We Are Never Recovering From Telepathy: A Blab About Malteasers Post-Ch2 (They Aren't Old Men!)
*Note: This is labelled a blab as opposed to a dissertation because I wrote it in the moment, over the course of many messages, without any drafting. These are copy-pasted, with some edits to the format.
When Mallory is freed is he quiet or loud? What are the psychological effects of having people in your head for a long time and then losing that?
I know Mallory is a loud and talkative person, but is that how he always was or was it because he needed to remind himself what his own voice sounded like, or what his thoughts sounded like?
Was Matthew the first person to let him speak? Was he the first person who would ask him questions and let him respond?
(I wonder if hearing Matthew's thoughts has become very comforting for Mallory. Like yeah it gets annoying sometimes but most of the time it's funny and nice)
(Yeah especially because that boy does not stop thinking, it's like white noise-)
(Not the withdrawal they'll both feel after not being able to telepathically communicate anymore)
They'll be in a van travelling somewhere: Mallory will telepathically send Matthew something stupid, kinda like a mind dm, and they'll both laugh and refuse to explain to the rest of the group, then feel this deep sense of grief for something they didn't realize they'd miss.
It's like there's this new communication barrier between the two of them that they've never had to deal with before and when they notice the other needs them they can't do it as easily anymo-
(The amount of times Matthew or Mallory would think of something and wait for the others thoughts on it and it never comes,,)
You know when you laugh in a group and you look at the person you're closest to? Do either of them do that or do they not have that instinct because they've never needed it before?
Does Matthew get frustrated at realizing he has to learn how to read Mallory's face for the first time in his life? When most of their interactions have been in his dreams, where Mallory's face was this blurry incomprehensible thing?
Does Mallory get frustrated he has to use his voice, his best asset, to ask Matthew what he's thinking about? Does basic small talk with Matthew feel like pulling out teeth.
(They were so close, but was that because they'd make good friends or because they were in each other's heads?)
(The way their internal dialog has molded to fit each other and now they have to learn how to be by themselves again-)
(FUCK,, they ask so many questions and now no one can answer them)
(The fact that both Matthew and Mallory were both deeply lonely people before they found each other-)
(Not to be gay but they do think about each other a little too much in the middle of the night-)
They are the most platonic love people in the cast, but yes they do that constantly.
Mallory didnt sleep very much because he never needed to, and Matthew always kept him up because he had things to ask him. It was like a routine for them.
And I wonder what Matthew's dreams look like now. Does he include Mallory in them? A version of him entirely based on Matthew's perception of Mallory, so his face is clear and he can't quite answer Matthew's questions right, or maybe he even sounds like Matthew.
Or maybe, in the funny way dreams are, Dream Mallory says nothing, but Matthew understands what he means to say anyway, in a way reminiscent of how they used to talk. Does he wake up crying? Does he turn over at Mallory on the bed next to his and catch him staring at back at him.
Mallory, and his friend who he shared a telepathic link to for only about a year, yet whose absence he feels like a severed limb. Mallory, and his boyfriend whose companionship and love Mallory has allowed to thaw and freeze him in time. I'm starting to think the divinities just love like that the kitsunes aren't special !!!