Duplicity inbox

[disentombs]

"You've reached Gansey. I can't come to the phone right now, but if you leave a message, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. Thank you."

Comments

text; backdated to orientation

[whatsina_name]

hey. what are you up to?

[please distract him, gansey.]

text

[disentombs]

Nothing in particular. Enjoying some coffee if you would like to come over.

text

[whatsina_name]

that sounds good. where are you staying?

Re: text

[disentombs]

I have an apartment in the Up now.

[he texts Phillip his address]

text -> action

[whatsina_name]

Cool. I'll be there soon.

[Since it's a new place, Phillip walks rather than teleports, and also that gives him a bit of a chance to hopefully get his feelings under control. He makes it there in pretty short order anyway, knocking on the door with a neutral smile on his face.]

[disentombs]

[Gansey answers the door in a lilac pullover sweater while carrying a mug of steaming coffee. He smiles warmly at Phillip and steps aside to let him in, looking at the expression on Phillip's face and wondering what could be going on.]

Welcome.

[whatsina_name]

[nothing is going on!! clearly he just wanted to hang out like friends do. phillip is absolutely not terrible at dealing with his own emotions or anything like that.]

Thanks. [Phillip steps in, looking around the apartment- it's probably at least a little different from the ones Dominants are given, so in that way it's kind of a first...] How've you been?

[disentombs]

[It's absolutely cozier, but it has the clean sharp design of any other place in the Up.

There's a few scattered mint plants on the windowsills and countertop. A French press with fresh coffee sits on it.

It's a studio, so Gansey's bed is completely unmade in a corner of the room.

He has a mug of coffee waiting on the counter and places it at the small kitchen table for Phillip.

He raises his eyebrows a bit at the question.]

Surely that's something you could have asked over text, [he States gently. He knows something is off.]

[whatsina_name]

[....Phillip really feels like he should be less easy to read. He's an actor, goddamnit. Of course, it isn't anything in his expression that's his tell, it's his behaviors. Which he is less good at controlling if he doesn't have something specific in mind.]

Maybe I just wanted to hang out. [it's possible.]

text » un. b.cooper

[perfectible]

[ she sends the text late at night, assuming he'd answer it in the morning. ]

Gansey. I was wondering if you wanted to try to go the library and see what we could find there.

text » un. gansey

[disentombs]

[Without 2 minutes going by, he replies from his couch in his small apartment in the Up:]

I can meet you there.

[perfectible]

Oh. I didn't mean to wake you. I thought you might be asleep.

[disentombs]

You didn't.

[30 second pause.]

What are you doing awake?

[perfectible]

I'm kind of a night owl, I guess. [ or rather, she has nightmares and she wants to let jughead sleep.]

[disentombs]

[What a coinkadink. Him too.

After seeing that memory of Betty's, he has a feeling he knows why.]

Well then. I'll see you there soon?

[perfectible]

Yes, you will.

Action

[disentombs]

It doesn't take him long to find her. She's the lone light in the entire place at a table with a stack of books next to her. He's glad for being contracted in order to have access to facilities like this.

He's wearing glasses but otherwise is dressed as he would for daytime, polo, khakis and Topsiders included. Gansey smiles at her as he hangs his peacoat off the back of the chair next to her.

"Burning the midnight oil I see," he comments, accent a bit more obvious.

text » un. b.cooper

[perfectible]

Are you busy today?

[disentombs]

Not particularly, why?

[perfectible]

I thought maybe we could go fill out our job applications for the library.

[disentombs]

Marvelous idea.

Where should we meet?

[perfectible]

Outside the library?

[disentombs]

I'll meet you there in ten minutes?

[perfectible]

I'll see you then.

[ But she is, in fact, already at the library. She's been restless all day, needing something to do, a distraction. She's perfectly made up and dressed well, but there are noticeable cracks in her usual perfection.

She hasn't really slept and it's probably clear by the dark circles under her eyes (and it's probably clear she's been crying). She keeps her wounded palms hidden by keeping her sleeves pulled over her hands as she sits on the bench outside of the library, waiting for him.]

[disentombs]

[Gansey can tell something is off before he even approaches her--just in the way she's sitting. His suspicions are confirmed the closer he gets to her, recognizing the sleeplessness in her eyes.]

Betty? [That one word is laced with concern, with worry, letting her know just how much he sees.]