Duplicity Messages

[thenewnormal]

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Public - UN: CptManes

[thenewnormal]

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

So... How would you feel about a new roommate?

Is that a vague way to start things?

Private - Anonymous

[thenewnormal]

Anon text

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

I'm curious as to your skillset if you wish to help with more infiltrations into LIEs facilities?

Drunk Text

[drmcsexy]

y do ppl want to sleep w ppl dressed as cats? explain this to me manes

[thenewnormal]

[ Best friend? No, he never had a best friend, former or otherwise. Definitely not one who would wake him up only an hour or two after he'd actually gotten to bed. Would he? ]

thefuck?

text; un: doc

[drmcsexy]

Hey. Not to bother or start any shit with Bass because I've been working to avoid that but you think we can meet up sometime?

[thenewnormal]

Hah. No shit with Bass, I promise. Sure we can. What's going on?

[drmcsexy]

Set to filling out the census and realizing he needs to talk about this before the city does it for him]

I know we havent talked in a while and I know why so I hope you don't just delete this now. Life changes people, Alex. This place has changed me a lot. I need to tell you something and I guess its probably going to make things worse more than better. I don't trust this place though and if I'm going to tell anyone right now, its going to be you.

[thenewnormal]

And sometimes, life just reminds us of who we've always been. What is it, Kyle?

un: guerin

[angrycowboy]

[ Suspend your disbelief, Manes. ]

Hey. Can we talk?

[thenewnormal]

Uh. Yeah? What's up? You doing okay after that mess at the beach?

text; un rrowarryn

[ghosttownapproach]

hello

this is jack

we talked at the senter

i need help with lessons i did not think i needid

but some thing happind

[thenewnormal]

Of course I remember you, Jack.

[ It's kind of hard to forget him. ]

What do you need?

Gift!

[angrycowboy]

[ Michael isn't much for a holiday like Christmas at the best of times, and right now, his mood could see merriment far enough. Still, he and Alex have been kind of on the same page about that. He doesn't call, and he definitely doesn't stay, but there'll be a bottle of half-decent bourbon left on his and Bass' doorstep, with a note in Michael's writing attached. It only says, "Alex". ]

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

Alex's gift from Tim will be delivered by courier, a very familiar Bart Allen who will have the man sign for his package before disappearing off in the time it takes Alex to blink.

What's inside is a very nice pair of familiar-looking boots, except they're in Alex's size. There's also one of Tim's Red Robin circular shuriken and a note that says Since you're such a big fan and all, I figured this counts as like a collectible where you're from?

voice; un: guerin (backdated a little)

[angrycowboy]

[ Okay, you know what. There are some things that Michael thinks, no one will understand this more than Alex. ]

So Max went home.

In his head. In, whatever way we go home in our heads and get older. You know that part, but.

Things happened, alien things. We found things out, about our past, about my past, and he won't tell me what it is. He said wait. I'm still waiting. For my history.

[thenewnormal]

[ Okay, so maybe it takes a minute to not just come back with the response he wants to make: Max is being a jackass; what's new? Liz is his best friend and, while she does have her faults, he'll stand behind her every time. ]

Why is he saying wait? Or is he giving no excuse?

[ Because there are things that Alex has been keeping from...most people. But he has the decency not to tell them he's been keeping the things. ]

un: guerin

[angrycowboy]

Hey.

Look you can tell me where to go if you want
I know how you feel about living on the right side of the law. I haven't forgotten.

But I figure, in this world, things might be different. Law's not so friendly.

[ Not that Michael thinks it was in his world, either. But Alex did, and Michael's trying to stay on the right side of him here. ]

So with that in mind, you seen the network lately?

[thenewnormal]

You know it was never about the copper, right, Guerin? It was about believing there was more to you than just your junkyard back deals. It was about you being the smartest guy in our class and then just...giving up. Little did I know about your secret underground bunker or your turn as a biomedical engineer.

I'm guessing you're talking about that one from 'Wayne Kerr', Mr. Anonymous?

text [un: champagneking]

[formerhighking]

So remember me from our duet? I'm putting on a benefit for the theater and the upcoming musical, and I could use some more acts for the variety show. Want to sing on a different stage and eat free food? I'm attaching the details for you.

[thenewnormal]

Of course I remember you, Eliot. This isn't your way of trying to recruit me into being a part of the show, is it? I've never really acted.

un: guerin

[angrycowboy]

Hey Alex

Max is gone. I told Ortecho already, but I don't know
She might need a hand on her shoulder that isn't mine
Figured you'd be the guy.

[thenewnormal]

Shit. Okay, I'll make sure she's taken care of. It's been a while since our bar's been depleted and she doesn't exactly have a supernatural constitution.

...how're you doing?

un: guerin

[angrycowboy]

Listen
I'm gonna contract with Kyle.

I don't know if this is the best way of telling you that, but I don't want you to find out the next time they OnlyFans us.

[thenewnormal]

I probably would do the same under similar circumstances? It's fine, Guerin. He and I...well, things are still a little awkward, but better than they were.

text] un: petit_loup

[petit_loup]

I did a thing. And maybe I shouldn't have. But I got all confused, and Klaus said it was okay, and so I sid. But now Hope is going to be mad, and she's dealing with so much already....But if Klaus said...oh no. NO. OMG, ALEX!!! I have resorted to "If Klaus says it's okay" to justify my life choices!!! Like, Klaus says a lot of things are okay that are NOT OKAY. So....what have I done?!? I mean, he said it was okay if I married Jackson, then, I'm pretty sure, planned to murder him on my wedding night. But, oh, god, I got married to Jackson right after *sleeping with someone else* who told me he loved me. WHO DOES THAT?!? All of these things in my life suddenly make sense, even as I have to question my entire moral character. I mean, who am I?
...What have I done? [Can he tell she's not breathing? Becauseshe's not breathing. It's a good thing she doesn't *have* to, so much, but she's still capable of hyperventilating, which she might be doing.]

txt | un: wild-pony (misfire)

[her_own_savior]

do you think I could get to Isobel's level with practice? bc I really want to mentally punish some people.

[thenewnormal]

I mean. You already do pretty well already. I don't know why you think you have to be like Isobel. Since when did you WANT to be like Isobel?

text; un: lucas (misfire)

[scarecrowed]

[ This image sent to Alex wasn't taken today. It was sent the other day to a friend (a quota friend) when they asked where Lucas was (working out at Red Emerald). This definitely wasn't meant to be shared with Alex and there's no caption attached. ]

[thenewnormal]

Look like the network's fucking up again. Must be Tuesday. Hi, I'm Alex, and I'm pretty sure you did not mean to send me that. ...but on the plus side, it's far tamer than could have been sent.

un: ipswitch; text

[ipswichson]

attachment

Why am I all alone?

[thenewnormal]

[ He only takes one quick look to verify the identity - well, okay, maybe two - before he sends back the message. ]

Hey, Caleb. Everything okay?

Text | UN: 2fast4U (misfire)

[kid_flash_found]

Shirtless o'clock came early, but the morning after pancakes were worth it.

[Attached is an image of Dick wearing a low-slung towel while smiling over at the camera and cooking]

[thenewnormal]

Just what I needed. A Dick pic first thing in the morning. You've made my day.

[ Yes, he's being sarcastic and will relay that in the next text. ]

I think you meant this for Tweety Bird, not that I want to know why you're sending it to him.

text: un: birdwatcher

[covert]

[This isn't a misfire, it's Dick's phone sending things out into the ether. Things he long ago moved to safer tech and deleted, but which it hung on to, deep it its memory.

For just this moment.

Alex receives a set of three photos. Selfies, taken by a young, very naked man with absurdly bright blue eyes and black hair a muss against the pillows.

In the first, he's smirking up at the camera, wings splayed out behind him and his shoulders pinned by someone whose familiar curls the photographer's free hand rests in, using them to draw him back up his body from... lower places.

In the next picture the two of them are laying against each other, both looking up. Both looking flushed with pleasure - maybe more.

And in the final image, the dark haired man's turned to face Michael, leaning in for a kiss as a hand slides low over his stomach. The edges of the image blur, as though it was dropped the second the button clicked.]

[thenewnormal]

[ For a long, long time the images just sit there, the messages read but no reply forthcoming. The first image could be a coincidence. There are plenty of people who have the kind of curls Guerin does. But then comes the second image and the third and it becomes obvious that those curls were no coincidence.

And a part of Alex's heart breaks. Because he knew. Of course he knew. Hell, he'd even seen Guerin and Damon back in the day looking almost sickly sweet at each other...at least in Alex's eyes it was sickly. Even though he should have been happy for Guerin. Even if he had every reason he should have been fine with it.

But even with Damon, it had been tame. They'd smiled. They'd kissed. This was an intimate moment, made more so by that smile. That smile that wasn't just happy; it was content.

Eventually, he shakes himself out of his shock and pain and maybe he should just let the images go, but, given the direction of his own thoughts, there's one thing he has to clarify. ]

I really hope for your sake that these are because the network is still fucked up.

Nothing he took and nothing he knows was sent out

[drmcsexy]

[ The video clip shows Kyle's cell from above. It's been expertly put together that shows him working out in his cell.

Not that Kyle needs to work out anymore, but he's trying to do his best to keep busy and not to think and exercise has always helped him to clear his mind.

Using a bench in his cell to do sit ups, his hooks locked around the bench and his torso hanging off the end. The angle highlights his abs, the tight tone of his body and how he looks all stretched out, his body barely gleaming in the low light of the cell.

There's video of him doing pull ups on the beams above his head, using his own body weight to make it more challenging, the angle of the camera highlighting the width of his back as his half nude form flexes for a camera he doesn't know is there.

There's never a time he's aware of the camera, working to keep himself busy, to not think about what's to come after his time in jail. Yet the entire video certainly shows him off at his best angles as it end with push ups, the camera directly over him, showing the length of his body, using only one hand and one foot, the arm behind his back and his foot raised.

No he doesn't need these workouts now, but he likes the focus and it leaves him feeling more human every time he works out. ]

((visuals because i can))

[thenewnormal]

Yes. We get it. You're ridiculously hot, even in prison. You don't have to be one of those porn movies.

[ What better way than to flirt with Kyle to take his mind off of Bass and Michael and everything going on? Because that isn't a terrible idea at all. ]

un: guerin (private) (event)

[angrycowboy]

Alex, are you okay? Where are you? Are you in the [ scrambled text ] with Nick when it happened, and I found Kyle. I haven't found Dick yet but I don't know where else he'd be, so I'm [ scrambled text ]
can't find Damon or Maria. Please let me know you're okay. I'm hoping you're still with Bass and didn't get [ scrambled text. ]

[thenewnormal]

[ Each word is spammed a few times, just to get his point across. ]

UP.

WITH.

MARIA. BASS.

[ And then the next question is sent also a handful of times as a hole. Because he's run into the censor. ]

On a scale of 1 to 10, how hot is my father?

[ On a scale of 1 to 10, how bad are things? ]

un: o.broin

[extent]

S.O.S. S.O.S. S.O.S. S.O.S. S.O.S

[thenewnormal]

WHERE?

text; un: comesback

[everything4him]

So, apparently I'm the new owner of a private investigation firm. I don't suppose you know anything about that?

[thenewnormal]

What? Hold on...

[ A few minutes later... ]

Damn. Connor's gone.

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

Alex, a lot of this is going to be up to Bass to talk to you about but he's having some issues and at his request, I've found a clinic in the Up that is willing to admit him for a few days, at least.

Apparently his doctor has left the city, so I'm going to be finding him a new doctor and making sure everything is okay with him for his medication and his mental health.

[ He's being so careful to work out how to say this without breaking his oaths. Even if so much of this place is about trying to break those things. ]

[thenewnormal]

Yeah, I'm talking to him now.

[ And how is he taking the news? Well, his hands are shaking, but at least he's functional. For now. ]

I know another therapist, though I don't know his qualifications. I'm teaching him self-defense. He was another victim of a near escape when the Doms were targeted in the Down. Henry Foster. I can get you his contact information and you can check him out if you think it'll help.

[ All business until there's nothing else he can do. ]