goddamngrenades | RP Open Post

"I'm aware." Although at the same time, it's not good to send an exhausted team out if another could take their place and still have good odds of taking out a kaiju. "Do you think that's how we should do it? Just be exhausted staying up all night having our little just-us party, so if it works, it'll only get easier from there?"

"We could pass out during the next movie but man, are you gonna get any sleep tonight? Cuz I'm not." NOt for lack of trying, he's too keyed up.

"...Could use another kick of coffee, but no, I suppose I'm not." He sports a light frown. "Did you and Carolina get off without a hitch?"

"God no." He snorts a soft laugh. "We fell hard into one of my childhood memories because she didn't really have a living or loving mother growing up. It was kinda bizarre playing piggyback to just- knocking around as a family, you know?"

"We all know the rules. You don't chase the rabbit. But I have to imagine that someone who's never done it before might be...tempted." He's worried. Does he sound worried? "Did you have to keep trying until you got it right?"

"Second time was easier. No chasing, just adjusting. Learning to move as one- it was pretty intense." A little like good sex. Really good sex.

"Is that when they decided to partner you up as pilots? Or did you have to keep trying until it really...settled?"

"Soon as they found out we were drift compatible. It's kind of rare." Usually, at least.

"Especially what with not being related." But then, significant others, too. The rest just...happens along. Rarely. The best friends or the people that just click. "I'd be going out with my sister if I could, but no such luck; I got the adventurous genes in the generation. She's not got a military bone in her body."

"We were an experimental group- an attempt to try to train in or create drift compatibility. There were tests and medication and stuff but it never really played out all that well." He shrugs, leaning against Malcolm as he cracks open his can of coffee.

"There was...something about that in your file, though the details were extremely sparse and, as I gathered, either need-to-know or classified. At least the file I had access to." Well now bump him back to very worried. Maybe this is all just...artificial. Some side effect of York's experiment. What if they don't actually drift well? What if there are...side effects from that for them both?

"The tests were a failure. You can't induce drift compatibility- it just. It's binary. You are or you aren't." Even if they'd tried so hard to coax it along. "I was genuinely compatible with her. I am genuinely compatible with you."

"And you're sure?" He doesn't breathe for a beat, two beats. "Of course you're sure. I apologize. I just didn't ever think we were that close."

"I'm getting that." Mal doesn't seem like he's all that close to anyone, really. "Sometimes it just is. We don't know what makes it work."

"Some of it's more obvious with certain theories. Emotions, brain chemistry. Siblings and blood relations, the closer the better. Poignancy. Romantic relationships. Best life-long friends. Sure, there's an issue of not having the resources to make enough jaegers for everyone, but not everyone seems to be drift compatible. Or at least, not with who they think they should be."

He's quiet for a few moments before nudging York with an elbow. "I'm thinking too hard about it, aren't I?"

"Yep." He takes another slow slurp of his coffee. "It is what it is. If we work and we can run a jeager? Awesome. If it's a fluke- we'll keep training and I'll keep trying to find someone that fits. Course D'll be insufferable."

"This doesn't feel like a fluke. But then, what would I know?" Malcolm sighs, digging into some of the food. "Your friend needs to see a good thing when it's in front of him, it sounds like."

"Delta needs to realize that I can't see him that way. It's too knotted up in the project and he's too much like a younger brother to me." The idea of being intimate with him is a little jarring.

"But wouldn't that make it easier? You know each other better."

"We're not compatible." They'd tried every test and every drug, they'd even been in a rig together once- it was awful. "We don't align. At all."

"It just doesn't work out on a drifting level. I see."

He wants to ask what to expect, but, well, he's as prepared as any of the other ranger candidates he trains on a daily basis. Everyone's told about it, but nobody is ever really prepared. "I'll see hers, won't I? Her memories blended in with yours. Like three minds working as one."

"The fact that he was the one they tried to induce compatibility with also sorta taints any potential there." It hadn't been fun. He'd rather not revisit it. For now he just- leans into Malcolm's side and breathes. Noses along his shoulder to focus on the present. "Yeah. She's still here. Sorry."

"Oh. I'm...sorry. I shouldn't..." Pry. But he's going to know every dark corner of York's mind soon enough, isn't he?

"Okay. I'll...attempt to relax back into this. But no promises that I can turn off my brain."

"S'awright." He shrugs, reaching down to squeeze Malcolm's hand. "It's- yeah. You'll see."

And if he's got any sense at all, he'll run screaming into the night. "If you need like, a little extra motivation-"

Cue vague sexual hand gesture. "I can help."

If he had any sense at all, he'd stop letting York squeeze his hand. But the contact feels nice in a way he doesn't let himself voice. It's what he misses in casual, close friendships. Sure, he's got a personal bubble a few kilometres wide, but with people he trusts, or if he feels like he needs it?

But the vague sexual hand gesture gets a stare. It's vague enough that he misses the meaning at first, but when he does, the stare doesn't...really change. "You understand we're not an item, just potential drift partners."

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