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From:

heyboss

I'm glad you did.

[Because he really doesn't want to cross those boundaries. He's prided himself on being the sort of person who could be steady here. And he can't do that if he starts to go back on his morals.]

But - sometimes you don't know your own limits, hm? And it doesn't mean you can't tell me things and I can't give you advice.

From:

cameclosest

Not after a breach, no. Usually do without it but I'm a scientist. Limitations and boundaries exist to be pushed and broken. Confusing human boundaries with the currently known theories and proofs is a mistake I'll pin on the Admiral.

[He runs his hand through his hair, squeezing at the roots for a moment to try and ground himself before grabbing his glass and taking another drink.]

In any case, Norton thinks dancing with him will help, and while I have nothing against dancing, Im not sold that it will do much of anything against dysmorphia.

From:

heyboss

[There's an argument about ensuring that some boundaries are not broken or pushed, but he doesn't say that aloud. He just nods once.]

Have you tried it?

From:

cameclosest

[Varker is living testament to that, and while he isnt in the mood to argue its good that Sheehan doesnt take that bait.]

A few times now.

He's reminding me how to foxtrot. [And while satisfying a need for movement and being unable to grumble that it isnt fun, he isn't sure if its doing anything else.]

From:

heyboss

[He raises his eyebrows at that. Interested and impressed.]

And? What do you get out of it?

From:

cameclosest

Do you need lessons too, Doctor?

[He took ballroom for a few years with Stew, knows how to waltz better, though contemporary had always caught his interest, still frequented shows to see what people were doing. He felt too old for the club scene but at times he would go somewhere and watch people dance while he drank the night away.]

I don't know... obviously we have to touch, and you can't shy away from that. But it hasnt changed that I dislike how different that feels from when I had human skin.

[He's quiet a moment, swirling his drink and frowning at it before quietly adding-]

I miss casual touch, so I suppose it helps in that way, quiets the part of me that tells myself no one wants to touch me, that I'm not something to be touched.

From:

heyboss

With you or Norton?

[He doesn't let that question linger, though. He just nods.]

It's good then. You need to retrain your thoughts, Doctor Varker.

From:

cameclosest

[Varker rolls his eyes, keeps the comment that Norton would have to weigh the cost of dancing with a handsome married man against dancing with a psychiatrist to himself.]

I'm trying to. Even when I got here I tried, dressing myself as if nothing had happened. When you project confidence, it should help you feel it, even when it isnt there any more.

But I'm slipping.

From:

heyboss

It's not about confidence. It's about normalcy. The best grounding force is routine, but you can't really get that when you first get here.

But now, having been here a while?

[He looks at him, expectant.]

From:

cameclosest

[He doesn't think he agrees, finds that a good fit can protect you like armor, but then what he uses it for and what he says he does are two different things.]

I swim every morning, after I get up. Norton sleeps in like a lazy slob, so I usually don't have to bother with him until at least ten.

[He sucks his teeth before quietly continuing.] And then I go to work in office or from home depending on how I feel. [read: how drunk I end up getting] and those are the two constants.

Everything else is... well. I don't know. Plans fall apart too easily here.

From:

heyboss

Perhaps they do, but you can still stick to it. And once you have a semblance of a routine, it's something you can fall back on.

[He doesn't know for sure, but it's something that's worked. For him and others. Maybe it can help Varker. Or at least...not make it worse?]

From:

cameclosest

I do and I have, at least to that. The only time I didn't was when Vash was haunting the pool.

From:

heyboss

[A pause as he brings the glass up to drink.]

Haunting the pool?

From:

cameclosest

[Varker waves his hand dismissively.]

He worked there, gave me looks when I was in the pool, refused to look at me when I wasnt.

Complete asshole. [He doesn't miss him at all. Not one bit.]

From:

heyboss

Hm. Odd. I never had much interaction with him besides him trying to figure out what was behind that mask.

From:

cameclosest

[Varker sniffs, resting his chin in his hand.]

We kept getting into fights. I punched him twice, Audrey tried to drown him in the pool.

He had a bad habit of not fucking listening.

From:

heyboss

[He sighs at that. He hates to think of his friends fighting with anyone, but knowing that he was out there hurting him, getting into fights...it's upsetting.]

He had his own ideas.

From:

cameclosest

A fucking disaster dressed in good intentions.

[Varker's jaw clenches as he says so, watching the shark meandering in it's tank.

The urge to throw something so he doesn't get too emotional is rising, thinking about Vash and his stupid fucking face.]

I thought if I could change his mind, maybe I'd actually have some hope of graduating.

From:

heyboss

I think it's going to hurt you in the long run if you try and pin your graduation on someone else.

[His smile falters a little.]

That would just be cruel.

From:

cameclosest

If looking at him wasn't like looking at a fucking mirror I might agree with you, Lester.

[He glares down at his empty glass.]

Doesn't matter now anyways, he's gone and I doubt he remembers this place or a word I've said to him.

From:

heyboss

That doesn't mean that your effort wasn't worth it.

[Which he has to remind himself about every day.]

From:

cameclosest

I can barely classify it as a failure when it was left unfinished.

[He can fail, he does it all the time, but the abruptness of being unable to continue trying left a poor taste in his mouth. On that lingers far longer than the burn of whiskey.

He slides his glass back over to Sheehan, perhaps looking to cash in on more pity.]

I should stop talking about it or else I'll just end up pissing myself off.

From:

heyboss

[Sheehan looks him dead in the face and downs the rest of the bottle on his own. If they're going to be sitting here as friends, then Varker gets to see Sheehan be a friend.]

Oh fuck...

[Maybe it wasn't a good idea.]

From:

cameclosest

[Varker, to his credit stares at Sheehan with wide eyes, not having expected that before he does a double take of the bottle and then Sheehan again.

Varker's body is processing the alcohol in his system as he sits here, faster and more efficiently than any human body could. If it wasn't, he would have been dead multiple times over. Drinking a fifth of whiskey or what ever had been left in that bottle can't be good for his entirely mundane, human friend.]

Christ, what the fuck did you do that for?

You're going to make yourself sick.

From:

heyboss

[He buries his face in his hands and shakes his head.]

I - [And he hesitates here, trying to get his feet under him. Trying to keep it all down.]

I am the cleric to a merciful god with a sense of humor. I'm fine.

Edited Date: 2026-02-13 04:03 pm (UTC)