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maddest[The device flicks on. Static.
Then, purple- only purple. White. Break's coat, the beautiful off-the-shoulder, white one that he lost almost a year ago during that episode with all of the blood. It's back in one piece.]
What-
[Then the feed flicks off. On again, very briefly, as he bangs it on the table. Sound.
Then to video- there's Break's elbow, Emily's dress.
On. Rap rap rap. Someone's knocking it against a table to see if it can be broken open.]
-why does it keep chirping, Emily?
[This is almost exactly how he arrived, nearly two years ago to the day. And here we are, come full circle, about to smash the PCD on a table corner in idle, non-technologically oriented curiosity.]
Then, purple- only purple. White. Break's coat, the beautiful off-the-shoulder, white one that he lost almost a year ago during that episode with all of the blood. It's back in one piece.]
What-
[Then the feed flicks off. On again, very briefly, as he bangs it on the table. Sound.
Then to video- there's Break's elbow, Emily's dress.
On. Rap rap rap. Someone's knocking it against a table to see if it can be broken open.]
-why does it keep chirping, Emily?
[This is almost exactly how he arrived, nearly two years ago to the day. And here we are, come full circle, about to smash the PCD on a table corner in idle, non-technologically oriented curiosity.]
no subject
Date: 2011-10-05 12:10 am (UTC)[Notice how he gives the directions, Break.]
no subject
Date: 2011-10-05 12:13 am (UTC)[You just won yourself a name. And his coordinates.]
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Date: 2011-10-05 12:23 am (UTC)[He will. The minute he sees him, he's already aching. But Break will not know how near tears he is. He can do this.]
It's me.
[Knowing that Break can hear the crunch of footsteps. He automatically holds out a hand, then takes a deep breath and retracts it.]
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Date: 2011-10-05 12:34 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 12:42 am (UTC)[Fallen streets signs, etc. Shattered glass. Rusted cars. Demolished buildings. There are no normal city sounds, but it smells like a city. It's mostly quiet.]
Most of the buildings are tall and made of brick. It's rare to see one over three stories, because they're caving in by now. Every once in a while we'll hear one fall. Some are held up by creeper plants- if you feel one, get away quickly. They'll strangle you if they get half a chance.
[Al reaches down and carefully moves a rusted, crushed bicycle from the road.]
There are skyscrapers toward the middle of town, and some intact buildings. In the buildings that aren't, the rabbits and the hellcats have nests. The rabbits are fast, but cowardly, and the hellcats, if they get a hold of you, have to be killed before you can get them off. So if you hear something small coming toward you, be ready to either run or kill it.
[He looks back.]
If it has a bell and rings while it's coming toward you, don't hurt it. That's probably my cat.
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Date: 2011-10-05 12:52 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 12:59 am (UTC)[He stops. He is so very, very, serious.]
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Date: 2011-10-05 01:01 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 01:08 am (UTC)... the Animus are the spirits that tend to rule this place... even over the Angels. The Angels have a lot of power, but even they can be affected by what the Animus do.
We used to call them the Voices because they'd leave messages on the PCD's whenever they were up to something. It's one week on, one week off -- and they change the world somehow... or they change us.
[Again, Al stops to remove something from the path.]
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Date: 2011-10-05 01:20 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 01:32 am (UTC)I don't think it's magic, exactly. But the point is that they can change everything, and it can be harmless to incredibly dangerous. I've had my memories altered, and even my personality.
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Date: 2011-10-05 01:39 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 01:54 am (UTC)[Softly.]
Last week.
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:08 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 02:13 am (UTC)[Though he doesn't exactly snap it, his tone isn't one that invites questions. He knows Break's testing him, poking him to see if he'll jump, but that doesn't mean he likes it.]
What else did you want to know?
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:15 am (UTC)[Offline] 1/2
Date: 2011-10-05 02:32 am (UTC)I assume Lucifer knows nearly everything about you, considering who he is. Yuca will know a bit- he was your roommate for some time. I'll tell you about him in detail. He's the reason we started speaking in depth.
Katara knows at least a bit of it.
[Al pauses to move something else. It's a few seconds before he goes on.]
... I know that you are incredibly cruel and incredibly kind, utterly selfish and completely selfless, that you are always the first to say what needs to said but nobody wants to hear. I know you are brave to the point of recklessness, and you will always push yourself and everyone around you. I know you have a soft spot for children, but never underestimate them.
[Offline] 2/2
Date: 2011-10-05 02:38 am (UTC)I also know why you're blind, why you're sick... and I know how you lost your eye. I know who you were before Xerxes Break.
[A heartbeat.]
You told me.
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:41 am (UTC)[Stepping in close, voice soft, conspiratorial, almost kind;]
-what will happen to you if you breathe a word of it.
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:47 am (UTC)[Al assures him, voice steady and unafraid.]
I've promised keep yours safe. I know that right now I haven't earned your trust, or even the right to know these things about you. But I can promise you that there was a reason the first time, and I can also promise that I'll do everything I can to earn it all over again.
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:49 am (UTC)[Giving his cheek an eerily unerring pat.]
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:56 am (UTC)It's strange to hear you say that again.
[Softly.]
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Date: 2011-10-05 02:58 am (UTC)[Offline]
Date: 2011-10-05 03:04 am (UTC)[... Al still can't lie worth a damn.]
... at one point an event put us in a compromising position, but other than that, no.
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Date: 2011-10-05 03:05 am (UTC)feelings.
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