Video | Llama 1

[firewalled]

[Rich, as per usual, is in the music car, once all the excitement of the platform is over and done, His guitar is sitting in his lap, and he looks a little tired, but there's at least a small smile on his face.]

Yo. Rich here. So I thought I'd better get this out of the way, but if you've had to deal with me being a mega asshole in the last month, I'm sorry.

[He looks properly ashamed, and has to take a minute to run his hand through his hair.]

Ugh. I don't even know what to say about it. Basically, I wasn't in control of myself, and then when I was back to myself, I guess I kinda crashed super hard. You know, dopamine machine broke and all.

...If you wanna talk to me about that, or about anything, I guess, come and find me. I'm not gonna try to run away this time.

[Rich exhales slowly then, and then hoists his guitar up with a much brighter grin. It might look a tad ingenuine, but Rich is an expert at faking it until he makes it.]

Anyways, I've still been really into practicing my music and all, and I was kinda wondering if someone would wanna do a concert again? But instead of me just flying solo, we could all do our own sets of a couple songs? Hell, maybe some of us can start up bands, I've been wanting to do that for ages. If you wanna jam, hit me up!

Comments

[voice]

[gathersnomoss]

I play guitar, but it's been a while. I tend to travel light.

I'm new, so I can't comment on you being an asshole or not.

[voice]

[firewalled]

Hey, no worries! There're instruments in the music car, if you want to practice. And I'm mainly self-taught, so I don't know how good of a teacher I am...

[He laughs quietly.]

I guess it depends who you talk to here. I'm... trying to be better than how I used to be back home, but I also know I can fall back in bad habits, you know? So I thought I'd at least mention it.

Re: [voice]

[gathersnomoss]

I'll keep an eye out for any asshole behavior from you, but I'm told I can be abrasive as well. I might deserve a small amount.

[voice]

[firewalled]

Heh, yeah? It can be a problem. I kind of always told myself to be pretty masculine, and that seemed to always default to 'angry' for me.

[He's hopefully getting over that, if the smile in his tone is any indication.]

Re: [voice]

[gathersnomoss]

Right.

[crap, does that mean he needs to return some sort of truth?]

Most people that I've met here are unsettling nice. It makes a guy wonder if maybe his paranoia is a bit much.

Action

[fivemilesdeep]

['Come find me' is an invitation Ryo takes him up on, and he walks the train until his Sense picks up on the presence he's come to recognize as Rich.]

Do you have a few minutes?

[firewalled]

[Oh. Shit, yeah, of course Ryo would come find him. Rich tries to offer a small smile, one that's meant to be reassuring, but it's clear that he isn't exactly ready to discuss some of this.]

Hey, Ryo. Y-Yeah, I'm just... [He gestures to his lunch. As usual, Rich is a growing boy and eats a lot, so it isn't hard to find him around the dining cars.]

[fivemilesdeep]

[He really should have looked before asking, huh.]

I can come back in a bit if you'd rather finish.

[It's not letting him off the hook so much as it is allowing him to finish his meal in peace.]

[firewalled]

Oh, no, I was done anyways!

[Rich shovels the last of his sandwich into his mouth... which is definitely a sight and makes him look a bit like a chipmunk, but hey. Maybe the humour will help the situation. Once he swallows it down, he gives Ryo a nervous grin.]

So what's up?

[Voice]

[armsistice]

I'm sorry to hear you weren't feeling well. You - do you have any idea what caused it? What was in control of you instead?

I don't know that you need to apologize, and have also been controlled by something external.

[Voice]

[firewalled]

Ah, it's... complicated.

[Rich has already told a few people what happened with him, but he doesn't exactly want to put Jack on blast either. It'd be all too easy to turn the train against him. Just like it would have been all too easy for Jeremy to turn the whole school against him.

He'll have to talk to him. If Jack maybe wants to try to be more than what everyone expects, then Rich won't interfere with that.]

Basically, I used to have this supercomputer in my brain. It's deactivated most of the time, but I... made a really stupid mistake and got it turned back on. When that happens, I usually don't act like myself, to put it mildly.

[Voice]

[armsistice]

Of course it is. Not something you want to share with strangers. I understand completely.

I--oh, you are sharing. All right, that's ... certainly not what I would have guessed. I won't try to tell you it wasn't your fault without having been there, but I will say it sounds ambiguous. At the very least.

I'm Dr. Octavius, by the way. Usually I get to the name exchange part before I hear about anyone else's supercomputer-brains. But I'm not complaining.

[Voice]

[firewalled]

Oh, uh. No, it's okay. It's best people know about it, even strangers, in case it happens again. I mean, especially when we're all teammates.

[If he ends up in trouble again, they should know then what he needs to remedy the situation, even if he still is uncomfortable relying on others.

He would have something to say about whether or not the situation was ambiguous, but the name certainly gets his attention. One because he's seen it on the plate on his sleeping car, and another because... well, he was a nerdy kid and read plenty of comic books.

...He'll discuss the former, and keep the latter to himself.]

Oh! I think we're actually roommates then. I saw your name got added to my room. So even more reason for you to know about it, in case I need it turned off again.

Video

[yondu]

[He knew something was up, from what Cherry said. But he'd not been sure what.]

[Still, he turns on the ICP in the library car.]

Yeah, mind if I come talk to ya about that? Got somethin' to mention. [He probably accidentally looks like a dad who has to come question the boy who hurt his little girl. But he just wants Rich to know Cherry wants to hear from him if she hasn't yet.]

Video

[firewalled]

[Huh. Who is this guy? He seems pretty upset... but Rich doesn't really know who he is. He was pretty sure he remembered most of the interactions he had, even when Jack was in control, but this guy is unfamiliar.

Still, if he's upset, he has a right to talk to Rich about what happened, so Rich offers him a nod.]

Yeah, of course. Whatever you need to say, I'll listen.

[yondu]

[He's exuding big Shotgun Daddy energy completely unintentionally.]

Where can I find ya?

[firewalled]

I'm uh, still in the music room. If I'm not there, I'm probably in the dining car, but I'm still practicing for a couple hours...

[Please don't kill him, weird blue dad!]

Video

[agoodsoul]

Guessing this ain't an apology for me, but we're good, mate.

[They'd had a wee thing at the river, but after some talking things smoothed out quickly.]

Good of you not to run away from it, even if there was something else going on.

[If he wasn't in control was it really his fault? Sounded complicated honestly.]

Video

[firewalled]

It's an apology for anyone I fucked up with, honestly. From what I know, I think that includes you.

[He had been pretty bitter and miserable at the river, even if he hadn't said anything too cruel.]

Yeah, well... people usually try to tell me shit like this isn't my fault, but I still want to be held accountable for... letting it get that bad, you know? For the mindset I was in to let something that bad happen.

[agoodsoul]

Nah, I get you.

Least you're trying to fix shit, better than not doing nothing.

[From experience he can say that hiding from the truth can make everything a hundred times worse, even if you're trying to do better.]

[firewalled]

Yeah. I don't think I can just... refuse to do anything after the mess I caused. I have to try to make it up to people, and maybe try to make sure it doesn't happen again.

[He shrugs.]

I've got some soda stashed in my room, so half of my problem is fixed. [Okay, weird.] Now I just have to work on not being a self-destructive ass.

[saveas]

[.....mmmm. Asriel can kinda relate to all of that. Not that he can say so, he's pretty sure. He did a lot more than just be an asshole.]

It'd be cool if there was a concert. I can't really play anything, though.

[firewalled]

You don't have to play anything. I mean, we need audience members, right?

Though I mean, if you wanna try something, you can come by and I can teach you the bit of guitar I know.

[Rich isn't sure if he's the best teacher, but Asriel sounds... kind of sad? He's hopeful that might cheer him up.]

[saveas]

[Eh, what else is new]

Really? That'd be so cool! I mean, if it's not too much trouble...

[firewalled]

Nah, no trouble at all! I mean, what would I even be busy with?

[Until missions, Rich's schedule is pretty open.]

Come down when you're ready. I think there's a spare guitar that's more your size to use.