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[empathicfault]

"Will Graham here. Leave a message."

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

Comments

[abrightboy]

Giant former Leprechaun king? That’s Sweeney, yeah. Good guy to have protecting you. Mine was Raylan, the US Marshal.

[empathicfault]

[ Will's face scrunches up at the description in confusion. But the whole 'king' thing- he expressly had envisioned Harkin as a king wearing gold, shining in the sunlight. ]

A- a what now? He was a king?

[abrightboy]

He doesn’t love talking about it… well, with me. Maybe he will with you. I think he was two different kinds of kings at least. Or maybe one king and one god. Anyway, he’s super ancient.

[empathicfault]

[ There's a sharp spike of annoyance as Malcolm mentions that- Will is experienced enough to recognize that's (probably) not him. What he's not sure of is if that's from the breach- wanting to protect his brother- or spending that time around Harkin earlier.

He frowns, masking it as headache. It might as well be. He takes another sip of tea. ]

Yeah, I- I got that impression. Good to know I wasn't 'on the fritz', it was just...outside my current realm of knowledge.

I'll have to talk to him, huh? Is there a- an etiquette for this sort of thing?

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm is pretty sure it is him, actually. Sweeney is pretty upfront with his feelings on psychology and psychologists and on Malcolm, specifically. Will might have more luck, because they have a bond now. Breaches do hand those out sometimes.]

Not really. Just... drop by and say hi, maybe. He frequents the greenhouse. It's sort of his happy place, as far as he has one.

[empathicfault]

Good to know. [ He heaves a sigh. ]

Don't think either of us are going anywhere for a bit, though. Since I got him killed back there and all. At least- at least that one wasn't intentional.

How was it being the little brother? You fight with Mason on the Guardian issues?

[abrightboy]

We had some philosophical differences, but he also pulled my ass out if the fire. He was a good big brother.

What do you mean you got him killed?

[empathicfault]

I got infected and bit him the next morning. It was like I didn't even know what I was doing. It...usually didn't happen that fast. The total loss of control.

[ Will leans his head back and closes his eyes, briefly. ]

He might've had some years left, but you know how Guardians are- were supposed to handle things.

[abrightboy]

Yeah. The Underground was pretty against it. So they killed you both?

[empathicfault]

No. Harkin got me out. But then I was seeing things and got away from him. Ended up with the- there was an infected group led by a man named Marcus. Killed and...infected people while invading the city.

[ He stops for a moment, thinks, and then lets the air out of his lungs in a rather more dramatic sigh. ]

One of the Guardians I killed is new around here, so- that's a new type of awkward I'd never expected.

[abrightboy]

I guess they got the crash course on how things go here. Who was it?

[empathicfault]

Dimitri. No idea if that's his name here, I've just seen him around. He was my commanding officer in the breach. I didn't like him much.

[ He considers leaving it there, taking a big sip of tea. ]

I ate his heart. It seemed...appropriate, at the time.

[abrightboy]

I can see that.

There will be more breaches. Do you think dealing with that is going to get easier or harder for you?

[empathicfault]

[ Will considers this. ]

I think....if the next one has something to do with cannibalism, I'm going to start taking it personally.

Can you tell me more about the previous breach? You said it was futuristic?

[abrightboy]

Yeah. It was a futuristic city. Some people were bounty hunters and, um, I know Thomas Blanky worked at a bar. And I think Raylan owned one? Pagan was a rich guy that threw fancy parties where I did fundraising for my free clinic. Neal was an artist who just found a patron.

[empathicfault]

That definitely sounds like more fun.

[ And it is appropriately distracting him away from his recent horrible actions. ]

Neal's your inmate, right? Not a temp one? Is he an artist here, too?

[abrightboy]

Yeah, he started as my temp and then they put us together permanently. He knows how to paint; he's been giving me lessons, but back home he was consulting on while collar crimes for the FBI as a CI. He was an art thief and forger before that, apparently.

[empathicfault]

Oh, an art thief. Much less gruesome than what we usually get into, but still exciting. -or at least, that's the little I've heard about it.

Sounds like it was a good breach for him too, if he found a patron in it. Did you help a lot of people, in your clinic?

[abrightboy]

Completely ungruesome. He was a true cat burglar, apparently.

I treated a ton of people. A lot of children. I also attended one of Pagan’s parties and guilted the rich into donating.

[empathicfault]

Careful. Around here, people might think you mean a literal cat.

[ He smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. ]

Please tell me you had the opportunity to cause a scene at the party, while you were guilting people.

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm laughs.]

No, apparently that me was very schmoozy.

[empathicfault]

Aw. Well, at least that was probably good for your clinic. You could help more people that way.

[ He looks a little wistful. ]

I hope I get something...nice, like that, for a breach. Maybe my brain won't be broken, one of these times, for example. Although coming back would probably be worse...

[abrightboy]

It’s… disorienting, if it’s quiet in there, coming back to the… noise. Someone who… means well, but doesn’t know how brains work suggested I should use those sorts of experiences to show my brain what it’s like to be normal.

[empathicfault]

[ That gets a bitter laugh out of Will. He's had a lot of 'help' that 'means well.' ]

I'll try to be generous and think that they just meant you should try to...repattern your thoughts the same way or something. Like you could do it if you just had a map of the 'correct' way.

[abrightboy]

[Malcolm smiles wryly.]

I believe that’s what they meant, yeah. Like if I could feel what a normal brain is like on the inside, I would be able to adjust my brain until it feels that way, too. No luck with that so far, but quiet brain breaks: a double edged sword but enjoyable while they last, is my review.