Inbox - Genessia Edition

[thefirething]

"This is Charlie. Leave a message."

Comments

8/29 - multiple text messages in succession

[hellorhighwater]

hey kiddo

heads up i may spend the night in fayren

if you need me call me

but my door is open if you have trouble sleeping

warded the room with the charm i used to bind your dreams

8/29 - multiple text messages in succession

[thefirething]

Okay. What’s in Fayren?

Re: 8/29 - multiple text messages in succession

[hellorhighwater]

just a friend of mine

gonna grab some dinner

[Adult Speak for "Possibly Getting Laid," of course.]

Re: 8/29 - multiple text messages in succession

[thefirething]

dinner overnight?


[ Charliespeak for she’s not stupid. ]

Re: 8/29 - multiple text messages in succession

[hellorhighwater]

it could be an extremely long dinner

[Shut up, Charlie. Don't judge him. THIS IS THE HILL HE WILL DIE ON KIDDO YOU DO NOT NEED TO KNOW ABOUT HIS SEX LIFE.]

8/30 - VIDEO CALL

[hellorhighwater]

[Just this face, Charlie.]

Stop it.

8/30 - VIDEO CALL

[thefirething]

[ Oh, yeah? Well, THIS face. ]

Be specific. Stop what?

Re: 8/30 - VIDEO CALL

[hellorhighwater]

Baiting or hitting on that new guy.

Stop. It.

Re: 8/30 - VIDEO CALL

[thefirething]

Ew. I’m not hitting on him. That’s...really, Neil?!

Re: 8/30 - VIDEO CALL

[hellorhighwater]

Well what the hell am I supposed to think, kiddo?! Shirtless and sweaty?! And don't think I didn't see that smirk--if you're a frickin' teenage girl, you don't trust anyone over the age of twenty, and you trust 'em even less if they're male. New rule.

[Yes. Neil made a rule. Deal with it.]

Evening of 8/30 - multiple texts

[hellorhighwater]

hey kiddo

free shot punching me in the face if you let me come see you

Evening of 8/30 - twenty minutes later.

[thefirething]

Sorry. Was in the shower. I'm not the punching type, plus I think need to apologize to you. My reaction was pretty gross.

Re: Evening of 8/30 - twenty minutes later.

[hellorhighwater]

you dont gotta apologize

i was a dipshit first

but if you feel compelled then you have to wait until after i apologize and explain a couple things

i got first dibs ok

theres a pizza bribe in it for you and everything

Re: Evening of 8/30 - twenty minutes later.

[thefirething]

I'm not gonna correct you, there.

but i'll happily listen to what you have to say over pizza


as long as there is ice cream after

rocky road

just sayin', this is a good way to apologize

Re: Evening of 8/30 - twenty minutes later.

[hellorhighwater]

the will of the gods upon your tongue

we can even bring some rocky road home

be at your place in a few

[Then about a minute later]

wait is rocky road the one with the nuts and marshmallows or is it the green one with the chocolate pieces

09/23 - late evening - text

[thefirething]

Have you ever had a pet?

11/18 - late afternoon - [ TEXT ]

[fondofapples]

[ She's still not sure what to say, but there isn't a lot of time. She can't leave Neil for long. ]

Neil has a fever from the dragon fire. It's happened before
and he's been fine. He asked me to tell you not
to worry.

I've taken him to Nova where I can control his temperature. Text any time
if you're worried. I'll answer as soon as I'm free.

Re: 11/18 - late afternoon - [ TEXT ]

[thefirething]

Tell him I'll worry if I want to. Because I am absolutely worrying. What happened? Let me know when it's okay to come y.

Re: 11/18 - late afternoon - [ TEXT ]

[fondofapples]

[ It's about an hour before she's able to get back to Charlie. When she does, she's no more sure what to say than she was before. ]

I don't know what happened. He came home sick. I'll bring
him home as soon as the fever breaks.

Re: 11/18 - late afternoon - [ TEXT ]

[thefirething]

What is going on with him, exactly? I need to understand. Please, tell me.


[ For a fleeting moment, Charlie can almost feel her own panic reach out and she does her best to pull it back. She doesn’t want to hurt anyone or cause a fire just out of the intense fear she feels, so she heads to her room where fires won’t start. No matter how upset she gets. But not knowing what’s going on with her father isn’t helping her, either. ]

Re: 11/18 - late afternoon - [ TEXT ] --> [ VOICE ]

[fondofapples]

[ By the time Charlie's text comes in, Regina's head down in brewing potions, burning them when Neil cries out for her, levitating him to change sheets so that the sweat doesn't cool and deprive him of heat he desperately needs, holding spoons of juice to his lips when he can't raise his head enough for a glass.

She hears it and resents it, resents the time it will take to answer that is time she could be spending tending to Neil or slamming down half a cup of coffee and maybe having a second to pee. But she also doesn't resent Charlie because she knows how Charlie feels and she wants to help her, she does. It's just there's no time, and she's barely this side of frantic already.

Finally, she picks up the phone and steps into the living room and calls. She waits 'til Charlie picks up and says]

Don't talk. Just listen. [ She takes a breath and glances frantically toward the bedroom. She hates leaving him, but she can't let Charlie hear him moaning and whimpering. And she doesn't want to upset Charlie more or make her feel like a burden. ]

I'm sorry, love. I understand you need to know. [ And they'd both rather he gets it than she gets an explanation, Regina's sure of it. ] If I drop the phone or hang up, don't panic. He just needs constant care. I'll call back or text when I can.

[ Another breath, she closes her eyes, and forces herself to keep it simple and calm. ]

You know the dragon fire consumes heat, which is why we all work to keep him warm. When dragon fire slips his control, it moves faster, driving his temperature up. But he has to stay warm, or he'll get hypothermic.

Right now, his body is fighting to get the dragon fire back under control, and I'm helping, by keeping him warm, dry, and hydrated. [ Which made it sound simple, but the rasp in her voice and the hitch in her breath because she's thirsty and, out of Charlie's earshot, he's just started whimpering, is probably making it clear it's nothing of the sort. ]

I have to go, sweetheart. I promise, I'm taking the best possible care of him.

[;video] - late hours of 11/21, wee hours of 11/22

[hellorhighwater]

[The face on the feed is shadowed with fatigue, perhaps still a little pale, but otherwise healthy and very much alive. It’s mostly a close up of his face, but down at one corner of the feed, near his shoulder, the very top of Regina’s dark head can be seen.

And as he smiles and speaks, the low volume of his voice indicates she’s probably fast asleep.]

Hey, kiddo. Hope you and the rest of the bunch are okay—to be clear, I’m fine. Me ‘n Regina will be home tomorrow morning, but Regina’s wiped the fuck out. I’m forcing her to stay in bed a day or two to sleep it off and make sure she doesn’t get herself sick. Think you can help me keep the small frys in line to make sure she gets some quiet?

Re: [;video] - late hours of 11/21, wee hours of 11/22

[thefirething]

We're fine, but I'm going to punch you square in your stupid head for scaring me.

[ Charlie speak for DAD I LOVE YOU PLEASE NEVER LEAVE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN IT WAS SCARY! ]

Seriously, I have the exact spot picked out and we both know I've been working on my punches. You're in for some shit.

[ Shit meaning major hugs that may possibly border on clingy but not like...weird clingy. More like daughter wants to make sure dad really is there and fine clingy. ]

Re: [;video] - late hours of 11/21, wee hours of 11/22

[hellorhighwater]

[Neil just smiles at that, nodding in understanding. Hey, if she's threatening him with bodily harm, she's gotta be more or less okay--he'd worry more if she started sweet talking him.]

I figure I got it coming. And if you can't trust your own daughter to break your nose for freakin' her out, who can you trust? Or were you thinkin' jaw? Remember: use the base of the fingers, not the knuckles.

[Nothing to see here--but he's been sufficiently scared by this instance to stop dancing around the subject.]

Re: [;video] - late hours of 11/21, wee hours of 11/22

[thefirething]

Your whole stupid face. I’m rearranging it.

[ At the word daughter, her anger softens. She smiles some and nods at that, a silent agreement that yes she is his kid. ]

You owe me time. Just the two of us.