joint post with substitutable. Vegas early morning.

[pheromonecoffee]

[Matt Abbot adjusts the camera on his laptop. He's still in his Vegas hotel room--funny, since a lot of the group has gotten home?

But right now, Matt is in his room with his hoodie zipped up all the way (Matt it's hot, stop). His hair is ruffled and it looks like he's had trouble sleeping, but--

Behind him another another boy is sitting up, rubbing sleep out of his eyes in confusion. He is wearing Matt's pajamas. Please do not ask.]

Good morning, Vegas and good nearly afternoon, Locke City. I have once again implemented a dastardly scheme. Since my last hostage got away from me, I have taken a new one. Except this time it is a Vegas native. I believe he was trying to hero at me or something, but I turned the tables on him and now he is my captive.

I will be returning with him to Locke eventually. In the mean time, I will try to continue more evildoing.

[The video cuts out. Matt knows he's going over the top. People might yell at him becuase Serious Things happened. But fuck it. He needs the amusement and maybe a few people will play along.

Then he switches to text.]

Got out of the hospital yesterday. No permanent damages, just some bruises and a few cracked ribs. Should be home by the beginning of July.

And I'm sorry. I should've had a better eye on things. I hope everybody's okay.

[Replies will also be coming from substitutable! Who has just reapped in with a new reincarnation and has no idea he was being recorded.]

Comments

[substitutable]

You are too emotionally damaged to blackmail. This is going to be your contact picture on my phone.

[pheromonecoffee]

Really? That's how you're going to put it? Damaged?

[substitutable]

Damaged. Distressed. Desperate. DDD.

[pheromonecoffee]

Since when was I desperate?!

[substitutable]

You said it last night.

[pheromonecoffee]

I said a lot of things last night that weren't necessarily true.

[substitutable]

Uh-huh.

[He shakes his head.

They shall get to Shin's place and he'll go inside to change? Matt can wait outside if he wants.]

[pheromonecoffee]

[Matt doesn't like making adults getting mad at him, so he will just. Stand. Here.]

[substitutable]

[Shin reassures him his mom won't be mad but he will make quick work of changing clothes and grabbing some stuff and coming back out, rolling up the sleeves to his shirt as he walks out the door.]

Hey. Sorry to make you wait. Mom said hi.

[pheromonecoffee]

[His hands are stuffed in his pockets.]

It's not like I had anywhere else to be.

[substitutable]

[One day he'll get a straightforward answer out of you. Shin just smiles a little in amusement and gestures down the street, toward the stores that are a few blocks away.]

Ready?

[pheromonecoffee]

[Not any day soon.]

Yeah, let's go.

[substitutable]

[The cafe he'll take Matt to is a small one that's tucked away from the main street. Shin doesn't seem to really like the big main street a lot, saying it's loud and full of tourists or something. It's small but nicely lit and the chairs are comfy and Shin will tell him to go sit wherever, he's just gonna go say hi to the owner.]

[pheromonecoffee]

[Matt will just find a place to sit, examining the place thoroughly. Watching Shin out of the corner of his eye.]

[substitutable]

[It's quiet with some older folks watching the World Cup on a TV mounted on the wall, some sitting at tables outside with dogs waiting quietly at their feet. Shintaro's just talking to another old man behind the counter, clearly a customer who's been here regularly from the way they're chatting. When he returns he'll come back with a menu, handing it off to Matt.]

I part-timed here when I was in high school. What do you think?

[pheromonecoffee]

It seems nice. [A beat.] Why did you leave Vegas, anyway?

[substitutable]

Because it was farthest away from home. [He shrugs, sitting down across from Matt.] I grew up living close to my entire family and their friends. I wanted to see if I could handle living on my own.

[pheromonecoffee]

It's gotta get lonely when you're the only one there.

[substitutable]

Haha. [He leans back in his seat as they're brought water and looks out the window.]

The first year, I had a really bad time with my roommate. I almost called it quits. After I got my own place, I cried every week.

[pheromonecoffee]

[He blinks, processing this information.]

Why are you telling me this?

[substitutable]

Huh? Well. It's not like it's a deep dark secret. It's just how it was at first.

[pheromonecoffee]

Most people wouldn't be so open about it.

[substitutable]

It's not something I care so much about to keep to myself. It was a while ago; I'm used to living by myself now, anyway.

[pheromonecoffee]

Still. People take advantage of stuff like that.

[substitutable]

... Tell me.

What is there to take advantage of about a teenage college freshman crying out of homesickness.