[ Meadowlark ] IC Inbox

[braveoff]

@drake.holloway | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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@carolina.church

[leaderboards]

[ this comes a few hours after the freelancers and ginia have left ephemera's apartment. ]

So that wasn't my finest showing, but I want to thank you for being around for that conversation with Ephemera anyway. I don't know what you said or did, but you convinced him to talk to us and that could have gone so much worse. Wash and I owe you a pretty big favour for that, so if you ever need to collect, you know how to contact us. We'll see you around.

[braveoff]

[ At the point Carolina's message comes in, Ephemera is resting in his room and Drake is trying to keep his shit together back in the kitchen, ordering food and feeling like he's failing to keep his overinvestment on the dl. It surprises him -- not that she'd think to do him the courtesy, but that it comes so quickly. ]

Hey, it's not an easy thing. I didn't expect it to be one and done, hopefully in time he'll come to see you as allies like you wanted. He did before.

That's what I did... generally talked him down, went into the logic of murdering people who wouldn't stay dead, and showed him what it was like in the end the last time I knew you guys. How it could be. Even if this didn't go perfectly, part of him must've wanted that to agree to talk. It can get better.

You don't owe me anything for sticking my nose in, I'm just glad I could help. Are you guys okay?

[leaderboards]

Nothing some aggressive repression won't fix. We're okay, but thank you for asking.

I know that today went pretty much as well as it could have. It could have been a lot worse. I just never want him to think I'm just paying lip service or trying to insult him and I don't know how to make him understand that. I got frustrated. I'm sure you noticed.

[braveoff]

Does repression usually work out for you? If you'd rather talk about it I'm a good sounding board.

I feel like you all did your best under the circumstances, Carolina. Give him some time, and cut yourself especially some slack. I'll keep working on him as much as he lets me but it has to come from him and that's not going to happen overnight.

[leaderboards]

Repression has kept me functional for years. Better not risk screwing it up.

And I know these sorts of things don't change overnight. He's got a lot of valid reasons to be pissed off and I know I should just be happy that he's not planning to kill us. I am grateful for that.

[braveoff]

But you're still disappointed? I think that's natural.

If it means anything it wasn't easy for me to watch that, either, knowing that you guys were okay where I came from.

@terrence.ephemera

[requiemshark]

[ It's something like four in the morning but guess who is drunk. Guess who is drunk and who's spent the past hour painting increasingly violent things onto the walls. ]

You awake? Come drink with me if you are.

[braveoff]

[ Well he certainly is now, and while he's still waking up he nearly sends 'babe wtf?' before catching it. Then he's wide awake from the 'oh shit' of it, scrubbing at his face as he replies for real. ]

Your place?

[requiemshark]

[ Oh good, Drake's awake. That's good. Ephemera was considering texting Trevor next and he doesn't have enough whiskey to get both of them trashed, not with Trevor's tolerance, and that might have been awkward. ]

Yeah.

[ His place. Not Angela's anymore. ]

[braveoff]

Omw.

[ It's a good thing he's not scared walking the city at night, Drake thinks, as he gets up and pulls on a shirt and shoes. Ephemera's isn't too far from the Safehouse either way, though. He's there in just a couple minutes, hair damp because until he gets it cut into his usual style he has pretty terrible bedhead until it's wet down.

He knocks softly, wondering what the hell happened that he got a drunk text at 4 in the morning. ]

[requiemshark]

[ Ephemera isn't completely wasted by the time Drake knocks, but he's made a good attempt at getting there. Sometimes he snags a bottle from whatever club he's fighting at and it's always something that's got a hell of a kick. Ephemera hasn't gotten trashed since he got back from New Cairo, but there's no time like the present. ]

Hi. I have alcohol.

[ HIs sleeves are rolled up when he answers the door, paint splattered on both hands and a dash of black smeared across his cheek. The mess has been contained to his bedroom for now, which is probably for the best. Ephemera sways a bit, bracing himself on the doorframe and motioning for Drake to come in.

This is great. He doesn't have to drink alone. ]

[braveoff]

[ Oh boy. This is a sight Drake's seen a few times before, always after dealings with a Freelancer. Here there are other things it could be, though, and he strongly doubts this'll end like the last time. He quirks an eyebrow at the state of the other man, slipping inside with a hand out to steady him if he stumbles backing away to close the door. ]

Hey. Seems like you had a lot more of it earlier.

[ It's said lightly and nonjudgmentally, and he glances around for either the bottle or the paints and sees neither. ]

You gonna let me catch up?

[btryl]

[ The message itself is blank: No subject, no return address, and no body text.

Attached are a series of correspondences between ML, JH, and JPG from the year 2273. There is the sense that all three names have been redacted and taken down to only their initials. ML's reason for reaching out is to put JH in touch with JPG, who has been an "extraordinary asset to us for some time now, and we believe that the two of you will be able to effectively combine your work in a satisfying way." ML will explain what JH has been attempting to accomplish. Primarily, his aim is to seek out various lost lifeforms and he's developing a tool that will allow people to interact with them even in their reticent state. ]

@hafid.alghul

[batricide]

[ forgive his dismal people skills here, drake. ]

Are you still in?

[braveoff]

[ It's okay man he remembers you. ]

Still in. What are you thinking?

[batricide]

We need scrambler masks.
Once we have those, we start going out.

[braveoff]

Scrambler masks? I guess I can't go pick one up at the store.

Should we meet to discuss exactly what we're going out for?

[batricide]

I've got some connections. Whether or not the pan out is another story.

Yes.

[braveoff]

Same place?

@william.clayton-queen

[slavophile]

( one dinner and one shared dream later, the world literally shakes apart. William makes it out of Antarctica with the help of the other Displaced and their artifacts. they made their own gate and got out of there. it's a day before he checks in thanks to a regretful night of drinking.

but, the next morning, he wakes up and he has one singular thought as he lays there, blearily looking up at the ceiling of the safe house. )

Good morning.
I didn't tell you I went to Antarctica, so I think it's only fair I tell you I made it out of Antarctica. I'm back. And I can actually ask how you slept because I was too dead to the world to invade anyone's dreams.

[braveoff]

[ The message alert wakes him, and he opens it to see that William has beat him to the chase. Huh. He appreciates the check in, though, and replies immediately. ]

Morning. Were you guys all okay up there? I was actually going to text you today too to make sure you could get back safely but yay already being back.

They said the quake originated where you were, but we felt it all the way over here. That can't be good.

[slavophile]

( Man, he'd find it lame that he woke him up. He's not trying to bother the guy. He's just... thinking about him more. )

It was bad. We made it out, but not everyone down there did. The entire Earth felt it, right? I've never heard of anything like that.

You were going to text me?

[braveoff]

Well I'm glad you made it. Seems like everybody felt it, yeah, but you were the ones in the most danger.

Which kind of answers your next question.

[slavophile]

Maybe it was a rhetorical question, Drake.

What are you doing today?

[braveoff]

Oh. Right.

[ He's a little rusty with this stuff. ]

Nothing, I'm not even working tonight. The power outages have things kind of shut down. Did you want to do something?