IC Voicemail

[evowhisperer]

 *There's nothing but a long silence after the ringing stops. If the caller's been looking at their screen, there are plain black-and-white letters on display:*

Please leave a message after the beep.

*Beep.*

Comments

[evowhisperer]

*Cesar doesn't remember calling 911. He knows he must have, because the doctors say he did, and they say that he came in an ambulance. He tries to remember for a brief while, but gives up soon. There's some memories he doesn't miss.*

*His cellphone stays in his hospital room the whole time. He doesn't check it, but it sits there, like a tiny gargoyle guarding his bed. The room isn't private, but it happens to be empty, and it's surprisingly nice, for what it is. The pain medications are more than enough for him to sleep for the first day, and then most of the next.*

*He's awake enough by the third to realize what he's lost, and that he'll never speak again.*

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

[L had already called a few times over the last few days... out of concern or morbid curiosity, he didn't know, but the truth was that he felt a certain compulsion to check up on Cesar since the all too recent death of his brother, Moises. Since the calls have not yielded a response, he opts to send a text, because the Numbers, strangely and unfortunately, are failing to succeed at establishing a connection.]

I noticed that something significant has changed. Are you all right?

[The first text he'll try to send; if he receives no response, or an unsatisfactory one, he'll try again several more times.]

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

*Cesar will look at the text, start to swallow (stop himself), and close the text window. It's nothing but a text from that numbered kid Cesar-from-a-few-months-ago thought would be an acceptable substitute for a professional detective.*

*The text will wait. A lump is trying to form in Cesar's throat, made enormously more painful from the issues already there, and Cesar wants to try to sleep through it again.*

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

[The text will wait. It's sender, on the other hand, will not.]

I know your phone isn't dead. I called and it wasn't sent immediately to voicemail; it rang five times. I think if the number had been changed its new owner would have sent a message back to tell me as much and save me the trouble. Is it because you're not Numbered anymore?

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Is this Cesar? I don't know if you changed your number or not.

I want to apologize. Reflecting on my actions of the other day, I believe that my words came from a place of fear and shame. Your presence is a strong reminder of my failures, but nevertheless, it was selfish of me to reduce you to that. Whether you choose to accept it or not, I am sorry.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

*Cesar doesn't reply in the first hour. Nor the next, or the one after that. In fact, he's not replying for the day. Nor most of the next.*

*When he does reply, it's in typical-Cesar-style:*

Apology accepted.

I'm not likely to stop being a reminder any time soon. Is this going to happen again?

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

You don't have to be my friend, but if you let me see you in a context that's nothing to do with Moises, I think we can help each other move forward.

Let me take you out? You can choose the place. I reserve the right to veto nothing, so long as it's an activity you think you would enjoy.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

I'll need some time to think of something.

Let me get back to you on this.

*He has no current plans of doing so, but the beauty of this sort of answer is that he can change his mind.*

[Text] - Backdated to the 4th wall

[oncedevil]

Say uh, that L you met?

Yeah, not our L. I know that's confusing but bear with me.
I think it was his other.

[Text] D!L, Backdated to March 15

[dead_black_eyes]

Hey. I need your help. Do you still have some of that bacon? He's starving me. He's sadistic and he's starving me.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

*The silence after the initial text stretches for several minutes.*

You're exaggerating. If he wanted to kill you, I think he'd choose more immediate ways.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

No, he doesn't want to kill me. At least not yet. He wants me to suffer. His friend even told him off for letting me get dehydrated, it's not only me.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

*An even longer pause.*

When was the last time you ate? And who was the friend?

Text; Sent to Cesar's phone about 2 hours prior to the kidnapping

[dead_black_eyes]

You probably need your space. Believe me, I respect that, but I can't keep not talking about this.

Text;

[evowhisperer]

Let's talk, then.

Soon?

Text;

[dead_black_eyes]

Yeah.

Tonight? Don't say yes if you're busy with something pressing. I don't want to impose.

Text; (time-wise: should we say this thread is a-few-plus-two-hours before kidnapping?

[evowhisperer]

Tonight.

Come over in a few hours?

[Text]- evening of the 6th

[oncedevil]

Your doppelganger problems have been solved.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

That's what I hear.

I have you to thank for this, don't I?

[Text]

[oncedevil]

I only finished what he started.

[Text]

[evowhisperer]

He took on more than he could handle.

Are you alright? L wouldn't go into detail, but I'm gathering there were injuries.

Network Message; Audio

[callmeryuzaki]

The itsy bitsy spider climbed up a stripper pole,
Then he hopped a dick and then he found a hole,
Now he's not so bitsy and his appetite is more,
So grab him by the hair and fuck him like a wh Hhhhiiii Cesar~

Network Message; Text

[evowhisperer]

What do you want?

Network Message;

[callmeryuzaki]

[Silvery laughter.]

I wanted to see who.... sorry, how you were doing. Isn't an old flame allowed to check up on little bits of fond kindling?

Network Message;

[evowhisperer]

No, it's not.

This isn't a good time for you. Goodbye, and please don't message me.