inbox.

[needlebomb]

( video / text / voice / action )

Comments

[needlebomb]

they won't what?
why can't you do it?

[ a sign, maybe, that tate's messages aren't coming through. marcus smooths over this, though. ]

i mean, yeah, i can take care of them
they seem to like me.
well, the dog does, at least, but that might just be dogs.

[confiscated]

[Tate gets frustrated, frowning at his screen. Trying to type a few more things.]

thanks

[That's all that's coming through. Until:]

did any of that send?

[needlebomb]

"thanks"?

[confiscated]

fuck
something's not right
everytime i try to tell u about

[La la la la.]

or ask you if u know anything about it
it's like it won't go thru
maybe my phone's busted

fuck

[needlebomb]

oh. uh. okay. maybe send one message at a time? like
it
sounds
like
you're
getting

[ silence. phreaked. interfered with. whatever it is marcus wants to write, it doesn't come through. ]

[confiscated]

this is seriously pissing me off
what the fuck kind of bullshit
There's

[Censor! Censor! Censor!]

and no way to come back up
it's not

[Censor! Let's try something else, inspired by an interaction with an old friend named Stiles.]

... it's perfectly safe down here
nothing at all is going on

[needlebomb]

[ ... ]

okay. wow. i love big brother.
let me think.

[ the first thing he needs to figure out here is what the threat is - and in his experience, threats tend to come from outside sources. the police, a therapist in a boy's home, chester... how can he ask tate if he's under attack in an easy, subtle, uncensored way? ]

is anyone with you?

[ not specific enough. ]

are you seeing someone new?

[confiscated]

what?

[He's not following the train of thought, so give him a second.]

no.
i mean, the last break up i had was really loud
really chaotic. almost a bit violent if i'm being honest

[needlebomb]

no, i mean

[ Marcus can't tell if Tate's following him or not. Codebreaking doesn't really work when both you and the person you're trying to break codes with are fucking stupid. "Loud", "chaotic" and "almost violent" sound like... the last person Tate saw in the Down tried to fight him, maybe? Or maybe Tate's just speaking without metaphor. Christ. He asks a question that he hopes will clarify things, either because Tate will follow through on speaking through code or he'll... just... talk about a breakup. That'll clear this hiccup up either way. ]

why did you break up?

[confiscated]

because it was very violent and loud
kind of like a hellhole
idk what else to say