IC Inbox

[empathicfault]

"Will Graham here. Leave a message."

[Open for text/audio/action/whatever.]

Comments

Re: Text

[empathicfault]

I'll be there tonight. No reason not to be.

I don't think it'll stick, but let's talk about it tonight, okay? Unless it's really pressing. Because I agree, but I want details.

I can bring by some dinner tonight, if you want. We can have an early night in. And let me know if you want to go running before that.

I love you, too.

[empathicfault]

...I do, but now I know that Avalon doesn't care about dying.

[ He looks up and gives Shaw a mirthless smile. ]

So my solution clearly didn't fix anything, either. In fact, it just caused a bunch of other problems, and now I'm exhausted.

[ It's something the puppies have helped, so it might not be as outwardly obvious as usual. He looks back down, watches the little one he's holding yawn. ]

[cactusy]

Which is one of the many reasons why I'm not talking about trying out your solution again.

[A beat.]

Look, a lot's been going on, and if you need a break first because of that, that's fine. But last time, I let taking a proactive stance with Avalon slide off my radar because I thought they'd backed off. Wouldn't doing that again just make you feel more discouraged, defenseless, and unsupported?

10/16, morning

[cactusy]

in zero. i'm not safe to be around you, it's starting.

Re: Text

[abrightboy]

I would like to go running. Yes. And I should probably eat something besides Twizzlers and stale popcorn. So dinner with you would be lovely. And we can talk. Because I think I said things wrong, but I also don't think I am wrong, if that makes sense.

Re: 10/16, morning

[empathicfault]

What's starting?

I'm hallucinating too, if you think it's some sort of sim thing. It's the Barge, I think.

[ He hopes. ]

Re: Text

[empathicfault]

It makes sense to me.

And let's go running, then. I'm not sure if Shaw will want to be in the Enclosure for that.

[ So they might have some time on their own there, too. But it'll be wolfy. ]

[empathicfault]

...yeah, it would. But it's not my call to make. And I don't know what your plan is anyway. I-

I'm not sure what could even be done, at this point. They've attacked Hakkai, they've attacked John Doe. It's all been...quiet. We can't throw them off board and I don't think they have any emotions to appeal to. So what can be done?

pretend i said the 17th i can't do dates

[cactusy]

you're hallucinating?

[cactusy]

I don't have a solid plan yet. I want to make a plan with you and Rawne, unless you'd rather not be involved. You don't have to.

I'm still planning to stay on Rawne's ass to make sure he's staying on Avalon's ass. I'm still planning to offer myself up as, uh-- behavior modification consultant, I guess.

Re: pretend i said the 17th i can't do dates

[empathicfault]

Sure am. Hannibal says hi.

Re: Text

[abrightboy]

I’d like it, either way. It’s been a week. And that was just yesterday. [Will can probably hear the nervous laugh at that, even through text.] And I’m sorry if I made things harder for you. I tried not to. That was the heart of the potential problem it took a village to be concerned about, apparently. I know it’s not meritless. I’m working on it. I promise.

I’ll apologize to Shaw, too. I’m just not ready yet.

[cactusy]

[??? ? ??? ? ?]

put him on the phone

Audio

[empathicfault]

[ He switches to audio and pauses for a moment, just to be accommodating. ]

He's the hallucination, so I don't think that'll work.

Audio

[cactusy]

[Shaw switches over too, her voice at a whisper.]

What's he doing?

[empathicfault]

Passive-aggressively commenting on Malcolm's artwork.

I think he's annoyed that I'm ignoring him.

[cactusy]

Good. You should keep doing that.

I think this is to lure me out, but I can't fall for that. They want-- they want me to kill you, Will.

[empathicfault]

[ Okay, he's sounding more concerned now. ]

Did someone say that to you, or did you infer that from the situation?

[cactusy]

I could feel it. The chip.

[empathicfault]

Do you still feel it?

[cactusy]

No. It's dormant right now.

[But she expects that to change once she begins the removal process. That needs to wait until no one is watching, though. Nightfall, maybe.]

[empathicfault]

...what's it like when it's not dormant?

[ He realizes too late that he probably shouldn't be asking, but that sounds horrible. ]

[cactusy]

I'll hurt you. Without wanting to, without even realizing what I'm doing, I'll-- that's the point of all this, Will. This is Phase 3; it's why the simulation is so much longer and so much weirder. It's why they gave me Root.

The best thing I can do for you right now is to stay away from you.

[empathicfault]

[ Yeah, he was right. Ugh, he wants to murder everyone that has to do with Samaritan, slowly and painfully. ]

I think something's making us all hallucinate, but I know there's no way to argue against your concerns. So okay.

[ He'll have to take that premise. He sighs. He continues to ignore two references to Raymond Shaw and a discussion on the procedure for using seizures to cause the inception of new premises and allowing for the acceptance of a new reality, because he knows that Hannibal's just trying to get a rise out of him.

He's glad this conversation is on audio. ]

I know you're a very effective soldier. I'm still not going to let you kill me, even if you manage to break out of zero.

[cactusy]

Don't tell anyone else that's where I am.

[Will needed to know for the sake of the responsibility she still feels for him, even with this simulation crumbling down around her ears. She also trusts him to be practical, and not to do anything stupid and heroic with the information. Root and Eiffel, though, not so much.]

Zhao has my gun. Rogers has all my other weapons. It's pretty unlikely I'd be able to come at you with anything ranged even if I did get out of here; that would give you a better shot.