savetheearth | 9. Voice. Cellphone.

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9. Voice. Cellphone.

Loss of echoes is by far one of the most irksome experiences, as is the sudden recollection of them. [The timing of this one had been super bad too.] However, as of yesterday, mine have returned. Given that no odd occurrences have been in the news or in the reports I've seen, the colorful vigilantism aside, I take it nothing of notice has occurred during this time?

[Damn that vigilantism and the pain in the ass paperwork that comes with it. Nice that happens, not nice that it takes hours to write up.]

I also ought to mention, though it should be obvious due my prolonged absence, that I will no longer be undercover at Locke City High School as Richard Locke. Not only is my present workload far too large to permit for it, but my superiors deemed it no longer necessary. Under our new 'management', if you were, the department is attempting something unheard of, namely being a police force without gratuitous levels of corruption among its ranks.

[Karl sounds both amused and, though difficult to tell, hopeful while saying that last line. Will the force change? Will it just go back to what it was? Who knows. The connection is almost cut before he remembers something. Between the trial and loss of echoes, he hadn't had the time to really address this.]

One final matter, does the following have any meaning to anyone here?

[A breath gets taken before he speaks once more.]

Once upon a time, there existed a giant tree that was the source of mana.
A war, however, caused this tree to wither away, and a hero’s life was sacrificed in order to take its place.
Grieving over the loss, the goddess disappeared unto the heavens.
The goddess left the angels with this edict: “You must wake me, for if I should sleep, the world shall be destroyed.”
The angels bore the Chosen One, who headed towards the tower that reached up unto the heavens.
And that marked the beginning of the regeneration of the world.

[And, following an uncertain pause at the almost fairy tale like little story, the connection ends.]

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I'm sorry for missing them. To make up for my absence, the next few coffees will be on me.

[There's almost a questioning tone at the end of that, as though asking if him coming by despite no longer being at school is okay.]

[No question there. They're still friends, after all, and if he doesn't come for coffee once a week, how will he ever see the man again?]

I certainly won't protest. Best run that by Nick, though, since he's the one usually paying for them.

[Otherwise it wouldn't be fancy coffee, it'd be free coffee, or at best coffee he brought from home to make a fresh pot of, himself.]

[Well, they do have a K-9 division on the force and could use the non-modified dogs?]

I'll ask, though it's doubtful his wallet would mind the reprieve.

[Who'd say no to having someone else buy coffee for them?]

Mostly I'd just hate for both of you to spend the money, and then we wind up with double the coffee, somehow.

[He's also a bit unsure whether exactly Karl heard about the new relationship between his coffee-buddies... he decides not to bring it up.]

It will be good to see you again, though. They didn't actually replace you yet, you know. It's just one of the local subs until the end of the year.

Rest assured that additional coffee won't go to waste.

[Nope, that is still unknown info to him until the day he walks in on the two of them making out one day. Or something.]

I had assumed as much. If nothing else, the sub is using a lesson plan I developed so the students ought to be all right until the school year ends.

I imagine so. By now, there's hardly much left to cover, anyhow.

[Lyall isn't sure whether to leave it at that, or actually broach the subject. He finally goes it obliquely.]

Nick told me, last time he lost his pulses and his memories, you said you were trying to set him up with me. Is that true, or just him being-- well, himself?

The school year ends in a few weeks, doesn't it?

[Wow, time does fly. If only he could be there for the end of the school year but yeah not happening.]

It hadn't been my intent, no. He had, however, drawn that conclusion and I felt little need to correct this assumption.

[In other words, why not have fun messing with Nick? Beats telling him that the guy is a werewolf they both know a on magical network. Why is Lyall bringing this up now? Ah, maybe he doesn't like that Karl messed with him like that.]

Should you find it upsetting that I led him to believe this then I do apologize.

Oh, no, not at all. I just wanted to... see if that was true.

[And warn him there might be some hand-holding and such in the safety of his classroom. If he has the guts. Just spit it out, Randall, c'mon....]

If it is, after all, then you'll probably have little problem if we actually did make an item of ourselves.

[The out of the blue hypothetical statement gets a momentary pause from Karl's end. Between the out of the blue question on that and now this, the dots are quickly getting connected.]

...Had you?

Ah, well. After a fashion.

[He's really embarrassed, Karl. Just be glad he is warning you. And that this isn't video, and you could see his blushing.]

Congratulations, then. How long have you two been official?

[Less than a month, maybe? Unless they kept the flames of their passion underwraps even before that. ...Yup, teasing them will be a thing.]

Since just after the full moon in April.

[It's been a while, actually. They just haven't really talked about it with anyone... and the lack of Karl at coffee lunches kind of turned it into date lunches.]

Apparently all the protesting we made about it not being that kind of vacation had some basis in denial, or something.

Denial is not simply a river in Egypt, as the saying goes.

[Does he sound somewhat teasing and amused? Because he is.]

Shush.

[Embarrassed and also amused, on this end. He also admits:]

I just thought he could never be interested in me, that's all. He proved otherwise when we didn't have all our memories.

[Fine fine, he'll shush, though that smirk on his face remains. Thankfully, Lyall can't see that.]

The affection remained even when your memories did not?

His tendency to flirt outrageously remained, you mean.

[That comes out dryly.]

Apparently he hadn't indulged since his new memories while in the city makes him want to keep friends. Outside the city, risks of that nature are apparently fair game. He was quite shameless.

[Huh, Karl never guessed that about Nick.]

And shamelessly flirting with you is what lead to your eventual relationship?

Well, he was only flirting with me, not Hajime, so... when we got back I had a little talk with him about it.

[He's starting to get embarrassed again, but Karl is a friend, and there's a little bit of pride in there, too. He hasn't had a steady boyfriend (or girlfriend, for that matter) since college.]

A little talk which led to a little more, though hopefully not inside a classroom.

[MORE TEASING sorry Lyall but he's having fun. And he doesn't really mean that teasing either. If they do it in the bio room? Power to them.]

Karl, please. I'm thirty-four years old, not a teenager.

[Okay, embarrassment has officially won out. What a mental image!]

Age is only a number.

[God knows him and Melissa have been a bit risky with places. But okay okay enough joking.]

Once again, though, congratulations.

[Lyall is most definitely not Karl and Melissa. He's a bit more discrete.]

Ah, thank you. I'm really pretty pleased with things, so far. And I just wanted to make sure you knew before you showed up to us sitting too close, or holding hands, or... something.

[God, that sounds adolescent. He hates this, even while he kind of loves it.]

Do I really seem old enough to play the roll of prudish, disapproving parent?

[He doesn't sound insulted, just amused. Lyall, you wound him! He's the man who's made babies in airplanes, gosh!]

Oh, no, I just expected surprise and then probably mockery. Well, that and I admit I wasn't sure what you thought about same-sex couples. Sometimes people joke about things they aren't necessarily comfortable with, after all.

So long as your relationship isn't with a student then you have my blessings.

[Really. Date whoever you want as long as it isn't a freshman. Ah, though there is one thing that Lyall should know about dating Nick.]

I should warn you, however, that any embarrassing stories you share with Nick will likely reach the ear of another and potentially myself at some point.

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professorwolf - 2014-07-09 03:15 (UTC) - Expand

Re: [Audio]

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