⚖️ Inbox - Steven Grant's Communicator

[de_nile]

This communicator belongs to Steven Grant! :)

If you need to contact someone that isn't Steven Grant, maybe you're looking for Marc Spector's dead drop...

Put date and format in the header, please!
Marc tags from reflectedlight
Steven tags from de_nile

Comments

February 12th, 1am, audio

[empathicfault]

Hello. I'd like to talk to the sleepwalker. You might not prefer that, but- we have some things to work out.

Meet me in the Lounge, at your earliest convenience.

im about to have the audacity to send you a 400 word tag with no hooks im so sorry

[reflectedlight]

[Is that ...Will Graham? Steven's nerd buddy? God damn it. ok ok ok ok. How did Marc fuck up? How did he fuck up? This whole thing is coming unraveled way faster than Marc wanted it to, what the fuck.

The guy hasn't seen him, and Marc doesn't think Ilerez ratted him out, he doesn't seem like the type. Graham must be taking a stab in the dark to confirm a hypothesis.

But what if he figured out that Steven has to use the inmate showers? Fuck. Fuck. Marc's been careful, he only ever goes as himself, but -

No, no, okay. The guess is about the sleepwalking specifically. Maybe there's a symptom that Steven doesn't have that his husband does, and that's how they got there.

What the fuck do they think Marc is? The sleepwalker, what is that? What do they think he is, a ghost? No, no, no no, that's not right. Graham profiled for the FBI, he'd go mundane instead of fantastical first. Fucking Moses, that's his press nickname. That's the name on the case file. Marc's got a Bureau case file about him and he's not even in a place with real cops.

Or. Wait. Wait. That's a name that would hide from Steven what Graham is talking about. Okay. That's convenient, maybe too convenient. Maybe Marc can call his bluff. Or maybe it's because he's not sure what he's seen, and can't confirm it without Marc taking the bait.

You might not prefer that, yeah, no shit. So Graham has gathered that he's hiding, or he thinks he has, anyway. We have some things to work out - what, is Graham trying to meet him behind the alley after school to beat him up? What is that? What does that mean? Is he about to get a weird blackmail shovel talk from a guy who's only known Steven for a few weeks and has no idea how hard it is to keep the guy from walking into traffic?

Fuck!

There's no way Graham can prove anything, Marc's pretty sure. There's no proof, but he's more established, if it's his word against Steven's, Graham is going to win.

But the truth is that Steven doesn't know anything. They can push him all they want, they could probably torture the guy, God forbid, but he still can't tell them something he doesn't know.

Okay. So. So, pretend to not exist, maybe? How would Steven respond to this? Marc's not great at pretending to be Steven, Steven's too... energetic. Also, if Marc answers as Steven, what is Steven going to do tomorrow if Graham brings the conversation up and there's evidence of it on his communicator?

What if he just... doesn't respond? Let Steven pick it up tomorrow and react however Steven reacts? That'll be a lot more sincere than Marc feigning ignorance, anyway.

That really sucks. That sucks that this is his best plan, this sucks.

✔️Read: 1:04am.

Marc is so exhausted he wants to drop dead but he's going to be up all night staring at the communicator to see if this worked. Steven might not even surface tomorrow morning.]

[empathicfault]

[ Will waits fifteen minutes before sending another message. ]

Well, all right. We can talk here, if you want. Because there are things you need to know if you keep on the way you have. It worked for you before, right? Relatively.

It's not going to work here.

I'll give you fifteen more minutes. Make your decision.

Text, February 27, mid-afternoon

[musicdied]

Did you make it through your first flood in one piece?

text back ( <3 hi buddy!)

[de_nile]

[How about: blowing up your communicator with 11 texts in a row really really fast.]

Oh! Hello, what a nice surprise!

It went well!

I don't think it worked on me, so I didn't see anything awful, and no one tried to kill me. :)

I got to meet a few new people more or less by following the sound of crying, which isn't under the best circumstances, but it did make me feel like I was doing the warden job a little. Helping out.

Complete success on my end, if you ask me.

Which... you have.

You did ask me.

So, maybe that part is redundant, but it's still a bit novel for people to come and check on me.

You know, I'm beginning to think the people I worked with at the museum were rude and didn't like me?

How did it go for you?

Oh, someone said we're from the same world. I didn't know that when we first talked, but I've met B now, and his husband, and their dogs. :)

[musicdied]

[Oh, that's a - okay, that's a few replies.

Nope. Still coming.

That's... That is a veritable textsplosion. Oh boy.]

It seemed to mostly be things we regret, so you must be doing something right. I'm glad it wasn't a rough one for you.

I came through it all right.

It might not be exactly the same world. We have a lot of diverging timelines. Steve, B, Bob and I are all from slightly different realities.

You like dogs?

After the flood, text

[empathicfault]

Hi, Steven. It's Will Graham. Did you make it through that first flood okay? It was a real doozy for some people.

text

[de_nile]

[Oh, he hopes Will isn't too disappointed in him...]

Oh, hello! :)

It didn't hit me, I don't think. I tried to help wherever I could. You know, I think a lot of the wardens here could use therapy, as well? Not my place to say who, obviously, but a prescribing psychiatrist and a solid twelve-step program might make the entire atmosphere much nicer...

How are you? Oh, you must have had a terrible time with all of the things you've absorbed, I'm so sorry.

Re: text

[empathicfault]

I'm glad you didn't get hit, Steven. I was worried. Like you said, it was more difficult for me. But I'm all right now. I've figured out lots of ways to help reset myself. My favorite is this helmet we got from a port that acts as a sensory deprivation experience. Not great for everyone, but it helps me a great deal.

There's a large amount of be wardens here that are graduated inmates. Even without that stipulation, though, I totally agree that wardens also tend to have plenty of troubles themselves. There's obviously the power dynamic at play, but I don't think wardens are all that different. Maybe they're less likely to blow up their life?

There is a prescribing psychiatrist on board- that's Doctor Sheehan, and he's currently in the art gazebo. He runs art therapy exercises every so often on the network. I think he's pretty happy there.

About a week after the flood

[abrightboy]

Malcolm walks up to Steven's door on Sunday afternoon with a boardgames tucked under his arm and a thermos of floral herbal tea in his other hand. He manages to knock without dropping the game.

spam

[de_nile]

???

Wait, is that someone at the door? Did he order anything? He can't have, he's in the underworld. Is it a fire drill, maybe?

There's the sound of literally six locks unlocking and the door cracks enough to show a sliver of big, startled eye.

"Oh! Malcolm?"

He opens it more.

"What's going on, is everything alright?"

Re: spam

[abrightboy]

Malcolm pauses. It's a greater level of suspicion than he was expecting.

"Alright? Yeah. Everything's... fine." He shifts his arm to let the game - Ticket to Ride - slide down into his hand so he can hold it up. "I brought a boardgame. And tea." He holds up the thermos. "Will thinks we have pretty... similar personalities, so I thought maybe you'd like to play."

Spam, April 22-ish

[musicdied]

And there's a knock at Steven's door, roughly 10 minutes after this exchange. Yelena has a tray balanced on one hip; she's brought coffee for herself and tea for him, made the same way he had it on the day he first arrived, and she's also brought some of the vegan offerings from the cafeteria. Some sort of chickpea salad, and what looks to be a blueberry muffin.

Just in case eating is one of the things that's been slipping his mind.

Spam, April 22-ish

[de_nile]

Steven got halfway through cleaning the place, to his credit; the dust is gone, the lightbulbs changed, he excavated a chair, and then the manic rush of energy left him and he's slumped over a table, head in his hands.

He opens the door, looks genuinely confused for a second, then winces as he remembers. Right! Yelena. Right.

"Hi. Sorry, I think the ... the hours are starting to really take a toll, yeah? ... Is that for me? Oh my days. You are so nice. I could hug you. Let me get that."

He's going to help carry some of this in if she lets him!

Re: Spam, April 22-ish

[musicdied]

"I thought you might be hungry," she says with a little smile, though there's clear concern beneath it. She lets him take some of her burden readily enough. "But you can give me a hug if you want to, once we have this put down."

PRE-PORT [ ACTION ]

[bythelight]

[ Anduin is sitting on the answer the Admiral game him for some time.

There are... several possible options, and he's mulling over the best path. It could be malicious, this person pretending to be a Warden for... some manner of gain? It could be delusion. It could be confusion. Certainly, the wording makes Anduin think this wasn't a matter of demotion.

He hasn't seen them paired before. Is it possible to simply not be aware you are an inmate? Light. Maybe he should speak about his suspicions with some of the other wardens. Or ask the Admiral more questions.

He's thumbing his compass, exiting his cabin on level one when he sees a familiar face.

Oh -- right. Well. It can't hurt to talk a little, can it? Perhaps Anduin can at least get... a read on him.

Light, give methe guidance to handle this well. ]

Hello. I had not realised our cabins were on the same floor.

[ He smiles, moves towards Steven. Perhaps best to assess his mood, first. ]

wiggling this in before the big thread happens

[de_nile]

[Steven actually jumps when he's addressed.

He looks like shit. Hair a mess, bags under his eyes, hunched over, wearing yesterday's clothes, a rogue sticky note clinging to his sleeve.

He forces a smile anyway.]

Oh! Hello, Anduin! Me neither, imagine that! First floor friends.

[There's a tablet clutched to his chest, with the spreadsheet on it. He just has to finish the plan. He just has to finish the plan and try to save everyone. ITS FINE]

Have you seen my plan? I can't remember who I have or haven't shown it to. I showed it to you, right?

Re: wiggling this in before the big thread happens

[bythelight]

You were going to, but we hadn't had the chance. Perhaps you can show me now.

[ They're both here, and Anduin Wrynn does love a plan! ]

We can sit in the common room, perhaps.

[ Since Steven Grant also looks like someone who needs to sit the fuck down before he falls down.

He's clearly twitchy. Stressed. Anduin wonders if he should double back and fetch some tea, but equally he's slightly afraid if he takes his eyes off Steven the man will vanish away into the barge again. ]

voice;

[modestpurpose]

[He had meant to do this sooner, but things being how they had been and time being what it is... well, he's doing it now.]

Evening, Steven. Would you object to some imposition on your company?

voice;

[de_nile]

Oh! Hythlodaeus, hello. No, that'd be lovely, thanks.

I should tell you that we almost certainly will be listened in on, there's a ghost in - in my cabin, that's following me around.

audio

[cactusy]

Hey, Grant. You doing any better?

audio

[de_nile]

Marc is still here, if that's what you mean. But, generally, yeah? Distance out from the Nethermere's done me some good.

Just after pairings go up

[falkeditupagain]

Hanna has a little pep in his step. Its been a minute since he got a temp and he's fucking ready for it.

He grabs his jansport, a sleeve of oreos and some sodas and shows up at Steven's door with a cheery little knock. He isn't entirely aware this is Steven's door(who the fuck is Moon knight system???) But he's prepared for anything.

1/2

[de_nile]

[They've been swearing at each other since the pairings went up. "TEMPS ARE FOR YOU!" "I don't want to do this." "WELL, TOO BAD, MARC!"

Steven opens his door, sticks his head out.]

Just a moment!

[Door closes. Bang crash scuffle.]

2/2

[reflectedlight]

[Door opens again, much less enthusiastically.

Steven's dressed wrong, his expression is wrong, and he generally looks like he does NOT want to do this.]

Hi.