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 Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:06 am
Jordan hesitated long moments before knocking on Robert's door. But if a guy couldn't ask for sympathy from his best friend, who could he ask it from? He leaned on the doorframe and knocked, hoping wearily that Petra wasn't in Robert's room right now. That would just make things extra awkward, and he'd had about all he could stomach of awkward for the time being.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:30 am
This was a rare moment. Robert was alone, and he opened his door. Both of these things happening in the same day was just.. almost unheard of. Perhaps he knew it was Jordan, because the boss was the only man Robert would always open his door for. Or, perhaps he was just a little worried about.. the s**t that had been going down lately.
For whatever reason, Robert was in his dorm, fully dressed, and alone, when he opened the door. Lucky for Jordan.
"Boss!" Robert's face lit up like the Fourth of July, glad to see his fellow Phoenix back on his feet. The last time he had seen him.. well, he was just.. not.
"Come on in, bro!" He left the door open, moving back to sit on his bed. "What's up?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:40 am
Jordan couldn't help smiling in response to Robert's smile. The guy could make anything better, even if - he cut off that train of thought and straightened, padding into the room and shoving the door closed with his foot. After that - hell, what was he going to say now?
"I'm an idiot," he said after a moment, and held up his hand to forestall any objections before they could get started. "Don't ask, just commiserate. Please." He sat down in the desk chair and buried his face in his hands.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 12:51 am
Robert's smile fell. He didn't like seeing Jordan bring himself down like that, but the truth was.. sometimes, they were all idiots.
This time, however, Robert was sure he was talking about losing that battle with Candace. And that did not make him an idiot.
"It's cool, bro. You know I won't ask. But you ain't no idiot, boss. You're the smartest guy I know. Sometimes, things just don't work out like you think, no matter how smart you are." He patted Jordan's shoulder gently and shook his head. Next time, Robert silently assured his friend. Next time, you'll get her.
"Wanna wrestle it out?" That was the answer to every problem.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 6:46 pm
Jordan smiled a little bit, looking up at his friend, grateful once again for Robert's loyalty and confidence. He didn't have to explain everything that was bothering him just yet; Robert had his back anyway. "Thanks," he sighed. "It's been a really long week. You know? ... You're a good friend, man."
And had odd ideas about how to solve problems sometimes - or maybe not so odd; getting some exercise would probably help with his mood and distract him from other worries. Perhaps not wrestling today, though. "Give you a raincheck on that one," he said, and rubbed the healing slice that ran down across his chest. "Still kind of sore. Might go for a run later, though."
"You been all right?" he asked after a moment. The dorms had been weirdly but understandably quiet in the days immediately after the disastrous mission, many of the trainees avoiding each other, but life was slowly returning to what counted as normal. He hadn't seen Robert much, aside waking up to find that the big man had peeled him off the field and brought him back to be patched together.
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 12:28 am
It had been a long week. Robert gave what little of the scar he could see a real good, hard look, his brow bunching down thickly, and nodded. "Yeah, I gotcha. A run sounds good though. Get some adrenaline flowin'. I'll join you if you're all right with it."
A good friend. That's what Jordan had called him. Robert ignored his friend's last question, waving it off weakly, before getting up off his bed and getting down on one knee in front of Jordan. His face had the look of intensity it only got when he was being very serious.
"Yeah. You know something, Boss?" He rested a hand on Jordan's shoulder. "And I'm only gonna say this once, 'cause it's not my style. But I hope you know that I'm more than just a friend." His hand clenched the shoulder. "I think we're way past that s**t by now. But you, just, you know. Know this."
Robert's eyes were fierce as he spoke. "I'd follow you into the depths of hell, Jordan. And from what I've been seeing lately? That's a real possibility."
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 5:40 pm
"Yeah, I could use the company." That sounded like a really good idea to Jordan; Robert's company would help keep him from slipping into depressing trains of thought, and they could pace each other to keep up a steady gait.
He didn't miss that Robert had dodged his question, and that worried him - but the thought was pushed aside by what Robert said next. Jordan's eyes widened slightly, and he stilled, caught off guard by a powerful rush of emotion. Then he reached up, gripped Robert's upper arm, found himself leaning forward slightly. "I trust you with my life," he said seriously, meeting Robert's steady gaze. "And you know I've got your back. No matter what." He smiled faintly. "If I go on, I'll get all mushy or something. So I guess I'll just say thanks."
Is this where the soundtrack starts playing uplifting, inspiring music? Ferros snickered.
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 1:47 am
Robert's grin was startlingly wide. "That's what I like to hear!" He practically roared, standing back up and ruffling Jordan's hair. "And you're welcome. Now that I've got you smiling again, I'll tell ya. I've been pretty good, all things considered. Stayin' out of trouble, that sort of s**t. Not like you, gettin' your a** handed to you by a girl, ohhhhhh~"
Teasing. Robert's way of showing his undying love.
He dropped back down on his bed, sprawled out, and put his hands on the pillow, behind his head. "Seriously though, that b***h needs an a**-whooping. Right up the a** with that scythe, too. She'd probably enjoy it."
It seemed Robert did not like Candace very much anymore.
"You heard that rumor that they've got new sleepers wakin' up soon? I hope someone interesting comes out. This place got boring reaaal quick, by my standards."
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Posted: Wed Nov 16, 2011 12:07 pm
"Are you trying to insult my masculine pride?" Jordan asked lightly. "a*****e." He stretched his foot out to thump the mattress with his heel. He understood the teasing perfectly well; it would've gotten embarrassing if there had been any further heartfelt declarations.
"New sleepers? Huh, I wonder. Why now, you think?" He grinned. "Boring, huh? You tried any of the training courses?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 1:56 pm
"Ehhhhhhhyup. Little bit." He over-exaggerated the reaction to Jordan's kick to the mattress, and looked completely butt-hurt about it.
"I dunno." Robert answered his first question, before tackling the second. "And training courses sound like work. Work sounds like something I only do when I gots to. Not as a hobby. Have you done any of them? What are they like?"
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Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 4:37 pm
"You'll have to try harder, it's bigger than that." Jordan snickered.
He shrugged in response. Who knew why the division heads did what they did? Not him. "Think of it more like working out," he suggested. "I've done a couple of them - Sun course, you kill as many little shadows as you can and keep them from swarming you. That we liked." He tapped his thumb against Ferros's ring to indicate the other half of the we, and leaned back in the chair, bracing his foot against the mattress. "Death course is more sadistic, like you'd expect. Minesweeper with deathtraps and golems. It's something to do, anyway." He tipped his head back and stared thoughtfully at the ceiling. "I wonder if anyone would be interested in poker nights or something like that."
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:18 pm
"Hey, I ain't asking how big it is!" Robert's hands pressed over his head and covered his face, muffling the snickers out.
Imagining the training courses as a workout did, however, perk Robert's interest. That did make it sound more interesting.. "I usually exercise in here, but when you put it that way, now I'm considering it. I don't know, maybe if something kicks my a** hard enough I'll get the encouragement to get the ******** in there and blow up some s**t. Not really feeling the whole human mindsweeper game, though."
But for Death Hunters, it did kind of make sense. It's all in the name, and he was all about Life.
"Any idea what the Life course is like?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 3:28 pm
"What, can't handle it?" Jordan snickered helplessly.
"I get stir-crazy if I stay in my room too much." He shrugged. "Going to try the Mist course next. Probably get my butt kicked, but that's what practice is for." He snorted at Robert's question. "Jenga," he said. "No, really."
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:36 pm
Robert groaned as the d**k jokes continued on. "No, boss." He deadpanned. "I'm pretty sure I can't handle it. You're just too much for me." Then he picked up his pillow and shoved it over his face. Was he giggling? NO HE WAS NOT SHUT UP HE WAS A MANLY MAN.
"Mist is JENGA? s**t, okay, you sold me. I wanna play." He pulled the pillow off his face and sat up. "I am so good at that game."
He wasn't.
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Posted: Wed Nov 30, 2011 6:43 pm
Manly men broke down into fits of stupid giggling all the time, right? Good thing nobody else was there to witness the two of them reverting to 13-year-olds for a few minutes. It took a little while for Jordan to stop laughing enough to speak again.
"Extreme Jenga," he clarified. "You've got to see it. In fact, I formally challenge you to a game." He flashed a wicked grin at Robert. One of them was coming out of this with a sharpie mustache, and he didn't intend it to be him.
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