o10
[wheeee this is early and lame because I won't be on tomorrow and because I can't think of anything elseSpecial Agent Aloysius X. L. Pendergast, now fully-grown and totally not amused that he spent three days as a child, has been snooping around the stockings on Christmas. He finds his, and curiously takes it off the wall, opening it with a raised
( Read more... )
He also remembers a few other nasty things. What he doesn't remember is Pendergast killing Clarence back; in fact, he has no idea their body even died. He still thinks it was the ritual that switched them back and Clarence is not about to correct him extensively.
But at the moment that's neither here nor there. At the moment there's only Philip walking past the wall of stockings and noticing somebody collapse into a chair.
He walks up to them, innuendo-free and helpful as can be. ]
Ex...cuse me, are you all riohohgod.
[ Oh hey, guy I brutally killed! Didn't fancy seeing you again! ]
Reply
Reply
Pendergast isn't looking up, means he's... means he didn't recognise his voice and doesn't know it's him, right?
Otherwise... otherwise, how could he possibly just sit there- just sit there, if he knew it was-- if he thought it was the guy who killed him? ]
{ You heard the man, he's fine. Now unless you wanna grab something sharp and change that I'd say we get the hell outta here. }
[ The resentment in Clarence's voice would surprise Philip, if he was in the right state of mind to notice.
As it is he just... he just stumbles back.
Yep, there can never be enough wordless tags from Philip. ]
Reply
Reply
Ohhkay, uhm, let's stumble backwards a little more, yeah?
Yeah.
Yeah, that distance looks about right.
So... where were we? ]
I-- I'm... I'm sorry.
[ What? ...What?! You've got to start somewhere, right? ]
Reply
Reply
[ Philip closes his eyes. What did he think Pendergast was going to say? Oh well, that's all right then; hey, how about we go for a drink sometime?
He wants to stop now.
He wants to stop now.
...He can't stop now.
He hates that next part. ]
I... I didn't kill you. That... wasn't me.
Reply
Reply
...What?
Reply
Reply
[ Well. That... pulls the rug out from under his feet in so many ways. Daniel already told him about how the ritual was stopped, but he didn't realise that there was more to the story, more things he plain forgot.
But what's worse... what's worst is that Pendergast's reaction from before was actually directed at him. Not at whoever killed Pendergast, not at Clarence, but at him; at Philip.
His explanation... everything he wanted to say...
Pointless.
Just pointless. ]
Something about the crystals, I think. I don't... remember anything after a certain point.
Anyway, I'm... I'm sorry.
Sorry.
[ With every word his voice grows lower and more deadpan with defeat. He takes one last look at Pendergast, then lowers his head and turns, ready to leave. ]
Reply
You needn't worry, Philip, [he replies after a while.] I do not blame you. I certainly have worked on other cases. But perhaps... [and he turns those eyes back onto Philip,] you should have come clean with me when I asked you, hm?
Reply
When you asked me...
[ Philip tries to think back, but he doesn't remember Pendergast asking anything that would require coming clean as opposed to lying.
...There was that time in the garden outside, but that wasn't exactly-- ]
It's not... exactly something you can just come clean with.
[ He sounds a little reproachful there, but the sentiment is small compared to the relief he feels about Pendergast still talking to him at all.
...It does bring up one question though and Philip realises that he's taken one of many possible answers for granted. ]
What... what did he tell you?
Reply
Which is exactly what he's doing right now. He's just staring again. What a bastard.]
He didn't have to speak, really, [Pendergast replies quietly, his voice not a little bitter, why did you ask?] We spent some truly quality time together.
Reply
{Not like that, monkey! What is wrong with you?! }
[ Philip flinches at Clarence's unusually heavy protest. Yet he refuses to blame himself. Three days of being forced to hit on everybody and everything that moves and your mind is bound to have a hard time climbing out of the gutter.
Still, it does seem like an unlikely scenario... ]
What do you mean? I know... [ His voice is low and every single word comes forced and with great difficulty ] I know he killed you... you were the first, but... but after that you didn't...
[ ...Didn't show up again. Or so he thinks. He pauses, waiting for Clarence to fill in the gaps, but there's a silence that isn't lack of knowledge, isn't teasing, but... stubborn refusal to repeat something he knows.
It makes Philip uneasy. It warrants repetition. ]
What do you mean?
Reply
Leave a comment