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[braveoff]

@drake.holloway | ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

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[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?

[slavophile]

Same. Though, someone convinced me to take a day off after your vacation? Apparently, a recovery day is a thing.

I do want to do something.

[braveoff]

Would you really call that trip a vacation? You might need more than one recovery day.

Cool. Did you have something in mind?

[slavophile]

Not how it ended, not from the sub zero temperatures. Looks like I'll get more than one, anyway, thanks to the outages.

Do you play pool?

[braveoff]

I do. Not half bad, either, after working at a bar for so long.

[slavophile]

They still make nachos in the future, right? I was thinking, nachos. Pool. Maybe let you think you can beat me in darts.

[braveoff]

There are still nachos. I'm in if we can find somewhere open, and I can beat you in darts.

Maybe.

I'm excited to find out.

[slavophile]

If we can't, we get in exercise for the day in finding it. Or, trying.

Shockingly, I'm at the safe house, but did you want to meet in neutral territory?

[braveoff]

I can swing by the Safehouse, it's on the way from my place to the restaurant district anyway.

Give me about half an hour?

[slavophile]

You get whatever time you need. Make yourself pretty-er.

[braveoff]

Prettier, got it. I'll do my best.

[ And if there were any doubts that this is a second date... well, those are gone now. There's a sense of 'what the fuck am I doing?!' about it all but he. Wants to go. They can talk in person, have some fun. ]

I'll be over soon.

[slavophile]

( Wiliam's not naming anything, not putting pressure on the possibly futile attempt at finding a place that opened up. But, he does some preliminary research. Their best bet is a smaller, mom and pop establishment. The kind that has to open, the kind that he'd want to spend the money on and for. That he could tip them well.

The chill in his bones from Antarctica has finally started to lessen enough that he chooses a short sleeved button down (always a button-down, really) and tight darker pants. He hangs in the main area, trying not to look like he's waiting, checking the neural network and friends' cool talks. )

[braveoff]

[ Drake shows up about forty minutes later, having showered and fussed a little over an outfit... for some reason it's harder for him to look put together in summer. He winds up going for a fitted v-neck with a short sleeve dress shirt over it and jeans, because that's what he has, his hair carefully combed and still a little damp. It's fine. Everything's fine.

...wow is he actually nervous? Maybe. It's the first time they're seeing each other since that dream. He manages to look casual as he enters the Safehouse, at least, and finds William quickly. His eyes are moving in a way that tells Drake he's surfing the network. ]

Hey. Anything interesting on there?

[slavophile]

( His lips form a smile, sliding everything aside, looking to Drake directly. )

Just some Blackout2512 cool talk posts. "Where were you?" ( His legs take him over to Drake, suddenly nervous. He's layered and his hair's slicked. He looks better than he remembers in person. ) Hey.

[braveoff]

Hah. I still haven't made a cooltalk... no idea what I'd put on one, I wasn't allowed to use social media back home.

[ He grins. ]

Hey. We getting out of here?

[slavophile]

Yeah. I found a place. But, we have to be very generous. And by we, I invited you, so. Come on.

( He cants his head to have Drake follow him out. )

I think I finally shook off the Antarctic chill. You might've gotten me in a parka, hunched over the pool table. But, I managed.

[braveoff]

I'm always generous. We can split the generosity.

[ He falls into step beside William, heading for the exit. ]

Not gonna lie, this is better than a parka -- I feel like it'd get in the way. And I'm kind of glad I didn't go on that trip. I've been frozen before, it's really unpleasant thawing out.

[slavophile]

( If he lets him split anything! )

You make it sound like you were kept in a freezer. ( He laughs through that, holding the door open for him. ) Honest? I didn't think through the Antarctica part of it. Bundling up only did so much good.

[braveoff]

I was, actually. And a magical block of ice, another time. Those stories take some explanation, though.

[ Out they go! Drake lets William take the lead again, since he knows where they're going. ]

How much time did you have to spend outside?

[slavophile]

( They do, they really take explanation. But, they have time. And William will be circling back. )

Not much. I was asked to stay inside. My skillset was better used on their computer system.

[braveoff]

And it was still that cold? Geez.

[slavophile]

I tried stepping outside. For the air.

( That was cold. )

I read up on what the scientists had been working on, in between cataloguing samples. ( Instead of. ) They were suppressed, for years, from publishing any of their findings. Evolved, bizarre creatures. A lot about this time, it really is the dissemination of information. It's carefully curated. Which is not any different from mine. Or, yours?

[braveoff]

[ Drake considers that... it's probably true but he was just an undercover cop, not some science bigshot. Then again... zombies. ]

Actually a lot like mine. Every world has its secrets, I guess. What kind of bizarre creatures?

[slavophile]

( William spends the walk explaining their different findings, including animals that were newly discovered. And that information being suppressed. Protected? Or, hidden? They reach the small hole in the wall bar that's still standing with the neural 'OPEN' sign playing.

William even holds the door open again )

This is Fratelli's. And they have nachos on the menu.