melodymania | Max Davis Voicemail

Thanks for calling. If you're reaching out to sell your soul, I'll already know and I'll be there soon. If you're calling to just talk, leave a message and I'll call you back when I can. Which will probably be soon. Talk to you then~

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only | Expand All

Of course. Esme likes going out and seeing the sights. He's going out in about an hour. Call me then.

[Cole sets a timer so that he doesn't back down. An hour later, he calls.]

Okay. It's an hour.

And I'm available. So what's going on?

Household problems. I can't really just...talk about it though.

Alright. I got an idea I wanted to shoot by you anyway. Hold on.

[A twang of music and Max is in front of Cole. Another twang and a wave of his hand, the entire house is now under the safe place contract. The only rule, tell your truth.]

There we go. How about now?

That...must be handy if you wanna fill the house with music and not bother your neighbors.

[He almost smiles a little, but he just can't manage it.]

That helps. Thanks.

[He motions to the couch next to him.]

Do you want a drink first? Not to stall, but since you came over?

We can get drinks later. [Max sits on the couch.]

I can feel you got something to get off your chest. So let's start there. Talk to me.

Alright. It's...from what MK's told me...your partner is a lot like what MK used to be. It sounds like there's a well-meaning, bright...openness to him that draws people in.

And MK's is...it was just...snuffed out, basically. It's just gone. And I needed someone who would actually understand what that means...to talk to.

Oh.

[Max needs a moment to consider that. Esme losing that would kill him. Possibly literally. He understands how important MK is to Cole. And Macaque.]

I'm sorry. That has to be something hard to see. To feel. Can you tell me more about how and when you noticed?

I really noticed after he was taken and experimented on. The man who did...the chill was like being around your grandmother.

But we got MK back. Had to go into his heart to fix things. I was around this child version of him in there for awhile. And when we finished and he was himself again I realized it for sure. That friendly, willing to trust and make all of the friends part of him is gone and had been for awhile.

[He pulls his knees up.]

And I don't know that anyone else has even noticed.

[That sounds awful. He shivers from the thought himself. Relius Clover. He'd been watching that all go down. Even added in some battle music.]

...That sounds sad. That part of him being gone. But are you sure it's gone and not locked away? I just want to make sure. If he's build walls, maybe it's still there. But the light of it is hidden behind the new walls. Or do you think the light was fully snuffed?

Because if that kid was in there, that light? It has to still exist inside him. Somewhere.

But no one else noticing? That's just sad.

If it's still there, even I can feel it. And I haven't been able to for almost half of the time I've known him now.

I'd like to think he's only locked it away...but I'm also afraid of that meaning that there's a limit to his trust in me. Because I trust him fully and it would mean he's lost some of that too.

You should ask him about that, Cole. If the light is being hidden away, protected, that might be why it's hard to feel.

Do you feel distrust or a lack of trust around him now that you've noticed?

Maybe. So far I only know that he feels safer and more in control with those walls. With his bar, and in his monkey form. And I do need to talk to him about some other things.

[He shakes his head.]

Not when it's only us. But there's always this...this shift if we're not alone. Like a door locking.

Sounds to me like the door is open for you. But the moment others are around, he locks it. Which sucks. But for him? Might be healthier. Maybe.

Talking to him is going to be a good idea. Thing is, what he's been through leaves scar tissue. A twice shattered soul? That does things to a person.

...he might be in for a third, but I'm trying to be hopeful and focus on him being healed.

But...it sounds like you know personally.

I do. Sorta. Things happened to me when my world was reset for the first time. I feel through infinity, cut and stabbed with shards of time.

I definitely came out a different person. And then the world reset again and now my very being is being stripped away and eaten slowly.

...I'm sorry. And I'm sorry that you're the best person I knew to talk to.

I...wish you could talk to MK about that. Not for him, but because I think he'd understand since he was the one resetting his world. At least on some level.

But if you can and want to talk about it to someone, I'm usually around.

Thank you. I look at it this way. Is there anyone I would wish this on for them to be the best person for you to talk to?

No.

Would it be better if it was someone else?

I mean, Tobias would be better for you if he was here but I think you'd spiral out if he was the better person to talk to.

So in the end, it's best that it's me.

And I'll remember that. I'm good for right now. Thank you, Cole. I really appreciate the offer.

I'd also rather that. I'd rather that I knew that talking to you would just result in a blank look and confusion. Because you're right. I wouldn't wish that on anyone.

And you're not wrong. I probably would.

But...I'm grateful for you being willing to let me talk to you about this.

You're welcome Cole. I'm glad we can both talk about it.

You know though, it's cloyingly...gross in here. Sorry but this much misery is suffocating. How are you dealing with all this?

[Cole isn't offended, or surprised by Max's observation. He's not even sure it he surprised by how long it took him to actually react to it or not.]

I just am. I can't do anything to deal with it, and it's been so long I've almost gotten used to it.

[Almost.]

Okay nope. Come on.

[He hops up and motions for Cole to get up.]

Every room. Open every door and every window in the house. Come on. We're airing this shit out.

[Cole blinks, but stands]

There aren't many at least.

[He leads the way through the house, making sure that no windows are missed since there are predictably more.

It doubles as a small tour for Max though.]

[Max follows and takes in everything. Each room and the state of it, and the feelings inside and how concentrated they are. Once everything is open, he stretches out his arms. He spends his glamour. Wind rushes through the house, pushing out the clouds of emotions and replacing it with fresh air and the scent of spring.]

I can teach you this contract. The humans in Germany have a similar tradition there. You open up every window quickly and shut them an hour later to air out the bad emotions and cleanse the house.