IC Inbox

[empathicfault]

"Will Graham here. Leave a message."

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

Comments

[cactusy]

The second. I don't have anything against having siblings, but I don't have any.

[empathicfault]

Fair enough. At least that'll fade for you.

[cactusy]

Does it for you? I know you and Sweeney have your-- thing, but I've never been sure how deliberate that was.

[empathicfault]

Not...really. It faded a little since that Breach, but it's mostly still there.

The deliberate part was holding on harder to the brotherly aspects so I could bury the 'being a zombie' parts, as much as possible. Luckily, my brain was literally turning into fungus at the time, so I think that probably helped.

This past Breach I didn't really have any connections to anyone, and I also didn't eat people, so I'm thinking I'll be affected less. I was a journalist, though.

[ Said in the most derogatory way possible. Ew. ]

[cactusy]

Not the Lounds type, I hope?

[empathicfault]

[ Will groans. ]

She was my coworker. Not for Tattlecrime, thankfully. But still.

I was trying to do an expose on Chesney- almost got out with the relevant info.

[cactusy]

Sounds like the kind of journalist that's actually good to have around.

[empathicfault]

...I was trying to be.

[cactusy]

Our lives sucked because of that company. You know what it would've meant for us to see that whole thing blown open? I get that you were probably doing it to help the human tourists, not us, but still.

[empathicfault]

Thanks. I was there to help everyone, though. I just thought it'd go faster through the people on Earth clamoring for a shutdown.

Not that it matters. I got caught and dumped into the Dark Army. They used mind control magic on us to keep us in line.

[ He sounds extremely satisfied to say: ] I broke it. Joined up with the resistance movement.

[cactusy]

You broke the mind control? Look at you, mister mental strength. That's impressive.

[empathicfault]

Thank you, but it might not have been entirely due to effort on my part. I found out later that I can do magic- could do magic. I'm sure that helped.

[cactusy]

Is that gonna make things weird when you start doing magic here?

[empathicfault]

[ He takes a moment to think about it. ]

No, it was a very different type than the glyphs. Chaos magic- based on the strength of will.

[ It was honestly just his kind of power. A faint smile crosses his face. ]

Learning about the glyphs was more...I want to encourage Harkin on getting what magic he can back. That being said...do you think I could have use of the glyphs when I'm around him, too? Or is that a step too far? I wanted to work on it with him.

[cactusy]

I get that he doesn't like me and might not want me hanging around watching, but does he have a problem with Hunter, too?

[empathicfault]

He might not. But it's not going to be seen as something of worth to him unless he's using it for something practical- like growing things in the greenhouse. Although maybe Hunter would join us for that, too. Practical exercises?

[ He does sigh a bit. ]

[cactusy]

If Sweeney can put up with me being there, I can... help plant nonmagically, or whatever. I don't have to stand in the corner looming.

[empathicfault]

Sure. The lack of looming would probably help. I'll let him know.

[ It's not the outcome he wanted, but he'll accept it. He knew it was a long shot. ]

And...uh, it's after the breach, so....

[cactusy]

So he's not going to be doing so hot?

[empathicfault]

He's not. I've been talking to him. I'm sort of hoping I can help him get his own magic back, eventually. I think it'd help.

But...that's not what I wanted to talk about. I was hoping you could ask for another dog for me.

[cactusy]

Oh. Yeah, sure; which one?

[empathicfault]

Thanks. Let's go for Buster, my Jack Russell terrier.

[cactusy]

On it. Tell me when you have him, bring him over to say hi?

[empathicfault]

Will do. Looking forward to it.


[ The next time Will calls, it's amid a series of barks and yaps, clearly between Winston and another dog. He's been laughing, going by the tone of his voice. ]

Hey, Buster's made it. You available for me to come over? Think we're all...relatively settled here.

[cactusy]

Yeah, give me twenty? I just got back from a run with Jet.

[The whole Barge is their obstacle course, and people will likely start to hate them for it eventually.]