audio; date of the sad party

[grandpaladin]

Ah, now it is working! Wonderful!

[The huge, booming voice on the other end of the TAB pauses for a moment, gathering up his thoughts. And when he speaks again, you can almost hear the grin on his face.]

Hello. To you I have not met, I am Reinhardt Wilhelm. And I, too, have come to give some words in this time. When we are still mourning the loss of our space homes. Our real homes. And our friends.

[He clears his throat. What he says next is pretty cheesy, but there's no doubt he believes in what he says, completely.]

Things can be destroyed. But as long as the people, as long as we are strong, my friends, we can always rebuild.

And, if you find yourself in need of some strength -- [Here, Reinhardt laughs, though it's not his usual, booming one, it's more solemn.] -- call for me. And I will be your shield. I have strength to spare.

...

I just winked there. You cannot see it, but I did.

[click.]

Comments

[grandpaladin]

Very well then.

If it is in my power, I will look after the girl.

audio

[grandpaladin]

You have a way of making a metaphor very dark, I see.

[THE FUCK, CHILD... what are you, baby Gabriel Reaper Reyes.]

audio;

[grandpaladin]

You have much strength -- determination -- about you. [... Reinhardt if only you knew.] You won't lose it.

That, though. I do not know the answer to that.

audio

[inconsequence]

[The Littlest Edgelord, mostly. They clarify, sweetly:]

Oh, I wasn't being metaphorical.

audio

[grandpaladin]

But I was.

So, you made mine very, very dark.

[brb hiding all the dogs.]

audio;

[gainedlove]

[...really, Frisk would much rather Reinhardt didn't know, to be honest.]

[They are silent for a very long few moments before they reply quietly.]

It...we will. We have to.

[They have to see their family and friends home safe. And then...they'll figure it out from there.]

audio

[inconsequence]

Did I?

[What an innocent-sounding query.]

It seems I have a talent for such things.

audio;

[grandpaladin]

So we do, little friend.

[They have to get home. They all have things to do -- as good as it is to be around the "family" again...]

So we do.

[brokeassgoing]

Thanks a lot, Rocky.

[yeah get a load of that. thats you]

audio

[grandpaladin]

[Child you need therapy.]

A sad talent to have.

[grandpaladin]

[He bellows out that laugh again -- delighted and amused all in one.]

But of course, my friend! Of course!

audio;

[gainedlove]

Could you...um. What's your home like? You're from where Angela is from, right?

[They remember, vaguely, seeing another Reinhardt at that trial through the rip she had been watching. Solemn, stony-faced. It hadn't fit him well.]

audio

[inconsequence]

[That's a matter of opinion.]

I do not require your pity, sir.

[That, after all, is the worst sort of insult.]

audio;

[grandpaladin]

Now?

Ahh... now it is a dangerous place any more. I do my best to keep people safe... but I am one man.

[There are only so many wrongs an old man can right.]

audio

[grandpaladin]

Ah, well. You can pretend you didn't hear it then.

[Reinhardt can't help but pity this person. They sound like the saddest sort, under all the twisted words.]

audio;

[gainedlove]

Dangerous? What happened?

[brokeassgoing]

So you do this a lot? Body guarding shit?

audio;

[grandpaladin]

The organization Angela and I were part of, the one sworn to protect the people of the world, to keep them safe... it dissolved.

Shattered from within.

[A very, very simplistic way of saying it. But Frisk doesn't need details right now.]

And left a void.

[grandpaladin]

It was not my original job. But lately? It seems to be a good use of my time.

[brokeassgoing]

I can see that yeah, you'd make a mint if you made actual bank. What'd you do before this? Office job?

[grandpaladin]

I take the generosity of strangers -- if they wish to give it.

[Mostly food. Like currywurst...]

Hah! You don't really think that. You are joking with me.

audio;

[gainedlove]

[Frisk thinks back to that scene they'd watched, the two men that had stood before those judges and tried to justify horrible things. They know that did not truly happen for them, but the past that brought it about...that, it seems, was still in place.]

You an' Angela...you're both tryin' t' fix it, right?

audio

[inconsequence]

[They have no need for worthless pity, of his design or anyone else's.]

I do not deal in lies either.

[brokeassgoing]

You're a softie and a killjoy. No offense.

No I don't think that. I'm thinking army.

[grandpaladin]

I have heard the first one. Several hundred times.

[No offense taken.]

Of a sort, yes. The Crusaders. And then, Overwatch.