text;

[peckish4action]

So, I'm still new here so I thought I could ask.

If you can't contact somebody and you can't find them around the island, does that mean they've gone back home? Or something's happened to them? Or something else entirely?

Comments

[detectivewonder]

Depending on circumstances, any of the three.

Who?

[peckish4action]

Look, I'm not sure. But - the other me.

[detectivewonder]

I'm running a search. It's pretty easy to sort out the different possibilities, especially with Vigilance running on his phone, and then...

Damn.

suddenly private.

[peckish4action]

Vigilance?

And have you got something?

[Text]

[cloneororiginal]

Could mean a little of everything. They could be hiding, not wanting to be found.

[Text]

[peckish4action]

He'd be good at that, but I don't think he would be, right now.

[It's a possibility, of course. But - Dick knows himself. There is family, and he wouldn't be hiding from family without a good reason. And he knows of nothing that would have set the other version of himself off, like that.]

But thanks, I'll keep on looking.

[Text]

[cloneororiginal]

Never know, people from different worlds--even those that look like you--could be entirely different.

[Sarah is speaking from experience, but he doesn't need to know.]

Okay, but try not to get yourself killed or anything.

[badnewsboy]

Possibly, though there are other circumstances that may arise. I wouldn't jump to the most obvious conclusion.

[peckish4action]

Which of these three would be the obvious conclusion, though? For you?

[badnewsboy]

It's after the full moon, isn't it? He could have been spirited away into the Dark Hour and may soon face a psychological battle for his consciousness.

Or he's gone.

[veryproud]

Contact Beifong and ask if their name is on the next release list or wait for its publishing. If it's on there, it means they wouldn't be on the island anymore.

Though there are a number of other circumstances that could lead to a disappearance. Could be all of the above.

[peckish4action]

That makes sense, thank you. I will get in touch with her. Does 'wouldn't be on the island' mean going off to, I don't know, mainland, or probably back home?

How Ugh. Thank you. I guess all of the above is more possible than I'd like.

I'll keep on looking, but if the name isn't on the list and he can't be found, is there a way to find him or something?

[Not mentioning that, yes, he's tried tracking his smartphone device signal already, no can find. That's not what a fourteen-year-old can usually do, after all.]

[veryproud]

That is unfortunately uncertain. The local doctors tend to imply it means going to the mainland but we currently have no way of knowing for sure.

You're welcome. Unfortunately.

We have a number of people that go looking when people go missing. If anyone's warned you about Midnight Channel, that ends up responsible for a number of people.

[Text]

[tookthename]

You can go down to the Visitor's Center, they should have a list of all the people that have been released.

[Text]

[peckish4action]

Thank you.

Does 'released' mean 'returned back home' or 'released from the island'? Because I'm not yet completely sure of how such words are used here.

Re: [Text]

[tookthename]

We aren't sure. All we know it there isn't a way to contact them after they've been "released"

locked

[dontmindmepleasecontinue]

Ah, always an unfortunate circumstance. There are two likely possibilities. One is that he or she has been released - I can ask Chief Beifong if you like, who seems to be missing?

The other is that he or she has been kidnapped to the Dark Hour. If they are not on the release list, and you tell me a little bit about whoever is missing, I can check on that tonight.

locked

[peckish4action]

It seems his phone didn't go offline at midnight, so that's possibly good.

But if you can ask Chief Beifong for me, that would be very much appreciated. It's Dick Grayson, the one that she talked about - since there are two.

locked

[dontmindmepleasecontinue]

Your future self? Or a version of you from an alternate universe?

[Several minutes pass, and he responds again.]

He's been released. I'm sorry.

[easy_a]

Whoever your looking for is either dead or "released".

No one really knows what happens to people who get "released"; no way to tell if the doctors are being truthful about them being let out into "the real world" or if something else happens. Hell, I've even seen the dead end up on a released list, so...

There you have it. Sorry it's shit.

[peckish4action]

[Oh. Wow. Ouch.]

Thank you, that is informative and appreciated.

I hope he's not dead. And he was only here a very little while.

[easy_a]

[Better than sugar coating the situation.]

I hope not, either. Take it from someone who has been there, it's not fun when someone you know is killed. Much better for them to be released, even if we don't really know what the fuck that even means.

text; private

[babybatshit]

Unless your older duplicate destroyed his phone and went so far underground that his own family can't uncover him, he's gone. Assuming that's who you meant.

[But who else would they be talking about? Damian certainly doesn't care enough about anybody else but family to keep tabs on them.]

text; private

[peckish4action]

And we both know he wouldn't--

You and I are going for ice cream.

[It's not even a question. If Dick is unsettled by the fact, and Tim is unhappy, Dick knows by now that Damian would be the one that it might actually matter to the most. And even if not... Ice cream.]

text; private

[babybatshit]

What?

[Of all the reactions in all the world, ice cream?]

Did Stephanie put you up to this.

[She'd threatened him with waffles, but she'd been having an ice cream moment when he startled her the first time. And it's her he thinks of immediately, when food gets referenced as an answer to any sort of problem. And this definitely sounds like an idea she would have. ]