[when nile gets home that night, there's a bag sitting on her bed waiting for her. on top is a note that simply reads:
This is for you. We will begin training at 8am on Monday.
Please do not take this outside unless Andy or myself are with you. I do not know that they would take kindly to you carrying it.
inside the bag is a rather plain looking sword and sheath. once she's got the hang of using this, he already has plans on taking her to buy something more suitable.]
[it takes Nile a second to place the username, but when she does, there's a brief moment when she panics, because shit, Gwen's the cute girl who asked for her number--]
hey, gwen!
[shit. What. an exclamation point, Freeman? What are you, twelve?]
And yeah, yeah, that's what it's there for. My number, I mean. To be used.
[Face. Palm. Why isn't she this dumb around anyone who isn't a pretty girl around her age? She is usually cool. She's a former marine. She can do this.]
I mean: I'm glad you used my number. It's good to hear from you. And not much, really. Trouble is chewing on me, but that's not new.
[arguably, the cat should get a real name one of these days]
Andy's out. Trying to decide how to spend the evening.
[ Some time after Christmas has come and gone, a mysterious parcel, wrapped in newspaper, appears on Nile's doorstep. On top is a note attached that simply reads: ]
Merry Christmas Miss Storm
Idea wouldn't get out of my head. One for you and one for Andy
Keep fighting and rising from the ashes
Dean
[ When Nile opens the box she'll find two small hand-carved wooden phoenixes. Since moving out to the forest, Dean's picked up a new hobby and he's getting scary good at it. ]
[ They're encouraged to use the official channels, but Poe's not doing that. He's just not acknowledging something like that there, even if their conversations are supposedly private. ]
Hey.
I'd ask if you're okay, but I think I already know the answer to that one.
[She appreciates him more than she can say. She hates this place, and no little part of it is because they love throwing private details out where everyone can see them]
Hey.
I'm--here. Rey let me stay with her for a bit. The city sent a babysitter and I--
DUPLICITY CITATION No. 452365 18th February 2021 Violation: Failure to follow City guidelines in regard to Housing regulations Fine: Assigned to Realignment : One day of public submission OR 20 hours of public service in the Down Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.
You know, I've been all over this damn city, Up an' Down, even over to Insincerity an' the like, an' I ain't found a single pack of Chesterfields anywhere?
( that accent could literally only be from alabama, an' it's about as hard hittin' as these things come. )
[she's a chicago girl, but in a place completely devoid of anything like home with vampires and magic, it still feels a little bit like home, just a little, just enough.]
Not sure if you meant this for me, but I know the feeling. I've been looking for anything like Chicago deepdish since I arrived.
[okay, EROS is kind of a dick for fucking up everyone's messages, but--she's got to give him(?) a little bit of credit for misdirecting more than one attractive woman her way. Does that make her a creep? It probably does. Damn.
Her own video flicks on in response and she gives a sheepish smile, waving slightly, before letting her hand drop. Great, she's a creep and she manages to look like an idiot. Two for two.]
Hey. Not that I'm complaining--really, I'm not complaining--but I'm not sure if you mean this to come to me?
[ He's been trying to message her again and again, but it's the day travel between the Up and Down is working again that he's finally able to get through to her.
He knows she's immortal, but it doesn't matter. Who knows what could have happened to her in the Down. ]
Shadow reassured me you were still in the city because of some kind of sense he has, but I need to hear from you that you're okay.
[Nile's been trying to get through too, but nothing's working. She scrambles for her device when it finally chimes and her breath catches in her throat.]
[Easy answer. There's a longer one that's stuck in a lot of things that happened during the two weeks but they'll get there. Right now, she just needs to tell him that she's okay. And she needs to hear if he is too]
What about you? I couldn't get through to you--are you alright?
DUPLICITY CITATION No. 823792 Violation: Encouraging and supporting dissent, in direct defiance of government laws Fine: Two weeks in the People Zoo + One month travel privilege revocation Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.
gift.
This is for you. We will begin training at 8am on Monday.
Please do not take this outside unless Andy or myself are with you. I do not know that they would take kindly to you carrying it.
inside the bag is a rather plain looking sword and sheath. once she's got the hang of using this, he already has plans on taking her to buy something more suitable.]
text; un: angusfreakingyoung
guess who I ran into today
you get 2 guesses and the only hint you're getting is we don't like her
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two guesses, huh?
first guess: our favorite guard at our favorite train station.
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un: gwenzelle
be cool. becoolbecoolbecool. ]
heyyyyy.
[ WHY SO MANY Ys OH GOD ]
this is gwen, from the arcade?
i figured... i asked for your number, so i should probably actually use it.
so
hi
what's up??
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hey, gwen!
[shit. What. an exclamation point, Freeman? What are you, twelve?]
And yeah, yeah, that's what it's there for. My number, I mean.
To be used.
[Face. Palm. Why isn't she this dumb around anyone who isn't a pretty girl around her age? She is usually cool. She's a former marine. She can do this.]
I mean: I'm glad you used my number. It's good to hear from you.
And not much, really.
Trouble is chewing on me, but that's not new.
[arguably, the cat should get a real name one of these days]
Andy's out.
Trying to decide how to spend the evening.
You?
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> action!
> action! (ps sorry this took A MONTH?? /shame)
@rey
[ The abrupt message has an edge of bewildered panic. No preamble. If she were any less confused she would have thought twice of sending it at all. ]
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[the message may be out of the blue, but Nile is trying to put the pieces together, and the panic bleeds through the screen.]
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Idea wouldn't get out of my head. One for you and one for Andy
Keep fighting and rising from the ashes
Dean
[ When Nile opens the box she'll find two small hand-carved wooden phoenixes. Since moving out to the forest, Dean's picked up a new hobby and he's getting scary good at it. ]
text; un: flyboy
Hey.
I'd ask if you're okay, but
I think I already know the answer to that one.
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
Hey.
I'm--here.
Rey let me stay with her for a bit. The city sent a babysitter and I--
[She just about punched him in the face]
We didn't get along.
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ATTN: NILE FREEMAN
Violation: Failure to follow City guidelines in regard to Housing regulations
Fine: Assigned to Realignment : One day of public submission OR 20 hours of public service in the Down
Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.
audio;
Feel like picking out your own sword?
audio;
Yeah! Absolutely. Does this mean you think I'm good enough?
audio;
misfire; text; un: crimson
Do you like my new boots?
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
First: yes. Absolutely.
Second: I'm not sure you meant to send this to me?
I mean.
I'm not complaining. I just wanted you to know it didn't end up where it was supposed to go.
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voice ↪ un: hicks (misfire)
( that accent could literally only be from alabama, an' it's about as hard hittin' as these things come. )
voice: un: n.freeman 🐯
Not sure if you meant this for me, but I know the feeling. I've been looking for anything like Chicago deepdish since I arrived.
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text; un: gwenzelle
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
Those are fighting words, I hope you know that.
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video: un: jadzia.dax
I'm feeling a little cold...
Come warm me up?
video; un: n. freeman 🐯
Her own video flicks on in response and she gives a sheepish smile, waving slightly, before letting her hand drop. Great, she's a creep and she manages to look like an idiot. Two for two.]
Hey. Not that I'm complaining--really, I'm not complaining--but I'm not sure if you mean this to come to me?
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@rey | event misfire (nsfw)
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What are you--
I don't know if this was for me.
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text; un: gwenzelle
how about instead of texting all night you just come over and see us in person?
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
excuse me, I was busy sexting your girlfriend, Sir.
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text; un: flyboy
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
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text; un: gwenzelle (I regret nothing)
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
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text; un: lucas
He knows she's immortal, but it doesn't matter. Who knows what could have happened to her in the Down. ]
Shadow reassured me you were still in the city because of some kind of sense he has, but I need to hear from you that you're okay.
Please reply as soon as you read this.
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
Lucas! Hey, hi. I'm here. I'm fine, I'm okay. Promise.
[Easy answer. There's a longer one that's stuck in a lot of things that happened during the two weeks but they'll get there. Right now, she just needs to tell him that she's okay. And she needs to hear if he is too]
What about you? I couldn't get through to you--are you alright?
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@astarkov
I know you can't die, but what you're doing is dangerous.
@n.freeman (if this is too late, feel free to ignore!)
--but I appreciate it.
the worry I mean.
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CITATION
Violation: Encouraging and supporting dissent, in direct defiance of government laws
Fine: Two weeks in the People Zoo + One month travel privilege revocation
Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility.
text | un: m.carter
How long do you still have in here?
( here not there because guess who's back, back again... )
text: un: n.freeman 🐯
A few more days. Two weeks in the Zoo, a month of restricted movement between home and work.
Wait.
Here? Peggy--
[you can't see it, but this is her worried face]
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