el nysa • inbox

[ettersberg]

Comments

un: eggsy

[tailorable]

hey thomas
do you know if you're gonna stay in wyver or head back to olympia?

[ because he definitely cares and is suddenly very worried he'll be far from his new friends (not that thomas is strictly a friend exactly after, well, y'know). ]

[ettersberg]

[ nightingale feels like he should have reached out much further. asked how eggsy is doing, whether he's quite all right, whether what occurred was — too much. unwanted or unwelcome. (he remembers eggsy's yeah, yes, the way he'd looked at thomas, but nothing had been quite normal that night, had it?)

he should have, but he hadn't known how to phrase it. this message now is welcome in it's apparent casual nature. thomas still takes a moment to compose his answer. ]

Eggsy. It's good to hear from you.
I was thinking of returning to Olympia. What are your plans?

[ he remembers, at the last moment, not to sign it. ]

christmas gift;

[revlon]

[ Likely handed to Thomas in person at either one of their sparring sessions or perhaps afternoon tea. Peggy's gift is a slim box wrapped in brown paper and a ribbon. Inside, he'll find a set of three hand rolled cotton handkerchiefs, each in a different but muted colour, and embroidered with the letter N.

The enclosed note reads: My mother always misplaced hers, so I don't think you can ever have too many. Happy Christmas, Mr Nightingale. — Peggy Carter ]

[ettersberg]

[ he has a present for her as well that she'll receive after an afternoon tea. it's soft, wrapped in simple paper. if she opens it, she'll find an athletic outfit in the style of her time. there's a note as well:

The tailor assured me the measurements are correct. I hope it fits. Merry Christmas and until our next sparring session. ]

christmas!

[tailorable]

[ in the days leading up to christmas, eggsy delivers a neatly-wrapped, thin, square package accompanied with a label reading FRAGILE in his slightly messy scrawl. the present contains a hand-painted map of london (not by eggsy, of course — he knows when to outsource) in a wooden frame. Not as good as the app, is it? Merry Christmas, Thomas. — Eggsy ]

[ettersberg]

[ thomas is familiar with the map function of phones -- and a day after christmas, he proves that he can handle the camera function, too: eggsy receives one (1) image of the map put up in a prominent position on a wall, no other images beside it, above a desk. he may or may not remember said desk as standing in thomas' bedroom. ]

Thank you.

christmas gift;

[beknight]

[ Handed to him as well, in person, instead of being left for him to find, also a bottle of whiskey, as well as a set of two glasses, very durable and hard to smash. Locally made. The note attached reads: Merry Christmas. - A. Foster in Bruce's elegant cursive. ]

christmas

[poolhall_killer]

[Around Christmas, Nightingale will receive a small wrapped box containing an elegant accessory set along with a pair of socks. There's a note attached to it:]

I felt the need to add to the gentleman's wardrobe. May you have a good holiday season. - V

text | un: carter

[revlon]

Mr Nightingale, do you ride?

[ettersberg]

I haven't in a long time, but yes.

audio | un: carter (backdated)

[revlon]

[ It's been a day or two since the riots broke out in Olympia. Peggy's taken to the streets to do her best to protect people, even if she's gotten caught up in the fighting same as those she's trying to help — and she's a little worse for wear because of it. She's tried to check in on her friends and she only manages a spare moment to do so every once in a while.

This phone call comes in the evening from the relative safety of her own home. Letting her guard down outside after dark is not a wise move nowadays. And once Thomas picks up: ]

Mr Nightingale, thank God. Are you all right?

[ettersberg]

[ he's spent one afternoon out and about, trying to help, trying to do his duty as a guard. trying to keep the peace. one afternoon and one too many lungfuls of whatever made everyone, including him, more aggressive than the usual, his control slipping away from him, and he hasn't left his apartment since. ]

Quite. [ his tone is utterly calm. ] Are you?

text / un: eggsy

[tailorable]

[ he types out a few different messages: henry's gone back into cryosleep, you won't believe what my face looks like right now and some colourful emojis, and finally sends — ]

have you survived the shitstorm?

[ettersberg]

I presume by "shitstorm" you mean the recent aggression. If so, the answer is yes. I have.

[ but more importantly — ] Have you? [ obviously yes, seeing how he's texting thomas, but that isn't really the question. ]

action; sometime in march,

[originallutece]

[After all the chaos, after all the nonsense, after Wyver burning people alive and Olympia going mad with nationalism, after all the pain and loss of pride and grief . . .

After all that, there's something wonderful about doing nothing more than sitting down for a cup of tea with a friend.

Rosalind's left arm is wrapped up tightly in bandages, and she favors her right (more than she already did, anyway). He'd asked after it in his usual unassuming way, raising an eyebrow and glancing over, and she'd waved him off. She'll tell him, but not right away. For a time, she wants nothing more than just to pretend everything is normal.]

. . . I made a new friend during it all, at least.

[She lifts her left arm.]

A doctor. Bossy thing, but friendly enough, and we had ourselves a bit of an adventure after he stitched my arm. John Watson-- have you met him?

[ettersberg]

[ thomas has avoided most of the chaos by removing himself from the action. there are moments when he wonders if it was the right course of action because -- he could have done a great deal of good.

he could have done a great deal of harm, too. he very nearly had.

but all that is behind them now and they're seated in his apartment, a place largely untouched by the chaos because of the shields he'd erected to keep the gas out and himself safe during it all. nothing is out of place, everything is entirely ordinary. the only thing belying the illusion is her arm in bandages. ]

Ah.

[ does he know john watson? there may be some warmth to thomas' cheeks that hadn't been there before as he thinks of all the ways in which he knows john. ] I do. We're -- friends.

[ is that even the right term? ]

forward-dated to kidnapping plot | un: eggsy

[tailorable]

hey
just wondering if you're alright

[ not missing. it's a bit of a vulnerable message, but it's one worth sending, in the current climate. ]

[ettersberg]

[ thomas has been - keeping to himself a little more in recent weeks, venturing outside a little less. losing control the way he had, being affected so strongly as to nearly level a building, well. to say that it has worried him is somewhat of an understatement.

still, he's aware enough of what goes on to place eggsy's message in context immediately. ]

I am. And it is good to hear from you.

un: j.watson

[enarms]

[ it's been a long time since John's been in touch with Thomas. the city's been quite literally on fire, one mad thing turning into another, and he's one of a very few non-Sanctuary doctors left in Olympia: he's been busy. besides, he's assumed Thomas to be more than capable of looking out for himself.

things are different now. people are going missing regardless of their strength, their capability. there's a warning out, a call to arms.

John sends off a text. ]

Still with us?

[ gallows humour. at this point, it's that or go mad. ]

[ettersberg]

[ thomas has not been busy. thomas has been - keeping to himself, really. he'd gone out one time and it had nearly led to a levelled building before he'd caught hold of the last of his control and locked himself inside his apartment, magic keeping him sane as much as anything else. (he's still very glad that worked.)

he has, more recently, picked up his guard duties again, but unlike others, he has not been going any extra miles. he knows just how much damage he can do.

and yet, john's gallows humour is something he is intimately familiar with. ]

Naturally. As, I take it, are you.

aftermath | gently dominates this inbox

[tailorable]

[ he contacts thomas the day after the mission finishes. in lieu of any useful updates — ]

I hope JB wasn't too much trouble.

[ perfect punctuation 'cause he's using the dictation function. ]

I love you in his inbox

[ettersberg]

[ nightingale is not so versed in technology that he can figure that out, so the perfect punctuation is almost worrisome. and yet, as always, it is good to hear from eggsy. ]

Not at all.
How are you, Eggsy?

text, un: j.watson 1/2

[enarms]

Sherlock's here!

[enarms]

Sorry all, I think I sent that to half the planet.

text | un: eggsy | sometime after the intro.

[tailorable]

hey thomas random non-urgent question
you ever met a vampire before?

[ettersberg]

I have. [ and, almost immediately: ] And I would not classify it as a non-urgent question. Do not remain in the vicinity of a vampire under any circumstances.

text | un: jtk

[willrevile]

[ And so, a few days after The Great Thesa Timeout begins - ]

Hey, Thomas. You in one piece up here?

[ettersberg]

I am, thank you. I hope the same holds for you as well?

text | un: jtk

[1701]

Checking in on my favorite boxing wizard.

[ettersberg]

Do you know many boxing wizards?

text; un: barnes

[lednikovyy]

you said you've been boxing with Steve, right? interested in a new challenger?

[ It's hardly the first time he's texted Thomas since Steve and Peggy's wedding, but it's the first time he's asked for anything. ]

[ettersberg]

I would gladly box with you, if you're interested.

[ but - ] I did mention the involvement of magic as well, did I not?