Dup Inbox

[meowww]

Leave a fuckin' message.

Comments

text; un: BlackMask 1/?

[ewwww]

Victor. We need to talk.

2/?

[ewwww]

[The next message comes a few minutes later.]

Victor, call me.

3/?

[ewwww]

I'm not fucking around, Zsasz.

un: jgrimm

[c24]

so fyi
ur boss might call u

[meowww]

Yeah. I was wondering what the 23 missed calls were for. What’d you do to him?

[c24]

jesus
i may have had to tell him

[ "Had to." Right. ]

id say sorry
but i think
something tells me u like him wound up

text; un: BlackMask

[ewwww]

Victor. Call me now. I need you.

Audio: un : aknife

[meowww]

[The call comes less than a few seconds after Roman hits send.]

Where are you?

audio; un: BlackMask

[ewwww]

[Roman's voice is hoarse and weak.]

The apartment. Dinah's.

misfire; un: crimson

[toplieutenant]

[ only this ]

[meowww]

I must have been a really good boy this year.

[toplieutenant]

You and I both know that you are rarely a good boy, Mr Zsasz.

text; un: BlackMask

[ewwww]

Victor.

[A few picture messages come through. Screenshots of Victor's phone. Of a few compromising photos of women in their underwear saved to his camera roll.]

What is this?

[meowww]

[Oh god.]

A phone?

[ewwww]

Don't get cute with me. It's not going to work this time.

text; un: boomerbang

[boomerwanged]

hey babe. got my hands on some fancy as fuck jewellery, real top quality stuff. if you boys are in the market for any sparkles just lmk and i can do you a deal, easy as. seems a real shame to melt some of this down.

[meowww]

Yeah? Maybe I'm in the market for some diamond things. Roman likes those the most.

[boomerwanged]

you're in luck, mate. they're my faves too! always some of my first picks.
piggies have got me in cuffs for the next few weeks though...

action

[ewwww]

[When Roman sees Dinah's post, there's a notable silence as he takes it all in. Checks three times to make sure he's seeing right, that she really did post it to the public network for everyone to see.

He blinks. Blinks again.

Drops his phone.

And then he starts to scream.

Full-bodied, high-pitched, whole lung capacity behind it shrieking, and a second or two later, the crashing starts. He starts by stamping on his phone until the screen is in pieces, then he throws the lamp from the bedside table against the wall, then he breaks a painting over his knee. He exits their bedroom, still shrieking at the top of his lungs, leaving a path of chaos and destruction in his wake. Everything moveable or breakable ends up in pieces on the ground.

He only stops when he physically runs out of air after refilling his lungs about three times. Bending over, hands on his knees, he gasps for breath, vision swimming. Looks at his reflection in the broken glass from a painting on the ground, and hates how disheveled and flushed he looks, so he sucks in another breath and hoarsely starts to scream again.]

Holy shit babe

[meowww]

[That wakes him up. That scream makes Victor pitch right over the side of the couch and straighten up in a sudden half-daze and dream-like state. Stumbling to his feet, he grabs the couch's armrest to keep him up before hurrying to Roman's side.

His skull is pounding by the time he gets to his husband.]

Roman- Roman- Hey! What happened?

Dinah is a FUGLY SLUT

[ewwww]

[Roman has to gasp for breath before he can do anything. Then he turns, rips Victor's phone out of his pocket, and quickly navigates to Dinah's post, holding it up as he hits play.

He looks like a cross between someone who's about to cry and someone who's about to commit bloody murder.]

[ewwww]

[When Victor wakes up, it's to a sea of red.

Not blood. Not gore. Flowers. Roses, full-bodied and beautiful, decorating every corner of their bedroom. Every bit of space on dressers and bedside tables. Every windowsil. Almost every inch of floor.

Next to the bed, propped up against one of the white vases of red flowers, sits a note.]

Victor,

While you were out, I've been thinking. Thinking about us. About our relationship. About who we are when we're with each other.

I thought long and hard, and I think I figured it out. You're better off without me. Dinah, Harley, they're all right. No matter what I do, it's not enough. I'll always hurt you in the end. I'll never be the man you deserve.

I just hope you can forgive me for what I've done. Because, if we're being honest? I'm not myself if I don't have you with me. If I don't know that I'm the only one you want. It's why I hurt you so bad, I... I don't know how to do anything else.

I won't begrudge you if you have to leave. I just hope you'll talk to me first. Give me the decency of getting to kiss your lips goodbye one final time.

I support you, Victor. I do. It's why I gifted you the shop. You can still run it if we... I mean, I don't know what recourse there is with our contract being permanent, but. I'll take care of you, no matter what you do.

Because I love you, Victor Zsasz. I'm sorry for ever putting it into doubt, but I love you more than anything.

I hope one day that might be enough.

-RBS

[meowww]

[Magical, that’s the first thing that comes to Victor’s head when he finally wakes up. His room looks like someone came in here and performed an impossible trick. He gapes at the flowers, rubs his eyes and swallows past his dry lump in his throat.

The pain is there and it hits as he looks at the door. Wincing, the memories start to come back.

Then he sees the note, and the pain buzzes in the back of his head. Picking it up, he falls quiet and reads over it. The more he reads that harder his heart pounds in his chest. Pain becomes a distant thought a more important, pertinent one taking its place. ]

Roman!

[Victor shouts. He stumbles out of bed, scattering the nearby roses. He moves to the pathway, tripping over his numb feet as he screams into the apartment.]

Roman? Roman where are you?

[ewwww]

[Three, two, one...

There it is.

The sound of Roman's plan paying off. At least, he thinks that's what the frantic jolt in Victor's voice is all about. He supposes he'll find out.

He stretches out in his position on the couch, all done up in a bedrobe like that's where he's been sleeping. He actually spent last night in the guest bedroom as theirs was being done over with roses, but Victor doesn't need to know that.]

Victor...? [His voice starts out quiet, tentative, before he gets a little louder.] Victor, the living room...

ATTN: VICTOR ZSASZ

[duplicitymods]

❝

DUPLICITY CITATION No. 18392 Violation: Insubordination Fine: 1 week Realignment Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.

❞