking again...? That I was alright. I needed to know why, too. Set boundaries or whatever. I was just hoping for a little more insight on how you felt, is all."

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol wanders through the forest. Leaves crunch under her feet. He expertly hops over stray tree roots, careful not to crush any nearby flowers or mushrooms.

He's heard rumors that the fae forest is dangerous. [Likely on account of the Fae.] She's not willing to risk angering something or stepping on something dangerous in unknown territory.

He rechecks that her emergency signal is secure on her belt. Just in case.

[It has to be around here somewhere. I hear it from this direction all the time.]

Sol looks around, lost, and stumbles over a rock. The sounds of various insects scuttering away fill his ears as she calls out.

"Hello? Is anyone there?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

HIHIHIHI

what.

sorry not YOU. you SUCK. i'm talking to my beautiful wife Sol.

sol?

Hayte looks up, pausing in place, waiting for Sol to approach.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol perks up, heading towards the source of the noise. She hesitates as Hayte comes into view but speaks up anyway.

"Hayte! Hey."

He waves nervously. His smile is smaller than usual.

"How have you been?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte glances up and nods its head in acknowledgement, and then goes back staring at the flowers at its feet.

hello

It blinks once, and then answers.

i've been okay. i'm doing my tasks.

oh poor thing. KILL

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"That's nice! I'm glad you're doing well."

Sol stares at Hayte, shifting awkwardly on her feet.

"Did- Do you- Uhm."

He exhales. She fidgets with the pocket of her jeans as he tries to find his words.

"About a couple weeks ago. Was that on purpose or—"

She pauses and rephrases.

"No, wait. Better question, what we're you trying to do?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte pauses, looking back up at Sol, and then staring at his jean pocket as she fidgets with it.

it was supposed to be quiet

...no you need to elaborate more holy shit hayte please i'm begging you

the snail was supposed to be quiet

...a little bit more?

like how it sounds for me

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol blinks at it.

"You we're trying to make the snail quieter?"

[Just the snail?]

He takes a couple of steps closer to Hayte. As she does, she continues to fidget.

"Like normal hearing? How?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks and stares at the ground.

like-

i can't hear the snails at all

Hayte flaps its hand a bit.

...you didnt mention making yourself quieter?

did it

Hayte blinks again.

did it work

are you STUPI-💥

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol watches as Hayte keeps blinking as it speaks. His eyes catch on the hand movement for a moment, but she refocuses.

[Well, then.]

"Do you not know—?"

He clears his throat.

"Yeah, it- It did. At least for a little while."

She tilts her head, trying to remember. His memory is a little foggy after the whole...

[Silence. After the silence.]

"I didn't hear it, or you, coming, but I could hear the snail again when you handed it to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks again. freak

i-

IF YOU FUCKING ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW WHILE YOU TWO ARE HAVING A MOMENT I WILL RIP YOUR TINY HEAD OFF OF YOUR BODY IN FRONT OF SOL AND THEN I WILL DANCE ON YOUR BLOOD SOAKED TORSO ARE WE FUCKING CLEAR?

...

good. now answer the boygirl.

that wasn't supposed to happen

...

when i handed it to you

...

but the first part was supposed to happen

it-

we were supposed to be

quiet.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"What about the second time?"

[Ah- right. It's a kind of a dumbass, isn't it?]

Sol considers Hayte's confusion and adds,

"You know. When you grabbed my hand?"

He gestures vaguely at his right hand.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

the snail was supposed to be silent

...it blinks. again.

did that

don't fucking-

happen?

you stupid piece of shit. i HATE YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol rolls her eyes.

"It did a bit more than that, Hayte."

She laughs. It's less amused than it is bitter.

"If you count cutting me off from all sound entirely, then. Yeah, it worked."

He tamps down the irritation in his voice as best he can. It doesn't know. He can be angry later.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte looks up at Sol's face, trying to grasp Sol's emotions. And mostly succeeded.

oh.

It flaps its hand nervously again.

i am sorry. it wasn't supposed to do that.

just the snail. and me

Hayte scrunches its nose, annoyed at itself now. All of that pain and clouded vision, and for what? It didn't even work properly.

w-

DO NOT SAY THAT. ABSOLUTE IDIOCY. DO NOT DO THAT DO NOT OFFER.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol startles at the apology. Still, she holds her ground.

"Yeah, well. I didn't enjoy it. That's for sure."

She looks it in the eyes, actively avoiding watching its hand move.

[This would be so much easier if it wasn't so-]

"Why do this anyway? And why not ask, first?"

The word 'ask' comes out a little harsher than intended. He crosses his arms.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i was trying to be helpful.

to show you what snails are like for me

Hayte doesn't fully understand why Sol is here. If they had be in each other's positions, Hayte wouldn't have looked for Sol at all. Hayte wasn't the sort of person to bother making amends with people who had hurt it.

...This is why you have no friends, Hayte.

i- i thought it would work

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"And you didn't think to ask if I wanted help first? What are you? Stu—"

Sol takes a breath.

[Remember, anger after.]

"Sorry. That's uncalled for. I-"

She un-tenses her shoulders. Though he keeps his arms crossed. She taps a rhythm into her bicep with one hand.

"I appreciate the sentiment, Hayte, but you could– No, should, have asked. I told you I was working on something already. Did you forget?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

It did not forget. It wasn't trying to make a permanent solution, just a one time experience with a snail.

Hayte thinks that it shouldn't really have to ask Sol for permission on what to do with its own volume, although it does concede that what it did to Sol was unprompted, and probably unpleasant for him.

Although, it doesn't really remember. It couldn't think straight while it was doing that, and though that's not an excuse, it is a reason. It wasn't really able to focus on what Sol was doing, or what Sol might have wanted from it, since it was all it could do to keep itself quiet and stay conscious at the same time.

Tell her that, Hayte. Give him the reasons why, and do better next time. It's not that difficult.

i'm sorry.

h?? Okay. Good job. Now explain. To Sol. What goes on in your stupid little mind.

...It stares at the ground, instead. Thanks. For that. It doesn't know what Sol wants it to s- Fuck you mean you don't know???? TELL HER WHAT I JUST EXPLAINED TO OUR LOVELY VIEWERS. THAT YOU FUCKED UP AND YOU DIDN'T MEAN TO AND. Please. Just try??

i didn't i couldn't think about it. then.

okay. thats. something. i guess. can you fucken elaborate?

...

i'm gonna fucking GET YOU

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[I'm sure you are.]

"So you've said."

An apology is the last thing Sol's looking for. He heard it apologize on the way out. If 'I'm sorry' was enough to fix things, they wouldn't be here. Morgan spent too long drilling that into his head to forget to disregard it so easily.

Sol furrows her brows, confused.

"But, what do you mean by couldn't think? What was stopping you?"

[If this is some idiotic excuse, I'm leaving.]

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte shifts a bit, flaps its hand again, and then takes a deep breath.

I couldn't think because-

Hayte scrunches its nose, frustrated at its own inability to say what it wants to. Hm. That's a first!

i didn't have enough internal magic to do it correctly, so it was draining my physical energy

oh shit haytes gonna educate us okay everyone sit down and listen

and by the time my head hurt that badly i couldn't risk trying to use external magic in case i grabbed your energy. or the snail's energy. i couldn't focus enough to be sure i wasn't grabbing you

i couldn't think

well

hayte thinks for a moment

i was thinking about the snail. because if i let go of the of the thought. i wouldn't have been able to do anything at all

just a bit more. please

i wouldnt have been able to stay awake

but

but? but what?

before i gave you the snail i could think mostly

oh. lame.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol gapes.

"Wow. Uh. That might have been the most I've ever heard you contribute to a conversation. It's kind of sad, now that I think about it."

She's a little stunned, honestly. He shakes his head to clear his mind.

"So, you're telling me you hurt yourself to help me? That you almost passed out?"

She presses. There's more to say, clearly.

[Magic? My energy?]

He wants to stay angry, but this is so beyond her. This is the most information she's learned about Hayte in a while. And it gave it up willingly. How is she meant to process any of this?

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

is it?

YES HAYTE. YOU DON'T SAY ANYTHING AT ALL. IT'S SO HARD WATCHING YOU DO THIS. I'M GONNA SOB.

oh.

Hayte considers for a moment.

i guess i did hurt myself

you guess???? you passed out as soon as you got home from the pain

it wasn't that bad.

IT WASN'T THAT BAD???????????? FUCKING LIAR

my head hurt like it was going to explode. and i couldn't see you. or hear you.

...yeah. wasn't "that bad".

are you okay, now?

H. GUYS I DIDN'T- WHAT. HAYTE? SORRY THAT'S THE FIRST TIME HAYTE'S NOT BEEN A SELF ABSORBED DICK AND I DIDN'T EVEN FORCE IT. YOOOO HOLY SHIIIIT. dear god why are you gay why is sol the reason you become a good person ://// DO NOT RESPOND TO ME YOU CANT HEAR ME IF I TALK IN LITTLE TEXT.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

[Excuse me?]

Sol does the biggest double take of her life. He's sure he looks a bit dumb with how she silently stares at Hayte, but...

[There's just... so much.]

"Okay. Holy shit."

He takes some calming breaths, willing himself not to scream.

"Yeah. I'm fine, now. The migraine was pretty bad, but it cleared up after a couple of days. That's not important right now. You-"

She uncrosses her arms. Her hands open and close repeatedly as she tries to comprehend the situation.

"You say it wasn't that bad, but you couldn't see me? Or hear me? That is SO bad. Were you dying? What the fuck?"

The questions tumble out of her unbidden. This conversation is quickly spiraling out of his control.

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

i won't die

okay so you can't just SAY that. but. of course you're going to JUST say that. great. love that for us.

i could see the snail

helpful. also BARELY.

thats why i was focusing on it. because i couldn't see anything else.

😭😭😭 hayte i need to blend you so badly what the fuck is wrong with you

i am okay now. it doesn't matter.

I WANT THIS BITCH DEAD!!!!!!!

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

Sol nods.

"Mm. Thanks for the reassurance, I guess?"

He grimaces.

"It does matter, though. I don't like that you were hurt because of me. Especially for something I didn't even need."

Guilt burns a hole into her chest, but she still gives it a look.

"We will be coming back to that, Hayte. That isn't something you can just do. At least not to me."

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

okay

h. yeah okay. im gonna fucking end this morons life. its agreeing with sol and acknowledging that. its not gonna say anything else.

apparently we used its word count for the day ://////

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"Is that all you're going to say?"

Sol shoves her fingers into her hair. His curls stop them from gliding through, so he grabs at the root and tugs lightly at his scalp instead.

"I don't know what I was expecting, really. Can't get much of anything out of you, can I?"

She sighs.

[It can't hurt to be blunt, I guess.]

"Look. I don't- Hm. I like you. And I would prefer to keep you in my life. But it's a lot harder to justify if you're not going to work with me here."

She pops her knuckles idly.

"Do you want to know what I think?"

[i-hate-freaky-ball]

Hayte blinks, not really sure what Sol wants from it. It blinks again, trying to comprehend Sol's words, Sol's intention to keep it around.

yes

It says, flapping its hand again lightly. It's trying to work with Sol. It just... doesn't know how.

Unfortunately it's not going to say any of that! Because it fucking sucks! Mods, Kill This Guy.

[acoustic-tenor-ball]

"You're frustrating."

Sol starts.

"I absolutely love having you around, but sometimes you frustrate me to no end. This—"

He gestures back and forth between them.

"—Isn't going to work if you try things on me, especially magical ones, without permission or warning. I don't want you taking my choices away from me. I would have been more than happy to try out your snail trick if you'd told me about it first."

She thinks for a moment before continuing.

"I'm mad at you because you hurt me. Unintentionally or not, what you did fucked me up for days. That's not something that goes away without any effort on your part. It's even more upsetting now that I know you got hurt and, from the sounds of it, pushed through the pain instead of stopping."

He takes a breath.

"I. Care about you. Seeing you hurt makes me sad. Don't do that again."