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From:

abrightboy

"It's probably only a matter of eliminating the source. Does anyone know what might be causing it?" Malcolm asks.

From:

empathicfault

"No," Will replies. "Or if they have an idea, they aren't sharing. Sounds like it would have to be something big to affect this many people in this strange of a reality at once. But that's...conjecture."

Will rubs at one eye. "I hate waiting, too, but- this is not our purview. We'll have to wait and see who's responsible, and if it was done with malicious intent or gross incompetence." He thinks about it, tilts his head to the side. "Or both, I suppose."

From:

abrightboy

"What if it's malicious intent? Is that our purview?" Malcolm asks cautiously.

From:

empathicfault

"It could be," Will says, looking from his hands up into Hannibal's eyes. Will isn't smiling, but it seems like he could break into one at any time. He blinks slowly, like a contented cat, and his voice is like velvet when he speaks. "Would you like it to be?"

Edited Date: 20 Oct 2023 21:27 (UTC)

From:

abrightboy

"Would that make a difference? If I wanted it or didn't want it?" Malcolm asks.

From:

empathicfault

Will tilts his head to the side as he considers. "...it's merely a gauge of interest. No plans yet, but I'll keep you informed." As much as they ever did, with each other.

From:

abrightboy

"That's not what I asked," he points out.

From:

empathicfault

"No, it isn't," Will confirms, with a small frown. And here things were starting to feel Normal again.

His tone takes on a more careful edge to it. "You should know by now that you can't herd me towards any particular direction. But I will take suggestions into consideration."

From:

abrightboy

“I see. But you won’t take everyone’s suggestions into consideration,” Malcolm points out.

From:

empathicfault

Now Will is sounding downright icy. "No. Why would I? Playing by the rules hasn't exactly worked out for me in the past, now has it?"

From:

abrightboy

“What about graduation?” Malcolm asks.

From:

empathicfault

And now his mood is thoroughly ruined. Is that what Hannibal's trying to do? He's having mood swings, so he's putting Will through them, too. Will lets out a heavy sigh.

"There is that. Not that I see myself graduating anytime soon." He looks into Hannibal's eyes again, his own suspicious and calculating. "What are you getting at?" He's getting tired of this, whatever it is.

From:

abrightboy

“I’m not Hannibal,” Malcolm says quietly, watching warily as he says it. “I’m not him.”

From:

empathicfault

Will frowns even more deeply at that assertion. That didn't make any sense, with the conversation they were just--

There's a flash of light in front of his face, sweeping like a pendulum. And Malcolm's behind it, not Hannibal. Will's eyes widen and he backs up, almost tripping over the couch. "What- who-"

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm’s expression crumbles and he gets up and opens his mouth to say something, then closes it, then opens it, then closes it.

Then he turns and runs out of the cabin, barreling blindly down the hall.

From:

empathicfault

Unfortunately for Will, the flash continues, briefly changing the fleeing figure to Hobbs before showing Malcolm again. He sees- he sees--

He can't trust what he sees. He collapses to his knees and then sits on his heels. Winston walks up and licks his hand. Will hugs him, burying his face in the dog's fur.

From:

abrightboy

It doesn’t take long after he stops running for him to realize he has nowhere to go. Neal is in a coma, Raylan is in a rage. He hasn’t seen Francis, but considering the state of his other friends, he’s afraid to.

He goes back to his cabin, steps inside cautiously, looks around.

“Will?”

Edited Date: 21 Oct 2023 00:44 (UTC)

From:

empathicfault

Will is asleep on the couch.

No, scratch that- Will is lying on the couch with his eyes open, staring blankly into the space ahead. When the door opens, Will sits up.

And he turns at hearing his name. "Malcolm...?" His shoulders relax when he sees the man.

From:

abrightboy

“Oh, thank god,” Malcolm says, rushing over to drop onto his knees beside the couch, looking him over to make sure nothing happened to him while he was gone, fumbling for Will’s nearest hand with both of his own.

From:

empathicfault

Will is wearing different clothes, but that's the only indication he did anything at all between Malcolm's departure and return.

He reaches forward and his Malcolm as soon as the man is in reach. He lets out a slightly shaky breath. "So much for not being that affected, huh?" he says quietly. "Did I...think you were...?" He can't quite seem to get the name out. His mind is telling with implications.

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm’s posture stiffens slightly and he nods, but immediately waves it off.

“It was just an hallucination. It just… got really vivid. It’s the… whatever this is.”

It’s so sweet of you to lie to him, son. But what if he’s actually losing his mind for real? What are you going to do when the psychotic break happens and the line between real and imagined is permanently blurred?

Malcolm grits his teeth slightly and angles his body more towards Will’s head. Like he’s showing his back to something behind him.

“Someone needs to put a stop to the… curse… thing.”

From:

empathicfault

Will notices the shift and wants to make some sort of joke about Malcolm's father to lighten the mood. But after everything that happened...they're both too shaken to make light of anything now. "Yeah. Someone really does."

He hugs Malcolm close, his fingers digging into Malcolm's back, and murmurs, "I'm sorry. I didn't want to see you...like that. I- he's gone now, at least. I think. Left a bunch of...flashes, in his wake."

From:

abrightboy

Malcolm melts into his warmth, finally relaxing a bit. He nuzzles lightly at his neck.

“It’s not your fault. It’s… whoever did this.” He pauses. “What do you mean by ‘flashes’?”

From:

empathicfault

Will lets a shaky breath out, as if he's been holding it the whole time Malcolm has been away. "Oh, you know...that visualization thing I do? It's not so optional, at the moment. But it's navigable, at least."

He'll argue the 'not your fault' portion of this once they're out of it, probably. That's not for now. But it all still came from his head.