002. and his shoes were pointy-toed. // open post.

[iamvice]

Take a prompt, take some time, drop in whenever you like.

Comments

[youngenough]

[I wonder what he's doing right now... I'm gonna give him a call and see]

[ring ring pick up ring ring pick up ring ring pick up ring ring pick up ring ring pick up]

[iamvice]

[...

And just because he can, he's NOT going to pick up.

Mun, why did you teach David Young's mun how to tag???]

[youngenough]

[oh shit I just realized contacting Mr. Vice just to see what he's doing isn't such a great idea]

something weird always happens when I talk to Vice

[youngenough]

[I blame Jesse's mun]

ring ring pick up ring ring pick up ring ring pick up

[iamvice]

[And he's still trying to call.

Goddamnit.

Picking up now.]

What do you want.

[He is too annoyed to phrase that as a question.]

[youngenough]

[oh crap he picked up what do I do what do I do what do I do]

uhhhh so I was wondering what mun means... is it short for huMUN?

[please don't hit me through the phone]

[iamvice]

[He's hitting you through the phone.

Then he hangs up, and texts:]

SENT: 5:22 PM
What did I say about stupid questions?

Waking the Dead 2.0 : 1 May 2063 | "wake up / the dream is over"

[larue]

[ He wanders into the Great Hall a little before midnight, still dressed in his Rhiannon uniform. He has an earbud plugged in, his Vice phone hooked into the streaming telecast following the audit on Taskforce Valkyrie.

He should be hungry, but the things he's been hearing all day -- the interviews, the polls conducted by the various networks -- have put him off food.

Growing up, he had heard his father comment once or twice on the decisions of government in his own quiet and critical way. Aaron Brennan was a man of principle and had brough up his kids as best as he could, telling them that America had been a dream of life and liberty, but that unfortunately, the only thing standing in the way of everyone getting a chance at all of that was that some people were always vocal about their own patch of freedom, but so damn exclusive about everybody else that wasn't them.

He grabs a cup of coffee and sits himself down at the table he's come to think of as theirs, clearly distracted as he's focused on an exchange between the anchors.

His nose wrinkles in disgust at a comment and he tugs his earbud off, leaning back into his seat and focusing on slowing his breathing. ]

[iamvice]

[Interestingly enough, Josh isn't the only one following American current events. That Jessiah Vice is doing it too, though, shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.

He's currently the only one at the Malice Kings table, but definitely not the only person in the Great Hall (Falner Manor always has a lot of people in it, regardless of the hour). He's sitting back with a cup of coffee and a cigarette merrily burning away on the ashtray that sits within reach, gaze fixed on the screen of his laptop. When he spots someone familiar in the distance, though, he looks up --

-- and pauses mid-sniff.

Have a very audible snerk, Joshua LaRue, and one Jessiah Vice smirking at you from just over the rim of his coffee cup.]

[larue]

[ You know that strange feeling of being watched? The one where the back of your neck just starts to warm because it's like your body just registers that you've got someone's attention?

Yeah, that.

Josh looks over his shoulder, double-takes, and ducks his head a little because oh, whoops

Have a hand lifted in awkward greeting, Mr. Vice. ] Evening, sir.

[iamvice]

[That smirk has not disappeared. Not at all.]

Looking good, Christian Grey.

[50 Shades of What A Dork.]

[larue]

[ Christian-- what?? Is that a brand or a--

--awkward smile. ] Working late, sir?

[iamvice]

Just hanging around.

[Which is pretty much a yes, because. Well. Monitoring. Checking on leads. Waiting in the wings.

Say what you want about Jessiah Vice, but he is always, always on top of things.]

So. Rhiannon.

[Gabriel Marlowe's work, no doubt. He's heard the stories.]

Waking the Dead 2.0 || August 6, 2063 || Saturday

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brig plans to make the most of this break. But that also includes still doing something. He's not very good at doing nothing. So he'll do what he can within the bounds of orders. ]

FR: jessieiamgod.vice@vice.net

DATE/TIME: Saturday, August 6, 2063. 12:10 PM
SUBJECT: Re: The latest orders

MESSAGE:
Dear god,

We've been benched from major engagements and I acknowledge and respect the order. I will make the most of it to touch base with family and friends.

I would, however, still like to keep myself busy with some minor engagements because sitting around doing nothing builds rust.

Respectfully requesting to be assigned to a beat here in the Philippines, sir. I believe it would be good as well that I become more present in Methuselah's everyday tasks.

I am also willing and able to go for any other minor assignments Methuselah may need a hand with.


Regards,
Nameless Peon

[ Throwing in "god" and "nameless peon" just because he thinks it may humor Wiseman/Inquisitor Vice. He is genuinely honest though about keeping out of major engagements until the order is lifted, or he feels they need him ]

[iamvice]

[And this one's just going to respond through text because he's lazy. Also occupied with Kaz right now.]

SENT: 12:25 PM
You have a name with me, Brigade. Didn't I say so before?

Anyway, keep an eye on the Boards. If something comes up, I'll tell you. Beyond that, if there's nothing on the Boards, then there's nothing for you on our end. And I'll think about that beat for you.

[atlas_shrugged]

[ Brig has not been apprised of these new developments. They'll come as a pleasant surprise in the future. haha. He replies via text. ]

SENT: 12:27 PM
Trying to be funny and apparently failing, sir. Although I recall it was more on the lines of "to you I'm not Methuselah yet", hence I have a name. Just opting to pull my weight even under new management.

Thank you, sir. I hope for your favorable response. It would be nice to get to meet the committees of Methuselah in a less life-threatening setting.

[iamvice]

SENT: 12:30 PM
It could also be terribly boring, but I guess in our business, boring has its merits.

You can always just drop in at Anino. That's the Methuselah's power base over in Manila.

[atlas_shrugged]

SENT: 12:33 PM
Will do, sir. Anyone in particular I should speak to?

And boring would be nice, sir. Boring would, hopefully, mean that there's nothing over the horizon trying to wreck the world, even just for a little while.

I want work just to keep the edge and maintain work-life balance. But I'm definitely making the most of this break.

[iamvice]

SENT: 12:34 PM
Good. I sure hope your blade mates are going to follow your example.

[Because he's seen you Hounds. Many of you are all work, no play. Why do you think he was totally on board with Liandrin's call, and gave her his blessing?

Anyway.]

SENT: 12:35 PM
Speak to Kaiser Regina Batumbakal - she heads Anino down in the Philippines. Her office is in Quezon City.

waking the dead 2.0 | arcadia : 19 february | can't quite quit while ahead

[larue]

[ He's got an ice pack ( read: ice, in a folded piece of cloth ) pressed to what he's pretty sure will be a monster of a black eye in the morning. Yulia packs a mean punch, he's known this well and perhaps ( yes, Leo, he will own up to it ) he hadn't ducked quickly enough, hadn't wanted to, because he just couldn't stand her blaming herself over his bad call.

Why he's calling you now? For one, he's a sucker for punishment, fine. Two, he knows better than to pretend and not own up to it. You probably know by now. His dossier needed updating across the board. And three? You're his friend, Jessie and he knows you consider him as much as well.

Time to face the music. ]

CALLING: JESSIAH VICE

[iamvice]

[ You really have excellent timing, LaRue. Calling and all, when he's maybe a few days away of not being that angry at you.

Now he's angry all over again.

He doesn't pick up. Instead, he declines with this message: ]

Phone. Out. Now.

[larue]

[ He doesn't hesitate. He'll hold the phone out, knowing full-well that you've likely every intention to step through the screen and move from the Fifth World to Arcadia.

He sets the ice pack down and waits. ]

[iamvice]

[ And a few seconds after that, Jessie's stepping out --

( Jessiah! )

-- stepping forward --

( This isn't exactly a good idea -- )

-- fisting his hands up in the collar of your top --

Shut the fuck up.

-- and slamming you against the wall.

You've never had the pleasure of seeing Jessie like this, and you've certainly never had the unique pleasure of pushing him so far that you can feel the air crackling with the energy of suppressed rage, embodied. He could give the Blade King a run for his money. ]

If you wanted to die so badly, you should have called.

[larue]

[ You're right, he's never seen you like this, had never imagined you'd be this angry -- but maybe he should have. For all the times he's gone to you, seeking advice like he would a mentor who was also a friend, his voice breaking over the line because of heartache or doubt or indecision... he never pictured you like this and now that he's seeing your rage for himself, he doesn't resist.

He's been turning over the consequences of his actions ever since he woke up, ever since he traded exchanges with each of the Hounds and ran through the list of people who cared enough about him to be pissed that he made, what he will wholly own up to as a really shitty call.

Did he want to die in spite of him saying otherwise? The truth is, yes. Maybe he hadn't wished it to go down like this, hadn't even imagined it would. But ever since he came back from that dream that hadn't felt like a dream, Titania's sad eyes turned to him to say The way is made straight it's been a nagging feeling at the back of his thoughts, a metaphorical guillotine hanging overhead. ]

[iamvice]

[ He can't tell whether he would have liked you to fight back or just take things from him the way you are now, and that pisses him off even more. As a result, there's a bit too much force when he slams you against the wall a second time. ]

Why the fuck did you do that?