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Dear Stephen, I have an idea.
How do you feel about using your powers for good and, potentially, a little money?
How do you feel about using your powers for good and, potentially, a little money?
Well, that was generally my career before coming here.
What's the job?
What's the job?
We're exorcising a remaining element of Satan out of my blood on Friday night, witching hour, Gray Room. Your presence and knowledge are both requested.
Scratch.
Scratch.
continued from here
I trained some of our junior justiciars
But I can't say it ever led to a desk job, unfortunately
I trained some of our junior justiciars
But I can't say it ever led to a desk job, unfortunately
I'm sorry, I'm still really distracted by the whole Justiciars thing.
Would you rather have been doing something else? I know I would though I also know that no one else could do the job I do. It's one of those catch 22 kind of deals.
Would you rather have been doing something else? I know I would though I also know that no one else could do the job I do. It's one of those catch 22 kind of deals.
( so nate had come and dumped a whole mess of emotion in his inbox, and of course that pretty much means that cy has been idly browsing the network trying to find out who this 'stephen' is.
turns out, there's only one guy in the city by that name. honestly, it's probably a good thing because he would have given up if hunting this guy down had taken even a modicum of effort, but. it didn't. so here he is. )
hey. you don't know me but i'm one of nate's pals, name's cy. sounds like we'd probably be running into each other sooner or later anyway, wanted to get a jump on the whole dealio.
( look, he's even playing nice until he decides whether or not he wants to give the guy a good ol' shovel talk. )
turns out, there's only one guy in the city by that name. honestly, it's probably a good thing because he would have given up if hunting this guy down had taken even a modicum of effort, but. it didn't. so here he is. )
hey. you don't know me but i'm one of nate's pals, name's cy. sounds like we'd probably be running into each other sooner or later anyway, wanted to get a jump on the whole dealio.
( look, he's even playing nice until he decides whether or not he wants to give the guy a good ol' shovel talk. )
[Well, this is unexpected.]
Will we?
I'm Stephen, but I suspect you already know that.
[He's starting to wonder how many of Nate's friends he'll end up hearing from like this.]
Will we?
I'm Stephen, but I suspect you already know that.
[He's starting to wonder how many of Nate's friends he'll end up hearing from like this.]
[Stephen isn’t entirely sure how he feels when he sees Eames’ number on the caller ID. It isn’t even that he’s angry, just... things certainly happened. Still, he answers:]
Hello Eames.
Hello Eames.
[Oh, Nate. Stephen's smiling as he sends:]
a little ostentatious
but I think it suits you perfectly
a little ostentatious
but I think it suits you perfectly
[ They haven't seen each other since before the meal. Then they'd been trapped in the house, of course. As soon as he's able to leave, Nate teleports home, knowing that he needs to find Stephen.
A few hours ago, he'd thought what happened with Magnus and Nick would be the extent of what he'd have to say.
He was wrong. He was very, very wrong. This is much bigger than that.
The truth is, he's still trembling. The pain is part of that, but far more than that, he's pushed forward by excitement. He has so much energy. He can barely contain it, can barely even concentrate.
So he gets home, not thinking that teleporting might mean he gets there first. He tears through the house, calling for Stephen, and if he doesn't find him, then he waits with bated breath on the porch outside. His pulse is thudding in his neck.
He still can't really believe this is happening. ]
A few hours ago, he'd thought what happened with Magnus and Nick would be the extent of what he'd have to say.
He was wrong. He was very, very wrong. This is much bigger than that.
The truth is, he's still trembling. The pain is part of that, but far more than that, he's pushed forward by excitement. He has so much energy. He can barely contain it, can barely even concentrate.
So he gets home, not thinking that teleporting might mean he gets there first. He tears through the house, calling for Stephen, and if he doesn't find him, then he waits with bated breath on the porch outside. His pulse is thudding in his neck.
He still can't really believe this is happening. ]
[Stephen loses track of Nate at some point in the night. Even if they arrived together, they were seated separately and after that, when people started moving around, it was easy to lose a face.
His night has been, thankfully, uneventful. He leaves as soon as he is actually able to and makes the walk home. He isn't too worried about Nate, and he figures they'll catch up with each other eventually. Stephen isn't expecting Nate to be waiting for him on the porch.]
You teleported, didn't you?
His night has been, thankfully, uneventful. He leaves as soon as he is actually able to and makes the walk home. He isn't too worried about Nate, and he figures they'll catch up with each other eventually. Stephen isn't expecting Nate to be waiting for him on the porch.]
You teleported, didn't you?
[Stephen jumps when Nate just appears, but he manages to not spill his tea. He sets his mug down very deliberately and tries not to look too exasperated, especially when he realizes what probably brought Nate rushing in.]
I knew it was coming up, [he says carefully. Honestly, he'd started thinking about it a week or so ago, surprised by how quickly three months has passed. It doesn't feel like it's been that long.
And he hasn't wanted to think too hard about the possibility that, for some reason, Nate might not want to renew. He's cautious as he says:]
We can renew, can't we? If--if that's what you'd like.
I knew it was coming up, [he says carefully. Honestly, he'd started thinking about it a week or so ago, surprised by how quickly three months has passed. It doesn't feel like it's been that long.
And he hasn't wanted to think too hard about the possibility that, for some reason, Nate might not want to renew. He's cautious as he says:]
We can renew, can't we? If--if that's what you'd like.
[ Nate, with uncharacteristic calm, wanders into the kitchen. He's holding some sort of leaflet. ]
Hey, Stephen? Did you sign up to a club?
[ He lifts an eyebrow. ]
Monster fucking? Who are you doing that with?
Hey, Stephen? Did you sign up to a club?
[ He lifts an eyebrow. ]
Monster fucking? Who are you doing that with?
Edited 2020-12-03 23:39 (UTC)
Excuse me?
[Stephen stands up from where he's been leaning against the counter, frowning.]
What are you talking about?
[Stephen stands up from where he's been leaning against the counter, frowning.]
What are you talking about?
Yes?
[Stephen glances up from the papers he's reading. It's been a relatively leisurely morning, all things considered, and he's rather happy that Nate hasn't rushed off to the theater.]
[Stephen glances up from the papers he's reading. It's been a relatively leisurely morning, all things considered, and he's rather happy that Nate hasn't rushed off to the theater.]
Stephen’s gifts are underneath their tree. The first is a golden pendant, set with a diamond. Nate has used his blood to enchant this, and when worn, Stephen will be aware of his presence wherever he is. It will give Stephen a link to him, providing a similar boost of energy to the one Stephen had gotten when he drank Nate’s blood. There’s also two diamond stud earrings. The first when twisted, will make Stephen hypersensitive to touch, turning his whole body into an erogenous zone. The other matches a similar stud that Nate will ask Stephen to pierce him with - through the cartilage of his ear. These stones are linked to each other, and will function as trackers to help them locate each other, if they’re ever separated again. In case Stephen doesn’t want to be pierced himself, both his sensitivity and his tracking charms can be inserted into a gold ring, with two holes in the setting for that purpose. Finally, Nate will give Stephen a box containing a set of brand new iron manacles, which have been charmed so that only Nate’s hands will lock them. Note: all four diamonds, including the one Nate will ask Stephen to pierce him with, are the precise golden colour of Stephen’s eyes.
[On or around Christmas, Stephen will receive a small set of ornate fountain pens along with a note from Jon.]
Thank you for your work with the building.
-J.S.
Thank you for your work with the building.
-J.S.
You're really leaning into the witch stereotype, aren't you?
But yes, I'm fine with another cat.
[they already have two, what's one more?]
But yes, I'm fine with another cat.
[they already have two, what's one more?]
An' I'm still trying to figure out it happened, y'know? How the hell does a man just go from sailin a boat in the middle of the Atlantic catching pirates and the like--to settled in the middle of Missouri with a wife, four tots under two, and a whole ass secret moonshine business running out of his second house?
.... I'm sure I have no idea. Also: who is this?
[That little summary of a story leaves far more questions than answers, but mostly Stephen wants to know why he's been chosen to hear it.]
[That little summary of a story leaves far more questions than answers, but mostly Stephen wants to know why he's been chosen to hear it.]
Oh, well.
I'm not entirely sure about the names, but I suppose that's fine.
[Sorry Anna, he's never had pets.]
I'm not entirely sure about the names, but I suppose that's fine.
[Sorry Anna, he's never had pets.]
[Jon's thought about this quite a lot, but he has yet to find a reason to actively distrust Stephen beyond his abilities being Web-aligned. It's a risk... he'll be keeping an extra eye out for spiders in the building.]
Hawke's vanished.
That means you'll be the head administrator for the building if you want it.
Hawke's vanished.
That means you'll be the head administrator for the building if you want it.
I'm sorry to hear he's gone missing.
[and he wonders if it's like Nick disappeared or something else.]
Should I take over his schedule precisely?
[and he wonders if it's like Nick disappeared or something else.]
Should I take over his schedule precisely?
It had been a long couple of weeks in the Down. Nate had been excessively busy, protecting the Theatre from within and without. Most people didn't know the extent of what he'd been doing, but Stephen did. The aftermath of the war - if you could call something that lasted for two weeks a war - was a political shift, which, practically, made it harder for Nate to go about his business.
He'd left the house that morning, having said that he was going to look for a second home in the Down. It would just make things easier for all of them, and Anna had expressed an interest in moving there.
He comes home, very many hours later, with papers for a few different options in hand, and newly shorn hair that he'd let Reggie style in the spur of the moment. He arrives by teleport, of course - a flare of bright purple light in the living room, and he drops the papers on the coffee table. He's missed dinner by several hours, and he knows that, so he heads into the kitchen to make something quick.
"Hey Stephen?" he calls, unsure whether his boyfriend is home or not. "I'm back! I'm making cheeseburgers, do you want one?"
He'd left the house that morning, having said that he was going to look for a second home in the Down. It would just make things easier for all of them, and Anna had expressed an interest in moving there.
He comes home, very many hours later, with papers for a few different options in hand, and newly shorn hair that he'd let Reggie style in the spur of the moment. He arrives by teleport, of course - a flare of bright purple light in the living room, and he drops the papers on the coffee table. He's missed dinner by several hours, and he knows that, so he heads into the kitchen to make something quick.
"Hey Stephen?" he calls, unsure whether his boyfriend is home or not. "I'm back! I'm making cheeseburgers, do you want one?"
It's taken some doing, trying to get things in order now that the city as sort of... settled. Stephen doesn't like how things have gone and he worries about Anna going to the Down, but he trusts that Nate will be able to keep her safe. And Steph will help as much as he can.
He's spent most of the day in the building he now runs as an administrator, and the fact that Nate wasn't home when he finished wasn't much of a surprise. So, he sorted dinner for himself and settled in for a quiet evening with whatever critters roamed the house.
He feels the shiver in the ether when Nate arrives home again.
"I'm here," he says from a couch, not looking up from his book. "I ate earlier, thank you though."
Stephen has taken to relaxing his wardrobe more at home, and he'd changed into a pair of relaxed jeans and possibly one of Nate's t-shirts after he'd eaten. He considers a moment and looks up from his book. He doesn't have a clear line of sight to the kitchen, but he calls out,
"Do you want company?"
He's spent most of the day in the building he now runs as an administrator, and the fact that Nate wasn't home when he finished wasn't much of a surprise. So, he sorted dinner for himself and settled in for a quiet evening with whatever critters roamed the house.
He feels the shiver in the ether when Nate arrives home again.
"I'm here," he says from a couch, not looking up from his book. "I ate earlier, thank you though."
Stephen has taken to relaxing his wardrobe more at home, and he'd changed into a pair of relaxed jeans and possibly one of Nate's t-shirts after he'd eaten. He considers a moment and looks up from his book. He doesn't have a clear line of sight to the kitchen, but he calls out,
"Do you want company?"
It's breakfast time. Fresh crumpets have been made, with butter melting hotly all over them. Eggs are boiling on the stovetop, and Nate's standing beside the teapot, waiting for it to be done. There's a letter setting on the table, folded. When Stephen comes in, Nate's looking pensive, and he startles a bit when he hears footsteps in the door. Poppet flutters briefly off his shoulder in surprise, before returning to her usual perch.
Nate gives Stephen a careful smile.
"Morning. I...wouldn't mind a chat, if you have time."
Nate gives Stephen a careful smile.
"Morning. I...wouldn't mind a chat, if you have time."
Stephen's still half asleep. When he actually does sleep in, he sleeps hard. He combs his fingers through his hair and it takes him a few seconds to catch on to the somewhat guarded nature of Nate's smile. That wakes him up after.
"Is something wrong?" He doesn't hesitate on his way in, but he's certainly more alert now. Maybe he's being paranoid, but this city has given him a lot of reasons to just sink into that habit. Stephen looks a bit contrite: he hadn't meant to sound so wary.
"Sorry, yes, of course I have time to talk."
"Is something wrong?" He doesn't hesitate on his way in, but he's certainly more alert now. Maybe he's being paranoid, but this city has given him a lot of reasons to just sink into that habit. Stephen looks a bit contrite: he hadn't meant to sound so wary.
"Sorry, yes, of course I have time to talk."
do you want the list alphabetically or in order of magnitude of concern?
The creatures that Nate has from the theater.
Where are they from?
Are they dangerous, from what you've seen?
Where are they from?
Are they dangerous, from what you've seen?
[he probably should have expected this after Nate's text. Stephen rubs his forehead.]
I haven't seen them hurt anyone.
Why?
I haven't seen them hurt anyone.
Why?
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