IC Voicemail

[solvethepuzzle]

"This is Nathan Brooks. My apologies for being currently unavailable, but please leave a message and I will return the call as soon as I am able."

Comments

[Text] - The following morning

[oncedevil]

Sorry about last night. I'm cool now.

[Text]

[solvethepuzzle]

You're feeling okay? Staying hydrated?

[Yep, he's mother-henning. But this is something Tony has seen before, with Misa the morning after Nathan's kidnapping, and at various points during the past year, when Lazarus would be in particularly bad states.]

[Text]

[oncedevil]

Yeah, I'm good. Headache will be gone in an hour at the most. This stuff doesn't stick with me long anymore.

[Upside to demonic biology, very little keeps you down for long.]

[Text]

[solvethepuzzle]

Good.

[Nathan still doesn't think that should mean he keeps doing this to himself, but he'd said all he's going to say about it last night.]

So I suppose it really bothered you.

[Since that's the only way he can imagine you stating those intentions somewhere he could see it.]

[Text]

[oncedevil]

[Tony isn't always the best at making decisions. Especially decisions in regards to himself.]

Yeah, I guess you could say that. You're lucky you missed it, it was weird.

[Text]

[solvethepuzzle]

[He would take weird over what he'd gotten.]

It did sound excessively dramatic from the way you described it.

[Text]

[oncedevil]

It's just a good thing no one was around. I kinda trashed the place I was at when it hit. Thought I was fighting the mothman.

[Well, his at least wasn't as emotionally traumatic more 'what the what what' traumatic.]

text;

[brotimaeus]

Hey kid.
You doing okay?

text;

[solvethepuzzle]

[You know, normally hearing from Richard would be perfectly fine and normal and not anything that makes him jump a little. But considering what Nathan has recently kept quiet on about Tony . . . well.]

[Relax. He's just asking how you are.] I am alright, I suppose.

[He feels like such a liar. He is not alright. He doesn't have enough Lego for this level of stress.]

text;

[brotimaeus]

Haven't seen much of you lately. Thought I'd check in on you.

text;

[solvethepuzzle]

It is appreciated. [Even if it means he's got to be on secret-keeping duty right now.] I haven't have much reason to stray far from the village, so it isn't a surprising thing.

You're alright yourself?

text;

[brotimaeus]

Yeah, guess so.
You up for a visit some time?
Picked up something for you on my last trip out.

text;

[solvethepuzzle]

[Being the insular sort, Nathan tends not to go anywhere unless he needs to. Frankly, he would probably benefit from someone dragging him along somewhere occasionally.]

Okay. [Lying in person is harder, but . . . they don't need to talk about that subject, right? And there would be no other reason to refuse.] I would ask what it is, but I suppose that would spoil the surprise.

text;

[brotimaeus]

You could ask, if you don't want a surprise.
It's not something that's gonna pop out and shit you up though so I think you'll be fine.

voice message.

[enflammen]

Hey, it's Micah ... um, I don't really know where you stand on God and religion and stuff like that, so I hope this isn't too weird, but ... I invited Lazarus to come with me to midnight mass on Christmas Eve, and I thought I'd see if you might want to come too. I won't be offended if you say no, I know church isn't everyone's thing, but ... well. Just wanted to put the invitation out there, if you want it. You can just let me know whenever.

voice

[solvethepuzzle]

[He kind of blinks on receiving this message.]

Hi. It isn't too weird . . . [No more weird than being invited . . . well anywhere, frankly.] I wouldn't mind, if it's really okay.

[Nathan, for heaven's sake. But he realizes his flub and even manages to bite down the apology that had been forming on his lips.] I mean, obviously it's okay, if you're asking. So. Yes, I'll go.

voice

[enflammen]

[And it's actually a huge relief for Micah to hear that - more than he realized, in fact.]

Great. That's - I'm glad to hear it. Um ... thanks.

voice

[solvethepuzzle]

I've never been, so . . . is there anything I need to know? [He doesn't want to mess up and offend anyone.]

voice

[enflammen]

Not a whole lot. You won't want to take communion, but there's sheets that'll tell you what to do for everything else. Only do whatever you're comfortable with, though. Oh, and wear whatever you want, this isn't really a formal thing, more a "come as you are" thing.

voicemail message.

[enflammen]

[There's a space of a few quiet breaths at the start, then Micah's voice, taut almost to the point of shaking:]

Nathan ... it's Micah. Need to talk to you about something. Call me when you have a sec.

Voice

[solvethepuzzle]

[He gets this about half an hour later, and pauses a moment at how unsettled Micah sounds. He's usually so together. Something has to be wrong.]


Micah? What's wrong?

Voice

[enflammen]

[Yeah, there's no point trying to deny something's wrong; Micah is self-aware enough to know that he wears his emotions openly on his sleeve, an open book for anyone to read if they bother to look.]

Hey ... thanks for calling me back.

[He considers making a joke of some kind, because that's his way of dealing with tension, but - no, this isn't funny, not at all. Instead he takes a deep breath and slowly exhales.]

Look, I need your help. I know you and Lazarus wanna be careful about what you tell me about this guy so you don't set me off or whatever, but ... I need to know everything you know about him. Mello.

[He cringes a little, speaking his Other's name out loud.]

Please.

Voice

[solvethepuzzle]

[He blinks, hearing that. What happened, exactly? A bad Echo, perhaps?]

If you're sure . . . May I ask what brought this on, though?

Voice

[enflammen]

Yeah ...

[A very bad Echo, in fact.]

I, um. Got back the memory of how he died.

Voice

[solvethepuzzle]

[There is a noticeable pause on his end. Oh. That is . . . Well, yes that certainly is bad. Part of him wants to know what could have possibly brought that one on, but this probably isn't quite the right time.]

Oh . . . Are you alright? I do have the memory of that happening to him.