IC Inbox

[oohforeshadowing]

Let me get back to you, darling.

Comments

[oohforeshadowing]

"Oh, you're still hung up on that," they sigh, like they asked hours rather than minutes ago.

"Why don't we make a deal, darling? You want to know the worst thing I've ever done? You first. Set me a good example."

[reflectatine]

“I already hauled myself up this rock on your behalf.” Wade doesn't sound especially put out. Or put off. He does look to the end of the bridge, gauging how much more there is to go.

“But all right. Provided there is water in our collective future, because speech is about to elude me entirely.”

[oohforeshadowing]

"Down this way, darling," Trouble says lightly, walking towards a sign in a language that Wade would have no way to understand and Trouble could only really guess at.

Still, the illustrations of bottles and plates speak for themselves.

[reflectatine]

He trails after, mindful of the tail and taking note of the sign. Touching his fingertips to the wall until the swaying sensation of the bridge dissipates. He doesn't talk—doesn't see much need for it, and he wasn't lying about his tongue all but shriveling up.

[oohforeshadowing]

Double Trouble steps into the kind of saloon where the arrival of a stranger would probably cause all conversation to dry up and the pianist to stop dead mid-chord, if only there was a piano in here.

There isn't. But there's water, and they very kindly pour two large mugs.

"Here, darling."

Mammals. So inefficient.

[reflectatine]

His first swallow's deep—his eyes close, briefly, and he wipes his mouth with the back of one hand. “Thank you.” Wade finds a wall to lean against, the rock cool at his back. Runs a hand through his hair, rendering it neither more nor less presentable, just messy in several new directions.

“I don't know if you're looking for the unabridged version, here, but the short of it is—I betrayed the trust of somebody dear to me,” he says, slow and measured. His eyes are on Double Trouble—fixed there. “I sold her out. Right after that I came here.”

[oohforeshadowing]

"Oh."

Trouble blinks slowly, otherwise unmoving. And unmoved.

"Is that all?"

[reflectatine]

He looks suddenly tired, as though the intervening time—days and nights on the barge, the long walk to his car after watching Angela gulp down the pills, the moments of unearned relief—has just crashed over him.

“Nobody ever did that to you?”

[oohforeshadowing]

They take a long slow sip from their water.

"Of course not, darling."

[reflectatine]

"Why's that?"

He can guess.

[oohforeshadowing]

"I choose reliable friends," they tell him, crisply. "That's why."

Hahaha. Friends.

[reflectatine]

He keeps on thinking of Angela, Angela who'd been so much closer to Crawford—in and out of his house, cozy evenings with the family. And then him. He doesn't have to imagine the feeling, is the hell of it. He's lived with it most of his life.

“Well,” he says. His voice is rough, feels rough in his throat too. “That's me. You're up.”

[oohforeshadowing]

"If you must. I killed someone."

The shrug is verbal rather than physical.

[reflectatine]

He takes that in calmly enough. "Who?"

[oohforeshadowing]

This shrug is physical, shoulders lifted, palms up.

"I don't know. I needed to get out of an enemy base, and they happened to be in my way."

[reflectatine]

His turn to sip his water, his gaze like a counterweight to their shrug.

“What made it the worst?”

[oohforeshadowing]

"Because I haven't drowned any orphans lately? Murder is a contender for 'worst' in most people's experience, darling."

[oh_no_matopoeia]

Hey! Hey, are you you or are you a chipmunk or something?

[oohforeshadowing]

I beg your pardon?

[...they reply, after the Barge has left port.]

[oh_no_matopoeia]

[Don't worry about it!]

I'm your warden!! We were paired!

[oohforeshadowing]

I noticed.

So what now, Radioactive Spider Boy?

[oh_no_matopoeia]

Want to come play around in the enclosure? I feel like we should talk about your file but that we can do it while we're doing something cool.

[oohforeshadowing]

....Alright. Consider me en-route.

Have you read it?

[oh_no_matopoeia]

No. I was gonna wait for you. I bet some people might feel weird about that.

I've got it with me here, though.

[oohforeshadowing]

Hm.

[They sign off for now, but appear around the Enclosure entrance not long after. They've acquired a little pink dress from somewhere, and slightly higher heels than usual.]