video; iPhone

[earnedmystripes]

[...hello again, network! Here's someone you haven't seen around in nearly a month. But he's back! And--looking somewhat grumpy and ruffled, but not as much as one would expect for someone fully aware of the craziness that's been going on. Mostly because he isn't. Not beyond the lies and half-truths that have been on the news.]

...I am never ever going out of town without a shit ton of backup plans for getting home again. One week. I was supposed to be gone for one week. Finally ended up taking a bus back because the weather's got everything grounded back there for now... M'definitely gonna get stuck with all the worst shifts for Thanksgiving and Christmas, ugh...

I take back everything bad I've ever said about airplane bathrooms, for the record. Just. Putting that out there.

[...okay, serious time, for real. He exhales quietly, a hand carding through his hair.]

So. I'm guessing from all the stuff I've been hearing in the news that I missed some shit. Is everyone alright? If someone could fill me in on the last three weeks or so, that'd be great.

[text to Nick's cellphone, a short while later]

you better not be dead, asshole

[because he just now realized the significance of you having talked to Sherman sdlkjflaskd are you out of your mind what is wrong with you.]

Comments

Voice. Cellphone.

[flamberge]

Would you like what happened listed in chronological order or in order of most importance?

[Cause there's been A LOT, dude. Annnddd not even gonna ask about the bathrooms. Really better left unexplained.]

Voice. Cellphone.

[earnedmystripes]

[Oh lord.]

....Whichever. Surprise me, I guess.

Voice. Cellphone.

[flamberge]

There had been an expedition into the tunnels and we had uncovered a moving, pink rock as the potential source of the buzzing. Two individuals had gotten arrested and there had been a loud breakout. A Halloween party had gotten attacked by Vermandi, I believe. The police presence around the city has continued, if not intensified. Details about the bombing of the Dead District have been publicly announced and revealed that the bombs used left no trace evidence whatsoever.

[Importance won. He still may have missed something too. THERE'S BEEN A LOT.]

[text]

[detectivetroll]

Thanks for the concern. About time you got back, don't do that again, man.

--> call <u<

[earnedmystripes]

[Oh good, you are okay. Now he can yell at you. `_`a

Ring ring ring, banana phone.]

[Call]

[detectivetroll]

[Nick knows what's coming, man, and he sounds resigned when he answers the phone.]

All right, go ahead. You might as well get your turn.

video {ipad}

[ursoreckless]

Short form: we had a few incidents that involved a couple of our kids and one of our officers.

Long form: You're gonna need a few drinks after you get the full intel.

[earnedmystripes]

[He kind of feels like he needs one already, ngl.]

Great. I don't suppose there's any actual good news for us, is there?

[ursoreckless]

Well... We've found a large moving pink rock that is producing the buzzing sound and we've managed to break two of our own out of jail before they disappeared.

[Voice]

[espigeonage]

Agent K! Huh, I'd wondered about you!

None of us died in the bombing, I'm Typhoid Mary for birds, others've got news covered better than I would've. Disquieting stuff!

[Voice]

[earnedmystripes]

--Julien! It's been awhile.

[Genuinely pleased note to his voice, though of course the subject matter is sobering.]

Glad we all made it. Bird typhoid, though? I'm not sure I even wanna ask.

[espigeonage]

I know! I hope you enjoyed the break.

Yeah, it's hit the news how pigeons are getting sick... I got a pulse so I carry some disease that doesn't do anything to humans. Just birds - just those birds, even mourning doves seem fine. That'd be more minor bad news than the rest of anything happening, but I figure it's worth noting.

[counterclock]

you could have been useful but you weren't here so you weren't

[earnedmystripes]

also not useful: this comment

[counterclock]

someone who has no room to judge: you

voice;

[sassymaru]

I hate my partner and have a boyfriend. That's all you need to know.

[BECAUSE HE HAS LITERALLY NO IDEA HOW TO EXPLAIN THE REST OF THIS INSANITY, MAN.]

voice; private

[earnedmystripes]

Something happened with Nick? Is it the--

[Hooooold up, he is backing up this train and setting the next stop for privateville.]

...Is it the Sherman thing?

[Because now that he has his memories, yeah, Kotetsu's pretty pissed about that and what it implies too.]

He's been. Texting me stuff while I was all normal. Did he really--I mean, he's not...really one of them now, r-right? He wouldn't, would he....?

[Maybe he misunderstood something or there was an actual legit drug bust please please let it be so gskdfjagdjgh]


...Oh, and, uh, 'grats on the boyfriend?

voice; private

[sassymaru]

Yes. It is.

[He makes a very unhappy noise, and the scowl on his face is probably audible.]

Not that I'm aware of. He's more delighting in the notion of throwing himself into harm's way with no regard for the rest of us. Or how stupid an idea this is.

Which just means my being angry with him is only helping his stupid crusade.

[Because who wouldn't be mad if their partner really had turned traitor?]

Yes, congratulations to me -- I find one and he gets arrested by Detective Terrible Plan.

( audio )

[argents]

A lot. [ Too much. ] We've been trying to make a difference and now they're trying to keep a tighter rein on us.

( audio )

[earnedmystripes]

...Shit.

What's the situation now? Last I heard about before I left was about the bombing and the snake statues, and while I was outta town there was stuff about some terrorists and a jailbreak? I'm guessing that part's bullshit though.

[argents]

"Eco-terrorists"... is what I hear on the news a lot now. Talking about us, I guess. There really was a jailbreak. And now the police are everywhere. At LCU, the high school, all over Tuning Towers. You can still hear the buzzing if you concentrate on it, right?

You can't even get near the Dead District anymore either.

video.

[betroth]

[ CONCERNED STARE TO END ALL CONCERNED STARES. ]

That sounds awful. You... you had to forget everything for three weeks? Or — longer?

video.

[earnedmystripes]

Yeahhh...but! I remember now, that's the important thing, right??

[Actually it's not really, and Kotetsu's honestly disturbed that just a couple of hours ago he was back to the way he'd been, blindly faithful to the police and frustrated on their behalf about the things he'd been hearing. It's uncomfortable, to have your entire worldview flip upside down in a matter of minutes, and only realize it after the fact. But Kotetsu doesn't see a reason to bother a stranger with all that.]

video;

[enrages]

Woww, fuck you. Way to be gone when we needed you most!

video;

[earnedmystripes]

Is anyone actually going to tell me about this thing or is it just going to be a bunch of ominous vague shit and bitching at me for not being here when I didn't exactly ask to get stuck for two weeks.

I'm sorry for not ducking out on my kid's play that I've been promising to go to for months, shit. It was supposed to be just for a damn week.