NPCs

[donotlick]

Comments

[donotlick]

No shit. I trust him about as far as I can throw 'im.

[ Which isn't very far. But yes, Hank gets to go through some delightful withdrawal, won't that be fun. ]

But a whole lotta shit here doesn't add up, and I'm startin' to get fucking tired of it. At least if I got a direct line to the boss, I can know what he's fucking up to.

[foo_bar]

You might have an open line, but would you really know what he's up to? Oswald is a true believer who doesn't question what is happening. He's not going to second guess something depending on who it came from.

[donotlick]

That might be true, yeah. But even shitty testimony can have something worthwhile going for it.

I'm not ruling him out just because you don't like him, Han. The world out there is still fucked, and his reasons are fucking nuts, but Megumi believes it too. I trust you, and you did me a solid, even if Hale found out... but how come you're the odd man out?

[foo_bar]

I don't know.

[he admits, and then crosses his arms over his chest.]

This was a normal school when I applied-- but it did exist. I've heard of it, I applied to be here, I wasn't kidnapped.

[donotlick]

This is gonna sound fucking stupid, but it could be you're from another dimension. One close enough to this one... just one where shit didn't go bad.

Think about it. These people can make us forget. Didn't you say you forgot some shit, too?

[foo_bar]

Not like that?

I had a fucking m--

[he bites the insides of his cheek, and his posture stiffens.]

I had a fucking promise to my parents that I'd go here and teach, instead of going straight into the private sector.

[donotlick]

A fucking what?

[ He means the first thing. ]

[foo_bar]

I misspoke. I was gonna say a mom's promise... but it sounded lame. Sorry.

[donotlick]

That's kind of adorable. You're a fucking nerd.

[ He's not into it. He's not into it. He's not into it. ]

Anyway, that doesn't prove anything. I'm still banking on this divergent dimension theory. It's the only thing that explains why you think everything should be normal, but Todd and Megumi are both trying to build people up to fight some Big Bad.

[foo_bar]

Maybe... It's both. They're just closer to it than the rest of the world?

[look, he cares a lot about his parents. especially his mom. he's a good son]

[donotlick]

Maybe.

[ He shrugs. But also... ]

Hey, this is gonna be real fucking random, have you gotten any weird notes or something from anybody you didn't know?

[foo_bar]

Huh?

[he considers this, maybe a touch too long.]

No... Why?

[donotlick]

You sure?

Because I did. So, y'know. If you have, you can tell me.

[foo_bar]

Nothing that explicit. Just other, minor things. What did you get, Hank?

[donotlick]

Minor things like what?

Because I got a fucking threat.

[foo_bar]

A threat?

[he pauses.]

From who? No-- wait, sorry. You don't know. You said that.

[donotlick]

Yeah, wish I fucking knew, pal.

So, you get any weird messages too?

[foo_bar]

Not at all. It's all been subtle stuff, like deleting programs I had uploaded for class.

Can I see the letter? It's via the tablets, right?

[donotlick]

Fuck. Of course it's something like that.

[ He shakes his head. ]

Can't. Fucker deleted it as soon as I read it. Whoever it is hacked into Hale's systems. They're good.

[foo_bar]

[han will remember that]

Hacked in? You're sure?

[donotlick]

You're in some kinda closed system, right? Hale said nobody was supposed to be able to get into it—so it's gotta be a fucking hacker.

[foo_bar]

Did he say anything else?

[not denying the closed system part.]

[donotlick]

[ Yeah, he figured as much. Hank shrugs. ]

He said he'd look into it. That's about it.

[ A pause. ]

I'm gonna keep calling him, see if I can fuck with him. Least if he's gonna play with me, I'll play right back.

[foo_bar]

Him and me both.

[he's got a vested interest in this now. That's weird, and. strangely competent.]

Thanks for letting me know.

[donotlick]

What, you and him are working together now? What happened to hating his guts?

Not that I'm complaining. This fucker's a biggest stickler for the rules than Hale. If you can put a stop to them, then I don't care if you gotta call the whole gang together.

I don't much like bein' watched, but at least when it was just you, Hale and Megumi, I knew who it was doing the creeping.