34 // videos // locked to ALL THE PEOPLE (one at a time)

[40410]

The mirror in Alex's room has been covered for months, but the one in the bathroom gets a pass. His double can stare at the tiled wall till the cows come home if it makes him happy; from the bathroom, he can't see Alex.

But he can write ominous messages on the other side of the glass.

Alex's messages are hastily locked and quietly panicky, making them hackable with some effort. The first goes out to Sofia Lamb.

"Sof', are you there?"

And after he's spoken to her, he sends the same message to Mark. "Mark, you there? Pick up."

Then he calls J.

Comments

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ Despite being ever so busy with her private goodbye-and-suck-it party for Sinclair, Lamb manages a swift response. ]

Yes, of course, Alex. What is the matter?

[40410.livejournal.com]

[ He studies her face, and lets out a breath of relief, though his expression is still tight with worry. It's not about Sofia. She's right there, whole and un-branch-impaled. ]

Got a message. I'll explain after.

[ He's already reaching for a button to end the feed and start another. ]

Be careful. Keep the cameras on.

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

After what?

[ Oh boy, not this again. ]

[40410.livejournal.com]

Someone -

[ He can't say it. ]

After.

[ Feed off. ]

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

Alex, plea--

[ Aaannnnnd off.

Sigh. ]

[40410.livejournal.com]

[ Some time passes, but not too much. Twenty minutes won't yet have gone by before Alex reappears on Lamb's screen, looking...

Well, conflicted more than anything else. Which is at least an improvement from panic. ]

Hey. Sorry if I worried you.

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

It's all right.

[ And until the guilt ray dictates otherwise she will smile reassuringly. ]

Can you speak now?

[40410.livejournal.com]

Yeah. I...

[ ...am going to hesitate, not sure how to word the feelings of the moment or even whether it's necessary. Probably not. ]

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ Well. Let's get started on pulling teeth. ]

What happened?

[40410.livejournal.com]

J's... gone. Home.

[ Somewhere safe. But at the same time, now that J's gone, Alex has started to feel as though he's missed an opportunity. ]

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ At that moment Lamb takes a sharp breath and chokes, resulting in a prolonged cough. A fortunate coincidence that allows her to conceal her initial enthusiasm about the surprising news.

Last cough. ]

...I apologise.

[ She clears her throat. ]

Many people have disappeared recently and I... am truly sorry to hear about J.

[40410.livejournal.com]

What makes you think it's a bad thing?

[ The question has a little more edge than it ought; that cough sounded like it was concealing initial enthusiasm about the surprising news. You know, a little. But he tells himself he's being paranoid. ]

1/3

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ Okay, this is a good time to look at Alex silently for a moment so that he may reflect on whether he really wants to take that tone with Lamb. ]

2/3

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ That was fun, wasn't it? Moving on. ]

I'm glad you are thinking of his well-being, Alex. Regardless you lost a friend here and for that you have my sympathies.

PS.:

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[40410.livejournal.com]

[ ...Crap, that was pretty snappish.

Clearly the appropriate save here is to narrow his eyes at the bottom-most corner of the screen. ]

Yeah, well. All we did here was fight.

[ Clearly something broke between them while Alex was away. Maybe even before he left. ]

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ Let's nudge the subject a little to the side, shall we? ]

...Were you upset earlier because you could not find him?

[40410.livejournal.com]

[ Oh. THAT. ]

My mirror, [ he begins savagely, then decides otherwise and grabs the portable communicator. A few seconds later they're in the bathroom and Lamb has a nice view of the mirrored cabinet.

On the far side, in jaunty handwriting, are the words:



They're still easily readable, despite the new message scrawled backwards over their top:

FUCK YOU ]

[echo-of-utopia.livejournal.com]

[ ... ]

I see.

[ She frowns a little. ]

...You said you would explain after. That was not after going into the forest, was it?

[ Time seemed a little short for that, but you never know. ]

[40410.livejournal.com]

No. I think he wanted me to think he meant J.

[ He doesn't sound comfortable with the fact that he hasn't gone out. But so long as he doesn't know that he has to, fear wins out and he stays inside. ]

Should I...

[ He breaks off, afraid of the answer. Either someone's in danger or he's been completely played.

Alex wonders, not for the first time, whether the mirror J and Alex are as good friends as the regulars once were. He hopes they are. He hopes the mirror J disappeared too, and that his mirrorself is absolutely devastated. ]

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

No answering machines in Wonderland--Mark's response is quick.

"Alex--what's going on?"

[40410.livejournal.com]

"You're there."

Mark's pretty high on his danger list, so his relief is tangible. But he still speaks hurriedly.

"I got a message. I'll explain in a bit."

Not Sofia, not Mark... so who? Tim? J? He's already reaching out to switch to another feed.

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

"Would I have gone somewhere?"

And then, hastily, because he's belatedly guessed the reason for the call, and gets the feeling he's about to be hung up on:

"Make sure you call back."

[40410.livejournal.com]

He nods quickly. "Okay."

Then he hits the button and vanishes from Mark's screen.

is this okay?

[paper-knight.livejournal.com]

Mark gives Alex an hour, then, when no news makes itself apparent, calls back.

"Alex?"