saltburnt inbox | @murphy

[wrackful]

WELCOME TO THE SALTBURNT NETWORK

USERNAME:
murphy

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[wrackful]

Does it matter?

Yeah, I'm familiar with a lot of things. Technically this is my 5th cult, now I'm counting, so I think that makes them pretty average. But you might want to check my math - like I said, wasn't great in class.

[endow]

are you joking???
yes👏it👏matters👏

this is my first time experiencing a cult. my world would not have allowed this
i'm more interested in making the shepherd pay for what he's done but i'd like to win, too.

winning comes second. i want to take him down.

[wrackful]

I'd have been as crap in class with a good teacher as a bad one, so I don't see how.

Thought you said you were new. What did he do to you?

1/2

[endow]

good teachers would see your problems and help you
bad ones will make you worse

📞voice message

[endow]

[his question makes her so furious she can't type— though her anger isn't directed at him. the spite on her tongue is obviously an offense on the world around her, on the shepherd and the game he's forced them to play. her voice is the voice of someone ready to poison, steel-cold and sure.]

What did he do to me? He took away my powers, made me get on my knees and crave to be used. He put me here. I am going to destroy him.

[wrackful]

[He's halfway through typing well, they all made me worse when her message comes through. Has to take a moment in the wake of her anger, before:]

What if that's not all him? We were at a house, before this place. Still all just being put there.

[endow]

Whoever or whatever is left, they should be counting their days. They should feel lucky I am here with nothing. I hate them. I hate them so much I wish they would drop dead.

[wrackful]

You wouldn't have nothing back at the house. You still wouldn't be able to do anything about it, but you'd have your powers back. Whatever they are.

[endow]

[a pause, volatile energy coming to a standstill to take shape in the form of five words:]

I'll do something about it.

[wrackful]

You'd try. Probably get yourself killed. Then you'll get brought back, and be exactly where you started.

That's if you're lucky. That making you crave to be used? The house does things like that too. Made us all think we'd lived totally different lives, one month.

[endow]

Not exactly where I started, Murphy. I'm lucky. If I die figuring something out I'll be one step closer to the better unknown. Someone is paying for what they've done.

[wrackful]

What, you're just going to keep running at a brick wall till you maybe one day finally make a dent? Sounds fun. Knock yourself out.

[Literally.]

[endow]

Make the assumptions you want, but you're implying I will try the same thing twice. If I find information, do you want to be included or left out?

Don't tell me you're happy here.

[wrackful]

You're wasting time playing the game, because you want to win. The game that's pretty obviously meant to get us all at each other's throats, us vs them against each other instead of what's actually screwing with us.

So, yeah. I'm making assumptions.

[endow]

Time said wasted is wasted time, and obvious is as obvious gets. I'm playing how I want to play before I get my hands on the Shepherd's throat.

[wrackful]

Like I said, have fun with your brick wall. Let me know sometime if you change your mind, maybe I'll let you help figure out how to climb over it.

[endow]

Finally! You want to help. Yes, give me tools or lift me up, either option works for me.

[wrackful]

[He makes a humming noise, then:]

Nope.

[endow]

Why offer to tell me no? Do you enjoy making people upset?

[wrackful]

You really going to make me repeat myself?

[endow]

[screaming internally– (yet she can appreciate the game)]

I don't think you've elaborated on why you take pleasure on getting under someone's skin. Are you like me?

[wrackful]

Honestly, can't say I always take pleasure in it. Sometimes it sucks.

[endow]

You don't? [pause. she's deflating– softening from the roller coaster they've been on.] This is what you've always done. Okay. How about now? Wrong answer only.

[wrackful]

[There's a long beat. Wrong answers only. Truth is he hadn't thought about it, not yet. This is what he's always done. The regrets tended to come later, after he'd hurt another person he cared about, or wrecked something that might've been a friendship.]

It's been a distraction.

[endow]

[his admittance – wrong or not – almost sounds like a vulnerability to her.]

From everything?