Following Up Following Down [closed]

[superposition]

Who: Qubit, assorted
What: Qubit needs to contact a few people about the whole Longinmouth situation.
When: i don't even know. time isn't real
Where: Anchor
Warnings: N/A

1. for Ben & Pratt, separately

[ Both of them will get the same text, but at slightly different times. ]

I need to speak with you. In person, if possible.

It's about the incident with Carlisle.


2. for Kieran

[ There's no point trying to contact Kieran over the network. He couldn't read to begin with, and now he's blind as well. So Qubit tracks him down in person, checking in first at the Medbay, only to find out he's been released and relocated into the dormitories.

He finds the appropriate door and knocks. ]

Kieran? It's Qubit. Are you in?


3. for Onni

[ Carlisle is Qubit's friend. He'll stop at nothing to help him. But there's only so much he can actually do - he may be able to help Carlisle suppress the psionic side of his abilities, but that was never going to be anything but a stopgap, a treatment of the symptoms rather than the underlying cause.

The cause is magic. And magic is far outside his wheelhouse.

He does know a handful of magic-users in Anchor. Initially, he thought about asking Loki, but the man's trustworthiness aside, he's been Ported out. Reynir's wards might be useful for containment, but that's not his objective right this second. There's still one avenue he needs to explore, one that's a total unknown. Onni Hotakainen, the Finnish mage.

So one day, Onni will be getting an audio call from him: ]

Onni Hotakainen? This is Qubit. I'll get right to the point - there's an urgent matter that I believe only a mage may be able to resolve, and I need to know if you can help. The safety of everyone in Anchor is at stake.

Comments

[benhargreeves]

[ Qubit really isn't giving anything away. In a way, though, that's easier. Ben can just get through it, lay it all out, as he saw it, and then they can discuss why Qubit is asking.

He takes a moment, though, thinking of what words to use, how he can capture the hectic, horrific events that follows. ]

Carlisle was... having some sort of a fit. Like a seizure, almost. It looked really painful. And- and the bodies - the parts of the bodies of the men who'd been attacking Kieran, who I killed, started... moving. Coming together. But also, rotting. Like time was sped up. And there were um, animal skeletons, too, that came up out of the ground. Like... someone had buried a horse there years ago and its bones were getting pulled to the surface. And all those bits sort of... mooshed together into this... this thing. This, like, ten-foot-tall corpse monster.

It came at us, so, I did my thing again and beat it down. But every time I - beat it down, or tore it in half, it would just reform. So I had to keep fighting it. I was - making progress, it was coming back a little smaller every time, but... using my powers. Is. Extremely painful, for me. And I was getting exhausted.

[ Ben rubs a hand against his forehead, remembering that nausea, the weakness, being terrified he wouldn't kill it for good before he passed out, that his friends would die. He isn't looking at Qubit any longer, wrapped up in remembering the events. ]

There were more than one of the monsters, at that point, and one of them ran at Carlisle and Pratt. And then it kind of- stopped. All of them stopped. I stopped. Like- like something was controlling me...

[ He hadn't been able to identify the feeling, back then. He hadn't really thought about that particular part of it, before now. But suddenly, it all clicks, and Ben looks up, eyes wide with sudden realization. ]

My sister, her powers - they let her control people. Tell them what to do, and they have to do it. It felt like that.

[ Was that something Carlisle had caused? Ben can't be sure. He doesn't have any proof.

He gets through the rest of the story in a rush. ]

I shook off... whatever it was quicker than the remaining monsters, and I dealt with them while they were still frozen, and this time they didn't reform. Somewhere in there... Pratt had grabbed Carlisle, to drag him to safety, and his hand was all-

[ Ben gives a shudder, small and suppressed, but goes on: ]

All rotted and... bleeding. But he was okay to walk, and Carlisle wasn't wigging out, anymore, so we all started off for the medbay. At some point, Carlisle was just... gone. I don't know when he separated off. I was - pretty close to passing out.

[ And he folds his arms over his chest, not really sure if he should add this next bit. But it's possible this had been part of qhat Qubit was referring to when he mentioned the incident, so: ]

A couple of days later I texted Carlisle. I wanted to check up on him. Offer... I don't know. Advice? If he needed someone to talk to about having shitty powers that are hard to control. He said I should just convince Kieran to let him finish healing him. I told him that wasn't gonna happen until I was sure he was safe. Carlisle... did not like that.

[ Ben sits back in his chair, a kind of punctuation, lets out a slow, irritated breath. That argument still rankles, but that's not the point, now. He meets Qubit's gaze, steady and level, asks: ]

Now. Why did you want to know?

[superposition]

[ Generally speaking, Ben's account lines up with Carlisle's, but provides him with a lot more detail. A group of unknown assailants would explain why there were human corpses present for Carlisle to reanimate, for instance. Even though recalling the events is causing him a great deal of stress, Ben is an excellent witness, rational and articulate. Gold star.

He's also filled in some details that Carlisle left out. Qubit frowns when he hears the bit about the mind control. He doesn't think that omission was intentional, though - given the state Carlisle was in at the time, he may not even have known he was doing it.

He also didn't mention further contact with Ben - or that he still wants to finish his work on Kieran's eyes. Qubit rolls his eyes and sighs in exasperation. Ben made the right call. Of course Carlisle still wants to help - it's a point of pride for him - but it's far too dangerous, and he should know that. God damn it, Longinmouth.

But then Ben's got a question for him. Qubit pauses for a second. It's only fair, though, and given that Ben's already offered help to Carlisle after all that...

Qubit takes a deep breath through his nose, exhales. Yeah. He can be forthcoming here, he decides. ]

... Because Carlisle came to me for help.

[ He rests one hand on his temple, the other gesturing loosely as he speaks. It's a serious matter, so his body language isn't relaxed, exactly, but it's informal. Still, his eyes betray a peculiar intensity as he explains. ]

We arrived in Anchor at around the same time, and I've been working with him on and off ever since. As I understand it, his abilities stem from a sort of... magical affliction he has, and his condition seriously worsened shortly before he was brought here.

[ I.e. he died from it. And then un-died. And turned everyone in his hometown into zombies. It wasn't great. ]

So now when he "channels" that type of magic, his body rejects it, as you saw. And he's... still coming to terms with what that means for him. Albeit slowly.

[benhargreeves]

[ Ben listens without interruption: he hadn't known that Qubit and Carlisle were friends (which is what he's sort of reading in between the lines here, with the arriving at the same time and working together, and judging from the fact that Carlisle went to him to seek help, when he had refused it so adamantly from Ben.

Qubit was probably right not to tell him all this earlier. If he'd known Qubit was a friend of Carlisle's he might have been less harsh in his recounting of what happened, but less truthful.

The new information about Carlisle's condition makes Ben rub as his mouth, considering. After a long pause, he asks: ]

So it wasn't being brought here, itself, that changed his ability to heal?

[ Ben's not sure Qubit is really here to be answering his questions about Carlisle, but he feels justified in asking this one, particularly because he had gotten a different impression when talking to Carlisle himself. But then, thinking back, he doesn't remember the exact wording. Only that Carlisle said his powers were screwy, lately. It was Ben who had just assumed that getting brought to this place was the cause. But evidently, he's got some kind of magic disease? Or curse? All this isn't really Ben's wheelhouse. He wonders if Cole would understand better. But it might be rude, to ask him.

He sighs when Qubit says that Carlisle is coming to terms with the change slowly. Ben genuinely feels bad for him. There's some guilt, now, for how snippy he'd been in their text exchange. Perhaps the way Carlisle had asked Ben to convince Kieran to endure something he was afraid of had touched on a bit of a nerve, and he'd been unduly harsh.

But things can't stay the way they are. He IS sure of that. ]

Can you help him do that? Come to terms with it. Learn his new limitations, before something like this happens again, and I'm not there to... to keep it from getting any worse?

[ Ben's eyes lock onto Qubit's, level, steady, questioning. Ben wants someone to help Carlisle. He had offered, but he doubts now that the man will want much to do with him. Certainly he probably won't want to be vulnerable around Ben. So maybe this is the best solution. ]

And- is there anything I can do, to help you do that?

[superposition]

[ To Ben's first question, Qubit shakes his head - ] Not to my knowledge. Though I can see why you might think that. [ His own abilities were compromised when he was brought here, after all. (Wait, has he ever told Ben that? Maybe not. Well, it's not really relevant at the moment.) ]

[ To the second, he pauses a second, then sighs. ]

I'm trying to, believe me.

[ But he's wearing a lot of hats around here as it is, and this last month in particular has spread him pretty thin. If nothing else, it's driven home the point that he can't save Carlisle alone. ]

I have a few ideas how, but magic's not exactly my best subject. I'll need to consult with our other magic-users before committing to any particular course. In the meantime, I think you're already on the right track. Your powers and his are very different, but your experience could still lend him valuable insight.

[ Maybe Ben can do for Carlisle what the Plutonian did for Volt, once upon a time. Not so drastic as allowing Carlisle to live a normal life - that ship's already sailed - but allowing him to live among people, at least. ]

[benhargreeves]

[ Ben still doesn't even know what Qubit's abilities are... which he hasn't forgotten, but he's waiting for the opportune moment to ask, and that moment just hasn't ever seemed to come up. Usually when he's talking with Qubit, there is some other urgent matter at hand.

Right now, for instance, Ben is mostly focused on whether Qubit will be able to give Carlisle the help that he couldn't. And he's... not feeling remarkably confident. Qubit's heart seems like it is in the right place (honestly, that generous assumption is much more on Ben than any of the evidence he's been presented) but he looks kinda worn out.

He nods his understanding when Qubit mentions his lack of familiarity with magic, interjects a quick: ]

Yeah, same.

[ He's always relied on Cole, to explain all things magical to him, or at least do his best to. But then, that isn't a resource Qubit can really draw from, considering that Cole is probably still scared of him. Well... there are other people, right? Someone can help, as an expert in the field...

When Qubit proposes Ben using his own expertise at having awful powers, he drops his head forward, rubbing at the back of his neck. ]

I... don't know. I mean, I offered. Like, repeatedly, and he just sort of asked for my qualifications and then totally blew me off and got super offended when I wouldn't just agree to do whatever he wanted. I'm sure... he's probably a nice guy once you get to know him, or whatever, but I feel like now he's not exactly gonna want to trust me.

[superposition]

[ Qubit sighs. Carlisle, please. So far he's been able to pierce through Carlisle's stubbornness with relative ease, but that's only because he's so familiar with his own (and so skilled at herding cats). ]

"Nice" might be too strong a word, but he means well. He's just ... very, very stubborn, at times. I'll talk to him.

[benhargreeves]

Okay. That's probably a good idea.

[ Ben has some experience with very very stubborn, so his outlook on the Carlisle situation isn't optimistic exactly, but. Who knows? Maybe things will turn out well. Maybe he's got a rock bottom he'll hit soon, and he'll accept he needs help. Sure, what he's got going on isn't exactly the same as addiction, but Ben's pretty sure a lot of the stuff he'd heard in Klaus's stints in rehab still apply. ]

If he changes his mind, my offer's still on the table.

[ Qubit looks weary; Ben feels bad for not being able to do anything until he repairs the damage with Carlisle, or tries to. With that in mind, he shifts uncomfortably in his chair and adds: ]

I. Was taught to deal with my powers in a very dysfunctional and unhealthy way. So I do have a good idea, at least, what not to do. Tell him that, if he asks again what makes me qualified to help.

[ Then, because he is Ben, after all: ]

When was the last time you had something to eat? I've got a disappointingly healthy granola bar in my bag, if you want it.

[superposition]

[ Glad that Ben's keeping the offer open, he nods. ]

I appreciate it.

[ The snippet he divulges does raise some questions, but Qubit doesn't ask them. He knows very little about Ben, even after having spoken with his sister - but his guess so far is that Ben was either engineered from birth or kidnapped at a young age for some kind of government superweapons project. Or something like that.

At any rate, the offer of food is incongruous enough to the rest of the conversation that Qubit cracks a bemused smile. ]

Thanks, but I'm fine. I don't look that bad, do I?

[ It's been a long month, true, but Qubit's had years to master keeping his body running in extreme circumstances. Calories are just another number, and he's good with those. The last time he slept, on the other hand... ]

[benhargreeves]

[ Ben gives an equivocal sort of a shrug. He's seen worse, but he doesn't know Qubit well enough to know if any signs of exhaustion at all mean that he's near his breaking point. Some people really hide it better than others and Ben errs on the side of caution. ]

Naw, you don't. I'm just a worrier. I worry. It's what I do.

[ Surely Qubit has noticed that by now. But apparently it doesn't just take the form of distancing himself, of paranoia and anticipating worst case scenarios. Apparently it also extends to concerning himself that everyone around him is taking care of themselves. ]

[superposition]

Heh! Evidently.

[ But his concern isn't unwelcome. It's true Qubit runs himself hard, and once in a while he does need to be reminded of these things. And the undisguised concern for his well-being reminds him of Newt, a bit, only subtler and with boundaries. So he's still smiling as he gets to his feet. ]

Well, you don't need to worry about me too much. I've been doing this for a long time, I can take care of myself.

[ If anything, he functions better when he's got a crisis to keep him busy. An anchor, if you will, that can keep him focused outward, away from the event horizon within. I mean, uh, what black hole of self-loathing? Ha ha, there's no such thing. Anyway, if there's nothing else to discuss - ]

At any rate, thanks for your help, Ben. This was very informative. [ He pats him once on the shoulder on his way out, with a hand that's firm but not rough. ] We will find a solution for all this. I promise.