savetheearth | [Text Message to Nick] [Closed]

Why, what happened? You okay?

Well I don't have a tail and the fish aren't talking if that's what you mean. But besides that no I'm not okay.

That's not all that encouraging. I'll stop by on my lunch break?

Yeah sure thing man. Just knock quietly. Real quiet.

...yeah, okay.

[He's not sure what to take that to mean. Either Monroe's hungover, or it's something to do with these pulses, or whatever they are.

In any case, he brings a bottle of aspirin in his pocket when he stops by, and he doesn't knock at all. He just sends a text that says:]

It's Nick. I'm at your door.

[It can't be both? Because that's what Monroe is going with. And maybe he's crazy.

After getting Nick's text Monroe opens the door. He has a rolled up cotton ball wedged in each ear. When he speaks it's a little above a whisper.]

Hey.

[This isn't them being crazy, man. Everything going on is too crazy for it to be them being crazy.

When Monroe answers the door, Nick blinks, surprised at the cotton balls. Still, he lowers his voice to match Monroe's.]

I have earplugs in the car, man, you want them?

[The relieved and grateful expression on Monroe's face is sincere. And that's pretty much the first time that could be said in year. He nods, but doesn't say anything.]

[Nick doesn't say anything, either, just holds up a hand signalling him to wait before jogging back to his car. After a moment, he returns with a pair of earplugs from his glove compartment, still fresh in their packaging, and offers them over.]

[Monroe waits right there for Nick to come back. He doesn't say a thing when Nick hands him the ear plugs. He just takes them and walks toward his living room while pulling out the cotton balls and putting in the earplugs. When they're finally in he turns back around to Nick.]

Thanks man. I think I was going to go out of my mind if I didn't stop hearing all of that soon.

Edited 2013-08-19 07:19 (UTC)

[Nick doesn't need an invitation to follow him inside. He shuts the door behind him, locking it automatically, and continues into the living room, waiting quietly while Monroe puts in the ear plugs.]

Hearing all o- I'm going to go out on a limb and say you suddenly got super hearing.

[Monroe looks relieved for a moment before dropping his head and shaking it. At least he doesn't have to figure out how to explain that part. So instead of explaining that part Monroe going into a full babbling mode, letting himself get more riled up with every word.]

What exactly am I supposed to do with this man? I'm a clock maker. I mean I normally like the ticking but it's way to much to handle and the guy next door keeps blowing this whistle that sounds like nails on a caulk board and the traffic. Do you have any idea how loud a diesel truck is? There's just too damn much.

[Which is saying a lot since he lives on a pretty quiet street.]

[When Monroe starts rambling, Nick just... lets him, staying quiet. He doesn't exactly know how to respond to any of that, anyway, so he's more than okay with letting Monroe babble on.

Until he starts getting really riled up, anyway.]

Calm down, man, it's - we'll figure this out, all right? Are the earplugs helping?

[Good because he probably wouldn't shut up even if Nick tried to get him to stop.

Even more so then.]

How am I supposed to calm down? I can't hear myself think.

[He takes a deep breath.]

Yeah they are. Thanks.

[Yeah, that's about what Nick figured.

He doesn't reply to the first part, because he's assuming it's rhetorical, just waits for Monroe to answer his question. Then he nods.]

Okay. So, we've got that. You can obviously still hear me, so do the ear plugs take you back down to what you had before? Or at least close to it?

[He very careful doesn't say 'normal,' because, well. From what he's read around the network, this might be Monroe's new normal now.]

[Nick is a smart guy.

He pauses to listen.]

Sort of yeah, well pretty much. Maybe a little louder than normal, but it's not deafening anymore.

[This better not be his new normal.]

Edited 2013-09-15 06:15 (UTC)

[Now if only Monroe would say that outloud.

He nods at what Monroe's saying.]

All right, so - we'll leave those in for now, and at night. When you're up for it, we can start taking them out for longer periods of time. You know, work yourself up to getting used to it. And maybe eventually we can figure out how to use it to your benefit.

[Sorry, man, but it looks like they're both going to have to adjust to new normals.

And Nick doesn't notice, how often he says 'we.']

[He will, just not when Nick is around.]

How exactly is this supposed to be beneficial man? Remember, clock maker?

[Monroe doesn't notice either, but he's been thinking the same way.]

[Oh thanks.

Nick smiles slightly at the question.]

Yeah, I remember, and that's exactly how. As good as you are now, once you get the hang of this hearing thing, you can probably figure out what's wrong with a clock just by listening.

[And that clicks in his brain. He beams at Nick because that is the best thing he's ever heard.]

You're right. Man that is going to be awesome!

[Nick grins back, because Monroe beaming at him like that is actually pretty endearing.]

Exactly. It might be strange, man, but we'll get a handle on it.

[Well, one problem sort of solved.]

Hey, uh. I got one of those pulse things, too. Nothing as fancy as enhanced hearing. Actually, it's sort of vague, and hard to explain, but I - I don't know, I can tell. Somehow. When people aren't entirely human anymore.

[Nick smiling back at him is the only reason he keeps grinning. It's like Nick is infectious or something.]

Yeah man we will.

[This time he noticed the 'we'.

Not entirely human huh? That's sounds familiar for some reason. He answers matter of factly.]

You mean you're a Grimm.

[And now they're both just smiling at each other, and part of Nick thinks there's something ridiculous about that. But the bigger part is - actually happy, for a minute.

Especially since he noticed the 'we,' too. Normally Nick doesn't like working with people that much, especially ones who aren't cops, but with Monroe... well, he likes that they're in this together. Here, he likes 'we.'

And as soon as he realizes that, he starts wondering about something else. But before he can think too much about it, Monroe says that, and Nick's brows furrow.]

I'm a - what? Wait, how do you know that?

[Monroe is too happy to worry about being ridiculous. He'll be mortified once the grinning stops.

So 'we' can be a thing?

Monroe has to think about that for a second.]

I'm not sure man. I just remembered it. But I'm right though aren't I?

[There's no reason to be mortified. Nick's not going to be mortified, why should Monroe?

Yeah. Yeah, 'we' can be a thing. Nick's just not sure what kind of thing yet.]

You had a pulse.

[It's not really a question, because Nick already knows the answer. He pushes his hand through his hair.]

I don't know. I'm not sure how it works, I - it feels like usually I pick up on it, but sometimes, even when there's something-

[And he cuts off again, leaning into Monroe's personal space to look at him closely, trying to get a feel for him. He waits, to see if whatever it is will kick in, but there's nothing.

No. There's not nothing. There's a pretty big something, actually, and Nick wonders why he hadn't noticed it before. Maybe because he's never had feelings for a friend before, not someone he trusts like Monroe. Then again, he's never had someone he trusts like Monroe.]

Oh.

[He smiled at someone. He doesn't do that. It probably came across as creepy.

Neither is Monroe. They can figure that out later.]

Yeah I guess. There has to be a better name for those.

[Why is Nick cutting off? Monroe freezes. Nick is really close. But instead of pulling away he holds his ground, staring back at Nick. Is Nick going to do anything?]

Oh?

[He smiles at Nick. And no, it didn't come off as creepy. Well, maybe one of them did, a little bit. But only to someone who doesn't know Monroe.

Later is always good.]

Some people are calling them echoes, but I don't know, that weirds me out.

[No reason. None at all. All right, yes, there was a reason, but not one that Nick wants to admit right now.

Well, actually there were two reasons, and Nick can talk about one of them. He's just going to pretend it was the only one.]

No, I - sorry. I was trying to see if - you know, what ever it is, the Grimm thing, told me anything about you. It doesn't, you still feel human, but I had another pulse. The Grimm thing, you're right. I remembered asking you about it before.

[So does that mean that Nick didn't find it creepy?]

Dude, no matter what people call them they're going to be weird.

[Okaaaaay? Monroe can not ask about it then. Probably. He'll just speculate a bunch later though. Is it because he smells or something?

Nick's explanation just makes him more confused.]

So I'm human which is cool, but for some reason I was explaining Grimms to you. What do you remember? Or whatever it is people do with those things.

[No, Nick didn't find it creepy. He doesn't think Monroe's creepy at all; he hasn't since shortly after they first met.]

Pretty much. But pulse feels a little less creepy. I'd rather think of it as a pulse that something's causing than an echo of something.

[Or he could not ask and not speculate. That'd be awesome.]

No idea, man, I guess remembering is as good of a way to refer to it as any. And not much, just that I asked you about the books, and you know about them, maybe more than I did. Maybe we were talking about something like the book I got.

[He doesn't? That's unexpected.]

I don't know man. I prefer the only pulse I have to be the one I was born with.

[Monroe isn't skilled enough for that. It's one or the other.]

So pretty much the opposite of what we've got going on now.

[Text Message to Nick] [Closed]

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