[the last voyages] ic inbox

[onlyhearmusic]

[a lyrical hum cuts in, almost as if someone didn't know what they were doing]

"Leave yer message."

[oh. no, he knew. he just didn't care. the beep comes after another brief humming stops.]

Comments

[zichen]

Death, for him, doesn't stick. [And he doesn't want it to stick, frankly.]

[onlyhearmusic]

Everything dies. You just have ta get out of this place and figure out what does stick. Make it permanent. As it should be.

[zichen]

I don't want him to die. [Not as he is now.]

[onlyhearmusic]

That don't matter.

[zichen]

It does since I am protecting him.

[onlyhearmusic]

It doesn't because eventually everything dies. Including him, including you.

[zichen]

But not yet.

[onlyhearmusic]

[He simply sighed and rolled his eyes beneath his lids. The room fell into silence as Collins waited, arms crossed and leaning against the desk, for Zichen to leave or bother him with something else.]

[zichen]

You didn't tell me why you killed this time. [He would like to know - and, no, he doesn't buy the "I just felt like it" defense.]

[onlyhearmusic]

[Collins bored his pale blue-gray eyes at Zichen as if perhaps he could stab with them. Languidly, he replied.]

Because I wanted ta hear tha music again. To return everything to normal tha way it should always be.

[zichen]

But it can't return to that. [Zichen can almost empathize. Wouldn't it be nice to be normal again? Though he isn't sure what that word means in regards to him anymore.] Like it or not, you've experienced a transition.

[onlyhearmusic]

[Collins heard the music swell now as his anger at the other man grew.]

You don't understand. Get out, now!

[He pointed emphatically at the door.]

[zichen]

I want to. [Understand. Badly. He suppresses a sigh and moves to the door.] I won't be far.

[Night or day, Dennis can contact him.]