shellphones | (no subject)

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Type: Accidental Video
Sender ID: 🖕nunya🖕(Sidestep)
To: Public
Subject:
Warnings: Mention of death and torture. Threads are likely to end up going deeply traumatic places.

(It's a typical day on Nogard, though many people who see this might be elsewhere.

Many have probably heard by now that Chris is dead. Has been dead for several days, in fact, after being captured and tortured by Ganon.

Except... they're not?

That's definitely a shot of a very panicked looking Chris running... somewhere, not paying attention to the shellphone clutched in their hand or noticing that it's recording.

Several people can be heard yelling in surprise in the background as Chris darts past them.

...The fuck are they even running from? It doesn't sound like they're being chased.

The hand holding the shellphone bumps into something, and the video cuts out.)

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That was the point.

(Being cruel. Being terrifying.

Wasn't that what they were supposed to become?)

[ A nod, and then a pause. ]

...So you worked for him.

[ He's not sure how much he can judge, although he's trying really hard not to think about that. ]

What... happened?

[ He was going to ask, sooner or later. They'd know he was wondering anyway. ]

I needed a ship.

(And at the time, trusting a team seemed... risky. At least they knew what they were getting with Ganon.

~~It's actually because not being a villain felt scary and vulnerable.~~)

You know how I left a week into Hawks' recovery? Ganon had a quest for me. When I came back I found out he had Turo.

(And so they betrayed him.)

...Okay.

[ He doubts that's the whole story... or even a particularly good explanation given how many ships seem to be an option. But he doesn't say that part out loud. ]

Wondered about that.

[ It seemed a little oddly sudden, all things considered. He just didn't feel he knew Chris well enough to bother them about it. And he was busy fussing over his boyfriend. ]

...Was it you that got him out of there?

[ It's not a hard guess to put together. But he wants to know. ]

Yeah. He ...doesn't know. So maybe don't tell him.

(Looking away.

It's better that he doesn't see.

~~Nevermind that they have a huge gloom scar now.~~)

...Doesn't know the part where you helped him?

[ Because the other parts are public knowledge, assuming Turo's been paying any attention to the network at any rate.

So that seems like maybe the piece he actually should find out, all things considered. ]

Doesn't know I was involved at all, I think. He tends to have panic attacks and (How much does Faulkner know? He seems to know Turo isn't human but does he understand what the crystals are? What Turo really is?) ...get sick... in response to graphic imagery or mentions of people getting hurt.

(They roll over on their side and curl in on themself.

...They don't want him to get hurt any more because of them.)

Oh.

[ He supposes that's a bit different. Though he has to wonder how much Turo will hear sooner or later, all the same. ]

...He can get sick?

[ He doesn't entirely understand how much Turo has in common with humans or not, when it comes to that kind of thing. ]

Not in the way you're thinking of.

(Worse, actually.)

I don't want to see what happens if he's already messed up.

[ He has questions, but it seems like a bad idea to push it. ]

...Guess I don't either.

[ Even if he's not really sure what they mean. But he likes Turo, and none of the revelations about what the man is seem to have particularly changed that. ]

...Thanks.

(And they're just gonna lie there, all tiny and curled up.)

[ ...Okay despite his many remaining questions (and the fact he did punch them earlier) Chris seems extremely sad right now.

And he is glad they're not dead.

He's quiet for a bit, and then finally—]

You want a hug?

(They jolt--surprise? fear?--in response to that.)

...Fine. Whatever.

(Did you really expect enthusiasm even if they did want that comfort?)

[ Well, it's not a no. ]

...Then c'mere, dumbass.

[ Apparently he's going to sound just as grudging, despite being the one to offer, because we're only doing so much sincerity today.

But he will gently push Angel off of him and then pull Chris into a hug. ]

...Fine.

(They sit up, and let Faulkner hug them. It might seem for a moment like they're gonna be an awkward unresponsive statue, but then they'll hesitantly hug him back.

They're shaking.)

Edited 2025-09-23 07:15 (UTC)

[ He's a little surprised by the shaking, maybe he shouldn't be though. He'll give them a brief squeeze and some gentle pats.

He's feeling both awkward and concerned, if they happen to check.

...He's also trying very hard not to let himself be reminded of all those memories he saw. He's been trying very hard to forget those in general. ]

(And they might briefly squeeze back, but the concern has them pulling away again.

Why does he care? They're gross.)

[ He won't object to them pulling away. He will on the other hand look very awkward once they do.

He's not especially sure what to say at the moment. ]

(They're not looking at him. They don't know how to handle this at all.

Because the problem is, they know the entire concept of Re-Genes and their creation is revolting, but it's hard not to notice that people keep not being revolted. Turo is understandable, he's a robot, of course he'd understand. Dojima doesn't count because he's a weirdo. And well... Keigo is practically the same as they are, he was just lucky enough to be born instead of made. But Faulkner? He's just a human.

So ...why? They're not even nice to him.)

[ Well, if they actually go looking: there's not none. Chris reminds him of saints and angels and those both invoke some very complicated cultural baggage. Revulsion is in the mix along with pity and guilt and reverence, but maybe most of all necessity. Whatever his individual feelings he's from a world that considers these things a very normalised part of life.

But Chris is also comparatively easy to see as a person. A very annoying person, but one he's at least attached to enough to have been very upset when they died. ]

...You okay? I mean, alright, probably a stupid question but--

[ But he's not sure if hugging them actually made things better or worse. ]

(And the problem is, they will go looking. It angers them, they're not anything worth revering and they don't need his fucking pity-

But the fact that the friendship is there despite it all is somehow even worse!)

What do you think?

(Snappy. Cracking. They're a mass of trauma kept at bay beneath a thin shell and that shell is breaking under the weight of all these entirely unexpected emotions.)

[ And he startles enough at the tone to move back a little, even if he probably should have been expecting it. ]

I'm not the one who can read minds.

[ ...Which was probably either the worst thing to say at the moment or actually funny. He supposes he'll find out which. Maybe being annoyed with him is better than sad either way? ]

Fuck you, Faulkner.

(They don't want to to talk about this. They don't want to think about this. They definitely don't want to cry about this but that's what they're doing now anyway shit no fuck fuck-)

Edited 2025-09-27 00:38 (UTC)

...Yeah I probably deserved that one.

[ Even if being sincere seemed to be making things worse so being snarky seemed like it had a shot at diffusing them.

Except he has to wonder if they're subjected to the way he overthinks the intent of everything he says. That probably doesn't help anything.

He's really not sure how to respond to the crying, either way. ]

(They probably need to cry after everything... not that they'd admit to that if they had a choice.

They don't. They're just gonna curl in on themself and cry.

...Fuck.)

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