- IC CONTACT POST FOR MASKORMENACE -

[slightlyoffchilt]

"Hello.

You've reached the direct line of Doctor Frederick Chilton. As I am not available at the moment, you might assume I'm quite busy with something pressing. State your name and business, and I will return your call."

Comments

[slightlyoffchilt]

[Of course, of course. This would have had to happen before Hannibal could have conjured anything. Chilton was only getting ahead of himself, succumbing to paranoia, crisp on the edge of --]

That is reminiscent of trailer trash. Was he attempting to torment you?

[mantlepieces]

Yeah, or something. You know anything about that? Sasha was there.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Sasha... Sasha, your paramour? Well that certainly seems staged. Was this something short of a suggested marriage proposal?

[mantlepieces]

She's not my-- [ He breathes out sharply, angrily. ] My anything, for cryin' out loud. And I dunno, maybe. Is he a shotgun wedding kinda guy?

[slightlyoffchilt]

You called into question his taste, you ought to know the answer already. [Impatiently:] If you really want to piss Graham off and provoke a shotgun, I insist that you continue to keep company with that girl.

[mantlepieces]

What do you mean you insist? I dunno if it's gonna work out, honestly. And I don't even want a girlfriend anyway.

[slightlyoffchilt]

[A brief pause -- this works much better for his parameters, now that Hannibal is a vibrant variable.]

Let her down easily, Reggie. Tears might lead to bloodshed.

[mantlepieces]

Too late for that. We had a fight, so-- [ There's a pause while Reggie shrugs, almost audibly. ] I ain't never going back to that place, that's for sure.

[slightlyoffchilt]

What sort of fight? Concerning what matter?

[mantlepieces]

She got all uptight when I called that Will guy's house filthy, which it is -- it's crawlin' with animals and probably disease.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Why would she be upset at factual information? Perhaps I should've vetted her for you first.

[mantlepieces]

That's what I thought. I don't know, her brain's probably already infected with rabies.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Hmm. [A beat.] We ought to get you tested, now that you mention it.

[mantlepieces]

I'm fine. I make a point of not gettin' scratched or bitten by anything.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Surprisingly cautious of you. I imagine you would survive fairly well, if ever our next imPorted plague was a zombie apocalypse, or something equally ridiculous.

[mantlepieces]

[ Reggie falls quiet for a span of moments that feels, to him, much longer than it probably actually is. ]

That's a freakin' weird thing to say. Thanks, I guess?

[slightlyoffchilt]

It isn't so weird. I just talked to a gentleman a few weeks ago who had come from a world of zombies. He, of course, preferred a different name for them.

Too tacky otherwise, he claimed. A man who came from a zombie world had the gall to insinuate some level of taste.

[mantlepieces]

Well whatever, it's weird to me. I don't think about that kind of horror movie bullshit. Survival instincts don't do anyone much good here anyway, now do they?

[slightlyoffchilt]

Well, if you want to avoid agony and trauma, I would beg to differ on the use of survival skills.

Just because she dumped you doesn't mean you get to act bratty. Just so you know.

[mantlepieces]

She didn't dump me. We weren't even dating.

[ Ugh. ]

How's it bein' bratty saying it don't take skills to stay alive in a place like this? It's true.

[slightlyoffchilt]

People have died. They have died and they have not returned.

[Baltimore people. His people.

For better or worse.]

What's to suggest you're immune, Reggie Mantle?

[mantlepieces]

Nothin' I guess, not that I've checked. 'Cept I know when to shut up and keep my head down.

[slightlyoffchilt]

Very good. Perhaps now would be an excellent time for you to take your own advice.

[mantlepieces]

What, 'cause of some guy you know that I probably wouldn't be talkin' to anyway?

[slightlyoffchilt]

No. Because you are delaying me from my next session.