IC INBOX

[maskintape]

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

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[maskintape]

How's the wound.

[ This delivered in the most dispassionate and dull voice he can muster. ]

I assume you cleaned it. And you're not in danger of. Uh, of bleeding out.

[ again ]

[genreblindness]

[Loooooong pause. Very long pause. Quite possibly long enough to make Tim start worrying again.]

It's gone.

[maskintape]

[ He does indeed start worrying again. And opens his mouth to yell for Jay at the same moment that he speaks.

As a result, he's not sure he heard that right. Maybe he got confused because he was about to talk himself? ]

What?

What do you mean, like...? I don't even know. What?

[genreblindness]

I mean there's no wound. And no scar, either. It's like it was never there.

[This is not something he ever wanted to talk about ever, goddammit. Why must these things happen.]

[maskintape]

[ He's quiet for a few seconds, raspy post-cough breathing aside. Fuck today. Fuck it. ]

But you remember getting shot.

[ It's not a question. ]

[genreblindness]

Yeah.

[And that is all he wants to say about that thank you very much.]

[maskintape]

[ He's silent for a while again. As far as his paranoid lil mind is concerned, this only corroborates the dark little spark of an idea that's been festering in his brain all day. ]

Jay.

[ This isn't going to go over well. But it's so late and he's so tired and alone and he keeps thinking about the voicemail he never got and how much he wants Jay to trust him again. ]

I think we're all dead. Ev - everyone here, I mean. I think it's - you know. What happens after, I guess.

[genreblindness]

[Jay desperately wants to deny the possibility, to tell Tim he's wrong or lying or anything.

But he's tired and scared and it makes way more sense than any other explanation he's been able to think up.]

...Can't say this is what I pictured Hell to look like.

[Because that's what it's got to be, right? What else could it be?]

[maskintape]

[ Tim actually laughs. It's a rubbish one-syllable exhaling snort, but it's a laugh. What else can he do? ]

Yeah, it... I guess hell froze over.

[genreblindness]

[The sound that comes out of Jay is more sob than anything else, but he tries to keep his voice steady anyway.]

So... what do we do now?

[maskintape]

[ Jaaaaaay. Urgh. Everything is awful. ]

I dunno.

[ He sighs, massaging his temple with his free hand. What can they do? If they're dead, then that's it. Done. There's nothing to do anything for. Nothing to work toward.

But this is Tim's fault, and it's his responsibility to make it as right as he can. ]

I guess first, we... we try and meet up as soon as we can. We start noting down landmarks and, uh, anything that stands out so we can get. Y;know, some kind of bearings? I think that's the plan.

[genreblindness]

Okay. Okay, that makes sense.

[He nods to himself, already feeling steadier. He'll just focus himself on that goal and not think about any of that other stuff. That's doable. That's how he's been keeping himself comparatively sane for years.]

Should we, like. Tell other people.

[maskintape]

We don't know it's true. I mean, I don't remember dying. The thing was just - I was doing something and it came at me. You know how it works. And I don't know if it would - uh, if it would actually help anything for anyone...

[ Hurrrffff. ]

You know what, it's your call. You're usually pretty good at doing what's right by people.

When you actually think about it first, anyway.

[genreblindness]

[wow tim thanks for the compliment]

I, uh. Guess I'll think about it, then.

[Said with just the tiniest bit of sass. He's totally great at doing what's right okay!!]

[maskintape]

Yeah, good call.

[ FLINGIN THAT SASS RIGHT BACK, FRIEND. Albeit exhaustedly. ]

[genreblindness]

[JUST GONNA IGNORE THAT SASS while he actually gives it some serious thought]

...Maybe it's better not to tell anyone for now. At least not until we know for sure either way. And then... I don't know, we can figure it out later.

[maskintape]

Yeah. I mean, even if it is true it's not like knowing will help. Or make anything better. Unless people have dead guys they'd rather avoid, I guess.

[ OH RIGHT YES. That could be relevant. ]


Uh, heads up that if we're right, then. The hood guy might show up. Because, you know, he's dead now.

[genreblindness]

[YEAH THANKS FOR SHARING THIS RELEVANT INFORMATION TIM]

-Wait, he is? What happened?

[maskintape]

We kinda...

[ Urgh. He doesn't regret what happened, exactly - the hooded guy wasn't anyone he knew or was close to or ever cared about hAHAHHAHAHAAAA CANON POINTS HAHAHAHAA - but...

He's still a killer now. Properly, not just indirectly. He's directly personally responsible for someone's death, and he still doesn't know how he's supposed to come to terms with it. ]

There was a fight. He was there when I found you and he ran and I chased him and... yeah. It's - it doesn't matter how it went down, he's dead.

[genreblindness]

...Oh.

[Well. That sure is a thing. There's no doubt in his mind that Tim did what he had to, and the hood guy was an asshole anyway, but. He still kind of feels gross thinking about it.]

Well, I... guess there's no point worrying about him unless he does show up.

[maskintape]

Yeah. There's plenty to worry about as is.

[ Punctuating this with a few coughs for emphasis. Maybe slightly tinny sounding ones because yay distortion. ]

[genreblindness]

Are you sure you're okay?

[Because that has been a lot of coughing during this call. Fussfuss.]

[maskintape]

Yeah, I'm just - conserving my medication. 'Cause, uh, I don't know how easy it's going to be to find more out here...

[ It's probably not wise since he'd been off the meds for so long before getting them back, but he took a couple yesterday so he shouldn't be in immediate danger of a relapse. Right?

Plus he'll need to share them with Jay when he finds him, so being as sparing as possible with them is important. ]

[genreblindness]

Okay, but. Don't conserve them too much. Wouldn't want you to get all, y'know.

[He's not very comfortable with Tim's trust in his medication, but he's even less comfortable with the idea of Tim getting all weird and mask-weary.

Also Tim can't see it because they're on audio, but he just made a vague MASK gesture at his face. And then felt really dumb.]

[maskintape]

Yeah.

[ They're going to run out eventually. What then?

Maybe things will be okay as long as the thing doesn't find him. Or maybe they won't be okay, and the attacks will only get more and more frequent until he's like that all the time like the hoody guy.

But maybe. Maybe things will be okay. ]

Don't worry about that.