successives | pc catchall for belph.

What was that? Who was - that guy?

[he sighs. it'd be too much to hope for that she would just let it slide, huh...]

My guess is that it's one of the weekly effects. Glimpses of each other's memories—fun for the whole family.

No, I... Phoenix appears told me to watch out for something like this, so I know. I meant - yours, specifically.

[...]

That was my uncle.

Why did he... Why wouldn’t he let you leave?

[There are a few more concerning things in there, but she feels like he might straight up leave if she tried to broach them.]

[he shrugs, carefully. his tone is neutral. (natalie is definitely swimming in uncharted waters, so she's right to be cautious in what she brings up.)]

I was his only living relative. Didn't want me getting too independent from him and all that.

[to put it mildly.]

That's... messed up. Had he stopped you from leaving before?

Not... exactly.

What does that mean...?

[he shrugs again, with the same forced casualness.]

I ran away once, when I was a kid. He didn't have to lift a finger for me to come crawling back, since I couldn't survive on the streets on my own. Pretty effective lesson.

But... You could now, right? You're old enough and you have a job.

Except for the part where he monitored my every move and no law enforcement would ever prosecute him, no matter what he did. [... like kidnap the people close to him.] I wasn't exaggerating back then, when I said I had nowhere to run from him.

[he shakes his head.]

It doesn't matter, anyway.

[She looks troubled upon hearing that, but...]

It doesn't matter? What do you mean?

... Well, it's a long story, but I wasn't going to go back to my world. He's just chasing after a ghost through me, so... it's better for both of us to cut our ties, really.

[he lets out a quiet scoff.]

Though if we don't win here, then I guess it really doesn't matter anymore.

Oh. Well, I guess that's—

[She says that, but she doesn't get to finish the thought, because something else (cw for suicidal ideation) is coming through instead.]

Edited 2020-06-30 04:13 (UTC)

[...

well, he's not sure what to say to that.]

[She closes her eyes for a second at the memory, before she remembers that he must have seen the same thing.]

...What are the chances you don't want to talk about that, ever?

... You just made me talk about all of that, so...

I won't press on what happened, but should I be concerned if I see you near the lake?

...I don't have a role that's accidentally going to get somebody killed here, so no.

... I don't think that kind of mentality just stops because the situation's different, but if you say so.

[...]

Jason seems like a good guy.

It does in this case. [...] I know how important it is to keep going, so it's fine.

[Her expression softens a little bit, though.]

...He is.

... That's good, then.

[belph is in no position to talk about this, though. well. anyway.]

Was something up with him then? He was, uh, kind of quiet.

Oh - yeah. Back in the town, we had break ins kind of the like the ones we have here, and his tongue got...

[She pantomimes a ripping motion with her hands. Yikes.]

Ouch. Glad he's got that back.

Especially considering our chronic pen shortage.

(no subject)

axilium - 2020-07-13 01:17 (UTC) - Expand