DRAFT 3 [video]

[pushtheboundaries]

[guess who's been pretty scarce. guess who's holding the comm at what looks like a bit of an odd angle - the sky's pretty clear, but it's hard to tell where he is, it looks like he's leaning against/over a railing of some sort though - and not looking at it for a few moments before glancing down with a mixed expression.]

For those of you who aren't familiar with me, my name is Robert Callaghan. I, ah, had been working on a project for a while that I hadn't told many people about, mainly because I wasn't sure it'd work and thought it was better to keep it quiet. Even so, a lot of you felt the effects of it a couple months ago. As far as I can tell, it misfired...badly, altering what people thought was their present. I want to emphasize what happened was an accident, but...[he shakes his head, grimacing a bit]...that doesn't change the fact that it still happened, and it affected too many people, did too many things. It was supposed to - years from now, when we'd had time to test it safely and were sure it'd work - save a life. Maybe a few of them, but...at this point, it's been dissembled. It's pretty clear that the risk of a repeat of what happened...

[let lets out a huff of air. that kind of speaks for itself, really, doesn't it?]

My memory about that time's still a bit fuzzy, but I remember enough that I've spent since then until now trying to...clean up certain things. Still, this is...long overdue.

[beat]

I'm sorry.

[another beat, and he looks out at - something - in the distance, before glancing back at the comm]

Like I said, I've been trying to clean up, but you can't...change the past. [his mouth twitches, as if in response to some private joke.] Still. I'm hoping most of you've recovered from it by now, but if there's some things I can help with, well...

[a few moments after that trails off? he switches off the comm, seemingly run out of things to say.]

Comments

video; A VERY IMPORTANT ADDENDUM

[itistolaugh]

Hey everybody, just so you know, if you lay on the guilt he'll totally buy you ice cream!

[ SHE'S HELPING. SHE IS A HELPER. ]

COMMENT NOT HERE

[pushtheboundaries]

video

[4thdimensional]

Of all the reasons to seek to change the past, risking the unraveling of reality to save lives is by far the most noble. I can't fault you too heavily for it.

Is there any way I can be of assistance?

video

[pushtheboundaries]

[holy shit is that doc brown

why did he not ask him for consultation beforehand maybe it wookay we're not going down that thought path we're just going to turn that smile wry and rub at his face, briefly]

You could put some of the scraps I have to use?

[akito]

You fucked up, shit happened, blah blah blah, whatever.


What do you think of ducks?

[pushtheboundaries]

Why are you asking me about ducks?

[this in the tone of 'what-am-i-needing-to-prepare-for-because-knowing-you-two-it's-SOMETHING']

video;

[angelfire]

So you were responsible for that? It was entertaining.

[ He would say that. He got to torture innocent Jo. ]

video;

[pushtheboundaries]

I'n not surprised you thought so. Don't expect a repeat.

video;

[restingstitchface]

[Crane stabs his finger to the throbbing vein in his neck. Weakness is not a trait he admires, and he loathes the thought of having it within himself. Though he knows exactly why he feels this way.

And he knows who to blame.

He switches the feed on, then, and wears his cool self-control as a mask. It's just another persona now, as his burlap one had been back then. Till Dr Jonathan Crane had vanished completely after he'd embraced his new life.]

This is just a friendly reminder that it's equally as good to keep a watchful eye on those people you least suspect as much as those you do.

If you want a guiding principle to light your way, let me quote Kafka on this: Never let guilt be doubted.

[He uses all his effort on speaking in a calm and judicial manner. Except those who know him might know he's feeling touchy.]

Though I believe Professor Callaghan's feeling dreadfully nervous and probably a little mad and needs no reminder of his behavior.

[And yet here he is doing just that.]

[pushtheboundaries]

[now, normally, he wouldn't bother responding. he'd ignore this, or maybe he would respond, say something he regrets- but as he watches this, it's all he can think of to admit something else.]

You'll be happy to hear that I've been attending counseling for just that sort of thing, Jonathan. It's been an interesting experience.

[Video]

[monge]

[Go ahead and guess why he's responding. Go on, guess.]










...Is it true you'll buy people ice cream, z-zura?

[Video]

[pushtheboundaries]

Depends on the person. [for you, Komasan, he will.]

[kickingand]

You know they invented confessionals for a reason, right?

[ jus...sayin. ]

[pushtheboundaries]

I felt something more public was needed, in case there were any lingering concerns.

voice; private

[112ounces]

[ Of course, Carl has long gotten over his rage-driven high to know that Carl has, for a lack of a better term, fucked up in the terms of his stay in Xavier's. Blood has been cleaned up and the faculty had been notified. He has heard the whispers among the students.

He contacts Callaghan, then everything Carl has try to do - to live a normal life - might as well be wiped away as cleanly as the mop that wiped away Jesse's blood. He just doesn't think he can bring himself to be sorry about it as Callaghan is with his own actions. Not when Jesse doesn't seem sorry for faking his friendship with Carl and killing his father first chance he got.

He privates his message, as he knows that that topic will be quick to be addressed and for his father's sake, he doesn't want to air it for everyone to see. ]

Take it from me: apologizing goes a long way. Sometimes it's the only thing that's needed.

voice; private

[pushtheboundaries]

[hello, Carl. don't mind the long pause before Callaghan replies. or maybe it comes off as just a delay.

either way, when he does reply, his voice is quiet.]

Maybe. Maybe not.

As I said, it doesn't change the fact things happened.

audio;

[fuckinstoplights]

... I remember you.

[Although whether he means from that Russia mess or... the timeline fuckery is anyone's guess.]

But I don't know what else to say here.

audio;

[pushtheboundaries]

...Kagerou. Isn't it?

video;

[helpline]

[ The Doctor's just so nonchalant as he talks to the camera, tilting his head to the side a bit as he looks. Considering that he's wearing his sonic sunglasses, he doesn't really look dignified in the slightest. ]

One, I wouldn't worry too much about what you did. You realized it's a mistake, you apologized, it's not going to happen again. [ and there's just a definite tone in his voice with that last phrase because it had better not happen again, Callaghan. ] Besides, plenty of us messed up in just as bad if not worse ways. It'd be a bit hypocritical if we called you out.

Two, I take my ice cream butterscotch flavored.

video;

[pushtheboundaries]

[oh he catches that tone, and tilts his head in acknowledgement. not that he comments on it, no; instead-]

The funny part is, I gave her ice cream because she was holding a ransom. But at this point I may as well throw a party.

Video

[dun_moch]

I am most surprised to find that you were responsible for that nonsense, Headmaster. What precisely were you attempting to accomplish?

[He got in a fight with a friggin' Pokemon because of you. Not cool, dude.]

[pushtheboundaries]

[his bad]

Like I said, I was trying to save a life. I'd made a mistake, and I thought I could correct it.

video

[dendarii]

You did that? What were you trying to do to begin with?

video

[pushtheboundaries]

Not intentionally. I didn't even plan for it to be ready for testing for another year or so.

[ voice ]

[hostage]

That was you? Shit, it was embarrassing as hell.

[ voice ]

[pushtheboundaries]

Inadvertently.

Voice

[megabytes]

...are you okay, Dr. Callaghan?

[He's still messed up by what happened, and if he knew just how big of a scar it's put in his relationship with Lan it'd break his heart...but his problems are always less important than everyone else's.]

Voice

[pushtheboundaries]

I'll be fine, Mega.

[resipiscent]

[Riku raises a brow -- he looks amused, rather than annoyed.]

Shoulda known it was you. I can't remember a whole lot of what happened, but... I think I remember speaking with you. Or -- someone who [smelled like] reminded me of you, anyway.

[pushtheboundaries]

It's possible. [he ain't admitting it one way or another.] I wasn't...quite myself. Or I was but...my old self, I guess would be how to put it.

[text]

[thelimitdoesnotexist]

you are taking responsibility for what happened during that time then?

the damages?

[text]

[pushtheboundaries]

Yes.

voice;

[shifting]

...I wasn't here for what happened, but I know how hard it is admittin' you were wrong on somethin'. Maybe not quite this scale, but - you oughta know that comin' forward like this make an apology is real good of you.

voice;

[pushtheboundaries]

Hmh. I appreciate that.