IC Voicemail

[thejakeisalie]

You have reached Barnaby Brooks Jr. Please leave a message and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Thank you.

Comments

[ video ] dated to Byakuya's post! >.> I might spam you again re: carnival idk

[earnedmystripes]

Oi, Bunny. Are you doing anything on Saturday?

[No, he's not asking you out. What do you mean, it's perfectly normal to ask one's partner if they're free on a Saturday evening]

[ video ] lololol, sounds good

[thejakeisalie]

[Have a raised eyebrow, partner.]

I was considering spending time at the library.

[The 'why' rings loud, even if he doesn't say it.]

[ video ] \o/!

[earnedmystripes]

[And Kotetsu can hear it loud and clear.]

Well, uh. I kind of...[Did a dumb thing. That I don't exactly regret but should've thought through better? Par for the course, right, aibou?]

...said I'd go to the birthday party of someone I don't, um. Know.

[...]

Well, I. Know her brother, since he. Gave me a job, but...

[The unfinished part of the sentence: Will you go with me and save me from making a complete ass of myself?]

[ video ]

[thejakeisalie]

[...really, Kotetsu? aljeljre why do you do these things.

Barnaby bites back an exasperated sigh. Honestly, he should be used to you by now... yet somehow, you continue to do things that come out of left field.]

And I suppose you want me to go with you to this... party.

[ voice ] /botherbothers c:

[earnedmystripes]

[There are a couple of voicemails left for Barnaby, each a few seconds long. Each a couple of minutes apart. They're filled with heavy static, as if the Forge is being intentionally shaken.

The truth is, Kotetsu can't hold his hand steady long enough to speak into the microphone, and is afraid to let the silence stretch long enough for Bunny to worry.

Ten more minutes, and he tries again. The Forge is on the table. He's still trembling slightly, but he's steady enough to speak, he thinks.]

Bunny?

[--god, is that what his voice sounds like right now? It's hoarse and cracked, and Kotetsu tries to swallow, but his mouth is too dry, and his throat hurts too much to try to clear it. So much for trying to sound casual.]

...A-are you busy?

[ voice ] /pokes

[thejakeisalie]

[Kotetsu sounds awful. Barnaby responds without bothering to wonder just what could have affected his partner so badly--he's so used to cheerful Kotetsu, the man who would rather do anything than admit anything was wrong with him, that this is downright alarming.]

What's wrong, Kotetsu?

[His voice is just a little sharp with concern that he doesn't bother to hide.]

[ voice ] /wiggles

[earnedmystripes]

Nn?

[There's a sound of somewhat muted surprise. He didn't expect Bunny to call him on it so soon.]

No...I'm...fine.

[It's an obvious lie to both parties involved, but perhaps it might be comforting that whatever has shaken Kotetsu has not shaken him to the point that he's let go of his need to pretend that he's alright.]

Are you busy?

[It might sound a little more insistent, this time, though Kotetsu doesn't intend it.]

[ voice ] /rolls around the floor

[thejakeisalie]

[...it's oddly comforting that Kotetsu is sticking to the lie, even if it's painfully obvious. Barnaby thinks about it for a moment--he does have a few things he could be doing, but it's nothing dire... and that slight insistence in his partner's voice, coupled with how out of character Kotetsu is acting, easily convinces him that this is more important right now. So after a moment he shakes his head.]

No, I'm free at the moment. Would you like to come over to the apartment I'm staying in?

[If Kotetsu thinks that was easier than usual... well, it was. Barnaby still hasn't shaken his insecurity about being all but alone here. Therefore, seeing Kotetsu in this crazy place is reassuring.]

[voice, after Fai's call is posted]

[miata]

Barnaby Brooks? Can-mean, May we talk?

Want to understand something. And am..very confused. About what I've heard.

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

[He's been avoiding looking at the Forge, but he does still check his voicemails. Just in case Kotetsu wants to talk to him again.

He almost doesn't answer this, but... well, he can't ignore people forever, as much as he wants to.]

Yes, I suppose so. What is it?

[He sounds tired, and he's not really trying to be courteous. He can't seem to put forth the effort, lately.]

[voice]

[miata]

Fai got drunk, and...he read out a letter. That Kotetsu wrote him. And...he said you were angry at him.

And that made Kotetsu so angry that he can't be friends with him anymore. But it doesn't make sense. Even with love.

[voice] 1/2

[thejakeisalie]

[His voice sounds blank with surprise, because... Kotetsu getting angry? Wtf.]

Ahh... just a moment, Miata.

[Brb, finding this ridiculousness.]

[voice]

[thejakeisalie]

[His first reaction upon hearing Fai's accidental broadcast is pure relief. His partner is cutting ties with that bastard, though it sounds like a conditional thing. What promise? Not that he really cares...

The second feeling is surprise. Fai... had liked Kotetsu in that way? He can't help feeling a little glad that his actions helped to drive Fai away, no matter how small that help might have been. Kotetsu is his partner, dammit.

...he won't dwell on that last part too much. Instead he bites back a sigh, glad she can't see him rubbing at his temple.]

Kotetsu isn't angry, Miata. I'm not certain what that promise is about [though he has a few guesses] but whatever it is, if Fai ever made it... Kotetsu would welcome him back. It's the sort of person he is.

I hope he doesn't, though. I am angry with Fai. [Also kind of terrified, but he won't say that.]

[ video ] After Isley's post!

[earnedmystripes]

[The first time he calls, Kotetsu will leave the following message. And then he'll continue to call over and over until Barnaby picks up the Forge.]

Oi, Bunny! Pick up! I found out a little about Priscilla's memory loss.

It's not connected to Maverick, or Ouroboros. And the guy who did do it's not here anymore.

[SO PLEASE DON'T HAVE A NERVOUS BREAKDOWN ON HIM AGAIN, HE CAN'T EVEN TRY TO HELP FROM THE CLINIC ;A;]

[video]

[thejakeisalie]

[He picks up almost immediately, replying as soon as he's sure it's Kotetsu. And because he's too distraught, for the first time in ages he doesn't switch over to voice. Kotetsu gets to see how his partner is holding up--pretty well, actually, as it turns out. He's pale, and he doesn't look like he's been sleeping much, but he's still outwardly together. Being forced to get up and go to work every day he's supposed to helped a lot with him keeping his calm, as it happens. As little as he liked that, it was infinitely preferable to having a breakdown.

...besides, he's discovered that working takes his mind off his troubles, for a little while at least.

His eyes widen as the implications of what Kotetsu is saying sink in.]

He isn't? You're certain?

...how can you be certain?

[ voice ]

[earnedmystripes]

[It's only audio because he's already running, and if Bunny has looked at the network, he'll know why.]

I'm going after him. He'll die out there.

[And he's glad that despite everything, his partner knows him well enough not to try to stop him.]

Won't ask you to come with me if you don't want to.

[ voice ]

[thejakeisalie]

[Yep, he knows exactly what Kotetsu is talking about, and he'd been half hoping his partner wouldn't see it. But now that he has...]

Don't be ridiculous. As if I'd leave you out there with him.

[There's the sounds of him getting ready to leave in the background.]

I won't ask you to wait for me, I'd be wasting my breath. But try to be careful, won't you?

[ voice ]

[earnedmystripes]

[If the situation weren't as dire as it was, he might have chided Bunny for that response--more for his reasoning than the callousness; Kotetsu knows it affects him more because Fai told him the whole story, much of which his partner doesn't know. But lives should always be paramount to a Hero, regardless of personal grudges. And maybe they're not technically Heroes, here, but it's too wrapped up in Kotetsu's sense of identity for him to let it go.

Instead, he simply says--]

Thanks. And I will.

[...probably.]

[ voice ]

[thejakeisalie]

[Don't chastise him, he's letting go of enough of his personal grudge to help at all. He could just ignore this.]

I'll be there as soon as I can.

[But right now he doesn't dare use his power unless he absolutely has to, so he'll be slow getting there... and probably slower finding them, since he isn't even sure of the direction to go in. But he'll try anyway.

He gives his suit a longing look; it would help if he ran into trouble and had to fight something, but there's no time. One last check of everything, and he's running out the door, headed in what he's pretty sure is the right direction to get to where Fai is.]

[ video ] backdated a bunch of days to the 18th

[earnedmystripes]

[This is totally a casual voicemail. There's nothing at all Kotetsu has on his mind while making this call okay.]

Oi, Bunny, so I was wondering...after patrol today, do you wanna spar a bit? Since you're still getting used to your new powers and all and no one else knows how I fight as well as you do.

[Totally casual. Totally.]

[ video ] \o/

[thejakeisalie]

[Barnaby's looking better. The shadows under his eyes have lessened, and while he's maybe not getting as much sleep as he really should he's getting enough to function, which is more than can be said for a week ago. Good enough.

He tilts his head a little, looking curious.]

...I suppose that would help, yes.

[Though he remembers how badly Kotetsu was hurt last time--no, no. That was Jake. He'll be careful, though he's still a bit apprehensive about this... what if he makes a mistake?

The careful casualness of Kotetsu's voice is also setting him on edge, though he couldn't have said why. It just felt odd, somehow...]

Are you sure about this, Kotetsu?

[ video ] \o\

[earnedmystripes]

[For his own part, Kotetsu's feeling better as well, though there's little in the way of noticeable difference. Lunatic is still out there, and Kotetsu has still been having some of his own nightmares, but...he feels a lot less like his life will crumble under his fingertips if he lets go for a moment.

He can't help but grin a little at his partner's concern--you're being a very cute bunny right now, partner. -3-]

'Course I am!

[Careful, careful, don't sound too eager.]

My endurance is my only strong point, right?

[Voice]

[strategizing]

This is Lelouch. I was wondering if you would be amenable to an alternate location for our next meeting. I could use somewhere with a little more privacy and possibly with stronger drinks. Please do let me know.

[Voice]

[thejakeisalie]

[The reply comes only a few minutes later.]

I wouldn't object to that at all, actually.

[Getting out of the house and away from the adoration of a certain child during the evening would be awesome.]

I assume you'd like this to happen in the evening rather than the afternoon?

[Voice]

[strategizing]

That is good news. The evening does seem a more appropriate time, though it will be on the later side due to rehearsals. Would 9pm work for you?

[It will give Lelouch an excellent reason not to even come home until after Suzaku has likely retired for the evening that way.]