RADIO | AUDIO | some idle curiosity

[skeletonenigma]

[The message over the handsets is short, succinct, and to the point. Long story short: the detective is bored, so the first thought to capture some of his idle curiosity gets put to the Foreigners at large.]

Who else has received letters from themselves?

Comments

[insertdadjoke]

Is that a thing that's happening to everyone?

[redlightgreenlight]

You too?

And here I thought I was going crazy...

[solo_patria]

Oh good! I am not going mad, then.

I ah...mine was from another universe, of all things. Is that stranger or...

radio;

[lasergrenades]

[Pepper hesitates at first, but decides that, if other people are getting letters, she won't sound crazy by responding.]

I did.

[The lack of additional commentary is telling.]

[skeletonenigma]

More than I was expecting, actually. And from what I've seen, the letters are remarkably creative. If you can't see, it's an audio recording.

[skeletonenigma]

I didn't say I got one.

[Even though he did. Hush. Details.]

You thought you were going crazy because you don't remember writing it, or because it's impossible to decipher?

[skeletonenigma]

[Now that perks his interest.]

Another universe? How do you know?

radio;

[skeletonenigma]

[He won't press. That's not the point of this. But he does make a mental note, since Pepper is both a friend and a partner.]

When?

[insertdadjoke]

[ Gee, Cain wonders how that conclusion was made. Not that he'll comment on that directly. ]

Whatever force is making these happen definitely wants to make sure everyone gets their message. If it's not an isolated incident, then... there was probably a trigger somewhere.

[skeletonenigma]

I agree. One or two letters could be explained away as flukes. But if every Foreigner has gotten something -

[ - and he has to assume that's the case, even if not every Foreigner admits to it openly over the handsets - ]

- then it could mean someone is manipulating the Dreaming directly.

[ruinsprofessor]

I wouldn't call it a letter, exactly, but... yes, I did.

[Yes, she definitely did. And is still trying to figure out what to make of it.]

[insertdadjoke]

[ don't worry, Skulduggery, it's only the muns ]

That's definitely an idea. Then we'd have to ask for what purpose, or using what kind of power. Letters from the future aren't exactly going to further a specific agenda unless there's a hidden message on all of them combined.

[ He's pretty sure he saw that in a movie once. ]

[inkulcation]

[For this, China will stop ignoring Skulduggery's existence. For now.]

I tell myself the most fascinating things, apparently.

[redlightgreenlight]

Because I don't remember writing it...and I'm pretty sure I haven't touched a bible in years.

[skeletonenigma]

[don't tell him that]

I doubt it. Mine's two words long. Three, if you don't count contractions. And from the sounds of it, anything much longer than that is hard to come by.

[... Then again. The word 'hopeless' does refer to a lot of things aside from one specific man's name.]

You're sure yours is from the future?

[skeletonenigma]

[Ah. A cryptic Bible passage. That's new.]

Does it tell you anything useful?

[skeletonenigma]

What would you call it?

[redlightgreenlight]

It might if I knew what that particular verse said, but Psalms is a rather long section and I'm afraid I do not have it memorized.

[skeletonenigma]

[He's so flattered.

Up until this point, Skulduggery's been deliberately trying not to ask the specifics of peoples' messages. With China, he doesn't even think twice about making an exception.]

Such as?

[insertdadjoke]

[ why do you think we're in strikethrough here ]

Nice assumption. But I'll play nice: mine is absolutely from the future. Or... a future. However you want to get into the metaphysics of it. Twelve words.

[skeletonenigma]

You need a Bible.

[He hesitates.]

Well, if you don't mind my knowing the details, I can probably tell you what the passage is.

[skeletonenigma]

[and here I thought that was just window dressing]

Did your future self come out and say he was from the future?

[Must be nice, getting such specific information. Totally not slightly jealous. Nope.]

radio;

[lasergrenades]

Two days ago. It my name on it. My legal name. I think there are only three people who know that here.

[Not her real name, of course. Pepper was her real name, and it always would be.]

Is this one of those Dreaming things?

[redlightgreenlight]

There really isn't much to it, it simply said Psalm 139:12.
.

[insertdadjoke]

Explicitly? No. The tone was definitely indicative that he knew who he was writing to, however.

[ Encouragement. Promises. Just a plea to keep going and wait for that better future just around the corner.

Then again, Roman never said how far he was ahead. ]

It felt like a writing exercise I wasn't actually supposed to get. You know? That thing they make kids do in school but for time capsules to their future selves, not the other way around.