postictal | ic inbox; entranceway

[It's him again. It's...

Well, they don't really talk much. Can't blame him. After the shit Tim's live wire of a brain put Zacharie through, he wouldn't wanna talk to himself either. He pretty much never wants to talk to himself, or think about himself, or engage in his own thoughts in any way, but hey, he's not so lucky.

Keep it short, and to the point.]

i'm alive.
you?

[Nobody can really run away from their own thoughts. But like Zacharie said, not talking to Tim had been his own fault.]

I am alive as well. Although I will have to say that event was going on any top ten lists of mine.

[Jokes make things better. Who knows if Tim saw that garbled attempt at a network post Zacharie made, but he's not going to tell him that he died. Probably wouldn't help.]

Did someone help you?

yeah.

[Rest assured, he saw it. Didn't feel up to responding, due to the fact that he was just as garbled up post-drowning. Didn't want to broadcast that after George's little...threat, no matter how facetious.]

enough anyway.

[They've both seen what code and riddles look like together. Probably for the best.

He's not going to ask if Tim stayed safe after said rescuing.]

I am sorry that I was not much help amigo. Chatting while oxygen starved was likely not all that helpful.

it's fine.
everyone was in pretty bad shape.
not your fault.

Perhaps, but I do not like seeing a friend in pain.

[It brought up a few unpleasant memories.]

lots of people were in pain
including you

My personal health I am not too concerned with.

[His own game had beaten Wonderland to the punch in killing him by a long shot. All games must end, after all. And running into that thing had only produced hysterical laughter - although that might just be different strokes for different folks in regards to It.]

Perhaps in the end, although I am used to seeing death, it does not mean I like it. Hence why I wished to see if you were in good standing after that event.

[Of course he's not. At least he had the decency to trap himself with someone who doesn't value his own life so much, right? Better like that, isn't it?

A pause.

When he answers, it's both far too informative and not informative enough.]

i don't like the water.

[Maybe the world is an equalizer or something. But maybe it is better.

Zacharie doesn't know the informative half of that, so he has to go with the obvious.]

Are you afraid of drowing?

[There's no elegant way to answer that. Is there.]

just don't like it.
it's dark.

[No, there really isn't.]

I will have to agree with you Tim. Darkness is not something I enjoy either.

[Even with claims that there will be no more darkness, the world goes dark and the game starts again. It's...

....suffocating. Ah ah ah.]

[A pause.]

sorry.

[Is that his fault? Either way, he didn't help any, did he? Not with the way he set that thing on him. Flooded his mind with searing bone-white and utter darkness, no doubt, same as what It did, always does, to Tim.]

It is not your fault amigo. All games end, as I said.

[It has nothing to do with Tim at all. Even if OFF didn't end the way it did, once the Puppeteer stops playing it stops. There's no escaping that.]

but i bet i didn't help

[Though Tim is assuming this fear of the dark is newly minted.]

Unless you had a hand in creating me amigo, then I doubt it.

[But that causes things to click a little bit.]

Are you referring to that event you and I shared?

[And here he was hoping never to touch on that again!! Boy.]

yeah.
that.

[You do know Character Development means touching things you don't want to touch, right Tim?]

I will not go too deeply into what happened there if you wish. However if there is something you wish to tell me I am all ears.

should never have let things get that far.

[It's his fault.

But then, it always is.]

As the guide character, nor should have I. But we survived in some manner.

[He can say that because he doesn't know about the Operator. To him it only matters that they came back.]

for now yeah

have you

[He almost deletes it before sending it. Almost. But he's - he's gotta make sure. He has to make sure.]

have you seen it

[Zacharie gets as far as typing 'That' before he realizes he knows no words that could accurately describe whatever they had encountered in the room. So he deletes it.]

I have not. You believe it could have escaped?

[Naturally Zacharie doesn't know about what the Operator was capable of.]

that's how it works
it spreads

you can't tell anyone

[Maybe that last bit was unnecessary. But he has to be sure.]

[Zacharie regards the message for a moment before typing out his reply. That 'it spreads' comment and that he can't tell anyone about it...]

Is that how it spreads?

[If he talks about it?]

yes.
no one.

[No one can know. And HE IS A LIAR but - it's not without reason. Not all of it.]

ic inbox; entranceway

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]

[text]