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>someone you didn't expect

Darkness is your friend. Immersed in it, you sail through a myriad of inconscience thoughts. Whispers, blurred imagens, recollections of old times. All together for you, but you couldn't care less. Your body is warm and naked on your bed. This time, the morning rain doesn't soothe you in this slow and dark sea you are navigating. Sometimes you just have this sensation you are floating adrift and it's good. Feeling lost for once and not caring to where you go is liberating. You turn your body a bit, feeling you're being dragged to a step further into conscience. You don't care. You wake up so early every day. Just a few more minutes. You instinctivily touch your thick sheets in search for something by your side.

Nothing. The strangeness of being alone sets you one more step into full conscience. Whispers become voices, blurred images become vividly, old times transform into yesterday. James, Omnimed, the Senior Curator, the Tenure, Buddha, Wise Fool's Pub, James' friends, Hyde Park and...

You open your eyes. A deep and frustrating breath can be heard by nobody except you. The quiet is broken, the perfect sleep is gone. You reach for your phone. Sure, you're awake early. Again. Always like that. Your heading isn't aching and your stomach isn't complaining as well. Good, at least that. Looking at the ceiling, you smile. It was a good night. But the thoughts regarding your work take away this little happiness you have in seconds. James' face comes to your mind and you sight at the invasive whispers surrounding your anxieties towards these news on Chicago University and Omnimed. You cover your eyes with your forearms. Just five more minutes.

This is a lie. Your sleep is disturbed and paradise can't be reach again. Time to live. But first, least you can do is getting dressed. You are not alone. You find your underwear, get your phone and that's enough.

You leave to your living room/kitchen and find Robert on the sofa still asleep, deeply, drooling all over himself and probably having a dreaming. Lucky bastard. You shouldn't have text him in the middle of the night, asking if he was still around at CU or not. Saying repeatedly to yourself "it's not my fucking problem" didn't work. Guilty clawed you deep and bleed out to your whole being. Now, you call bad trip, but yesterday that was a revelation. You still got some revelation to read on your phone. You noted down all that shit. You laugh internaly when remembering what Buddah talked on the other man who ate those brownies. Maybe you and him can share some notes.

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But the cost of feeling guilty comes with many messages at your phone: You ditched James and his co-worker friends to go after Robert. You tried to go after Carie when you got to him, but she already had left home. Robert said the Senior Curator went to Terra Foundation after leaving Succubus Club and that was when you thought you could get Carie. Probably her interview with that man was faster than Robert's one with the Tenure. Scrolling through your phone, you see a couple of messages:

"Hey, Ryan. Fun night we had! Are you safe back at home? Did you find your friend?", Kimberly.

"Found your friend, Mr. Left Arm Red?", "Don't forget our interview", "Be safe, ok?", Peter.

"Text me when you get home, please", "You at home, bro?", "????", "Yo, Ryan", "I'm at home. Got work today? Come here and let's crash together", "Sorry. Is Robert fine?", "Bet you sleeping now. Nice dreams, bro", "Love you", James. Obviously.

"Grace here, kiddo. You forgot your sneakers with us. Hekko found them. Text him. Peace", Grace. How did she get your number again? Yeah, you remember you're going to ask James about that, but because Kimberly has your number as well. Good. Now two people have it. Is he putting your number in his company bathroom stalls like those gays writing numbers on public bathrooms? You shrug in acceptance and sigh.

You look at Robert again. The sofa is probably killing his back, but he's sleeping like a puppy. You look at your phone and you can see a long day is coming. You sigh again, wishing to sleep again.

>wake up Robert and move him to your bed
>check the notes you wrote while high
>text back someone [WRITE-IN: Choose two people to answer]

>>5839154
>text back someone [WRITE-IN: Choose two people to answer]
Kimberly and Peter.
James said he'll give us Hekko number.
Kimberly is a go for more info.
Peter 'cause interview is important.

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>>5839149
YES THIS IS BACK!

I AM REDY!!!

>>5839547
+1
This seems reasonable.

>>5839154
>>5839547

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>>5839547
>>5839749
>>5840785
>text back someone [WRITE-IN: Choose two people to answer]
>kimberly
>peter

Let Robert sleep, poor thing. He had to stand your high ass and interview with the tenure probably wasn't so good either. You remember him saying briefly how uneasy he felt sometimes with him. You blink while looking at him breath slow and peaceful. You envy him so fucking much. You sigh again and look at your feet. You chuckle when remembering you lost your sneakers during that mess. And it was your good sneakers. But you trust nothing will happen to then, or else James would probably kick Hekko's butt.

With your phone still in hands, you promplty reply Kimberly and Peter. James can wait and you know he will kidnap you anytime soon between today or tomorrow for a "post-party" or whatever excuse he creates on the fly.

"Fun night! Glad we could met. I was thriving to know my buddy's friend", "I'm apparently alive lmao Gotta start the day anytime soon", "Robbie is sleeping at the couch. Looks a big baby drooling over himself". You think with yourself how to prolong the conversation and try to meet her again. Nothing comes. Maybe after a cup of coffee your brain starts to work again.

"I found my friend, Mr. Left Arm Light Blue. He's safe and sound, in coma at my sofa", "I won't forget. How about this week? My schedule is free", "Be safe you too, Mr. Lawrence". You give a snarky smile at screen when calling Peter like that. A little tease to start the morning. You let aside your phone and start preparing breakfast for you and Robert. There are some leftover pastries from yesterday, so no worries on what to cook.

While you pouring down your cup of coffee, your phone pings again. You look up. They are fast. Good to see you aren't the only one who wake ups early.

"Hahaha! 'Thriving'? Your mind seems active during morning to think on a word like that for a small talk, Mr. Moore", Kimberly.

You smile. You can't tell if you are feeling victorious to find a breach to meet her or if you are enjoying this sudden attention. "First word who came in my mind. Don't blame me"

"I'm not. It's cute! Remember those 'A word per day' calendar? I'll try to use 'thriving' today. Text me again tomorrow with another word, how about it?", "Also, great to see your friend is well. Send him a hug!"

You think on your next step towards Kimberly, but you see Peter's messages pop-ups. You go straight into it.

"This week is perfect. How about tomorrow night?", "I see what you're doing here, Ryan Moore... And I like it". This guy is old, but on fire. You don't doubt after what you saw yesterday, but he doesn't waist time. You sip on your coffee and think.

Kimberly:
>"how about we meet tonight? We can buy the calendar"
>"you can use 'eager' today. 'I'm eager to meet you again' is good"
>"i can personaly teach you more words, if you want"

Peter:
>"i'm doing nothing, Mr. Lawrence"
>"do not worry. I'll be at my best behavour tomorrow"
>"and what should we do about it?"

>>5841230
>"how about we meet tonight? We can buy the calendar"
>"do not worry. I'll be at my best behaviour tomorrow"

>>5841389
+1

>>5841230
>>5841389
Seems good to me.

>>5841230
>"i can personaly teach you more words, if you want"

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>>5841389
>>5841906
>>5842050
>>5842352
>"how about we meet tonight? We can buy the calendar"
>"do not worry. I'll be at my best behaviour tomorrow"

You look at the phone screen, expecting their reply as soon as you answer them. You blink and sip your strong, black coffee. You take a deep breath. Memories flood your mind on what happened yesterday and your heart skips a bit. A weird sensation you can't go off. It's fine. You are just overthinking and it's early in the morning, you're getting your first cup of coffee and soon your thoughts will re-arrange.

Or you try to re-arrange them. Another ping on your phone and you look at it in an incredible speed.

"Yes, sure! I'd love to see you again! I know a cute bookshop at Eerie Street and best of all? It's open 'til late at night. They serve a delicious coffee in those italian vintage expresso machine. You gonna love it!", "Meet me at Grand station, around 8pm?", Kimberly. She doesn't hide her excitement and this energy infects you. You feel yourself smiling, even if your lips don't move a bit. You confirm your appointment.

"I hope so. I wanna see all of your good behavour, Mr. Moore. Dinner time, at my apartment. Tomorrow", Peter. You can see all conotations on what he wrote on that message and damn, and he knows what he damn wants. But this is a problem for the You of tomorrow. You confirm the appointment and dinner. Hey, at least it's free dinner from a rich guy! Let's see what he'll serve for you tomorrow.

Some movement can be heard coming from the sofa. Robert grunts and moves his nose, detecting the rejuvenating smell of fresh and strong coffee in the morning. "What time is it?", his eyes are still close in a failed attempt to get more sleep. Ah, you know pretty well this expression. He can't go back to the world of peaceful dreams, just like you.

"It's early. We still have time before the morning meeting"

"Why do you wake up so early?"

"Force of habit"

"How? You were wasted"

"Strong genes?", you smile and chuckles.

"Good one. Fuck you, Ryan", he smiles too and covers his eyes with his forearm. You keep smiling and go get a cup of coffee for him. Robert open his eyes and sits slowly on the sofa. "What's with you? Sucked a dick to be in such good humour?"

"Can't do a gentle act for my work friend now?"

"Don't know, man. This is pretty suspicious. Did you put poison here?", he teases you.

"Yes. Viagra. I wanna see how hard your dick can get"

"Fag", he laughs and you follow him. "But serious, what happened? You came to me sad and guilty for letting me down when I needed the most. What's with that?"

"I ate a brownie. A special brownie Buddha made. Last guy who ate went to space and talked to greek philosophers about the meaning of life for three days or whatever"

"And you are normal now, not high, not wasted... Nothing?"

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"I guess my brain compacted everything in a one-of-a-time experience. Really. I felt something deeper than my soul burning the whole. I flew on the sky and became a being of pure light. I saw colors in form of people... Or colors around people? I touched them and...", you sit next to him without noticing, coffee on your hands and keep talking.

"Wait, wait, wait. Slow, man", and you stop talking. "I'm still on my first sip, dude. Now I want a bit of that brownie next time you go to your guy. I need a travel hard like that"

You and Robert share a long moment of silence drinking coffee, until he finally gets up and to get some pastries. "Wow. I know this is from yesterday, but it looks like it's from today"

"It's from that bakery, y'know?"

"Damn. Real good", he serves himself more coffee. You didn't even notice he finished his and you're still on your first cup.

Your thoughts are still on yesterday, but you see an oportunity ahead of you. Robert's thoughts seem to still "loading", meaning he will talk to you without filter. You know morning meeting will be in 2 hours, but you also know not everything you can say at Shannon's face.

>"how was the interview with the tenure?"
>"i don't remember seeing Philipp with you. Was he with Carie?"
>"are you okay, man?"

>>5845509
>"how was the interview with the tenure?"

>>5845509
>"are you okay, man?"

>>5845509
>"are you okay, man?"

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>>5845585
>>5845659
>>5846387
>"are you okay, man?"

"Yes, I...", Robert stops for a moment and put his coffee down, "No. I don't know... That man... He was weird..."

"Weird like he was those weird unviersity professors or weird like he tried to do something on you...?"

"No? Yes?", you notice he's conflicted. He opens his mouth, but words simply won't come out of it. "Okay. Let me try to explain bit by bit", he grabs his coffee again and sips, "So, after me and Carie went to go after our targets, I got him at his office? No... No. It was his lab. Yeah. I guess? I don't remember."

"Was there more or less books on that place?", you try to help him remember things better. And you wre the one high as fuck yesterday.

"He was holding a book. Yeah. There was some books, but not so many. It wasn't a library. Ugh", you notice Robert starts getting slightly annoyed on his own lack of memory. "I think we should get my notes"

"Come on, Robbie, you're doing a good job", you think with yourself how the fuck he's having a bad time remembering things like that. Was he drugged by that guy?

"Alright", he keeps going, "Maybe it ws his office. I remember seeing some science stuff. Books and science stuff. And there was... A cat?"

"A living cat?"

"No. History cat... Egyptian! Yeah. Statue of an egyptian cat! And there was other portraits that looked like those old scrolls from Egypt..."

"Papyrus?"

"Yeah! That name! Definetly was his office!"

"Good progress"

"He didn't look intimidated by me... Just annoyed. He said something like 'I know who you work for'. Yeah. I would be annoyed too after leaving a party and some reporter wanted to interview me"

"But his annoyance was just this?"

"Maybe?", Robert doesn't think on his answer. It was automatic. You think this is weird.

"There is a difference. If he knows about our boss, he already dealt with her other times..."

"Yes...", a lightbulb turns on above his head and you clearly see that, "Yeah! He complained about her. Boss seems to be after this man far long we can imagine?"

You remember last night on Peter talking about this same topic. You take a deep breath. "Yes, I can... You know how she is"

Robert chuckles a bit, "Agreed. So... That man... We did the interview and he was pretty chill. 'Chill'. He looked at me like he was looking at my soul, but at same time... It was like I was nothing to him? It was... Omnious... He answered everything calmly, respectful... But his eyes... The manner he behaved...", he looks at himself and then at you. His eyes are again conflicted.

>"robbie... Did he do something to you?"
>"hey, man, forget it. One more day at our job"
>"he seems to have more influence than we imagined"
>[TAG: Observant] "we should go to Gary tonight and talk to boss. She'll know how to deal with this"
>[TAG: Trusting Authority] "we should go to the police. He clearly threatened you"

>>5850342
>>[TAG: Observant] "we should go to Gary tonight and talk to boss. She'll know how to deal with this"

>>5850342
>"robbie... Did he do something to you?"

>>5850342
>[TAG: Observant] "we should go to Gary tonight and talk to boss. She'll know how to deal with this"
Time to see our vampire boss!

>[TAG: Observant] "we should go to Gary tonight and talk to boss. She'll know how to deal with this"

>>5850342
>he seems to have more influence than we imagined"