IC INBOX; MoM

[pushtheboundaries]

"You've reached Robert Callaghan, Headmaster to the Heropa Organization for imPort Education. Please leave a message with your name, your phone number, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can. As a reminder, my office hours are..."

Comments

[tadeadshi]

He'd be a better R2, for sure.

I'm glad you didn't throw it out.

[Or did he...? He can't ever tell about anyone anymore these days.]

[pushtheboundaries]

Did you sneak some sass in to his program when I wasn't looking?

It's a little cumbersome for drinking coffee, but I'll find a use for it.

[possibly as a penholder on his desk]

[tadeadshi]

He hangs out with my brother so there's no telling what influence he's had.

But I'm glad you found it.

[pushtheboundaries]

[well, he knows a bit of that...]

I'm surprised you thought of me. Though it may be more at myself, at not being used to that by now.

[tadeadshi]

[Suddenly glad this is text, Callaghan can't hear the sigh he lets out at that.]

Said before. What I told you when you first got here hasn't changed. It's just complicated.

[pushtheboundaries]

That's an understatement.

[he won't bring up the barn. if Tadashi knows, he knows.]

[tadeadshi]

I know

Hard to find a mentor-psuedo-father's day card. Went with the next best thing

[He saID THE THING there he said it]

[pushtheboundaries]

[but...didn't Tadashi tell him to forget the thing? and now he's saying it again?

timing. Callaghan swallows, and then exhales a breath. don't doubt, Tadashi's never given him a reason to doubt, never, he has no reason to doubt...]

It works.

I should be resting.

[tadeadshi]

[He's just tired of lying to people. Pretending he's not feeling things and keeping secrets and Callaghan now needs someone who believes in him.]

How badly were you hurt?

[pushtheboundaries]

It hurts, but I'll recover.

[can he...not...and just stay evasive? is this a thing that can happen?]

[tadeadshi]

[Nope.]

Can I help you?

[pushtheboundaries]

[...

he really hates to do this. this is going to hurt both of them. but it- needs to be done.]

By keeping your brother away from me.

[tadeadshi]

[That

That's not what he meant. And he's pretty damn sure Callaghan knows that's not what he was asking about.]

Don't think you have to worry about that. Not for a while anyway.

[pushtheboundaries]

That's all I want.

[he does.

but he was using it to answer the question, anyway.]

[tadeadshi]

I can do that but

Professor - he wasn't himself. Someone did something to his mind that pushed him and made him do that. Please understand that.

[pushtheboundaries]

Elaborate.

[because there's a difference between the token 'he wasn't himself', and 'someone did something to his mind']

[tadeadshi]

[Okay he wasn't actually expecting Robert to ask him that but.]

I don't know all the specifics but -

Long story short, Magicman put Hiro in his comm so he wouldn't hurt himself or anyone else. And there's -- this weird stuff all around Hiro. He can't see it himself, but it's there. And sometimes when he's talking, he's -- It's like his mind glitches and then he goes into some other thought process.

I can help with some of it but whatever it is, it's rooted deep. I think we're looking for a telepath to help.

[pushtheboundaries]

[for all that happened, there is still a part of him - the same part that pulled Hiro out of there - that is somewhat protective over the boy who saved his daughter's life. the rest...well, the rest of him is different kinds of wary, suspicious, mistrustful-

distantly, he remembers a story. there are two wolves...]



Either way, the point stands.

If someone has affected him, then for all either of us know, it'll happen again. And I'm not [strong enough] going to go through that a second time. He stays away from me, and so do things that could aggravate him in to coming after me, until you figure out exactly what kind of help he needs.

[that includes you too, Tadashi.]

[tadeadshi]

We're not letting him out of the comm until we find a solution and help him.

So like I said you don't have to worry about him coming after you.

[Because excuse you, while he may consider you a father figure, you're not the boss of him.]

[pushtheboundaries]

Then I hope the best.

[and he's planning for the worst.]

[tadeadshi]

Until then, what else can I do to help you

[pushtheboundaries]

[there's a pause before the response. mainly because he'd set the comm down...but a few minutes later, he does pick it up, and another one or two later...]

Let me rest.

[tadeadshi]

[...Being cut off then. He'd rather help some other way, some way that's more proactive something that keeps him busy a̶nd awa͘y̸ f̛rom ͏t̵h͏e n̸i͞gh̀t͢ma͟re͏s̨ but if that's all Callaghan will give him...]

If you need anything you know how to get me.

[pushtheboundaries]

I'll remember.



Thank you.

[for the gift? for the outreach? for something else? who knows.]