spiritofjustice | Telepathic IC 'Inbox' and Messenger Bird Reception (Empatheias)

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empatheias

Telepathic IC 'Inbox' and Messenger Bird Reception (Empatheias)

[Catch-all post for one-on-one messages that need to be delivered directly to Bobby, either through the amulets or with a messenger bird.]

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[Someone sure is bored waiting for the other shoe to drop after having their true nature revealed during the whole Peromei thing, and a bored Junko usually leads to some sort of horrible thing like...well, look, on the bright side, there's no murder or world ending going on today, right?

Instead, her boredom's leading to her pursuing a loose end from before the whole Peromei mess happened. Which was that one conversation the mysterious (though probably not as mysterious as she'd like anymore) texting girl had with Mr. Emoticon Spam. The one that resulted in that weird despair feedback thing.

And really, why wouldn't she follow up on that? If Fulbright can echo her despair back like that, what's to say it can't eventually be used to create some sort of...perpetual feedback loop of despair? Obviously, it'd need more than two people, but what could that do to Peromei?

So that's why Fulbright can expect a message at some point early this month. But there's no image or voice. Actually, if anything, it's a text message just without text. But what's there is just...

...pure despair. It's not the despair from the Peromei encounter. And it's not the despair from the fallout of that either. All she's sending along is essentially the despair of being her. Because she figures at the very least, that should count as a good start.]

[In the overall, Bobby hadn't been too bothered by the Peromei thing. Sure, it'd confirmed once again that the Arehtei are insanely powerful and possible threats. Nothing went up in flames, but lightning mazes are damaging in their own way. Who even knows what the other ones are capable of? Still, this time Bobby managed to avoid getting hit by invasive emotions and he considers that a personal victory.

The clean-up of that whole mess has been taking up a lot of his time. It's still going on. He knows exactly who that sole person responsible for the despair is and a few possible repercussions are in the works behind the scenes, but no real progress or decisions were made just yet. Now that Chief Taciyon is breathing down their necks, it's all the more reason to do a thorough job. The upcoming Enforcer meeting will probably see the first actual results.

Here he is right now, just minding his own business in his office. Paperwork and the like, not very interesting. He was just drinking a cup of coffee when the 'message' seeps in through the amulet. It takes him a second too long to realize what's going on, because in that one second, the full force of Junko's despair is already given enough time to hit.

At first, he doesn't even know what he's dealing with. Emotions are still such unfamiliar terrain that he can't place it. He just knows that it's horrible. Enough to have him drop his mug, allowing the contents to spill all over his desk. He doesn't even realize that much is happening. It feels cold and painful and... familiar? Yes, it feels a little like the jumble of emotions he experienced when he suffered his breakdown in court. A realization- no, a pressing certainty that everything you worked for has just shattered to pieces and there's no way to ever fix it. Knowing that he's experiencing such worthless emotions just causes him to despair over that fact as well, doubling the initial boost. No, maybe even tripling it.

It's over, it's all over...! He should've known he could never keep fighting his emotions...! He should've known he wouldn't be strong enough to keep it all under control...!

And then he finally has enough common sense to roll up his sleeve, ripping his amulet from where it's strapped around his upper arm. It takes an additional five minutes of wheezing into his hands before the despair finally dies down. By then, the temperature in his office has dropped close to the freezing point, the window has cracked, several knick-knacks have turned to dust, a lightbulb has exploded... The list of minor property damage goes on. Most notably, the coffee that'd spilled from his mug has turned to acid and is now chewing through the desk.

Goddammit Junko.

He doesn't send any kind of reply to her- it wouldn't be wise. Even so, there's a good chance he accidentally transmitted some of his own despair back to her before the amulet was removed.]

[When the despair feedback hits her, she'll certainly consider this test a success. Even being prepared for it, she wasn't really ready for that to loop back through her amulet, so it staggers her, causing her to knock a bunch of stuff off of a shelf in the room.

...which is nothing new, she's always picking up things in here or having to replace them, but still. And it's really hard for her to not just laugh and laugh and laugh as the despair continues to happen, but she'll refrain from sending that along. Or sending more despair either. She doesn't want to push him too far.

But still, he does deserve some sort of response for being her unwilling lab rat for the day, doesn't he? So, on second thought, she will send a text back. After all, it's not like she knows he threw his amulet down.]

★~╚(Θ‿Θ)╝*･ﾟ✧✿

[And with that sent along, she'll just go back to inspecting the damage to her apartment and despairing over having to fix everything again.]

[Oh, don't worry, he'll get that reply when he finally straps amulet back on, which will be an hour or two later.

....... That was uncalled for. All the more reason he'll make sure Junko is 'brought to justice' in the worst way possible. He doesn't believe in revenge, but he does believe in disabling future threats.]

[It's funny, really. She didn't think he'd tell anyone, but at the same time, every single time she's done this, she's been bracing for the Enforcers to kick her door down and drag her out of her apartment.

But that hasn't happened yet, has it? Nope! She's sent despair after despair after despair (offscreen, of course), and as far as she can tell? It's their little secret. Which should make it that much more despair inducing, not just for her and for him, but for Edea too. After all, she's the one who compared this to a game, and how can someone play to win, when there's an entire side of the game they're not even aware of?

But that's a problem for another day, anyway, since all she's focusing on today is sending despair. And boy oh boy is this going to be a lot of it. See, presumably each time she's sent despair to Fulbright, she's focused on a specific instance of it. Sure, he might not know the specific causes of each feeling, but to her, they're pretty distinct. First, there was the despair of being her. It stands to reason that the despair of dealing with her sister would've been another instance. And of course, the despair pertaining to the incident that kickstarted a ton of her plans back home, because that came up recently. Oh, and the despair from the Peromei incident, and well, she could send the despair from her recent outing, but that's a little boring right? After all, at least one of the Enforcers got to deal with that first hand, so that'd be a little lame to repeat herself so quickly.

And besides, because it's a game (blame your fellow Enforcer Fulbright), she really should raise the stakes. So instead of some lame ass feeling like that, she'll go all out. So he gets a rather intense feeling, like even more intense than any of the despair she's sent before. Because what could be more despairing than how she felt when the Ultimate Despair was ultimately executed? Or well, almost executed since this place sort of interrupted that.

So there's the despair of sentencing herself to death. The despair of even being in a situation where something like that could happen to begin with. The despair of the first phase of the execution. The second. The third. And so on up until the world of Empatheias ruined the grand finale. Despair compounded upon despair upon despair upon despair upon despair upon...well, you get the idea.

And of course...]

Hey, are you feeling okay?
★~╚(Θ‿Θ)╝*･ﾟ✧✿

[Indeed, even after several surprise attacks of despair, Bobby still hasn't breathed a word about it to anyone. Not even to Edea. The reason for that is twofold. One, using the amulets for telepathy isn't illegal. In fact, it's one of their functions. Until some kind of law comes to pass that you can't use them for emotional harassment, bringing it to the attention of the Enforcers is virtually pointless. The second reason, which is one that's far more prevalent in his mind, is that admitting this is getting to him means admitting his weaknesses. If it gets out that transmitting emotions through the amulets can affect him so badly, anyone could do it. ...Even Edea. He doesn't trust her not to try and send him joy or hope or whatever other worthless feeling she might think he needs.

No one else has come to complain to the Enforcers that Junko is doing this sort of thing to them, so it seems like she's just picking on him for some reason. Not knowing when it might hit is the worst. He would never admit to being paranoid, or even being on edge, but he would say that it's inconvenient. It is truly inconvenient. He'd remove his amulet, but with his position, he can't afford to do that for too long. If there's some kind of emergency, people need to be able to reach him. Damage to his near surroundings has been extensive, so he's lucky that she usually targets him when he's at home or at his office. At one point during a particularly hefty attack, he'd fallen to the ground and bitten down on his knuckles to stop himself from screaming. He'd bitten down so hard that it'd drawn blood. That'd just made it worse. Even so, it'd passed. It always passes.

Still, today's little 'delivery' is worse than any other before it. He'd just been folding his laundry when it hits. His breath catches in the back of his throat and he instantly drops what he was holding. This feeling...! The despair of being cornered. The despair of being judged by people who just don't get it. The despair of knowing you're going to die. Much as he wishes for it to pass, it doesn't. It just increases in strength, hitting him again and again. It combines itself with something else- Fear. Fear and anger. He's angry at Junko for being such a horrible bitch and he's angry at himself for allowing himself to be angry.

It's too much.

He can't see. He can't breathe. His chest feels like it might just cave in on itself. He's lying on the ground before he's even realized he's fallen, but the world is still spinning. All he can really do is curl in on himself, grasping at his head with both hands. And then there's the environmental effects, of course. Deep cracks shoot up the walls of his bedroom and several things catch fire. Others explode or shatter. All the light in the room is gone despite the flames. It's like being caught in his own personal hell.

This time, he can't stop himself from screaming. He's screaming despite the lack of oxygen, just because letting it all out might relieve some of the pain his chest. This needs to stop- It has to stop! Those are the only thoughts still running through his mind with such force that the amulet can't possibly miss them.]

STOP IT!!! JUST STOP IT!!!

Stop?

[Oh hey, Fulbright, you got an actual response from your emotional tormentor.]

Why would you ever want it to stop? If anything I'd think you'd be grateful. After all, this is what you're missing out on.

[Sure, the emoticons were a bit overdone, but hey, he's the one who started it.]

[Why does she keep sending him text?! Who the hell puts that much effort into visualizing text when you can just think like a normal person?! It pisses him off so much!

.......Oh no. It pisses him off. Now that he's lost control and his mind's being invaded by emotions, even the most insignificant thing is enough to trigger something. It's not supposed to be like this. He's supposed to be above this. Why can't his psyche just go back to the way it used to be?! And now he's experiencing despair over all this, which means he's playing right into Junko's hands. The Phantom would've killed her after that very first despair attack if she'd just stay dead.]

Shut up! You don't know what you're messing with!

[That's saying- no, thinking too much, isn't it? Stupid telepathy!]

Oh?

[There's voice now, not out of a conscious change, but because that wasn't really what she was expecting to hear. And besides, this is easier.

And the reason she sticks to text is because when he met mystery despair girl, it was via text. And despite the um...public shaming, he presumably hasn't brought up that it was her. So in a way, it's almost become a sort of game. So there's the answer. Cause it's a game! ~~And I will stop referencing that line I swear~~]

What is it I don't know? That you're hiding your apathy from the world and your friends? Pretending to care, despite feeling nothing, and having little more effect on the world than a piece of driftwood does on the sea it floats on?

[A slightly pretentious comparison, but she thinks it works.]

Or is that I don't know that you haven't told anyone about our little exchanges? Surely, if you had, we wouldn't be having this conversation, right? And your hopeful friend would've already found some way to deal with me, eager to claim victory in her so called game.

[Yeah, Fulbright, you might want to talk to your fellow Enforcers about not playing games with the world destroying despair girl here. And when she speaks again, she doesn't sound like she's picking apart any perceived lack of knowledge on her part. In fact, she's using that fake adorable voice that he might've heard from her talks with Lu Meng or from Edea.]

Or is it that I don't know that there's more to you than meets the eye? Huh? Is that it? I mean I really have no idea, but if you're hiding something like your feelings, it'd be easy to hide something else right! I mean I did it, so you can too, right? So what is it? Can you turn into a car or a plane? Or maybe you combine with other people into a giant robot? Or maybe...

[Blunt and straight to the point.]

It's your true self. Is that what I don't know?

[Only half of Junko's words truly register inside his mind. The other half is more like white noise- some slight annoyance in the back of his head. He's still having trouble breathing, and the smell of whatever it is that's slowly burning to a crisp isn't helping. Everything is turning cold. Everything is turning wet. Did he just make it rain inside his apartment? Emotions are the worst.

The last words hit him like a ton of bricks, though. His true self... Now that the proverbial flood gates have opened, that term triggers several emotions all at once. More despair, anger, fear and... Grief? Some old, worn memory dawns on him. Something that Prosecutor Blackquill had uttered in the ruins of Courtroom no. 4.

"What must you see when you look in a mirror, Mr. Phantom? Not an awful lot, I'd wager."

That miserable asshole had him pegged right then and there, even if the Phantom hadn't thought much of it at the time. It's ironic. Someone like Simon Blackquill, who'd spent over seven years just a few steps too far behind, had known exactly what he was he was chasing.]

HEE HEE HEE HEE! HOO HOO HOO! HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!

[He doesn't even know why he's laughing. Maybe it's genuine amusement. Maybe it's his subconsciousness deflecting from the grief. Maybe this is what true, deeply rooted desperation feels like. His hands move from his aching chest to his face, cradling it. His next words will sound a little odd. While it's undoubtedly still Bobby Fulbright, the tone of it is off and it's hampered by something similar to static.]

You should- mind your own business-, Miss Enoshima. There's no injustice- quite like prying- into other people's affairs.

[Well that...that sure is a laugh all right. And what follows is uh...

Look, she's honestly in despair over being proven right. It's just so completely hopeless and boring when everything goes her way, it really is. But on some other level she's wondering what the hell this even is, because this sure doesn't seem like her or like...whatsherface back home.

And it's not that she's scared, after all, her stance is that without hope, fear can't exist (though her feelings during the PAS thing sure say otherwise), it's just that, well, she thought he was interesting before she figured out he could create this weird feedback thing. And then finding out about that just made him more interesting! And now he's even more interesting! Will wonders never cease?]

I know. I know, it's a terrible habit, but I just can't help myself, y'know? It's so hopeless, I find something that interests me, and I've just got to know everything about them. What makes them tick, what they're hiding, all that. I'm honestly surprised no one's accused me of harassment or anything like that because I just can't stay away, y'know?

[Don't mind her, just making light of the fact that she has clearly crossed a line and has apparently learned nothing from it.]

Ha ha ha ha ha haa!

[Alright, that's a slightly more normal laugh. One that he's actually uttering out loud, instead of just telepathically, which is why it might sound hoarse and wheezy. Considering the situation he's in, wasting oxygen on that is probably not the best idea, but all inhibitions seem to be burning just as fiercely as whatever else it is that's on fire.

People who try to find out what the Phantom is hiding usually end up dead. If only there was a way to make it permanent here... He'll be looking into that.]

I can't say- that I'm flattered. [For several reasons.] The only thing- that makes me- tick is justice.

[Once his mind stops racing, his 'voice' will go back to normal. ...Probably. Alas, right now, he's having a hard time keeping his act together.]

Is that really it though? I mean if you feel so strongly about justice, then shouldn't you be outraged that I'm not paying for my crimes? In fact, you could even say my very existence is the worst injustice of them all given the rules of this world.

[Don't mind her, just chipping away at his argument.]

But I don't think that's it! Nope! I think there's something else! But it's okay! Because while I figure out what that is, I'll be more than happy to help you feel the way you should about this horrible injustice! Yup!

[In other words, she'll help him despair.]

Because...you need my help. And I think we're friends, and friends help each other right? Even if they don't necessarily want that help. Really, it's all so pointless.

[Junko's reasoning is so incredibly backwards that it might just make him weep. Or maybe he's supposed to laugh even more, or experience indignation that she's trying to play him for a fool. He doesn't even know what the appropriate emotion should be, anymore.

Outraged at the injustice of it all? Please. It's clear that they both know such a thing won't happen. Not as long as he can help it. That doesn't mean he's going to accept the injustice either. For now, he's going to move himself back into a sitting position. His body is shaking like a leaf and he still can't see a thing through the pitch-black darkness that his emotions have created, but that's fine.]

I have no reason- to be worried. Justice- always has a way of catching up with villains like you. That's why- it's one of the strongest forces in the world.

[He starts rolling up his sleeve to get to his amulet. This conversation is far too taxing and the longer it drags on, the more painful it'll get for him. It's all spiraling out of control.]

You'll get your just reward soon enough, Miss Enoshima.

[But Fulbright, as far as she's concerned, you're playing right into her hands. Seriously, way to take your own group's advice about putting her out of your mind. Then again, it's not like she really gave him a choice, right?]

I will? I will? I will? Because I sure hope so! I mean you can't just say something like that and not follow through. That'd leave me in such despair that I can't...I can't even begin to imagine how despairing that would be, so you have to do something! After all, that's your duty right?

[Actually she can, but that's not really the issue here. The issue's that well, if nothing happens, she despairs, and if something happens, then she also despairs. But she sure thinks that if she's pushed him far enough to do something, then that would cause the most despair, wouldn't it?]

[Nobody said that he'll have to follow through. In fact, if something were to happen to Junko shortly after this, he'll act as surprised as everyone else. Bobby Fulbright would never act on a petty grudge, after all. And he'd certainly never do anything outside the bounds of the law. Whether the Phantom would is a whole other matter.]

My duty- is to protect people, not punish them. That's up to the court system. Good day, Miss Enoshima.

[With that, he rips his amulet from his arm, drops it on the floor and waits. He waits for the turmoil to die down, both inside his head and around him. The trouble is, it doesn't. While the place eventually brightens up again, revealing just how much property damage has been caused, the fires don't quite die down. The cold doesn't quite disappear. The pain in his chest and in his head won't quite dissipate.

He's still in despair. It just won't leave him, and the fact that it won't leave him is exactly what keeps causing him to experience more despair. A vicious cycle, just as it always is when it comes to his emotions.

He waits and he waits until he can't stand it anymore. That's when he crawls over to his bed, ripping up one of the floorboards beneath it. Below it is a small, secret trove of treasure. Assorted notes on various information he's gathered over the past nine months (it's only due to a bit of reflex that he even bothered, because none of this is particularly secret), as well as little bits of 'evidence' that he's snatched up here and there. A piece of marble from the statue of Sosyne's shrine in Inoman, some shards of armor from the world's surface and one more thing.

Toxin from the Exterobus Apathes parasite.

He pocketed it when he was in Kimishima's clinic a few weeks ago. The Phantom, that is, not Bobby Fulbright. Bobby would never steal. Bobby would never think to use this stuff as a defense against Junko, either. After all, it'd been made perfectly clear that PAS can no longer affect her. That doesn't matter. There's more ways to put this stuff to good use. It's dangerous- the cause of a lethal illness, but right now he doesn't care anymore. All common sense has been foregone. A microscopic hit is all he needs. Just enough to get his psyche back in order. Just enough to vanquish those pesky emotions.

Once he's built up enough apathy to have it become a line of defense against Junko's despair, that's when the Phantom will find a way to deal with her.]

On the 16-17th of August, Bobby got a much shabbier looking messenger bird with a note that said "Say it in person! Apologies by post are no good!"

Edited 2015-09-18 23:22 (UTC)

[Bobby makes sure to pet this shabby-looking messenger bird and give it one of Balderdash's snacks as a reward before sending his response. This little guy can take it back to Marisa, it's probably going back there anyway.]

I can't. I'm still recovering.

[Yes, that sad smiley face was necessary.]

[After her talk with Edea that day, Lithia felt it would also be a good idea to speak with Bobby as well since this sort of news is something he should be aware of and not have to hear from someone else.

Once she finds him, Lithia will put on a pleasant smile that makes it seem like absolutely nothing horrible is going on like the fact that she's going to die in roughly a month or so. Of course it helps that she looks to be in perfect health right now and no emotional effects show that this could be a lie.]

Might I speak with you for a moment?

[Bobby was just taking care of some administrative matters in his office, as he likes to do when his working day reaches its end. Lithia's entry snaps him right out of that, though, and he looks up with a pleasant smile. With not much of a need for having to fake emotional responses lately, the apathy damage to the area surrounding his desk is minimal at the moment.]

Ah, Miss Spodumene. Of course! [He gestures to the chair across from him.] Please, have a seat.

[Lithia will sit down with a graceful motion. Her smile goes away since she has to speak now on serious and sad things. She doesn't look sad, though.]

Thank you for your time. I wish I had something more pleasant to speak on, but I feel you should be aware of this. Unfortunately, I only have about a month to live now, possibly a bit more if Victor can figure out how to slow or reverse this. I know I shouldn't have kept this quiet, but I admit I was somewhat in denial back then that it would progress to this point so soon.

[Bobby's own expression goes from pleasant to serious, to outright shocked in a span of ten seconds. His jaw literally drops for a moment, then he fumbles his way through speech.]

You... Hah?! But... But that's terrible! I-I mean, of course it's terrible- I'm...- I'm so sorry!

[Yeah, she probably dropped the bomb a bit too soon, but it's not something that is easy to speak on so she figured best to just not beat around the bush and instead just come out and say it before she lost her nerve.]

I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so abrupt about it, but there is nothing I can say beyond the truth.

[He looks absolutely stumped for about seven more seconds, then he pulls himself together to some degree. What washes over his face instead is a look of solemn grief.]

I'm sorry. I suppose the knowledge that death isn't permanent in this place isn't much consolation at this point. ...If you don't mind me asking, what exactly is it that you're- um- suffering from?

[She considers for a moment how to explain it. True, Bobby knows Kor and probably has heard the term Spiria then since Kor is a bit more forgetful about using a term that people will understand more easily. She of course has no suspicion that Bobby and Creed had known each other since such a person would be the last person Creed would want to be around with his past.]

My world doesn't give it a name other than what the end result is, complete calcification of the body. That means I'll turn into a statue due to damage done to my Spiria in the past. No cure exists in my world, but I have sought out a doctor here to see if anything can be done.

[Of course she definitely isn't aware that between her mention of her age being over two thousand years old and the illness being the same as Creed's and being from the same world that she just hinted towards the fact that her and Creed probably know each other.]

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Telepathic IC 'Inbox' and Messenger Bird Reception (Empatheias)

Text...sort of | At some point during the first week of July!

[More like feels]

Okay this time it really is a text!

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[Feelings, again] | Whenever you want this to go down!

[Feelings and such] | 18th is good!

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[Action] The day after the Night of Selenium

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