⇝001 // video

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

<sub>[the video's dark, but it's definitely video; the screen is completely black. there's the snap and clink of a lighter, but the fire isn't seen on the video, as if he's pointing it elsewhere from himself, or isn't aware the video's on; there's a deep inhalation and a deep exhalation, which sounds more like someone breathing through their teeth. it quickly degrades into soft, under-the-breath giggling. his voice is soft enough that someone might not be able to hear him unless they're trying.]

...eeeeveryone's... gone.

[he keeps that low soft breathy giggling up for a moment, and it almost sounds desperate.]</sub>

That's what it says. It says, everyone's gone.

I've never thought about it. What happens when everyone goes away.

<sub>But now, now... they're all gone. Gone, gone... gone.

[his giggling starts to get more frantic but it never gets louder; it sounds more and more desperate, and suddenly-- it stops. he makes a quiet noise, his voice low and quiet. for reference, it's the first four or so seconds.]

zhuzhuzhuzhu...

...but still so noisy.</sub>

Comments

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

[She grabs his hand, giving it a quick squeeze before letting go.] Even if you're not afraid, you shouldn't have to live feeling like someone is watching your every move. You're no one's test subject.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

No.

It's different. From a hallucination.

_{It's not like I ... think she's here, somehow. I know it. She is. She has to be. It feels the same way.}

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

She's not here. I would have seen her soul when I'd looked for it, and there's no reason I have for lying to you.

[video]

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

_{Don't you feel it? Don't you feel the madness...?}

Re: [video]

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

...No, honestly. I've actually felt saner since I've gotten here.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

Hnnn.

_{[he curls up and into himself, laying on his side.]}

..Everything blends together.

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

[She frowned as he curled up, sliding onto her back so she didn't have to keep looking down at him]

What do you mean "blends together"?

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

Everything. Every soul. Every little detail.

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

Just try focusing on one. Here, just look at mine. Forget about all the rest of the souls in this tower for a minute. [She reaches over and lightly grabs the sides of his face to make him look at her.] Focus on the one thing and then we can move on to separating everything else.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

<sub>[for a second he stares blankly at her, and then at her soul, his eyes unfocused.

then, his eyes clear, and he seems to be lucid for half a second.]</sub>

...Similar. Not perfectly alike, but similar.

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

[She smiles, glad to see him looking a little better for a moment. Maybe she really could figure out a way to take care of him on her own if she just gave him something to focus on.]

Really now? What's different between them? I'm curious.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

Can't you see it?

_{[he shifts on the bed, staring at her.]}

Hear it. Feel it.

_{[a low sigh.]}

You have something else there.

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

When I looked at your soul, I could only really see on the madness. [But she looks again, and focuses past that. Similar - frighteningly so - but not quite identical.]

I suppose gender plays enough of a role on a person to change a few things here and there.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

There's something...

<sub>I can't think.

[he shudders, leaning his head back, biting his lip.]</sub>

I can't hear all of it. I can't listen past the noise.

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

It's alright, just focus. You don't even have to focus on my soul, just find a way to get the noise to stop bothering you. [It's all very good advice, but she knows she wouldn't be able to just follow it on her own like that.

She falls silent, thinking.]

Stein? Do you think you would be able to keep the madness from spreading to me if we resonated? It might help to balance you out some.

BOOBS, BOOBS EVERYWHERE

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

...

<sub>[he's silent for a long moment.]

No. I won't.</sub> I'll ...

_{[he doesn't want to say "I'll set you free too". something about it feels wrong to him, so he trails off there.]}

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

We'll think of something else, then. We have plenty of time to figure this out while we're here.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

..Hn.

<sub>[he looks up at her, that odd clarity coming back again.]

..Everything feels so heavy.</sub>

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

I know.

But if there's anything you need me to do for you, just tell me. There must be some way for me to fix this, and until I figure it out, I'm just going to make sure you're as well taken care of as you can be. No clone of mine is going to waste away to nothingness.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

Clone.

_{[that makes him giggle again, and he rolls on his side, back to her, softly giggling.]}

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

Clone, double, twin, whatever you want to call it. [She stares over at his back, wondering if she should try and snap him out of the giggle fit or just let it stop naturally - would it even stop naturally anymore? - but she doesn't move a muscle either way.]

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

_{[a slight breath of smoke.]}

..So, does that mean one of us isn't real..?

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

Hmm... [She reaches over, touching him on the shoulder] You feel real enough to me.

[patchworkdoctor.livejournal.com]

Hn.

<sub>[he leans a little into the touch, almost as if he's trying to tell if she's real or not.]

..I can't tell anymore.</sub>

[weaponiser.livejournal.com]

[She squeezes his shoulder, trying to reassure him. She sits up, making sure to not move her hand away from him.]

What can I do to reassure you that I'm not just a hallucination? Anything? Or do you just need to see me not disappear for a while?