Musings

[ Note for W. Lowell ]

[It's a simple note, written in pen on a blue sticky note. Hayley has left it on one of his lab benches, snuck in when his back was turned.]

Welcome back, sugar.

[ Text to E. Sablier ]

This is an intervention, Evie. You aren't using the accent, the accent is using you.

[ Text to S. Djaevelen ]

Has Evie been doing the accent around you, too?

[ Locked to R. Boudreaux ]

Why is it that you do one thing and it just domino effects everything else I need some kind of guarantee that you aren't Are you really Did you get out

[Nothing sent.]

[ Locked to R. Maheu ]

Hey, sugar. How're you doing?

Anyone have the name of a good dentist?


Preferably one that isn't so fucking chatty.

[All sent after Hayley discovers her gift from Mr. Monarch.]

[ E-Mail to O. Monarch ]

Mr. Monarch,

What is going on inside your head I thought you weren't going nuts How do you even GET one of those things I appreciate your [...] appreciation of my work. But, at the risk of sounding disrespectful [...] what am I exactly supposed to do with him?

- Hayley

[ Text to S. Djaevelen ]

You are older than dirt know everything. What do you do with a peacock?

[ Text to E. Sablier ]

What do you think of birds?

[Delivered to Monarch Industries after this]

[The gift is happily wandering around the arboretum and gazebo behind the Monarch Industries building. On Hayley's desk, there is a post-it note (Thanks, honey) atop an envelope. The contents of the envelope explain she owns the creature, and that it was hand raised and is free of disease.]

[ Delivery for Orin Monarch ]

[Three days after this, Hayley hand-delivers a package to Aubade 406. A body guard greets her at the door and promises to give it to Orin personally, and she doesn't protest. The package is a sealed padded manila envelope with "Orin Monarch" written across the front in neat handwriting with black Sharpie.]

( Package Contents )

[ E-Mail to A. Morgenstern ]
[Sent not long after this]

Mr. Morgenstern,

I hope you're doing well. I've contacted Mr. Monarch, and we've been talking about future plans. He wants to move Valerie and Willow to another apartment where they can't be traced, somewhere outside of Aubade or Bathos. I've found somewhere that will allow them to move in within three days if I put down two months' lease upfront. [...] Mr. Monarch told me to contact you about transferring to me the $1,263 dollars necessary for me to secure the apartment. I hate asking people for money even if I'm being told to

Thank you very much, and I hope you stay safe.

- Hayley

[ E-Mail to O. Monarch ]
[Sent after her e-mails with Adam conclude. The e-mail itself is a forwarded e-mail that had been sent to Hayley's account from "CherryField Management." The e-mail welcomes her to CherryField and includes the lease contract, pertinent information, and receipt for the $1,263 paid from her account.]

I can go pick up the keys on my own in three days, after which you can move the girls in whenever you want.

[ Texts to both E. Sablier and B. Sablier ]
[The texts are separate, but identical.]

If anyone calls asking about an apartment I rented, don't panic. My boss needed a backup plan and it couldn't be under his name. I'm not going anywhere.

Mr. Monarch,

I just wanted to check in on you and see how you and your family were doing. If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know.

- Hayley

[Locked to K West]
Kyle, the news looks terrible. I just wanted to see if you were holding up okay.

[Locked to H Radcliffe]
Hayley? I heard your name on one of the news reports about Monarch Industries, and I'm being nosy. Are you alright? This is Wren.

[Text to B. Sablier]

Don't come home yet. Apparently we're under siege.

[Text to S. Djaevelen]

I was going to come visit you. I will be late now.

[Text to H. Radcliffe]

Where are you???

[After the shooting outside Monarch Industries, Hayley goes to Orin's office and roots around until she finds contact information for his fiancee and cousins. Since she's sure a phone call will only be ignored, she takes a three-prong approach: text messages to their cell phones, messages to their e-mail addresses, and forum posts.]

[ Messages: V. Anna, R. Morgenstern, A. Morgenstern ]
[The messages are identical, sent separately to their respective cell phones, forum accounts, and e-mail accounts.]

My name is Hayley Radcliffe and I'm a secretary in the lab at Monarch Industries. Orin just gave his speech, and it was interrupted by a shooter. Orin is fine but he's been taken away by the police for attacking the shooter. I know you haven't met me, but I've worked with Orin long enough to consider him a friend. Things might not be safe for you right now, so if you need any help, please let me know. I can help you with bail, if you'd rather not risk going to the police station while everyone is insane. My number is [NUMBER] and I'll keep my phone on.

[Locked to H Radcliffe]
Little one, I am disappointed. No progress with Nightwing, and no advance warning about your employment with the possible Bat?

[After reading the paper, and after security is forced to lock Monarch's front doors for security reasons. Will, he knows, is gone, but he finds a note on his desk indicating anything specifically damning isn't on the premises, and he makes a note to give the damn man a raise when he gets back.]

[Group email to A Main and H Radcliffe]
Will's on vacation, or I'd have him send this out. I'm not the damn Bat. Stay clear of the doors and make sure the guards escort you out of the building after work. I got a new guard starting tomorrow that should help with matters.

[Group text to V Anna, W Cooper-Delaney, R Morgenstern and A Morgenstern]
I'm suing for libel. Stay home for the day, if you can. A, don't damn argue with me.

[After getting tickets without rhyme or reason, Hayley tries connecting the dots.]

[ E-Mail to A. Main ]

Are you supposed to brush up on your etiquette too?

[ Text to B. Sablier ]

Do you think Evie could stand to learn some tips about networking, table manners, and ass-kissing professional dinner etiquette?

[ E-Mail to O. Monarch ]

[After actively avoiding Orin for the last week, she finally e-mails him.]

Mr. Monarch,

I seem to have obtained a pair of tickets to a seminar about business etiquette. The course seems to encompass a number of skills that you could probably use a refresher course in. Would you like me to sign you up, sir?

- Hayley

[Delivered to A Main, H Radcliffe]

[Two tickets each to Evening of Etiquette, fully paid, for each of them and a guest. No note included.]

[After this, Monday morning]

[ Text to S. Djaevelen ]

What do you know about drug addicts and interventions and stuff?

[ E-Mail to W. Lowell ]

Will,

I got a present today from Mr. Monarch. I know you think I deserve a raise, and I can't disagree with you, but [...] this is a lot of money. I'm not worth If Friday night was just the tip of the iceberg, he could be making business decisions while on drugs. I don't think he'd do this while [...] sober. We don't know what else he could be doing, and for all we know he's gonna start handing out cars left and right.

I think we should get in touch with his family and find a rehab program. Until then [...] someone has to keep an eye on him before he does something he can't fix later. Let me know what you think.

- Hayley

[Left on A Main's desk at work Monday]
[A floral arrangement, a thank you note, and a new salary notice from HR, which details a 5,000 per-annum raise. Additionally, there's a separate envelope with a 1,000 cash bonus.]

[Left beside H Radcliffe's desk at work Monday]
[A baby ficus, a thank you note, and a new salary notice from HR, which details a 10,000 per-annum raise. Additionally, there's a separate envelope tucked in the damn ficus tree, which towers over Hayley's desk, with a 5,000 cash bonus.]

[Delivered to V Anna]
[Fifteen vase bouquets of long stem roses, with a bouquet delivered every ten minutes for over two hours.]

[Call placed after Orin's "distraction"]

[Ring]

[email to Hayley, Monday night]

H.-

I still have a job. I'll see you in the morning.

-W.

***

[email to Connor, Tuesday afternoon]

Connor,

As you may have heard or experienced, there was quite a chaotic exchange of feelings on Monday, and unfortunately my employer received one of mine. He is now aware of my condition. In addition, I could not bring myself to accept responsibility for the attack on his friend, the woman you encountered last month, so he is also aware of another Wolf in the city.

I have not revealed any of your information to him, nor do I plan to, but I felt you should be informed. There was much talk about controlling the Wolves during changes, and I am not quite sure how successful I was in convincing him that we both do our best to take measures to avoid being caught out during a change. He is offering me a protected space for the moon, and days around it as I see fit, and while I know you make your own plans, I figured I would extend the offer to you as well. I know it is not ideal, and that the thought of being essentially locked in a space not your own is unsettling, so I will not blame you if you turn down the offer. I felt it best to mention it, though.

I'm afraid there is going to be extra diligence and scrutiny placed on the city in these next months, especially during the moon, to make sure that neither of us are causing safety problems to the citizens. I know that I will be taking extra measures to keep things in check. You may wish to as well, just to avoid extreme repercussions should something happen.

Thank you, and I hope you are well,
William Lowell

[Monday, after he realizes that he's getting other people's feelings and they might be getting his, fairly worried.]

At the risk of being thought strange, can I ask if everyone is doing alright this afternoon?