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duplicity ic contact
"You've reached the inbox of one Dorian Gray. Don't forget to leave me a message. If you're interesting, I'll get back to you."
voice, video, text, action
voice, video, text, action
[Jon had meant to send a message to Dorian about the nightmares, he really had, but as he'd done some filing to settle himself after the other man's departure, something had become very clear, very quickly. It's 3 AM when he actually messages Dorian.]
You absolute bastard!
Bring back my Statement.
That doesn't belong to you.
It's the property of the Magnus Institute!
You absolute bastard!
Bring back my Statement.
That doesn't belong to you.
It's the property of the Magnus Institute!
[ Fortunately for Jon, Dorian's up at 3AM. Thanks horrific nightmares! ]
I wondered when you'd notice that!
I'll happily bring it back. However, terms and conditions do apply. Answer a few questions of mine and meet me by yourself and I'll hand over the Statement.
I wondered when you'd notice that!
I'll happily bring it back. However, terms and conditions do apply. Answer a few questions of mine and meet me by yourself and I'll hand over the Statement.
I'm not meeting with you alone again.
[Martin specifically told him not to do that and he's trying to be good.]
You may ask questions.
That's all.
[Martin specifically told him not to do that and he's trying to be good.]
You may ask questions.
That's all.
[ Boriiiing. Still, Dorian's going to take advantage of the asking questions before he decides to continue being an absolute dick to Jon. ]
1: Do you know how fucking hard it is to find a cassette player in this city? Upgrade your kit.
2: Blackwood is the Lonely. That music was the Slaughter. What are you?
[ Dorian has no idea if Lonely or Slaughter are proper names or not, but he knows that the weight behind whatever the hell Martin Blackwood did was impressive and terrifying enough to deserve a capital letter. Plus, he's extra like that. ]
1: Do you know how fucking hard it is to find a cassette player in this city? Upgrade your kit.
2: Blackwood is the Lonely. That music was the Slaughter. What are you?
[ Dorian has no idea if Lonely or Slaughter are proper names or not, but he knows that the weight behind whatever the hell Martin Blackwood did was impressive and terrifying enough to deserve a capital letter. Plus, he's extra like that. ]
1: No. I never have problems finding tape recorders and cassette players.
[Because magic.]
2: Martin isn't the Lonely. He's an avatar of it. A manifestation of it in human form. Much like those women are likely avatars of the Slaughter. The Archivist serves the Beholding, sometimes called the Eye or the Ceaseless Watcher.
[Because magic.]
2: Martin isn't the Lonely. He's an avatar of it. A manifestation of it in human form. Much like those women are likely avatars of the Slaughter. The Archivist serves the Beholding, sometimes called the Eye or the Ceaseless Watcher.
[ Ceaseless Watcher, yeah that makes sense. That explains the delightful watching feeling Dorian had when Jon was talking to him. This is all far too fascinating. ]
And being an avatar lets you do the things that you and Blackwood did. Interesting.
Do all the stories you take get assigned to one of your Important Nouns or was I just lucky enough to steal a relevant one?
And being an avatar lets you do the things that you and Blackwood did. Interesting.
Do all the stories you take get assigned to one of your Important Nouns or was I just lucky enough to steal a relevant one?
Not all phenomena in this world conforms to Robert Smirke's the taxonomy of the Dread Powers, no.
Ones that are unclear get their own color.
I also get plenty of tripe that I discard.
Ones that are unclear get their own color.
I also get plenty of tripe that I discard.
Edited 2020-01-27 15:26 (UTC)
[And it's here that Jon realizes he may actually have some leverage.]
Bring back Henry Rathbone's Statement, fully intact with all pieces of the file, leave it with the building receptionist or Martin, and I'll tell you.
Bring back Henry Rathbone's Statement, fully intact with all pieces of the file, leave it with the building receptionist or Martin, and I'll tell you.
I believe AM puts us into the morning.
But if you'd like to sleep on it...
How are you sleeping, Dorian?
I did tell you to write it down.
Multiple times, as I recall.
Written Statements only.
I didn't want to collect you.
And I don't have a way to fix this.
But if you'd like to sleep on it...
How are you sleeping, Dorian?
I did tell you to write it down.
Multiple times, as I recall.
Written Statements only.
I didn't want to collect you.
And I don't have a way to fix this.
So you know what's happening.
[ Dorian, who regularly employs cryptic bullshit to hide the fact that you know what happened, recognizes said cryptic bullshit when he sees it. ]
Do the dreams happen to every one you use that power on or am I just the lucky one?
[ Dorian, who regularly employs cryptic bullshit to hide the fact that you know what happened, recognizes said cryptic bullshit when he sees it. ]
Do the dreams happen to every one you use that power on or am I just the lucky one?
It happens to everyone.
I don't have dreams of my own anymore.
I watch you and everyone else.
So, I try not to sleep much.
[Which is why he's awake and texting at 3 AM. And looked so disheveled at their meeting. He'd fallen into a fitful snooze somewhere around midnight, which is why Dorian got to enjoy his first taste of the nightmares.]
I don't have dreams of my own anymore.
I watch you and everyone else.
So, I try not to sleep much.
[Which is why he's awake and texting at 3 AM. And looked so disheveled at their meeting. He'd fallen into a fitful snooze somewhere around midnight, which is why Dorian got to enjoy his first taste of the nightmares.]
Wait.
Were you dreaming what I was dreaming?
[ His nightmares were of 1999, of growing old and decaying, of reliving the same things he told Jon about in his statement, of his flesh falling off, his body withering, and all his hundred-plus years of sins and existence catching up to him in a very body horror sort of way. ]
Were you dreaming what I was dreaming?
[ His nightmares were of 1999, of growing old and decaying, of reliving the same things he told Jon about in his statement, of his flesh falling off, his body withering, and all his hundred-plus years of sins and existence catching up to him in a very body horror sort of way. ]
Yes.
You'll probably see me watching sometimes.
I'm sure you felt it, though.
All those eyes watching you.
It really was disgusting.
You'll probably see me watching sometimes.
I'm sure you felt it, though.
All those eyes watching you.
It really was disgusting.
I did feel it.
But you know something, Archivist? I sold my soul so that people COULD watch me. So that I would always be young and beautiful. So that my hair would never go gray and I'd never have a burn scar on my hand.
So yes, reliving those memories was disgusting. But the watching? Less so. I'll have to choose a better story to tell you next time.
But you know something, Archivist? I sold my soul so that people COULD watch me. So that I would always be young and beautiful. So that my hair would never go gray and I'd never have a burn scar on my hand.
So yes, reliving those memories was disgusting. But the watching? Less so. I'll have to choose a better story to tell you next time.
[Jon feels his cheeks color again.]
I'm not taking any more verbal Statements from you.
Are you a masochist or something?
I'm not taking any more verbal Statements from you.
Are you a masochist or something?
I'm someone who likes the way you looked at me. You had a hard-on the entire time I told my story. Seeing that expression is worth a few sleepless nights.
I want you to look at me like that again, you definitely want my Statements again, we can work something out.
Besides, I've survived worse than your dreams.
[ Which granted, are still absolutely horrible dreams that he'd really not like to go through again ]
I want you to look at me like that again, you definitely want my Statements again, we can work something out.
Besides, I've survived worse than your dreams.
[ Which granted, are still absolutely horrible dreams that he'd really not like to go through again ]
Oh, for god's sake!
It's a spell effect that I'm trying to get fixed.
I don't get off on that sort of thing.
I don't get off on anything.
It's a spell effect that I'm trying to get fixed.
I don't get off on that sort of thing.
I don't get off on anything.
I can count on one hand the number of times I have had sex here.
Literally all of them were because of one wretched effect or another.
You are not special.
Unless you want to count yourself in the same category as this man.
Who's also left me like that because he was stupid enough to give me a Statement when I told him not to.
[He sends along one of the photos he can grab from Vash's profile.]
Literally all of them were because of one wretched effect or another.
You are not special.
Unless you want to count yourself in the same category as this man.
Who's also left me like that because he was stupid enough to give me a Statement when I told him not to.
[He sends along one of the photos he can grab from Vash's profile.]
He looks like a complete idiot.
[ Wait, he can see how Jon will answer this, so Dorian VERY QUICKLY ADDS ]
Which I am not, by the way.
And in my defense, you had a tape recorder on the table and didn't lead with 'oh and by the way, this will give you horrific nightmares.' A man can get the wrong impression.
[ Wait, he can see how Jon will answer this, so Dorian VERY QUICKLY ADDS ]
Which I am not, by the way.
And in my defense, you had a tape recorder on the table and didn't lead with 'oh and by the way, this will give you horrific nightmares.' A man can get the wrong impression.
[Dorian is a wise man.]
He is a complete idiot.
And you came to listen to a Statement.
I was going to play one for you.
We did discuss that before you came.
He is a complete idiot.
And you came to listen to a Statement.
I was going to play one for you.
We did discuss that before you came.
It's not about you!
You're not even my type.
You're too bloody handsome for that.
It's the content of the story.
The supernatural horror.
It's why I asked you what you were most afraid of.
What you gave me with the brand wasn't anything close to satisfying.
You're not even my type.
You're too bloody handsome for that.
It's the content of the story.
The supernatural horror.
It's why I asked you what you were most afraid of.
What you gave me with the brand wasn't anything close to satisfying.
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