brobeforehos | 001 ⇨ you're the leader, so lead.

text ⇨ nick ryves;

Nick, |

voicemail ⇨ nick ryves;

Nick – I don’t know if you’ll get this, or if you’re here. Wherever here is. I don’t really know where I am, but if it’s a trap from the Circle, it’s - [freaking me out a little. a lot.] - very bright. If you get this message, call back. Or come. [Help. Please. ]

voicemail ⇨ alan ryves;

Alan, are you here – [a pause; it’s maybe too soon to put all her trust in this one person again, but what choices does she have. gather up your army to get out of trouble, or become it.] If you are, we should probably… Yeah, we should probably meet up. United we stand, you know? [learn the phrase already.] Then maybe we’ll have a shot of getting out of…whatever this is. And maybe you can tell me what it is. Spare no details. Go nuts. Just…answer, if you’re here.

text ⇨ jamie crawford;

~~Jami-~~

~~Ninj-~~

…sailor, we need codenames. Just in case. I – honestly, I hope to god you’re not here, whatever this is. It’s loud and shiny and you’d probably love every corner of the place, but it spooks me off. Like a bad Market. Except I don’t know if there’s a good Market, and there should be, in order for there to be a bad one, right? I’m babbling. Nevermind – if you’re here, and as long as it doesn’t get you into trouble…please answer.

voice; public

…er, hi. They gave me this mobile phone thingy, which I’m supposing is how everyone communicates around here.

Let me just start by addressing the issue of that ’here’, shall I? What is this place, exactly? Some illusion? A bad dream? A nightmare? Because, let me tell you, I’ve ways of escaping all those. And don’t let the hair colour fool you. [pause, for effect. Or maybe just to recompose herself. because what else is there that she can say? as much as she’d want to, calling out the magicians on her own would be One Huge Mistake, so if this is their doing, she’ll have to be smart and figure it out. and if it isn’t, if this isn’t magic - though what else could it be? – then she needs to not make enemies so fast.

and mamma didn’t raise no fool, so.] …thanks.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Jamie had grown up with Mae taking care of him-- he was used to falling back into that pattern, even if he wanted to be able to stand on his own two feet. The only thing that terrified him about doing that was... he had no idea where being independent would lead him.

It had already lead him to Gerald, once. He didn't want to make that mistake again, falling for the worst possible person in probably the entire world. So yes, he trusted Mae, and that trust let that subject change be easy and free of awkwardness.]

Right, Alan. [His name is said with some lack of enthusiasm, considering-- well, the mortifying speed dating curse had been enough, and then the knives had happened. Jamie was not convinced it had been an accident.] Except he probably wouldn't like the idea of leaving all the sleuthing to a talking dog. And luckily I don't think we're that hard to miss, considering our stunning fashion senses.

[Jamie started to head off in the direction of the apartment. The vague direction, anyway. They'll get there eventually.]

[It was understandable for her to say the name with little enthusiasm, considering the circumstances - but not for Jamie. Not at that time...not from what she could remember. Even if all the scenes had flown through her head at a hundred thousand miles per hour. She figured it would be iminent that she'd find out why Jamie was so uncomfortable. She wanted him to trust her, after all.]

We just happen to blend in by standing out. Nobody expects two fashionable young hotstuffs like you and I to be surprisingly awesome.

[Jamie planned to go into great detail about exactly why he was displeased with Alan-- but he'd at least let Mae meet up with Alan first. He felt that was fair. It would be easier to Alan to defend his dastardly ways.]

Our awesomeness can't be measured by any technology we have today-- it just breaks all the equipment. Which means we might have some angry scientists on our case, but I'm sure mum's golf club wielding ways are hereditary. [And if they're not, there's always magic.

... That's a bit of a downer, though. So! Jamie just continued navigating his way to the correct building. The numbers helped, at least.]

[She nodded sagely at the conclusion he'd drawn.] It'd definitely hereditary. I think she's trained us to be some sort of Spartan children, we just aren't aware or it yet. [You're a leader, so lead. Nick has said that. And Annabel, in the middle of the battle, one half-a-day after finding out her son was a magician, had been a valkrye on her own, an imposing woman. Mae had spent so much time disliking her mother, that it felt strange now to know that some part of her wished she'd inherited that fighting spirit from her. And that part of her knew it was true.]

Is it me, or does this square look like a clock...?

Spartan children. I like the sound of that! And that will help us when one day we become ninjas. You know, I'm still convinced this will happen, even without the aid of alcohol. It's the best future career.

[... why is he even still allowed to talk. No one's ever really explained this to him.] Yeah, there's a clock underneath the horror movie carousel. I think it ticks whenever you're alone. Just to terrify you the most.

[He tactfully doesn't mention it may or may not be a Doomsday clock.]

[He is allowed to talk because he makes people laugh even when they're trapped in this pocket universe with no escape and his company for salvation. Mae laughed at the mental image of Jamie trying to be a ninja. Somehow the Mission Impossible soundtrack was involved.]

You're really set on being a ninja, aren't you? [She shakes her head.] Alright, then you're in charge of checking when the clock ticks harder.

[Oh, well, that is an acceptable purpose. And yes, the Mission Impossible soundtrack would at least give Jamie some credibility.]

Yes. As long as I get a cool outfit. [That is the number one priority!] ... That's my dangerous, top secret mission? I wouldn't go to ninja school for that.

Hey, don't complain. You're a rookie ninja right now and rookies get the dirty jobs.

How long do I have to be a rookie for?

Until you overthrow your superior. [guess who that is. you wouldn't, right, bro?]

Can't I be promoted to second-in-command?

[Pleeeease? Otherwise there will be a mutiny. A ninja mutiny.]

Maybe...[That was a yes. With Mea as the leader, it'd be nepotism all the way, sadly. She bumps his shoulder with hers.] After all, you've been here for a while...

And I've had no one but Alan for company. You should make it up to me. [Not that Alan is that bad, usually. In fact, most of the time, Jamie doesn't mind him at all-- except for the part where he lies and Jamie's never sure if he's telling the truth.

But still.]

Yes, yes, you poor unfortunate soul. [She grins now, but she can figure out why Jamie'd be uncomfortable around Alan - beyond the knives and the Ryveness - the whole precarious relationship Alan has with telling the truth...

But she'd rather not talk about it now.]

001 ⇨ you're the leader, so lead.

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