Repose

[locked to leena b.]

How are you settling back in?

[locked to cat c.]

[Knowing full-well this might bounce back, she sends it anyway:] Miss you.

[public]

Okay, this postcard stuff is cool and all, but when are we gonna do a town-wide In My Feelings challenge video?

[While green question marks have always been a staple of Jersey living, lately some of the older ones that have been off for years buzz back to life. Their neon green can be found under bridges, on rooftops and in elaborate puzzles that really took too long to set up in the first place. Some people comment on it, some don't care. But, if there was a Cat in town, she'd see them.]

[Stephanie M.]

Miss me?

[Public]

Summer tournaments at the arcade are back on. Street Fighter, DBZ and more. Everyone is welcome, which is to say, if I catch anyone harassing people I'll personally have my security kick you out. In other news, who wants to be handsomely paid to be a mean looking guard for the night?

[Time fuzz. After this and during/after this.]

[FLEET: Misha B]
Mishael.

[After calling, texting, foruming, touching his pendant, praying, and everything else, and getting no response from Misha.]
[Locked to Batfam+, sans Leena B]
I am in Jersey with Leena. She is recovering.

[Locked to Janus A]
I require you immediately. Please.

[Locked to Claire J]
I cannot find Misha.

[Locked to Louis D]
Can you find people?

[Delivered to Ben Bailey, Eddie Nelson, Iris Morgenstern & Manning Thorsen (one box), Mary Moreau, Sadie Marella, Steve Mcrory, and Jainus Allen, separately. ]

Each recipient receives an Amazon Prime box with legit looking shipping labels, big enough to hold a few small books. Inside is nothing but packing noodles, and if you search long enough, a tiny slip of paper with trollface printed on one side. There is no return address, as they were all delivered by hand.

[Muerte]

I'm sorry.

[Stephanie M.]

Cat's out of the state, so we need to just get this over with before I do something really stupid. Are you good to fight?

[Melody B.]

Are you somewhere safe?

[Jack P.]

What did you have for dinner tonight, my friend?

[Locked to "Muerte"]
Hey. Cat said she yelled at you or something and something was going on with you being addicted to Eddie?

[Locked to Stephanie M]
Hey, man.

[Locked to Eddie N]
Cat had to unexpectedly leave town because Helena got attacked by a growling thing in New Jersey. Jsyk.

[Posted anonymously]

Dad? I feel like my head is caving in

Minutes to hours to days to weeks and they all slip by unnoticed

Am I even me, still?

Or is this all some dream?

Dreaming isn't so bad. It saves me from fighting with you.

Because-

Hush little baby, don't say a word.

Papa's gonna buy you a mockingbi-

I don't want a mockingbird!

I want things to go back to normal!

I want you he-

And if that mockingbird won't si-

NO.

STOP.

JUST. STOP.

>>
>>
>>
>>

[Locked to Leena B]
Call me when you are available.

[Locked to Eddie N, and separately, Stephanie M]
What is this you are doing?

[Left on Eddie's bathroom mirror, written in lipstick]

I hear you're likely dying, and I'm terribly offended I haven't received an invitation. I'm coming, whether you approve or not. I would never consider missing a good death.

[Cat C]

Catalone.

[Eddie N]

Nelson.

Who: Hannah, David, and Eddie
What: Meeting up at the Arcade
Where: The Arcade
When: After closing

( The Capital was a whirlpool dragging him in its direction, and it took real force of will to resist its pull after dark. )

[Hannah S]

Miss me?

[Public]

I promise I'm a much better chef in real life.

[Locked]

[The message comes from Melody, but it's clear it's not.]

You're going to use my daughter against me? Really, Eddie? Really?

[Fam]

[She writes it, timed to post when normal people are asleep]

so good news bad news, i got into this art program out of state where they don't need like a ged to let you in or whatever and i found out the girl i was with at the place from before is dead, so. it's kind of like the universe doing its thing. i'm bailing, i guess and i don't want the super awkward stuff so you can write me [email address] but not here. i figured one last town thing was kind of the goodbye party. i love you and i'll visit maybe when i'm on a break and not super poor.

[Minis]

[Not a forum post. She sends the latest thing learned in a tin to the last address she has, and the note is on sketchpad-paper, folded in half on top of the cake, with an email address for contact.]

i hate goodbyes so it's not a goodbye? thank you for the lessons, i'm way better at not burning stuff to shit now. not-goodbye, H]

[Martins]

[They get a proper card, sent through the mail like a normal human. In it, there's a longer snippet from the course that she's going on, a program of classes and she's scrawled on it 'thank you for believing i could do it'. Inside, it's a giant, hand-illuminated 'thank you' and not a lot else, apart from email address.]

[Clary House: past and present]

so hey, thanks for being awesome people to live with. i'm kind of leaving town, which i figured i should probably say but Destiny, i paid rent through April and you shouldn't have any problem with getting someone cool to live here, it's a really nice place.

[And after all the above, forum posts bounce-back.]

Hours. Days.

I blinked and it's been a week.

[locked to reece e.]

How'd you do with these books?

[locked to eddie n.]

Hey. You okay? I didn't see you check in with Damian yet.

ETA: [call to tim d.]

[RING RING.]

[Once Cat starts messaging. Almost like it was a summons and they're now able to write and reply to things.]

Eddie?

[Locked to Em/Tod]
Do representations of death go book diving?

[Locked to Stephanie]
Go on, tell me you ended up in a tawdry romance.

[Locked to Eddie]
[After swinging by to change after the party and before meeting Reece at the theater. His living room is messy.] Did you do dapperly impressive things, Edison?

[FLEET: Misha B]
Habibi?

[Locked to Leena B]
I am going to include you on the family lock, but you need not reply, if you do not wish to. How are you?

[Batfam+: Misha B+Tim D+Stephanie M+Leena B+Cat C+Dick G+Eddie N+Holly R+Con T]
Roll call.

[Locked to Louis D]
Louis.

[Locked to Daniel W]
Daniel.

[Locked to Claire J+Misha B]
We must get to work, yes?