( open post )

[mislay]

ᴛᴇxᴛs | ᴘɪᴄs | sᴛᴀʀᴛᴇʀs | ᴡʜᴀᴛᴇᴠᴇʀ

Comments

[mislay]

do you want to compare notes? i doubt there's really anything either of us could do about it right now.

i'll let you know if i learn something about that.

[ but no promises. ]

[apophenian]

I want you to make notes and give them to me, obv. I mean, you've got all day. Maybe you should chill and try listening to like a memory recovery hypnosis vid on YT? Memory recall binaural beats w/ headphones?

Both for your signature jacket and the murder mystery, u know

[mislay]

i'll think about it.

[ but in actuality, he won't do any of that.

there's someone he needs to get in touch with, and after that... well, it'll be a nice change of pace from the previous night. or what he remembers of it. ]

if you weren't busy with caves and mysteries of your own, i would ask you to come with me.
but i suppose we both can't get what we want all the time.

[apophenian]

Are you being sassy rn?

[mislay]

i was being serious.

[ but also yes. yes he is. ]

[apophenian]

IT'S NOT A BIG ASK OK
The more people know about these things, the more people there are to help you a) figure out who's doing it and why & b) stop them

Are you saying you miss me?

[mislay]

i think you're also forgetting c – it's dangerous and people could die. i'm not risking more than i have to.

[ but that last question though. he pauses, thinking it over. ]

i haven't seen you in a few days.

[apophenian]

At least I remember what I did last night. With the mysterious amnesia thing, isn't it also a risk to try to deal with whatever this is without backup?

[mislay]

maybe it is, but you know where i'll be.
if you don't hear from me by morning, something happened.

[apophenian]

I don't actually
know where you'll be

u know since u never said

[mislay]

i'll send you an address when i have one.

[apophenian]

[ it's ... something??

... he guesses ... ]

k
You should keep texting me so I know I still have cell service

I'm subterranean and want a textual handhold until we turn around bc there are literal like stalactites (sp??) and stalagmites here.
It's very echoey in an unnerving sort of way.
and also I haven't seen you in a few days ...

[ winkyface. ]

[mislay]

you're in a cave. what did you expect would be there?

[ honestly though? larus has plenty of time to spare, so it's not like he's in a hurry to ditch the conversation. ]

talking to me and seeing me are very different things.
does that mean you miss me?

[ ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ ]

[apophenian]

So what if it does?
Anyway how tf should I know what's in a cave??? You're not exactly talking to Indiana Jones here

[mislay]

then you should stop exploring caves and spend more time with me.
it's common sense.

[ is he talking about that or what should be in a cave? who knows. ]

[apophenian]

What is this "common sense" of which you speak?

[ not something in neal's skillset, surely. he is however very amenable to the thought of making more time in his schedule for larus.

but there's a delay here, because he needs time to scramble over himself and squeal like he's never even heard the word dignity. then to flip the park ranger off for laughing at him. ]

HOLY FUCK I THINK I JUST HEARD A BAT
OR ONE OF THOSE CREATURES FROM THE DESCENT

[mislay]

[ well, it's clearly not something that neal possesses. at least at the moment. and if he'd been here? he might have actually laughed too.

unfortunately for neal, he will never know. ]

i'm sure you're safe enough that nothing will get you.
though i'd be annoyed if something did try. i'd rather not kill anything unnecessarily.

[apophenian]

[ it's very strange, getting a text like that from someone and knowing they actually mean it. one part disturbing, one part ironically comforting, two parts weirdly intimate, one part deeply touching, and another part strangely ... arousing??

he's not sure any of those are the right way to feel about it. but he knows it probably shouldn't make his pulse flutter like a damned infatuated schoolgirl. nope. not apropes.

and yet. ]

Dude that's like the creepiest sweetest thing anybody's ever said to me

[mislay]

how is it creepy?
i won't let anything happen to you.

[ as often as he gets annoyed with some of the things neal does, larus would do whatever it took to keep him safe. ]

[apophenian]

It's actually not creepy at all.
I don't know why I said that. I appreciate the sentiment, for real.

But slow your damn roll hunty I need to stop thinking about The Descent rn
Also I'm hoping there aren't bats bc the idea of flying rodents freaks me out and I'm really not feeling a round of rabies shots

Rabies is horrifying as are shots
to a lesser degree but still

[mislay]

[ larus is learning so much from this. probably too much? but it's keeping him entertained at least, and he can't help giving neal a hard time either. ]

is there anything you don't have an opinion on?

besides, i'm sure the bats take offense to being called that.
you have to remember you're the one invading where they live, after all.

[apophenian]

[ ok he sees whose side larus is on! ]

lmao
It's so cute that you're empathizing with the bats.

Whatever I bet they'd look at me and like chitter derisively to one another:
Dude look at that giant hairless primate. He doesn't even have a snout and his teeth are square. Look at his stumpy little ears; I bet he can't even echolocate, fuckin loser.

[mislay]

i think you should consider another point of view. that's all.

[ anyway, maybe it's the fact he's already suffered some sort of head trauma, but he finds himself compelled to slowly type out the following before sending it. ]

is that really all they'd talk about?
maybe they'd call you beautiful instead and want me jealous.
but i'd rather not have competition, and it's good for me that you don't like bats.

[apophenian]

[ he wants to ask: you're not feeling dizzy or sleepy, are you? because being texted adorable cheese from larus is such a novelty, it almost worries him that larus is actually concussed.

but he decides he'll just monitor proceeding texts for typos and unusual flirtation levels. ]

If it makes you feel any better, this park ranger's got nothing on you either. His manbun has no volume and he's got a porn stache.

[ there's practically a stream-of-consciouness connection between his fingers and his thoughts, so, ]

Do you ever wonder if animals think of us like we think of aliens? Like people freak out about purported abductions and unexplained cattle mutilations, but people abduct cows and mutilate them every day. Maybe I'd be like a bat alien. An alien to bats.

[mislay]

i don't know why that should make me feel anything.

[ how is that? is he normal enough to him now? larus only sighs as the texts roll in. ]

is that really what you want to be known for?
you should stop thinking so hard about bats.
i doubt they actually care that much about you and whether or not you're an alien.