savetheearth | Twenty-Sixth Message [Video

Excuse me -- excuse me.

[It opens with voice for once, hasty and dry, but with actual words bringing the connection in.]

I'm sorry -- I don't...

[Starts over. Coughs. A moan solidifies into an "uhmmm". Tapers off and presses out through Anthony's nose.

Takes a breath to stall, gets the message together, and... speaks up again. Actually steadily - halting but articulate.]

...This is Anthony. Janvier, and I -- just -- thought I would say, um. In case, that -- I've been hallucinating, since -- fall. I think. And it -- uhh. ...Something happened last week - 'mmh not sure what's - happening. ...Exactly, but I.

[And that's where the organization of his train of thought ends.]

In case it -- might be interesting -- to someone.

[He'll put the fact that he's legitimately scared at where this might be going out of his head as far as possible in favor of what he's just said - it might be interesting to someone! There was that suggestion before that it could be due to his brain deteriorating, on one hand, and on the other, there'd been the boy who'd brought up "monsters" going insane, and the psychologist a while before, had touched on the idea of "treating" what had sounded to be that sort of thing.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I'm scared -- that's all. [In case saying that much counts as giving Kotetsu an inch, although for the record he often is. And often doesn't sound objectively "fine".]

But it's doen -- nothing's happening. ...Now -- I'm sorry, sir.

Edited 2014-04-26 05:25 (UTC)

[Kotetsu has to bite back the urge to sigh and ask what he's apologizing for. He chooses his next words carefully, keeping his tone even and soft, yet firm.]

What happened, then? What's got you scared?

[Why must you concern yourself with this as well, why must you concern yourself with this as well - ]

Just -- went, uh. [Is this a halfway accurate and not severe way to put it - forces it out a bit glaringly, in case that renders it a bit less spooked-sounding.] -- Went "out of it" for uh -- a. Small. While -- last week. It's nothing, I just -- don't know what it means - ...

[Because he's Kotetsu. This is just a thing he does, and you're a kid, too. That effectively dooms you to dadding forever.]

If you're scared by it, it's not nothing. What do you mean, went out of it?

[Tentatively, he tries for a gentle nudge.]

We can't try to help if we don't know what's going on.

Edited 2014-04-26 05:47 (UTC)

[Constricted.] I don't want - help! [That's pactually a lie, but it's beside the point.]

I -- just -- thought it might - mean something for someone to know; I mean I -- just - panicked. Suddenly... for no reason last week, and - [Picking up a shake, why is there no way he can make this sound not bad - ] - and when I... got - over it I -- wasn't sure what I'd been doing.

[The asking for elaboration after the firmness was enough to get him to bend to admit it, even without the nudge.]

You want help, you just don't want anyone to bother helping.

[That said, he listens to the message again, trying to parse it.]

So you...blacked out? And then you were--somewhere else...?

I could -- ["I could say that" isn't the answer he wants to give at all, shakes it off, winces.] - I don't - [And forces it out, over-hasty, uncontrolledly high with a daft-sounding crack to falling on its face - ] - I was still in the apartment - !

I'm only -- [Dropped to wheezy.] -- I'm only - not -- sure what happened... while I was, I'm - I really am sorry, just don't know how to - say it -- ...

[HELLO EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE PULSE...Kotetsu goes silent for a few, staring off into space with a vague grimace, then finally...]

Do you, uh....[he works his jaw, trying to find the words]

...Know if your past self might've...had their memories tampered, at some point?

[He sits put with... as much of his face as he can cast down in such a state. He's talking in tangles about anything he doubts he can get to a point on...

His shoulders and head snap in a reaction to Kotetsu speaking again.

And at the question his brow strains - shallow and clipping - ] I --

No - ! [Coughs, rapid head-shake.] I -- wouldn't - know if...!

[He's tangling things up again. Husky.] I don't -- know... [Which is distressing even with it as an unconfirmed possibility, but that's beside the point...] Uhmm - why -- ?

[With voice re-entering, if at a bit of a keen, no, why is he asking that, Kotetsu asked him a question first - ]

I mean, I don't --

...I -- don't know how I would know...! [Necessarily.]

Hey--easy.

[He puts up his hands, attempting to placate.]

I had a pulse about it, is all. I figured it was worth asking. It's okay if you don't know, that's just one possibility.

Twenty-Sixth Message [Video | Sheet of Paper]

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