the fourth jack | video

[faultlesscon]

I don't believe this. [The feed shows Alex's back. His hands move about as if he's talking but there seems to be hardly anyone around. He leans back with a sigh, and it seems for a moment that there is a reply despite silence being the only audible thing.No, that's... how is this possible in the first place? You and I saw no one - we've been in the

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[crosscolumbkill]

[Don't mind him. Just gonna be here chillin'. Chillin' and watchin'.

Watchin' closely.

No really though you're cool bro. Anyone who lets Teekl sleep on their lap is pretty cool. So cool, in fact, that after a long enough vigil of body-guarding, Teekl will finally feel so civil he'll break into Klarion's hidden stash of jerky and bring it out for Alex. Watchers gotta eat.]

oh hey notifs I hate you too

[faultlesscon]

[It's been five days, hasn't Alex earned enough trust or something? Needless to say he has left to take a shower and things of that sort, but food hasn't been on his mind despite it being a need. Watching the feline move, he finishes picking the notes of Klarion, shifts through them for anything interesting, just in case.]

Hm? [A glance to the jerky.] Are you sure that's alright?

[crosscolumbkill]

[A small 'tttfh' of disdain hopefully means the jerky's fine. Hopefully. Teekl's a bit too busy nosing through the notes to bother with any further response.

Most of them ('Where's your turkey', 'here kitty kitty') are too asinine or flat-out uninspired to be bothered with, but the minute he finds the one scrawled with "where's my daddy", he rips the thing to shreds. A lot of shreds.

The one with "nice nursemaid" he leaves alone. Maybe Alex enjoys ripping up notes too.]

[faultlesscon]

[A face to the reply and he nods, reaches for some then takes a bite himself before making his way over to where Teekl is pawing at the notes. Watching with mild amusement over the feline's efforts, he keeps quiet at some of the responses towards the notes before taking notice of some that Teekl has spared.]

... Too much free time for these bastards. [Alex is quick to shake his head as he rips up the note, jerky in mouth. See, all these notes about him being a nurse or caretaker he can handle, but he kind of got bored after the 'ginger' comments.]

[crosscolumbkill]

[Clearly, he agrees; he paws through the remaining pile with displeasure. Still, the notes aren't completely uninteresting---he's looking for any that might have been left for Alex. Never know what odd little bits the interns will drop, after all.]

[faultlesscon]

[Oh, Teekl can have his fun with the notes about Alex because if they're involving offensive comments about his hair, skin, and freckles --'learn better color coordination in friends'--, then it's minor details - 'horrible medic', 'antisocial wanker'. There are some that' he'll be quick to try and snatch up.

The one that reads 'he's watching you', Alex moves to crush it into a ball, his expression slightly disturbed as he finishes a piece of jerky.]

Teekl, a question if I may.

[crosscolumbkill]

[The cat bats at a note thoughtfully ("born on a Monday") and takes a minute to chase it down, for all the world looking like anyone's pet. The dry voice that comes as he starts to chew on the paper is entirely sleek, however---over the sound of wet paper pieces, anyway.] As best I have the answer for, Alex. Go on.

[faultlesscon]

[Quirking a brow at the note, he watches and keeps the corners of his lips from turning up before taking a seat back on the floor, sifting through some of the bits of notes.]

Klarion said the two of you were connected, so.. What'll happen if one of you gets killed here? [He lowers his head in through, picks some more of the notes while checking on the other in question.] If you can't answer that though, what's it like in Limbo Town?

[crosscolumbkill]

I am his as given on the harvesting; without one, the other will surely die. [He settles back on his haunches, clawing a bit of paper out of his teeth.] Generally, separation from a draaga ends in a rather unpleasant, drawn-out withering sort of affair---he'd already started the trend down when we were reunited, and I wasn't far behind. A few days' unconsciousness is getting off easy, as long as he wakes up spiritually whole. Bit problematic if he doesn't.

[The next question is, honestly, a little surprising; he hadn't expected the young man to take interest in background. He makes a thoughtful noise. His response is earnest and thought-out.] All darkness and dinginess and wet mouldy earthy smells, mostly. Limbo Town's a terrified enclave burrowed into centuries of horror and tradition that have devolved in the corpselight. They do not do well down below, those sheeda-folk; a cult of coffin-makers, waiting to die. Klarion's a rare spot of curiosity and fresh will. They did not take well to him down there.

[A sniff.] He did not take

[faultlesscon]

Explains how he was when I headed over here. I suppose you don't get off as worse as him, considering you're looking better now. [Alex nods to the explanation.] Spiritually whole - like what?

Corpselight... [Leaning his head to the side, Alex looks over to Klarion's frame, thoughtful. His eyes go back to the feline and he reached out a hand, scratches behind the ear for a bit.] Odd one out, but in a good way. I'm glad he is, if anything. You too.

[crosscolumbkill]

Separation can result in a preemptive Grundy, if you're unlucky. I'd wager against Klarion's chances for that, though---the boy's too willfully headstrong to come to it, if nothing else. He's fight it like a bereaved mother-cat.

[His head tilts up against Alex's hand, expression turning satisfied.] We're all glad. Terrible tormented bullies, the lot of the town. [He realizes a potential question, and backtracks.] Ah. 'Grundy' would best translate as 'zombie' for you, I believe.

[faultlesscon]

[Alex's mouth opens at the explanation, and promptly closes at the last bit. In response to it instead, he continues to pet Klarion, scratching the sweet spots he's discovered over the course of his stay in the room.]

So in a sense, it's good that he's here instead of there. [He tilts his head to the side.] Klarion as a zombie - not something I'd take to well. That curiousity he has, not shared I assume?

[crosscolumbkill]

[This man is a good and attentive cat-person. The low rumble of a purr starting in Teekl's throat is measure of that.] Not in the slightest. The Submissionaries rule with an iron fist and a steel rod. [A chuckle works its way out between the humming purr.] Klarion himself was nearly one, though he abandoned the rod to spend a lifetime wandering, little foolish child. [the tone of voice suggests he's anything but angered by the decision on Klarion's part.]

You, Alex. You hardly got along well with your 'peers', either. [It's a question? Maybe?]

[faultlesscon]

[Alex likes to pretend he had a pet once in his childhood - if his father wasn't such a hard-ass, anyway. Nodding along with the words, the actions seem to slow down for a moment.]

At least he's doing something that he'd rather do, free will and such. [A grimace at the last part because he should have expected that coming, what with how Teekl seems to have this uncanny sense.] Not many good friends in my life, friends at that.

[crosscolumbkill]

No? Yet you're socially competent. [Teekl's eyes are closed, now, voice absent.] So I have to assume you don't suffer fools gladly. Is it hard to find people whose company you enjoy, or hard to find people whose company enjoys you?

[faultlesscon]

Glad you think so. [Don't mind if he scratches at the other to distract the darker thoughts.] A little of both - I can be a bit of a bastard to authority, but people have said I'm capable of being tolerable.

Should I go on about my 'peers'?