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[neverjedi]

I have quite a few old scars on my back.

The problem being that they weren't there yesterday.

This is not great news.

[Understatement much? At least his freak out is staying internal. Mostly. So far.]

Comments

[neverjedi]

He sends the photos to Crowley's phone and then puts his phone back in his locker.

"Some of them, maybe. Depends on how much evidence they have that their experiences are real. After that no stranger than not wondering if I'm hallucinating scars."

[darkforcerising]

Shit.

A kid just woke up with a tattoo.

[He doesn't like the idea of ... injuries just showing up from their memories.]

I'll stop by after work.

[neverjedi]

I've got a show coming up so I'll be at the rink until late. Text me when you're leaving so we can figure out where I am.

[darkforcerising]

[Anakin didn't focus well at work, given what Ben was going through. Plus, there was that exchange with that one Different who clearly didn't want to play nice. By the end of the day, Anakin realized he should have just taken the rest of the day off.

He left campus in a terrible mood, but was texting Ben before he even made it out of his building.

where are you? can meet at the rink if you want.]

[neverjedi]

Still at Aviator - sorry, going to be a long day. Meet you in the locker room? Should be empty by the time you get here.

[ His last class was done and people were clearing out of the rink area, at least. It would run into time that was officially his, which would make that part easier, at least. ]

[darkforcerising]

locker room works. meet you there.

[It didn't take long for the Uber car to show up and then drive him to Aviator's. Anakin found Ben in the locker room.]

Hey [What did he say? 'Sorry the impossible happened.'?]

Do you want to talk?

[neverjedi]

He was sitting down, skates still on because he really did need to get some practice time in - if he didn't, he would have just met Anakin at his apartment. He looked up and smiled faintly. "You know, I don't know. The answer is probably yes, but I don't know what to say, either. Not looking forward to whatever memory is associated with them. If there is one. Did you say something about someone waking up with a tattoo?"

[darkforcerising]

"Ya-" Anakin said sitting down. "Elliott."

Anakin didn't have an easy smile for Ben. "Get mad, if you want. I know what it's like to wake up one day and part of your body is just-" gone, but he didn't say that. "different."

[consortofalderaan]

I can't imagine what that must be like.

Do you want to meet?

[neverjedi]

"This is nowhere near that bad." Nowhere near and he is uncomfortable with the idea of ...even treating them as similar. "I do want you to look at them, though."

[neverjedi]

At some point, yeah. You can even come over to my place if you want.

[traceofeffort]

I don't blame you. That's not something I'd wish on anyone, abilities or not.

Did it come with abilities not usually found in humans? Or did you get the bad stuff without the at least kinda-good stuff?

voice;

[howkickassiam]

Hey, guy. You sound, uh...

You don't sound real settled right now.

[consortofalderaan]

I can. Let me know when you're free.

[neverjedi]

[ He waits until he's leaving the rink to text Bail and let him know that he's free and can come over. He lives close enough to Aviator that he is confident that he can get there first, get inside and feed the cat before Bail arrives.

He does that, and doesn't even register that this is the second time that Bail has caught him in what amounts to workout gear until he's going to the door to let Bail in.

At which point he really really thinks he should try putting actual clothes on to see the man at some point - but only for a second because he is still, absolutely, rattled as hell by the scars.]

Voice;

[neverjedi]

It's a strange situation. I'll be okay.

[neverjedi]

No abilities, though I remember having them. I think I might actually prefer this to feeling like my brain was being tampered with.

[consortofalderaan]

[Bail has a small smile for Ben when the door opens and he sees the man is again in skater pants.

He didn't mind whatever state Ben was in - at least sartorially. He cared that his friend was clearly in distress.

He stepped in.

He didn't presume that they were familiar enough to go straight for a hug.

"You can take a seat and I can get you something to drink?"

[neverjedi]

Ben pushed the door closed behind Bail, while he stared at Bail in complete confusion. Not in a bad way but that was... incredibly kind and entirely unexpected.

"Uh."

Eloquent, Ben.

Elsa appeared, leaving her food to investigate Bail's shoes, while Ben tried to scrape together his brain.

"No, that's all right. Why don't we both have a drink and sit down."

[consortofalderaan]

"Alright," Bail said, knowing that arguing would be counter productive.

He paused to let the cat smell him- certainly she smelled Franklin on him. As a dog owner, no matter how often he lint rolled, he knew some dog hair must remain. The cat... and the apartment, Bail realized at the same time, suited Ben. He'd ask about the cat's name later.

"What do you want to drink?"

[neverjedi]

There was something about Bail just sort of... walking in and taking over that was, after Ben's moment of complete bafflement, kind of... nice. Almost relieving?

He shook his head slightly to clear it before he answered: "Naked. Any flavor. They're in the refrigerator and help yourself to anything you want. There's coffee, tea, bottled water, and rootbeer as well as the smoothies."

[darkforcerising]

"If you want me to look, I can.. But you're right," Anakin said, but it wasn't a concession. "This worse. I know what happened to me and why. I know who to blame for it, who to get mad at. You don't. You just have the results and questions."

And he knew a bit what that was like, too. Because when he'd first woken up after being in a coma, he couldn't remember anything after climbing into the cockpit of the jet. His memory came back in pieces later - but that initial moment of shock, of no memory, of why, ya, he knew that.

[neverjedi]

"...Thanks."

He wasn't sure if that was sarcastic or sincere, because he appreciated the empathy and compassion, but it also kind of foiled his attempts to make himself feel better about it.

"Maybe I'll get more answers later, though I'm having a damn hard time thinking that I want more memories of especially this. Anyway, yes, look at it and ideally get me a decent photo, please."

He needed to go get his phone. And hug Anakin.

...He wasn't going to hug Anakin, he just went to get his phone.

[consortofalderaan]

Bail moved to the refrigerator and pulled out the first smoothie he could reach. He opened it and handed it to Ben. He made sure Ben had a good hold on it before grabbing a bottled water for himself.

"Do you want to talk?"

[neverjedi]

He broke the seal on the bottle and moved to take a seat on the sofa and hoping Bail would join him.

"Not professionally."

That's... kind of a joke. Mostly a joke.

"I'm really rattled and slowly working toward mad, but I'm okay."