So. This is the fourth post. It might be difficult to understand since I still haven't decided what gender the detective should be. Anyways, this is where it really starts to get serious. After all, the first detective is called the first detective for a reason (no, they were not the first version of the detective that I wrote down. Not really.) They are not the "official" detective. Not anymore, at least.
This is part of their backstory- an explanation for why they did what they did. A perfect example of how the road to Hell is truly made with good intentions.
(I don't know whether or not this post needs warnings since I have no idea how warnings work and I've been more or less desensitized to a lot of stuff by now. Either way, the "official" detective's backstory will be similar to the first detective's backstory since they're technically the same person.)
"Life is life."
They hated those words. Always said with an almost condescending shake of the head when things didn't go their way. They hated them even more than they thought they ever could right then and there. The words may have not been meant in a condescending way this time, but how could someone just... say that? Everyone knew that they hated those words- that their friend had hated those words as well. So why did he think that that was okay to say at their friend's funeral? Those words weren't comforting in any shape or form and definitely had no right to be said in a funeral. Were they expected to just shrug this- the death of their best friend- off and just get on with their life?! To act as if nothing happened, as if nothing changed?!
Because that day, everything changed.
Everyone knew that what happened couldn't have been an accident. It was a murder. There was an investigation. But in the end, no one knew who did it. There were only a few leads, all of which led to dead ends. In the end, the murder of their friend was labeled a cold case. A mystery that would never be solved. Would they never truly get closure?
Who else never got closure?
They decided to become a detective. They were determined to do their best to make sure that as many cases as possible were solved. Nothing else was important to them. Their priority would always be to find the truth. Each and every case that they solved was done so with brutal efficiency. They pushed away any emotions that would cause them to be biased during a case. They wouldn't let their emotions blind them, though they may use their emotions to continue their drive to solve.
Then they found the pocket watch.
They had known that they had to be careful. If they were able to find the evidence in the present and were able to use it to solve the case, then they would. They started using the pocket watch to travel back in time to solve cold cases. Of course, it was difficult. They couldn't let themself (?) be seen, and they didn't have the resources that they had in the present. They couldn't interfere. But they had to know. History might not, but they would. ... They were giving so many people closure, so why can't they get closure?
They went back to the past- to the time where their friend died.
They couldn't help it. They had to know! But- could they really let their friend die again? They interfered.
And their timeline began to fall apart.
They knew that they had messed up - they had to fix their mistake! After all, they had always told themself (?) that the only things that really mattered were the truth and the timeline. But to fix their mistake... they had let their emotions blind them. It was time to fix their mistake. They couldn't let their emotions blind them again. They took a deep breath. It's the only way.
They went back in time... and this time they killed their friend themselves (?)
It didn't fix their timeline, not quite. It had taken the torn-up remains of their timeline and made a new one. Yet, they bitterly realized, they were the only remaining thing- or, well, person- left of their timeline. They watched this new timeline. Their friend was dead- of course, but this time, they were the murderer- and the funeral went exactly as it had before. This timeline's version of them was on the path to becoming a detective. Maybe they were always meant to be a detective...
What if this one finds their own version of the pocket watch?
They watched as the younger detective began time traveling. As the other lived the life that they once lived. At times they entered the new timeline and pulled a few strings, interfering just a little. Just to help out the younger version of themselves (?) a little. To their surprise, when the younger version of them went back in time to that case, they didn't try to save their friend. The guilt grief and sadness that the other felt was genuine yet they didn't try to go back enough to save their friend. They had followed the rules. What made them so different?
Then they realized that they hated this newer- this better- version of themselves(?)
They were the one making sure that things were going as they should. Yet the younger one was the one who lived the life that they used to have, that they wanted. This detective was happier and far more addicted to coffee than the first detective ever was after their friend was killed (well, minus the coffee. The new detective was almost as obsessed with coffee as they were when it came to finding the truth.). They literally had almost the exact same origin story! They gritted their teeth. We always did chase after the truth, isn't that right? Let me give you the truth with no investigating this time, little detective.
They interfered again.
They went up to the younger detective, who looked confused and frustrated. They couldn't blame them. After all, it's hard to find out who the killer is when they're literally an alternate version of you that shouldn't exist, right? They smirked, and told the detective the truth.
Ever since then, they hated each other.
... Wouldn't you do the same if you were in their shoes?
~~~~~
From the First Detective's point of view: They destroyed their own timeline and killed their own best friend to try to fix their mistake. The newer version of them is living the life that they wanted! The younger one wouldn't exist or be having as an easy of a life as they're having right now if it weren't for them! The least the new detective could do is say "thank you" or show some respect at the very least.
From the "Official" Detective's point of view: They're just trying to find out who killed their best friend when suddenly an older version of themselves is telling them that they killed their friend. The older then continues to tell them their story. And then the older one seems to expect some respect or gratitude for the fact that they had literally torn apart their timeline and then killed their friend, though they do seem jealous. They're still trying to process this information when the older version of themselves decides that they hate them. What did I do to you? You're the one that caused all of this! I didn't even exist back then! I didn't ask for any of this!
