THREAD OVERFLOWS

[eyediot]

An overflow post for memes and other game threads.

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[curriculum_fictae]

It's me?

[ He sounds so uncertain as he stares down at his ghostly hands. ]

Yes. Yes, that. It sounds right. Martin.

[eyediot]

[Jonah sits up carefully so he doesn't wake his husband, but his eyes are glued to the ghost before him.]

Yes, that's right. You're Martin.

[It must be a dream. He has to be dreaming. And yet... This place has done stranger.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ At least his husband is super sound asleep here. He'll barely twitch as Jonah sits up. ]

And ... you're Jon. Jon, I -

[ A strangled sob escapes him. And he gestures to the Martin in the bed. ]

Where am I? Who is that?

[eyediot]

Right, it's Jon. [He nods along, helping him figure this out. And then-

He looks to his husband, then back to the specter, holding both hands out.]

It's - A bit complicated? We aren't in our world right now, it's - A different world entirely. He's also a version of you, just.. Different.

[curriculum_fictae]

He's ... me. But different.

[ The spectre's hands remain where they are, floating dimly next to the rest of him. ]

Why is he in your bed?

[eyediot]

Because....

[God. He sits up carefully, moving to come to the end of the bed to be closer.]

We both ended up alone here. And... and got close.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ The spectre drifts closer, the smudges where his eyes should be just murky brown dots in the rest of his face. ]

Close. How close?

[eyediot]

Um.

[This close, he can probably see the light catching on his ring.]

Close enough we fixed up this house together. And. And sleep like this, together.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh. Oh yes he can. That glimmer is bright in this little slice of moonlight. ]

You married him?

[ It's a strange, keening sort of question. A throttle of despair when he thought he didn't have anything left at all. ]

[eyediot]

[What should be a simple 'yes' response is caught in his throat at the noise Martin makes. His heart aches, wanting to make it right, fix it.]

Yes. We got married recently. There wasn't anything left for us in our worlds and have no intention of going back.

[curriculum_fictae]

I - I -

[ His voice breaks miserably, and the shade fades around the edges. ]

I'm so glad, Jon. That you found a better version of me.

[eyediot]

[He shakes his head at that. No no no no-]

It isn't that he's better or you're worse.

You were... [Jonah clutches at the bedding for his life, trying to let himself revisit this horrible past of his.]

I searched for you. I searched for weeks, months. And you were gone.

[curriculum_fictae]

Gone. Yeah. I was ...

[ His voice trails off, wavering. ]

I was waiting. All I could do was wait. And - and hope that maybe I'd see you again. Somehow.

[eyediot]

I... I'm sorry. I'm sorry I lost you.

[When did he start crying? When did his voice start to crack?]

I did everything I could.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Oh. Oh Jonah. The shade shifts forward, lifting a foggy hand to Jonah's cheek. ]

Everything?

[eyediot]

[He leans into the touch, the cold bringing out the green handprint.]

Everything except staying lost there myself.

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Ah. The shade sees that handprint; he shifts his own pale fingers away from it a bit. ]

I wouldn't want you to be lost too. I ... only ever wanted you safe. And happy.

[eyediot]

... Did you?

[He's hesitant asking, watching his face so carefully now.]

Because I... I was so certain you didn't want anything to do with me. Especially after the last time we spoke...

[While he loves the Martin here in his bed, Jonah can never r fully forget the memory of Martin cruelly laughing at his suggestion.]

[curriculum_fictae]

The last time we ...

[ Hang on, it takes him a moment. It's so hard to remember anything any more, as vague as he is, and that memory in particular is painful. ]

Oh. I ... I thought you weren't serious. That you couldn't be. Were you?

[ He disbelieves even now. ]

[eyediot]

... I was ready to run at any second, but only if it was with you.

[Everything about Jon's posture slacks. Martin never believed him. He shouldn't have gone looking in the Lonely, he should have wandered forever instead. That aching canyon starting to widen.]

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Meanwhile, the ghost in front of him is coming to a different but equally miserable conclusion. ]

Then - then I could have gone with you. We could have escaped, I wouldn't have had to ...

[ A wracking sob escapes him. ]

[eyediot]

[Jon himself lowers his head, tugging at the ends of his short hair to ground himself.

When he does speak again, his voice is low and measured. Forced calm.]

... How are you here?

[curriculum_fictae]

[ Sorry, Jonah. The shade wobbles in front of him miserably. ]

I - I don't know. Didn't you call me?

[eyediot]

I can't have. You died months ago.

[curriculum_fictae]

... Then where are we? Am I dead?