❧ i n b o x

[abheirrant]

—pposed to know when to start speaking? That wasn't a very thorough explanation on what I'm to do this, now was it? Hello? Hello? Are you listening to me? Are you even still ther— [beep]

Comments

@Sparrow

[arcadedragon]

[Genji was born into luxury. As the second son of the head of a crime organization he had everything he could ever want, and not just money to spend but people who cooked for him, cleaned, did all the day to day tasks.

After his .. injury, he'd been incapacitated and hadn't needed to take care of himself for a while, or been able to even if that had been a priority. And once he was joined up with Overwatch he still had most of his needs taken care of. He dumped his laundry in a bin and it magically showed up back in his room clean and folded. The only reason he knew how to cook eggs was because he felt inept when the microwave broke and realized just how little he knew about being the human he claimed to still be.

It took nearly half a carton before he got it right and made something edible.

But laundry still eluded him. In fact now that he thought about it he's not sure he's ever even seen a laundry machine. He'd never been in the laundry room either at Hanamura or the Overwatch base. And the Shambali monks didn't need to wash their clothes as they didn't sweat and get them dirty. What did washers look like? They were metal cubes right? There certainly wasn't one in his room (though there was a small countertop dishwasher that he'd mercifully figured out how to use without flooding the place).

And now Genji had a problem. He did actually wear clothes under his armor, a thin body suit and boxerbriefs that kept his skin from chafing against the metal. And he really wanted them clean.

He frowned at his phone while he debated his options. Just how inept did he want to come off? Robot-ninja doesn't know how to take care of himself. Entitled little brat just like he'd been as a child.

Eventually he settled on Carlisle because if nothing else at least the fact that he wears clothes might reassure the man that he's human.]

May I trouble you for a rather mundane question?

[abheirrant]

[After the hellish time Carlisle has had lately -- proving himself to be largely a failure of a healer in his current state, raising undeads left and right, being coerced into using his necrotic abilities, living(?) with the constant fear he'll lose hold over himself and become the Blight Heir again -- he isn't sure he even wants to look at the phone when it beeps at him. He finds himself pleasantly surprised by the name he finds there, and the request.]

Please. I welcome the mundane at this time.

[It might be hard to tell if he's being genuine through text, but he's absolutely serious. His existence is too tumultuous as it is.]

[arcadedragon]

Do you know anything about the laundry facilities? Where they are for starters.

[He'll broach the more complicated: what is fabric softener and do his clothes need to be softened? after the basics.]

[abheirrant]

They are located in a room off the side of the communal room at the end of the barracks hallways. They are curious devices, but I had a friends show me how to use them so I would not have to wash my entire outfit by hand.

[Though he does have to do that now, at least to scrub the ink out of his mask and gloves. He got it out of his veil easily enough, but his hands are so stiff since he healed Kieran, nearly uncooperative even now as he tries to type back to Genji. He's been struggling to do the washing himself; he'd call someone, but his best option would have been Pratt, and after what happened with Kieran...

Well. He wouldn't be surprised if the Deputy never wants to speak to him again. Genji helped him once. Maybe he would again. It would require him removing his mask, though, and revealing what he is. He's not sure he can stomach that, but he is undeniably desperate to wash the ink out of his clothing. It reminds him all too much of the monster he is beneath his many layers.]

I could show you, if you like.

[arcadedragon]

[Oh good, it's reassuring that someone else didn't know how to work the machines. Maybe he can play this off as these particular machines are different than what he knows, and not that he's never used any of them. ]

That would be appreciated. I would rather not have my entire room covered in drying laundry.

Especially sheets.

[Because that's a thing right? It's fabric so he should wash it. He's pretty sure that's how it works. What... about the pillows. Do pillows get washed? Oh this is more complicated than he thought.]

[abheirrant]

Gather your garments and bring them to Quad 004. I will await you.

[Hey, look at him, inviting a near stranger to his room. He's desperate for some help himself, though.]

-> Action

[arcadedragon]

[Genji gathers up his clothes and the sweatshirt that the robots had forced him into his first day there. Upon studying the bed he decides that he probably only needs to wash the bottom sheet since that's the one he lays on. He's put all his clothes into the middle of it and wrapped it up into a neat, easy to carry bundle.

It does feel a little weird because he's wearing a t-shirt and boxers under his armor right now since that's all he could find. The fabric had bunched up in a few places making it uncomfortable, but it was better than being naked under his armor. And at least that wasn't visible through the metal plates.

He approaches Carlisle's room, knocking politely with his sheet full of clothes over his shoulder.]

[abheirrant]

[Carlisle cracks the door open, making sure it's Genji before opening it the rest of the way. He looks as though he's been put through the wringer: his hair is less kempt than it was at the party, despite how out of his element he was there; his gloves have black stains around the fingers, ones faded from having been washed before. His mask has similar stains, lining the base of his jaw and neck with just a few under his eyes where his cheeks met the quilted fabric.

He moves stiffly as he steps outside, though Genji may catch a glimpse of his room as he slowly closes the door, his fingers refusing to fully bend. His room is in a bit of disarray, with mugs and cups and papers littering the beds and desks. Beneath one of them, there are also several jars filled with the sap from the trees in the park, all stacked neatly for storage. There's also a bucket and a few bars of soap pilfered from the showers -- he's been doing some washing in his room, despite the machines they'll be visiting momentarily.

He beckons for Genji to follow him toward the common room for that set of Quads.]

This way.

[arcadedragon]

[Interesting choice of room decor. His would actually be a cluttered mess as well if the arcade had any sort of claw or gatcha machine. Admittedly he feels a lot more adult not having a few dozen plastic toys to accidentally step on every morning. ]

Thank you in advance. I should have paid more attention to domestic niceties instead of patrolling around the perimeter and inspecting locked doors. Eventually they may be of use, but daily living is also critical.

[He walks silently in step with Carlisle for a few moments, wondering if he should say anything about his appearance. Genji doesn't know him well but he'd looked far more put together the previous time they'd met.]

Have you been well?

[That seems innocuous.]

[abheirrant]

[He almost snaps with a sharp reply to that question, knowing how awful he looks -- even more so than usual. However, he bites it back. Genji didn't mean anything by it, he reminds himself. He doesn't know. Most people don't know what he is beneath his many layers. He loathes that he needs help because it's better they don't know.

But he fights that inclination as well, the one that would have him dodge the truth with a placating, noncommittal answer. He has to make an honest attempt to do better, or he can't make amends. If he can't make amends, his goddess won't forgive him -- no one will forgive him. No one should forgive him, should they? He shakes his head, trying to break from that downward spiral of self-defeat.]

Not at all. I was... actually hoping you could help me with the wash. My hands are not what they ought to be right now.

[And they haven't been in some time, given the skeletal state of his fingers beneath the gloves.]

[arcadedragon]

Are you injured?

[He looks a mess, but he doesn't exactly look like he's injured. Though perhaps he was hiding it. Genji could definitely understand the inclination to hide any injury or weakness from everyone - even those who were close to him.]

I can assist, but I will not guarantee my laundry abilities. It has been a while since I have needed to do my own where I was not washing them by hand.

[As in never. He's never done laundry other than washing by hand.]

[abheirrant]

Thankfully, washing by hand is all that is required of you from me. The rest can go into the machines.

[They reach the common room, cross through it, and into the room on the side where, as promised, the washing machines reside. They line one of the walls, one in use, the others with their doors open and awaiting a workload. Carlisle cocks his head to the side, beckoning Genji toward an empty one.]

I tend to use two of the machines at a time -- one for dyed clothing, and the other for lighter colors. Dyes can bleed, obviously.

[Or maybe that isn't so obvious. He rubs stiffly at his neck.]

Regardless, you can probably fit everything you have into one machine. Then you add a cup of this—

[He reaches to pluck a box of detergent off a shelf on the wall, but finds his arm refuses to bear the weight; he drops it with a hiss, the energy in his limb fighting against his control. Thankfully, the box was still closed when he dropped it, so he didn't make a total mess of the floor. Instead, he just made himself look like a fool incapable of even simple tasks. Great.]

[arcadedragon]

[Carlisle seems to be one of those people who likes to explain what he's doing which right now is a blessing because Genji was definitely not expecting a washer to look like this. What is the spike in the middle for? With the kind of fanblades coming out of it? There's buttons that say things like: normal, spin, quick, timed, perm press. What on earth is perm press? Is there a difference between quick and timed?

He sets his bundle on the top of one of the washers, unfolding it and revealing his clothes inside. They're all black minus the orange sweatshirt that the robots had put him in when he'd first arrived. Should that be separate then?

Laundry worries aside, he turns sharply when he hears Carlisle's hiss of pain. If he'd been closer he probably could have caught the detergent before it hit the ground, but fortunately it falls to the ground uneventfully, the other mans arm seemingly to have lost strength.]

You are injured.

[Ignoring the box he approaches Carlisle's side, eyeing his arm.]

Is it your arm? Or shoulder?

[abheirrant]

[So much for ignoring that question about injury the first time around; the fingers of his left hand tighten around his right arm as it trembles violently, his fingers refusing to respond. He tries to concentrate on the flow of energy within his body, his eyes darting to Genji with a look of apprehension, and back again as he finally manages to flex his wrist. His energy is, after all, all that's keeping him animated, and the fact it's been unsteady at best since the incident with Kieran has him more than a little worried.

That concern pushes an answer out of Carlisle in spite of his paranoia of what he is, of being discovered as an abomination; the thought of losing himself is a far heavier burden. Besides that... he will likely have to explain himself if he wants Genji to wash his gloves and mask. He can't just hide in the common room, can he?]

My arm. It's- it's all of me. I'm not— [He hesitates, suddenly fearful. Genji hasn't seemed terribly judgmental, but he doesn't know him very well, does he? He shouldn't do this, Carlisle tries to convince himself -- he shouldn't do this now. He needs to be cautious, he needs to—

He needs to ask for help, and accept it when it is given. It's the advice he'd give were he not the one in need of it. He steels himself with a breath.]

I am... struggling to control my energies. My limbs are a part of that, and they're- they're stiff. Unresponsive at times.

[arcadedragon]

[He doesn't fully understand, but it seems that the powers the man used to summon balls of light ran through his veins and were .. malfunctioning? It's a strange concept to him but clearly it's painful and Carlisle seems injured because of it.]

Is there anything I can do to assist? Have you been to the Medbay?

[Scooping up the box of detergent he sets it on the shelf, there's more important things than laundry right now.]

[abheirrant]

[Carlisle shakes his head.]

I need these stains out of my mask and gloves, and cannot currently scrub them hard enough on my own. If you would do that for me, I would be beyond grateful.

[And that's where he pauses again, conflicted, delaying the inevitable.]

Just- just put your things in the machine, and I'll... I'll show you. I suppose.

[arcadedragon]

I can certainly do that, but you seem to need more assistance than laundry. What happened to stain them?

If you're comfortable talking about it. You do not need to tell me.

[Because if anyone understood not wanting to talk about things, it's Genji. He does as instructed, putting his items in the washer one by one. He's not sure how they're supposed to go, does he put one on each side? He's trying.]

[abheirrant]

[Carlisle is obviously not super interested in explaining, but he's pretty desperate to get his mask and gloves washed. The stains aren't a hindrance on him, but they are an annoyance. No, more than that, as they are a constant reminder of what he is under all those layers. He hates it. He hates them.

He reaches into the washer, helping divide up the clothes evenly to show Genji how it should look; his hands shake the whole time.]

I have an affliction. I am not hurt, just — no no, evenly, like this — it will be easier explained once we get this started — turn this dial here, and press that button twice — and I truly appreciate your offer to help — the powder goes in this little drawer — but it is an uncomfortable topic for me, admittedly.

[arcadedragon]

[Genji lets it go, paying attention to the instructions for the laundry. He'll have to do this again without Carlisle's help in the future, and he doesn't want to have to ask for a repeat simply because he wasn't listening well enough. Fortunately he's a good student, and does as he's told, getting the powder down and measuring it into the little plastic cup before putting it in the indicated place.]

That is fine, you do not need to tell me.

[He presses the button and is rewarded with the machine giving a little wiggle and then starting to fill with water. Huh. That was easier than he expected.

At least handwashing he's very familiar with. He heads to the small sink and turns the water on before giving a brief glance back at Carlisle. Getting water in his armor is one of his least favorite things, it's not waterproof and it just puddles uncomfortably and takes forever to dry and he swears somehow rain can find every single seam and pour directly against his skin. There's a soft hiss as he pushes on one of the plates in his left arm and it seems to disengage from the rest of it. The metal pieces slide into each other, pulling away from his flesh hand and arm below.

Along with the few deep scars criss-crossing his forearm there's some odd circular ones where tubing had once gone. But it is the first indication he's the human he claims to be under that armor.]

[abheirrant]

[Carlisle watches Genji as he approaches the sink, still trying to talk himself out of this. No one else has to know, he tells himself, certainly not someone who is a relative stranger. What if he abhors undeads as well? What if he immediately assumes he's some kind of abomination -- which he is -- and slays him right then and there? Carlisle shifts nervously, knowing he couldn't really blame Genji if he did. He'd be inclined to do the same, were circumstances not what they are.

But they indeed are, and so he picks at the sleeve of his gambeson, procrastinating as he takes note of what Genji is doing. Carlisle is curious as to how he gets that armor off, as it's unlike anything he's seen before, machine-like in its construction rather than held together with latches and buckles. But, as he insisted, Genji is human under there. There's comfort in that. He's just a man who appears to be a machine, but is human beneath.

Carlisle, unfortunately, is the opposite. He looks like a human, but is less than one now, considering himself a detestable creature rather than a person. He stifles his self-loathing, but continues to lack his voice as he comes closer, taking a seat on a bench near the sinks, finally forcing himself to remove one of his gloves—

And beneath it is a hand that is little more than bones and a few tendons, his actual frame held together by magic rather than muscle these days. The skin wore away long ago, what volume his fingers had the result of some padding in the fabric of his gloves.]

[arcadedragon]

[He admittedly isn't expecting that. His first irrelevant thought is that he wondered if that's what Reyes looked like now, rotting away under his clothing while whatever nanites Moira has created kept him alive and stitched together. His second thought..]

That looks quite painful.

[No wonder the man seemed to be in agony and his limbs not working. He had said it was an 'affliction', Reaper had called it a curse. It seemed very, very similar. Though Carlisle didn't seem likely to suddenly manifest a gun and shoot him in the face.]

[abheirrant]

[Carlisle shakes his head.]

It isn't. It is always like this. I am always like this.

[He tries to flex his fingers; they barely move, and apparently that's what's painful. His hand trembles as he winces, stifling a groan.]

I extended the energies that keep me animated too far, and now I must wait for them to realign themselves. I am lucky it did not end me.

[Though perhaps it should have.]

[arcadedragon]

You will not fall apart will you?

[The way he's so hesitant to take his gloves off makes Genji think that maybe that's what's holding him together. ]

[abheirrant]

I haven't yet, fortunately.

[He hands Genji the glove, pulling off his other one -- the hand beneath it is nearly the same, just as skinless and just as stiff.]

You seem unafraid.

[arcadedragon]

You do not know what I have seen.

[Seeing people literally rotting while still appearing to be living is not one of them, but he's seen enough horror and trauma and death to be mostly unaffected by it. He reaches up to his mask, hands folding around the back of his helmet to a hidden release lever, pulling his visor down just enough to expose his eyes.

He doesn't feel like taking it all the way off, but it's a start. Where Carlisle is hiding how inhuman he is under his clothing, Genji is very much he doesn't feel like it. Though even from that small strip of exposed skin several deep scars can be seen across his nose and one of his eyes.

That final fight had not gone in his favor.]

Is there something that can be done to help? To regrow what you have lost? This seems like a highly scientific facility, it could be possible.

[He takes the glove, running it under the water and silently wondering what Carlisle had been doing to get it full of what he can only assume is ink.]