Mask Or Menace - IC Contact Post

[helpdesk_hero]

This is David Alleyne, I'm not available at the moment.
Please leave your name, contact information, and what this is regarding after the beep.

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

I had an advantage, Peter. My glasses could tell me there was nothing TO Belasco.
But I'm sorry you had to live through that.
Guess we're insomnia buddies tonight.

[made_up_names]

yeah
thats kind of what i meant
you sure answered this text even though its late

[helpdesk_hero]

I know if I go to sleep I'm going to deal with a lot of the worst sorts of dreams.

[made_up_names]

right
and maybe if you stay up long enough youll be too tired to dream

[helpdesk_hero]

If only that was how it ever worked for me.
My mutation changed how I remember things, Peter. My past? It's unfortunately flawless.

[made_up_names]

david ...

[helpdesk_hero]

I'm not your concern tonight, Peter. You need to think about yourself.

[made_up_names]

i can do both.

[helpdesk_hero]

Yeah. I suppose I can too.
I do apologize for not asking you before I got involved. There are just some things I don't stand for.

[made_up_names]

what he was doing?

[helpdesk_hero]

There are types of mental and emotional manipulation I can't... He was using you, Peter. I can't accept that. I've had that sort of thing ruin my life and those of others I care about. I couldn't stand by this time.

[made_up_names]

i had it under control.

[ He absolutely did not. ]

[helpdesk_hero]

Peter, do you really believe that?

[made_up_names]

i
okay, it wasnt perfect
but im pretty sure i was keeping him stable and now im not sure what going to happen.

[helpdesk_hero]

Men like that, Peter, they don't stop using you. You fall deeper and deeper into their clutches. You believe in them because they seem to believe in you. See the best in you, make you feel important and like you can help them achieve what they need to.

They paint this picture of how it will be better. This little thing that went wrong? Just a stepping stone. Then they use it against you. You have to do this, or it could get other people hurt. You need to be that or it could get other people in trouble. And you're the only one that can do this thing.

They use you up and you don't realize until you're too deep and it's too late and you see the monster only when it nearly kills you. If you ever do.

[made_up_names]

[ Peter is incredibly glad that David can't see his face right now; he's hit the nail on the head. It's incredibly difficult seeing his situation just laid out in text like that.

It takes a long time for his response to come back. ]

i got out, at least.

[helpdesk_hero]

[Was it Peter's situation, or something about David's past? Yes. The answer is just yes.]

I'm sorry. My intention was to tell him to back off and let you do your own thing. To stop clutching at you so tightly. And things sort of got out of hand.

[made_up_names]

you havent actually told me what happened, yet. other than him getting in your head.

[helpdesk_hero]

Do you really want to know?

[made_up_names]

yes.

[helpdesk_hero]

I don't feel confident in the security of transferring the information electronically. But I recorded the whole thing.

[made_up_names]

really?

[helpdesk_hero]

It was the knowledge that I had that caused him to turn the illusions against me. And when I got past them he said I didn't want to make him hurt me. Telling him I'd show you him using his illusions as a weapon made him attempt to delete it all through EDITH. And learning that he tried talking me into doing what he wanted.

Because I 'forced his hand.' It makes me sick every time he uses that phrase. Like he can't take responsibility.

Sadly anything after he called to EDITH won't be recorded, due to shutting down my systems for security.

[made_up_names]

[ That - is a suddenly illuminating bit of context, isn't it. No wonder Beck had been nearly pacing when Peter got there. Probably the man was counting down the seconds until David sent him the footage. There's no way Peter would have stayed after seeing Beck pull out David's worst nightmare. ]

that
that sounds like him.
and it explains why he was so twitchy.

[helpdesk_hero]

[Yeah, David REALLY didn't like looking at himself in all his dark glory, thanks. He'd mostly managed to keep that part of himself compartmentalized and never face it.]

Which is why I apologize. I caused it.