[video]

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

[There's a woman in an MAC apartment! She is blonde and early middle-aged and sitting at her MAC standard-issue kitchen table, with an empty plate in front of her. Her hair has been tied back sternly from her face.]

The fourth was quiet. I mean--obviously, the nonstop explosions weren't. But for me, it was pretty quiet, comparatively. Back home, we'd have gotten half the family together for a cook-out, and nobody would stop talking. The dog would be going crazy at the grill--we were never able to train him out of that, screw Cesar Milan--the kids would be screaming and scraping their knees. I'd be driving myself crazy trying to get everything ready. I mean, this is all hypothetical, since it was November back there the last time I checked, but from what I'm hearing time is the least crazy thing about showing up here. Anyway, the night before last I watched the fireworks and got some lousy Chinese. There was a sort of peace to it, but peaceful isn't really what I signed up for. If I signed up for anything. Which I didn't, but hey, who cares, right?

[She pauses in her speech, and her shoulders sag.]

I didn't want to do this--you know, the whole introduction thing. It makes this seem real, and a part of me was really hoping that it would go away. I keep thinking that this is some crazy dream, and I'll go to sleep and wake up next to Joey with the damn dog drooling on the comforter where he doesn't even belong. But I've been pinching myself a lot, and every time I wake up, here I am. I guess what I'm saying is that I don't think I've got much of a choice about this anymore, especially if it's making our personal Guy Noir look at me the wrong way.

[A weak smile.]

My name's Michelle, and I'm going to stop talking about myself now now. I'm on the fifth floor of the MAC, the door's open, and there's kielbasa on the stove if anyone wants some. Hey.

Comments

video

[hacktivist]

Don't worry, it isn't real.

[considers]

Open invitations here are potentially dangerous. Can you defend yourself?

video

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

[Her eyebrows raise because GOSH THAT'S A WEIRD THING TO SAY, but she cool she cool.]

I have a few years of Taekwondo under my figurative belt. Either way, there's nothing anyone's going to get from beating me up outside of some Polish food I'm giving out either way.

video

[hacktivist]

[sort of trawling for a reaction] They got something out of mangling the boy in the alley.

Did you hear about that?

[impediatrician.livejournal.com]

Guy Noir. You flatter him.

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

You catch more P.I.'s with honey than with vinegar. That's got to be a saying somewhere.

[encrypted; text]

Report.

encrypted; text

[impediatrician.livejournal.com]

Private investigators. What useless little men. We shouldn't waste our time.

[Pause. Begrudgingly:]

Fugue, reporting in. Location: Washington, DC.

permatext

[disillusionists.livejournal.com]

SHE'LL SWITCH OVER GOSH ROSE

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

It depends on what I'm talking about. My depressing coming-home fantasies aren't really on the list.

FUCK REAL CONVERSATIONS OKAY

[disillusionists.livejournal.com]

video;

[shiny-lilkaylee.livejournal.com]

Hi, Michelle! *'Cause Kaylee can't resist making friends.* How long's it been since y'got here?

video;

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

A week and two days. How about you?

[shiny-lilkaylee.livejournal.com]

Gosh, s'been a few months now.

[video]

[blue_and_proud]

[Raven gives a friendly wave.]

You're just inviting strangers up?

[video]

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

I'm starting to think it wasn't so hot an idea, but yes.

[video]

[blue_and_proud]

Most of the people I've spoken to are pretty okay here. I don't think you need to worry.

Did you just arrive?

permavid & text.

[culver]

[LITTLE ANGEL GIRL SMILING AT YOU]

Hello Michelle I am Nill. How long have you been in the City?

permavid!!

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

[OH GOSH SHE'S SO CUTE]

Hi, Nill. It's been a while, I guess, but it doesn't really feel like it. This whole week has just been a--a crazy blur.

[lyingbrat.livejournal.com]

Don't worry about it. Mr. Sage en't a bad person.

What's Kielbasa?

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

It's a kind of sausage from Eastern Europe--that's where my family's originally from. Back home I'd have grilled it, but there isn't exactly a barbeque available up in this highrise.

video;

[niceassassin.livejournal.com]

It seems I'm but a floor away from something delicious. Also, this kielbasa may be good.

video;

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

Yes, well, it's also the only thing I'm giving out. [is that orlando bloom...]

[video]

[loveyourenemy.livejournal.com]

[Oh hi again.]

It took me a while to really believe it, too. I thought it might have been some kind of simulation, at first.

It'd be better if the 'Porter would only keep the people who want to stay, and send back the ones who want to go. But... this place really isn't so bad. There are a lot of very kind people here.

[video]

[watchovers.livejournal.com]

[HEY YOU]

So I'm finding. [She shrugs, her expression going from a :) to something more like :/.] Not everyone gets brought in from the best places, huh? Honestly, I'm probably incredibly lucky to be so upset about it. It means there was a lot to lose.

action.

[slayerpreferred.livejournal.com]

[She pops in the open doorway, waving.]

I hope that invitation is still open-y because here I am. Meat was promised.

permatext;

[pilfered]

not introducing oneself is not the crime certain people make it out to be.

do let me know if the pinch ever proves effective.