『 capeandcowl • contact 』

[invoking]

❝ At the tone, please record your message. ❞
[ beep! ]
【 call • text • voice mail 】

Comments

[retropolis]

He wasn't going to hurt me seriously. W-we've done it before, there's a whole routine to it.

[invoking]

You've -- before?! But... I don't understand at all!

[retropolis]

Well-- I--

[ Nelson hesitates, unsure of how best to go about this. Finally he says, very quietly: ]

I love him.

1/it is a mystery

[invoking]

[ ... Ah. ]

[invoking]

[ Love.

An emotion that usually describes how people feel about each other.

Or at least how one person strongly feels about another and Nelson's dropped that word in the conversation. ]

[invoking]

[ Nelson just said he loved him. Hooded Justice. ]

[invoking]

[ ... Nelson's a --

He chokes on his end, nearly dropping his phone.

Suddenly it all comes back to him, hitting him like a sack of bricks. Unmarried but past the age, the Deputy Mayor's comments back during the auction, setting him up with Nelson... ]

You're...

okay done to spare you i'm sorry

[invoking]

[ He holds his breath, making strange noises.

Hooded Justice. Of all. People. ]

... Ahhh ...

[retropolis]

[ Nelson's quiet on his end, growing increasingly anxious through Gil's silence. ]

... Are you still there?

[invoking]

Hu -- oh. Yes! I'm here. [ He's speechless. What can he say to that? ]







Him?

[retropolis]

Uh... y-yes. I understand it must be shocking to hear.

[invoking]

You... both of you? Are you l-lovers?

[retropolis]

N-- [ It's automatic; he has to stop himself. He sounds crestfallen. ] Yes.

[invoking]

[ Gil's shocked. There's no other words for it. Nelson, whom he had looked up to and even trusted enough to hopefully not get himself into trouble of any sort of hurt, was allowing a man he loved to hurt him.

It's strange to know he's in love with another man. He's surprisingly not repulsed by the fact, merely curious and amazed anyone could love that burly, rude, and mysterious man.

And that he could even love in return.

People didn't hurt each other -- not lovers, he thinks. ]

But...

He... did that to you. [ He doesn't understand. ] I-I'm not...

[retropolis]

[ Nelson's relieved that Gil is at least not taking the news as badly as he'd originally feared. Not that it makes this whole conversation easier, but it's a comfort that it could still be going worse.

Still -- the worst is yet to come. ]

We were getting intimate. Wh-when you walked in.

1/2

[invoking]

[ He tries to say something, but his tongue flops uselessly and he mouths off gibberish instead. ]

[invoking]

I-I-I don't -- [ WANT TO HEAR. ]

NEVER MIND!!

[retropolis]

[ He makes a little wailing noise. ]

I'm sorry. P-please don't get upset, Gilbert...

[invoking]

I-I'm not up-upset!! [ He's heard enough sex ... things ... for one lifetime or two.

Or hundred. ]

[retropolis]

I wasn't going to go into any detail. It's hard enough to-- to even say-- believe me, Gilbert, I'm not particularly proud that it's come to this.

1/2

[invoking]

[ Hooded Justice, though. ]

[invoking]

I'm... sorry. I shouldn't have overreacted like that...

[retropolis]

[ Miserably, embarrassed: ]

Just... please don't say anything to anyone. And don't-- [ A pause. ] Don't hate me, Gilbert, please...

[invoking]

I wo -- [ He abruptly stops. ]

Why would I hate you? [ He sounds genuinely confused. ]

[retropolis]

[ He hesitates. ]

Because... well, I know it's an undignified thing to bear witness to. I wouldn't hold it against you if you thought any different of me now.