Who We Are in the Shadows

**Recording**

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGYUBDYvSjI

**Transcript**

***Kyuu:** Preferably it'll work, but we'll see. I think it'll work. It’s worked before.*

***Kasey:** Okay.*

*[laughter]*

***Kyuu:** So, yeah. I think the– the Danger Room has some kind of, um. I think we’ve discussed that it had some kind of like, way you can observe in there. But it also has some system where you can like, see when it's busy so that you don't like, walk in and get a, you know, face full of hologram or something.*

*[laughter]*

***Kyuu:** So I'm kind of imagining like, like the red light on outside of it, like, suddenly turns green and Melody kinda, uh, like the door [vrsh] opens up and Melody, like, walks out and has like a towel around her neck and his spots Ernest, like on his way in?*

***Kasey:** Mhm, mhm.*

***Kyuu:** Ok. Yeah. Ok, so, she would be like–*

**Melody:** Oh, uh, uh. Hi, Weatherman I’m, uh, I’m done in here, so if you need to use it.

**Ernest:** Uh. Um. Yeah, uh, if you're not– Is it a good time to talk?

**Melody:** Uhhhhhh

***Kyuu:** Kinda like looks back to room, looks back to him.*

**Melody:** Uh, yeah. Need, need help with something?

**Ernest:** Um, I– I mean, I kind of said it before but I just– Sorry about missing our, like, training and stuff. Um, I know that's not great to cancel on things, and, um… Are you doing okay? You seem- Did you have a bad time in the Danger Room or something?

**Melody:** Uh, no, not, not really. Um. Just kind of a, kind of a shitty day yesterday and, uh. Yeah. Um, it's been– it’s been a week. Uh. But yeah, don't, don’t worry about training it's– I’m sure there's lots of more fun stuff to, you know, do besides training with me.

**Ernest:** Uh... You've been– Your powers are okay then?

**Melody:** No. No, not really. Um. You– You’re okay to talk? You don’t gotta go do something or anything?

**Ernest:** Um, I– No, I just was, uh, thinking I might, uh, do some fights in the Danger Room and take my mind off things, but– Probably should figure this out now, instead. Um...

**Melody:** Um, yeah I was– I was just trying to blow off steam too. Or, also practice, but. Yeah, um. Do you remember, I told you, a few weeks ago when I– I mean, not the first time since it happened to you already, but I lost control again, and I trapped someone, and hurt them with my powers again.

**Ernest:** Yeah.

**Melody:** It kinda happened again, but worse this time and different because– I mean, I– I lost control again, but like, I knew this person was gonna keep trying to hurt Atlanta and, and the rest of the team, and I– I just– I knew I needed to keep them back, so I had tried to use my powers but it was just– It was way too much.

***Kasey:** Ernest will sort of, like, hesitantly come over and– and try to like, put an arm around Melody. Does she let him?*

***Kyuu:** I think she kind of like, looks up unexpectedly. Like, that– that surprises her. But, yeah, I don't think she moves back, but she just kind of, um, shoulders heave a bit.*

**Ernest:** Hey, um. Yeah. You're– It can be really scary sometimes. But, you– you've been, you've been getting a lot better. I mean, I'm really sorry if missing out training, like messed that up or something.

**Melody:** No, I– No, I think– It wasn't that. I feel like I’ve got better training with you, it's just– I think my powers might be more similar to yours than I thought they were? I thought they moved by themself, but I think they might just– You said yours to respond to your emotions a lot, right?

**Ernest:** Yeah, I, um. When I get– like you said, I, sometimes, if I get too angry, and... Yeah, I just wanna lash out at everything and everyone around me and, uh– and it happens.

**Melody:** What do you, like, do about that? Sorry. I, uh– Hey, um. I did– if you have a– I mean, if you want to talk, I've wanted to talk to you for a few days. Er, yeah, um. Is everything ok with you? I mean, I thought you were– I mean, I thought you were just busy and couldn’t show up at training cause I know stuff happens, but. Atlana told me that you found out about, you know, her identity, and that you were really upset with her, and I thought maybe you were really upset with me too, cause we’re– I mean we're friends, Ernest, but I'm friends with her too.

***Kasey:** I think at that, uh, Ernest kind of draws back a little as well. Um.*

**Ernest:** I– yeah, I– I messed up, but, um– I– yeah, I found out, um, from Boon's demon, of all people, that Atlanta was Verve, and I figured out that, I mean, that Boon knew, and you knew, and Carm knew, and Ellen, and, uh. Kind of– kind of hurt knowing that none of y'all decided to tell me. I guess, I mean I've talked– I’ve talked to Atlanta about it a bit now, and I guess I'm on the other side of it, and keeping secrets, which I'm not too thrilled about, but. I get it little better now? But for a few days it kind of felt like y'all didn't need me around, and I don't know. I’ve been trying to come around, but it was really hard to talk to you then.

**Melody:** I mean– It's not that I didn't want to tell you Ernest, it's just, it wasn't my thing to tell you. And I mean, I take stuff like that from my friends really seriously. Like when you told me about your seeing colors thing.

**Ernest:** Mm-hmm

**Melody:** I know you said people used to give you crap for that, or used to treat you differently or whatever, sometimes. And, um, I mean I really appreciated you told me that and stuff, but I– I haven't told anybody else that you see colors, because that was something private that you told me and you're my friend. And, I mean, Atlanta didn't really get a chance to tell me her secret, it just sort of happened cause, um, you know, horrible, horrible fight. Um. But it still was her thing and I didn't want to, you know, violate that, but it didn't mean that I didn't trust you, and I'm sure everybody else felt the same way. We all trust you a lot, Ernest.

**Ernest:** Thanks. Yeah, I just– I– When I've had problems before, I just– It's a lot easier not to deal with them, um, in the moment, but it just ends up causing more problems later. Um. So I hope, I– I don't know, I– I messed up. And I hope you could be okay with that.

**Melody:** Yeah, dude. Yeah.

***Kyuu:** And I think she just kinda, steps up to Ernest and, uh, hugs him.*

***Kasey:** Awww. Yeah, he’ll hug her back.*

***Kyuu:** Aw.*

**Melody:** Yeah, we all make mistakes, dude. And I– I know how you feel about– I– I get those feelings too sometimes, like sometimes I worry that my friends don't trust me, or that, you know. Even though I know that they do, it's just– I know how you feel, so I get it. Um, And it's– it's cool and just. Yeah, thanks for talking to me. I was kinda worried you don't want to be friends anymore.

***Kasey:** Awww.*

**Ernest:** Yeah, I'm– I– I've– I've been feeling a lot of that, and I'm really sorry– I'm really sorry I put that on someone else too.

**Melody:** It’s okay.

**Ernest:** I’m sorry to hear about your powers, I know that really sucks– hurting people and you don't really mean it, but. I don't know if you ever need to talk about it. Yeah, I’ve definitely been there.

**Melody:** Yeah, thanks. Everything– everything else okay with you?

***Kasey:** Yeah, Ernest looks sort of, a bit– a bit distant for a moment or two, and says–*

**Ernest:** Uhh, not super, um– No. I’m trying to work on it, but I haven’t– With dad and Timothy in New York, and– I've been hiding a lot of things from my mom and the number of things just keeps getting more and more, and I don't know how to bring any of it up, but. Just kind of working on making sure I don't lose all my friends because I think that they hate me. Um. Sort of the step– step zero, here.

**Melody:** I’m sorry to hear that about your dad and, and Timothy and your mom. I’m really bad about telling my family stuff too. Um. But I’m glad we got to talk, at least, and I'm glad you got to talk with Atlanta cause, you know, she really likes you a lot too. Um. Yeah, I– I don't know if I can help with any of that, but if you ever want to talk about it, just– I’m always here.

**Ernest:** Yeah. I’m still a little bit angry about it all, um, so I get it if you're angry about me for being stupid about training and secrets and whatever, but.

**Melody:** If I got angry at people for being– being– doing dumb stuff, I– I don't think I would like myself very much. I’ve done a lot of dumb stuff, too.

**Ernest:** *[laughs]* Hey, uh, I know you just got out of there, but would you be up for another round in the Danger Room?

**Melody:** Hell yeah I would!

***Kyuu:** I think she kind of like, semi-lightly kind of punches him on the arm, and then probably just, like, takes his elbow and starts dragging them in there.*

*[laughter]*

***Kyuu:** That seems like a good place to end it?*

***Kasey:** Yeah I think so!*

***Kyuu:** Okay. Stop recording.*