03. have you heard the news, that you're dead?

[hartmanhips]

[her first thought is that she's in heaven. It would make sense, wouldn't it? The sun is shining, the birds are singing. It's just like another day in Whispering Rocks camp, and she's hoping that this is a sign that God has forgiven her for all her wrongs and misdeeds.

Then she wakes up. And sees that she's in the same room that she was first

Comments

[beheadofworship]

He is. He was looking for you.

[hartmanhips]

[she turns around swiftly before seeing that it's Justin, and relaxes. She seems drained. She feels drained, but when she hears that he's alive, she suddenly lets out a breath that she didn't even know that she was holding.]

Thank you so much.

[a pause. Then--]

It's good to see you...unharmed. [she's seen too much of it. And she's half reaching out, just to check that this is a person, not gagging on gas, not being pursued by Hazmats, going fucking insane -- this is

[beheadofworship]

[He nodded]

I exited Westport before the road was closed. Had I known you'd gone off, I would have suggested you did the same... Let's try to keep better contact from now on.

[hartmanhips]

[there's another nod back, and she makes up her mind to be - if not the best wife, because WIFE is something she's not entirely comfortable with, thank you - then a good housemate.

Starting with breakfast.]

That's a good idea, and we should definitely work things out about how to do that, but let's not think about that now. What would you want for your breakfast?

[hartmanhips]

[she pauses. And when she finally talks, there's quite a bit of fake cheer inside. She's not suffering. Not being hurt, no, not at all. She needs to get through this now.]

I've been better, but I'll survive this...![her voice trails off for a bit, before she remembers that she's supposed to be enthusiastic and automatically modifies it to a rather enthusiastic end.]

[hartmanhips]

[it's the talk she gives a lot of her campers. You don't have to go through this alone, but how can she properly express what happened and seeing her friends die and not knowing where her campers were and THAT MAN, that man who she doesn't even know the name of, he must be alive.

But she doesn't know how to really say anything, and she's the psychologist, not the one being psychoanalyzed. So she tries to reassure him.]

I'm fine, really. I just need some time to...settle.

[ra_ra_razputin]

[He could not run to the phone fast enough. He about knocked over the table it was sitting on.]

Milla!

[hartmanhips]

[She can't believe it. She can't believe it, that Razputin is alive, that he's still alive when she held his dead body in her arms, felt him grow cold. She can't believe that he's coherent when in his last moments she saw him babble crazily, but she's not bothered, he's alive, he's back in Mayfield oh thank god, there really is a god, he really did hear her prayers, he really did resurrect her for a reason and maybe that means her other kids are alive somewhere else, oh thank god, oh thank god--]

Razputin, darling! Are you alright? What happened to--[she has an automatic flashback to the way he looked when she first saw him and shakes her head violently, oh god]

How are you back here?

[ra_ra_razputin]

I'm fine! [That was a bald-faced lie- he was still pretty freaked out by the whole dying business, especially now that he's had a day to think it over.] Are you okay? I'm sorry I left you there! I was so stupid, I let the milkman get me!

I guess in Westport it works the same way it does in Mayfield. Everything just resets, so even if you die you just come back the next day.

[hartmanhips]

[she knows you say you're fine, but that doesn't stop her from worrying anyways and she's anxious, she saw him DIE, that has to have some effects on the psyche]

No darling, don't be sorry, you weren't stupid...I thought you said the milkman was confined to Mayfield!

[she breathes out sharply. It hurts, really, and she doesn't want to think back to Westport too much - fucking town, fucking Hazmats, seeing that man on the sidewalk die, seeing him die, finally trying to die herself -- stupidest thing she ever did, but she thought everyone was dead. But she has to think back on it, she's an agent, she just doesn't want to.]

Darling, please, let's not talk about that place until at least a good week later.

[thief_of_truth]

Did you find any clues? Anything about Richard Grey?

[hartmanhips]

No. I'm sorry.

[there's a moment's hesitation though, before she remembers the note.]

Me and Matthew Williams found a note written by one Billy Smith. It was...supposed to be from a child, I suppose, but real children don't write the way that one did. I don't remember the text, I think you should see him for more details.

[thief_of_truth]

Matthew Williams. Okay, I'll ask him about it. I'm going to try to organize a meeting where everyone who found clues can share them with each other, too, so listen for that in the next couple of days, okay?

[hartmanhips]

[she doesn't want to remember, she doesn't want to think about it, so instead she grunts shortly before remembering that she's talking to a girl who only wants to help, who just wants to get her out of here so instead she stops and modifies her response to something a bit nicer. She sounds quite a bit weaker as she says it though.]

Ah...that's nice, darling...

[serverofshota]

Milla.

[hartmanhips]

[she knows that voice. Saw him. He offered a bottle of milk to her when she'd been turned away and had been running the streets desperately.

He's here. She's so glad to know he's safe.

Her voice sounds dangerously choked up.]

Mori.

[serverofshota]

...

I'm glad you're okay.

[hartmanhips]

I am too.

...

Do you want to come over to my house for some cookies?