Duplicity Inbox

[domainless]

Martin is away from the phone right now. Pleas leave a message and he'll get back to you.

Comments

[alwayskayaking]

Alright. I just worry that he might be taking advantage of you sometimes.

[domainless]

What? Trying to get an extra cup of tea?

[alwayskayaking]

That's not what I mean and you know it.

[domainless]

He's not. I mean, god, he saved my life back at home. He risked his own to do it.

[alwayskayaking]

One moment of heroism doesn't mean that he doesn't take advantage of you every other day. Not that I'm saying he takes advantage of you if you're saying he doesn't, but I just want you to keep that in mind should that ever change.

[domainless]

Look, i know you don't like him but... he's a good boyfriend. Really.

[alwayskayaking]

It's not that I don't like him. [Okay, so there were parts of Jon that Tim didn't like.] It's just that he can be a bit selfish and I worry that you can't see that because you like taking care of people so much.

[domainless]

I don't. I don't like taking care of people, Tim.

But someone has to do it. Someone has to- to make the tea and be nice to Rosie so she'll make sure the Archives get their paper delivered, and remember to send birthday cards to the library staff so we can keep using the books without things being difficult.

And that person is apparently me.

[alwayskayaking]

[Huh... he never once thought of Martin's actions in that way. He always thought of it as Martin just being... Martin.]

Wait, really? You sent birthday cards because you wanted to use books? Not just because you wanted someone to have a happy birthday?

[domainless]

I mean, I *do* want them to have a happy birthday! But it also just makes things run smoother if you send a birthday card and- and offer to make a cup of tea if you're going to the break room.

And if I made sure the people in the library, or in Artefact Storage, got a birthday card 'from the Archives team!' then it makes them more likely to *want* to help.

It's like if you're pleasant to the cashiers at the shop, they're more likely to overlook it if you're a a few pence short and they let you keep the extra potato anyway.

[alwayskayaking]

I mean, I admit I flirt with cashiers sometimes, but it's more that I enjoy making them smile. Plus it can be fun to come up with creative one liners. The occasional free drink is just sort of a bonus.

And I certainly didn't think about you having that sort of motivation before.

[domainless]

It's not-

I'm not doing it to be manipulative. That's not the reason. I just know how to make things easier.

I mean, you have actual qualifications, right? I don't. I spent ten years terrified that people would figure out I was clueless, and people- if you're nice to them, helpful, remember birthdays or someone's coffee order, they're much more willing to believe 'Well, that's Martin. He's a bit absent minded but he gets things done' rather than 'he's obviously an idiot and lying about having a degree'.

[alwayskayaking]

Hey, you shouldn't have been so hard on yourself. Even if you did come in without any experience you gained it while you were working there. You're a good worker, Martin. No matter what Jon says.

[There is a pause between that message and the next as Tim remembers again that there are years now between the two of them.]

Or use to say.

[domainless]

I mean, I know that. I did end up running the Institute for a few months.

[alwayskayaking]

You did? Martin! That's amazing! You should be proud of yourself!

[domainless]

I mean technically I was assistant to Peter Lukas, but he was useless and someone had to stop him throwing more researchers into the Lonely.

[alwayskayaking]

[Tim was following along well until the Lonely is mentioned. He sometimes forgets how much more Martin and Jon have had to put up with since worms.] That's good. Someone had to put a stop to something like that.

Should I ask what the Lonely is like? Or is it better that I don't know?

[domainless]

It's... it's cold. An empty sort of terrifying. You know on a foggy day, when you're outside and sure that absolutely no-one will care or even notice if you just never show up for work the next day? Like that.

You just feel kind of numb.

[alwayskayaking]

That sound awful. [He would say it's an awful way to die, but he has a bad feeling most who get trapped there don't get to die.] Is there any way to get those people back that he sent there? [He use to work in research. Tim still knew the names and faces of everyone in that department. He may not have been able to call them all close friends, but he can't think of anyone he'd want to know was being tortured for all of eternity.]

[domainless]

...Get someone who loves you and has extremely strong ties to the Eye to come in after you?

I don't know. I doubt it. It would have to be done very quickly.

[alwayskayaking]

So, they're all just stuck there? Isn't there anything to be done for them?

[domainless]

They're dead, Tim! It was months ago. They probably washed up on a beach somewhere when the Lonely was done digesting them.

[alwayskayaking]

You're sure that they're dead? They're not stuck in some limbo forever?

Then I suppose that is for the best.

[domainless]

I mean, I didn't exactly go into the endless foggy domain of the Lonely to look for them?

But probably. They are probably dead.

[alwayskayaking]

Or they're just as probably suffering for only god knows how long in an endless cycle of torture?