║ ninety-second stanza ║ voice / action

[mumbled_truth]

[ open action ]

[Todd has gone out to the Hall of the Missing this evening, after Justin didn't come home and didn't respond. The City has pulled Justin in and tossed him back out so many times already that he couldn't help how quickly he became concerned.

Certainly he was hoping not to find Justin's portrait in the Hall, but that was not the case. For a long moment, he lingers in silence and looks at the likeness of his friend.]

[ voice ]

[When Todd returns home, he makes the following audio post:]

Um... I'm sure there are a lot of people who know Justin Pendleton, he's- he's been here a long time, coming and going. I just figured I should let everyone know, he um... he's left the City.

[Give him a moment there.]

He's left before, for months, and... and he's come back, so... maybe he will again. But for now, well. I just wanted to make sure everyone knew, that's all.

[End.]

Comments

Re: Voice

[mumbled_truth]

The thought is still worth something. A lot, actually.

[His voice is small but sincere.]

Thanks.

Re: Voice

[trenchknives]

Any time. He was...

[He's not exactly sure how to phrase this, really, but he'll try.]

A good guy. Always liked talkin' to him, even if the fact that we had the same face was kinda... unusual.

Re: Voice

[mumbled_truth]

[There's actually a quiet laugh there, an involuntary reflex to the the admission.]

I know. A bunch of us have, uh... we've been through the same face thing, here. I still don't really get it.

Re: Voice

[trenchknives]

Yeah, neither do I. Glad to know I ain't the only one that's gotta deal with it, though. Guess it's just another one of those things about the City you learn to live with.

Re: Voice

[mumbled_truth]

My friend, Neil? He's had a double here for a long time, and I used to have one. And we both saw a lot more on the days with visitors.

I'm not... really sure you get used to it. I don't think I have, but... I guess it's not exactly the strangest thing here. I mean, we're already talking about people shifting in and out of realities.

Re: Voice

[trenchknives]

There's a guy here who has the same face as a guy I know back home. That's bizarre, too.

[A quiet laugh.]

Yeah, but y'know, shiftin' in and out of realities is a little less alarmin' than seein' someone else who looks exactly like you, somehow.

Re: Voice

[mumbled_truth]

Yeah, I guess it is. I mean, I've been able to get used to... mostly everything else, but it's still kind of startling.

[Mostly everything else. He pauses only a moment.]

Actually... it was sort of weird even seeing you at first, because of Justin.

Re: Voice

[trenchknives]

Figured the different hairstyles'd make it pretty easy to distinguish between the two of us, at least.

[Although there had been that one time when he and Justin had been bodyswapped, and that had been extremely strange.]

Re: Voice

[mumbled_truth]

Yeah... it does help.

[Like the age difference between Neil and that doctor, or his own doubles he's seen.]

Re: Voice

[trenchknives]

Anyway, you take care of yourself, okay? And lemme know if he comes back.

Re: Voice

[mumbled_truth]

Yeah. I will.

On both.