2020-10-06 - The Time Paradox is Dumb

(TXT to Alexander) August : so. the Ferris wheel collapse in 1964. what all do you know about it, if anything.

(TXT to Alexander) August : at least I think it was 64? maybe 65? anyways. when it fell in the water and killed a bunch of kids.

(TXT to August) Alexander : There were a family of Baxter kids on the Ferris wheel when it went down. Their mother killed herself in the lake here, and they were sent to the orphanage. Came back, Ferris wheel fell.

(TXT to Alexander) August : mmmm. that explains it.

(TXT to Alexander) August : before I launch into how much I want thomas addington to come back so I can personally send him into a very real grave

(TXT to Alexander) August : does the name Cunningham ring a bell? a nurse.

(TXT to August) Alexander : This is about why Joseph Kelly is in the hospital, I take it? Are you also in the hospital? WTF.

(TXT to Alexander) August : yeah, he almost drowned so they have to keep him for observation. and no, they were able to boot me after giving me stitches almost the whole length of my right leg along with a tetanus booster. good news, the knee's not a loss.

(TXT to August) Alexander : None right off hand. Wait. Yes. Dolores Cunningham?

(TXT to August) Alexander : Also stop getting injured. Chicks dig scars, but you don't have to worry about that anymore.

(TXT to Alexander) August : dolores. well that would fit her. and look, I was better off than most. but that's true, I shouldn't turn into a bag of scars for Ellie to deal with.

(TXT to August) Alexander : I think she was the person who became the Exorcist. Her badge was in the museum.

(TXT to Alexander) August : okay, so, how to explain this. it was one of Their constructs. only, it was that day. a bunch of us were on the Ferris wheel, and then, we got pulled in. and the Exorcist, Cunningham, was there, on the Ferris wheel, when Gohl killed her.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Fuck.

(TXT to Alexander) August : ah ha. well this would explain why she was helping us.

(TXT to August) Alexander : You think this was an accurate history, or something they made? I didn't think that Thomas had...let Gohl out before his control started slipping.

(TXT to Alexander) August : but there's more. it wasn't just thomas with gohl doing that. someone else was there. when we landed in the water, someone held the wreckage down, guided it to kill as many as they could

(TXT to Alexander) August : I'm almost positive thomas wasn't a mover. so someone else did that. and, honestly, I don't know, but...when it all started, I saw her, the Exorcist like we know her now. and then as Dolores. so I think it might be a good idea to request a conversation with her.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Margaret.

(TXT to Alexander) August : well then I think we have an answer as to whether or not thomas was doing nasty shit before gohl started getting loose.

(TXT to August) Alexander : I'd bet actual money that Thomas didn't so much as piss without Margaret's say so, and she's outright convinced that Baxters bring ruin. Enough that she's willing to destroy their souls.

(TXT to August) Alexander : I don't see mass murder as beyond her.

(TXT to August) Alexander : But, yes. I could see about getting us an appointment? I don't think she likes me, though.

(TXT to Alexander) August : don't take it personal, I don't know that she likes anyone, really. and after what I saw, maybe I can't blame her.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Getting your throat cut is enough to ruin anyone's day. I speak from experience.

(TXT to Alexander) August : as for margaret, I wouldn't be surprised if she was, in fact, more than happy to bump off a whole slew of Baxters like that. and, interesting about their mother--did thomas or margaret have the mind Art? because if so...

(TXT to August) Alexander : Margaret does. She talked to me at the funeral. I dunno if it's strong enough to compel suicide. But knowing Margaret, she probably wouldn't need psychic powers to make someone kill themselves.

(TXT to Alexander) August : ...fair. I wish we could get her to explain why she's like this, to the point of being willing to kill fucking kids.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Near as I can figure, she thinks that when Baxters die, we'll take the abilities from the world. Or can. Like Gohl did, when he went wherever he went.

(TXT to Alexander) August : and that's a reason to kill you all

(TXT to Alexander) August : tand destroy your souls

(TXT to August) Alexander : She thinks so. I don't know that it's rooted entirely in greed, either. Both she and the Baxter preacher who burned those women alive mentioned snuffing out the lights in the darkness. The preacher is in favor of it. She's not.

(TXT to Alexander) August : I guess the question is, would it close off the Other Side. if the answer's not yes, all that does is leave us powerless.

(TXT to Alexander) August : not exactly a useful strategy. sure, we can't shine anymore so They won't specifically come for us, but now we don't have a way to protect ourselves either. so...

(TXT to August) Alexander : I know. I'd be tempted to go all 'a pox on both your houses' but I don't know what the stakes or consequences actually are...or if our current situation is sustainable, either. Gray Harbor's general fucked-up-ness seems to be escalating.

(TXT to Alexander) August : that's the real issue, by keeping us in the dark all margaret's doing is making it impossible for us to assess the situation and make an informed choice. but based on what you said about thomas, I guess that's not a surprise. she wants to be the one in charge, period.

(TXT to Alexander) August : and she's not getting younger. what does she expect to happen when she kicks off?

(TXT to August) Alexander : She doesn't share power, no. But she's also locked herself away. Erin doesn't know anything, Patrick, I think, knows just enough to not want to know anything else, and Vincenzo's gone. And that's pretty much all the Addingtons I like. Hyacinth scares me. And I don't think she's in on the occult family secrets, either.

(TXT to Alexander) August : erin and hyacinth I think got cut out after gohl. I think ellie's brother might have an in on talking with Atli, I think is her name? but I don't know if she's in on the family mojo either.

(TXT to Alexander) August : hyacinth scares you? alexander come on, she's a sweetheart.

(TXT to August) Alexander : I'm pretty sure that's a lie.

(TXT to Alexander) August : not remotely.

(TXT to Alexander) August : ::scouts honor emoji::

(TXT to August) Alexander : She scared me as a freshman in high school, she scares me now. And she always looks at me like I'm something that she needs to scrape off the bottom of her shoe.

(TXT to Alexander) August : she looks at a lot of people like that, don't take it personal.

(TXT to Alexander) August : she's a lot like de la Vega, really.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Javier never looked at me like that.

(TXT to Alexander) August : I meant the scary part. de la Vega wouldn't scrape anything off his shoes, he'd rather track it around and then dare you to question the decision.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Well.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Yes. I can't argue.

(TXT to Alexander) August : you know I'm right.

(TXT to August) Alexander : The point is, she's scary, and my track record with Addingtons is not good.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Not to mention the whole 'their family has been literally destroying the souls of people with my genetic ancestry'.

(TXT to Alexander) August : well in your defense it sounds like no one's track record with Addingtons is good and that's probably not on accident.

(TXT to Alexander) August : that too. which is...weird, because we've never found anything genetic in the Art. not yet, anyways. so is there some other angle there, something else you inherit?

(TXT to August) Alexander : Maybe. Addingtons and Baxters do seem to have abilities more often. And stronger. Gohl thought of Isabella as a 'failure' as a Baxter, and she's stronger than most.

(TXT to Alexander) August : a failure?? hm. did he meet her before she was at her current strength? she wasn't always as strong as she is now.

(TXT to August) Alexander : She was always strong. She just got broken along the way. But I'm pretty sure he was just an asshole. The next thing he did was cut my throat. So. Anyway. I can try to reach out to the Exorcist. Joseph and Nicole are in. For meeting.

(TXT to Alexander) August : sounds good. I'll chat up some of the others who were there, bring them up to speed. ...so they don't roll up on margaret demanding answers.

(TXT to Alexander) August : time for a painkiller nap in front of the woodstove. stay safe.

(TXT to August) Alexander : Don't die.