001 [Video]

[aka_heisenberg]

[Walter stares at the communicator, his expression blank and his eyes focused on the screen as if he can see through it, as if he could look right at you. He's already gone through the motions. He's screamed, he's wept and he's raged. A new dent in the wall is the only lingering sign of his frustration.]

If this is some sort of plan....some sort of

Comments

[yeahscience]

[Jesse's sitting by the window in his room, smoking quietly, drawing something on one of the sketchpads he's lifted from the art room. He's shirtless, looking rumpled and sleepy -- his hair is too long again and getting messy -- but sort of... content, maybe. He's 15 days sober and feeling, if that's possible, a little more okay with the world.

And then he hears the voice and his heart stops. He puts down his pencil and picks up the communicator, eyes wide, mouth dry. His voice is barely above a whisper.]

Mister... Mister White?

[aka_heisenberg]

[Walter grabs the sides of the communicator and holds it close to his face. He stares eagerly into it.]

Jesse? Oh thank god! Jesse! Where are we? What are you doing here?

[yeahscience]

[For half a second, or even less, he's so honestly happy to see him that he forgets everything else and starts to smile--

But then he realizes what it means to see him, what it means if Mr. White is here, and his face crumples with horror.]

Oh, shit-- no, no no no no--

[He drops the communicator to rest on his knees, hands going to cover his mouth. Mr. White is here. Mr. White is dead.

Which means Jesse failed.]

But I-- [He glances at something offscreen, then back at the comm, seems to realize something, and switches to private, still whispering.]

[Private]

But I did it, Mr. White. I got him.

[Private]

[aka_heisenberg]

[Walter stares at him for a moment. Who is he talking about? He is about to ask and then his mind thinks back to the one man Jesse killed who he'd talk about like that.]

Gale? I know. That was a long time ago, Jesse.

[buywithme]

[Video response clicks on quickly, and there's a man in a slightly crumpled looking (but ridiculously expensive) suit, staring directly at the Camera, with wide eyes. He has this look about him that suggests he maybe doesn't get very much sleep.]

Comrade, I absolutely assure you that no one is going to torture or interrogate you here. [Pauuuuuuse.] At least, not in any kind of official capacity.

[aka_heisenberg]

[He ran a hand over his face and stares at the man who looked like he felt. Although he didn't feel like he was in an expensive suit, but that was beside the point.]

Thanks for the comforting words. I feel much more secure now.

[buywithme]

[Prefect is apparently content to take this entirely at face value, because he abruptly bursts into an implausibly wide grin. It looks kind of painful.]

I'm very glad to hear that, Comrade. Welcome to the Barge! If you do not know why you are here, then it is extremely likely that you are an inmate, brought here after your death to undergo a process of moral rehabilitation!

[sixthanimorph]

[When the feeds flickers on again, now it's a kid peering into the screen. He looks vaguely interest, but not really alarmed, and has a look on his face like maybe he has an attitude.]

There's plenty of people listening, man, but freaking out over the network ain't gonna do anything about that. [He shrugs.] Neither is trashing your room.

[aka_heisenberg]

[Walter knows that face and that attitude. He taught high school, he used to get it every day. He rolls his eyes, his opinion of everything about to come out of the boy's mouth is already low.]

Anything useful to say?

[sixthanimorph]

Depends on who's asking.

[And then David deploys another staple in every high-schooler's arsenal, the stock smirk.]

[aka_heisenberg]

[Walter rolls his eyes. This must be hell and this toy his worst student come back to haunt him.]

I don't have any questions for you, so it doesn't matter.

[dont_tell_sansa]

Gods can't find us, here.

[And after spotting Jesse's reaction:] You're Mister White?

[aka_heisenberg]

[A little hesitant.]...Yes I am. Does that mean something to you.

[dont_tell_sansa]

You're Jesse's friend.

[aka_heisenberg]

I am. You know Jesse?

[aka_heisenberg]

You want a story? Here. I woke up in a room I know, but when I walked out into the hallway it wasn't my house. Then I found someone had left me a electronic device then people started talking to me on it.

[aka_heisenberg]

And here I thought it was very creative.