kayakking | (no subject)

[Going too far from the main room leads to a dimmer, less colorful area. But Tim's desk is there cordoned off. Filled with all the various knickknacks and trinkets Tim would have accumulated over his entire time working at the Institute, not just the Research years. The candies Sasha kept in her desk, the spare parts of his model kits and the glue for them. Receipts from the pub with the outdoor band he went to each week with Jon. All the little things that made his time at the Institute not quite so nightmarish.

Martin, on the other hand, may hear the quiet patter of padded feet. And something hitting a wall, like it ran into it softly, controlled. Almost distinctive of an animal hunting and having found its prey.]

Oh. God, Research. No wonder I didn't recognise it.

[ He'd never worked here, after all. He lingers briefly by a name marked Tobias Fisher before ... what is that noise, anyway? Algric frowns, taking a step closer to those footpaw steps. ]

[ In the mean time, Tim keeps as far from the walls as he can. The cordoning is... well that's daunting. He reaches over to see if he can reach anything on it for a hint. The paper was interesting enough- the receipt it is. ]

[Tim may or may not recognize the date on it. The night they celebrated Jon's promotion. It's dangling there, just on the edge of the desk in view.

Martin, though... Well. He gets a full view of a mangy looking black cat, hunkered down against a rather nasty bit of wall and pawing at the little silver things. It outright hisses at one before tearing into it, but not daring to get its mouth close. Its ear perks and swivels at the sound of footsteps. Then slowly turns its head to look up at him, large bright green eyes staring back.]

[ That -

Oh god. Oh god it's those damn worms, what are they even doing here?? The cat is here too, and is adorable, just. ]

You - you really should get away from those. They're dangerous, all right?

[ He kneels next to the suspiciously Jonlike cat and offers a hand. ]

[The cat watches him, then tentatively takes one step forward... Then rubs its head against that hand and twines between Martin's ankles then moves past, going back to the main work area. Away from the worms and this infested wall. It jumps onto the table of open notes and books and sits there, head up and focused and watching intently. Its ears are still perked listening for the sounds of anything incoming, and where Tim's wandered to, but for the moment its eyes are focused on Martin.]

[ Oh, what a good cat. Algric leans down to pet him gently and follows him back. ]

Ah, I'm not sure you want to sit there. Probably Jon's notes?

[ He reaches down to pick up a stray one. ]

[ For an ... suspected Spiral Nightmare this is surprisingly mundane. He supposes that's how they get you... ]

Oh hey... does this mean he kept it? [ He muses, mostly to himself. But there is a deeply pleased note as he makes a quick grab for it, attempting not to knock over any of the barriers. ]

[A couple things happen at once. For Martin, the note itself seems to come alive, words becoming legible suddenly. Jon's voice loud, clear as day.

Why are you here?

The cat is watching Martin intently, then turns its head the other direction, to some noise of a lock opening on the other side of the room, far and away hidden in the bookshelves.

For Tim, the receipt comes away easily without knocking the barriers. But the text on it reads differently than he may expect.

2016 February xx

Tim: I mean, it is kind of a big deal.

Jon: No, I know. I just. There was you and Sasha, and then not, and - And now I'm about to be your boss in a couple of weeks...

Tim: Hey. Hey, I know. But we? Are good. We aren't going to change.

Jon: You sure about that?

Tim: Yeah. You're my friend, Jon. It helps I know a lot of your secrets. So, y'know, if you get too up your own arse-

Jon: Tim, you cannot tell anyone about that.

Tim: Don't worry, your rock career is safe with me.

The transcript goes on from the rest of the night, but it's there in Tim's hands. Secure and preserved.]

Edited (what if I had the right year) 2021-07-09 03:44 (UTC)

[ Algric yelps at the voice in his head, dropping the note. ]

Wh - what - Jon? Are you here?

Tim stares, running along the transcript of the night. It shouldn't even FIT on the receipt. Was there recorders? There's NO way he wrote it down that clearly and-

Algric's yelp draws Tim out of his absolutely creeped out revere. "Algric? Did you find him?"

[The cat watches the paper fall, using its paw to guide it carefully down to the table and keep it there. It stares at it, then back up at Algric.

After a second, it looks around the table before sitting in front of a different page. Puts its paw to it and the words come clear for them both now in Jon's voice:]

How long have you been down here?

[The voice sounds only slightly off. The intonation isn't right for speaking to them. Like it was recorded at another time, replayed here.]

[ Algric stares HARD at that. Just. What the actual hell. ]

I - I think Jon is the cat? Sort of? And the pages are - are recordings?

[ He rubs at his face. ]

Please tell me you heard that too.

[ He stares, good and long. And drifts over to stare again, but closer. ]

I.. do in fact, now hear the talking cat.

[You know............. If there was any question if the cat was an expy of Jon in some way, the somehow judging, flat expression it gives the both of them is proof enough.

He presses his paw down to the same page again, like hitting the annoying key on a sound board.]

How long have you been down here?

[ SIGH. God. This is their life now apparently. ]

We don’t know why we’re here or how we got here, Jon. Also. Why are you a cat.

Or how long. [ Tim adds for good measure.

Good lord, the flat, square eyed look from the cat just makes Tim want to bother it. ]

[It keeps staring up at them both, considering. Then down. After a second, it flits down from the table and down an aisle, climbing up a couple of shelves unseen but the unmistakable sound of a file box being pulled down clumsily.

He comes back with a few other papers in his teeth and back to the table. Presses a paw down and this time, it's Elias' voice.]

- regarding the dreams of Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, currently unresponsive. - The Archivist does not know where he is.

[ Algric instantly flinches at the sound of Elia’s voice. Where is that bastard anyway? Is this his fault? Algric is pretty sure this is Elias’s fault. ]

So - so what. This is a dream? Of Jon’s? Or something?

[ It's a similar flinch from Tim and a dangerous rise of heat. It settles ... slowly, Tim setting the receipt back down on the cat's table to hold his arm again.]

We ARE taking the cat with us, correct.

[The cat gives a sort of nod at Martin's question.

But at Tim's... He looks down again, searching. Then hops two pages over. Jon's voice:]

Well, it's not quite that simple.

[He moves to find another page, then catches sight of Tim's arm. Oh that's... He disappears again, coming back about two minutes later with another page. A cruel, woman's voice they haven't heard before.]

Wax is remarkably easy to mold..

[ Good to know the cat agrees with him. Algric blinks, low key fascinated by watching Joncat bounce from page to page.

And then - a jolt at the woman’s voice, a look back at Tim. ]

Oh, that’s - Jude Perry, right? Desolation avatar.

[ It is remarkably cute. It's just, the voice, the WHO AND WHAT IT IS that comes out of the page. ]

To- to mold. You are saying just, what? Pinch it back into shape?

[That cat hears Tim, then looks down at the page like it's reading, then presses its paw down again. Still Jude's voice:]

She stood up, pressed her fingers to her face and calmly squeezed it back into shape.

[Once that line finishes, the cat comes to the edge of the table, leaning to sniff at Tim's bad arm, quite a bit of worry there.]

I - um - I think that's. What he's suggesting, yes.

[ Algric also hovers a bit closer. ]

I could try too? Cold - cold fingers. And all.