Topic: Digital Dispatch: A Jane Interlude

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-01-31 14:22 EST
Jane sat in the winter stark garden of a house that was much too big and intimidating. The mansion reminded her of Harcolt Place"if Harcolt Place hadn't been crumbling down around the family's ears. A bitter chill penetrated her bones. Her joints ached. She needed these moments to herself; away from the rigors of training and the fear that had become her shadow. It stuck to her; apprehension an aura that jutted out from her alcohol-abused frame.

She hated it.

Bruxing her teeth, she rubbed at the newly mended skin that started in a ragged tear from one side of her wrist out in a steep diagonal down toward her elbow. It was one of the uglier marks. There was another mark, almost a twin, but smaller on the opposing arm (and several more over her body). At its birth it hadn't gone as deep and was lighter. Jane hoped she could afford the magic one day to remove them.

Her heart squeezed uncomfortably. The day was ending. Shadows lengthened over the lawn. She told herself she was brave. She forced herself to be bold. Was it so much to want things back the way they were" The ache in her chest moved to a throbbing in her head. But it was all so messed up. Her realities were tangled up in a muddle of could-have-beens and should-have-beens and what-actually-had-beens. It got in the way of everything. If she'd killed herself when it first started, when the relic first came into her hands; would it have been better" But Will and Chloe would still be dead. Jane would just be with them. There was no way to end herself in a way that mattered.

"*&^%," Jane yelled. The word became a misty cloud of white that hung briefly in the air before dissipating. Anger sparked. Her fingers wound into coffee-ground brown half-curls pulled until her scalp stung. She wanted to hurt herself but she couldn't really punish herself any more than she already had been. Besides, the brunette wasn't prone to cutting and only enjoyed some pain in the bedroom. "Sucks," she sighed as she half-voiced a thought rolling around in her head.

She folded herself into a tighter ball. Nigel needed to get better lawn furniture. Stone wasn't cutting it. The unforgiving material made her butt numb. Idly, she strummed her fingers near her borrowed phone. Everything about her lately was on loan: her phone, her home, and any semblance of life. All of it came from somewhere else. Jane felt like an empty shell that was just, coincidentally, shaped like a person.

Seizing the black mobile in her hand, she navigated the screens. Thoughtfully, she rubbed her lips together. The gloss had dried out. She needed more. Spit was a poor substitute for the sweet balms she favored. Once she found the text menu Jane started to compose. It was slow going, and she paused frequently.

Text to Levi: When I was thirteen, before my father died, he took me to see how he worked Text to Levi: He bought so much. He'd buy almost anything as long as it wasn't from here Text to Levi: It was exciting. Then it was boring. It was weird how people bartered away their junk Text to Levi: There was this one couple. They didn't really have anything to sell. Some tin trinkets. Text to Levi: My dad bought their shoes. Text to Levi: Back then I thought there were just stupid. Why the *&^% would you sell your shoes" Text to Levi: I didn't get it then. I do now. My dad did them a favor because they were desperate. Text to Levi: I've pawned off more things than I can remember. My things. My sister's things. Text to Levi: But never my shoes. I guess until now I've never felt that hopeless. Text to Levi: How are you doing, btw" Text to Levi: It's cold as *&^% outside. How do you stand walking your dogs"

After her text bomb to Levi, Jane cupped the phone in her hands; holding it in the press of her palms. The cold didn't bother her as much as the growing dark. She could, she decided, stand both for a little longer before she went back inside. If only just a little longer.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-01-31 20:57 EST
It'd been weeks now. Weeks since anything that resembled normal had occurred with Jane. Weeks since he'd been able to have a conversation with her that wasn't awkward and filled with the whispers of ghosts that never were. He'd submerged himself into work, because it was easier to puzzle through something concrete than something that he never really had a grasp on.

It wasn't the budding relationship that he'd had trouble with. He'd thought it'd been going well. Much better than most of them had gone. No, it was the tidal wave, the sucking maelstrom that came afterward. Breakups were hard normally, but this one had been painful. Despite the small time they'd been considered anything other than friends, it hurt. Perhaps it'd been the way it had went down. And then hearing what Jane had seen, what it made her felt. What it had done to her. The worst, possibly, was realizing there was nothing he could do for her. At least, he felt helpless.

He tried to see it from her point of view- and he did. He understood why she'd cut him out, said she didn't want to see him. What else could a person do when they think their entire existence was a mistake, that they should have died" He'd even tried to disregard the niggling thought in the back of her head about this guy she'd been spending time with. It was none of his business, he told himself. He had no say in who she spent her time with and would never demand she not see someone. He didn't feel compelled to tell her not to see anyone- that wasn't his way. It wasn't even jealousy. He didn't know the guy, and had no reason to distrust him. In fact, if he could help Jane, then Levi was supportive of that. But, still....Still, it was there because Levi wanted to be the person she could turn to. But sometimes it took a person just as f*cked up as yourself to help you see the path. It was odd, maybe, but he understood.

When she had shown up at his house for his birthday, it had been encouraging. Perhaps one day they could even settle enough to be friends without that awkward elephant in the room. Of course, at night when he lay awake, his thoughts were far from benevolent.

It was a time such as that, when the light was struck from the sky by the approach of the unforgiving moon, that his thoughts became something tangible. His bedroom was quiet, a lamp shedding mellow champagne light across the chamber. The tv was on but low, some infomercial touting their wondrous, never-before-seen wares. The dogs were in a random sprawl near the heater vent. It wasn't hard to hear the low vibration of his cell atop a stack of books beside the bed. He pulled his eyes away his laptop screen scattered with work files he couldn't pay attention to. The phone was picked up and soon enough he was immersed in the fast pitch texts from Jane. He read through them a few times before he replied.

Text to Jane: Your dad was good to do that. They were desperate and he bought something from them. I imagine that's better than just asking for money. It probably felt to them that they were doing something for the money. That it wasn't charity. Text to Jane: Maybe you should keep some things instead of pawning them. Or find something new that means something to you, and keep it. Let yourself keep something. Text to Jane: I'm alright. That's the standard response, isn't it' 'Alright"' I miss you. Text to Jane: It is cold. Sometimes I put on my headphones and pretend I'm somewhere else. Text to Jane: Keep your shoes.

The last one he looked at for a moment. Would she understand" Would it seem like he was joking, teasing" But finally he sent it on its way and only put the phone back on its perch after the face had gone dark.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-02 12:30 EST
Dark happened quickly in winter. Night crept upon her with its grasping, pulling shadows and muted the world beneath a dusky blanket. The smother of somber hues chased her back toward the safety of indoors. Her limbs were happy for the movement. She walked briskly. The sweet, smoky scent of burning wood strengthened as she approached the mansion. It tempted her with the promise of comfort: warmth, light, and company. Her heart leaped in eagerness to accept the invitation.

Inside, Jane glanced at the hall clock. It wasn't time for dinner. Not yet. Feelings twisted contradictory in her guts. Part of her was happy for the solitude and flexibility. The other wasn't. She was weak. Could she really be trusted with nothing but her thoughts for company' Her body trembled. Another day had past and she was still a failure. Some days she just fell faster than others.

She followed the illuminated path to the guest wing. If it wasn't for the lights the curving confusing corridors would have left Jane hopelessly lost. She knew it had been constructed that way on purpose. That didn't make it any less annoying. The lights stopped near her door. Home (how ever temporary) at last.

Jane had felt her phone buzz while she made the journey back toward her borrowed chamber. It was silly, but she was nervous. Was it Levi" There were so many different scenarios, and they all felt likely. It could be Peaches or Colt. Or Tenacity. She hoped it was Peaches. That was nice and normal and took nothing from her emotionally. Unfortunately, she wasn't clairvoyant. It would have been awesome and lucrative if she was.

The idea was entertained as she walked toward the bureau and examined her features in the mirror above it. She looked like crap, but that was par for the course. Nothing that make-up couldn't fix. Plain brown eyes cut toward a dark purple sports bottle at the edge of a collection of compacts and small pots of color. Jane forced her eyes away from it and to her phone.

With a practiced pull of her thumb to connect the dots, she unlocked the device and satisfied her curiosity. It was Levi. Her teeth clicked lightly together as she grabbed a blush brush and added some needed color to her cheeks. The bristles were cheap, like most of her things, and stabbed at her skin as she swirled a film of powder over it. The plastic handle made a hollow sound when it dropped back to the dresser.

Text to Levi: Where do you go in your make-believe" Text to Levi: Is it better than where you are now?

Wetting her lips, Jane grabbed the bottle and pulled the stopper with her teeth. Vodka instead of water spilled into her mouth and she suckled at the opening like a babe at its mother's teat. Today had been a failure. Tomorrow, she told herself (as she did every night that she fell short), would be different. Tomorrow was a new day, and she would succeed.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-03 19:11 EST
He'd fallen asleep while waiting for any forthcoming reply. It wasn't full sleep, but a half-life slumber where the body and ears were still hearing what was going on in the mundane life but the mind was unsure of its place. He wasn't sure what he'd been dreaming about, if anything, but the darkness pulled back when the phone alerted him. Reaching out, he picked it up again, reading the two lines.

Text to Jane: I go a lot of places. Sometimes it's a warmer climate. Hawaii, maybe, where the wind is soft and it's bright and not so dark like it is in Rhy'Din right now. You'd like it there. Text to Jane: Sometimes it's a place that doesn't exist, just somewhere where things are easier. Maybe easy isn't the right word. Simpler? A place you can forget your worries for a bit. Text to Jane:] Other times I don't go to a place, but a time. Maybe when I was back in school. Maybe before life got complicated. Text to Jane: Sometimes it's better than here, but it's not real. It's just a place to escape for a bit. And it helps. But eventually you have to come back to the here and now. But when you're ready.

He set the phone back down, folding his hands behind his head and looking up toward the ceiling, the dark wood getting lost in the dimness of the room.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-04 11:39 EST
Text to Levi: What happens when you don't want to go back"

Jane sent the message and tossed the mobile onto her borrowed bed. The gadget skipped like a stone, bouncing twice before settling just off-center. It sank down in a cover that felt like butter against her skin. Instead of nicking more perfume (Nigel's Ex did have good taste), Jane thought, this time she would take the sheets. The bedding hands down cost more than any she owned. With a small turn she looked around the room. Her gaze slid from one elegant piece to the next. Anything in the room was better than what she had in her apartment.

Sighing, Jane fluttered her tongue. Sometimes she did miss having money. Even if the objects within Harcolt Place's walls didn't belong to her. At least she got to use them like they did. Dejectedly she pulled at her clothes. Nigel dressed for dinner. So would she. That was like Harcolt Place, too. Her heart sank as her thoughts twisted askew"Will beside Graham and the caravan out to become the man he wanted to be. Jane grit her teeth. No, not Will. She was thinking about Nigel. He was the one that clothed himself much nicer than she did herself. Nigel was the one with which she was having dinner. She strummed her fingers fitfully against her temple. Nigel; the drum of her fingers beat into her skin and bone.

What was she doing, again? For a moment, Jane felt weak and disorientated. Anxiety constricted her throat. She took a shaky breath and went through the last few minutes. Her mouth was dry. She didn't hesitate to fill it with more vodka. Tears rolled down her cheeks. She was weak but it was better when she couldn't think. Slowly, she solidified herself in what-really-was. She was getting dressed for dinner. That was true and that was now, and it had nothing to do with anything else.

Jane wiped the last of the booze from her mouth. When it came to clothing there wasn't a large selection at her disposal. She hadn't really known what she would need. Consequently, her bag was stuffed with a mishmash of attire. Day, night, exercise; there was something for every occasion. But only one or two somethings. She hadn't had the foresight. All she had cared about was filling her travel case. Maybe he would lend her a driver, Jane thought, then she could change out her outfits. He had mentioned lending her some of his Ex's clothes that had inadvertently been left behind. Jane rubbed a finger along her jaw. How would it feel to wear another ghost's skin"

When she blinked her vision filled once more with the could-have-been and what-had-been. Chloe, perfect Chloe, alive and well; happy. The baby Jane refused to have bouncing on her sister's hip. It was one big cosmic joke. A horrible prank at Jane's expense. Her palms pressed cruelly against her eyes. Couldn't she have one thought"just one without her whole world *&^%ing up" Her nails bit into her brow as she curled them down toward where her palms rested. A trail of angry red left behind. If she took them out, would she still see them' Did the visions live in her head or in her eyes"

Frustrated, she hit her fist against her brow. Each fall of her knuckles harder than the last. She shrieked and wailed her hurt and despair. She pulled the bedding off the mattress and swiped her trinkets off the dresser. She tore at her hair and threw things until there was nothing left to fill her hands. The servants were accustomed to her fits. It wasn't until the storm had calmed, and she was curled up in the nest of her borrowed blanket like an animal on the ground, that anyone came to check on her.

Jane hiccuped and sniveled. "Why can't I just be normal?? She wept to the face that peeked around the door. There were no sweet words to soothe away her pain, or answers that made any sense. There was only silence. The servant just wasn't paid enough to care.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-09 23:33 EST
He hadn't responded for some time. It wasn't that he had to think about why he came back. He knew why and he wasn't balking at the idea of telling her. Only that he didn't know if his reasons were good enough reasons for her. Not that she had to agree with his rationale, but he at least hope she'd take something from it. Maybe think about her own grounds to keep coming back. He was worried and wanted his words to her to help, if they could.

Text to Jane: Then I just don't go back. I go somewhere else, or I linger a little longer where I'm at. Until I am ready. But, eventually, I always come back. Text to Jane: I remember the good reasons to come back to. My family, friends, people who want me around. My job, my dogs. That sort of thing. Even little things, like the sun coming through the big windows in my place, or red velvet cupcakes that pretty brunettes make me.

He sent the messages into electronic space and set the phone down on his chest. He looked up toward the yellowy-light-tinged void of ceiling above him and was still. Her reply did not come quickly and it gave him time to think. Of if he really wanted to say the other things in his head. He wasn't quite sure why he was being so hesitant in speaking to her. Again, it was not for lack of want, but more that all he had was this tenuous hold on her, and he hoped not to lose it completely. Eventually, he picked the phone back up. The digital time told him it had been half an hour. No reply from Jane yet, which seemed to him all the more reason to continue.

Text to Jane: I know you're doing what you need to do, so please don't be offended. If you ever need....someone other than your friends to talk, Sophia's available. She's a counselor. Drug and alcohol, but she also has experience in grief counseling. Text to Jane: I probably shouldn't be airing her dirty laundry but she was addicted to drugs for years. She's been through some hard things. I saw a lot of it. Hell, I lived a lot of it. Text to Jane: I'm not saying you 'need' it, necessarily, but it might help. I want you to get better and I know she'd help. Don't make any decisions or anything, just keep it in mind.

That sent, the phone was tossed onto the pillow beside him, a pillow that for a time had been temporary residence to a tangle of coffee-ground brunette curls. Now it was empty except for the phone that was slowly blinking out of existence.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-11 14:30 EST
She didn't return to her room for two days.

It was morning when Jane returned, stumbling and drunk. The sun was just breaking across the horizon, the rose-tinted light warmed the sterile paleness of her borrowed room. It was pretty and she appreciated nature's palette more than she did the bone-and-cream d"cor. Color made a space feel lived in, she thought. Even if the room wasn't really her own space. It was just a slice off of something bigger.

She hadn't taken the phone to dinner. Sophistication might not be her thing, but that didn't mean she didn't have manners. The mobile's alert light pulsed. It wanted her attention. She just wasn't ready to give it just yet. Instead, she stripped off her filthy dinner dress and threw it in the corner. Self-loathing nagged the corners of her mind.

Failed, again, Jane admonished herself. After leaving the table, when she should have been returning to her room; she'd taken a detour. She'd been tense at dinner. Her nerves felt raw and irritation clouded her judgment. Nigel and her got along just fine, but everything he said had annoyed her. Perhaps the most irritating had been the knowing way he'd watched her.

Why couldn't she drink" She thought waspishly. She could control herself. She didn't need anyone (Genevieve) to babysit her. When she'd excused herself from the table Jane had been restless. She was a big girl. She could make her own decisions. What a great decision it had been, too. Jane just didn't want to think about it any more. "What the *&^% ever," she grumbled as she fell face down onto her bed and tried to sleep it off.

* * *

Jane woke up several hours later and much less drunk. Not sober, but less drunk. She needed to speak to Nigel. She'd been wrong and he'd been right. It smarted to have to admit it. Jane just wasn't as strong as she had built herself up to be. She needed help. He'd been offering it to her the whole time, but her stubborn pride hadn't allowed her to truly accept it.

Rolling out of bed, she retrieved her phone. She vaguely remembered that it needed her"as much as a device needed anyone. Unlocking it, she went through her text messages. They were all from Levi. Her gut tightened at the content. Jane wasn't quite sure how to take it. Was he trying to hint at her that she had a problem, or did he think a counselor would help her with the hourglass" It was insanely possible that she was reading too much into what he said.

She made a face and chewed on her lip. It was also possible that he meant exactly what it seemed like. Sometimes, she wished she was a dude so that the things boys said made sense. Unable to face the implications, Jane ignored what he wrote completely. She set the phone aside and grabbed her journal instead. It had been a gift from him for Yule.

A faint smile curved Jane's mouth as she ran her hand across the journal cover. It had been a thoughtful gift. More so, probably, than the one she'd given him. She would argue, though, that her gift was more fun. His had been practical. Hers had been fun. It said a lot about the type of people they were. Cracking the book open, she flipped through the days until (after checking her phone for the date) she found the appropriate sheet.

Jane exhaled heavily through her nose and fought with the reality-battle going on in her foggy head. She reached for the phone again, but this time she started to type.

Text to Levi: I was writing in my journal today Text to Levi: Today: What was the last thing you apologized for" Text to Levi: Im kind of stumped. Ive apologized a ton lately Text to Levi: To Peaches and Nigel. To myself and to you. Text to Levi: I think the last sincere apology was to you. Text to Levi: And I'll say it again: I'm sorry for everything. Text to Levi: I didn't want to make things hard or weird Text to Levi: and it turned out that way anyway Text to Levi: things are going okay, btw Text to Levi: Im trying to push my way through all this as best I can

Jane paused. She chewed on her ruined thumbnail. Always the same one. It never had a chance to recover. She needed some bitter polish or fakes to help her break the cycle of abuse. Until then, she ground her teeth onto the front of the nail and slivered off what little still poked up above the bed. Deliberately, she tapped out another missive. The last took longest to send.

Text to Levi: Can I have Sophia's number"

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-12 15:04 EST
When she had taken even longer to reply, he'd assumed he wouldn't hear anything else. She had a habit of that, being around for a parcel of time and then wandering off again. It reminded him of a butterfly. He'd fallen asleep and when the sun came up, he was off to work.

As he moved through the motions, he tamped down the desire to look at his phone. If she replied, it would have to wait. At least, he told himself that. Inside he knew that if she had wanted anything from him, and if he was able, he would have dropped what he was doing to help her.

It was interesting, this state of mind. He'd never been in it like this. With Sophia, but it had been different. She hadn't wanted to talk. She hadn't want any help, because she hadn't wanted to feel anything. And as much as he loved Sophia, that was strictly platonic and it hadn't wrenched quite like this. Regardless of what she may think, Jane was special and he couldn't quite help feeling as if there was something that he'd done wrong. Otherwise, it wouldn't be so tight in his chest. Right"

As he sat in his truck after an appointment, he picked up the phone. A small pile of texts. He waited a moment to read them, as he wasn't sure if she was going to be mad at him for suggesting she speak to Sophia. Finally, however, he settled in. There was true surprise in him when he came to the last text. It didn't mean she was going to make the call, but she was considering the option, and that was good.

Text to Jane: Were you? I'm glad to hear you're getting some use out of it. Do you use a wildly colored pen or one with feathers and a do-dad at the top? It seems like you would. Text to Jane: You have apologized a lot. But that's good, right' And I know you're sorry. I know you didn't want to make things weird, but they're weird. It's the nature of the situation. Text to Jane: And I'm sorry for not being able to let go of you entirely. Maybe it's stupid and I'm sure it's not helpful but, hey. Can't fight with your heart. Well you can but its not advised. I know because I'm a doctor. Text to Jane: I'll forward her number to you. Let me know if you need anything, Jane. Honestly.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-13 13:24 EST
Jane took her time and Levi did, too. Life was for living and they both had their obligations. Her world was in a precarious balance. Routine and care kept her house of cards from collapsing. Sometime in the late evening (it could be argued that it was actually morning), she replied. She hadn't been actively watching for his response, and thought of them existing outside of time rather than like an actual phone call. Texts were like little messages in bottles as far as she was concerned.

It had been easy, at first, to let the alcohol metabolize out of her system. At the one-hour mark, she just thought casually about drinking, but she could entertain herself with something else. The two-hour mark was rougher. Six was unbearable. She thought about booze like they say men think about sex. Frankly, Jane would have rather thought about the dirty in-and-out. Instead, she grabbed her blinking phone and tried to focus on something that wasn't going to get her drunk.

Text to Levi: I have one of those naked lady pens that undress when you write Text to Levi: Its a really hot blonde with the best set of titties Text to Levi: I call her Ten because shes just that hot.

She put the phone up. Jane didn't trust herself to respond further. What do you say when someone apologizes for not letting go' Agitated, she scratched at her scalp and pulled her hair away from her face. Wisps of indecisive half-curls fell forward across her brow. Huffing at the strands Jane growled and combed her fingers back. Where was a hair tie when she needed one"

A person possessed she started searching. Determined, she tore through things that belonged to her and things that didn't. The fact she was making a mess didn't even register. She felt claustrophobic. She was sweaty and gross. Her hair was refusing to obey. She littered the common area of Nigel's mansion with the contents of her purse. Wadded up receipts, tampons, and make-up tumbled across the table and spilled onto the floor. She pulled the pillows off the couch. *&^% the hair tie. What she needed were scissors.

"Nigel?" Jane called out as she swarmed off to look for him. "Nigel! Where do you keep the *&^%ing scissors??

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-18 19:19 EST
She didn't cut her hair.

Jane was talked down from the edge of oblivion by a steady British lilt. Nigel was dependable that way. He was strong and steadfast, and everything she was not. It was infuriating and inspiring. Even if afterward the staff quietly hid away all the sharp and bladed objects. She couldn't even find her cuticle scissors.

Laid up in a languid drug-induced haze, Jane found it hard to connect to anything. She didn't feel like she existed in the world any more. She knew it existed. It moved through her, above her, around her"just not with her. Brown eyes were on the outside looking in. Her nerves waltzed with euphoria. The near drunken pleasure of it overwhelmed the gnawing, snappy teeth of her anxiety and irritation. Nothing could bring her down. The could-have, should-have, would-have been slept beneath the cotton that coated her slow-firing brain.

Jane was on drugs and she liked it.

She lounged pool-side like it was summer and not the heart of winter. For some reason, they thought she would drown. Jane didn't see it that way'she totally knew how to swim. It was her medication, they said. The wonder drugs that were making her sane could inadvertently kill her (she did not agree). Jane just couldn't be trusted to make any decisions. Two attendants watched her bask beneath the artificial sun, and made sure she didn't try to play mermaid beneath the chlorine waves.

It was a drag, but it was reality. Chewing on the inside of her mouth, she checked her phone for messages. Nothing new. Her chest vibrated with a hollow pang. What was she hoping for" Confusion wriggled worm-like through the haze in her head. She dropped the phone back onto the chaise lounge.

What did she want?

For now, it was a question without an response; an answer she no longer knew.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-18 20:51 EST
There were good decisions and bad decisions. Scattered among them were horrible decisions camouflaged as decent, and excellent ideas wrapped in lack-of-thought. Jane had her fair share (and then some) of all of them. Perhaps, the most notable (for the moment) was the Disco Ball. She found herself thinking about it to the point of obsession.

What had she been thinking"

Her jaw worked. The muscle jumping as she ground her teeth. It had seemed like a good idea. A natural idea. The best possible idea to reintroduce herself to society. She had been wrong. Things were definitely similar, but they just weren't the same.

It wasn't that the night was a failure. She'd had a good time. It was nice to be surrounded by friends. It came at a price. The cravings were worse than she had imagined"and the triggers! Jane grabbed at her head and cradled its weight. When she closed her eyes she could still see the circulating trays and the fizz of champagne spraying from the glasses (though the last might only exist as a fragment of her imagination.). It was hard and she'd been alone in it.

But she hadn't been strong, had she"

Guilt flooded her chest and she bit her lip hard. There was the shot. It was a game, she thought. What was the fun if she didn't play' She had stared so long and hard into the glass. In the end, she drank it. It was all she had, but she had still taken it. Jane had pulled the glass from the tray. She had held it in her hand. Felt the weight of the cup, smelled the content of the glass, and drank it.

She could have been strong.

Disgusted, Jane paced anxiously; prowling the corridors of Nigel's mansion. She was aimless and restless. Her medication, she thought, maybe she needed another dose. A little more to dull the twisting fit of emotions. In her third pass through the common area, Jane went to the kitchen. She wasn't normally a stress eater, but what was a little cake" That was if Nigel had any.

She tore through cabinets. She opened and closed them, searched but didn't really look at the jars and boxes inside. Why couldn't she be a better person' Jane wondered. Why was it so hard" Was she right all those times when she claimed not to have a moral compass"

Jane pulled out a jar of peanut butter and unscrewed the lid. She took a spoon from a drawer. It was an oddly sized serving spoon, the first that she found. It did the job better than her fingers. Digging out a mound of the paste, Jane leaned against the counter. There off to the side was her phone, charging. The jar abandoned, she reached for the gadget.

Text to Levi: I know you are out of town Text to Levi: Can I see you when you get back?

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-18 23:02 EST
It was good to be home. Not just to get away from the 'big city', but because it was familiar and yet somehow a place he was no longer intimate with. He'd grown up in Thomaston like the rest of the family, but he'd lived in Athens and worked in other areas of Georgia for long enough that it was almost like meeting an old friend after an absence. The sort of meeting where all the details that were beginning to get dull and fuzzy with time came back full force. A rediscovery.

It had already gotten dark, but the daytime temperature had been hovering near the 70s and it didn't completely fade with the coming of night. A relatively thick cable knit sweater kept the chill off as he sat on the dock that jutted out into the calm waters.

There were all the sounds one might expect beside a lake at night. Crickets, the croak of toads and the water lazily pooling against the weeds. For it being quiet, it was loud, but a comforting, natural source of noise. His feet hung over the edge of the dock, the water trying to reach for his shoes but only succeeding in wetting the underside of them. A six pack of beers sat beside him, three of them empty and the fourth held in his hand. He watched the clear sky, eyes moving from constellations to the occasional shooting star. His phone was with him as well, more because his mother had practically forced him to take it than because he wanted it.

After letting people know he was off to home for a bit, he hadn't texted anyone. He wasn't necessarily trying to close himself off, but he had a habit of wanting to figure things out himself. Sitting alone on a dock at night with beer maybe wasn't the keenest way to do that, but, hell, it was worth a shot.

The fourth beer was finished and the empty set back into the cardboard carrier. As he took out the fifth one, the container, unbalanced with only one full left in it, tipped. He caught it, but his hand hit the cell, sending it skittering slightly away. Setting the beer down, he leaned back until he was almost laying down, stretching out his arm and fingers to retrieve the phone. Once it was retrieved he sat back up and the beer was reclaimed.

He glanced down at the face of the cell, which was lit up against the dark from his grasping fingers. Two texts. He figured maybe a wayward client or some mangled message from his mom. Upon investigation, he saw they were from Jane. He was mildly surprised but pleased. There was always a sort of apprehension prior to reading them, always the thought that it could be another form of her telling him she didn't want to talk to him. But he felt like maybe the worst of that was over and they'd talked through text plenty. It was encouraging.

It was just two texts and it was enough for a small smile. A reply was pushed in on the keypad and set hurtling off into electronic space.

Text to Jane: Of course you can. I'll be home on Wednesday. Where did you want to meet up?

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-19 11:35 EST
Jane glutted herself on peanut butter and packaged chocolate chip cookies. Somewhere along the way, she'd found a tub of vanilla frosting. The cookies became the bread to a sandwich that didn't really taste good, but was delightful in its variable texture.

The staff was always trying to feed her. She didn't want to eat. Jane wasted away in longing for the burn of booze scalding her gullet. That need still there, eating away at her insides. Now, the kitchen staff watched her comb through the cabinets. The Cook guarded the liquor cabinet, but made it look casual. Unnecessarily lingering beside the display of bottles. The rest of the staff tried to look busy. Jane tried not to care. She did, naturally. Peevish annoyance grated her nerves.

She dipped her peanut butter-frosting cookie sandwiches in marshmallow fluff and rainbow sprinkles. The counter top was a wasteland of sweet carnage?the devastation of pillaged containers, rent packaging and discarded cutlery. The polychromatic beads had spilled over the counter and rained on the floor, sticking to plops of sugar-goo. So did her crumbs.

Her expression dared anyone to say something about it. Her stance adversarial as she stared down the Cook. Each bite into the teeth-numbing treat deliberate and her chewing open mouthed. Jane was not making friends. She was not lovable or charming. She was angry.

Jane tossed half of her concoction down into the counter, where it splat down in a smear of marshmallow and oozing peanut butter. She licked her teeth and dusted her hands. Swallowing the crumbs that stuck to the inside of her cheeks, she pushed away from the counter and went toward the Cook. She walked slowly and kept her brown eyes focused on the Cook's. Deliberately, Jane reached across and grabbed a tumbler. The Cook started to disagree. Jane could see the desperate search for something to say, something to detour her from grabbing a bottle.

She pulled the glass back and walked to the refrigerator. A meaningful glance was thrown at the Cook and the rest of the milling staff (one of which had gone to clean up Jane's culinary masterpiece). She pulled out a bottle of milk. Carefully, she poured from the carafe into the tumbler and saluted the Cook. The milk went back into the fridge and Jane drank.

See, her expression over the glass seemed to say, I can be trusted (probably not a whole lot, but still trusted). She drank her milk and put the white-smeared tumbler beside the sink. Grabbing her phone, she left the kitchen.

Text to Levi: I dont know. My skin is crawling. Text to Levi: I want to do something fun. Text to Levi: take me somewhere fun, Levi.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-19 16:53 EST
Her skin was crawling. He wasn't sure what caused it, but he wasn't going to ask. Why' Because there was no need. He could sense well enough in the small, black impersonal letters that she very much meant what she typed in. Needed to get out, do something. Maybe she was thinking too much. He wasn't exactly sure what she'd been doing to refocus and get help, but even if a person wasn't working to fix themselves, too much of the same thing could drive you up the wall. There was a long pull of his beer and he replied without much of a delay.

Text to Jane: Fun. Got it. Tomorrow afternoon and evening, we'll do something fun. Promise. And if you don't have fun, you can give me an Indian burn. Text to Jane: Can I pick you up somewhere?

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-19 18:52 EST
Text to Levi: You know I read once that an Indian Burn on your *&^% is supposed to feel super good Text to Levi: And you know if someone wrote it, it's totally true Text to Levi: Just remember that when you're thinking about where to take me

Jane smirked a little as she punched out the flurry of text messages. For the moment, she wasn't thinking about how to prevent the clash of realities in her head, or the crazy that happened when she lost track of what was factual and not illusion. She wasn't dwelling on the restless burn inside her veins or the bugs crawling under her skin and at the edges of her vision. She wasn't even wondering when the pill she'd just taken would start to take effect. It all faded before the idea of doing something normal.

Text to Levi: Can I meet you somewhere instead"

She did, however, start to wonder on how best to cover up her scars. Her lip rolled outward as she eyeballed the still red mended tears on the inside of her wrist. She had used the last of her "fun" money on a temporary disguise charm for the Disco Ball. Jane sighed. This time she'd just have to go old-fashioned and wear a long sleeved turtleneck. That was if she had remembered to pack one. Her trip out was turning into a fashion emergency. She thought about it a moment before composing another text.

Text to Peaches: I need some cake make-up and a turtleneck sweater. Text to Peaches: I wish it was because of hickeys Text to Peaches: Can you help a sister out"

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-19 21:13 EST
He chuckled to himself when he read the text about the Indian burn and what part of the anatomy it would feel best on. He had doubts on that but stranger things had ended up being true. It was entertaining, at least, and the set of texts seemed more like what the two of them were used to with each other.

Text to Jane: You could come by my place, if you wanted. Text to Jane: If that's not neutral enough, how about the old bookstore in West End, A Likely Story?

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-19 22:10 EST
Jane thought it over as she made her plans to meet with Peaches. Absently, she chewed on her never-going-to-recover thumbnail. Could she go to his place" Sure, she could physically go there, but was it a good idea" She started to nibble on the skin on either side of the nail bed. Her gut twisted and the ghostly memory of a could-have-been drifted through her mind.

Text to Levi: I could use a good book. Text to Levi: What time? Text to Levi: I'm pretty flexible. I do have to work in the morning, though. Text to Levi: I have the 3a-3p shift. Text to Levi: From 3p on is good.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-19 22:43 EST
Text to Jane: 3am is a ridiculous time to be at work.

That just needed to be said. Which maybe was silly since he was up at that time fairly often. But right now, sitting on a dock with beer, three o'clock in the morning carried with it its own particular brand of horror.

Text to Jane: How about 4? Gives you time to change or do your make up or whatever it is you girls do. To meet new books.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-02-19 23:04 EST
Text to Levi: The pervs don't sleep so neither do I <3

Jane snorted and pinched the tip of her nose. She even rolled her eyes a little. What a goof, she thought as she read the message. Shaking her head, she scratched behind one of her ears. "Whatever us girls do," she murmured to herself. Exhaling in a series of short puffs, the brunette went looking for Nigel. She needed to remind him that she had to be at work (and ask if she could borrow his driver), and not to expect her back for a few hours after. She kept her phone cradled in her hand, navigating its screens. She was getting real handy at doing two things at once. Next she might tackle walking and chewing gum.

Text to Levi: 4 is good but I have to be home by 6-6:30. 7 tops.

Was that too long" She wondered. Would two to three hours break her sobriety' She rubbed her tongue roughly across her canine. Maybe; she wasn't sure. It would be all right, she thought, as long as they didn't really go anywhere. Jane was trying to keep her triggers to a minimum, which was totally the antithesis of fun—especially when she was trying to have a good time. There was nothing about a bookstore that made her want to drink"except the part where she was taking up space being alive in one. "So lame," she groaned into the empty corridor that branched off to Nigel's wing.

Text to Levi: Or I will totally die from sleep deprivation

She sent. It was a plausible excuse. Jane could go out and have a small amount of fun (fun lite!) and not have to worry too much about herself. She hoped (fingers crossed).

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-02-20 01:33 EST
Text to Jane: That's fine. I'm sure you've got plenty to do. Text to Jane: We'll find something laid back but fun to do, since I'm sure you'll be tired after helping all the creepers with their 'urges'. Text to Jane: That's what my health teacher used to say in 9th grade. 'Urges'. She used to draw it out like uuurrrggeeesss and hiss a bit at the end. It was weird.

The fifth beer was put back in the carrier, devoid of its alcohol and, thusly, its point. The last one was drawn out in preparation of it doing a disappearing act (magic!), but it met the wood of the dock as he read over the last texts he'd sent. Silly, but it felt a damn sight better than being depressed.

Text to Jane: I'll see you Wednesday, darlin. I'm looking forward to it. Sleep sweet when you get there.

He pressed send and looked at the face until it went black. He set the phone behind him and opened the last beer. He didn't drink right away, but instead held it in his hand and let it dangle off the dock between his knees, an easy drop to the water below. But fish didn't drink beer. Daniels did. His eyes returned to the sky and he slowly sank into a calm quietness that had been eluding him over the past weeks. He'd sit out a bit longer. Then he'd head in.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-03-04 20:50 EST
Earl Gray diluted with milk and sugar-sweet sloshed up against the inside of a thin porcelain rim. The tiny cup shook in Jane's trembling hand. The spasm of her fingers beyond her control the vessel fell from her suddenly slack grasp to the ground. It splintered into pieces, spilling murky water all over the pale floor. "*&^%!" She yelped angrily. Firmly, she rubbed her thumb into her opposing palm. She flexed her hand over and over again as she looked at the destruction she had wrought.

Jane knelt to clean the mess. Ceramic shards set painstakingly into the half cup body that remained unscathed. It had been a pretty cup with a hand painted floral design. Roses, she thought. Now it was a puzzle that she had no hope of reconstructing. She sighed and sat back on her heels. Glancing upward toward the counter she spied on the novel that sat still on the edge and the tea pot. Her book, at least, had escaped the encounter unharmed.

She was nearly done with the book"one of three that she had purchased on her outing with Levi. She wouldn't call it a date. It wasn't a date. What did they call it when friends did something together" Jane tried to find a title in the neglected resource that was her brain. Dissatisfied with the distinct lack of selection, she dismissed labeling it entirely. Whatever it was called, it had gone pretty well. So had the whole 'meeting Sophia' thing for that matter.

Putting a few more splinters into the tea cup she stood. She would have to tell the staff. They'd do a better job of cleaning it than she had. Jane dropped the broken cup into the trash. Washing her hands at the sink, she looked back at her book. Maybe, when she finished the other novels, Levi and her could go again. The shop was quaint but well stocked. She needed get a paper, too. Before she could make arrangements with Sophia, she needed to check the entertainment section for show times.

The idea made her nervous. The whole thing with Sophia was a long shot, but it felt worth it. Could she really say she tried if she didn't exhaust every possibility' If nothing else the woman could give her some coping mechanisms"and she needed them. One day the pills would be gone and she'd be on her own.

Jane shook the water off her hands and dried them on a hanging towel beside the kitchen sink. One of the servants entered and she waved frantically at her. "Wait," she cried, "I dropped a cup. There's broken glass!" The servant looked down under her feet. Jane realized, belatedly, that she was the only one prowling around with bare feet.

The younger woman's pale brows drew together. "I will clean it right away, miss." She smoothed her hands over her immaculate uniform with only a few stray blonde wisps around her face to soften the austerity of the tight bun she wore her hair in.

Jane pointed down. "It's right over here." She said. "I cleaned up most of it." There was an unspoken 'you can clean the rest,' in her explanation, but Jane got a mental high five for the assist. When the maid approached, she left the area near the sink, just remembering her book. "Oh and can you bring some tea up to me and Nigel?" She tossed out since she had wasted hers on the floor. She thumbed in a vague attempt to indicate anywhere that was not the kitchen.

"Yes, miss," the serving girl quickly answered. She went under the sink to get some cleaning supplies.

Servants were totally awesome. It was one of those things you didn't miss until they were gone. "Oh and extra macaroons, please,? Jane requested over her shoulder as she headed out of the kitchen and toward the common areas of the house.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-03-04 20:59 EST
She wasn't one to pay attention to the weather. It was winter. Naturally, it was going to be cold and inhospitable. The sky was constantly a melancholy gray and a blanket of ill-tempered clouds dominated the horizon. She was not surprised by the forecast for snow"it was winter.

"Twenty inches they think by the end of the weekend," Jane said conversationally to Nigel as she flipped through the channels on the television. She had her legs half in and half out of the tangled mess they had made of the blankets. The water was running. She wasn't even sure he could hear her.

"Twenty' That's generous of you, love." Nigel called. His accented voice nearly drowned by the shower. "Not to say I don't appreciate it."

That solved that, Jane thought, he couldn't really hear her. "No-o, I'm not talking about your *&^%!" She laughed. "They're expecting snow!" Jane started to yell, crawling over the bed to the side closest to the bathroom, "twenty inches of snow!" Humor heavily colored the tone of her voice.

"It's bloody winter," he shouted back.

"Yeah, well, I got that," she chortled as he voiced her thoughts. Jane didn't care about the weather report. She wanted to watch her Stories. Unfortunately, someone in programming thought that the upcoming storm coverage warranted interrupting the airing of the latest installment of the WestEnders. Fine then, Jane thought as she changed the channel, there was always the Fires of Battlefield Park. It wasn't her favorite program, but it was growing on her.

Twenty inches; if it fell, they'd probably be snowed in. Staying in the home was a great idea"when you could easily leave. The idea of being trapped gave her instant cabin fever. Not to mention, she had to work the weekend. She couldn't afford to miss any more work, nor could she lose the one job she had that was independent of everyone she knew. If everything in her life went south"way bad south'she'd still have that, even if Jane had nothing else.

Jane listened to the shower run. It mixed like white noise with the drone from the television set. In a fit of sudden inspiration, she reached for her phone. There was an overwhelming need to do something before the sky unleashed its fury on the city"which was only a few days away. It was that or crawl the walls.

Text to Levi: Hey before the world turns to *&^% lets go buy some bows Text to Levi: That way we can be ready to shoot us some ice giants Text to Levi: to thank them for all the *&^%ing snow. Text to Levi: And maybe after that you can teach me how to use the damned thing ;D

She dropped the phone back onto the side table and slipped off the bed. The blankets followed her part of the way, falling onto the ground in a twisted mound of pale material. The water was still running. A sly smile tipped her mouth as she approached the adjoining chamber. Her fingers hooked around the entry frame, and she swung herself coyly into the room. "Don't hog all the hot water," Jane admonished playfully as she disappeared inside, the rain-like fall of the shower overpowering her words as she joined Nigel in the bath. ((relates to the Snowstorm Hannibal playable))

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-03-06 20:54 EST
He'd felt his phone vibrate on his way home from work, but all of his attention had been focused on guiding the vehicle through the winter wasteland. Plenty of people had the luxury of being able to stay indoors, but such wasn't the case for someone in his profession. Animals had shown their propensity for getting ill or into odd jams when the weather went sour. Nonstop work and lack of sleep coupled with the slick streets were a recipe for potentially less than stellar times.

He managed to park his truck without hitting anything or killing anyone, and it was a short but frigid trek from the sidewalk to the door that led up to his flat. When he made it inside, it was blessedly warm and quiet, the only noise the low hum of the refridgerator. The cold had left the prick of tiny pins and needles on his face. He cast off his winter trappings and laid them over a barstool on his way to the back room to let the dogs out of their kennels.

There were a myriad little things to get done. Feed the dogs, go through bills, finish reports. Sleep? That would be nice. His taks were completed with the efficiency of an automaton, lent to him by a tired mind. It wasn't until a shower had been had and work clothes exchanged for ones of comfort that he remembered to check his phone.

The texts were read slowly, due to an attempt to focus rather than because they were hard to understand. Ah, yes. Robin Hood training. He hadn't been sure if she'd really wanted to learn or if it had just been a passing fancy. Whatever the reason, it was easy enough to help.

Text to Jane: Sure, just let me know when you have some free time.

Reply sent, he tossed the phone toward the far end of the bed and deposited himself onto a pillow, letting his eyes sink closed with a sigh of breath. Anything weighing on his mind was shoved firmly out of the way in favor of sleep. There'd be plenty to focus on when consciousness returned.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-03-07 22:32 EST
Text to Levi: Lets go tomorrow Text to Levi: Cancel anything stupid you have planned Text to Levi: like work

Jane held her phone in her hands. Her head lolled back against the sofa cushion and she stared sightlessly at the ceiling. She was nervous. Her gut twisted with anxiety and the empty place in her chest fell into the wriggly mire her stomach had become. It was easy to be sure and spitfire when it was just her and Nigel. Now she was extending herself and she was scared. The meds, those blessed little pills, only did so much for her. No one was making her go out into the world. She was doing that to herself. And she had done it over and over again. It wasn't getting any easier. A path burned beneath her feet and she was following it straight into Graham's God's Hell.

She'd never felt so scared. The shadows stretched. Her heart exploded in her chest, a fit of wild bumping that made it hard to breathe. Her lips bent forcefully down in a chin-trembling frown. Drawing up her legs, she hugged them to her chest as she turned sideways on the cushion. Grinding her face against her knees Jane fought"fought with her reality and her need. She fought and ignored the angel on her shoulder whose voice was far too quiet to be heard above the din. There was too much going on.

Jane squeezed her palms into her temples and dug her nails into her scalp. She wanted to peel it back and dig into her brain. Pick out all the bad parts and start over again. "Genevieve!" She screeched. "Genevieve!" The sound of her voice didn't echo. It died in the room with her. Cool hands pulled her apart, straightening the lines of her until a pinching sting pierced her thigh. There was blood on her nails. Jane knew it was only a matter of time before there was blood everywhere. It would flow and it would be her fault. She'd seen it. "So much blood,? she whispered to her caretaker before giving over to the oblivion of the Ativan injection Genevieve administered.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-03-08 00:42 EST
And consciousness had returned, just sooner than he'd expected. He wasn't sure what time it was, probably late. Or, rather, very early. A turn of the head aligned his sight with the bedside clock. 3 am. He thought about just closing his eyes again, but the flat wasn't set aright.

He heaved himself to his feet and went back out into the living room to turn off the lights and lock the door. A glance toward the fridge reminded him he hadn't eaten dinner, but then that fact was quickly forgotten. The dogs were herded into his room as he went and finally his light blinked out. Now there was nothing but darkness. He crawled back into bed, nearly crushing his phone with his knee in the process.

As he flopped down, he read the texts, chuckling a bit at her ease of saying, 'skip work.' He wouldn't do that, but he could compromise.

Text to Jane: I'll make sure I'm off early. Meet you around 4? Text to Jane: I'm crashing out, but just let me know. Text to Jane: Sleep tight.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-03-12 13:00 EST
Text to Levi: 4 sounds good Text to Levi: Just send me the addy. I'll meet U Text to Levi: sleep well

* *

Two Days Later

Jane sat on her borrowed bed with one leg bent, the other dangled off the side. The weather had turned against her (and the rest of the city). She could just hear the wind wailing outside. Soon the town would be encased in white and look more innocent and fresh than it actually was. It didn't matter all that much inside the mansion. Within its walls she was safe.

She glanced around the room. It was also a load better than her place. The cheap heating charm she had would have probably crapped out. It would have been just her and the bottles"and the mess inside her head. Jane reached for her bow with a heavy sigh. A smarter woman would have gone to the book store before a blizzard. Maybe Nigel had something she could borrow, a girly mag or something.

Turning the bow over in her hands Jane examined its simple lines. Great things had started with less. Plucking at the string she thought back to the quandary of a name. An amused laugh escaped her and she reached for her phone to share the good news.

Text to Levi: I think Im going 2 name her Peaches Text to Levi: Just so I can finger her string Text to Levi: That is all. Text to Levi: Try 2 not freeze 2 death

Jane sent the messages and dropped the phone onto the pillow. Delight still showed in her expression, but it was slowly eclipsed by a grim, thoughtful twist to the lines of her features. Could she do it' Adrenaline shot through her veins and her heart pounded. There was still time to change her mind, she thought, or had she put too much into motion. She looked at the door as if by viewing it she could divine Nigel's whereabouts.

No. She'd done too much. Wheels were in motion. There was no going back. Not for her. She looked back at the bow and plucked the string. The twang reverberated in the room and mixed with the sound of the storm outside.

(( Snowstorm Hannibal related))

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-04-16 02:33 EST
It'd been a long time. At least a month. Maybe more" The days blended together at some point. The stairway leading up to his flat's door was cold, seeping in through the thin coat he wore. Much too cold for spring. Fishing the key from his pocket, he unlocked it and stepped in.

It was almost completely silent. No dogs were there to gallop up to him. They were still being watched. He didn't want them back until he could settle. A mostly quiet night was what he needed.

He shed the coat, letting it flop over the arm of a nearby chair. A hand was wiped over his face as he moved to the thermostat to kick it up. The flat held heat well but it'd laid dormant for the whole time he'd been away.

There was plenty of things to do. Eat, take a shower. Sleep" That would be good, too. And God knew he had enough people to contact. Hayley, his cousins....work. He decided he'd start with what was, oddly enough, the easiest. Someone who he thought might be up, and someone who wouldn't be judging. Hopefully.

Text to Jane: Hey, girl. Been awhile. Are you available for coffee sometime, maybe? Text to Jane: I understand if not. Hope you're doing well.

That was the first step. The phone was set down on the island and he made his way down the darkened hallway.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-04-25 14:26 EST
When the text arrived, Jane was nursing her jaw. She had a large bag of ice wrapped in a flimsy white towel. Occasionally, she'd hold the bag against her jaw until the numbing chill was worse than the ache. It was hard to sleep on a hurt face. Her borrowed phone chimed, and she was grateful for the excuse to put the ice down.

Jane laughed. Her mirth rang out in the silence of the room. She hadn't noticed how quiet it was. Maybe, she thought, she needed to invest in a radio. Her lips puckered thoughtfully before she could think better about it. Hissing a breath, she laughed again; tonguing the inside of her cheek and lip.

Text to Levi: u sure ur not dead" Text to Levi: bcoz I can totally channel the dead now Text to Levi: Where the *&^% have u been" Text to Levi: Stop being stupid Text to Levi: Coffee sounds like a good time 2 me.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-04-25 19:31 EST
His cell was afloat somewhere in the living room and he was far too engrossed in his push ups to hear it. That, or it could have been the music pumping into his ears as he finished the last set of oh-so-exciting exercises.

When he was finished, he turned and flopped onto his back, eyes shifting over to the clock. Almost midnight. Earlier than he thought. When had the center of night become 'early' to him' Oh, life, how you change.

After a brief rest he rose to his feet, grabbing the towel flopped over the couch arm and mopping his face and the back of his neck. The dogs had been corralled into the back room so as to avoid them intervening with his work out. They were probably ready to go outside for a few.

He pulled the earplugs from his ears and set the iPod on the coffee table. On his way past the couch he heard the ping that told him he'd missed either a call or a text. Leaning over, he scooped it from the crevice between cushions and read. On his jaunt down the hall he pushed in a response.

Text to Jane: I'm pretty sure I'm not. And I am a doctor, after all. But if you can channel the dead, let's try and call up someone's grandma. Text to Jane: Not mine. Or yours. But someone's. Text to Jane: And I'm not TOTALLY stupid, just wanted to make sure you weren't too busy kicking a*s. ;) Text to Jane: And it's a loooong story. We can chat over coffee. Or dinner. Are you eating these days" Let me know when you have some free time.

He chuckled as he sent the messages off. For some reason, the 'where the f**k have you been' comment struck him as funny. Not that he'd disappeared but just because it was said in true Jane-fashion.

He opened the door and the dogs surged around him, heading for the door. Clearly it was time for a walk. Which was just fine, because he wasn't about to sleep yet. Maybe he'd hit up a late night diner or something. Bad coffee in the moonlight, how about that"

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-05-06 01:11 EST
Jane muffled a laugh, biting her lip to keep it trapped inside. Shaking her head she focused on the gadget in her hand.

Text to Levi: Glad 2 C U havent lost UR dr abilities Text to Levi: We can B all goth about it & just hit up the graveyard Text to Levi: Dont worry. Ill do UR eyeliner 4 U Text to Levi: bet U look gr8 w/cateyes Text to Levi: can I do smokey shadow 2 or that 2 much? Text to Levi: or not enough' ;) Text to Levi: I kick *&^ all day long. ALL DAY Text to Levi: I work when Im not doing that. Text to Levi: Best chance 2 C me is lunchtime at ALWE Wed. Coffee 2 sugars & cream. I only eat macaroons now. Pistachio ones.

Levi Daniels

Date: 2013-05-07 20:32 EST
Text to Jane: Hit up the graveyard" That sounds like a good plan. But what will we do' I don't think either of us have any goth experience, do we" Should I bring a notebook to write depressing poetry in? Text to Jane: I want really dark eyeliner. And not just on the top, all over the place. I want to look like a hungover raccoon. Bring on the smokey eye. Text to Jane: Lunchtime, Wednesday, ALWE. Sounds good. Now that I'm back in town, I'll be helping out there more, so I'm sure our paths will cross. But I'll stop in Wednesday. Text to Jane: With macaroons. Pistachio ones.

Jane Bunbury

Date: 2013-05-08 11:52 EST
A wide smile curved her lips as she read Levi's response. It stretched her abused flesh and re-split her mending skin. "Mother *&^%$#!" Jane yelped, her mirth softening the curse as she firmly, and briefly, pushed her fingers against the offending spot.

Text to Levi: Ode 2 Crying in the Corner by Levi Daniels? Text to Levi: Just dont forget 2 cut yourself later bcoz the world doesnt understand U Text to Levi: U should bring Ford something 2 eat 2 Text to Levi: bcoz it would be rude or some *&^% not 2 ;) Text to Levi: C U Wed <3 My makeup bag cant wait 2 meet U

Jane set the phone down and put the ice pack back on her face. Dabbing at her wound, she could feel an itchy heat radiate in her lip. Fresh blood spotted the terry cloth. Hopefully, the bruises and tears would be faded by the time she went back to work.