infomodder | IC contact [Mask or Menace]

No, and honestly, I doubt that's going to change, but you two were close, right?

[Well, Will's opinion on her changed suddenly from one thing to another, so she assumes something happened there.]

We were closer here than we'd been back home, yes.

[The whole Freddie-not-Freddie in his shop is something that's gotten his goat a bit more than it really should for that reason right there. Had someone else figured it out? Had someone else been preying on their relationship, no matter how much they might have put up pretenses in public about disliking each other? Did someone know? Will's been here a while, but Kate's been here longer, and their circles are different. The message takes a few minutes to come, all as one, but eventually he adds on what he's been avoiding asking anyone (or even talking about), and she gets...]

This might seem like a question from left field, so I'll recognize that before I ask it. But do you know of anyone here with the ability to change bodies? Look and sound like someone else completely, so much you can't tell any difference?

[The question is an odd one. The answer is "yes," and she'll tell him as much, but Kate will want to know more information. She always feels like there's a certain degree of chess playing that has to be done, even when she's speaking to Will. It's an unfortunate side effect of who she's also met from Baltimore, and his bit about his own deeds.

Plus, given that the names that come to mind are her friends, she's extra cautious.]

I've heard of it before. Usually the difference is in the knowledge, though, right? Why do you ask?

Freddie came by the shop the other night. April 1st. [Yeah, yeah, it took him a bit to put that together, but he thought she was super murdered and gone forever. Too bad he's not dropping those details.] I didn't believe it at first, but we hugged and she was real, you know? This wasn't a trick of the light, or imagination. She was real and breathing, in one of her usual outfits. Told me she'd already seen Dr. Chilton. She must have, because she knew Abigail was gone. Abigail was still here when Freddie vanished. She knew what she was supposed to, but right after she left, I looked on the device. She wasn't on it. I haven't seen her since. She's nowhere to be found. This doesn't happen back where we come from, but I've exhausted the other possibilities. The Porter wouldn't chuck somebody here for a few hours and take them back, right? That's absurd.

I also don't think she'd show up and hug you.

[It might be a weird view of Freddie Lounds and an unsympathetic one, but Kate's guess with the woman is that she wouldn't want to appear as if she needed to do that.

But she might be wrong.]

[BUT HIS BABY FACE, KATE. IT COMBATS THE FISH SMELL, RIGHT?]

She didn't. I asked for one, she obliged. [She didn't run into the shop and throw herself in his arms. Or the other way around. It was strictly professional. Ish. No sappy emotional outbursts, no swooning, no corsets flying open.] Freddie and I shared a hotel room in Minnesota to save on funds, after we spent an entire day in the car together. Then I drove from De Chima to Heropa with her claiming to be from Uranus, and calling me a traitor and a dickhead to my face as well as people on the communicator. We've been through a lot together, a simple hug is a drop in the bucket by comparison.

And she didn't say anything that seemed off? Did she offer the information about Abigail herself, or did you provide it first? Do you know anyone close to you who might have done this? [Close, she says, because no one she knows would do this. No one she knows would bother, at least without her finding out.]

[................................

..............................................balls.]

I did bring up Abigail first, but she already knew. Her reaction gave that away. Freddie cares about Abigail as much as I do. If she didn't know, she would have acted differently. [Oops there's that "Freddie has feelings" bus again.] I have no idea. I don't know anyone who can do that.

So, following your initial theory, it's someone who knows you. It could also be a very, very good actor.

Did she happen to leave anything with you on hand? Any objects, pieces of information, or anything else? I think you know by now what I can do.

[Kate, that's horrifying. You know how Baltimore is with their secrets.]

She didn't. She touched a few of the things in my shop, but she's not the only who has. It won't work that way, will it? They've all been handled by multiple other people at this point.

It's also linked to the significance of the connection. If she lingered on something, given her involvement there, it might lead to something, but honestly ... no promises.

And I think you'd have something on hand already even without my explanation.

Edited (clarification) 2015-04-13 04:47 (UTC)

She picked up a pen, but that's really it. She didn't linger at all. Sort of in and out and on to the next thing. I had assumed she was headed back to wherever house she was put in this time around, if she wasn't put in the same. Thanks for the offer, though.

[And they had been talking about her murder (as well as Abigail), does Kate really need to pick up on that? Is it worth the risk? Does she want to have more dirt on Baltimore being dirty?]

She may have also known that it was a good idea not to linger. To not touch anything.

Either way, I can verify that I haven't seen any Freddie Lounds remarks lately, and obviously, she hasn't been updating her site.

Whoever this is can only do a portion of the "job," so to speak.

[He thinks to mention that no one can do Freddie's job without having her things, and Will would know, considering he took a good portion of her things. But that might sound wrong, and it might lead to a conversation that he has been trying to not have with too many people.]

You were an avid reader of Tattlecrime, too?

[He's careful to add that "too" on there—look, Kate, he's accepted and doesn't mind presenting his status as a follower of Tattlecrime, no need to stand on pretense. He has no room to judge.]

Oh, yeah, it gave me lots of ammo. Did you read the BS about Spider-Man throwing her off a building? She was desperate for page clicks.

[It's a harsh take on Freddie in the wake of everything, but it's the truth. There's no need to hide it now.]

[oh no]

I follow Tattlecrime more attentively than I do the Network, of course I saw it. Seen it every day since. Keep thinking it'll pop up something new and she'll be drawing everyone's attention to it in the next 10 minutes.

[There have been harsher, it's all right. Part of dealing with Baltimore is knowing the natures and dangers of the beasts all around, he's not going to be offended by a less than pleasant take on Freddie Lounds. Desperation is a far cry from stupidity. Even predators get desperate. It's all good.]

Well, if it does, make sure to have someone [here, she types "like Skye check it out," but she has to backspace, as Skye is gone] check it out for IP addresses and the like.

Look, I know I haven't been the most sensitive about this, and I'm sorry. I guess focusing on this new mystery is easier than that.

It's fine, Kate. Really. I'd rather people be honest about Freddie and what sort of person they thought she was than trip up trying to be polite. I don't think there's anything anyone here could say that would be as insensitive as some of what's been said about her at home, either. She's just one of those kinds of people. Nothing to be sorry about. Freddie never was.

No, she wasn't.

I'll keep an eye open and let you know if I see anything, okay?

Okay. Thank you.

[He'd say he appreciates it but he's already said that, and even though it's true...overkill isn't what he's going for. Communication, so difficult.]

If there's anything I can do in return, let me know. Officially or unofficially.

Sure thing. I can probably handle that.

IC contact [Mask or Menace]

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