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I'm really starting to wonder if the people who run these cities need some other hobbies.
Good news and bad news. I have your firearm. It's pink leopard print.
tell me you did not leave immediately after you promised me you’d stay
seriously, get back here
K????
if you get mauled by a nightmare I am not patching you up
okay fuck of course I’ll patch you up, where are you
K SERIOUSLY ARE YOU DEAD
fucking let me know if you’re alive, at least
seriously, get back here
K????
if you get mauled by a nightmare I am not patching you up
okay fuck of course I’ll patch you up, where are you
K SERIOUSLY ARE YOU DEAD
fucking let me know if you’re alive, at least
| ❝ | DUPLICITY CITATION No. 18549 Violation: Attempting to Conceal Submissive Mark Fine: $100 + 1 week Realignment Payments must be received within 30 calendar days, or debts will be handed over to the Remittance Facility. | ❞ |
When he gets out of the People Zoo, he takes a day to heal. Then he goes to K's apartment, no forewarning. He'll break in if no one answers.
It's not that K doesn't answer; it's that he doesn't answer anywhere fast enough, and the door is not remotely sturdy enough to keep Jesus from coming straight through it when he gets impatient with waiting.
He's almost to the door when it opens, and he recoils from the sudden light spilling in from the hallway with an involuntary hiss of pain - and the automatic raising of the pink leopard print but loaded gun in his hand, temporarily blinded.
"Stop," he croaks, something like an order, his voice alien even to him.
He's almost to the door when it opens, and he recoils from the sudden light spilling in from the hallway with an involuntary hiss of pain - and the automatic raising of the pink leopard print but loaded gun in his hand, temporarily blinded.
"Stop," he croaks, something like an order, his voice alien even to him.
Are you still around and in one piece?
Hey man, mid-month check in. Two weeks since they slapped on this whole double quota garbage. [Which all sounds very businesslike and utilitarian, but then his expression and tone softens, more personal, concerned.]
How you been doing? [Not just with that, he seems to imply. With everything.]
How you been doing? [Not just with that, he seems to imply. With everything.]
[He's just praying they haven't taken away his communicator or restricted him to speaking only to Doms]
K?
K?
Are you up?
[It's late but not that late. Ten thirty, he realizes, which means K might even just be at work.]
[It's late but not that late. Ten thirty, he realizes, which means K might even just be at work.]
It's such a specific, uncomplicated sentiment - and wholly doomed of course. The man that showed up to take over K's contract could punish him for Jesus acting out and probably will. Jesus's Dom could do the same. They could be jailed or worse.
Surely Jesus knows this if K does. He says this anyway, and K watches him with the cat, and his answer is a soft, sweet kiss when he turns back from talking to Nibbles.
Surely Jesus knows this if K does. He says this anyway, and K watches him with the cat, and his answer is a soft, sweet kiss when he turns back from talking to Nibbles.
It's just past midnight and he's coming in from the rain. He has Nibbles under his coat which makes this trickier, but he ends up climbing in through the window into K's bedroom and then he slides it shut behind him.
K does need to sleep but not as much as humans generally do; it's easy to hear that something is happening, and K is sitting up in the bed and watching silently for what that something will be.
He recognizes the silhouette against the window, and the lights from outside show an impressed smile.
"Should I sound the alarm?" he asks quietly.
He recognizes the silhouette against the window, and the lights from outside show an impressed smile.
"Should I sound the alarm?" he asks quietly.
On the morning of December 24th, a package will be delivered to K's apartment. Attached is a ridiculous campy card that reads:
I know there's not loads of birds in the Down but there's some, and maybe someday you'll have a place in the Up where there'll be more. Happy Wintersday!
- Vrenille
Inside the box is a window box bird feeder and a starter bag of seed. There's also a little voucher informing K of his new year long subscription to one of Duplicity's premier underwear of the month clubs.
Hey, I wanted to talk to you about something. Could you come by tonight?
[at some point after the finder goes up, K will get a knock on the door. There's no one there, but there is a package for him, and inside is a big container of freshly diced pineapple.]
[Vrenille waits until he and Jesus have talked things through and Jesus is getting a bit of sleep before immediately calling K, taking himself off to a private part of the house to do it.
He's been itching with worry since he heard what happened, and he doesn't bother with text or audio. If it weren't for wanting to make sure he's here when Jesus wakes up, he'd probably just have gone in person.]
K? Jesus came to see me. Are you--
How are you?
[There's no disguising that he's worried; he doesn't bother trying to hide it.]
He's been itching with worry since he heard what happened, and he doesn't bother with text or audio. If it weren't for wanting to make sure he's here when Jesus wakes up, he'd probably just have gone in person.]
K? Jesus came to see me. Are you--
How are you?
[There's no disguising that he's worried; he doesn't bother trying to hide it.]
[K is awake. He doesn't answer right away, toying with the device in his hand, looking over what he can see of Vrenille's face. It's never the same in video transmissions. Cameras miss small details that are important, they distort measurements, they change lighting - it's important. But he can still make most things work.
He was thinking about Vrenille anyway, about trying to talk to someone who wants to hear his voice, but of course. Of course Jesus went to him, and he's neither surprised nor begrudges him that, but it makes his own decision to just stay in, to just stay silent, seem like his only real viable one. He doesn't feel any particular way about this, he doesn't think. Just resigned.
When he finally turns on the feed it's to a dark apartment, only starlight and ambient light from the city outside it backlighting him a bit, and the glowing tip of a cigarette in his hand. Nibbles is stretched across his lap, apparently asleep with his head in his hand where he's rubbing his ears.]
How is he?
He was thinking about Vrenille anyway, about trying to talk to someone who wants to hear his voice, but of course. Of course Jesus went to him, and he's neither surprised nor begrudges him that, but it makes his own decision to just stay in, to just stay silent, seem like his only real viable one. He doesn't feel any particular way about this, he doesn't think. Just resigned.
When he finally turns on the feed it's to a dark apartment, only starlight and ambient light from the city outside it backlighting him a bit, and the glowing tip of a cigarette in his hand. Nibbles is stretched across his lap, apparently asleep with his head in his hand where he's rubbing his ears.]
How is he?
[He checks in the first day after Realignment but he's so worn out he spends that first night on Rosita's couch, stitched up and in too much pain to move. He texts K anyway, but he's so tired it comes out in a partial REM cycle and it's gibberish:
Anyway I hope you're with cheese fried trees
It's two more days before he's sure on his feet again and he tries again.]
Come for a walk with me?
Anyway I hope you're with cheese fried trees
It's two more days before he's sure on his feet again and he tries again.]
Come for a walk with me?
[K responds to every text, promptly, concerned; he wants to help but he doesn't know how, doesn't know if he can given the givens, doesn't know. So he spends those two days out in the woods calling for Mango, walking and walking and walking over the ground they covered when they were last all together, only sitting down to nap for twenty and thirty minutes at a time when he has to.
He finds her at the shelter. She's been safe and warm and cared for the whole time, and he's so grateful that he makes a stupid, splitsecond decision and leaves her there.
Jesus's text finds him sitting on a bench in the park, and he answers this one, too:]
Tell me where.
He finds her at the shelter. She's been safe and warm and cared for the whole time, and he's so grateful that he makes a stupid, splitsecond decision and leaves her there.
Jesus's text finds him sitting on a bench in the park, and he answers this one, too:]
Tell me where.
[Without any context or preamble:]
Y'ever seen a frog?
Y'ever seen a frog?
Party Log
I don't know if you'd be uncomfortable at this so it's ok if you don't want to come but I'm enjoying our friendship so far and would be happy to see you there.
Carver's gone
I know you didn't really know him but
K, can you come?
I'm at the manor
can you come?
I know you didn't really know him but
K, can you come?
I'm at the manor
can you come?
[Zoro doesn't often use video, but Vrenille suggested that he do so when reaching out to K.]
My name is Roronoa Zoro. I'm calling because you're friends with Vrenille. You got a minute?
My name is Roronoa Zoro. I'm calling because you're friends with Vrenille. You got a minute?
[That's... curious.
It takes K a moment to open his end, considering the stranger on his screen and the name he's brought with him. Stress, he thinks. Discomfort, carefully schooled to calm.
He could be wrong, he's unfamiliar with this man, but he was once good at what he did.
Soon, though, concern delicate around an otherwise politely attentive face:]
I do. Is he alright?
It takes K a moment to open his end, considering the stranger on his screen and the name he's brought with him. Stress, he thinks. Discomfort, carefully schooled to calm.
He could be wrong, he's unfamiliar with this man, but he was once good at what he did.
Soon, though, concern delicate around an otherwise politely attentive face:]
I do. Is he alright?
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