caycay | IC Inbox - Duplicity

[This time, Cater lets the topic change to lighter things. His laugh is a bit less forced as he winks.]

Well, we can always change that. I didn't bring my guitar but I can run and get it--so long as you don't think Lils would pout at us having an impromptu jam sesh without him.

I'd text him to tell him to come home too!

... But actually, I'm kinda worried about him.

[ and this prompts him to wonder, should he also be worried about Cater? Since Riddle vanished... And he knows he would be a mess if he had Jamil and lost him. ]

He's been playing video games non-stop, or working. It kinda feels like he's avoiding us?

...oh.

[Cater frowns. It seemed like so much had been happening, lately, that Cater hadn't particularly stopped to think about Lilia being more withdrawn. The two didn't work together or live together, so even though they hung out, Kalim definitely had more of an obvious window into any abnormal behaviors.]

Do you think it has something to do with losing Riddle? I didn't think the two were that close. I mean, besides living together.

It might be... I'm gonna ask him when he gets back.

[ honestly, everything is too quiet for Kalim's tastes. He doesn't know how much longer he can go with limited or no distractions. But there's a pause, ]

Are you okay, since Riddle left...?

I'm fine.

[Which he says maybe a bit too quickly.]

It's not the first time he's left.

[It was harder the first time--something he never talked about with anyone, and especially not with Riddle, himself. At the end of the day, it just proved his biggest fears right: the more you let someone in, the more it hurt when they disappeared.

But this wasn't about him, and he was glad to turn it back to being about Lilia. Or try to, anyway.]

Don't be surprised if he keeps things close to his chest.

[All three of them were alike, in that regard: never admitting how they really felt, underneath it all.]

If he's avoiding us, something might have happened that he's having a hard time processing. The last time the two of us avoided each other...things were really bad.

The last time...?

[ Kalim hears everything Cater has said, but he's undeniably easy to redirect, missing the slight quickness he responded to the question. but what he says opens up new questions, for things Kalim has no clue about.

Something else happened...? ]

What happened then?

I'd really...rather not go into any details.

[Even just thinking about it, he can feel the color drain from his face. He's never felt worse than he had that day, not before and not since. Cater takes a stabilizing breath--he had no idea if Lilia had ever talked about what happened, but he's sure that he just wanted to forget it, too.]

But I'll tell you that I was put in a state where I wasn't in my right mind, and I really, really hurt him. I never want to feel that powerless again, or see someone in so much pain because of me.

[ watching the color drain from his face, Kalim can't help but feel a little guilty for asking. it was obviously miserable for Cater... and maybe Lilia too. Kalim doesn't try to hide the concern on his face.

it's obvious he's listening very intently, and then reaches out to touch his hand ]

I see. I'm sorry for asking.

[ there's a beat as he considers, glancing down as he thinks ]

Hmm, if that's the case, then I'll definitely need to make sure I talk to him sooner... I wouldn't want to someone to leave me alone after something like that.

[That warm feeling of fingers on the back of his hand and Cater's brought back to himself. He takes a deep breath, forces the awful memory away, and smiles. As much as it was the truth, and maybe even a bit of a warning, he still didn't want Kalim to spend his days wondering when something bad might happen.]

You're right--I'm sure that he'll feel better that way, whether he knows it or not. And, anyway, I'm sure whatever's wrong isn't that bad.

[If Lilia could still play games and stomach work, it really couldn't be something that horrible...right?]

Yeah!

[ Kalim nods along cheerfully at Cater's suggestion it might not be that bad. He hopes it isn't. But if it is-- well, he'll just have to remember to not let Lilia be alone. ]

Thanks for talking this over with me, Cater!

[ he reassured him, in multiple ways. just in one hangout. ]

IC Inbox - Duplicity

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