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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:05:43 GMT -6
This was certainly a fairly large amount of deja vu all at once. Yes, of course this individual recognized them. Morgan had recognized that she recognized them the other day when they nearly ran into her. This also was not the first time that someone working here had recognized them, either (one other time, in fact). However, the way that she said it had Morgan sweating bullets in an instance. This was not the 'oh wow you look like a person I knew' face. This was the 'I know what you did' sort of face, even though Morgan knew that they were relatively blameless, if not for what could possibly be considered stalking random labs employees (not that Morgan singled anyone in specificity out).
Morgan was quiet. The kapper was quiet. Somewhere in the cat-covered room, a clock was ticking. Morgan's eyes traveled until they found the clock, it was a Mosca-shaped one, and when it 'ticked' the tail swung back and forth and the wings raised and lowered. The ticking was driving Morgan up the wall.
Finally, the kapper steeples her fingers, elbows on the desk, and leaned her forehead into the steeple. A sigh escapes her lips, and Morgan almost leaps up and flees. Seeing Morgan's jerk, the kapper seems to decide, blinking her center eye independently of her other two. "Or rather- Oh." She mumbled, as if trying to figure out how not to be peppy, and to be serious. Finally, the facade slips, ever so slightly. "I knew him. Dexter. Before he-"
"Before he what?!" Morgan finally stood up, unable to fully control their movements. "B-b-before he left? Before he died? Before he wa-was killed? What was it, huh?" Morgan's hands knotted into fists.
[16]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:12:23 GMT -6
Morgan had never really recovered. Somewhere, in the back of their head, they always held on to that sliver of hope, that thin metallic thing, crinkling like a leaf in the wind. There was a child there, not quite a teen, waiting for their father to come home, sitting on the couch, afraid to even go to get food or go to the bathroom at first out of fear that pops would come home late and they wouldn't be there. It drove them absolutely out of their mind some days, it laid them low some days, they covered up in every blanket in the house some days. Giving Millicent their old room had been hard at first, until they considered giving her dad's room. It had been better if Morgan had found the body. Or found out that he HAD left, and fled, and abandoned his offspring in a huge mansion all alone. They dreamed about this, fantasized about it, about getting closure.
Morgan was seeing red. Unable to think clearly. Their head was tick-tick-ticking. Their eyes glowed, hissed, buzzed with lost signal. The magic whisked first around their feet, and then hands, and then finally encompassed them. They hadn't realized they were screaming-
And then, they fell asleep.
The kapper stood over the quiet body of the creature of chaos, her own magic dissipating- little whispers of pearlescent order twinkling. Somewhere, behind them, a clock was ticking.
[17]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:18:41 GMT -6
Morgan woke up a week later, and PANICKED. They were at home, in bed, but it was like they could feel the time they had lost. Like they hadn't really slept at all. How did they get home? Morgan felt sore as they pushed theirself up out of the bed, rolled onto the ground, and automatically went to look for Millicent. They found her worried sick, but eating breakfast, thank goodness. "Morgan!" She called out, when she turned and saw the human standing there, with no glasses, looking absolutely exhausted. After many tears, she explained what had happened. Apparently Seimei had found Morgan deposited on the bench outside of a pub, and uh, had found a way to get Morgan home. Morgan strongly inferred that he might have carried them home- it sounded like something Seimei might do.
Millicent had made sure that all the beasts were taken care of the best she could, with the help of the tat-lung family. Morgan had been asleep for a week, just like they had suspected.
Morgan knew exactly what had happened, and was FURIOUS. However, they also found a slip of paper folded up against the cigarette case in their pocket. They held the fine paper between two fingers, feeling the horrific urge to burn it.
[18]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:26:15 GMT -6
Morgan went about their day. It was an off day, anyway, they checked the calendar to make sure. Millicent was worried sick. Morgan had no idea what to tell her, or to tell the tat-lungs. Seimei had assumed that Morgan had gotten very drunk and passed out for a week- like that was something that happened to humanoids regularly. 'Not for that long, Seimei!' Morgan had said. The Tat-lungs were not even remotely worried, save for a little wriggling concern behind Seimei's ego. Morgan could feel it through the link. Millicent however, deserved an explanation. Morgan told her the truth. The urge to burn the note was staved off as Morgan realized that they may have blown their chance to figure out what really happened to dad. Well, and maybe their job too, but that wasn't near as worrying as it could have been had they not been in the position they currently were. Morgan spent the day trying to make it normal for their family here, and then tucked Millicent in before looking at the note. The human squints, looks up, and then throws on some causal clothes. Then, they quietly slipped out into the night towards a quiet coffee shop they'd come to enjoy with the knowledge that whoever this kapper was, she had been keeping tabs on them for a while at least.
[19]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:36:11 GMT -6
The human ducked their chin into their shirt slightly as placed a palm on the door. The door was pushed open with a deceptively light tinkle. The human still managed to feel the foreboding in the air past the brightness of the place. If the orbaru crosses that were usually there were out, they were hiding right now. One of the workers was standing there looking a little sheepish- but it wasn't the jackalope. Most decent people weren't out at this hour. How would he feel about his shop being used for now? Or did he know? Was the jackalope in on it? The look on the face of the worker told Morgan all they needed to know; no, he wasn't in on it. Morgan's favorite coffee was handed to them on the way in, and when Morgan looked at it with plenty of distrust, the worker looked apologetic. The human grabbed it anyway, and made their way to the back of the room, sitting down on an uncomfortable looking seat. Not their usual. The kapper was there, fingers steepled again. She looked up at Morgan in that 'test me' manner that Morgan had only seen a few times before. They instinctively turned their head to the side in deference. The kapper seemed to accept this as an apology. Morgan took a sip of their coffee in silence.
"Are you ready to talk." It wasn't a question.
Morgan took a moment to swirl the coffee on their tongue. Then they nodded.
[20]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:46:08 GMT -6
Morgan didn't expect the first question. The Kapper's face softened, looking 'worried' and wrinkly. "How are you feeling, Morgan?" Like old friends, huh?
The human gave a quick look of distaste as they snarked- "What are ya, my shrink?" The kapper didn't look angry back, just... patient.
"I couldn't have you screaming. Sure, the walls are soundproof, but you needed to calm down." She said, her voice peppy again. She looked pleasant, not tough like she had a moment ago. Morgan took note of her clothes, different black and skelly hoodie, and a sort of black skirt of some kind. The human leaned back a little bit in their uncomfortable seat, and decided to cast their gaze to the side and out the window. People were walking by the glass. They couldn't see in well, but Morgan could see out plenty, even at night. It seemed polite to not look the individual directly in their eyes.
"Anyway, we can talk here. But I think it's best if you let me talk, first." She said, much more gentle this time. Like an adult speaking with a child. Sure, Morgan was a young adult, and this individual was middle aged, but it wasn't that much- she was the age Morgan's father would be now, Morgan knew. It made Morgan a little less willing to spit vitriol at her. Once again, the human nodded.
"Get to it, then. I have a fa-family that relies on me at home."
The kapper looked surprised. "A kid?"
"Millicent is a harachiu, so adopted, but yes." Morgan said, and then they tilted their head slightly. "And Seimei was NOT happy w-with last week's development."
[21]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 14:52:24 GMT -6
A truly apologetic looked crossed her face for the first time, and Morgan decided that it was enough. They stayed quiet. There was no point in arguing. They needed answers, and as long as they didn't think too hard about it, or jump the gun, then they figured they might just be able to keep their cool. It was very difficult though. This had been weighing on them for some time. The kapper looked apprehensive though, and Morgan wasn't sure whether it was apprehension because 'option one' was correct about their father, or because 'option two' was closer to the truth. It threatened to buzz chaos back up into their head like an angry hornet, but they managed to keep it down. The kapper would speak soon, hopefully, but seemed to be gathering theirself.
Finally, she began. Morgan stared out that window, listening intently, and watching the people walk past the little coffee shop that was supposed to be closed on the street. The more the Kapper spoke, the more distant they felt. Somewhere, in the back of their head, the little kid gets their answers- and bids goodbye.
The human tried their best, but broke down anyway.
[22]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 22:41:13 GMT -6
Morgan went home feeling really drained, but... Freer, in a way? The human kept their head down, and dipped into a late night shop to grab a bottle of something that they hadn't quite had before. They preferred the stuff brewed from grains, but this was something made with... They squinted at it. Some kind of fruit or something. Not wine though it would seem. Ah well, if they didn't like it they had plenty of other stuff out there. They made their way home quickly and stopped by the tat-lung house before heading in to have a drink or two and talk to the tat-family. They didn't talk about anything in particularly until finally they were feeling nice enough to go to bed. They waved at them, and then moved up to the back door and then up to their room.
They slept surprisingly well enough. It was almost as if the information did not necessarily bother them. But it did, it did enough that Morgan knew they wouldn't have been able to sleep without finding a way not to think about it.
[23]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 22:47:27 GMT -6
They went to work the next day. They dressed the same, made sure that the family and the pets were fed and then made sure Millicent got a good breakfast before heading out. The sun hadn't even come up yet when they left out (A little early). They wanted to take the long way out there on their walk and think. The cool morning air was nice. Morgan made it to the gates on time, and then walked past their usual workroom. Not their usual anymore. They stood outside of the door awkwardly for a second before reaching out to hesitantly knock. The door swings open, and then are invited in.
Learning the new job is simple, disturbingly simple, but they expected it. They understood now what the Labs was doing, or at least, what they were. Like a hibernating water bear, a hollowed out husk, waiting to be re-hydrated- it would never be re-hydrated.
The human went home after a day of work, and then the next day returned. Day in, and day out. Morgan felt dried out, too. A whistling cicada cask, clinging to a tree in the wind.
[24]
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Post by Morgan on Apr 2, 2020 22:54:40 GMT -6
Things got better, after a while. Morgan found out new things about their father, whenever they got brave enough to ask the kapper. Too bad father is- was... Had been, so private. There was information that was well known to other adults, information that Dis only knew because they were decent friends and coworkers, and things that Dis only knew through the grapevine after it was all said and done. Morgan didn't digest this all in one day. They didn't... Change all in one day either. Slowly, it began to get easier. They felt a little more at home in the knowledge. Then they began to get more at home with their job. After that, they began to come to terms with who- and with What, they were. That was easier for Morgan than was expected even by theirself. Their father had prepared them for it with all of his 'circumstances of one's birth' speeches. He certainly was planning to broach that subject at some point. Too bad he never got there. Morgan was astounded at first by their Father's brazenness, and then by his overwhelming desire to become a parent. And he had been a good one. He hadn't abandoned Morgan. That was enough for them. But the anger was still there, and Morgan had to find something to do with it. [25]
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