[network] @ASolomons; audio, afternoon of 347 [open]

[devoutish]

[The recording starts up and Alfie says in a rough, no-nonsense voice:]

Where are you? You're alive?

[There's a brief pause, and then he continues, his tone markedly different - it's a bit softer, but also more tired. Less guarded.]

Where are you? I'm in one of the newer areas; I'm in a funeral home I've never been in. Fucking cultist markings all over the walls-- answer as soon as you can, mate; please.

[Another pause, and then:]

Hello.

[He almost sing-songs his words, but only enough to just barely hide the hardness that lurks underneath.]

Do you know who I am?

[Once upon a time, this disjointed, confusing post was several separate messages. Unfortunately for Alfie, once he hit send, all privacy filters were removed - a consequence of his current death loss. For a guy who prefers private conversations over public ones by a large margin, this will not be fun.]

Comments

[darkincrement]

There's a message from them on the network. [ And then quietly: ] It had his name on it.

[devoutish]

You're talking about the obituary.

[darkincrement]

Yeah, I was trying to find his friends or at least a clue as to how this even happened. [ And that gets him to thinking about the dying part.] Is that what happens, though? Steph says they are just hurt.

[devoutish]

Steph's sugarcoating things for you. They're dead. They may come back to life, but they are dead.

[darkincrement]

Oh. [ Well that sucks. He knows loss, but all of those bodies? And those names?

And then realizing that Steph was trying to baby him. ] I'm not some sort of kid. [ He's fifteen! and is old enough. ]

[devoutish]

And you know the truth, now. It's up to you to prove that you can handle it.

[darkincrement]

I will. [ \o/ He's stronger than he seems usually. ] Hey, if you can't figure a way to fix it, I can send private messages to anyone you want. [ And the reverse. ]

[devoutish]

They'd need to be messages I wouldn't mind your friend Vanitas seeing. He'll come back and they'll be under his username.

[darkincrement]

[ It takes a little longer for him to respond because something doesn't feel right about friend and Vanitas. ]

Oh yeah. I don't know what kind of person he is. He does have friends, so he can't be all that bad.

[ Still doesn't mean anyone could trust him. Hmmm... ]

Maybe you could do it in a code? Something your friend might know.

[devoutish]

If I'm gonna do that, I might as well do it publicly.

[darkincrement]

Yeah, that's a good point. I hope you hear from them soon.

[devoutish]

You know by now that you won't be hearing from yours, I expect.

[darkincrement]

[ Alfie likes being a bucket of cold water. ] Yeah, I know they aren't here. It's better this way. And I know they will be fine without me. [ He does sound certain of that. ]

[devoutish]

[Buddy, are you sure you aren't Sora.]

It doesn't much matter; you'll be out of here soon enough yourself.

[darkincrement]

[ Well... it's complicated.

Also, those words are hitting something again. ]

You really think so? [ He wants to be with his friends, but he's also worried about what that means. ]

[devoutish]

You're here in his place, with his things, and his tablet. I'm sure of it.

[darkincrement]

[ He knows it's the truth, but it also scares him and he doesn't know why. ]

Yeah, that is true. He has friends waiting for him to come back.

[devoutish]

Funny that you say that - he's the sort to insist that he doesn't.

[darkincrement]

Someone should remind him to check his messages then. Someone with name god send is promising to keep messaging until he comes back.

[ Though he hasn't really kept that promise. It's odd. :< ]

[devoutish]

[Ah, Gabriel.]

That's not gonna be my job, the reminding.

[darkincrement]

I didn't think it would be. I mean, you don't really seem like the type.

[devoutish]

I am the type with enough on his fucking plate already.

[darkincrement]

[ That's sombering. ] Yeah, you do. I mean, this place is a lot. [ That's what it feels like. ]

I meant that you seem like someone who wouldn't want to waste their time. [ And if Vanitas doesn't get it or accept it now... it might be pointless for others to hit him with it. ]

[devoutish]

Right, well - let me ask you something. How much do you feel that you understand this place?