[ He fits in the trashcan with all her other friends.
But, Elizabeth and Bigby had already exchanged words. Things were said. Feelings were hurt. I'm keeping things vague because I haven't threaded it out... sweats. She sits on the text message, rolling her thumb over a few strokes on the touch screen but it's a few minutes until she replies. ]
Everything is as fine as it can be.
[ It didn't take a rocket science or a Master's degree to really know that Jack and Ardyn were friends. She wonders what will happen next, maybe some chastising or pettiness, but she doesn't equate that with his character. More a fear, honestly. The girl was sheltered and sometimes the complexity of an issue — a gray area — seems so foreign to her. Between Jack and Grell... she's curious about something. ]
Whatever happened with Bigby and Jack, I didn't expect it to go like that. I didn't know there was anything needing to happen.
[Good, he’s pretty comfy in the trashcan with all his friends.
But regardless, Ardyn hasn’t come here to chastise, and certainly not to be petty. It’s true enough that the only reason he’s reaching out is because circumstances have caused no small amount of concern — especially because Jack had been vague about the details, which is only more worrisome.]
I’m not reaching out because of what may have happened between Bigby and Jack. [In fact, he was asked to not talk about it, and so he remains purposefully vague.] Believe it or not, I’m actually asking out of concern.
That being said, I know next to nothing. Only a dangling thread of /something/ having happened, kept as a secret.
[ She's a little lost on how to really process it. Their dirty laundry wasn't even bad — no affairs or such matters, just mistakes. Elizabeth felt the guilt begin to swallow her whole and like a bird threatened to be caged, she begins to lash out a bit.
She knows Jack told Bigby, which was not the wisest of choices. It's not hard to believe he told Ardyn as well. That was until he expands the conversations. ]
I'm alive, that's something to be thankful for. Not that I would believe myself to be in danger, God that sounded horrible...
[ The grand scheme was her worry over the sudden appearance of this scar... but, she can't really explain that easily. ]
Something did happen, yes. Nothing gaudy or scandalous. I made a mistake and spoke about something to Jack. Involved him in something I shouldn't have.
[ How can she force this out without being too forward? ]
It's my fault this occurred but — have you been experiencing anything further than a few silly dreams you can't quite recall?
[Being alive is certainly something to be thankful for, and Ardyn doesn't want to hear exaggerations like that. Don't make his concern spike even further, Elizabeth.
Still, he reads the rest of the text before responding, his usual unaffected expression twisting ever so slightly downwards into a frown.]
Anything further? No. Though I've heard of others experiencing something akin to... "injuries", I think it was said.
[It really doesn't take a genius to put two and two together, and as shrewd as Ardyn has the potential to be, the next part shouldn't surprise her:] Are you perhaps implying something similar has happened to you?
In her own confusion and fear, she sought company. Misery loves it, she hears. Jack was informed of such a secret not because of his brilliance like Grell, but because he was experiencing things. Lots of things. She thought they were the same and that was her mistake.
Bigby, she knows, would want answers. He'd lose sleep over knowing the wound on her back was nearly healed as soon as it was discovered. Her selfishness to protect their stability brought this on. ]
I wouldn't call them just injuries. Differences. Physical changes with no thing such of an origin.
...
I don't like implying. Playing coy was never my strong suit. Yes. Jack was one of the two people I informed of something manifesting. Bigby did not like being excluded and I can't blame him.
Perhaps you should have, or perhaps you were right to not wish to worry him. Regardless, that’s not why I’m texting you, Elizabeth. I’m not looking for excuses, nor to make you feel bad. That’s hardly any of my business, and I’m not sticking my nose into your matters just because I enjoy being a busybody.
As I said, I’m just following up on what might have been a worrisome situation. Though I’m glad it’s not an injury, I can’t say that I’m very relieved to hear it’s merely a “physical change with no origin”.
It's not entirely an injury. It once was, I suppose. As cryptic as it sounds, it's as it is on the tin: a physical change with no origin. No memory, no recollection, no time to accrue.
I don't suspect you to be the gossipy type, so no worries there.
...What changed was this is beyond me now. I'll be transparent with you: I awoken with a nearly healed scar between my shoulder blades that still aches. A medical friend of mine has no idea on it's formation but the wound looks months old.
I'm not the only one going through physical changes now. It's imperative that I try and find answers, I thought Jack was a valid lead — what with his dreams of diamond horses.
It makes sense for you to reach out to someone you think is experiencing similar oddities as well. It appears to be an on-going theme between the lot of us.
[Us, which implies that he, too, has remembered things that don't make much sense in their context.]
I haven't experienced physical changes, and though it's not much consolation, I'm glad that there's no pain associated with yours. Have you "dreamt" of an experience that might correlate to your new scar?
None. I've had memories of ridiculous monstrosities much like Jack but this — only a few people have experienced anything manifesting into a physical reaction. This is no itch or rash.
Grell likened it to a spinal tap, Ardyn. A wound nearly healed but rooted far too high. Things like that require a significant amount of care and the bruising along the healing signify it was there for quite some time.
[ She types it nearly scientific — cold, despite her own problems with uttering the words. ]
If this could happen to me, what is keeping it from happening to my friends — to Bigby, to Jade?
I wish I could tell you that it wouldn't, Elizabeth, but with the way things are right now, those words would be empty. The only consolation I can offer is that none of these changes appear to be painful; only purely cosmetic.
[A spinal tap, though. That's a very serious procedure, and a very painful one as well. To have something faded on the back of her neck, even vaguely hinting at it, was nothing short of troubling. And the fact that she felt nothing as a result of it? Even more puzzling.]
I want to ask about the "ridiculous monstrosities" you're referring to, but first: If something like this happens to you again, I am placing an obligation upon you to let me know. We're co-workers and, dare I say it, even /friends/, you know. Eventually the information would loop back around to me anyway.
[ She's a little hesitant to reply instantly. It was impulse that makes her want to trust people, forge friendships with her co-workers. Jack was a Mess, but she hadn't spurred his attempts at a friendly competition between departments. It was nice. Especially after how much she sacrificed a social life while raising Jade, online classes, and jumping straight into students with retention and behavioral problems.
She does reply eventually, though. ]
Alright. If you can help try and find answers or people like me, sure. Not quite sure I'm fond of how gossipy our workplace is, though. The scandal with office dating and the nursing professor possibly pregnant, that's fine but —
[ #petty ]
Cosmetic or not, something is wrong and it's... I don't know, spreading? Not in the literal sense but with other people beginning to show signs of things changing.... we're helpless.
I assure you that this sort of gossip will not make its way into the workplace. Unless we're keen on everyone else thinking we're mad.
We're helpless for now. But if opportunities spring up where answers might be unearthed, I plan on pursuing them to the best of my ability. I don't particularly enjoy feeling like I'm being manipulated from some outside source. I assume you feel the same way.
I don't. People have a habit of trying to manipulate those which they find weak. I'm anything but.
[ She seems to have a bit of a problem with that implication, not towards Ardyn. ]
If you do, you'll involve me, I hope. I don't know what is going on with me or with ... with these dreams people keep having but it's spreading. More cases are being admitted and revealed.
I thought it was something environmental — bad city water. Doesn't explain things being physical.
If you wish me to, then I will. The more heads we put together, the bigger the chance of stumbling across actual answers, instead of questions upon more questions.
[That's the hope, at least.]
Nor does it explain why it's limited only to Retrospec users thus far.
So, are we having some kind of therapy session over this once a week? If we're working together, I don't want to sit idly.
It's curious, people are being introduced every day to this app, but they don't recall hearing about it or seeing it. I'm assuming it has left alpha testing and moved to beta.
I'll not be against sharing our stories with one another. I find them fascinating, even if they are worrying. It's like cliffhanger after cliffhanger.
And don't forget that those who /weren't/ forced to have the app are still ignorant of its existence. How Retrospec has managed that much is still one of the greater mysteries. How does it know to uninstall itself from a public computer after one of us has walked away? Did you know it could do that?
This isn't some multi-book series, you know. As fascinating as you may think it is, it's horrifying. The most I can do is try to move on from it, to find answers despite all logic pointing towards none.
I would say some kind of timer system — like an idle feature... but there's been no conclusive evidence to lead to that...
Some of the best stories are the horrifying ones, Elizabeth. Though you know I'd never wish ill on anyone for the sake of entertainment. [Don't call him out on his flippancy! Don't you know it's how he copes with all of this?]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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But, Elizabeth and Bigby had already exchanged words. Things were said. Feelings were hurt. I'm keeping things vague because I haven't threaded it out... sweats. She sits on the text message, rolling her thumb over a few strokes on the touch screen but it's a few minutes until she replies. ]
Everything is as fine as it can be.
[ It didn't take a rocket science or a Master's degree to really know that Jack and Ardyn were friends. She wonders what will happen next, maybe some chastising or pettiness, but she doesn't equate that with his character. More a fear, honestly. The girl was sheltered and sometimes the complexity of an issue — a gray area — seems so foreign to her. Between Jack and Grell... she's curious about something. ]
Whatever happened with Bigby and Jack, I didn't expect it to go like that. I didn't know there was anything needing to happen.
[ She asks after a few moments: ]
How much do you know?
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But regardless, Ardyn hasn’t come here to chastise, and certainly not to be petty. It’s true enough that the only reason he’s reaching out is because circumstances have caused no small amount of concern — especially because Jack had been vague about the details, which is only more worrisome.]
I’m not reaching out because of what may have happened between Bigby and Jack. [In fact, he was asked to not talk about it, and so he remains purposefully vague.] Believe it or not, I’m actually asking out of concern.
That being said, I know next to nothing. Only a dangling thread of /something/ having happened, kept as a secret.
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She knows Jack told Bigby, which was not the wisest of choices. It's not hard to believe he told Ardyn as well. That was until he expands the conversations. ]
I'm alive, that's something to be thankful for.
Not that I would believe myself to be in danger, God that sounded horrible...
[ The grand scheme was her worry over the sudden appearance of this scar... but, she can't really explain that easily. ]
Something did happen, yes. Nothing gaudy or scandalous. I made a mistake and spoke about something to Jack. Involved him in something I shouldn't have.
[ How can she force this out without being too forward? ]
It's my fault this occurred but — have you been experiencing anything further than a few silly dreams you can't quite recall?
no subject
Still, he reads the rest of the text before responding, his usual unaffected expression twisting ever so slightly downwards into a frown.]
Anything further? No. Though I've heard of others experiencing something akin to... "injuries", I think it was said.
[It really doesn't take a genius to put two and two together, and as shrewd as Ardyn has the potential to be, the next part shouldn't surprise her:] Are you perhaps implying something similar has happened to you?
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In her own confusion and fear, she sought company. Misery loves it, she hears. Jack was informed of such a secret not because of his brilliance like Grell, but because he was experiencing things. Lots of things. She thought they were the same and that was her mistake.
Bigby, she knows, would want answers. He'd lose sleep over knowing the wound on her back was nearly healed as soon as it was discovered. Her selfishness to protect their stability brought this on. ]
I wouldn't call them just injuries. Differences. Physical changes with no thing such of an origin.
...
I don't like implying. Playing coy was never my strong suit. Yes. Jack was one of the two people I informed of something manifesting. Bigby did not like being excluded and I can't blame him.
I should have told him.
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As I said, I’m just following up on what might have been a worrisome situation. Though I’m glad it’s not an injury, I can’t say that I’m very relieved to hear it’s merely a “physical change with no origin”.
What changed?
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I don't suspect you to be the gossipy type, so no worries there.
...What changed was this is beyond me now. I'll be transparent with you: I awoken with a nearly healed scar between my shoulder blades that still aches. A medical friend of mine has no idea on it's formation but the wound looks months old.
I'm not the only one going through physical changes now. It's imperative that I try and find answers, I thought Jack was a valid lead — what with his dreams of diamond horses.
no subject
[Us, which implies that he, too, has remembered things that don't make much sense in their context.]
I haven't experienced physical changes, and though it's not much consolation, I'm glad that there's no pain associated with yours. Have you "dreamt" of an experience that might correlate to your new scar?
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Grell likened it to a spinal tap, Ardyn. A wound nearly healed but rooted far too high. Things like that require a significant amount of care and the bruising along the healing signify it was there for quite some time.
[ She types it nearly scientific — cold, despite her own problems with uttering the words. ]
If this could happen to me, what is keeping it from happening to my friends — to Bigby, to Jade?
no subject
[A spinal tap, though. That's a very serious procedure, and a very painful one as well. To have something faded on the back of her neck, even vaguely hinting at it, was nothing short of troubling. And the fact that she felt nothing as a result of it? Even more puzzling.]
I want to ask about the "ridiculous monstrosities" you're referring to, but first: If something like this happens to you again, I am placing an obligation upon you to let me know. We're co-workers and, dare I say it, even /friends/, you know. Eventually the information would loop back around to me anyway.
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She does reply eventually, though. ]
Alright. If you can help try and find answers or people like me, sure.
Not quite sure I'm fond of how gossipy our workplace is, though. The scandal with office dating and the nursing professor possibly pregnant, that's fine but —
[ #petty ]
Cosmetic or not, something is wrong and it's... I don't know, spreading? Not in the literal sense but with other people beginning to show signs of things changing.... we're helpless.
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We're helpless for now. But if opportunities spring up where answers might be unearthed, I plan on pursuing them to the best of my ability. I don't particularly enjoy feeling like I'm being manipulated from some outside source. I assume you feel the same way.
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[ She seems to have a bit of a problem with that implication, not towards Ardyn. ]
If you do, you'll involve me, I hope. I don't know what is going on with me or with ... with these dreams people keep having but it's spreading. More cases are being admitted and revealed.
I thought it was something environmental — bad city water. Doesn't explain things being physical.
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[That's the hope, at least.]
Nor does it explain why it's limited only to Retrospec users thus far.
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It's curious, people are being introduced every day to this app, but they don't recall hearing about it or seeing it. I'm assuming it has left alpha testing and moved to beta.
no subject
And don't forget that those who /weren't/ forced to have the app are still ignorant of its existence. How Retrospec has managed that much is still one of the greater mysteries. How does it know to uninstall itself from a public computer after one of us has walked away? Did you know it could do that?
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I would say some kind of timer system — like an idle feature... but there's been no conclusive evidence to lead to that...
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[ WHY SO GRIM, GUYS. ]
I'm more of a chicken-soup-for-the-soul kinda gal.
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[It's not that the two ever have heart-to-heart conversations. More like an exchange of snark to the nth degree.]
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[ DON'T WORRY, there will be plenty of exchanges when double date happens. ]