Mask or Menace - IC Inbox

[dreadinquisitor]

He's gotten better with his communicator - a part of him even likes it! He'll probably get back to you, if you leave him a message.

Conversely, do it the old fashioned way. He'll definitely get back to you.

Comments

[flightforfreedom]

[No text, but when the image appears, it does say exactly who it is from.]

[dreadinquisitor]

[He's fast become used to the machine chirping at him, for all manner of reasons. Including ones he doesn't fully understand.

Such as this.

It makes him smile, wider when he notes the name attached, but he still has to search what it's be supposed to be - and mean - before replying.]

3 am text

[flightforfreedom]

Hey

Saw your light on

you up?

[dreadinquisitor]

Yes

Sorry

Does the light bother you?

after the horror house, action;

[flightforfreedom]

[Usually Poe would call or text first. He knows how to be polite, generally, but this time he can't. Every time he goes to write a text, he doesn't have the words for it. Same with the phone. So instead, after pacing for a while, he notices Maxwell's light is on.

Grabbing some of the tea that Maxwell left for him a couple weeks ago (had so much time really passed? had it really been so recently?) as well as a half-finished bottle of whiskey, he hopped on his carpet and flew over.

Carefully, without looking inside, he knocked on the window.]

[dreadinquisitor]

[Maxwell wouldn't have thought it possible that he could somehow sleep even worse than he had been, but the house had managed it. Even the phantom ache of the Anchor paled to the memory of that nightmare. To the figures he could still see even now, so much later, whenever he closed his eyes.

The promise... and then the reality.

Alone. And he pressed on because that was what he did. That was what he needed to do.

He'd seen Poe, once, since. Across the distance between their row houses, and while Maxwell had thought he looked perhaps as pale and tired as he did and he'd thought about calling out - thought about going over, at least, it had almost immediately brought a choking heat up into his throat. Just the mere idea of the words; of the excuse that would be the only thing he could give to explain...

So he dealt with it as he did so many things. Alone.

Working, eating, one foot in front of the other, one task at a time.... And now, gently smoothing a curve of wood that could roughly be called the idea of a bow to distract his mind and his hands when the knock came.

His hands pause, and he glances toward the curtained window. There wasn't realistically anyone else it could be, and he still dreaded it, but it would have to be sooner or later, wouldn't it?

Setting his project aside, he crossed the room and drew back the fabric, pausing only a moment before sliding the glass up.]

After Space

[dreadinquisitor]

Maxwell didn't respond when he saw the footage. First because he wasn't sure how - both technically and emotionally, and then because that wasn't the place. All the eyes, all the ears, that poor bastard likely pushed into the spotlight again.... No.

Not like that.

Then he didn't watch much after that, catching only bits and pieces in passing, so he didn't know when Poe returned. It wasn't few a few days more, until another sleepiness night was driving him out into his makeshift archery range that he spotted the light where it hadn't been for weeks now.

His reaction, truthfully, didn't even really have that much to do with Poe. It was seeded in the long weeks, months now, that he'd been trapped in his own unrelenting heartache. Grief and anger and guilt boiling away inside him for so long--

--He let the spectral arrow loose before he'd even really thought of it. A streak of green, flashing past Poe's window and lodging in the tree beyond. Like the ghost of a weapon, it lingered only a moment before exploding into wispy smoke.

[flightforfreedom]

It was enough.

He went to the window with a frown, only the trace of green lingering as he finally opened it. He leaned out, looking where it had come from, and then disappeared back into the window. A moment later, he reappeared, carpet and all, gliding down to where Maxwell was.

"Hey, bud, you alright? I saw the arrow."

After space- FOR REAL THIS TIME

[flightforfreedom]

[It was the day after he arrived, in the evening, that he went to check on Maxwell. He'd had to visit a few other friends (one of them in the hospital), so he was coming in to check on Maxwell just as the sun was setting.

He wasn't really thinking about it, when he knocked on the door, but there was something weird: he didn't look like himself. In fact, he looked a lot like his mom - for all intents and purposes completely and utterly female. It didn't actually make a lot of a difference to him, once he'd figured it out. Too busy to really worry about it. But that meant that he didn't think to change back before he was knocking on Maxwell's door. (No carpet either, and riding a flying horse up to the window would probably be Something Else.)

So, on the outside, it mostly just looked like a dark haired woman (with incredible bedhead), wearing Poe Dameron's leather jacket, knocking on his neighbor's door.]

[dreadinquisitor]

[It took some time. First for the rap at the door - so far from his room - to seep through the haze of pain and fatigue, and register for what it was. Then for him to actually unfurl himself from the knot he'd tangled himself into and drag - why so far from his room? - to the door.

For as different as Poe looked, Maxwell's transformation was perhaps only slightly less surprising. All effort made by all the various healers this strange world had to offer had worked superficially, if at all. It had bought him some time, but The Anchor had not stopped.

The skin of his marked hand and forearm were now an ashen green, the veins running up into his shoulder, into his throat, bright with its strange power. The lines around his mouth and eyes were deep and white, twisted with pain. His eyes were dark and distant, focus difficult.

He had to lean upon the door a moment, to gather himself, before he pulled it open.

And then he blinked at the stranger, completely unknowing. After a few beats his eyes moved slowly to the jacket and something like familiarity passed over his face, twitching his eyebrows just slightly.]

I guess he does move fast. [He gestured with his good hand down the street.] Sorry, serah. Poe lives down there.

text

[h2no]

hey magic maxie
it's been a while
how are you doing?

[dreadinquisitor]

[A small delay in response. He's still weak. Still so tired.

But also more than a little surprised and he's almost afraid to think too much about the pain is different.

Better?]

Still alive. For the moment, at least.

Are you alright?

text

[h2no]

found all night cookie store

come with y/n?

[dreadinquisitor]

You'd make a great demon. All the best temptations.

I'll be outside.

text

[shadowglitter]

[ a few days after odin's import my heart commercial, maxwell gets this - ]

Hey.

I wanted to apologize for, uh...
I just kind of got carried away. When we were talking.
You were being kind and trying to help me and I assumed the worst and shared far too much of Poe's feelings with you.
I'm worried I made you uncomfortable, or else brought up some things from home that you didn't want to think about.
Maybe I didn't. I don't know. I am a stupid man, so there are a great many things I don't know.
My talents lie in waxing poetic about darkness, rather than in candid conversations about emotions.
Just, I'm sorry. If I was bad.

I was also, um.
I was also wondering if you could tell me more about the person in your life who hurt you.
What they were like - their personality, their hopes, things like that.
If you're comfortable with that.

[dreadinquisitor]

[The first messagses come back quickly.]

You did nothing wrong. You'll recall I was even the one to bring it up, there at the end. And even if you had, I wouldn't hold it against you. I understand it. At least some of what you're going through.

[The next message comes after a very long pause.]

His name is Dorian.

He is one of the most passionate people I have ever met. Anything he sets his mind to do he does so with his whole heart. And he is so determined and fearless in the face of it, even if the circumstances might be dire, he doesn't let it stop him. Even when he would pretend it wasn't that important to him, you could see it in his eyes. And he won't compromise his principles, his morals, just to make something easier.

...If he could hear me say that, he'd probably try and make a joke out of it. Tell you I'm lying, but it's the truth. He's a good man.

That's why he was going to leave.

He could do a great deal of good, elsewhere. He thinks it, I know it.

He has to go. I have to let him.

text absorbs this inbox i HOPE THIS IS OKAY

[h2no]

[as usual, archie feels selfish for reaching out to maxwell, knowing he has his own shit, but... sometimes he just needs someone to shoot the shit with. he still feels comfortable talking to max, which is something that's getting increasingly rare with his other friends thanks to his shitty guilt complex that he can't let go of. his insomnia has been even worse thanks to a bunch of unfortunate events, but he messages max early in the evening. part of him hopes the poor guy is sleeping better, despite everything.]

going to need some advice on archery/swording targets soon, if you're agreeable to imparting some wisdom

I love it don't change anything

[dreadinquisitor]

[The reply comes only a moment later. Archie hasn't disturbed him in the slightest.]

Of course. Just say the world.

Though I'll warn you that my sword arm is not what my bow eye is. My knowledge is both limited and specific.

thurs, march 15, 20 minutes after Maxwell is ported back in

[flightforfreedom]

thank the force

hey buddy

scared me for a minute

bb-8 says you're back so if you could confirm you are, and that you remember who the hell i am, that would be great

[dreadinquisitor]

[The reply came back quickly, Maxwell himself already composing a message when Poe's came through.]

This is the third time I've woken up like this. I didn't even question it this time. That should probably worry me.

And I'm sorry I worried you. I wouldn't have, had I a choice in the matter.

[morethan084]

hey it’s Daisy

Kind of really delayed, but, wanted to see how you are doing

[dreadinquisitor]

Hello again.

I'm well enough. How are you? Did you get back alright?

voice, day 7.

[flightforfreedom]

[He leaves it as a message, and he sounds very shaken.]

I'm sorry.

I get it now.

I won't - ask you to forgive me, but I promise I won't pull that kind of shit on you again. On any of you.

I'm going to try to help them stop this thing but - I promise I will do everything in my power not to get hurt.

Just.

Stay safe.

Alright?

Please.

[dreadinquisitor]

[It's a few minutes before he responds with a video call.

His expression is still coolly polite, but there's a small vee of concern between his eyebrows.]

You understand why we were upset?

voice - forward dated to nebulous party future

[h2no]

In an action I'm sure to regret, I agreed to let some young adults have a party at my place.

[...]

One you couldn't pay me to attend. You wanna hang out?

[dreadinquisitor]

[The sound of his laugh comes first, warm and rich - like honeyed chocolate.]

I'm sure it'll be fine. Most things wash out.

Are you looking for a chaperone, or refuge?