TLV Inbox

[greatoldjohn]

[in a rather deep voice] "This is John Doe. Please leave your message. I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I may respond in text if I'm currently with Arthur. Apologies."

Now Moved To: Inbox: Act II - please tag in there!

Comments

[citizendetective]

I'm coming over to talk about Nat, John! Obviously! You two were just paired!

[greatoldjohn]

I assumed. Thank you for confirming.

211. It's the one that's labeled as Arthur's with the name on the door.

[citizendetective]

[The knock comes literally less than a minute later, alongside a text:]

I'm here! :)

[greatoldjohn]

[ He opens the door, revealing Arthur's office, and John in the doorway. ]

Hello, Misty.

Do you want to go to my room to talk?

[citizendetective]

Sure.

[She says, eyes on the room at large rather than on John himself, taking in as much as she can.]

So the Admiral put you two in the same cabin?

[greatoldjohn]

No. Technically, my room is next door. But I spend most of my time here.

If you want privacy, however, we can go there.

[citizendetective]

Here's fine. For now, anyway.

[She runs a hand over the top of the desk, picking up a trinket and examining it for a moment before turning back to Arthur, smiling brightly.]

Lead the way!

[greatoldjohn]

[ His voice is a little harder. ]

Don't touch anything on the far desk. Nothing.

[ More quiet. ]

Please.

[ He doesn't breathe but there's the impression he's taking a deep breath. Then he heads towards one of the doors. ]

Sorry about the smell. I've been painting and I don't breathe.

[ He opens the door and there is the smell of paint from the container space. But more importantly, even from the outside, the fact that the walls have been painted, some with bright colors, is clear enough. ]

[citizendetective]

[Her eyes immediately go to the far desk, though she follows him into the bedroom rather than immediately disobeying the order.]

Whose desk is that far one, yours or his? Or...

[What had been the name on the door?]

Peter's?

[greatoldjohn]

[ Good. Because he wouldnt want to have to figure out how to kick her out. ]

Peter's, yes.

[ The nickname of 'Parker' is Arthur's to share. ]

Peter was Arthur's partner in Arkham.

He's dead now. So please leave it alone. Over here.

[citizendetective]

[Careful not to touch the walls, Misty moves into the room - sitting in a chair if there is one, and if there isn't, sitting crosslegged right on the floor.]

So!

[She says - smiling, clasping her hands in her lap.]

Natalie.

[greatoldjohn]

[ The room doesn't have much furniture, nothing to sit on, no, just a few bookshelves that have been put on their sides and pushed away from the wall for the painting work. There's a few drop clothes that are still in place on two of the walls, but two are completed at this point.

One wall is a night sky, viewed from an unknown spot somewhere in New England and framed by tree branches and leaves. Normal enough, even if there's something about the brush strokes that almost seems to draw one in.

But the other wall is something else: a lake and a ruined city in the distance, twin suns sinking into the water and a few strange moons in the sky hanging between stars that are blacker than the space around them. The ruins themselves seem a strange mix of cultures and architectures, like something out of a dream, though the shadows from the various buildings all seem overly long, as if they're seeping out from where they belong. This mural holds something strange to it, something not offputting but mournful and ancient and disorienting, as if it's pulling you to someplace and sometime that never has been and never will be because it never could be again: nostalgia for a place you've never visited and never will.

John floats between Misty and that painting, seemingly by chance.]

Yes, Natalie. What did you want to talk about?

[citizendetective]

[Unfortunately, while John standing in front of the painting does partially block it from view, it also means that looking at him means looking at it, or at least looking in its direction. Misty leans to the side, trying to get a better view. Drawn into trying to get a better view.]

Well, I...

[She trails off, staring hungrily at the painting.

And then, just like that, she forces herself to snap out of it, gaze sharp and alert as she flicks her eyes back to John.]

Right! Nat. Are you happy about being her warden?

[greatoldjohn]

[ Oh. He realizes what might be happening when Misty gets distracted (something he almost thought impossible), and he'll shift around to be in front of one of the blank walls. ]

Yes. I'm very happy to be her warden. I... care about her. And I want to help her.

[citizendetective]

Can I read her file?

[She figures she knows what the answer will be, but who knows! Maybe he'll surprise her.]

[greatoldjohn]

Absolutely fucking not.

[ Not harsh. Not angry. Just firm. ]

[citizendetective]

[She gives him a knowing smile, wanting to let him know that she'd expected that answer.]

It was worth a try.

[Then expression turns serious.]

You've read her file.

[greatoldjohn]

[ He nods. ]

I have. I did before I went to speak to her.

cw: suicide

[citizendetective]

Okay; did it tell you that she wanted to die? She tried to kill herself.

[And then Misty smiles - only briefly before it flutters away, but it's a smile all the same. But though it's grotesque and inappropriate, it's not happy or gleeful. It's the awkward, uncomfortable smile of someone who doesn't know what to do, or say or think or feel, and is used to covering up discomfort at all costs.

She doesn't know what to do, or say, or think, or feel. But she is so worried.]

[greatoldjohn]

Yes, it did tell me that. It told me a lot of things. Things that made me... feel very strongly.

[ He watches Misty for a moment before he adds- ]

I'm going to help her, Misty. The way Arthur helped me. I wanted to look out for her before this even happened. Now, I can.

[citizendetective]

Okay. Well, I-- I'm going to help, too.

[She knits her fingers together, hard enough to turn her knuckles white.]

We can work together.

[greatoldjohn]

I appreciate that.

[ He knows better than to outright refuse her, for any number of reasons.]

As long as we can agree that I'm her warden. And that undermining me or going behind my back won't help her.

If we're going to be a team, then we have to be a team.

[citizendetective]

Well, what counts as undermining you?

[greatoldjohn]

That's not a good first question, Misty.

[citizendetective]

Of course it is; I'm trying to figure out where your boundaries are.