[Voice]

[deservinghell]

[For Henry, the past month has been rougher than any other in recent memory. Confessing to the only person in this wretched place he is comfortable calling a friend that she'd been keeping intimate company with a vampire was more emotionally trying than he expected. But that paled in comparison to a week spent living--finding himself with a pulse for the first time in four and a quarter centuries--and then having it taken away again.]

Surely I'm not the only one who'd rather our personal timelines never sorted themselves out.

Comments

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[alittlesweptup]

Speak for yourself, mate.

[Which comes out of his mouth automatically whether it's true or not because, for a moment, all he can think of is being stuck in that catacomb with his busted leg. Not that it had been all bad -- or even mostly bad, really. Not after the leg bit and narrowly being smothered by what was surely a negligible level of oxygen in those tunnels. Though the rest is a bit fuzzy, fractured and misplaced, from what he can recall there had been some... particular advantages.]

[deservinghell]

[By now, he knows Cutter and Chloe are pals and that there's a possibility she's said something to him. But Henry has had nothing but pleasant conversation with the man. He'll chance it.]

Didn't get a ride to a happier time in your life, I take it.

[alittlesweptup]

Not my favorite, no. But it sounds like you have a nice time of it, eh?

[Don't look so down, Henry; you make it seem as if someone's died.]

[deservinghell]

[Hilarious. He might think so too, but it's probably for the best the words aren't said aloud.]

I could have done without that particular mess getting sorted out, yeah. If they'd have taken me then instead of when they did, the Initiative might have saved my life a bad turn.

[He snorts.]

Of course, I wouldn't have known enough to appreciate it.

[alittlesweptup]

[He makes a low, absent noise of agreement. That much at least is a sentiment he can sympathize with.]

Suppose hindsight can be a bit of a wanker.

[Still he can't imagine that everything between then and now's been total shit; then again, what the hell's he know?]

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[ex_havenofear960]

[ Hark, say what. ]

Personal timelines?

[ You made this post because you wanted to explain the concept to the newbies, right. He could tell. ]

[deservinghell]

[Oh, he's absolutely in the mood to fill you in, kid.]

If that doesn't ring any bells, I guess it's safe to assume you're new.

[ex_havenofear960]

[ Uh. Maybe he'd rather not. ]

New-ish. Well, yeah, fresh off the boat.

I thought I was caught up on the time travel thing, though.

[deservinghell]

[Henry snorts.] If there's anything I've learned since I've been here, it's that you're never going to be as "caught up" as you think you are.

A few weeks back, many of us became different versions of ourselves, some younger and some older. Quite the ride.

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[assworthsaving]

[Sure. Drake vaguely remembers this guy. Hopefully he doesn't remember him, though. But right now he's pretty much had his fill of all this time traveling bullshit.]

Well yours must've been a pleasant experience. Good for you. I, for one, hope it never happens again.

[deservinghell]

[Even if he had recognized Drake, Henry wouldn't have passed judgment on the man based on a teenager's stupidity.]

That seems to be the consensus. It's only a shame it had to be all of us or none of us when it came to putting things back the way they were.

[assworthsaving]

[Except some people were kids and they sure as hell didn't belong in this place (even though he's sure he has seen a few). Which isn't what Henry meant, sure, but the Initiative didn't bring them here to relive the better parts of their lives either.]

That's because it wouldn't be beneficial to the Initiative. [Yep, that's sarcasm, but it's aimed at the assholes running this operation.] They don't have any use for kids, or people in their weaker forms, and this isn't a vacation. All we're here for is to fight their wars for them. They don't care about anything else.

[deservinghell]

But they aren't always in control. Accidents do happen. [This line isn't encrypted, of course, and he doesn't care.] One has to wonder what happens when one of us is rendered permanently unfit for service.

fussy video

[totallytrustworthy]

[It's not that Chloe hasn't got any sympathy left in her for your situation, or even that she's afraid of what you are, but the fact that you're currently buddy buddy with two of her closest friends.

Two people she'd rather not watch sit in the same boat she knew for quite some time.]

....What the hell, Henry.

Voice filtered to Chloe

[deservinghell]

Hello, Chloe. Something the matter? [This isn't the first they've spoken since his confession, but the last time hardly counts.]

You sneaky bastard

[totallytrustworthy]

For starters, not really appreciating the fact that you've decided to get in with my friends.

Seriously, Henry, what you do with anyone else is your business, but as long as you're keeping those pointed teeth hidden you keep yourself away from my mates.

--Or I'll tell them myself.

[deservinghell]

[Harsh, Chloe. To think you once trusted him to take care of your closest and most vulnerable friends.

She can't see it, obviously, but he frowns.]

I trust you to do with the information whatever you feel is right. But for the record, it isn't personal. Cutter and I met long before I knew you were mates.

voice;

[motherofnemesis]

No, you're not. I wouldn't have minded at all.

[deservinghell]

Happier times, eh? I hope you were at least able to enjoy it while it lasted.

[motherofnemesis]

Ignorance is bliss and all that. When you're young, there's a lot you don't know yet.

You jumped back too?

[deservinghell]

I don't think truer words have ever been spoken.

Yes, I jumped back. I jumped a long way, far enough to avoid a handful of catastrophic mistakes.

filtered text;

[painfeels]

You're not.

Voice, filtered

[deservinghell]

There's something to be said about solidarity, I suppose. Do you want to talk about it?

[painfeels]

It was pretty similar, to the life I used to have. I was supposed to go back to school and I didn't look like...

Nevermind. It's all over now, so what does it matter.

[deservinghell]

No, it isn't useful to dwell on what we can't have. But it's human nature to do it anyway. For me, it's a comfort to know I've still got a bit of that left.