(D2 EA, Lenore's Residence) Wakeup Call

[Lenore Gauvreau]

Inside a lonesome Jinteki employee's apartment lied an amalgamation of different practices. Things were kept relatively clean most of the time, given her proclivity towards her sense of order. However, that raging side of her, unleashed by the concoction of drugs surging through her body, had caused more than a few damaged pieces of furniture and the walls. Many of these blemishes were covered by the heaps of belongings she'd kept due to her hoarding nature.

When her comlink started to buzz, Lenore crawled up from the couch. She took one peek at the floor and relief swept over her; she had not thrown up over the floor last night.

The Moon Goddess has decided to grace us with her presence again. We must answer but first another swig of vodka for good luck, yes?

It'd help with the hangover. She took that drink and answered the call, though it was somebody entirely else.

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

If Lenore paid attention to her comlink (or PAD), she might have noticed that it was someone from her past who called her. When they were connected, she would only see a black screen as Rosalind prevented her from seeing anything on the other side. If there was some mercy in this world, the same might have been done to prevent her from seeing Lenore too.

"Lenore?" She said questioningly at first before a small sigh of disappointment under her breath could be heard. "That took you a while to answer. I was actually just about to hang up."

[Lenore Gauvreau]

Lenore, based on some strange sense of unearned confidence, almost always answered with video on. But when she saw the name on the screen, she gawked and turned it off.

Oh fuck. This was not part of the plan.

"Hey," she said, rubbing her eyes and hoping she didn't sound too groggy. "What do you want, or, uh, need?" She glanced at the time and mouthed more curses to herself.

Don't let her have any reason to doubt you. We can't afford that.

"I was just in the bathroom. Sorry about the delay."

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

It seemed that Rosalind had a good idea about her state. She did live with her for a few years and admittedly, everything that she did already coloured her with some sort of disappointment in all of her opinions. This wasn't a call she wanted to be having anyway.

"Hello," she would say almost reluctantly, sounding almost like someone who was forced to play nice for her parents. Well, it might have been the opposite fact here. "I see...I just wanted to check up on you. It's Saturday, today, I hope you know. The days can't blur in the week if you have a day job, I would hope."

"Miss Carlisle, here is the timetable for next week, as you requested." There was another voice in the background, sounded like someone with a slightly British accent.

"That'll be great, thank you. Hemal," Rosalind would say to her.

[Lenore Gauvreau]

She needs to know how far we've come.

"Oh, no, not a day job right now," Lenore said, checking her calendar to make sure Rosalind wasn't playing some sort of trick on her. "I got a promotion at Jinteki. They want me helping with that project the mayor has going on."

Less believable things have happened.

"I'm leading a seminar later. Going to be about, uh..."

The people need to be strong!

"Fitness. Yeah, fitness."

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

There was a pause from Rosalind when she mentioned the job, maybe she was using those few moments to raise her brows and look doubtfully at her. It was hard to tell with the visual blackout. "On fitness, sure. That's good to hear. I guess that hard work beating up defenseless clones has really paid off finally. It must really be a booming industry to have you onboard the committee. Are you managing now, then?"

Lenore could hear a faint clatter as she was putting away something. "Yes, I heard about what the mayor is planning, it's been all over the news with the expo. Does that mean you're going to be living on Luna after this?"

[Lenore Gauvreau]

"It's not just about beating up defenseless clones! I don't know how many times I have to explain that to you. If they comply with turning themselves in, then I'm happy to let them go undamaged. There's still the investigation side and the pursuit itself..." She massaged her forehead and patted around for her cigarettes. Regulations be damned, she was going to smoke at her own place. "I have my own apartment here in Nihongai! It's nice enough." Maybe not for some people...

Are we supposed to be living there after the project is done?

"I'm hoping I'll be staying here, actually," she said. "It'd be hard to do visitations if I wasn't living in the city, you know?"

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

"Right. Nihongai," she said dryly, hardly seemingly impressed when Lenore tried to flash some prestige, especially when compared to her. "Did the company give you a full condo or are you still living in one of those solitary units? It seems like you're moving pretty fast in the world, I can't be sure."

"Heinlein is part of New Angeles," she said as rebuttal, although it didn't seem like she was exactly convinced of that herself. "Three days of travel here and three days of travel there. I'm sure you'll have plenty of time to do visitations if you schedule it well enough."

There was a lingering bit on her tone, almost like she was offering her some sort of out in case she wanted to drop her visitation or make up excuses of why she couldn't make it.

[Lenore Gauvreau]

"What does it matter where I'm living anyways?" she asked. "You're not going to come here anyways to check it out." Not that there was much to see. This was a type of place that was surely function over form.

Technicalities... it's always technicalities with her. Have to be careful with her.

"You know what I meant," she said, regardless of her internal dialogue. "I need to be close by for those. I can't be late to another and who knows how long travel times could be."

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

"It kind of does, for when Delphine comes over. I'm not going to have my girl over at your place when I'm going to wonder if she could accidentally step over a broken bottle or get an idea of taking up smoking...or irritating her allergies. Maybe I should come over one day to see. I'm sure social services could find a million things to write you up over..."

There was a pause from Rosalind. This was probably not the time to get worked up or start a fight. Her spirit coach did tell her that those things weren't exactly good for her Ki. Or midichlorians. Or something. She took a deep breath before finding her centre again.

"So anyway. Yes. About visitations. You know those are coming up." She brought up begrudgingly.

"Mommy?" Lenore might hear a familiar voice of a little girl calling in the background.

[Lenore Gauvreau]

"I'll put away the ashtray when she's around," Lenore said; even she wasn't happy about that particular habit of hers. "They're not going to find anything again, you can bet on that."

There's a crack in the wall there. Repair it or cover it up.

"Delphine?" she asked, sitting upright. "She's calling for me, isn't she?"

[Diana Harper]

There was a pinging sensation on Lenore's call as a text came in from a newis face.

Hey LG, do you know any good spots to party here? I'm practically dying in the hotel from boredom, there's only so much bubble baths I can take in a day.

[Boogiepop]

"I'll put away the ashtray when she's around," Lenore said; even she wasn't happy about that particular habit of hers. "They're not going to find anything again, you can bet on that."

There's a crack in the wall there. Repair it or cover it up.

"Delphine?" she asked, sitting upright. "She's calling for me, isn't she?"

Rosalind Carlisle

"She's not," she said a touch sternly on the matter. "She's actually calling for me."

Lenore could probably hear small steps made big as they jumped on the marble floor, it could be heard echoing in a larger room. Maybe Delphine had taken to hopping over to Rosalind than walking.

Rosalind suddenly took on a kind and affectionate tone, clearly not walking to Lenore. "Aw, baby, you look so cute in your Dinosaurus onesie but you know you can't stay in that all day. Why don't we have you changed and then you can watch some Sunshine Junction?"

There was a triumphant giggle heard in the background, like Delphine won the biggest participation prize ever, along with a 'yeah!'.

"Hemal, Please take her and get her changed," she told someone else, who later gave a confirmation and put some distance from the call with Delphine.

After a few beats, Rosalind spoke directly to Lenore again, "What, so you're just going to go home with her and sit there all day?"

[Lenore Gauvreau]

Her voice, a constant reminder to keep it together.

There's no way to convince Rosalind to hand over the call.

She won't listen. Not anymore.

Lenore covered her face with a pillow and groaned. This and that moon woman... what sort of mess had she gotten herself into? All her life, she'd stayed in her lane, done what she needed to do to provide for herself, her family, to society.

She can't witness any tears.

"No," she said, repeating herself one more time clearly. "I was thinking of taking her to a park or a zoo, see some animals, that sort of thing."

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

"Oh, the zoo?" She said at first, seemingly taking a pause. Maybe her interest in the conversation had waned enough that she must either be checking her nails or flipping through her PAD to check for updates on FriendNet. Rosalind had put Lenore on block ever since their separation.

Rosalind remembered there was another person on the line. "Right, that's pretty cute and a good idea. Just checking, this wouldn't be the Shinseibutsu Zoological Garden, right? We just went there a few days ago. She had so much fun and was begging to get one of those teacup giraffes. Originally, I was thinking about a cute dog. Maybe a corgi or something...but I'd be lying if I didn't want to get a giraffe...for the both of us, of course."

[Lenore Gauvreau]

Lenore's heart raced as her ex-something continued talking. Of course Rosalind had beaten her to that idea... clever witch, she'd known exactly what their daughter wanted to do.

This calls for drastic measures. Light up one of those cigars.

Her hands moved to slice off the tip messily with a loose knife. Realizing then that leaving sharp objects around wasn't the best for children, she got up and began pacing around the apartment for any dangers. "No, no, like to... Machalilla Park. They've got that preserve," she said, flicking on her newly-refilled lighter.

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

"Oh," she said after a moment, losing a few points of smugness as Lenore thought of an alternative that she hadn't considered. "Okay, then. Well, be sure that she's dressed right for the occasion. Did you know that there's a lot of mosquitos there right now? Maybe even some ticks or leeches. If anything happens to Delphine, you're going to wish that you're living on Luna."

Breathe, Rosalind, breathe.

"...but, you probably already know that. I'm sure."

[Lenore Gauvreau]

"Nothing's going to happen to her. She's going to be with me so, if anything, any renegade clones should be afraid."

Why would you even say that? I'm not associating myself with this.

She strained herself to chuckle. After all, that was supposed to be a joke. "I'll pick up some insect repellent, get her wearing sleeves and whatnot too," she said, much more sober (though she certainly wasn't physically).

[Boogiepop]

Rosalind Carlisle

"What?" Rosalind seemed to say with some surprise exasperation at the mention of renegade clones. She did not like that. "Are you serious going on about renegade clones? You're going to take this time again and shove your job in my face again? We all know it's your job but now it's beginning to sound like a hobby! We've gone on about this so many times about your stupid job. What am I supposed to tell Delphine about you? That you're supposed to be like a privacy police officer? Because, that's basically what I've been telling her. You know, I've at least had some decency to cover for you...but I see that you don't even have enough self-respect to do the same to save yourself."

[Lenore Gauvreau]

We could use a hobby that isn't drugs, booze, and violence. But some of us don't agree.

Everyone has a bit of fire in them. At least this is a job and not some crazy Human First riot, even if they do have some fair points.

"Our baby girl should at least know what they are. They're not people. They never will be."

She grunted and took another puff of the cigar. "Whatever. Politics right now... Don't matter. Thanks for telling her that much, at least. I agree that she shouldn't know what I do."

It'd devastate her.