#ANYWAYS. davey better watch his back is all i can say abt what follows this scene

[thefactsofthematter]

i mean. what else am i gonna say.

i’d love a perspective flip for what i know, bc there Are a lot of perspectives in that fic so why not ping-pong it some more! also i miss it and it is my personal livelihood.

also if u wanna do the future time stamp for solace in the strangest of things…. that’d be cool as well >:) @jack-kellys

broooooo omg. @jack-kellys

so i had a look back through what i know and i couldn’t land on anything that sparked any thoughts for a perspective flip bc the povs already swap so much….. but seeking solace in the strangest of things however…..

that fic is currently sitting at one chapter due to reasons of “author forgot it existed for a while and hasn’t had time lately to get her head wrapped around it” BUT i do have many ideas on deck about what happens LATER in the story!!

so please enjoy a prototype of a future scene that will probably exist eventually, once ive written some more context for it!!

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It’s only once Mr. Pulitzer has stopped talking that Jack catches a glimpse of himself in the mirror on the wall.

His reflection is wrong, he realizes.

He’s looking at himself, sure, but that’s not him. It’s like there’s a delay— the Jack in the mirror turns his head just slightly, and he has no choice but to copy it, just a split second later, without even consciously trying to do it.

He watches his reflection blink. That’s not supposed to happen.

“What’s the matter, Kelly?” Pulitzer leans his hands on his desk, and offers a smile when Jack looks at him again. “You look… confused.”

Jack feels himself frowning.

“Sorry. I’m a little dizzy.”

That’s what he tries to say. However, that’s not what happens. Instead, what comes out of his mouth, in his own voice, is:

“Nothing’s wrong, sir. I feel fine.”

Jack’s eyes go wide. His hands fly to his throat, in a panic, which makes Pulitzer chuckle.

That’s when he spots it: the flicker of light between Pulitzer’s fingers, a bright zap of energy. It looks almost the same as Davey’s magic— the soft purple light that glows from his hands while he’s casting spells— but this time, it’s a vicious, sickening green.

“Wonderful.” Pulitzer grins. “I’ll offer you my deal one more time, and I trust you’ll have reconsidered your answer. Once again: you’ll do me a favour or two, and then— once you’ve earned it— I’ll do one for you. Sound fair?”

Jack smiles, without meaning to. He lets go of his throat and his hands fall to his sides, as Pulitzer moves his fingers and the light grows brighter.

“Of course, sir,” he says. “I’d be happy to help.”

He tries to fight it, tries to turn and run away— nothing works. It’s like someone else has sat down in his brain and taken over the controls. All he can do now is watch.

“That’s what I like to hear.” Pulitzer says. It sounds far away, like he’s at the other end of a hallway. “We’re going to have fun together, Jack.”

Pulitzer raises his hand. More green light flies forth from his fingertips, and for a moment, Jack’s eyes roll back in his head as pain floods through his body.

He can’t scream. He can’t even flinch.

He stands rooted to the spot, helpless, while magic streams into his head. It’s like he can feel it creeping its way around and settling in, making itself at home in the crevices and corners of his mind. It takes a hold of him in a way that leaves him panicked for a moment… but suddenly makes him feel calm and settled, as it successfully finds its purchase. He’s not sure he’s allowed feel scared anymore.

He’s not sure he’s allowed to feel anything.

“Off you go,” Pulitzer says, with a dismissive wave of his hand. The green light absorbs back into his fingers. “You know what to do. Always a pleasure doing business with you, Kelly.”

Jack smiles, but in a way that feels unfamiliar. It’s not his smile.

“The pleasure’s all mine, sir.”

With that, he turns and leaves the office. His subconscious leads the way: somehow, he’s entirely sure where he needs to go, even though he can’t consciously piece together where that might be. He’s on a mission now, he realizes, and nothing is going to stop him.