006 Voice

[thevictoriandetective]

Has anyone seen Dorian? He should be back by now.

Comments

[ voice ]

[ghoulking]

Sometimes they don't come back.

[thevictoriandetective]

He's supposed to. He said he would.

[ghoulking]

It's not his decision. If the Porter wishes to send him back to his home world, it will.

[thevictoriandetective]

I'm not sure how involved the porter is on this one.

[He's reluctant to give away much of what he knows about Dorian's power, so he neglects to elaborate further.]

[ghoulking]

When we die here, the nanites bring us back to life. However, when we die here, we might also be sent back home by the Porter. [ he knows because that happened to him. ]

Our timeline is left in tact no matter what happens to us here.

[thevictoriandetective]

That's both reassuring and...well, not reassuring, in this situation.]

I...see. Well, that could be a good thing. [He hopes.]

[ghoulking]

I'm sorry your friend left.

Sometimes they come back - not always with their memories.

[thevictoriandetective]

Thank you and...I am aware of that possibility, too. Unfortunately.

Voice

[am_i_a_monster]

Was he the man feeling guilt over the mirages?

[thevictoriandetective]

Yep, that was him.

[am_i_a_monster]

I'm sorry. I haven't seen or heard anything from him since then.

[thevictoriandetective]

[A sigh.]

Thank you.

Video; private

[heckblazer]

[ Its obvious to even an idiot that John looks like a mess, so a supergenius analytical mind can probably appreciate just how bad said mess is. ]

Yeah. About that.

Video; private

[thevictoriandetective]

[Yep, that's an easy deduction. Sherlock's face falls, and he takes a deep breath, like he's steeling himself up.]

What happened?

[heckblazer]

[ Eyes unfocused, bloodshot and glazed over with great dark bags - sleep deprivation. Skintone desaturated and dull - malnutrition and lack of sun exposure. Redness around nose and extremities - alcohol abuse. Slumped body language and flat, disassociated tone of voice - depressed state, also very likely coupled with trauma

Does he really need to say it at this point, Sherlock? ]


Yer' familiar with his, ah -- gifts, yeah? Special portrait, takes all kinds of punishment for him. Unless it gets damaged.

[thevictoriandetective]

[Sherlock takes all of this information in quite quickly. He doesn't want to, sometimes, but he can't shut his brain off like that. It's not a welcome skill during times like these.]

Yeah. He destroyed his portrait?

[heckblazer]

[ Any attempt John makes to play it cool is going to be transparent, and he's certain they both know it. Yet he does it anyway. ]

I was with him when he did. Not sure there's enough of him to bring back.

[thevictoriandetective]

[Ouch. Sherlock looks sympathetic.]

I...I fear as much. And...are you okay?

[He's much better now at the whole empathy thing. Better than before, anyway.]

[heckblazer]

[ Wait, what.

It's... fairly far from the kind of thing he'd ever expect to hear from Sherlock. Would have been patronizing if John didn't know how much trouble it took to seem human, really. So he chuckles in reply. ]


Never.

[thevictoriandetective]

[There's a sad sort of smile from Sherlock. He'd heard that before. From another John.]

I understand. I suppose...it is what it is.

[Look, more empathy!]

text;

[infomodder]

He should. He isn't.
Give it more time.

Text

[thevictoriandetective]

It's been too long already.

[infomodder]

3 months.

[thevictoriandetective]

What's 3 months?

[infomodder]

The time you need to give any of us before you start to believe someone is truly gone.

[thevictoriandetective]

I see...

It just doesn't sit right with me, but...I suppose that's all one can do for now.

[infomodder]

It happens.
You could consider them as gone for now, yet to be seen if they're gone for good.

text

[pummelgranite]

Nuh uh. Not over here. How long does it normally take?

[thevictoriandetective]

I don't know what the 'usual' is, but he gave the impression he'd be back quite quickly.

voice

[aggressiveapathy]

Three month rule.

[thevictoriandetective]

There's a three-month rule?

voice.

[glowsferatu]

Aside from what April said, it wouldn't be any great loss is he doesn't return. Good riddance to bad rubbish.

[thevictoriandetective]

I beg your pardon? Obviously he wasn't the best person in the world--had his faults--did...considerably immoral things--but I'd hardly wish him gone.

[glowsferatu]

He was a shit. He's been a shit for a very long time. We're better off with him gone.

If you think otherwise, you hadn't known him long enough. So, at least this way your feelings about him could remain something other than negative.

[thevictoriandetective]

Well, so am I, so his behavior really doesn't bother me. Now you, however, sound like a hypocrite.

[glowsferatu]

That's because you must think my description of him is merely hyperbolic. It isn't.

Have you ever read the Picture of Dorian Gray? He was never a mere charming hedonist, but the most cruel and vicious sort of narcissist, who would do anything for what he wanted, and any who might suffer in the wake be damned.

The man I knew was a killer and a criminal, but would never dream of seeing justice so long as he had such wonderful friends as you to defend him. [ Which seems to be the same as all imPort criminals these days, with all of their other imPort friends rubbing their delicate shoulders and pitying how hard they have it. Fuck that. ]

[thevictoriandetective]

Oscar Wilde, yeah. Maybe, in school. Deleted it though.

[He wasn't sure he could read it again, to be honest.]

Maybe he was exactly the horrible person you said he was. But I've known and enjoyed the company of worse people.

[A slight smirk. Regardless of what he'd done in the past, Dorian was one of the few people Sherlock actually could have a halfway decent conversation with. Even if he was annoying, but he was forgiving of that, knowing how annoying he himself was.]

[glowsferatu]

So, you know, fuck everyone whose lives Dorian may have ruined, because you liked him. That's great. That's the typical self-involved imPort attitude to everything. Congratulations, you're demonstrating the exact reason why we're so awful for this world.

[ She's sure John would probably be disappointed, but it would seem so trite to say so. Lousy way to meet a friend's best friend, though. ]

[thevictoriandetective]

Oh! Right, I'm sorry, I didn't realize I summoned the morality police. Let me bow down to your superior wisdom, I didn't realize that we are not allowed to make mistakes and should be immediately shunned from all contact henceforth if we do so. Dorian isn't perfect, neither am I.

I didn't ask to be here, and I don't care what you or anyone else thinks about who I associate myself with. Save your sanctimonious attitude for someone who has time to listen to your drivel.

[glowsferatu]

Now you're just being deliberately stupid. If it was simply a matter of making a few mistakes and not being perfect, there wouldn't be any point to saying anything.

If you'd rather be a daft child about it, I guess that's your own prerogative. But you aren't living in a perfect void where nothing matters, whatever sort of social nihilism you'd like to subscribe to. Hopefully that doesn't come back on you in a bad way, but you can't say you weren't warned if it does.

[thevictoriandetective]

I'm being stupid. Yes, because the brilliance of your judgemental rant is putting us all to shame.

I seemed to have missed the part where they made you the Official Friend And Acquaintance Approver for All. The next time I come across someone I might like, I'll be sure to send you the forms, in triplicate.

What's the point you're trying to make, anyway? The only thing I can think of is that you found someone to inflict your ridiculous opinions on, knowing full well I wouldn't change my mind by someone I don't know or care about telling me what I clearly wasn't interested in hearing, in order to feel morally superior. But wait--if you did think said random stranger would suddenly reform his ways based on your wise words, then you're either an idiot or contain no common sense whatsoever.

[glowsferatu]

Well, I hadn't thought there was anything you needed to reform for, until you had to throw this tantrum about it! But how dare I even say something, I must be the most judgmental, moralistic bitch on the planet to care that some people are murderers.

Clearly none of that matters, because you liked the man! And why should you care anyway, it isn't as though he ever murdered you. Obviously, I must be the only person who has ever cared about this, so I should just shut up and keep it to myself. I'm just being bitter and dragging down the mood by mentioning it! I must just get off on feeling morally superior! Only the worst kind of person could do something like that, someone worse than a murderer.

[thevictoriandetective]

Yes. You're right on all accounts. I'm so glad you see my point of view. [He rolls his eyes.]

Look, I'm a detective and I care about the data. Pure, unbiased fact.

One--you obviously don't like Dorian so your bias distorts any evidence of his past actions that you are attempting to bring to light. You could be lying because he stepped on your foot three years ago. Therefore, how can I be sure about your accusations? Two. For arguments' sake, let's say I believe every single thing you say and he is a murderer. Do you realize how many circumstances could have brought about a situation in which a person is forced to kill another for good reasons, say, to protect someone or stop worse things from happening?

[glowsferatu]

And there we go, immediately assuming I must be the problem, and that, because he's your friend, there must be some mitigating circumstance. Obviously! There isn't any unbiased fact in your own perspective, because your bias has been just as firmly established. You know, sarcasm only works when you don't mean every word you're saying in the tone.

Have you considered, perhaps, that maybe the reason I don't like him is because of the things I'm accusing him of, and not the other way around?

[thevictoriandetective]

I'm sorry, have you spent your entire life honing logic and reason and considerable intellect towards developing exactly that--an unbiased opinion, to only let facts and data sway you without letting emotion get in the way? If so, then please, go ahead and correct me. But if not, then it's my opinion I'll be trusting.

And now you're giving sarcasm lessons. Wonderful.

Of course I considered it, weighted it, and deposited in the mental trash bin. Okay, fine. That's why you don't like him, that's your prerogative. Doesn't mean it didn't happen, but it may have happened different from how you're taking it. Did you investigate? Find him guilty on all accounts?

[glowsferatu]

Your opinion's built on shakier information than mine. I've had years of varied interactions with the man, while you can't have had more than a few months, in probably limited contexts. I thought he might have been alright when I first met him, too, because I had a very limited picture of Dorian Gray. If you want to accuse me of bias, maybe don't wear your own on your sleeve.

And, as a matter of fact, I did investigate. I felt it might be worth doing, after I encountered him actively engaged in crime while he was on probation for it. Certainly, he had his excuses for why he did it, but I find them a little suspect in the circumstances. And perhaps you've noticed by now that the authorities on this world don't especially care to treat crimes committed by imPorts very seriously. Obviously they were just going to take him at his word, no matter what it was.