tsaf loop 2: nowhere to run

BREAKING NEWS 

Poppy Valley PD rushed to the residence of tech company CEO Douglas Lansberry early this morning. Lansberry was found dead by a housekeeper after a suspected home invasion gone wrong. His daughter and heir to the company, Alice Lansberry, is in the hospital in critical condition.  

Signs of forced entry were found at the scene, but no prime suspect has yet been named. Police urge anyone with any information to call their anonymous tip line at [NUMBER].

---

PVH_Robbie: We need to fucking talk. No excuses

PVH_Dakota: no we don't.

PVH_Robbie: Don't you dare start bullshit with me. I don't think you have a say in this.

PVH_Robbie: Headed to the hospital now, but when I leave I have some things to say to you.

PVH_Dakota: i didnt do anything. we dont need to talk about anything.

PVH_Robbie: Not a fucking game.

PVH_Robbie: Going to pick you up later.

PVH_Dakota: no you're not.

---

Oh god, oh god, oh god.

There have been a lot of moments where Dakota's felt incredibly scared, but nothing comes close to fearing for your own safety at the hands of someone everyone thinks you're friends with while you know there's nothing to protect you.

Except, of course....them.

She's banging on Lin's door heavily, desperately, with one hand texting and with the other one banging rhythmic bangs.

PVH_Dakota: please open up
PVH_Dakota: please open up
PVH_Dakota: plealwe opne up m sorryr
PVH_Dakota: please
PVH_Dakota: please open uup
PVH_Dakota: help 

Lin was in fact well, sleeping right now. They'd fallen asleep during the middle of doing some paperwork at their dining room table in the front room. They hear their phone vibrating and the very rhythmic banging on their door and hazily wake up, they put on their glasses then they grab their phone and start going over to the door, grabbing a dressing gown hung over the couch arm and putting it on.

They check their messages to find it's well, Cody, and they're at the door. And at that moment Lin panics too a little, what the hell's wrong now.

*They pick up their pace heading off towards the door, quickly unlocking the door and seeing Dakota there, they immediately give a little bit of a smile to the panicked looking Dakota. * "Oh... Hi Dakota you look-" Dreadful. "Good god what's happened..."

Dakota Bronte's a master at fucking people's lives over, whether it be through doxxing or messing up their sleep schedule, apparently. It's just her talent.

Dakota immediately stepped inside, hugging them tightly, not actually crying but equally as distressed as she did her little 9 taps, muttering Lin's name under her breath over, and over, shaking as she did so.

"...I messed up......I messed up....Alice from the drama club is in the hospital and her dad's dead and it's all my fault..."

She's not even crying. She's too tired, too afraid to cry, but...

Doesn't mean she isn't distressed.

Wow wow... You know this is a lot to take in right now for Cody and Lin. Might just be because Lin's tired and as asleep just, only around a minute ago but they immediately sort of, close their eyes and mutter something under their breath

Well now time to try and help Cody out. They give her a smile and try to calm her down, returning the hug to Cody

"Cody... I told you to stop putting out the doxing information... Jesus Christ." Lin cares a lot about Cody, doesn't stop them from being disappointed every once and a while

"Hey hey... Come inside, sit down I'll grab us some classes of water to help us calm down... We'll talk there, alright?" They give Dakota a warm smile, sort of, loosening their hug a little bit.

She gave them a small nod, silent for a moments as she breathed heavily, trying her best to calm the fuck down. Which is hard. Because she just caused someone’s death again.

And this time she couldn’t really attribute it to pre-teenage stupidity, or a lot of convincing, or bad circumstances. She caused this, entirely.

“....R....Robbie knew about the doxxing....a....and.....he wants to talk to me.....he’s really mad, and he’s close to Alice so I think he’s mad at me and he said he’d pick me up when he got back from the hospital so I ran here because I don’t want him to get mad at me or anything like that—I didn’t want this!”

Her speech is fast. Nearly incomprehensible. She’s tapping on her necklace, having let go of Lin sort of pacing around Lin’s house, stressed out of her mind.

As Cody's let go of Lin Lin's sort of been just, following. Their bungalow is kinda small so it's easy enough for Lin to hear what Dakota's saying while also getting her a glass of water from in their kitchen

They quickly rush back into their living room carrying two glasses of water, one for them and one for her. They make some room on the coffee table, sort of, moving and stacking some files to make some room then sit down on it themselves

They look over to the pacing and stressed Cody "Hey hey... Take it slow please just... This whole situation is terrible. Sit down with me, talk about it and try to calm down for me, ok? We'll get thought this."

“I can’t—how can I take it slow when—all this is going on?” She pauses, taking the water and sitting down, drinking from it with her hands still shaking. 

“....it’s all....going downhill even more......it never stops........I’m not even safe here...”

"Hey hey... It's safe here, don't worry. I promised not to shout or well, hurt you Cody... You can talk to me." They give Cody a bit of a warm smile before taking a sip of water themselves. This is also moderately stressing Lin out a bit too.

Lin sort of, moves closer, puts their arm around Cody, trying to comfort them "It's going downhill? Well... Well I guess it is. Don't worry, I'll be here for you, you know that right?"

Imagine thinking that it was safe here.  

There’s a knock on the door.

Oh, oh no, uh oh.

“....how did he—“

UH OH.

“.....ummm....”

UH OH UH OH UH OH-

“......that’s not good....”

UH OH UH OH UH OH-

“......................”

She’s SHAKING.

"..." Lin goes dead quiet, slowing moving their arm away from Cody, and getting up, setting down their glass of water as they do so.

Once stood up, they start creeping ever so slowly towards the door, they give a little shout to it as they're by the door. "Who's there!"

Their voice doesn't sound as compassionate as before, it's more a kind of, neutral. Of course, they have their suspicions on who it could be but, well it might not be who they think, still, Lin isn't a fan of people knowing where they live, and how the person behind the door knows, is suspicious.

Honestly at this point Dakota would rather this turn into a shitty horror movie than to face reality.

... Sigh.

“It’s Robbie.”

Listen, he figures either Dakota came here or Lin at least would know where she is.

FUCK.

“Can I sneak out the window?”

FUUUUUUUUUCK.

"Go ahead Cody" Sort of whispering.

They sigh. How the hell does Robbie know where Lin lives? Whatever it doesn't matter. "How do you know where I live?" Ok I guess it does matter then Lin you paranoid bitch.

“Doesn’t matter. Apparently it’s not fucking hard to get information ‘bout anything now.”

Little pause.

“Not here for you, I’m here for your friend.”

Ok well now Lin's even more suspicious. Never mind that right now though.

Lin pauses for a few moments, hesitating on whether or not to answer.

Eventually, the door opens up, Lin face to face with Robbie now. "It's fine. Now really isn't the time to talk to her about this. Shouting isn't going to do anything but stress her please, I have this all handled Robbie."

“Handled?”

He scoffs as he pushes past them into the house.

“Don’t give a shit what you think is ‘handled.’ Said I needed to talk to her and I’m going to.”

And there Robbie goes just... Barging into Lin's own house. Without permission. Fine. Whatever, not like Lin has a right to privacy.

Lin sighs, trying to put on a bit of a calm face "Fine. Go and talk to her. I'll make you a glass of water. Just, try to be civil and not shout, ok?" With that, Lin quickly leaves into another room before another word can get said.

Anyway. You know that feeling when you’re so scared that everything overwhelms you? It makes moderately simple things, such as sneaking out of a house, harder than they have to be.

So Dakota just. Stands there. Somewhat paralysed, tapping on her necklace as she helplessly looks at Lin leaving into another room.

And now she and Robbie are alone. Cool.

“I said you’d better be glad I didn’t give a shit. Now I do. Congrats on figuring that out for yourself.”

“So tell me why you did it.”

He’s standing just a few steps away from her now, towering over her.

“Said you ‘had to.’ So you’d better fucking explain.”

Dakota stepped back, instinctively reaching into her coat for her BB gun, even though she’d barely do any harm with it. 

It just made her feel better, okay? 

“....I don’t.....I don’t think I can explain...” She feels the hole she’s dug for herself sinking even further. But she’s fucked either way, right? 

And quite frankly, she’s more scared of Sucie than Robbie. But she won’t say that.

“Better start trying to.”  

I mean, to be fair, he’s got a weapon too — a switchblade in his pocket, even if he hasn’t gone for it.  

“First rule is that you don’t drag other people into your bullshit. ‘N you did. So why?”

Lin's listening in from the kitchen. Taking an awfully long time to get a glass of water huh?

“Rule of what?”  

Hayloft mother mother voice: my daddy’s got a gun, my daddy’s got a gun, my daddy’s got a gun, you better run— 

Doubt Lin has one, but, the mental image of Lin having a gun makes Dakota feel sliiiiiiiiightly better. 

“...I don’t have to explain anything.”

“You are fucking infuriating, you know that?” 

Another step closer.  

“I was nice. I even covered for you. Lied to your fucking family instead of telling ‘em what you did. I don’t give a shit about them, but now it’s personal.”  

A beat. 

“If you tell me, maybe I’d have a shred of sympathy for you instead of just telling everyone in the whole goddamned town.”

“....d....don’t do that.” 

She’d lose everything. Either way, she knows she’s already lost, it’s just that...she wants to delay it. As much as she can.  

“....I just....I need the money, okay..? I can’t say why, I just....I need a lot of money, and.....didn’t know how else to get it quickly, so I just—“ 

She knows, this all only makes her sound worse. She’s one word away from breaking down and telling Robbie everything, but....she shouldn’t. So she just steps back, pressing her back against the wall and holding the BB gun inside her jacket tightly.

“Aye, don’t we all.”  

There’s a wry, bitter chuckle.  

“Not helping your case yet, chuuni. Family’s fucking rich, ‘n you’ve got so many of them. Hell do you need money so bad for that you’d even sell ‘em out, instead of just.. asking them?”

“I didn’t...want them to know I needed it....plus, they’re all selfish pricks...you think any Bronte would willingly give out money..?” 

Maybe if she explained why. But that’s the biggest Bronte family value, Dakota believes. Yourself over everyone else.  

“......I didn’t...want anyone to find out, I’m just....really bad at hiding things, it seems.”

He’s going to take that as a rhetorical question, considering it can probably be assumed he doesn’t give a shit about her family.  

“Mhm, pretty fucking awful at it, in my opinion.” Robbie shrugs.  

There’s a pause. He’s a little quieter now.  

“Just... tell me why you needed it. What happened?”

"I–I can't–tell anyone!" This conversation is fucking with her mind almost as much as everything that's happened with Sucie so far. She steps back slightly more, holding the BB gun inside her jacket tightly, hands shaking.

"Wh–What do you want anyway? Do you just want to shout at me?....cut to the chase." She can't keep going around in circles like this anymore.

“I wanna know the fucking truth, is that really so much to ask?”

To be fair, she’s the one that’s going around in circles. He thinks he’s been pretty straightforward about everything so far.

“Despite everything, I went out of my way to help you. Being honest with me now’s the least you could do.”

At this point in time, Lin was coming back into the room. Their dressing gown looked a bit tighter than it was when they left. Never the less, they were carrying the glass of water that they had said they'd intended to get.

They looked around, first to the angry looking Robbie then at the distressed looking Dakota. They simply smile calmly towards the two.

"I got you a drink Robbie. You never refused earlier so just thought it'd be nice. Can we all just sit down for a moment to talk calmly about this?" Lin's eye twitches a little as they speak,

Dakota immediately sort of, hid behind Lin, sticking slightly close to them while holding her BB gun still, not pulling it out.

"He's trying to get me to tell him the truth to him so he doesn't leak it to everyone," she tattled, still sort of hiding behind them.

“I am calm.” That’s a lie, actually. I don’t think Robin “Robbie” Goodman has ever been calm in his entire life. ... He’ll absently take the cup, though.

“Aye, and what’s so odd about that? Haven’t exactly given me a reason to want to protect you or some shit.”

Lin somewhat sighs a little bit as Robbie takes the cup. Be it out of relief or well just, a regular old sigh is up to you. They fold their arms tighter into their already tight looking dressing gown. Just trying to hold it in place.

They again look from Robbie to Dakota, then back to Robbie once more. "How do you mean the truth? As in, why she's doxxing people? Either way even if we both know we should still be looking out for one and other. Nobody else has to get hurt here."

Wry chuckle. “You say that like I’m planning to cut her damn head off.”

He sighs.
“— Aye, I wanna know why she’s doxxing people. My friend almost fucking died because of her bullshit, course I wanna know why she felt the need.”
It’s a surprising admission, coming from him. Friendship’s not a term he throws around lightly, or even referenced rarely at all.

Lin, actually hesitates for a moment. Yeah Lin knew of the doxxing. And don't get me wrong Lin's pissed off Dakota didn't listen to them when they told her to stop.

They look down for a moment, before looking back over to Robbie, then to Dakota. "...What, is the reason exactly?"

“....I can’t....I can’t say.” She won’t budge. This is the only thing she won’t budge about. Her fear of Sucie finding out was worse than anything Robbie could do to her. 

“Y-You think I would do this even if I didn’t need to? I’d only do something—something like all of this if I absolutely needed to, and it was either putting others in danger or myself, and I fucked it all up and put myself in danger anyway.” 

She tears up, hugging Lin tightly (hmmmm, they’re hiding something~) and sobbing into their dressing gown. 

At the beginning they were more or less crocodile tears, but...hey, they’re real now!

Lin again is a little startled. I mean, they shouldn't be right now but, doesn't help they're in a confrontation with Robbie.

Lin sort of, returns the hug with one arm, keeping one arm to hold their dressing gown together (which Lin would 100% be able to feel). Lin definitely feels anger towards Dakota right now but, well Dakota's their friend, there's nothing really they'd want to do right now but comfort them.

Lin looks back over to Robbie. Fuck this is a difficult situation for them. They want to care for Dakota but they also get where Robbie's coming from "...I don't think either of us are going to find out..."

... Oh. He can’t help but be surprised by the admission that even Lin doesn’t know exactly what’s going on.

He almost feels bad, considering that whatever it is must be serious.

“Fine. You don’t wanna tell us why, I get it.”

There’s a sigh.

“But you’re not just gonna... magically be let off the feckin’ hook.”

Dakota lets out a small sigh of relief at the thought of Sucie not busting her kneecaps because of an angry Irishman.

It doesn't keep her from hiding her face in Lin's chest for a second, taking a deep breath, trying her best to calm down as best as she can.

And then she looks back at Robbie, still half-hiding behind Lin, though.

"...wh–what do you want...? I can...I can't give you all the money, but...I can get you some.."

“Why the fuck would I want the money from... that?” 

He seems almost a little insulted. To be fair, he is pretty poor, so it’s probably not that weird of an offer, but. 

“Want you to tell the people whose shit you fucked up that it was you. Talk it out with your family, keep your dignity instead of me going public with it. Can’t imagine I’m the only one ‘s already figured it out.”  

It’s fair, and probably best for her in the long run, but it’s probably going to hurt. It seems fitting.

She moves to hide even more behind Lin, sort of using them as a shield, at this point. Pushing them forward slightly.  

"...I.....If I do that.........they'll ask questions, and eventually they'll find out why, and they'll disown me, and if it gets out why they'll disown me again." Mostly, she's muttering to herself, but...still audible to Robbie and Lin, at least.  

A little pause. She squeezes Lin a little more. (Hmmm, definitely hiding something~ Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!) 

".......i....it's a lot of money.....a....are you sure you wouldn't want that instead....? E....either way I'll stop, but....I can just........pay you and stop."

Lin hesitates for a few moments before saying anything back to Robbie or Dakota, sort of just, looking between the two.

They sigh, hugging Dakota a little more when Dakota squeezed them a little before looking back over to Robbie, lowering their head somberly.

"I- She's right... If Dakota tells the people she's doxxed them, it's going to get out and people are going to want her head on a spike. If it gets out she doxxed them, she's as dead as Douglas Lansberry."

“Shut up. I don’t want your damn money. Just shows how fucking stupid, how fucking careless you are, if you really needed it that bad ‘n you don’t have a problem with tossing it away.”  

To be honest...? He looks a little tiny bit confused for a brief moment.  

“You’re awful at keeping secrets. You know I can’t be the only one that figured it out already. Really don’t give a shit what happens to you, sure some of them don’t either.”  

A sigh. “You get one chance to tell them yourself, since frankly I think you’re enough of an idiot that you genuinely expected nothing would happen. You tell ‘em your side of the story, ‘cos if I do it, I won’t be nice enough to omit any of the details.”

Dakota didn't respond. 

Either way, it'd be bad, right? 

She saw very few ways in which this could play out in her favour at all, so.....yet again, she hid behind Lin, pushing them forward just the slightest bit more. 

Maybe it's a little bit shitty of her to take advantage of their protectiveness like this, but.....fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it! Fix it!!!!!!!!!

Lin now turned their head towards Robbie, focusing their attention off of Dakota now. They sigh and just sort of, lean forward towards Robbie as to not leave the Dakota hugging them.

"Robbie. I'm being serious when I say that there's going to be a lot of people after Dakota even if it gets out on a small scale. I... I honestly respect you for not leaking it sooner as soon as you found out. But getting Dakota, and well, even yourself to leak it ends well for nobody. It just... Spirals into this... String of revenge and makes everyone's lives miserable."

Lin sort of looks, empathetic right now. They're just trying to defend Dakota as much as possible without resorting to any violent solution.

“Gonna get out soon enough either way, even if it’s not through someone in this room.” It’s not that hard to understand, in his opinion, really.

He takes a moment to just sort of stare at them both.

“That’s what happens when you fuck up. You cause the bullshit, you gotta deal with it.” He knows that, at least.

“ — You gonna tell ‘em or not, Chuuni?”

"....I was dealing with it fine until you came along and tried to fix it yourself! You're nobody! You're just interfering with things to feel good about yourself!"  

Dakota raised her voice, her grip on Lin tightening. 

Of course–she didn't answer the question.

Lin sort of, looses their own grip on Dakota as she tightens hers. They sort of, squeeze their own body a little to keep something in place.

They return the stare which Robbie gave them a moment ago, they turn their head back over to Dakota once more "Hey... Calm down one moment..."

Lin turns their head to look over to Robbie once more "I admit that- Yes Dakota made a huge mistake and too needs to pay for it- But putting her in danger isn't the right way for this to turn out." They're trying as hard as they can to try to get them to understand. In the end, this is all just Lin trying to protect Dakota.

“Really? Dealing with it how?” It’s hard to tell whether the look he gives her is laced with more disgust or pity.  

“What would you have done if it was them—“ a pointed nod towards Lin — “that had gotten hurt by this?”  

He sighs.  

“You’re committed to the bit, I’ll give you that.”  

There’s a frown as he meets Lin’s gaze, mulling things over for a long moment.  

“Fine.” Back to Dakota.“ Just pick one this time. I’m tired of going in fucking circles with you. Confess yourself, or sit around hoping people don’t look at all the evidence?”

"I won't–I'd never let something like this happen to them. Of course I wouldn't." 

It hurts to even think that Robbie would plant that idea in Lin's head. That she'd ever put them in danger. 

Despite the fact that she already has.  

She taps Lin, 9 times, thinking while looking at Robbie, narrowing her eyes. 

"...I'm not gonna confess....of course I'm not gonna confess....did you hear anything I said?"

“— Right then.”  

He’s not so sure about that. She seems like someone who only looks out for herself, even if she’s honestly kind of terrible at it.  

“Better have fun sorting out your bullshit, then. Hope they don’t get sick of you while you’re at it.”  

Robbie’s setting the cup down on the table, taking one last glance around the room.  

“Frankly, I have better shit to do than stand around hearing you whine, so—“ Giving the both of them a mock salute as he heads out the door— 

“Droch chrích ort.”

God. There's definitely some sort of catch here that Dakota missed, but.....at least.....nothing too bad happened. She loosened up a bit, letting Lin breathe.

"In infernis arderet."

Lin too also just, sighs in relief. They hug Dakota little bit more before the loosen their grip on her and let go of the hug.

They go up to the door and open it again, sort of, checking around a little bit like the paranoid person they are. Before closing the door once again, and then going over to the windows and closing the curtains.

They give Dakota a smile, then just, crash onto their couch, loosening their dressing gown a bit.

Dakota sat down on the couch as well, taking off her shoes and huddling into the couch and Lin in the process, closing her eyes shut.

".....I don't think he's done."

She's not that stupid.

"...I know..." They tighten their dressing gown a bit more before putting their arm around Dakota.

They sigh, sort of, taking off their glasses for a brief moment to look at Dakota. "Cody... This need to stop... You know it, I know it... He knows it. Please just, even if he doesn't leak it now, you NEED to stop this."

".....I know...." restated–she's not that stupid. She lets out a tired sigh, sort of burying her head into Lin a bit more.

".......I wanted......to look for the easiest solution.....I thought......this'd be the one that'd be the safest....easiest...." The rest of her solutions harmed no one but Dakota, of course. "....either way....."

She takes a deep, shakey breath.

".......I should've........I couldn't....escape this."

"...Couldn't escape... What?" Lin turns their head to Dakota, sort of, giving them a sombre look and sighing.

"You don't- Have to tell me but, it would help understand." They smile at them "You can trust me... Please. I want to know how I can help."

"........I don't think I can.....tell anyone." She desperately wants to, but....god. Her fear of Sucie overpowers every other impulse in her body.

"...I'm just.....I'm sorry....." she whispers very quietly, still sort of hanging on to Lin. "....I didn't mean to drag you into all of this....I thought I could just....keep it secret and it'd all be over before I knew it."

Apparently not.

"...Ok. I said you don't have to tell me so- You don't... But please... Stop doxxing people..." They sigh and stare at Dakota.

They get their hand from over their shoulder and just, huddle up to Dakota like how she's doing to them. "This is... Too dangerous. For you, for other people, for me... Please... You don't want to hurt people actually... Right?"

Course they do... Or do they?

".....I don't......" Sort of. Eh. She lies in that weird middle ground of morality, but....Lin doesn't really need to know that. 

---

Robbie’s getting back into his truck, letting out a sigh as he takes a look back at the house he just left.  

... Pulling his phone out of his pocket, he stops recording before beginning his drive home.  

He almost feels bad. Just a little. But he’s committed. He can’t say he didn’t give her a choice, even if all of them had the same outcome in the long run.  

Today, Robbie Goodman’s on the warpath. Unfortunate that someone’s ending up in the crossfire here, but hey — isn’t that a bit of karmic irony for the girl in question?  

Maybe it’s because he blames himself. If he hadn’t covered for her back at the dance, if he’d just sold her out to her family then and there — maybe that page would’ve gotten taken down before the Lansberry doxx was sold. It’s wishful thinking, sure. 

He presses send.

to: Cali Bronte, Connie Bronte, Dylan Bronte, Kennedy Bronte

from: Robbie Goodman

message: Case closed. Do with this what you will

attachment: [ proof.mp3 ]

message: Enjoy

---

Her phone buzzed. She shrunk into Lin slightly, before tentatively checking it, and....immediately turned it off.

The next course of action, of course, was to sob into their dressing gown.

Of course the information was going to get out one way or another.
Quietly, she said, "...I don't think it's a good idea for me to go anywhere right now."
She's dead and she knows it.

Lin heard the phone buzz, and then Dakota's crying... I mean some level of deductive reasoning could guess what just happened but, never the less they ask.

"...I take it it just... Got out..." They lower their head and just, hug Dakota. I have to admit, Lin doesn't want to side with Dakota here, if they weren't friends Dakota would have nobody to rely on... But, well Lin's Dakota's friend. Even if they did something like this, it's hard not to comfort someone you're close to.

"...Just, stay here for now... I'm here for you..."

"........you probably hate me....or you're mad at me....or you want nothing to do with me....you're only doing this out of obligation..."

She's not...stupid, again.

Even with Lin right there, she can't help but feel like they're angry at her too.

"..." Was it hard to deny the fact that Lin was mad? Well, either way they would "...I don't hate you... And it's not that I don't want anything to do with you... But I am mad... Madder than well, well I'm mad to say the least..."

They sigh once more, before turning their head "But I won't... I won't abandon you here. Dakota, you're my friend... Hell, you remind me a lot of someone I lost a long time ago... Why I put up with you." They chuckle a little bit,  trying to lighten the mood.

"I won't leave you in danger like this. Anyone in my situation wouldn't because well, you stand a better shot with someone looking out for you. Even if I was mad enough to leave, leaving you would be condemning you to some terrible things and I-...I can't do that."

".................................."

It's hard, knowing exactly what she's feeling right now. Mostly, she just feels.....gross. The fact that Lin, knowing what she did and what she's capable of, and still willing to comfort her.....

It makes her feel less like herself than anything has in a while.

"...I don't...........w...want to be here, if you're mad at me....."

She pushes herself up, taking off her jacket, shivering slightly.

"....u.....umm........"

Her hands are shaking. It's clear that she wants to say something, but.....can't muster up enough courage to say it.

Lin sort of, gets up and looks to Dakota, they look to the floor and sigh.

"I'm sorry I said I'm mad at you... I just- Don't want to lie to you at all. And well, I'd rather be honest there..."

"Still... It doesn't stop me from caring about you Cody. Anger will subside but, I don't want to loose you as a friend. I don't think it's a good idea to go out right now just... Sleep on the couch for the night, ok?"

"........."

She just wants to disappear, honestly. She can't really go back to Dylan's, nor her parents, but she doesn't really feel that welcome at Lin's anymore.

"...th....this isn't the first time I've......."

She pushes away the piece of hair covering her other eye.

"..." Lin just, watches on, they watch as Cody removes the hair covering one of their eyes.

"...Oh? What's- What's that..."

"...m....m...my sister..........she.................."

Of course, she can't really talk about it. She doubts she'll be ready to ever say it out loud.

"...h....her name was Carolina........"

...hopefully...that's enough.

"...Oh my god..." And then suddenly stuff just sort of, clicked for Lin. Immediately as they're stood up they go to hug Dakota.

With the 'this isn't the first time', and putting together the events of today... Lin can obviously quite easily put it together. "I'm sorry Dakota... What was she like?"

She realised, slowly, that....

She doesn't want them to react like this. That's not....really, why she told them. She doesn't want them to immediately understand, or feel bad for her, or....

She really just wanted them to kick her out. To shout at her, maybe pull out whatever they'd been hiding under their dressing gown.

Not....not this.

She stiffens up, not answering.

Lin sort of, shakes their head to themselves "It's fine... I-I didn't mean to ask that... You don't have to say anything."

Instead, Lin just, continues hugging them. They're too far gone not to care about Dakota now. This is just, full on sibling caring for their little sister.

They just, give them a smile whilst hugging them. As they said a long time ago now, they promised never to shout at Dakota, and Lin's intent on keeping the promise. They don't say a word, returning the knowing silence to Dakota.

“...y...you’re supposed to hate me....I could turn on you any second...”

She won’t..of course she won’t, but...Lin being this comforting, even more so now, it feels wrong.

She thought this would just separate them even more, but...Lin doesn’t seem to see it that way. And quite frankly? Dakota doesn’t understand at all.

"I'm not... Supposed to hate you." Lin hesitates for a few moments "You haven't turned on me yet... So I won't you ok."

This is suprusing to Dakota quite a bit, yet also suprising Lin themselves. Should they care for this person? Well, in Lin's eyes, of course.

Dakota might not understand, hell Lin doesn't understand either. But they'll do it anyways.

"...you should hate me before I turn on you."

She'd rather spare herself the pain of it happening when she fucks up again, to be honest.

"You haven't yet... Until there's certainty I'm not going to turn my back on you either."

Lin's adamant here, there's no stopping them.

"....before I do it." Dakota's adamant too. She's sort of pulling away, though, taking off her necklace and putting it on Lin instead.  

"................it's supposed to be protective."

Lin sort of, holds the necklace from their neck and then looks to Dakota.

"You don't have to give me this... If anyone need protection right now it's you... With the whole- Doxxing thing."

“....I think it can’t protect me anymore.” She gives Lin a small smile. It’s a bit doubtful, but...still.

“...we should go to bed now, right?”

"..." Lin nods. They stare at the necklace for a little bit. They smile at it then finish with one final hug to Dakota.

"Yes... Probably should get some rest. Come on, let's go to bed."

Dakota nodded, taking Lin's hand and pulling them over to their bedroom. She's not taking the couch.

Lin's just led by Dakota into their room. They give Dakota a smile, knowing that, yeah Dakota might need the comfort not to sleep by themselves tonight.

They get into their bedroom and soon enough Lin pulls out the thing they'd been hiding in their dressing gown this whole time... A... Quite oversized cookbook. What you think Lin keeps a gun in their kitchen?

They put their makeshift weapon next to their pistol on the bedside table and climb into their bed. Not really bothering to put on their pyjamas.

Mmmmm....pistol. There it is.

She sort of suspected Lin had a gun somewhere. Oh well, she's climbing into bed too, hugging them somewhat loosely in case she moved too much at night.

"......g'night...."

No nightly ritual tonight.

"...Goodnight Cody..." Lin turns off their lap on their table then takes off their glasses, putting them on the side as well

They hug Dakota and then sometime, a long while after lights out, fall asleep themselves.

Good. God, she was about to fall asleep as well.

Okay–she's done now. Good night, Lin.