postictal | ic inbox; entranceway

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.]

[Not without reason at all. And although Tim - or anyone for that matter - couldn't claim to be an expert on that thing, he knows it better than Zacharie does.]

Then I will not speak of it to anyone.

[Last thing he wants to happen was for it to spread to Sucre.]

One last question if you do not mind amigo, but are there any signs that it may be around?

[Given their reactions to it when they failed the puzzle Zacharie has a feeling he'd know if it was up and about. But if there were earlier signs for a quicker heads up he'd like to know.]

Edited 2017-02-16 01:07 (UTC)

head hurts
coughing

feels like youre being watched

[He can barely see the keys fit to type. His heart's thundering in his chest, his throat constricted, his mouth dry. If this - is this how it starts? Is this how It gets Its foothold?

It's already here, isn't It?]

ic inbox; entranceway

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