( john seems disappointed by the admission, but in a way that echoes a certain amount of sympathy. he thoroughly regrets not taking an ax to his own before it had crossed whatever threshold it needed to in order to suddenly start interfering with his own actions towards it.

violence appears to be line that they won’t let them cross—it seems that strange has managed to find the fine edge of this in partially burying his own, inconveniencing it but not going so far as to do any actual damage. there’s enough success in this half-measure that has him curious how much further it could be pressed, with combined efforts. the supernatural forbearance doesn’t seem to affect anyone else; only the individual that the mannequin has patterned itself after. )

I wonder if we could get around that. ( he elaborates: ) Are you able to dig up a hole in the ground without the intention of crushing it? Then, maybe I could shove it in, and you could seal it up.

( to him, it seems to have the same logic as what he’s already done. no direct intention of harming it, and it’s doubtful that being sealed in the earth would be much more than a longer and more laborious effort for the mannequin to free itself. loophole? )