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[neverjoinyou]

Leave a message. I will hear you.

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[tetractys]

"MAYBE IF I SAW EVIDENCE THAT EVEN ONE PERSON CARED..."

[neverjoinyou]

Luke spreads his hands. "You're making assumptions," he insists. "Look, maybe it's true that no one cares. Or maybe they're distracted by their own lives and issues that are more immediate, or maybe they don't want to be the one to say it, or maybe a hundred other reasons you can't assume you know everything."

[tetractys]

Luke's right. This is the same thing he did in the Second Dimension. Bill sits back, rubs his eye.

"I'VE TRIED, I'VE TRIED TO TALK TO PEOPLE. I ALWAYS TRY."

[neverjoinyou]

Luke's mouth firms into a line of determination.

"Then you'll have to think of something else," he says. "You haven't tried the right thing. Here's a question: have you given people here any reason not to trust you?"

[tetractys]

"IT'S NOT ABOUT ME, IT'S NEVER ABOUT ME!"

He drags his hands down, catches fingertips on his lower eyelid.

"IT'S ABOUT SOMETHING BEING WRONG THAT EFFECTS ALL OF US! IF THEY DON'T TRUST ME, IT'S JUST SHOOTING THE MESSENGER. I DIDN'T MAKE UP THAT WE'RE ON A STOLEN SHIP!"

[neverjoinyou]

"Hey." Luke reaches out to touch his shoulder-area. "I know that. I'm not blaming you, exactly. I'm saying... there might be a reason people are wary of trusting you on this. So if there's something they need to know, we may need to... change the messenger."

[tetractys]

"NOBODY EVEN... LISTENS TO ME WHEN I TALK, EVEN WHEN I HAVE A POINT."

It's so fucking frustrating, Luke :(

[neverjoinyou]

"I know," he says gently. "But I do. And Entrapta and Jasper and the rest, apparently. Think about it; you've spent a lot less time of your life, relatively, being someone we should trust than not. So you gotta give it time. And I'm asking because I'm listening, and I want to help."

[tetractys]

"I KNOW."

Bill gets a sad little handful of Luke's tunic and leans on him.

"YOU ALWAYS LISTEN, EVEN WHEN I'M JUST TALKING IN CIRCLES."

He really appreciates that.

[neverjoinyou]

"Well, it's kinda my job," he smiles, "but I also believe you. And you know I'm right. About this, at least."

[tetractys]

Bill grumbles. Yeah, Luke is right.

[neverjoinyou]

"So we're agreed?" he prompts gently. "We'll figure out a way to inform the rest of the passengers, when we figure out when and what that means?"

[tetractys]

"DON'T -

YOU -

QUIT SMILING, IT MAKES ME FEEL LIKE I DID SOMETHING DUMB."

He's not being serious, here, but he does reach up to smush his hand over Luke's mouth to drag it back down.

"AAAAH."

[neverjoinyou]

Luke shoves his hand away, equally playfully. "Nope, you did something good. I'm happy because you're being sensible."

[tetractys]

"AAAAAAAAAAH."

That's even worse!

(He's still not seriously upset here.)

[neverjoinyou]

"Yes, I am the worst possible warden," Luke confirmed, not even reading Bill's mind or anything. "You'll just have to deal with me actually liking you now."