righthemisphere | IC CONTACT

Herc doesn't answer at first, eyes locked on the snowy landscape outside, but his hands tighten around the mug he's nursing between them. The chill's creeping into the cabin. He should probably try fixing that window to keep the cold out...

Arm aching, he finishes his tea and rises from the table, taking the empty mug to the sink to wash up.

"I've said my piece. You should get going before it gets dark out."

Is that the chill of winter or the chill between them creeping in.

So that's it then, huh. That's all you've got to say.

Raleigh gives Herc a look through the whole movement but doesn't get up, himself. When the other Ranger is finished washing his mug Raleigh is still there. Watching. Straight faced. Your ploy hasn't worked and your house isn't big enough to run away from him. He knows what you're doing and he isn't going to accept the subtext. Sorry, not that sorry.

"All due respect sir?" Finally, once the water is off and he knows Herc can hear him with perfect clarity.

"You can go fuck yourself."

It rings of a conversation they've had before. Over spaghetti and mashed potatoes in the mess hall, talking about whether Chuck deserved a kick in the arse. Feels like a whole other lifetime now. How bizarre that now it's Herc who deserves the boot up his ass. You two really are just so similar that it's staggering.

"There's danger everywhere. If you need help just ask. Cutting everyone out isn't going to make anything better. So answer my question. What happened."

There's a steeliness to Herc's eyes as he stares right back at Raleigh, drying his hands on a kitchen towel.

"You're not my superior officer, you're not my father and you sure as hell aren't my wife," he answers flatly. "I don't answer to you. I asked you here because I respect you as a Ranger and I know you're close to my son. Don't push it."

The cloth gets tossed aside. "Now, with 'all due respect', get out of my house." He's got a date with a bottle tonight that he'd much rather get to sooner than later.

Yeeeah because that's the way to fix this.

Raleigh gives an exasperated look, rolling his shoulders like he's going to get up but he doesn't. You know all those times Stacker bitched about Raleigh being an insubordinate asshole? Welcome to the show.

"Nah. That's not gonna work for me. You called me here because you're trying to make yourself feel better for bailing when Chuck needs you and I'm not okay with being your crashpad. Screw rank, you're my friend. What's going on??"

Edited 2021-01-24 22:03 (UTC)

"Don't make me get the shotgun," Herc warns, though whether he's being serious about the threat remains to be seen.

He's just so damn tired of... everything. He's tired of fucking up, he's tired of screwing up his kid further and further and failing him again and again and again.

"Get out."

Wow.

You know he really wanted to give you the benefit of the doubt but Chuck was right. That's.. depressing.

Raleigh tongues his teeth as he digests that, shoulders and jaw tight as his temper spirals around beneath his skin.

He could yell. He could break Herc's nose like Chuck told him to.

But he doesn't. He gets up. And while he doesn't think Herc would actually shoot him over this the man is clearly not in his right mind and he doesn't wanna find out for sure.

Turning his back, Raleigh goes to the door, a plume of cold air invading the space as he holds it open. Fuck you, you can freeze. He'll say one last thing over his shoulder before he goes, leaving the door open behind him.

"You know Herc? I never thought I'd say this.. you're a coward. Can't believe it."

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