Mask Or Menace - IC Contact Post

[helpdesk_hero]

This is David Alleyne, I'm not available at the moment.
Please leave your name, contact information, and what this is regarding after the beep.

Comments

[helpdesk_hero]

Good point.

[He wants to be swayed. Desperately.]

What kind of place are you renting rooms in? A hotel with room service, or an extended stay sort of place with a kitchenette?

[besainted]

Conjoined rooms, one of them with a kitchenette. Restaurants and groceries in walking distance, about a mile back from the beach. I hear the water may still be decent if we're lucky, this time of year.

I know you desperately want to stay and stress yourself out, but say yes.

[helpdesk_hero]

[He’s thought of everything. Including letting David have easy access to his company. And on his end David’s starting to gather things together. Not that he has a suitcase of any kind.]

Would it be weird to pack my things in a pillow case? My satchel bag isn’t big enough. And cardboard boxes would be too large.

[besainted]

[ He feels more relief than he'd expected to. He'd told himself to count on nothing, to be prepared to rent two rooms for one person, to find ways to busy himself during his little relocation ... but he gets a yes. A roundabout yes.

A portal opens behind David, and this time when arms close around his waist, they're not yanking him anywhere. This time Damian just steps in close, his forehead to David's back while he tells himself he doesn't need any of this, regardless of the kind of day he's had — he'd have been perfectly fine on his own. ]

Yes, but no one needs to see it. The rooms are already checked out, we can go straight there.

[helpdesk_hero]

Already checked out? You... [Had fish. Or hope. Either way David smiles. That’s good. And he leans into the embrace, liking the warmth of it. The familiarity. God help him, he’s growing so fond of this man.]

I’m sorry if I worried you. And I hate to admit it, but you’re going to hate going into public with me. I’m going to wear too much clothes and complain about it. But if we can go straight there I can just move stuff by hand.

[besainted]

Right. But then we're definitely getting you a proper suitcase.

[ It's a little muffled, muttered into the fabric of David's shirt. A few seconds more and he drops his hands and steps around him, happy to pretend he'd never stolen this hug, just come right through the portal and nothing more. ]

The only downside is no in-room laundry, but that's not much of a downside as long as I've got these portals. [ And, speaking of, the one he's just come through leads into a lavish, sunny hotel room, featuring the far side of a king bed and gauzy curtains mostly covering a half-open balcony door. ] Want me to carry anything?

[helpdesk_hero]

[David... admittedly gapes as he stares through the portal for a moment. And it occurs to him there is no legitimate ‘etiquette school’ that Damian could work for to afford his lifestyle. Then again, Marco was the same wasn’t he? The kid worked extra off the books. So he can’t really judge.]

The pillow from my bed, it’s memory foam. One of my few indulgences. I’m also going to fill a box with some of the more delicate and costly items for my suppression device. That will be light. And fine. I will save up for a suitcase.

[It is so not high priority.]

[besainted]

[ He heads obligingly for the bed to pluck up the requested pillow, and carries it only as far as he has to, to be sure a toss will clear it through the portal and onto that edge of a bed. He turns back again with a glance around David's room, searching for anything that seems obviously necessary. ]

Which reminds me, I still intend to commission another one. This stay might set that plan back a little, though. [ He's not, despite his best attempts, absolutely made of money. Some budgeting has to happen. ]

[helpdesk_hero]

I’ve already started gathering supplies. Or planning to. Things got hectic and I couldn’t get started planning too much before...

[Well, he shrugs and goes to his closet to start gathering what he needs as quickly as he can.]

I should check but... I tend to sleep with very little on. That isn’t a problem, is it? Also, does one of the rooms have a safe?

[If not he’ll bring a screw driver. He can make a hiding hole.]

[besainted]

I don't know why you would think that'd be a problem. [ Seriously, that's just a pleasant bonus. ] And sure, they probably both do.

[ With no more instructions, he just folds himself into a leaned sit on the edge of David's bed, content enough to watch the not-exactly-packing. His role here is pretty straightforward, just putting Rupert's power to good use. ]

Got anything in particular to hide away, or are you just paranoid someone might try to steal your design?

[helpdesk_hero]

I don’t trust Quentin Beck. My housemates are crazy and apparently homicidal super villains back in their world. Which reminds me I should leave a note for Joker telling him I am not cooking for him for a while. And it’s all delicate.

[And he doesn’t want this stuff turned into something dark and evil. He folds his shirts efficiently and moves to gather pants and undergarments, a few pairs of socks as well, both of his pairs of gloves, and his other electronics, moving them all into his laundry basket before turning to the delicate electronics.]

Other than that I don’t tend to keep things worth hiding. Not physical things.