InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "In fact, he's kind of sweet."

Neal Caffrey (ihaveabadge) wrote in somerealityrpg,
@ 2021-02-12 15:10:00

Entry tags:

active: ernie macmillan, active: neal caffrey

Who: Neal Caffrey & Ernie MacMillan
What: Perusing the city
When: A day or so after the monsters are gone
Where: Upper East Side towards Midtown Eastish
Warnings: Minimal; mentions of the monsters, etc.

If there was one way ensure Neal didn't confuse this city with the real city of New York, locking himself down in his apartment because actual and literal monsters had taken over the city was it. At first he'd kept to the villa, but after they'd breached the lobby, he rarely left the apartment and had fashioned a barricade that also served as a trap for any sudden knocking down of the door. Neal didn't do well when he felt caged, so as soon as it was confirmed that the monsters had disappeared, he bolted out of the apartment like the massive bolt of lightening that seemed to finally put an end to the entire ordeal.

The monsters may have disappeared, but the destruction they'd left behind certainly hadn't. Windows that weren't boarded up were smashed through, and the streets looked trashed. It was hard to see a city, or a version of the city, that he loved so much like this, but with all the extra hands assisting in clean up, he had to think that it would start looking back like itself in time. Barely here a few weeks and being stuck inside for most of that time meant that he didn't have too many connections outside his roommates and the handful of people he'd spoken to after his initial arrival. Rebuilding wasn't necessarily his strong suit unless it involved rebuilding or remastering a work of art, but he figured he could help out here and there.

Even though Neal knew that this wasn't really his city, he still couldn't help feel a pang of sadness as he walked the familiar streets and avenues. He hadn't dared walk past June's or the Burke's because he didn't want to face the possibility that the homes weren't there at all. Being here, he realized just how much he missed his friends and found family.

For the afternoon, he spent some time in Central Park and browsing through The Met to eye the damage there. Security had definitely taken a hit, and he was able to walk freely through the galleries, his fingers feeling itchy at just the thought of how easy it would be to walk out with a canvas under his arm. There were a few pieces he admired and some that had taken damage that made him almost sick to his stomach. One piece in particular that he'd always fancied, a Matisse, caught his eye and the wheels in his head began to turn with a plan. Oh, how dangerous was it for Neal Caffrey to be in New York with out his Jiminy Cricket conscious on his shoulder.

He left the Met without any stolen goods, for now, and wandered up Park Avenue and came across a Argosy Book Store, rare book shop that looked more or less abandoned. An idea began to formulate in his mind, and a grin spread across his face as he stared up at the shop.

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ernie_macmillan
2021-02-15 09:42 pm UTC (link)

Ernie needed some time alone. He'd split his time between protecting those in the bunker and fighting the monsters in the city, which brought up a whole bunch of dark memories regarding the Wizarding War. Now, seeing the city in shambles, it reminded him so much of rebuilding his home only a few years ago. Still, he didn't want to bring anyone down so he set out to survey the damage and make a plan for where his magic would be of best use.

"Hello," he said to the man in front of the book shop. "Are you well?"

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ihaveabadge
2021-02-17 03:38 am UTC (link)

The voice in the back of Neal's head probably should have been louder than the whisper that was in there now. It was there, faint, but it sounded remarkably like Peter telling him to walk away and go home. Still, though, he'd been locked up for nearly two weeks, and there was no Peter there to act as his conscious or the FBI to monitor his movements. Speaking of, how ironic and annoyingly fitting was it that the moment Neal Caffrey stepped back into New York City without an anklet monitor, a version of New York City, that he physically couldn't go outside his radius? Because of course.

He'd been so wrapped up in his own thoughts that he didn't hear the person who had approached him. Blinking a couple times, he focused and turned his gaze, complete with a casual smile.

"Oh, I'm fine." He tried to shrug off any worries. "It's the first time I've been outside in a while, and I decided to take a walk around the city. I used to live in the real world version, so I've visited a few of my favorite places when I came across this shop."

A shop full of rare, out of print, first editions, and countless other books that he could walk right in and get his hands on if he wanted. Neal was going to be so screwed if Peter ever showed up here.

"Just stretching my legs," he said, casting another smile.

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	ernie_macmillan 2021-02-17 04:51 pm UTC (link)
	Ernie nodded. Everyone could probably use some monster-free air. "You must be fairly new to Goodland," Ernie guessed. He couldn't recall seeing this particular man around until recently. "Is the replica holding up to New York? I've never been. I'm from England." (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ihaveabadge
2021-02-18 03:00 am UTC (link)

"Yeah, you could say that. I dropped in just a few days before everything went to hell." In the literal sense instead of the usual metaphorical one. There had probably been plenty of metaphorical comments about monsters or demons running loose around the city too; Neal wondered what some of his friends would think if they ever knew that somewhere that nightmare had come to life. And Neal hadn't wandered out on his own and gotten himself killed. Go figure.

"Ehhh," Neal teetered his hand back and forth a bit as he considered the question. "I'm still figuring that out, but there's enough missing that I know it's not really New York, but it's enough of the same that it's a close second." Some of his favorite places were still here -- like the park and the museum he'd just walked through a short while ago. A lot was gone too, though, and it seemed to revolve around accommodations. A part of him wondered if some of Mozzie's old safe houses were in tact. Maybe not on the inside, but the buildings themselves since half of them were abandoned warehouses, not hotels or homes.

Neal smiled. "I guess you could say nothing will hold up to the real thing." The accent had more or less given him away, but he nodded at the mention of England. "I've been to London once or twice, but I confess that I never spent too much time in Britain."

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	ernie_macmillan 2021-02-18 01:56 pm UTC (link)
	"It is a nice spot. Tons of history if you like that sort of thing." Ernie did, but Ernie also enjoyed plenty of activities others found boring. "I'm Ernie MacMillan," he added, sticking his hand out. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

ihaveabadge
2021-02-25 04:59 am UTC (link)

Neal smirked. Was he into that sort of thing? Well, yes. Yes, he was. At least when it came to certain aspects of history and how it applied to the arts, scandals, and other interesting bits. It was Peter who was into the history for the sake of the history. "The hidden secrets and histories of a city are some of the best parts."

Taking the other man's hand, Neal half considered giving out one of his many aliases or still sticking with the old reliable Mr. Nick Halden, but now that he'd been here a while, he figured what the hell. "Neal Caffrey," he said, giving their hands a shake. "Good to meet you, Ernie."

It was clear that he'd been here a good amount more than Neal's two weeks, but based on some of his other conversations and watching the network, he'd found that some people had been here a couple weeks like him or for some, a couple years. It seemed pretty unreal to think about being here for a full two years, but who knew what would happen.

"Have you been here a while? In Goodland."

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