Duplicity Messages

[thenewnormal]

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un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

Hey. Where are you? What are you doing? I need to talk to you. Like now. Tell me you're somewhere I can call, or call me.

Video;

[thenewnormal]

[ That panics him because there's Bass and Alex thought he was doing better, but if he weren't... Alex's stomach twists. ]

Hey. Hey, I'm here. What's going on?

text | un: wild-pony

[her_own_savior]

have you ever been to a gangbang?
or an orgy ig?

feel free to pretend this question never happened

[thenewnormal]

...does this have anything to do with the party you're throwing Kyle or is it unrelated?

Because we were both kind of in an orgy, just watching it, not participating. But personally participating, the most I've ever been in is a threesome.

[ As he tries not to conclude that with 'with Kyle' in his head. He loves Maria, but there are things she doesn't need to know. ]

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

Was getting ready for the party that's tonight at the new club and realized all of my suits were bought for me by him.

Since that won't work for me, going out to buy a suit since I guess formal means I can't wear this

attachment

[thenewnormal]

...if you need more leather jackets, by all means. I'll be more than happy to go shopping with you.

I was not expecting that look, but I approve.

audio; @guerin

[angrycowboy]

[ Ring ring. ]

[thenewnormal]

[ The caller ID brings a small smile to his face, so he's in a good mood when he answers. ]

Hey, what's going on?

un: guerin

[angrycowboy]

Before I even start: yes, I know I said no to this at least three times. Just go with it.

Would you want to play together again?
No point in having two hands if I don't use them. And I still have your guitar.

[thenewnormal]

Do you really think my answer to that would ever be no? And I know you have it. Because I refused to take it back. Because I know you're stubborn, but I also know what playing meant to you.

@guerin (audio)

[angrycowboy]

Hey.

You got a minute?

[thenewnormal]

Hey, yeah. Of course. What's going on?

un: shrike; text

[carrera]

Alex, can you cover the community center for a few days and cancel my advance classes? I need to take a few days.

[thenewnormal]

Hey, yeah. Of course. What's going on? Anything I can help with?

text | un: nick

[extent]

can i help

Text; Un: RockGod

[thenewnormal]

Not get yourself killed by Hope?

Can I help you? I'm...processing. I didn't even get a chance to say hello.

@guerin

[angrycowboy]

[ There is a lot to process. The scramble of trying to fight people in white coats who suddenly just had him, the injection that knocked off his powers while they did their work, then being told about Dominants, Submissives, contracts, quota, and somehow all of these people are absolutely serious.

He doesn't want to listen to them, even when they try and talk to him. There's something about how clothing will be 'at home', and they've put him into a paper gown and given him a phone which they say is his, and it's all fucking insane, honestly. How is this happening just when his life had started to feel normal? Even good?

No, actually, that part makes sense. Of course he can't actually be happy. Why would he ever have thought that?

He flicks through the phone, and finds that there's messages already. Messages from him, that he doesn't remember writing. He doesn't want to deal with this, and he's inches away from just throwing the phone away when a name catches his eye.

Alex Manes.

Relief floods through him, and he hits dial before he can think a single thing through. ]

Alex? If you're there pick up. God, I don't know if I hope you do or not.

[thenewnormal]

[ Alex has been pacing around all day. He knows when new people show up. He's been at the train during their tour enough to know when they'll be there. And he was just about getting ready to leave for the station when the call arrived. Michael Guerin

His heart jumped into his throat and he pressed the receive almost immediately. ]

Michael? God, where are you?

[ Not at the house yet. Kyle or Nick - even with the quiet war of wills going on between them - would have told him if he'd showed up at the house. ]

I'll come get you.

[ Times like this made him think about getting a car, but he could just as easily pick up a cab. ]

Gift Delivery

[guylining]

[ On Christmas morning, Alex will find a large wrapped jewellery box on the end of his bed. The first thing inside it is a pair of jewelled nipple rings. The left promises to withhold orgasm until your partner allows it. The right forces an orgasm immediately, multiple times if your partner wants. There's a note to explain all of this.

Then there's a ring, with a black diamond inset, flush to the titanium band. It'll fit Alex's middle finger. It explains that it's always active, and that if Alex comes under attack, a shield will appear around him in a 2ft radius, enough to cover anyone he's with. The note says: To protect you and yours.

At the bottom of all of this, there's a picture. There's a rack here - bondage apparatus, with leather ties, and some toys within sight. The back of the photo says: An Invitation ;) and provides the address of Nate's house in the down.

The whole package has a gift tag: ]

Happy Yuletide!
N

[thenewnormal]

[ Alex couldn't help but get a chuckle out of Nate's message. And given the last couple of weeks, he really hadn't thought too hard about presents. But there was one question he had and something that he could offer in lieu of an actual gift, since he hadn't really had time for a whole lot of shopping. ]

[ A text sent that contains a photo of a scrawled IOU on a paper napkin. IOU - Backup for any illegal ventures related to going home or figuring this place out. ]

Also, you left out which of us is supposed to be tied up.

[ Because he had to be kidding. Right? Right. ]

Gift Delivery

[angrycowboy]

[ It's the 27th. It's early. He considered just leaving the gift here, but instead he's come himself, and now he's not sure if that was the right call. He paces outside, overthinking it.

His mind is full of-- bad things. Hope, turning to him with that look on his face. The brief flash of relief when, for a moment, he'd thought his plan had worked and she was feeling something. The swiftness with which it was extinguished when she tore open his throat, the feeling of life flowing away. It had been quick. It had lasted forever.

He'd thought of all the people he hadn't said goodbye to, the people he loved. The people he was hurting. Alex, Dick, Kyle, Max, Isobel, Rosa, Nick, Maria. Some here, some not. In the moment, he hadn't remembered that he'd come back. Now, he knows that he shouldn't have.

And then he'd found those gifts in his wardrobe, the same gifts he'd been looking at for a week without memory of who they were for. Now he knows. It's easier, frankly, to deal with that than unpack everything else in his head. He should just leave the box, and go.

He doesn't. Instead he rings the doorbell, and waits.

When Alex answers, he's standing there holding the box. It's a long, flat thing. Inside it there's a new leather jacket, and inside the breast pocket there's a picture of Alex, Michael, Kyle and Maria from the opening night of her bar, here. Beneath that, there's a couple of bottles of tequila. Beside Michael, on the ground, there's a carrier bag full of treats for Alex's pets. Michael puts a smile on his face. ]

Before you open this, I made you something, too. It's in the truck.

[ The truck, which is new, actually. Michael had refurbished it at the garage, and the exterior still looks kind of worn. The interior is perfect, though. There's something bulky in the back; we'll get to that. ]

It would've been here for the holidays, but I didn't remember until today.

Belated Holiday Gift Giving

[drmcsexy]

[ The dark red box is delivered by courier and left for him with a note. ]

Dear Alex,

I know it's not where you want to be, but I'm glad you're here with us. I'm glad for all we're regaining again.

Affectionately,

Kyle

PS I had the jacket made in Chewie's size as well, but I'm not wrestling her hairy butt into it.

[ Inside is a leather jacket for Max, and a sweater for the cat. There's a buttery soft cashmere henley, and a smaller box within.

Inside is a locket with two tiny photos within. He had them printed from pictures on his phone of both Hayley and Bass. On the back is engraved: never to be forgotten ]

@guerin (audio)

[angrycowboy]

You told me Maria died on the rocks, right? On the beach?

[thenewnormal]

That's where she woke up, yeah. I found her and she was really confused. But a lot of people had been getting sucked into the water when the flooding happened. Bass was nearly pulled in once. So I made it a habit of checking the beach. I never asked if it was that or if it was the other thing.

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

FYI I've contacted Nate about the possibility of securing the Wild Pony against compulsion, nonconsensual violence, and even poisoned/tainted drinks.

I don't know if it's possible here or if it would work but its worth a shot for the safety of our patrons.

[thenewnormal]

Not a bad idea. I did something like that myself once - had it done - for a pool party I didn't mean to throw. There was an actual mundane serial killer running around.

Valentines

[angrycowboy]

[ Michael will see Alex for their date later anyway, but that doesn't mean he can't start the morning off right. He arrives bright and early, with boxes of pancakes and coffee in hand.

The pancakes are red velvet and heart-shaped, and the cappuccinos have little red chocolate hearts on top. Or at least they did when Michael left; the journey might've erased that by now.

Oh well. He knocks on Alex's door. ]

I was gonna serenade you, but I figured I'd save that for tonight, [ he says, when the door opens. ]

[thenewnormal]

[ Alex looks bemusedly at Michael after he opens the door. But there's a tenderness in that smile, too. Because is he touched? He's absolutely touched. ]

You have a key. You have your brain. And still you knock.

[ He took one of the coffees and leaned in, cupping Michael's cheek and kissing him softly. ]

Come on in. I'll grab a couple of plates.

@guerin (audio)

[angrycowboy]

[ Does it make sense that he's more worried about telling Alex than he is about actually going to the Zoo?

He just has to do it, it's gonna be a hell of a lot worse if he doesn't. ]

Alex?

Hey. We have to talk.

[thenewnormal]

[ There's a slight beat because it's universally known, at least in his experience, that those words never precede anything good. ]

What's up?

@guerin

[angrycowboy]

Hey.

You think I can stay over tonight?

[thenewnormal]

You're always welcome. What's up?

@guerin

[angrycowboy]

So, daddy's sword is here.

[thenewnormal]

Huh. I was wondering why I got my father's statue.

...kidding. Totally kidding. That's not what showed up.

@guerin

[angrycowboy]

Dick died

Was killed
Had to be killed

I couldn't be there because I'm stuck in the Down, fighting some shadow version of myself who grew up to be Jones number 2

Odds are he'll come back
Most of us come back
Doesn't stop me wanting to stab something. Ideally my shadow self. So that's today's plan.

I miss you.

[thenewnormal]

I'm sorry. What happened? Was it someone else in his body?

Just remember. That isn't you any more than that demon who had my father's voice was him. It's just this city trying to fuck with us. I can't imagine any version of you siding with Jones.

I can come find you. If you don't want to fight this thing alone.

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

Have you ever talked to Rhys who works at the Pony? Tall, handsome guy behind the bar? Dark hair?

[thenewnormal]

What? Why?

[ He knew he should have gone private. ]

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

So with Tumenalia coming up, I know I'm going to stick close to the house. There's a portal to the hospital so I can use that.

Anything you can think that we need or want to do before it all happens?

[thenewnormal]

Thanks. I was trying to forget that was coming up.

😉

I can't really think of anything we need to do. My plan is just to stick close to you and Sleeping Beauty. I'll do my usual thing of heading down to check on the new arrivals, but Tumenalia should be after the new arrivals show up.

un: valenti; text

[drmcsexy]

So... There's a Tim here. Looks the same. No memories of this place though.

Just thought you might want to know.

[thenewnormal]

Yeah, I was going to warn you about him. I might have hugged him before realizing he didn't remember me.

text, un: SpeedGasm69

[adultflash]

You in the mood for a repeat office visit, Master?

un: brattyboi

[thenewnormal]

Nobody's master, but I have been called sir. 😉

text | user name : call_me_baby_girl

[permanentlyexhaustedbird]

You can't destroy my clothing and then replace it with this! This is clearly made for a woman, which I am not!

battyforbats

[thenewnormal]

Wrong person. But I have to ask. Who destroyed your clothes? And why?

delivery

[adultflash]

[There are two cards delivered to Kyle and Alex's house, one for Kyle and one for Alex. Alex's card is this one.]