IC Contact

[baruthumos]

You've reached Omega.

If this is a medical emergency, leave your location and the nature of the emergency, any allergies or conditions, and I will be right there.

If you need someone to have a medical emergency, leave your name and a way to contact you.

And if this is about a child, leave your location, the nature of the problem, and tell them I will be right there.

Comments

[protective_logic]

Since you decided before I could even talk to you about it that mercenary work was better than anything else and that it clearly wasn't reasonable for me to assume that my potential employment would ever be worth while, I saw no reason to bring it up.

As you pointed out, I had been wasting my time with my education. You will never understand how much that hurt. How much so much of what you said hurt. How scared I am for you at night, thinking about you going out to get yourself maybe killed.

The kids know it isn't their fault. I spoke with all of them today. They do know, on the other hand, that I'm mad at you. Which I tried to avoid. And they are upset I am not there. They will adjust. This is...

I'm damned if I do, damned if I don't, Omega. If I come back, you win because you'll assume I was too weak, that you were right, that I gave in. And if I never return, then I'm just another run away brother.

Problem is I don't think you'll ever respect me if I come back. And that's what I need. Respect. Support. Someone who takes me seriously. And that isn't you.

[baruthumos]

There you go with the mindreading again! Do you know how frustrating that is, to tell you one thing and then you turn around and tell me I clearly was thinking something else?

I'm sorry for what I said. I wish you would let me ... but clearly it was unforgivable. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I can't be what you need. And if you can't believe me, well, I'm sorry about that too.

And the door will always be open to you. You know that, right?

If you don't come back, though. How can I respect someone who punishes the little ones for what I did?

[protective_logic]

You won't even admit you did anything wrong.

You told me that...

Do you remember what you asked of me when you threw Price out? Do you remember what you told me?

[baruthumos]

The only thing I'm guilty of, before you stomped off in a snit, was poor word choice. Of getting excited because I know how much you hate accounting, and I thought, maybe, you could get a degree in something you like better. All I wanted to do was talk about it with you.

But you went and decided it was a done deal, you decided we were going to fight over it, you decided that I wasn't going to listen to you.

And don't even start with the live-in nanny with no say line. I didn't hand down any edict about letting Sigma and Epsilon go to college instead of working. About whether Theta should have one of those IEPs or not. And remember how you got your way about selling the car? Or did you think I've just been humoring you all this time?

Now I'm sure you're just going to assume I'm lying, and tell me what I'm really thinking, and then crucify me over that. But will you at least admit that you are not some innocent saint here?

[protective_logic]

I never claimed to be a saint. Just that...

[A sigh. A weak, defeated sigh.]

I give up. There is no winning move.

I'll be home in the morning.

[baruthumos]

No winning move? Do you think this is a fucking game? There is some magic sentence that will...I don't even know what the fuck you want!

Just. Can we talk about this? Not tomorrow. But if I ask Maine about jobs without guns, can we talk about that? Would that make you feel better?

[protective_logic]

Yes. We'll talk.