city of ariel ic "inbox"

[heartboobs]

text. | audio. | video.
( ( Please: (1) put a format (text/audio/video) and a date or time, if applicable, in the subject line when replying ; (2) assume Maya IC-ly gets back to messages as soon as she's able after receiving them ) )

Comments

text; backdated to mayor's address (6/18).

[allbite]

I suppose we'll get a proper taste of the storm you'd heard and told me about. Are you scrambling to protect anyone? You know it'll be futile.

not here;

[heartboobs]

[For the longest time, she never receives a reply. Strange, considering the intended recipient of her message had been Maya.]

text; forward-dated to whenever she comes out of re-ed! 5/27, perhaps?

[heartboobs]

[But eventually she does earn a return text.]

It would be futile, if I did it on my own. But if I

did it with the city's help, then

[She's also... messaging her while she's fucking, but just ignore that.]

text; uh oh maya what did you do

[allbite]

Then?

[ She is being unusually short, not to mention late in response, but the recent event is a good enough excuse for delay, even for Maya. ]

audio; after Ursula's post because I can...!

[colorofthesky]

[ Call for you, Maya. Please pick up. ]

Hey.

...are you okay?

audio; <3!

[heartboobs]

[It's Zack. And normally she would brush him off, tell him not to concern himself with her and that she's okay, but she knows he'll be able to tell the lie in her voice as soon as she speaks.

Maya takes a deep breath.]

No, not really.

audio;

[colorofthesky]

[ Considering he knows where she was for all that time and how she's been acting at Masamune lately? Yes, he certainly would have noticed a lie.

There's a brief pause before he asks, gently: ]

Do you want some company?

[ Not for sex. Just the security of knowing someone else was there. ]

text; 6/6

[puppetninja]

Wanted to thank you for the welcome wagon you gave me when I arrived back in this place.
Sorry I didn't hit you up before now; shit's been a little crazy.
How are ya?

text;

[heartboobs]

[Initially, she doesn't recognize a "Bro Strider". Or why she's receiving this message.

Although she does have a sneaking suspicion.]

Good, but... I'm sorry? Are you sure you're calling the right chip name?

text;

[puppetninja]

[Oh. Oh, no. He should've known, and he's kicking himself already.]

...Yeah.
Pretty sure.
You live in that pink mansion, right?

6.25

[allbite]

[ There's a crispness to her voice, like after one brushes her teeth. For Frühling, the metaphor reinterprets the clarity she's finally reached, nearly three weeks after re-education.

She remembers everything and contains the anger—it makes her all the more dangerous, all the more deceiving. But, let's see how shrewd Maya is. It's been a while for her too since her therapy, no? ]

Good evening, Maya. Do you have a moment?

[heartboobs]

[It's not like she expects to be contacted by Frühling. But as with anyone, it's a small courtesy she can indulge.]

... I do. [And she does. She makes one, setting whatever she was working on aside for the moment.] Good evening. What is it?

[She doesn't exactly remember the last conversation they had over the chips like this.]

[allbite]

I've just been wondering if you've seen him lately—Giovanni.

[ And the name is like an iceberg, an unassuming surface with a wrecking mass below. Can't suspect much anything yet…except for whether or not Maya understands his connection with Frühling. He's probably never said. ]

text; After Zack's post

[mentors]

Maya? Do you have a moment to talk?

text; After Zack's post

[heartboobs]

Of course. What is it?

text; After Zack's post

[mentors]

[He debates how to bring this up gently, but Angeal has always been terrible at beating around the bush, and moreso lying.]

Could you tell me how re-education works? Or put me to someone who does? I'm not sure who else to ask.

7/31-8/1.

[allbite]

[ The details around Maya's avoidance towards Sephiroth's club escape her, but Frühling knows the reporter is the best candidate capable… hopefully she's available. (And never mind their pesky personal business related to a yellow-haired mutt.)

Because it is likely she's already heard the news, it is without flourish and without ceremony (but with a couple drinks in her blood) that Campanella Frühling messages Maya Amano once again. ]

I need your help with Masamune's ownership.

[heartboobs]

[She's probably heard some news. Who knows if it's the whole deal. In any case, when Frühling calls for her, Maya responds. She has nothing to hide and nothing to be afraid of, including (and perhaps especially) where it relates to Giovanni.

But those texted words are awfully heavy, aren't they? Her first thought is why her and her second is what was he thinking. Once again, Sephiroth's actions elude her.

Ah, well. She'll never figure it out if she doesn't try.]

How so?

[Best step carefully.]

[allbite]

[ Maya is right to tread carefully. Frühling has made little effort to show she's anything but cold or cruel-hearted. She's the opposite of Maya and a mirror to Sephiroth's unkindness. Understanding her that way, perhaps it's not so strange he's chosen her to be his replacement. Although she's loathe to befriend the rest of the club's staff, she has been an efficient co-manager the past few weeks. She is capable of ownership—she was an army commander before, even—but, still. Actually inheriting ownership is quite a shove.

You will not fail—and she won't. Even if it means being forced to rely on others, she wants no other result. ]

The current owner that asshole deserter liar LIAR Sephiroth told me he's taken care of everything so I assume you've been informed about his passing ownership to me. However, for one reason or another, my progress in ascending Ariel's status ranks has been slow. In order to preserve Masamune's assets, I need your name on the official documents.

You've no need to trouble yourself with the management; that much I can handle on my own. Can I count on you?

8/26

[citizensofariel]

[Maya has received yet another flower delivery to her office at Masamune. It's a single long-stemmed flower, for once, but it's completely unlike any flower Maya has ever seen before. This particular flower is vivid red, with plush petals resembling puckered lips, and its lovely scent causes her fingertips to go pleasantly numb for a few minutes. Wrapped around the flower's stem is a glittery pink ribbon, and attached to the ribbon is a crisp note:

"Dear Miss Amano," writes her less-than-secret admirer. "I hope this small token of my appreciation finds you well. Please forgive me for the late notice, but I'm afraid that I'll have to cancel our upcoming appointment. Too much is happening right now for me to devote myself to you properly. The next time we see each other, I shall strive to more than make up for my absence. With regards, Louis."]

[heartboobs]

[When Maya first sees the flower and flips open the note, all that registers is that it's another creepy flower from pervert boy. But it is eye-catching. And it is pretty. Before she knows it, she's reaching out a hand to flutter a few fingertips against its petals, allowing them to trail down the length of the stem.

It's only afterwards that she realizes it could be laced with aphrodisiac or something else concerning, like everything in this city tends to be. The numbness in her fingers and the turning of her stomach might as well be due to whatever general feeling of "not right" that's overtaken her for the last several days. But she's not taking any chances. The flower is beautiful, and she wants to keep it around (sans the embarrassing note), but she's just not in the mood for any of this.

Into the closet it goes, along with the tiny vase keeping it upright -- seriously, where the hell does he think she's supposed to put all these -- and Maya presses the door shut, absently wondering about what the message was all about. What's happening? It would take a lot for him to cancel.

Then again, she'd forgotten about their appointment and scheduled over it with a visit to the hospital, so maybe it's for the best.]

9/8, early morning.

[labyrinthos]

[The message begins with a simple address located in a high-level section of the City, as well as an alphanumeric password. Then,]

Please check this out for me. Whatever you find in safe deposit box #303 is now yours to keep. All I know is that it's meaningful to Masamune.

[The address should lead Maya to a specialized facility for storing valuable goods like jewelry and fine art. Of the rows and rows of safe deposit boxes with built-in keypads, #303 contains an incredibly important item: the black key. It's the mysterious baton that Sephiroth passed down to Frühling, which locks and unlocks the entirety of Masamune. Frühling informed Kaworu of the key's whereabouts, before she left him, and now Kaworu is informing Maya of the same. He could use the key as leverage for a better paycheck or something, but what the fuck would be the point?]

[heartboobs]

[Early morning is still too early, Kaworu. Maya receives the message in a foggy haze, at first barely processing what's going on with everything left mired in confusion.

Of course her texting reflects this scattered feeling.]

What... What is this? Why? What's going on? Did you contact Frühling?

[The fact the address is in a high-level area of the city might mean Maya needs to go fetch the object (or whatever it is) herself, but she defaults to what she thinks is the best move initially, anyway.]

[labyrinthos]

Frühling gave it to me. I'm giving it to you. [Not in person, though. Kaworu even went as far as to hire a courier to take care of this safe deposit thing in his stead. He can't imagine getting up from the sofa, much less delivering Frühling's final request.] She left everything in my care but I don't know what she's expecting me to do with it. So I'm giving it to you. You'll know what to do from now on, won't you?

9/17

[citizensofariel]

[Is Maya getting tired of weekly deliveries from Louis Webster? Too bad. This week, at least, it isn't a stereotypical bouquet of flowers. This fragile gift, hand-delivered by a courier, turns out to be a sealed Mason jar with what looks like a softly glowing firefly inside of it. Closer inspection will reveal that it's actually a very tiny robot made to resemble a firefly. Along with the jar, there's a lavender-scented note:

"Dear Miss Amano," he writes lavishly. "This time, I'm confident that you will find my token to be beneficial to your health. If you release this environmental bug in an enclosed space, such as your office, it will keep that space clean of dust and allergens for at least one week. With regards, Louis. PS: If you ever feel yourself to be in danger, I will protect you. I promise you that."]