04 | [Video]

[talktothedoll]

[The webcam feed opens, and Mort looks a bit ashamed of himself.]

It would seem that I...well, I seem to have forgotten everything about these numbers and this network for the past couple of weeks. It's somewhat alarming, really.

[He sighs.]

I apologize if you came in looking for help with anything and I gave you a difficult time about it. I'm now leaving a few notes for myself in the event it happens again. Don't worry--it's nothing personally identifiable or dangerous to keep lying around, but it should be enough that I won't immediately start treating anyone talking about numbers and strange powers as delusional.

My office usually isn't open on Sundays, but given the circumstances, I'm here now. If you need to talk--or if I may have made things difficult for you this past week, please, stop by. If anyone's experiencing any new developments they're having trouble with, again, please feel free to stop by.

[There's another pause, as though what he's about to say next rubs his sense of ethics the wrong way.]

If circumstances call for it, I can...er, I can reassure your family members that everything's under control and that they've got nothing to worry about with these changes.

[There. He didn't outright say he'd lie for anyone, but that's basically what he means, loath as he is to admit it.]

Comments

[talktothedoll]

[Mort tried to keep his expression as neutral as possible, but there was no masking that frown. Then, he unlocked the drawer.]

Watch.

[He opens the drawer. The doll is posed as such it appears to be crying. He closes it again, then opens it. The doll's pose has changed and now it just has its arms crossed.]

I have done nothing to it.

[shiromadoushi]

[[perks up at that]] ... It's upset because you locked it away, isn't it? Like hell you've done nothing to it, it's upset! You really are being haunted by it!

[talktothedoll]

Haunted is such a strong word...

[No hiding that slight wince there.]

[shiromadoushi]

But there's no other word for it, is there? That's what it is!

[talktothedoll]

Maybe it's just...magnets. In the doll's joints.

[He is reaching. Reaching so hard.]

Previously inactive magnets.

[shiromadoushi]

...Magnets. Seriously? That thing looked like it was crying and you think it's magnets by chance perfectly aligning to make it look that way?

[talktothedoll]

[There's a wince.]

It's...about the most logical thing I could think of.

[shiromadoushi]

How is anything about that logical? This isn't the internet, magnets aren't witchcraft, you know.

[talktothedoll]

But, when used properly, they can cause a bit of movement with the reversed poles, and...

[He trails off in a sigh.]

I'm aware I'm reaching.

[shiromadoushi]

More than just reaching, you're making up bullshit to try and avoid admitting that there's a soul in your do--

[[His hand goes to his chest as his heart races, the hollow dissociative feeling washing over him as another memory returns. He grimaces, forcing himself to continue on]]

--in your doll and thus you're a horrible person for locking it up like that.

[[...even if one of the past hims had done far worse.]]

[talktothedoll]

I don't think there's a soul in there...

[There's a long pause, and then he'll set it on a shelf. Just in case.]

It's just weird, whatever it is.

[shiromadoushi]

Yeah, well, so's your face. [[...yeah, that was out of nowhere. Trying to ignore an echo was hard and left him distracted.]]

[talktothedoll]

[Mort just arches an eyebrow. He's got one hand on his hip. His back's turned to the doll, and if Bakura looks away from it as well, its pose is identical to Mort's.]

Really. Are you feeling okay today?

[shiromadoushi]

I'm fine. [[That came out a bit more snappish than normal. He goes to retort something else when...

huh. His eyes narrow, going between Mort and the doll]]

...It's mocking you now.

[talktothedoll]

[Mort kind of jumps at the change in pose.]

It keeps doing that...even if it's been a bit more active since I took it out of the drawer...

[shiromadoushi]

Making up for lost time, huh? Or maybe it's just mad that you locked it away after making it disappear....

[talktothedoll]

I'm not sure...it's been more random than anything else, at least what I've been able to observe.

[shiromadoushi]

Didn't looks very random to me. It mimicked you perfectly.

[talktothedoll]

It doesn't always move. It only sometimes moves...

[There's a wince.]

Sometimes I can open the drawer up and it hasn't moved at all.

[shiromadoushi]

Or so you think~

[talktothedoll]

Well, I'm not about to start keeping watch on it with a camera.

[He would rather not know these things for sure...]

[shiromadoushi]

Then how can you be sure?

[talktothedoll]

It...it's never moved whenever I've been watching. Even if I set the grasshopper to watching it, it still might not because something's looking at it...

[Crap, now there's a theory that needs to be tested scientifically. There's an exasperated sigh at the realization.]

[shiromadoushi]

[[Bakura just griiiins. Because he hears that sigh.

He won this round~]]

[talktothedoll]

[Don't you have somewhere you need to be right now, Bakura? Like somewhere else so he can set the camera up in peace?]

...I'll consider it.