alwayskayaking | Duplicity Inbox

[Reaching out had been a mistake. The words hit Jon like a physical blow, far too reminiscent of the clone's rage. Tim is left on read for quite a while as Jon takes a moment to calm down, tries to find more words, honest and vulnerable words, which are especially hard.]

I care about you.
It's difficult to leave you be when I can see you're hurting.
I know what happened last time with Prentiss.
I've seen this happen before, Tim.
I wasn't there for you.
No one was there for you.
And you just spiralled because none of us cared enough to pay attention when we should have.
It feels like that's what's happening now.

I know what happened with Wolf.
He came to me, told me he'd hurt you, maybe even kill you, if you hurt one of the people he loves.
I told him I'd rip his mind apart if he did anything more than just stopping you from causing the hurt.

[In so many words.]

But I know it still might happen.
I'm terrified it's going to happen and I won't be there to protect you.
From the monsters or yourself.

Edited 2021-01-28 14:50 (UTC)

it doesnt feel that way[He wants to say more. So much more, but nothing he writes comes out right. So at first he just sends the one message. After a minute or two he thinks of a little more to add.]honestly feels a lot more like the opposite

[Then about another four, five minutes later.]

did you really say that to wolf [Did someone, anyone, actually stand on his side?]

Not in those exact words, but I made myself clear on the matter of what would happen if I felt that he did anything to hurt you that wasn't just stopping you from shooting someone he cares about without violently hurting you.
You're important to me, Tim.

[Shooting is an interesting choice of words.] what did he say happened between us

Edited (Wrong icon. Very important to fix) 2021-01-29 05:45 (UTC)

He told me he went to confront you about concerns he had about you and Charlotte.
He's her friend and was worried about her.
He said you threatened him with legal action for trying to interfere in your contract, then pulled a gun when he refused to back down.
He said the gun was cursed, though, and when you shot him...
Something unexpected happened.
The sort of unexpected that happens far too often here.

He didn't tell me what happened before you threatened him, but I assumed he did something to make you feel threatened.
What exactly happened?
From your point of view.

[From your point of view... He reads it again and then a third time. He's waited so long to hear those words he wants to make sure he wasn't just imagining them.]

I was walking home after spending the evening at a club. Like most of our best statements I was a little tipsy, but not enough that I didn't feel like I couldn't walk myself home. It was when I was walking through the park and he just materialised out of seemingly no where. I'm not ashamed to admit I was scared. I've told him in the past when city forced us together that I wasn't interested in being friends and I'd rather we just go our separate ways. I've done my best to stay away from him. I've always picked to just walk away before, but he wasn't letting me just walk away this time. So, yeah, I pulled my gun on him. Told him to go. Told him he made his point but I would use the city to protect myself if he forced me to. I didn't want him to think he could just bully me into whatever he wanted either for this or the future. I hadn't even done anything to Charlotte that she hadn't willingly agreed to. I just wanted to get away. Wanted him to go away. I kept telling him that if he came closer I would shoot. Then, if I'm being honest, I'm not sure if he was moving closer or if it was so dark it only looked like he was. I tried to back up but I was just so scared that I accidentally pulled the trigger. The shot went wild. It shouldn't have hit him, but the bullet turned back to him as the city promised. They just didn't tell me what we'd both want after the bullet hit. Once THAT wore off I ran back home. I didn't even stop to grab my clothes. All I ever wanted was just to get away. I didn't actually want to shoot him. I just... I didn't want to be a victim or bullied either.

[That sounds about like Jon imagined it might have gone from Tim's side. He sighs, frustrated. They need to get that gun away from Tim.]

I understand.
Hopefully, he'll leave you alone once your contract with Charlotte is up.
He didn't seem terribly keen to go and confront you again the last time we spoke, anyway.
Have you ever used a gun before?
Honestly, I've found mace does the job in stopping just about anything with eyes and a nose here if you're looking to make a point, but still run off.
Even with supernatural creatures like Wolf.
Might be a good alternative while you learn how to use that gun properly?
Or just get rid of it if that is the result of shooting someone with it.
The city likes to play tricks on people.
You remember what they did with the photo album?
I wouldn't be surprised if they did something to the rib they sent me.
It seemed normal, though.

[Tim was getting ready to text back that he's been taking lessons now on how to better use his gun. That is until he reads the last bit.]

Wait. A rib? As in a rib BONE? Oh god, knowing this city-- that's something I've never considered using as a toy before. Gross.

As in one of my rib bones.
No one is using it as a toy.
Ever.

How can you tell it's yours?

Tim.
I'm missing two ribs.
I saw them pulled out.
I know what it looks like.

You SAW them pulled out???????????? And don't most rib bones look the same????? Did you tattoo eyes onto them or something???????????

I needed one of them for something.
The other one I traded for a Statement.

[Because that's just how things are sometimes.]

There's nothing on them.
Don't be strange.
I Know it's mine.
Which raises the question of how these people even got it.
The Boneturner sucked it into his body, and Jared's not the type to give up pieces he pulls in.

[He gave his bone away for a statement. A bone that was sucked up by Jared.] You got a statement... from HIM? You found him? Sasha and I could hardly find anything on the guy except old police reports that basically say he was a massive creep and bully.

He's certainly that.
Elias manipulated him into attacking the Institute after the Unknowing.
He was supposed to do it after I'd got back there, but I was still in a coma when it happened.
You remember the Distortion?
The thing that showed Sasha the worms.
It ended up helping Martin and the others, trapped Jared in its corridors.
It wasn't much sleuthing on my part.
One of the assistants who came after you let me know what had happened, and the Distortion's been in a habit of lurking about the Archives ever since the Prentiss incident.
I knew where to find it.
Ergo, I found Jared.

[Explains the how, but not the--] Why? Why did you want to find him?

[That really shouldn't be the focus here. Jon rewinds with a sigh.]

You remember that evil coffin from one of our early Statements?
The one wrapped in chains with 'Do Not Open' on it?
It was a portal into the Buried.
The Circus had it with them for reasons.

A woman named Daisy who was helping us during the Unknowing was thrown into it during the fight with the Circus.
After I woke up, the coffin found its way to me, and I was told she was inside.

Daisy was extremely important to another one of my assistants, a woman named Basira.
They'd been in the police together.
Partners.
I knew she wanted Daisy back, so I had to figure out a way to get to Daisy and then find my way back out of the coffin.
Based on a few Statements, it seemed that having some sort of physical anchor to the world helped people to escape the Buried.
I didn't have anything particularly sentimental on-hand, so I thought a body part might work, instead.

I tried cutting off a finger, but it just kept healing the moment I took the knife away.
As that clearly wasn't working, I needed some other way to get a piece of me to leave behind.
The Boneturner can pull pieces out of people without causing injury.
Logically, he made sense.

[After the Unknowing. After his... it was strange hearing about these people he didn't know yet. The lives that they lead after and...

...and...

Hold on. He reads that again. Then one more time for good measure.]

You chopped off a finger and it reattached itself?

[Ah... the not human thing. Right.]

Something like that.
I'm not immortal or anything.
I don't think I am, anyway.
Just a bit hardier than I used to be.

Edited 2021-01-30 00:19 (UTC)

That's useful. [He's a bit uncomfortable thinking about it, but he also can't deny that it would be something useful. Yet, that also makes him think about something else he's been meaning to ask about.]

You made the clone say where he was. Do people always have to answer any question you ask?

If the Eye's not going to give me any physical prowess, I suppose the least it can do is make sure I don't die when other avatars are beating me up.

[That question makes Jon wary, though. He's trying to be honest, but he's afraid of how Tim might take it.]

They don't always have to answer.
But it is a power I have.
I can compel most people to answer me honestly if I want them to.
It doesn't always work here.
And before you ask, I can't remember if I've compelled you before.
It's possible.
It slips out sometimes if I'm not paying attention.

It's honestly one of the reasons I prefer to text with people.
I can't compel them like this.
Less chance I'll lose focus.

Or you're beating yourself up?

[Tim isn't sure how to feel the longer the text goes on. Jon really wasn't fully human anymore. He had been trying to deny it for as long as possible, but that didn't seem possible after everything anymore.]

I'll try to remember that and text rather than call.

[And he'll be more hyper aware when Jon talks to him. Unsure if he'll be able to not be suspicious of any question Jon asks him in the future.]

Dismembering myself isn't actually a regular pastime.

My abilities also don't work over the phone for the most part.
You remember what it was like trying to record any of the real Statements on our laptops?
It all just goes to static.

So what you're saying is the Eye is a cranky old man who doesn't get the kids and their crazy technology these days?

Maybe that's why it likes me.
We share some basic values.

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cw: body horror

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cw: mention of self-harm/dismemberment

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