(==>)

JOHN: sorry. like i said, my "how to react to stuff" meter is completely fucked right now.

ROXY: thats fair bud

ROXY: real fast i do need to do a quick takeback of all that shit i said last time we talked about janey not being literally the most evil person we knew or whatever

ROXY: i guess i was hopped up on arguin or somethin since that was before we hit our conversational vibe bc of course u were right and i shoulda listened

ROXY: im just glad ur ok

ROXY: or like alive

JOHN: yeah, jury's still out on "ok" but, you know.

ROXY: ya

ROXY: u said ur house is gone??

JOHN: yep.

JOHN: completely.

ROXY: jeez

ROXY: i would ask how ur feelin but like the answer 2 that has got 2b "prtty bad"

JOHN: yeah.

JOHN: i mean.

JOHN: no?

JOHN: it's weird.

JOHN: it feels like it should be a bigger deal, I guess?

JOHN: like it's my HOUSE.

JOHN: but mostly it always felt like my dad's house?

JOHN: and when i started living there after i moved out of here, it was like i crammed myself back into whatever was left of my kid self?

JOHN: and it didn't feel good, but it at least was familiar, you know?

JOHN: like living there let me feel closer to my dad, trying to be like the way i remember him, or like how i remember him wanting me to be, or something?

JOHN: and i didn't realize how much i hated doing that until i saw it all go up in flames.

JOHN: so i guess i could have used my powers to stop the fire and save whatever was left of the place, but i couldn't bring myself to do it.

JOHN: like some fucked up part of me was glad i got there too late?

JOHN: so i just sat there, watching, trying to figure out why watching my house burn down felt like i was being released from prison.

JOHN: and even now i keep trying to explain it away, as though it's because of how fucked up everything else is that it made me feel good.

JOHN: but that's just bullshit.

JOHN: it DID feel good.

JOHN: i DO feel free.

JOHN: sorry.

ROXY: no need 2 apologize

ROXY: we just delved in2 my whole gender thing last time so it seems fine for u to have a turn

JOHN: i didn't say it was a gender thing.

ROXY: well no i just meant like i did some sharing

ROXY: like referrin 2 the topic i brought up when we chatted last

ROXY: but like now that u mention it

ROXY: *meaningful pause*

JOHN: ...

JOHN: i

JOHN:

ROXY: lol well we can move on 2 the favor part if youd rather

ROXY: stick a lil pin in that topic n come back 2 it when u have had sleep

ROXY: like i said the other day its not like this shits figureoutable in 1 sitting anyways

JOHN: yeah...

ROXY: sooooooo

ROXY: movin on

ROXY: dont be mad but theres a part of the house u didnt know abt the whole time u lived here

JOHN: what?

ROXY: yea

ROXY: i got a secret lair

ROXY: for my sciences

ROXY: and i get to it via a transportalizer underneath our bed

ROXY: which is 2 heavy 2 move by my lonesome so i just needed to borrow some o your aforementioned powers of wind

ROXY: so if u dont mind woosh away

JOHN: uh ok, well...

JOHN: a secret science lair, sure, i can deal with that.

JOHN: why not!

JOHN: it doesn't work out great when i do the windy thing indoors, though.

ROXY: aight then no wind bending just use your mangrit

Roxy flexes, the corner of her mouth pulled up into a familiar grin. John feels his guts, so recently calmed, twist up into knots again. Her eyebrows shoot up and the smile loosens. He must have shown something on his face.

ROXY: ok or just like push when i push

ROXY: we both got sick muscles

ROXY: no other adjectives necessary

JOHN: yeah ok.

ROXY: on 3?