IC Inbox

[threelayers]

[A tinny, electronic voice comes on the other line. The message recorded is very obviously a 'default' setting of the fluid, available to any user. It displays no name or identity.]

The person you're trying to reach cannot answer the phone right now. Please leave a message with your name and number after the beep and we will return your call.

[What? Were you actually expecting her to record a voice message?]

Comments

[threelayers]

[She poured her a screwdriver and scooted it over before reaching and patting the girl on the hand, winking. Yeah, she got it. She'd spent three months just going through motions here and ignoring how awful the place was, and it was finally getting to her. This would have been... rough if she'd been solo.]

Your not alone
Im not going anywhere
Promise

[She wasn't going to be great at the whole shutting up, but screwdrivers were good at helping get you over the hump. The trick here was that the hump was a little rough for her co-queen. First? Drunk, and then they could stop caring.]

[hallucinogem]

[that was it. that was all she needed, was to just... get drunk and shut herself up and get herself to stop worrying about everything. she reached for the screwdriver and considered it for maybe about half a second before downing it all in one go.]

Gods. I'm never gonna loosen up if I try to moderate myself. That should really get it going.

[she just wanted to be comfortable for once. she'd been through so much. it was a damn good thing that she kept her head on a swivel more often than not so this couldn't turn into a problem, but she shot Neo a real smile knowing and being reassured, over and over again, that she wasn't going to be dealing with this alone. she spoke up again, this time with a lot more humor behind it.]

Ugh. You're too good to me, Neo. You're gonna make me go soft in my old, old age.

[threelayers]

Flatery can get ya all kindsa places
Besides youre with me too right?

[Her typing was worse, but thankfully the text to voice was keeping up. It was getting close to the point as she stared in on the vodka that she was realizing being 4'10" in heels didn't exactly make you a heavyweight in drinking, especially when you were intentionally going strong.

Whatever, it was ... just easier not to think about things right now. She felt comfortably numb right now, and she liked it.]

[hallucinogem]

Not trying to get anywhere with you.

[she felt... casual for once. maybe she just hadn't eaten much, maybe she just hadn't really been paying attention to how much time had passed, or maybe this stuff was a lot stronger than she'd expected. maybe it was all three, but either way she could sort of start feeling it come over her, at long last. she'd get there and she could breathe for a night.]

Not anywhere like that. I just wanna... [a pause. she looks up to the ceiling.] I don't know. Fuck. I just wanna sink into this couch and not have to leave for, like, a month. I just want a month off from dealing with all this stuff. Just you and me hanging out and getting drunk instead.

1/2

[threelayers]

[Blink, blink... wait, had she been...

Her cheeks might have tinged a little pink before she downed about a quarter of of her screwdriver and laughed silently, a little too hard. Ok, that was funny. No, she totally hadn't meant it like that, but now she was drunk and thinking ... even briefly ... about something she hadn't thought of in two years.

Nope, nope. Get buzzed. That was a funny thought, but she wasn't going to think it seriously this tipsy.]

2/2

[threelayers]

[Haha, ok, she was definitely laughing now, nodding and relaxing against the counter, grinning over at Emerald. She flashed her a big, cheesy grin and a quick nod. Her hands tried to get something out, but it was closer to a keysmash and whatever came out garbled so much that she just laughed again. Screw it. Talking was for chumps.

Instead, she opted to toast the plan of just getting drunk!]

[hallucinogem]

[Em listened to try to figure out what Neo could possibly have meant by that garble of text and instead just ended up laughing again, faster and higher-pitched just because that was the way she felt like laughing. closer to a giggle, really, but. she toasted to their health, to their partnership, to their queendom. and maybe it was only in her head that the toast was to those things, but it didn't matter because she knew they were going to live up to it no matter what happened.]

We're gonna get through this. Nothing's gonna stop us now.

[threelayers]

[She nodded her head and raised the glass again before taking a nice, long draught of her drink. Oh yes, they were getting through this. She had no intention of letting this stupid town get the better of her again.

...

Ok, she'd accept a few setbacks, but she was going to win damnit. That was the plan. As she took another drink, she looked over at her phone and just tapped the off button before sauntering over to the couch and flopping there, one arm going over Emerald's shoulder and the other holding a drink. Seriously, who needed to talk? She was fine just the way she was.]

[hallucinogem]

[this was the life. hanging out with her best friend, decompressing, getting close with her emotionally and physically and then cutting the rest of the world away and losing themselves in alcohol. this was what life needed to be. two friends hanging out, chilling on a couch, sharing drinks and getting ready for how hard they were gonna take the world by storm.]

[she draped her arm over Neo's shoulder in return and grinned at her, though her words came out a little sappier than she might have wanted.]

Thanks for looking out for me. I know, I know, but I'm just gonna keep saying it so you better get used to it. Means a lot to me, you having my back like you did in the labyrins. The... the maze. You know. [she leaned her head against Neo's quickly, and pulled back before it became uncomfortable for either of them.] If you ever need me to pull you out of some weird emotion hole, you know I'm there. For anything.

[threelayers]

[She leaned right back in and rested her head there, toasting widely with her drink. It made a little spill, but she'd worry about that later. That's what stain removers were for. She felt good like this, so drunk that she didn't have to think about the consequences too much. And she had very few here that she could actually do this with safely here. God, she'd never have admitted it before, but it was good to have Emerald.

A little nod and she glanced up at the other girl, winking. She'd tell her if there was something she needed. Oh definitely, though right now all she really needed was to not think about it all. She had her back.]