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[weboftime]

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[wishiwasatree]

[She still knocks before she enters, poking her head in and listening for a moment to the music.]

Evenin'.

[weboftime]

[It's Elvis, turned down low.]

Here to take me to Zero?

[wishiwasatree]

[She shakes her head.]

Wanted to asked what happened, see how you were holding up.

[weboftime]

[He sits back.]

I was running a few tests in the library. It is less crowded than the hallways or common rooms and I didn't want to be disturbed.

I didn't hear John approach and a book hit his mask and smashed it against the bookshelf.

It snapped in half. I called Arthur because I remembered they were together. And then he got angry, so I told him to contact you and left.

[wishiwasatree]

[She steps in and gently shuts the door behind her.]

He told me you were upset.

[weboftime]

I don't like being accused of something I didn't do.

[He threads his fingers through his hair, refusing to acknowledge that John's death upset him.]

[wishiwasatree]

No one does.

[She frowns.]

I knew you didn't do it on purpose. That must've given you a fright.

[weboftime]

It was certainly unexpected.

[She doesn't seem upset, at least. He turns down the music and faces her properly.]

[wishiwasatree]

Must've been a big fucking book, huh?

[She helps herself to his chair.]

Sorry he put you through that, accusing you like that.

[weboftime]

Don't apologize for him. Why do people do that?

[wishiwasatree]

Wasn't apologizing for him. It's a fucking turn-of-phrase. I was expressing sympathy for the situation, and for the discomfort he put you through.

[weboftime]

Ah.

Well, there's no need for it. I'm fine. I should have known better.

[wishiwasatree]

No, you shouldn't have known better, cuz you didn't mean it. You weren't being irresponsible.

[weboftime]

I meant reaching out to Arthur.

That was clearly a mistake.

[wishiwasatree]

No, no, wrong fucking takeaway from that. That was the right thing to do, Henry, telling someone. You couldn't account for how they were gonna react.

[weboftime]

[The look he gives her is exceptionally condescending.]

No, I knew how he would act. I hoped it would be different.

Telling him did nothing but make the situation worse.

[wishiwasatree]

[Holy cow. Trixie puts her head into her hands, taking in a slow breath.

She'll answer him, just give her a minute.]

[weboftime]

[He stays out of her mind at the moment, letting her stew it over. He sits back on his bed, raising his knee.]

[wishiwasatree]

[Okay. Okay, she's got this. She drops her hands and sits up.]

You can't guarantee that the right thing'll be met the way you expected. But it was good that you told him anyway. It would've caused him more pain to find out any other way.

[weboftime]

Do you think I care about causing him pain?

Especially now?

[He lets out a breath, regulating himself.]

[wishiwasatree]

I think you cared about John. I think you feel regret for having hurt him.

[weboftime]

[He almost, almost argues with her. But he can't. Not without an entire lie.]

I regretted it because it was an accident. I don't like losing control.

[wishiwasatree]

You don't like things not going to plan. You didn't plan on killing anyone.

[weboftime]

Exactly.

And John didn't deserve that.

[wishiwasatree]

[That...gives her a little hope to cling to. She nods.]

He did not, that's right.