[audio] @Lucky; Roommate Quest [open]

[mindofathief]

So, uh.

[Some fiddling on the other end. Duster is almost used to the audio function.]

I've been crashing here and there for the night, but considering that it's always cold and I can't risk sleeping outdoors anymore, does anyone have an open space in their house I can sleep in for the rest of the winter? I'll help with cooking.

Comments

audio;

[maisel]

I absolutely abhor living alone and my cabin has two extra bedrooms. Normally I'd be worried about taking in a strange man, but hey, I don't even have a secure entrance, might as well live a little.

[ Her tone is sardonic, grimly cynical, although in the next breath she's dropped the act: ]

You've been sleeping outdoors?

[mindofathief]

Sometimes. Mostly I was indoors. [He responds in his low-energy tone.] I'm not used to this cold weather.

[There was no point in holding onto the memories of his previous homes. He had to make a new permanent space for himself on this island and deal with it whether he liked it or not.]

You mean you need a lock or...?

[maisel]

[ Low energy, meet mile-a-minute New York accent: ]

No, secure entrances are sort of a big important thing where I'm from. A huge city, a place calle the Upper West Side of New York--you need a locked door to the entrance of the apartment building, and a doorman, and an elevator guy, just to make sure no one tries to sneak in and take your jewelry and make sure your kids are safe.

If you need a place, feel free to stay with me. I'm Miriam, by the way, but you can call me Midge--you can call me anything, really. As long as you're polite about it--Mrs. Maisel, too, although at this point it's just a deeply ironic stage name.

[mindofathief]

Oh. [He takes a moment to process all of that.] The Upper West Side sounds pretty dangerous.

[His private room - when he was a local celebrity - was just a locked bedroom door and two club bouncers. This level of security was on par with top secret military bases and 100-floor buildings. How big could this city possible be?]

And I'm Duster, by the way.

...We could see if we can get a lock made for you.

[maisel]

Incredibly so. You really have to be tough. Lock would be great here, too. [ It's very possible she's mistaking Duster's tone for sarcasm and adding on to what she thinks is a joke. ]

Anyway--that's besides the point: hiya, Duster. I'm Miriam. I formally invite you to at least see if my place is up to your standards of living, despite of the lack of an elevator man.

[mindofathief]

[He's been in only one building with an elevator. It was frustrating, but a quick mode of travel. And here was Miriam with her just-as-fancy house with her elevator and door guards.]

I'm sure it'll be fine. I grew up in a small village like this.

[maisel]

I am so, so sorry. [ Was that a joke? Again, hard to tell. ] I couldn't imagine growing up in a tiny place like this. What did you do for fun?

[mindofathief]

[Well that's a thing one says to make themselves feel important...]

We took walks. Went to the beach. Most everyone else farmed while my dad was training me, but we had time to relax.

[maisel]

Training you for what?

[ Is she still worried about him potentially living outside? absolutely, not now she's more curious than anything. ]

[mindofathief]

[He watches her for a few seconds.]

We were thieves. Thieves of Justice, seeing that we were meant to protect the islands from danger. [That didn't go too well.] My whole purpose in life was to retrieve an important item from a castle that was supposed to help us.

...And then I joined a band.

[maisel]

Jeepers. [ She was not expecting that left turn. ] So you're--what, a superhero? Robin Hood, sneaking into castles?

I don't suppose your bandmates are here, too? I'd kill for some live music. Some nice jazz, honestly. Or a Shy Baldwin number. You know Shy Baldwin?

[mindofathief]

I think that's what I was supposed to be. I ended having to save the world a different way, but it apparently didn't work.

...None of my bandmates are here.

[It's been a month. He's been travelling for longer than that, but at least he was busy.]

Never heard of them, either. [He assumes that's a band name.] I don't think any of us share worlds. That's why I can't understand what music Crowley is talking about, either.

[maisel]

Shucks. I've had One Less Angel stuck in my head since arriving here, and I can't sing for beans.

So you're not from Earth, like, at all?

[mindofathief]

Maybe...All I know are the Nowhere Islands, but we were told that the world used to be much bigger before humanity destroyed it.

[maisel]

I swear I just heard you say 'before humanity destroyed it.'

[mindofathief]

I did.

My guess is that I only saw a little more than 100 people living on the islands, if that's all that were left.

[maisel]

Nuclear bomb? War? How does humanity just end?

[mindofathief]

I don't remember.

I mean that I can't remember. Everyone's memories of the old world were erased.

[maisel]

Is th--

--I mean--

--no one got even a little bit curious?

[ Guess what you're blowing her mind ]

[mindofathief]

Oh, I sure was, but there wasn’t much time to ask after we found out.

[They were racing against the clock to save the world while processing everything Leder told them. It was a long day.]

But if I was a kid back then...I could try to find a way to get those back and remember.

[maisel]

Jeepers. Small town or not, you've obviously led one helluva life. [ She's impressed, and it shows. ] My biggest fear when I was a kid was whether or not I could nab a husband before I turned 25.

[mindofathief]

You said you lived in a big city. Wouldn’t that have been easy?

[audio]

[dadandgone]

I have --- HEY!

[There's the sound of a large CRASH. Shattering plates and the like. Maes' curses are muffled, but what he says next can't really be made out. He returns a moment later.]

Sorry about that. The Spirits seem to have decided my kitchen is the one to raid for plates to smash. There might not be much more to cook WITH, but I have a spare couch and a bed if you're looking for a place to crash. Definitely wouldn't recommend this weather for sleeping out of doors at the moment.

[mindofathief]

[Just don't own things, obviously.]

Need help chasing them off? [How much worse can it be than fighting off ghosts?]

[dadandgone]

[There's the distant sound of crashing plates and loud thuds.]

Nah. I think they're entertained enough outside for the time being.

...

Breaking all of my plates.

[mindofathief]

I'm not going to kill them, just scare them into behaving.

[dadandgone]

If you want to try. They certainly don't seem intimidated by me.

[Granted, Maes hadn't tried very hard either figuring this was just another quirky spirit thing to just...leave alone. He took most of his meals at The Invinicble anyway]

[mindofathief]

[Sometimes creatures of the forest just have to be taught a lesson.]

Give me a moment. I'll be right over.

[He steals a few onions hanging from a tree (food and weapons) and makes his way over to Hughes' house.]

@freddie1967

[sauntered_downward]

@ hello
@ soldier

this guy is alright mind if he crashes on the couch

Re: @freddie1967

[lunchbreaks]

Hello Crowley,
Who is "this guy"? Could you elaborate? I believe I have made a soft offer of our couch to a boy named Dusty.
x
Aziraphale.

[ Does he know how to parent up? no ]

Re: @hello 1/2

[sauntered_downward]

🤷he's just a guy who fought a dragon idk he's all right though what does the hsp think

Text @ Soldier

[worthallthis]

[How sad it is that the Soldier knew immediately what "hsp" stood for. More sad is that it means they have to actually offer something here.]

It is your couch. If he needs it and doesn't want one of the other rooms, that's fine.

@freddie1967

[sauntered_downward]

It's OUR couch. It's OUR house.

[worthallthis]

[The ??? is intensifying. But they're not going to argue on someone else's network post.]

Okay. It's still fine.

To @lucky

[sauntered_downward]

OK you can crash on our couch

Audio

[mindofathief]

[That sure was a strange and somewhat off-putting conversation. If they live together, why don't they talk to each other?

Maybe there's things about technology Duster will never understand.]

Thanks. I didn't know all three of you lived together.

@freddie1967

[sauntered_downward]

[What, and converse with each other like adults? That's why they have tablets, to avoid that whole nonsense!]

Yeah, for a while now. Til you find somewhere suits you better, you can crash with us.

Don't be nice to the plants.

[mindofathief]

...

Are they dangerous?

[sauntered_downward]

No, they're spoiled. They need to know their place.

[mindofathief]

[Sadly, this does sound like something the Pigmasks would have created back home: a plant that sasses everyone for damage.]

...I'll be careful to give them a cold shoulder.

[sauntered_downward]

They need to know their PLACE. Can't you even try to be mean?

[mindofathief]

[Yell at the plants at how stupid they are? Is that what Crowley wants? To be like his dad?]

Ignoring them sounds pretty mean.

[sauntered_downward]

Ugh, I'm going to be surrounded by nice people.

Re: @hello 2/2

[sauntered_downward]

hang on why didn't you ask me first before offering up our couch?

[lunchbreaks]

Dear,
Well I was going to bring it up, but then I got distracted.
x