the_archivist | Prisma Inbox

I won't! I like meeting people here too much. I wouldn't have met the human embodiment of Austria, or a summoned familiar of James Moriarty, if I didn't get myself out here. That would be a big loss.

Austria- how many countries are there here? That's just surreal.

Uhh, America went and made a post on the network a while back. Lemme see if I can find it, ok? I've spoken to America, Austria, and Japan. Only Austria in person, though. He's really handsome.

[ He's pulling out his communicator to find the post, of which America put a helpful diagram up. ]

Oh, there we go. Looks like a handful.

Hmmm, I remember speaking to him but I hadn't seen the diagram.

That's very weird. Countries made manifest. How does that even work?

How did someone decide they wanted to summon James Moriarty as their familiar? Plenty of things I don't get are going on here. Same goes for people I talk about my tech stuff with. Y'know? It's all... weird. And in the end, it's not going to change my life once I get sent back home.

That's true but... I like knowing things. I have to know things, even if the information isn't useful or even good for me.

[ There's a long thoughtful pause, and then: ]

Wait.

[ Hal opens up their previous messages and searches until he finds what he's looking for: Jonathan saying "I could Know." He points at the message. ]

What do you mean?

[Jon gives him a confused look.]

About what?

Having to know things. And this, when I asked about James - you could Know.

I have always been that person who pushes for answers, aggressively sometimes. How do you think I got my hand scarred? I agreed to shake someone's hand in return for information, and I knew she'd hurt me.

Ah... I understand. I usually hack my way into it. Can't do that here, which annoys me every day.

[ Hal puts down his tea, hands warm from holding it, to take Jon's scarred hand in his own. ]

It is annoying. I don't have the resources here that I have at home.

I had an assistant once, Sasha. She could hack into things. She was- she was great.

[And then she was replaced by the Not!Them, and even with all his abilities, he cannot remember her face. Only remembers her voice because he kept the tape with her statement.]

Did the... job get her?

[ He keeps holding. The skin is rough under his fingers. ]

Yes. It really did.

[The job got all of them, in the end. He wonders how many other assistants in the Archive have been sacrificed for the Archivist.]

I'm sorry. I didn't want to come here to make you sad.

[ Hal falls quiet, cuddled into Jonathan's side. He just sits, warm and inviting, letting silence fall. If Jonathan wants to talk, he can. If not, then don't. ]

It's fine. It's not- it's not any worse than work. I just- things have been such a mess. I never got time to- to stop.

[Sasha had been dead for nearly a year when he finally realised. And he didn't have time to grieve. And then Tim... everyone had moved on in six months while he'd been... becoming.]

I understand what you mean.

[ Hal's life never stopped. Death, hurt, pain, PTSD, everything. He never really got a chance to cope or grieve. Even now, he was so used to burying it and not properly debriding the emotional wounds that it was all rotten inside him. ]

Talk if you need to.

There isn't much to say.

[There is so much to say.]

I am seeped in horror every day. It gets to you after a while.

You're here on another planet right now. Having tea with your friend, who has bunny ears.

[ He lifts Jonathan's scarred hand in his own and brings it up to his ears, encouraging him to pet. ]

[Another planet, but the Beholding still claims him and looks out through his eyes.

Still, he gives a soft, hurt little laugh when he touches Hal's ears.]

They really are very soft.

Apparently I'm cute when I've got 'em, so...

[ That's something? ]

Gotta make sure I have contacts though, otherwise I'm pretty much blind.

You are very cute.

[He rubs his fingers against the base of one of Hal's ears.]

Are you managing to get them alright?

[ He looks a bit smug as he gets pet; it feels nice, and Chroma makes it feel all warm and tingly. ]

Not an issue. Being Moonblessed means they really make an effort to do things perfectly and efficiently for you.

That's good to know. They are being very solicitous. I suppose if they need the energy it makes sense.

Yeah. Treat us like deities.

[ He's clearly a bit put-off by it. ]

Whatever. I'd be happy just working and trying to make a normal life here if I could, but I'm still trying to get settled. We all are.

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