saturday shorts
its about the yearning
THE TEAM
extractor: theo |
saturday shorts
point man: adele |
uninvited trashcan
architect: alexandra | @luna.
forger: levine |
gearsandglue
chemist: sawyer |
saturday shorts
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Realistic or Modern an elegant solution to reality
- Thread starter saturday shorts
- Start date
THE TEAM
extractor: theo |
saturday shorts
point man: adele |
uninvited trashcan
architect: alexandra | @luna.
forger: levine |
gearsandglue
chemist: sawyer |
saturday shorts
saturday shorts
its about the yearning
The phone rang once-twice-three times from within the otherwise silent office. It vibrated noisily against the hardwood desk, demanding attention, and the screen lit up the darkness. The time read 4.52 am. There was a clatter in the other room, the sound of someone scrambling up before the door was pushed open, hard. Theo’s hair was awry and his eyes had sleep dust in the corner. He scrubbed violently at his cheeks to wake himself up before picking up the demanding phone.
“Hello?” His voice was rough and he cleared his throat, perching awkwardly on the corner of the desk. There was chatter down the other end, a voice speaking low and quiet and fast. He had to strain his ears to hear them properly but he got the gist of it. A new job.
“A court case?” That was new. Sure dreamshare was going corporate some places but to try and use it as evidence? His train of thought was quickly cut off by another blast of talking. “Extracting a confession- okay. Okay that makes more sense, sure I can get a team together.”
He leaned over and grabbed at a notebook and pen, pulling the cap off with his teeth and nodding along to the frantic murmuring on the other end of the phone. Theo scribbled down names and numbers in a scrawl that was barely legible. He was already running through a list of the point men he knew were available that didn’t piss him off. They’d need a good architect for the multilevel dream and he could already tell the forger would probably have to be good enough to make at least 3 forgeries for the job.
“And how much- okay. The court date? Three months… Yes that’s fine, I can work with that.” As the client petered off, Theo stifled a yawn. “You’ll send me a briefing package? My contact email is- you know it? I’ll be here for the next few days. I’ll give you an account to wire the total through...Yes. Yes okay, goodbye.”
The client hung up first and Theo rolled his head back, a crick in his neck from sleeping wrong. He rolled back his shoulders and took a moment, staring at the inside of his eyelids before hopping off the desk. He hated dealing with know-it-all clients, and the fact that they were a lawyer just made it worse.
Even with how tired he was from being jolted awake at 5 in the morning, there was no hiding the thrum of excitement that rested in his chest. Already his mind was moving at a hundred miles per hour, and he would be a liar if he said he didn't already have the team in mind.
Looking back down at his notebook, he scanned down the names. He’d call up Adele first, get her to track down wherever the others were. He was fairly sure she’d be in her home in France, at least from the sometimes untrustworthy updates that spiralled around the dreamshare community.
But not yet. It was still 5 in the morning. He could already feel that he wouldn’t be able to get back to bed and in the absence of sleep, he figured he could just take the time to get ready for the day in leisure.
To start things off Theo made himself a coffee, blinking sleepily as the machine hissed and steamed. The apartment was still dimly lit, turned up just enough that he wasn’t wandering around in pitch darkness but even the thought of proper lighting made his eyes sting in protest.
A steaming mug in hand, Theo padded back to the office. The floor was cold under his feet and the lack of sunlight made him all too aware of the chill around him. He sipped gratefully at the hot coffee and felt the warmth of it spread through his muscles.
He settled into his chair and pushed open his laptop, clicking through until he found the documents mailed to him exactly 12 minutes ago. They hadn’t wasted time. He sat back in preparation for the long read, pen resting in one hand and his notebook laid out on the table. They laid out the terms of the case in cold, factual terms. It was a murder, with one witness. The accused was staunch in that they hadn’t done it. The witness was a the distraught son of some business mogul. His fiance was the victim. Theo winced, and scrolled down further. The case wasn’t lining up in the accused's favour and a guilty ruling seemed close but they still needed a confession to really pull it through. It wouldn’t be a job that required more than two layers. Just a classic whats-in-the-safe? Your deepest darkest secrets?
Even as the details all slotted into place picture perfect, Theo still felt uneasy. Something about this was off but he couldn’t tell what. They were paying a hefty sum though, and at the moment that was enough to push down any worrying feelings he had.
By the time he’d done some more busy work, Theodore looked at the clock and it’d hit 8. That was a suitable enough time to call, what with Adele’s military background he had no doubt she had a strict morning regime.
“God I hope you haven’t changed your number…” Theo had dealt with out of date numbers many many times in trying to construct his teams. Sometimes the criminal factor really made him question the functionality of the business.
“Hi, is this Adele? It’s Theo, I’m an extractor, we’ve worked together before? I’ve got a job if you’re up for it.”
code by Ri.a
Last edited:
uninvited trashcan
Gay and Tired ™
As Adele just generally lived better, she was not up before five that morning; instead she awoke without the help of an alarm at the far more civilized time of six-thirty, to an empty bed and an empty house and a growing sense of restlessness.
Of this last part, she did not approve. She was a firm believer in the importance of taking time off. The only problem was that she wasn't very good at it. It took all the strength in her to resist checking her emails first thing upon awakening, wrapping herself in a silk bathrobe and padding down to the kitchen to make overly elaborate coffee. The sugar pot lay covered in a thin sheen of dust, and milk was absent from the house; with Maddy away, there was no need for either. Adele took hers black and bitter, the acidity biting back some of those restless urges— at least, until the caffeine set in and the unspent adrenaline was worse than ever.
Out on the balcony in the chill of dawn and the slowly swelling morning bustle, Adele managed to kill an hour or so armed with a a newspaper, her phone left on the table like the wily temptress it was. She only checked her emails twice, which was quite the achievement, when thank fuck, the phone rang.
“Hi, is this Adele?" She half-recognised the voice, her stomach leaping with it. Work. Work. God, Maddy would be judging her so dearly if they could see her now. "It’s Theo, I’m an extractor, we’ve worked together before? I’ve got a job if you’re up for it.” He sounded so sweet, so hesitant as he checked she remembered him, which was in keeping with her memories of him. He'd been deliciously competent and well-dressed, so rather than hang up like she usually did with independent callers seeking her for jobs, she smiled. The restlessness might have had something to do with it.
"Yes Theo," replied, voice slow and sarcastic, but warm, "I may be old but I do remember who you are. Heard about the British job by the way. Not your fault, I hope?"
"Well sometimes I've called up people and they've had no idea of who I was so don't blame me!" She's glad they're on call rather than in person, so he can't see her dipping her head and grinning. His is the kind of sweetness that, were he any less capable, would be wildly irritating. She's familiar enough with his work for it to instead be endearing. "And no, the forger fucked up on some accent detail that threw the subject out of the dream completely, we just barely got the files."
"Hmm. Your point man should have picked up on that." Why do half the people in her field seem so utterly useless? "No matter. I'm glad you made it out alive, regardless. Now, tell me about this job."
Theo complies and she doesn't get the impression that he is holding anything back. Rather, the strangeness seems to be in the job itself. She sighs— employers have been developing a bad habit as of late, withholding details.
"—It all seems fairly simple," Theo finishes, pinpointing her exact discomfort with the job. It is simple, too simple for the money.
"It seems unusually simple, given the paycheck. I'll look into it."
"I have some people in mind for the team but you have more contacts than I do, so any thoughts?"
"Yes, I do actually. Let me see..." She's already back inside, digging out the folders she promised herself not to touch for at least a week. They're all on paper and yes, she is old-fashioned, but in their industry, hacking technology is really the least of what people are capable of. "Here it is. I've got a forger, goes by Levine, who's been looking for work. I've only worked with her once, but she's surprisingly competent for someone her age. As for architects, I can ask Maddy to recommend someone, if you lack confidence in yours. Oh, and you know I'd always pick Sawyer as Chemist if they're going spare. But, that's all I can think of at this hour in the morning. You'll send me the files, won't you? I'd like to get started as quickly as possible. I've been on 'holiday' five days and already feel on the precipice of madness."
"Going stir crazy without work are you? I get the feeling. And Levine? Can't say that I've heard of her before but again, I trust your sources better than mine. I've worked with Alexandra before and her architecture really clicked with what I wanted so I think I'm fine on that front, but I'd never say no to a second opinion. Great minds do think alike I was just thinking of Sawyer. I heard they're laying low somewhere in the states."
"Honestly, all laying low, the lot of you. It's not a good omen. Next time you get scared off darling, do feel free to come over here and keep me company." She is entirely shameless in her flirting.
"Well I can't help always being approached by shady agencies who try and kill me as soon as a job is done and dusted can I?" Theo says, and she laughs, already feeling the buzz of the teasing, the excitement of a new job coming down the pipeline. "I'll send over the files in a second...and while you're reading if you could just look out for anything suspicious? I just have this feeling."
"Of course I'll keep an eye out, I always do. Now, where shall we be congregating for this affair? As always there's our place out in the country going spare, but perhaps you had something less traceable in mind?"
"I'm looking at spare warehouses as we speak, going to keep it very old school dreamshare. The client is based in the US so I guess it's stateside we go. Send over Levine's contact would you? Unless you'd rather call her in yourself."
"I think it'd be best if I give her a call. Like you, she's had her fair share of shady agencies, and a voice she trusts would be wise at present. I'll send you her details though. And Theo? First class tickets please, when you book them. I'm not doing eight hours in economy, no matter how good the pay is. The client can afford it."
"Ah, yes. Good to know that dreamshare is just as cruel on the fresh blood as its always been. And as if I would settle for any less, I'll bill it straight to their card. Our client is a lawyer and a business millionaire, we can splurge."
"It's a miracle either of us have made it to thirty. You are thirty, aren't you? God, I'm going to feel old on this one."
"Now Adele you say you aren't forgetting things but I haven't hit thirty yet. Sure I'm close enough but it's all in the details." The amusement in his tone has her smiling against her mobile, shaking her head. But, business.
"Must be the dementia setting in. Right, anyway. Thank you for contacting me Theo. Let's make sure there's no lying low after this one."
"And with you on my side I'm certainly hoping there won't be."
"There'll be no hoping about it. We'll do the job, and do it flawlessly. Best survival technique out there. Is there anything else, darling?"
"Aim for perfection and you'll fall somewhere that's close enough to not get yourself killed. And no I don't think there's anything else, I'll just send over the documents and we'll be sorted. I'll let you know how contacting the others goes and the flights will be booked in the next few days, just enough time for everyone to sort out anything they have to."
A few days. As always, once a job has been proposed, all Adele wants is to throw herself right into it. Whilst she can start her research on this end, there's something different about being with the team in person, seeped in the rising fever pitch of stress and anticipation. She sighs, nodding to her kettle as a fill in for Theo.
"Be quick about it, won't you, darling? Paris isn't as fast as it used to be, and besides, I miss you. We'll talk soon."
"I'll do it as soon as I get off the phone. And I would pop by for visits but I am predisposed to being a workaholic. See you soon Adele, and tell Madeline I said hi."
"Au reviour, love."
Hanging up, she stares at her fridge for a couple of seconds before making a sharp, short noise of victorious excitement. It's like she's twenty again and the thrill of the chase is on. There is nothing else like it.
The first thing she does is text Maddy. She's a professional, so of course she keeps the details vague, but the reply within two minutes despite the time difference has her snorting. 'Five days. You managed five days. A new record?'
'2015, it was three.'
'I love you.'
'I love you too.'
With that cleared, she shrugs off the bathrobe, goes to change, and once in attire befitting of the proper mindset, gets to work.
She reads the job over thrice because Theo is absolutely correct: something is off. She's not sure what yet, but the money is too good to say no to and besides, if they're hiding something, there's the promise of a real challenge tucked away in there. She decides to phone Levine next, as once she knows with whom she is working, she can truly start to see the job as a cohesive whole.
Dialing the number the woman put out for those to contact her, Adele hums to herself at the dial tone. "Levine," she says when the click indicates it's been picked up. "Adele Marchand here. I've a job for you, if you're still looking, darling." She lists the pay next; it's the kind of figure that serves well to grab someone's attention
Of this last part, she did not approve. She was a firm believer in the importance of taking time off. The only problem was that she wasn't very good at it. It took all the strength in her to resist checking her emails first thing upon awakening, wrapping herself in a silk bathrobe and padding down to the kitchen to make overly elaborate coffee. The sugar pot lay covered in a thin sheen of dust, and milk was absent from the house; with Maddy away, there was no need for either. Adele took hers black and bitter, the acidity biting back some of those restless urges— at least, until the caffeine set in and the unspent adrenaline was worse than ever.
Out on the balcony in the chill of dawn and the slowly swelling morning bustle, Adele managed to kill an hour or so armed with a a newspaper, her phone left on the table like the wily temptress it was. She only checked her emails twice, which was quite the achievement, when thank fuck, the phone rang.
“Hi, is this Adele?" She half-recognised the voice, her stomach leaping with it. Work. Work. God, Maddy would be judging her so dearly if they could see her now. "It’s Theo, I’m an extractor, we’ve worked together before? I’ve got a job if you’re up for it.” He sounded so sweet, so hesitant as he checked she remembered him, which was in keeping with her memories of him. He'd been deliciously competent and well-dressed, so rather than hang up like she usually did with independent callers seeking her for jobs, she smiled. The restlessness might have had something to do with it.
"Yes Theo," replied, voice slow and sarcastic, but warm, "I may be old but I do remember who you are. Heard about the British job by the way. Not your fault, I hope?"
"Well sometimes I've called up people and they've had no idea of who I was so don't blame me!" She's glad they're on call rather than in person, so he can't see her dipping her head and grinning. His is the kind of sweetness that, were he any less capable, would be wildly irritating. She's familiar enough with his work for it to instead be endearing. "And no, the forger fucked up on some accent detail that threw the subject out of the dream completely, we just barely got the files."
"Hmm. Your point man should have picked up on that." Why do half the people in her field seem so utterly useless? "No matter. I'm glad you made it out alive, regardless. Now, tell me about this job."
Theo complies and she doesn't get the impression that he is holding anything back. Rather, the strangeness seems to be in the job itself. She sighs— employers have been developing a bad habit as of late, withholding details.
"—It all seems fairly simple," Theo finishes, pinpointing her exact discomfort with the job. It is simple, too simple for the money.
"It seems unusually simple, given the paycheck. I'll look into it."
"I have some people in mind for the team but you have more contacts than I do, so any thoughts?"
"Yes, I do actually. Let me see..." She's already back inside, digging out the folders she promised herself not to touch for at least a week. They're all on paper and yes, she is old-fashioned, but in their industry, hacking technology is really the least of what people are capable of. "Here it is. I've got a forger, goes by Levine, who's been looking for work. I've only worked with her once, but she's surprisingly competent for someone her age. As for architects, I can ask Maddy to recommend someone, if you lack confidence in yours. Oh, and you know I'd always pick Sawyer as Chemist if they're going spare. But, that's all I can think of at this hour in the morning. You'll send me the files, won't you? I'd like to get started as quickly as possible. I've been on 'holiday' five days and already feel on the precipice of madness."
"Going stir crazy without work are you? I get the feeling. And Levine? Can't say that I've heard of her before but again, I trust your sources better than mine. I've worked with Alexandra before and her architecture really clicked with what I wanted so I think I'm fine on that front, but I'd never say no to a second opinion. Great minds do think alike I was just thinking of Sawyer. I heard they're laying low somewhere in the states."
"Honestly, all laying low, the lot of you. It's not a good omen. Next time you get scared off darling, do feel free to come over here and keep me company." She is entirely shameless in her flirting.
"Well I can't help always being approached by shady agencies who try and kill me as soon as a job is done and dusted can I?" Theo says, and she laughs, already feeling the buzz of the teasing, the excitement of a new job coming down the pipeline. "I'll send over the files in a second...and while you're reading if you could just look out for anything suspicious? I just have this feeling."
"Of course I'll keep an eye out, I always do. Now, where shall we be congregating for this affair? As always there's our place out in the country going spare, but perhaps you had something less traceable in mind?"
"I'm looking at spare warehouses as we speak, going to keep it very old school dreamshare. The client is based in the US so I guess it's stateside we go. Send over Levine's contact would you? Unless you'd rather call her in yourself."
"I think it'd be best if I give her a call. Like you, she's had her fair share of shady agencies, and a voice she trusts would be wise at present. I'll send you her details though. And Theo? First class tickets please, when you book them. I'm not doing eight hours in economy, no matter how good the pay is. The client can afford it."
"Ah, yes. Good to know that dreamshare is just as cruel on the fresh blood as its always been. And as if I would settle for any less, I'll bill it straight to their card. Our client is a lawyer and a business millionaire, we can splurge."
"It's a miracle either of us have made it to thirty. You are thirty, aren't you? God, I'm going to feel old on this one."
"Now Adele you say you aren't forgetting things but I haven't hit thirty yet. Sure I'm close enough but it's all in the details." The amusement in his tone has her smiling against her mobile, shaking her head. But, business.
"Must be the dementia setting in. Right, anyway. Thank you for contacting me Theo. Let's make sure there's no lying low after this one."
"And with you on my side I'm certainly hoping there won't be."
"There'll be no hoping about it. We'll do the job, and do it flawlessly. Best survival technique out there. Is there anything else, darling?"
"Aim for perfection and you'll fall somewhere that's close enough to not get yourself killed. And no I don't think there's anything else, I'll just send over the documents and we'll be sorted. I'll let you know how contacting the others goes and the flights will be booked in the next few days, just enough time for everyone to sort out anything they have to."
A few days. As always, once a job has been proposed, all Adele wants is to throw herself right into it. Whilst she can start her research on this end, there's something different about being with the team in person, seeped in the rising fever pitch of stress and anticipation. She sighs, nodding to her kettle as a fill in for Theo.
"Be quick about it, won't you, darling? Paris isn't as fast as it used to be, and besides, I miss you. We'll talk soon."
"I'll do it as soon as I get off the phone. And I would pop by for visits but I am predisposed to being a workaholic. See you soon Adele, and tell Madeline I said hi."
"Au reviour, love."
Hanging up, she stares at her fridge for a couple of seconds before making a sharp, short noise of victorious excitement. It's like she's twenty again and the thrill of the chase is on. There is nothing else like it.
The first thing she does is text Maddy. She's a professional, so of course she keeps the details vague, but the reply within two minutes despite the time difference has her snorting. 'Five days. You managed five days. A new record?'
'2015, it was three.'
'I love you.'
'I love you too.'
With that cleared, she shrugs off the bathrobe, goes to change, and once in attire befitting of the proper mindset, gets to work.
She reads the job over thrice because Theo is absolutely correct: something is off. She's not sure what yet, but the money is too good to say no to and besides, if they're hiding something, there's the promise of a real challenge tucked away in there. She decides to phone Levine next, as once she knows with whom she is working, she can truly start to see the job as a cohesive whole.
Dialing the number the woman put out for those to contact her, Adele hums to herself at the dial tone. "Levine," she says when the click indicates it's been picked up. "Adele Marchand here. I've a job for you, if you're still looking, darling." She lists the pay next; it's the kind of figure that serves well to grab someone's attention
code by Ri.a
gearsandglue
post-it note poet
A phone ringing from the opposite end of the bedroom caught Levines wandering attention. Setting down the coffee she’d been near-sculling Levine rushed to pick up the the burner before it went to voicemail. A self-assumed, warm voice echoed down the line.
“Levine. Adele Marchand here. I’ve got a job for you, if you’re still looking, darling.” There was a quick pause, as if Adele was checking notes - and knowing her, Levine knew she already would have a dossier started - and then spouted a number with more zeros than Levine could wish to have in her bank account.
“Holy shit that’s a lot!” Tongue tripping over syllables in surprise Levine momentarily forgot the poise and mature facade she wore whenever trying to get a new job, and especially one of this caliber - speaking with Adele, her mind was racing, it’s got to be a business contract, something or someone important - “But yeah I just finished a job, went south but managed to get what we came for and run, so I’m on the market.”
"So I heard. What happened with your job?” Levine snorted and walked to pick up her coffee. “Bad lucks seems to be the fashion of the hour." Adele had a point. There was a string of jobs gone bad that seemed to be picking its way through the community, be it disgruntled clients or shifty somnacin. Levine felt the need for a stiff drink, given she had only just escaped the wrath of a wealthy criminal by the skin of her teeth, but given coffee was black, bitter, and on hand, copious amounts of caffeine would have to do.
"Client wasn't too happy with the info we got, thought he could take it out on us, seems to be happening more often than it did. But then and again, what can you expect from a bunch of criminals with more money than brains."
"You'll be glad to hear that this job is entirely legal then. For a court case, even." Adele started explaining the legality and nature of such a job. She seemed light on details, be it from not wanting to give it all away, or not having enough details but either way Levine was inclined to trust her. After all, years more experience is a hell of a learning curve.
"It'll be a first above board job I've done in a while. What's going on? Haven't heard of extraction used in court before"
"Who knows, this is the States. Hardly a downgrade from their usual legal system. Bit of a flight, but the tickets are first class. You on board?"
"Been a while since I've been stateside but I can't refuse first class I guess. When and where do you need me?
"Few days. Theodore is working Extractor; you've heard of him, I'm sure. I'll give him your details, and he'll be in contact shortly. Just make sure you cover your tracks as you make your way over; I don't want any disgruntled previous clients interfering, especially not with a legal matter. We'll be keeping this clean."
“Sounds good. I’ll keep an eye on it but I’ve survived this long, I know what I’m doing.” Levine hated this, the game of ‘you’re young, be careful, don’t fuck it up’ that everyone seemed to play with her. She knew she was young, but she was skilled in what she did otherwise she wouldn’t be here anymore. If she couldn’t manage to cover her tracks, she deserves to be dead years ago.
“I’ll see you stateside in a few days.”
"Salut, darling." With a click and a hummed goodbye, Levine hung up. Scanning the shabby motel she called a safe house for the past two weeks, she pieced her life back together into a suitcase. Pouring more coffee into a mug, the woman grabbed her laptop to flick through the information Adele sent through. Once her flight had been booked she’d need to ditch the car she’d ‘liberated’ but it’d be alright once she hit the main body of Munich. Flicking on some music to fill the empty space, Levine packed, filled with the adrenaline of a new job, and a good team - if Adele taking point was any indicator it’s going to be a hell of a team. Theodore was a fairly old name to her, she knew he started like her, with his hands bloodied by dirty money, but seemed to grow out of it. They’d never worked together but when you’re good you gain a reputation quickly.
It’s be interesting to work a legal case again. When you start criminal, you usually stay that way. It’s good money, and as long as you keep your mouth shut about who you’re working for, save for a few assholes, no one will come after you with too much passion. Extracting a confession would be a new turn, probably with a couple of forges but most likely the usual suspects - parents, partner, or their kid. It’s not like she hadn’t done any above board work before but it was mostly just small jobs - angry husbands wanting to know if their wives were cheating on them - the sort of private citizen worries. A court case utilising dreaming though? That was new, and would catch attention, dreamshare’s new golden child - the old golden child being the Fischer job that flipped the dreamshare world upside down.
code by Ri.a
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christy
𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙚𝙨
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[div class=tag]location Gardens by the Bay, Singapore.
[div class=tag]interactions Theodore.
[div class=tag]mentions
saturday shorts
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❝ alexandra ❞
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saturday shorts
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Gardens by the Bay was just one of many places that Alex was hoping to visit while in Singapore. She'd only arrived a day ago, and almost that whole day had been spent admiring the architecture of Changi Airport, which was nothing short of breathtaking. Aside from structure, Alex always admired places that incorporated as much nature as possible, and so far, Singapore has been very impressive.
But, as it would turn out, she wouldn't get to explore much more of the country. Not for a while at least, because as she roamed around, her phone rang. She wasn't expecting anyone to get in touch. As far as she knew, her brother was the only one who knew she was in Singapore at the moment, and he was busy playing Extractor for a job in India.
Without bothering to check if she recognised the number, she put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
The voice on the other end was familiar. "Hi, is this Alex? I'm looking for an architect for a new job, and I was wondering if you might be free."
Alex recognised the voice instantly, so no introduction was needed. She remembered working with Theo a few times, and that was after she'd learned of him. He'd been in the game for much longer than she had, of course, so she was curious as to what help he would need. "Colour me intrigued. What's the job?"
And so, Alex listened as Theodore explained what it was they were required to do. It seemed simple. Almost too simple. Which was why Alex was pleasantly surprised when they came down to talking about money. She let out a low whistle before responding. "That's... a lot of money. But I've never really been one to turn down money, so hell yeah, I'm on board." She was still learning, so of course, she was more than okay with taking up new jobs, and it's not like she was held up with something. With the amount that she was getting paid for this, she could come back to Singapore as many times as she wanted. "I'm in Singapore right now. Where do I need to be?"
Theo is quick to respond. "The planning stage will be near our clients stateside. Don't worry about flights, they'll be booked through our client straight into New York, first class. I'm giving everyone a few days to tie up any loose ends."
Well, Alex didn't need the few days, but if it was being given to her then maybe she could check one more day out before flying out of the place. "Oh, awesome. No loose ends here, in any case. I was just here to gain some more architectural insight."
"That's refreshing, someone who isn't desperately on the run."
Theo's response had her chuckling a little. "Do I know anyone else on this job?"
"Levine's the forger and Adele's the point man," he explained. She couldn't say she recognised the names totally well, but she was always open to working with new people in any case, especially if they knew Theo. "You probably know Sawyer," Theo continued, "they're going to be our on hand chemist. I've heard they supply a lot of you architect types when you want to do some practise dreaming."
"Oh, Sawyer too?" That name did ring a bell. As someone who practised dreaming a lot, she had gotten in touch with Sawyer a few times, and it was better to go back to a Chemist that she knew. "Great, it'll be nice to see them again." Everything seemed more or less set up, and Alex didn't have any questions yet, so all that was left to do was meet up. "Well then, I guess I'll see you in New York in a bit?"
"Yes I'm pretty sure that's all. If you have any other questions get in touch with me or Adele. Actually I'll just give you her number now-" and Alex held her phone between her cheek and her shoulder while she pulled out a pen from her back pocket to scrawl the number onto her palm "-because I'm fairly I've forgtten something so you should check in with her. Have a good one, see you soon."
Nodding, even though she was well aware that Theo couldn't see her nod, Alex bid him farewell for the time being. "Alrighty. See ya."
Upon hanging up, she made sure to enter Adele's number into her phone because there were very high chances of her just forgetting later on, given how her mind had the tendency to wander. The job wasn't really anything new for Alex, since, well, she'd been involved with all types of jobs, and yes, some of them weren't the cleanest jobs, but that had never bothered Alex. At least, not so far. In any case, she looked forward to seeing how this would go.
[/div]
But, as it would turn out, she wouldn't get to explore much more of the country. Not for a while at least, because as she roamed around, her phone rang. She wasn't expecting anyone to get in touch. As far as she knew, her brother was the only one who knew she was in Singapore at the moment, and he was busy playing Extractor for a job in India.
Without bothering to check if she recognised the number, she put the phone to her ear. "Hello?"
The voice on the other end was familiar. "Hi, is this Alex? I'm looking for an architect for a new job, and I was wondering if you might be free."
Alex recognised the voice instantly, so no introduction was needed. She remembered working with Theo a few times, and that was after she'd learned of him. He'd been in the game for much longer than she had, of course, so she was curious as to what help he would need. "Colour me intrigued. What's the job?"
And so, Alex listened as Theodore explained what it was they were required to do. It seemed simple. Almost too simple. Which was why Alex was pleasantly surprised when they came down to talking about money. She let out a low whistle before responding. "That's... a lot of money. But I've never really been one to turn down money, so hell yeah, I'm on board." She was still learning, so of course, she was more than okay with taking up new jobs, and it's not like she was held up with something. With the amount that she was getting paid for this, she could come back to Singapore as many times as she wanted. "I'm in Singapore right now. Where do I need to be?"
Theo is quick to respond. "The planning stage will be near our clients stateside. Don't worry about flights, they'll be booked through our client straight into New York, first class. I'm giving everyone a few days to tie up any loose ends."
Well, Alex didn't need the few days, but if it was being given to her then maybe she could check one more day out before flying out of the place. "Oh, awesome. No loose ends here, in any case. I was just here to gain some more architectural insight."
"That's refreshing, someone who isn't desperately on the run."
Theo's response had her chuckling a little. "Do I know anyone else on this job?"
"Levine's the forger and Adele's the point man," he explained. She couldn't say she recognised the names totally well, but she was always open to working with new people in any case, especially if they knew Theo. "You probably know Sawyer," Theo continued, "they're going to be our on hand chemist. I've heard they supply a lot of you architect types when you want to do some practise dreaming."
"Oh, Sawyer too?" That name did ring a bell. As someone who practised dreaming a lot, she had gotten in touch with Sawyer a few times, and it was better to go back to a Chemist that she knew. "Great, it'll be nice to see them again." Everything seemed more or less set up, and Alex didn't have any questions yet, so all that was left to do was meet up. "Well then, I guess I'll see you in New York in a bit?"
"Yes I'm pretty sure that's all. If you have any other questions get in touch with me or Adele. Actually I'll just give you her number now-" and Alex held her phone between her cheek and her shoulder while she pulled out a pen from her back pocket to scrawl the number onto her palm "-because I'm fairly I've forgtten something so you should check in with her. Have a good one, see you soon."
Nodding, even though she was well aware that Theo couldn't see her nod, Alex bid him farewell for the time being. "Alrighty. See ya."
Upon hanging up, she made sure to enter Adele's number into her phone because there were very high chances of her just forgetting later on, given how her mind had the tendency to wander. The job wasn't really anything new for Alex, since, well, she'd been involved with all types of jobs, and yes, some of them weren't the cleanest jobs, but that had never bothered Alex. At least, not so far. In any case, she looked forward to seeing how this would go.
the architect
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saturday shorts
its about the yearning
Sawyer was dreaming. They were floating in an endless expanse of water, streaky clouds overhead and their arms outstretched. The water supported them gently and their eyebrows twitched together suddenly. The ocean darkened, the mirrored surface clouding over and suddenly-
It cracked and they fell through layers of cityscapes, memories, laughter, everything blurring together until they jolted upright on the hardwood floor. The PASIV ticked once, twice and then popped out the empty cylinder of somnacin, an unassuming witness.
They pulled out the line slowly, limbs still foggy after the dream. That was something to fix then. Teams would never want to use a blend that left them groggy afterwards, no matter how realistic the dream felt. The risk of not being able to get up and go if something went wrong was too high.
The afternoon sun was streaky on the floor around them as Sawyer packed up all of the equipment, coiling the IV drip around their hand before pressing them all into place. The wall to their left was a shelf filled with chemicals, lined up with methodically labelled bottles, different compounds and concentrations all displayed in simple black and white labels.
They stood up and stretched, their joints clicking and muscles relieved for some movement after spending so long lying on the floor. Sawyer knew that some people enjoyed sitting in chairs or lying in bed for dreaming but they found the unyielding support of the floor more comforting.
The PASIV was put away in the largest drawer of their desk. It slotted in satisfyingly, all the edges meeting the edges as if the drawer had been made for it. It hadn’t been, Sawyer wasn’t that picky, but it was a nice touch all the same.
They always got unbelievably hungry after dreaming, and they wandered through into the kitchen. Poking around in the pantry got them nothing but snacks, packets of crisps that were half finished. The fridge didn’t have anything of substance and they scowled at the thought of going outside again.
Sawyer was turning the situation over in their head when the phone rang.
“Hello?”
“Hi, is this Sawyer?” The voice on the other end of the line was vaguely familiar. They couldn’t put an exact name to it but brown-eyes-brown-hair came to mind. “This is Theo, extractor.”
“You’ve ordered from me before! A standard mix, heavy on architectural stability.” Sawyer could remember the order better than the face, 5 heavy glass bottles with thick, clear liquid that clung to the sides of the container.
“Yes, and I was wondering if you’d be available to be an on hand chemist for my next job?”
Sawyer considered. Their schedule wasn’t full and they didn’t have any urgent orders coming up, nothing that they didn’t already have. “Yeah, I think I’m free. Where would the job be?”
“The states. I’m scoping out locations now and It’s looking like it’s gonna be New York, what with our clients being based there.”
Sawyer nodded, “Alright. And you’ll be booking the flights?”
“First class. Adele insisted. She’s on point by the way, I believe you might know her through Madeline?”
“Mmhm. Frequent customer.” They were doing loops around the kitchen island. It seemed impossible to sit still through a call. “Any idea of the kind of blend you want for this?”
“No, not yet, but it seems like it’ll be an easy 2 levels. Probably just a focus on stability. It’s looking to be a legal job so no worries on that front. I’m giving everyone a few days to get sorted before flying out here.”
Sawyer nodded again and drummed their fingers on the countertop. “Okay, well I’ll sort out the remaining clients I have and then I guess we’ll be seeing each other soon.”
“Sounds great, thanks.”
“Bye.” They hung up and after putting their phone down, just stood for a second in their quickly darkening kitchen. They’d only worked physically on jobs a few times. It wasn’t what they were known for but anyone who wanted to do a deep three level dive knew that Sawyer was the best in the business for not letting clients fall into limbo.
It was good then, that the job wasn’t anything criminal. They might’ve made a spectacular exit from being corporate but that didn’t mean they wanted to spend the rest of their life on the run like some of the people in dreamshare.
code by Ri.a
saturday shorts
its about the yearning
There wasn't much that Theo had to sort out over the few days between calling everyone in and the flight itself. He was sure by this time that whoever had been chasing him wasn't going to find him anytime soon. He spent most of the first day just reading over the folder and slowly drafting up a plan of attack. All the information was laid out before him, nothing out of place, all disgustingly organised, but something still wasn't right.
Even so, the flights were booked and there hadn't been any form of complaint from the rest of the crew. They were all set to arrive within the same half hour. Seeing as this had been touted as a legal job, Theo saw no problem with booking them all into the same hotel. He'd made sure they were different floors of course. There had to be some separation of life and work, even if they were working every time they closed their eyes. The client had been all too happy to comply when Theo had billed him the tickets. There wasn't anything to be fazed by when you were being paid a thousand a minute. The warehouse that Theo had picked out was an abandoned factory, floor to ceiling glass windows on one side, an expanse of concrete. Enough room for everyone to go off and tinker. He'd used the space before for a job and it had worked out well, easy to set up and then easy to strip down.
He'd managed to fit his whole life in a suitcase again. Theo personally didn't have a habit of keeping any sort of permanent home. He had different safehouses in a multitude of countries, all furnished minimally, left cold in the months or years that no one would enter. He'd grown adept at keeping his life possessions to a minimum. He wouldn't be coming back to this house after the job. He was thinking maybe Australia. Somewhere sunny and warm, and far away.
He stood looking into the house for a moment, coat hanging heavy around his legs and one hand firmly on the handle of his suitcase. It was all darkened and empty, no indication that he'd ever returned. Theo nodded, quick and decisive before turning and walking out the door. His taxi was waiting outside, headlights bright in the dim of the night. He slid into the back seat and pulled out his phone, sending a quick text to Adele. "In the taxi to the airport. Check in with the other's when we arrive? See you soon." He settled back in the seat then, and stared into the darkness behind his eyelids. He'd begun losing real-time dreams. It was inevitable with the line of work he was in but it was still disconcerting when falling asleep was just falling into darkness and then being jolted awake. It felt like lost time just slipping past his fingers.
He'd used another one of his fakes for the flight. Mr Peter Démarche. It was the cleanest one he had, with no criminal ties that he could remember.
Theo had gotten to the airport disgustingly early and sat on his laptop doing any of the small, menial tasks he had to. His phone buzzed from beside him, and he glanced down, intending to switch it on to airplane mode to save himself the trouble but paused when he saw Adele’s name flash up.
"Likewise. You know, I'm not going to be able to sleep despite the first class champagne and seating. I still can't work out what's wrong with this job, but there's definitely something. What do you know about our employers?
p.s. sorry to talk business before we've landed."
He snorted. Of course she’d jump to talking about the job. He hadn’t really expected anything else of course, but it was still funny. He sent a text back quickly, leaning back and closing his laptop.
"I need a distraction don't worry. I've been having trouble sleeping and I don't think that first class isn't going to change that. All I can tell is they're desperate to keep this as clean as possible and they've got disgusting amounts of money. I want to talk to the witness asap." He was glad that they were on the same page about the clients fishy business. It would’ve been hell just cooking up a conspiracy in his own brain. He’d thought that it was maybe just the legal element. Less excitement, and thinking of anything to spice that up.
"I've started work on the profile and I'm starting to think the money might be justified. Witness doesn't fit the profile for the murderer at all; will be a hard one to crack for discerning motive and how to goad into a full confession."
He hummed in agreement. From the recordings of the court proceedings so far, the witness seemed certain that he hadn’t been the cause of the death of the fiance. With how much he was denying it, it was probable that they would have to go deeper.
"Do you think there's anything fishy about Echart? It's just the prosecution is trying really hard to paint him in a completely innocent light. It could be nothing, they probably want to protect his integrity but what do you think?"
The pleasant voice of an attendant rang out over the speaker. “Flight 471 to New York, boarding now. Can first class passengers please make their way to the boarding gate.”
Theo didn’t sleep through the flight but he leaned back, eyes closed as flight attendants moved through the dim lighting. The late night flight meant that everyone was making an effort to be quiet. The only sounds were the rustling blankets and quiet whispering. There was always a strange tranquility in flying, the roar of the engine a constant background noise, the swooping feeling in your chest every time the plane dipped or curved.
And of course the ever present reminder that the most ambitious dreamshare operation in the world had been carried out in a single flight.
Landing and customs passed by in a blur of motion, with JFK being as busy as it always was. He grabbed his suitcase off the rotating baggage claim and set about ordering a taxi. After 8 hours in a plane, there was little else he wanted to do but collapse into a plush hotel bed.
He’d booked them into The Royal. They’d be in New York for at least 3 months if nothing went wrong and the court date wasn’t pushed back. Theo was going to take full advantage of the seemingly endless pockets of their clientele.
No one else had checked in yet when he enquired, and after discarding his coat and flopping backwards into bed, he typed out an outgoing text. “Hope you all had a good flight out. Once you’re here, meet me in the hotel lounge and I’ll give a debriefing.”
code by Ri.a
uninvited trashcan
Gay and Tired ™
Adele was perfectly capable of packing light; she'd served in the military for God's sake, spending years being yelled at come six in the morning for pack inspections. But after all that time living in the same clothes, the same ruthless stripping of outward personality, surely it was only natural that she now do a complete one-eighty and own more than was strictly necessary?
Looking at three large-size, fully-packed suitcases lined up by her front door, she could appreciate that this was perhaps going above and beyond 'more than was strictly necessary'. To her defense, only two were clothes; one was lined with files and files, all the by-product of the past few days work on research. She'd been hoping to have it condensed down by now for the flight, but chasing whatever was wrong with the job had sidetracked her.
To make up for it, she gave the taxi diver an obnoxiously large tip when he let her out at the airport. She knew herself well enough to have already booked someone to assist with the luggage, and paid the fine for the extra hold space. It was a little bit on the nose when two of her suitcases also exceeded the weight limit, but she was getting enough money on this job to justify ten suitcases, so. Security was a breeze, as it always was with the right kind of smile and soft apologies that her child had run off to the front, and just half an hour after entering the airport, she handed her ticket over at the gate for boarding.
As she sat in first class waiting for the last passengers to board, two empty champagne flutes before her, her phone chimed: Theo. She wished she could have been more flirtatious, more fun for him, but in the early days of any job she got tunnel vision. Everything was new and she was hyperfocused; he'd just have to tolerate her being so dreadfully boring for a little while. Before the flight attendant came and insisted she switch on airplane mode, she shot a quick message to Maddy and left safari on a google search of Echart. Throughout the flight she'd open it, staring at the image results of his face printed a dozen times. Theo's question had piqued her interest.
The flight was long and overnight, but she didn't sleep. Once, she'd been a real ace at sleeping on flights, given how it'd be the only opportunity on some assignments be it with the military or otherwise. Ever since the Fisher job though, she loathed sleeping anywhere without a locked door available. The idea of implanting ideas in anyone's head, especially her own, unnerved her. It raised too many questions, about free will and agency and so forth, and to just think about it had her fingering her totem in her breast pocket.
No more dreaming on airplanes.
JFK to The Royal, a journey that left her recalling old military training. She'd checked ahead: she'd have two hours before Theo ought to get in. She could either grab an hour's sleep, or, as training had taught her, power through and be somehow less tired for it.
Once she'd ensured her luggage was secured and she'd unpacked everything into the decadently large hotel room, Adele, despite not having slept for twenty-three hours, went to the gym. The adrenaline and serotonin kick proved to be exactly what she needed, an hour's run on the treadmill killing the stiff-awkwardness in her legs from such a long flight. Maddy got a drenched-in-sweat-gym-selfie, and Theo would get her still fully-functional: everyone was happy. Plus it pleased her, pushing herself to see if she could still pull off the shit she put herself through when she was younger.
After an ice-cold shower, her phone chimed as she dried herself. Theo, again. She texted him back to let him know she'd be there in thirty, and changed gears, switching out of the mode that had been flirting with Maddy and into the state of mind where she barely smiled beyond that of professional teasing (something she contended as essential to any stressful environment). She dressed: a woven black Chanel dress from a 2012 collection (since everything more recent had been an objective nightmare), cream Hobbs jacket, black Michael Kors Dorothy Flex heels.
So she was a labels snob, sue her.
With two minutes to spare from her promised arrival, Adele entered the lounge, heels clicking against the marble tiling. She ordered two drinks from the bar, bourbon on the rocks as always, and used the time to scope the area. Things were quiet: a group of four middle aged women sat giggling over wine down the far end of the bar; three suited businessmen types were draped over sofas near the entrance busy on their phones in such a way that managed to be a group activity; and an elderly male-presenting couple talked quietly with one another, holding hands at the back in a booth. Then of course there was the lone ranger, a man who looked to be about in his thirties with a well-groomed mop of dark hair and a face that always struck Adele as wide-eyed and innocent, even if she knew him to be an experienced criminal.
She approached him, setting one of the drinks on the polished coffee table before him. "Theo," she said, voice warm and a little gravelly from the flight and exertion. "A pleasure to see you again. You'll forgive me for being forward, but I've been lying awake at night thinking about you ever since you called." She grins; okay, maybe she can manage to claw up her A-game flirting and still be obsessed with the job. Holding out a hand, she moves to pull him up into a hug. "For the job, of course. So excuse me if I'm exhausted. How are you, darling? You look thin; I thought crime was supposed to pay?"
Looking at three large-size, fully-packed suitcases lined up by her front door, she could appreciate that this was perhaps going above and beyond 'more than was strictly necessary'. To her defense, only two were clothes; one was lined with files and files, all the by-product of the past few days work on research. She'd been hoping to have it condensed down by now for the flight, but chasing whatever was wrong with the job had sidetracked her.
To make up for it, she gave the taxi diver an obnoxiously large tip when he let her out at the airport. She knew herself well enough to have already booked someone to assist with the luggage, and paid the fine for the extra hold space. It was a little bit on the nose when two of her suitcases also exceeded the weight limit, but she was getting enough money on this job to justify ten suitcases, so. Security was a breeze, as it always was with the right kind of smile and soft apologies that her child had run off to the front, and just half an hour after entering the airport, she handed her ticket over at the gate for boarding.
As she sat in first class waiting for the last passengers to board, two empty champagne flutes before her, her phone chimed: Theo. She wished she could have been more flirtatious, more fun for him, but in the early days of any job she got tunnel vision. Everything was new and she was hyperfocused; he'd just have to tolerate her being so dreadfully boring for a little while. Before the flight attendant came and insisted she switch on airplane mode, she shot a quick message to Maddy and left safari on a google search of Echart. Throughout the flight she'd open it, staring at the image results of his face printed a dozen times. Theo's question had piqued her interest.
The flight was long and overnight, but she didn't sleep. Once, she'd been a real ace at sleeping on flights, given how it'd be the only opportunity on some assignments be it with the military or otherwise. Ever since the Fisher job though, she loathed sleeping anywhere without a locked door available. The idea of implanting ideas in anyone's head, especially her own, unnerved her. It raised too many questions, about free will and agency and so forth, and to just think about it had her fingering her totem in her breast pocket.
No more dreaming on airplanes.
JFK to The Royal, a journey that left her recalling old military training. She'd checked ahead: she'd have two hours before Theo ought to get in. She could either grab an hour's sleep, or, as training had taught her, power through and be somehow less tired for it.
Once she'd ensured her luggage was secured and she'd unpacked everything into the decadently large hotel room, Adele, despite not having slept for twenty-three hours, went to the gym. The adrenaline and serotonin kick proved to be exactly what she needed, an hour's run on the treadmill killing the stiff-awkwardness in her legs from such a long flight. Maddy got a drenched-in-sweat-gym-selfie, and Theo would get her still fully-functional: everyone was happy. Plus it pleased her, pushing herself to see if she could still pull off the shit she put herself through when she was younger.
After an ice-cold shower, her phone chimed as she dried herself. Theo, again. She texted him back to let him know she'd be there in thirty, and changed gears, switching out of the mode that had been flirting with Maddy and into the state of mind where she barely smiled beyond that of professional teasing (something she contended as essential to any stressful environment). She dressed: a woven black Chanel dress from a 2012 collection (since everything more recent had been an objective nightmare), cream Hobbs jacket, black Michael Kors Dorothy Flex heels.
So she was a labels snob, sue her.
With two minutes to spare from her promised arrival, Adele entered the lounge, heels clicking against the marble tiling. She ordered two drinks from the bar, bourbon on the rocks as always, and used the time to scope the area. Things were quiet: a group of four middle aged women sat giggling over wine down the far end of the bar; three suited businessmen types were draped over sofas near the entrance busy on their phones in such a way that managed to be a group activity; and an elderly male-presenting couple talked quietly with one another, holding hands at the back in a booth. Then of course there was the lone ranger, a man who looked to be about in his thirties with a well-groomed mop of dark hair and a face that always struck Adele as wide-eyed and innocent, even if she knew him to be an experienced criminal.
She approached him, setting one of the drinks on the polished coffee table before him. "Theo," she said, voice warm and a little gravelly from the flight and exertion. "A pleasure to see you again. You'll forgive me for being forward, but I've been lying awake at night thinking about you ever since you called." She grins; okay, maybe she can manage to claw up her A-game flirting and still be obsessed with the job. Holding out a hand, she moves to pull him up into a hug. "For the job, of course. So excuse me if I'm exhausted. How are you, darling? You look thin; I thought crime was supposed to pay?"
code by Ri.a
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