IC INBOX

[maskintape]

It's Tim. I guess I'm busy, so... Leave a message.

Comments

[maskintape]

[ Have a short delay before the response comes in. ]

I can't break thew indows here so I can't even try to get to you
it's not like I;d even know where to start anyway
I've been heading west but today I had to turnb ack because there was just more and more snowso I don't know
you could be anywhere!

[ Wow this is

the opposite of helping ]

Ok look I know it's hard and it doesst feel like a good thing right now, but if you're seeing things then that's a good thing.
It means you're just sick, which sucks but I have some fo my medication with me. I got it back off the hooded guy
so tomorrow I will try my best to find you and we can share
OK?

[genreblindness]

[No, it's not okay, it's the opposite of okay. He doesn't want to think he's sick and he doesn't want to share Tim's stupid mystery pills and he doesn't want any of this

but the shadows around the room are turning into hands and reaching for him and he doesn't know what to do.]

ok

[maskintape]

[ Tim knows exactly how this stuff feels - or assumes he does, anyway. And if Jay's anything like him, then being alone with this stuff is the worst part of it. So if nothing else, maybe he can help him feel less alone? ]

I can give you a camera too
if you want it, I mean
I might even let you share my sponge. peace offering

[genreblindness]

[waitwaitwait back up a second]

you've got a camera?

[maskintape]

[ l o l ]

Yeah. not much use
There's no tapes to record on

[ NOT TECHNICALLY A LIE. THE TAPE IS FULL. FULL OF STUFF JAY CANNOT SEE. ]

but you know
it's a camera!
I figure I owe you one so

[genreblindness]

yeah you do
especially since I don't have one here.
The tablet video function's okay but it's not as good.
I'll keep searching, maybe there are tapes around here somewhere.

[maskintape]

[ jesus fucking christ jay ]

You really think you're going to find tapes here?
I haven't seen any signs of anything like that
just
sponges
paper towels
you know, useful stuff

[genreblindness]

I saw someone mention they found SD cards.
There could be tapes too.

[DON'T SHATTER HIS DREAMS]

[maskintape]

SD cards are a little more commonplace than tapes that fit into fancy movie guy cameras Jay

[ HE'S A REALIST, DWI ]

[genreblindness]

Come on it's not like standard DV tapes are that rare. It seems like this town's pretty big so there could be a store that stocked them. I just need to find it.

[maskintape]

[ He's

He's serious, isn't he.

Well, at... least Tim's distraction seems to be working? Jay's insatiable lust for tapes conquers all. Apparently. ]

Yeah, ok
I guess keeping an eye open for them won't hurt
just don't get your hopes up too high

[genreblindness]

[Jay's life is like 99% watching/editing/uploading tapes okay, of course it conquers all.]

You'll watch out for them too, right?
It'll be a lot easier that way.

[maskintape]

The jewel of my foraging career is a can of cat food
so I doubt I'll be much help
but sure I'll keep my eyes open

[ while keeping his palm firmly lodged in his face at all times ]

[genreblindness]

Thanks

[Surely you'll give him any tapes you find, right? You wouldn't keep things from him again, would you Tim? Friend. Buddy. Pal.]

[maskintape]

don't thank me unless I find anything
like I said I don't think there are going to be any blank tapes here.
And I DO owe you, so

[genreblindness]

Even so it's still somejf

[whoops haha that keysmashlet definitely wasn't due to any terrifying hallucinations or anything hahahaha]

[maskintape]

[ Guess who needs no encouragement to worry thanks to the whole paranoia thing

THIS GUY ]

JAY
if yuo don't answer in 5 mins i'm going to call

[genreblindness]

[There sure is no answer in five minutes! It's almost like he's too busy yelling at people and/or things that are not there or something.]

[maskintape]

[ Yeah no he's attempting a video call now. And will keep doing so until Jay answers or calls him back or SOMETHING. This is not okay this is not okay ]

[genreblindness]

[Good news, it's getting picked up! Enjoy a screenful of Jay looking even more haggard and nervous than usual.]

Sorry, I was. There were things.

[maskintape]

There's nothing there now--

[ Sorry, all this stress and short-breathed-ness is only exacerbating the coughing. Pls stand by. ]

-- ugh. So just. It - it's probably not real, just. Leave the video running. That should --

[ COUGH COUGH HACK. GDIT JAY STOP WORRYING HIM ]

[genreblindness]

...Are you okay?

[YES THAT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT QUESTION RIGHT NOW]

[maskintape]

[ Jay is getting one of the Looks. The ones that say "are u serious" and "my sideburns are great."

It's a little dampened by the fact that he's still coughing, but shh. HE'S NODDING. HE'S FINE. ]

-- it's, if - if you leave it running while you sleep I can - [HACK HACK] - check on you or you can yell and I'll-- I'll hear.

[ Just gonna swig from his water bottle now. No pills, though. Gotta save those. ]

[genreblindness]

[Well, Tim's getting a Look right back. A look that says "I'm worried about you even though I don't entirely trust you at the moment" and "I am an actual corgi look at me wow"]

I, uh. Don't think sleep's going to be much of a thing.

[He looks off to the side and swallows.]

Are you getting any, like, distortion or anything on your end?

[maskintape]

[ Distortion, eh. Tim chews on his lip to try and hold the coughing back and examines the feed carefully. He can't see anything weird.

Unfortunately, when he lets out the coughs he's been holding in, his video feed skips out and tears for a few seconds. So while he isn't seeing anything, Jay will. Have fun. ]

Urgh. Uh, no. Nope. You're all clear.