[Voice]

[espigeonage]

[Dated to within hours of Wise Snake's demise. There are a couple seconds of nothing but his very deep slow breaths before Julien speaks. He sounds weary and ragged, with hollow trembling notes in some of his vowels.]

I guess this is goodbye, Numbers Club. See, I made plans to leave if I got too pulsed up to look human anymore, and. [paaause] Yeah. I'm sorry. I can't really help anyone like this, anyway. I can't-

My sister can put me up, out west. She agreed to it, I called her and everything. -I would like to see my niece again. [okay trying to focus] Um, Tater, I showed you where the outside key is, you can get someone to let you in. People who work at the LSR... I think I was recognized. -I know I was. So the cops might know. I'm sending Aaron a voicemail about that, we set up plans, but for you, just, if they talk to you, I'm some weirdo who worked there and had nothing to do with you, okay?

[Deep, deep breath.] Can I get someone to drive me out of the city? And get just the stuff I really need from my apartment? There's a motel out of the bounds where I've booked a room. I know, short notice, but I don't want the city border getting clamped down first. Things are still messy right now. It should be possible.

Please be safe. Everyone.

[This is not going to work quite as planned.]

Comments

[Voice]

[charcoalfeather]

[There's a voice on the other end. It's tired, but more than likely extremely recognizable.

It also sounds very worried.]

Julien...? What... what's going on?

[espigeonage]

Hey, Rakka. [he starts sighing, but cuts himself off]

You take care of yourself, all right? I know you've made some other friends.

[The next morning / Text

[shiromadoushi]

So? You manage to run away?

[[Too tired and exhausted to be bitter and angry at someone leaving.]]

not here

[espigeonage]

[Yeah, he did! For a few days, at least.]

Voice; private

[siesinddasessen]

I'm coming with you.

[espigeonage]

You want to hitch a ride?

[Voice; private]

[belphe]

[When she speaks, she sounds tense. Starting your day off with a coffee shop collapsing on you, and ending it with an upsetting discussion in a medical clinic will do that to you...]

Julien...?

[They had only spoken once, granted, but his voice had been memorable. As had been the fact he'd been the one to introduce her to the plant that had made her household much more bearable these last couple of weeks]

My car wasn't damaged...I'm willing to help you if you haven't already found someone.

[espigeonage]

Ah. It... was Belle, right? [he's very good with names, even drained and off-kilter like this.]

You don't sound so good, are you all right? Also it sounds like someone wants to come with.

[Audio, the next morning]

[professorwolf]

I'll understand if you've already found someone or... er, are already on your way out, but if you still need anything... I'm free, now.

[A bit tired, after everything, but hey, at least he's back in human form now. After spending a few hours trying to sleep as a wolf, since he couldn't figure out how to change back....]

What exactly happened? Can you share?

not here

[espigeonage]

[Alas, that's gonna have to wait a few days. Sorry, Lyall. Maybe someone else can tell him?

Or you could call his cell. The boundary rules have changed a bit.]

audio

[testsonseashells]

Understand your reasons. Wish you luck.

[espigeonage]

Thanks, Solus. Keep taking care of people, okay? I'm glad you're around.

And tell Aaron he does good, sometime. He doesn't hear that enough.

[voice]

[moarnomsplz]

Is staying-ing at a safe house, like, out of the question?

[espigeonage]

It is.

Yes, I could survive trapped inside and with like someone's yard, and go out on a supervised jaunt now and then. But I can't live like that. More than a few days would be torture. And that would be even if I could figure out... hands.

[Text]

[dead_black_eyes]

Is your name Julien?

[Voice]

[espigeonage]

Yeah, it is.

...I can't really text right now. [his usual policy is to match mediums.]

Voice

[moreweaponsthanyou]

Julien? Everything alright? [Fil sounds dead tired but who isn't among the numbered right now?]

[espigeonage]

I'm... not hurt. I'll be fine. Sorry. Just...

I'm leaving, Fil. Things finally - got too much for me.

[Voice]

[mistakesmakeuswhoweare]

Damn. Leaving already? And here I thought the fun was just beginning.

[espigeonage]

Isabella... Yeah. Sorry. I have the feeling the fun's stopped now. I did tell you I'm not - all human, but it mostly didn't show, then?

[text]

[healspec]

You are leaving?

[text means you can't hear it or see it, but there's a sense of betrayal in those words. Julien is somebody Ravi is connected to. that means he can't leave. that's taking something away from him.]

[not that these are conscious thoughts. he'd be horrified with his own selfishness if he could see it.]

[espigeonage]

I am. Glad you're alive. Mind what I... said about clinic people, all right? I don't want anyone getting picked up because of me.

text|

[fishtailed]

is leaving the city really gonna help?

[espigeonage]

Yeah. You heard about the boundary? Go too far from the middle of the city and you lose all your pulses and your memory of the network.

[Video]

[radiantchicken]

[This is a sad-looking parrot, even if Torin's coloration is now radically different. Solid blue body, patch of red on his head, white eybrows, white whiskers...it's a very different sort of look he's sporting.]

You're sure you have to leave? There's nothing that could be done?

[Voice]

[espigeonage]

...yeah. [it's not visible, but he's wincing.]

I'm sorry, Torin. I can't... I don't want to live like this. I want to be human.