>>5361482Anger rises up through your body as you find yourself subconsciously standing up from the couch.
“<span class="mu-r">T-take it easy, Stan-</span>”
No, you snarl, you <span class="mu-s">WON’T!</span> You’ve spent almost a week trying to stop this crap, but you still have basically no idea what caused it! How do you know it won’t just happen again, huh?! Is someone gonna set up a bunch of neat and tidy decisions for you then!?
Talbot doesn’t respond as he watches you speak.
A-and what happens after that, huh?! Where’s everyone going to go once this is all over?! Are you ever gonna see Syb again now that’s she’s got her… her stupid <span class="mu-i">BOYFRIEND!?</span> Will the film students just fuck off with <span class="mu-i">your</span> story!? How… how are you gonna take care of stuff once they’re all gone? You don’t know how to fix this <span class="mu-r">LICH SHIT–</span>you only know how to beat the crap out of it!
Chucking your beer at the wall, you watch its remaining contents spill onto the floor as you feel your heart pounding like a drum in your heaving chest. You’re not a <span class="mu-i">real</span> leader, you spit, not <span class="mu-i">really</span>.
“Stan-”
Shut <span class="mu-s">UP,</span> Talbot, you snarl as you raise a trembling hand behind you! Just… stuff only makes sense because someone <span class="mu-i">ELSE</span> told you so–that doesn’t make you a leader, you sniff, it just makes you a good… directions… follower.
Taking the first breath you’ve taken in what feels like a minute, you find yourself gasping as you brace yourself against the wall of the trailer. Smashing your other fist against it, the words ‘<span class="mu-i">damn it</span>’ quietly escape your lips as you linger there for a while with your anger still burning up your head.
Until, that is, you feel a presence lingering behind you. Shaking the fuzz from your eyes, you turn to find yourself staring at Talbot’s broad, <span class="mu-i">stupid</span> chest… just before its owner brings you in for a hug.
“I’m sorry, Stan…” He whispers as you linger close to him, “I can’t say I know exactly what you’re going through, but… but it sucks.”
Looking up at his face with misty vision, you find your old would-be murderer staring down at you with a sympathetic, and almost <span class="mu-i">proud</span> glimmer in his eyes.
“But I know one thing for sure: no one, an’ I mean <span class="mu-i">no</span> one, is leaving you behind.”
Absorbing his words, you respond by shaking your head despondently as a hollow laugh escapes your throat. How… how do you know that for sure, huh? St-stupid…
“Because <span class="mu-i">I</span> ain’t leaving!” He answers, as if that somehow solves everything. “And… and I’ll kick everyone else’s ass if they try to ditch ya!”
>CONTD. 