The Cape Rouge, Friday afternoon
Oct. 2nd, 2020 02:39 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
betterthanaplanDuke was just getting back from a trip into Baltimore to pick up . . . provisions for his planned "get away" with Octavia this weekend when his phone rang.
His 2010 phone.
He dug it out of his pocket with a grimace, and half-averted his eyes as he took a look at the number. Then frowned and flipped it open to answer.
"Audrey? Since when do you call me?"
"You and Nathan, ugh. I am capable of having friends, you know."
"Nah, of course," Duke teased, glancing around to see if Octavia was here to overhear. Or any squirrels. He set out a glass of rum just in case. "You're just not very good at it, yet."
"Shut up," Audrey said with a faint laugh. "Look, I know you're off in the future or whatever where you don't have to worry about the Tattooed Man, but I, uh. There's something I thought you should know."
Duke winced again, his stomach sinking. "Really? I can't just live in happy ignorance?"
"There's a woman in town claiming to be your wife."
Duke dropped his phone to his side and cursed fluently at the sky. A little flock of porgs went scattering.
"Duke? Are you there?"
"Let me guess," he said, half hiss. "Gorgeous black woman, permanent smirk. Goes by Evi?"
"That's her. Is she really your wife?"
"Only technically."
"Well, she sure sounds like she thinks it's more than technical."
"You should arrest her," Duke said, seizing on the idea. "Just -- tell Nathan to throw her in jail."
"She hasn't done anything wrong."
"Since when does that stop him? Charge her with fraud or -- or jaywalking if you have to. Trust me, she belongs in jail."
". . . Right. I'll pass the word along."
Duke dropped his head with a sigh. "You're not going to arrest her, are you."
"Not without actual evidence. But I will keep an eye on her for you if you want."
"Yeah." Duke rubbed his hand down his face. "Yeah, that'd be -- that'd be great. Thanks, Audrey."
"Hey, what are friends for?
"Exactly this. Well done, Officer Agent Audrey Parker. You have succeeded in doing a friend thing."
They chatted for a few moments longer, just catching up (apparently one of the card sharks had been a mind reader, and there was a local ghost story that turned out to be a guy with uncontrollable super speed). She was talking around something big, Duke could tell, something to do with her mom or Nathan, or maybe even both of them, but Duke didn't press.
It wasn't his business. Or it wouldn't be if he didn't make it his business. And he was determined not to make it his business. He and Octavia were way too fragile right now for him to go haring off to Haven again. Whatever was going on, Audrey and Nathan could handle it, just like they did the mind reader and the superspeed guy.
And if he just kept telling himself that, maybe he'd finally believe it.
[mostly establishy ahead of more canon, but also open! That he got a phone call is fine to report, but contents are strictly NFB, please.]
His 2010 phone.
He dug it out of his pocket with a grimace, and half-averted his eyes as he took a look at the number. Then frowned and flipped it open to answer.
"Audrey? Since when do you call me?"
"You and Nathan, ugh. I am capable of having friends, you know."
"Nah, of course," Duke teased, glancing around to see if Octavia was here to overhear. Or any squirrels. He set out a glass of rum just in case. "You're just not very good at it, yet."
"Shut up," Audrey said with a faint laugh. "Look, I know you're off in the future or whatever where you don't have to worry about the Tattooed Man, but I, uh. There's something I thought you should know."
Duke winced again, his stomach sinking. "Really? I can't just live in happy ignorance?"
"There's a woman in town claiming to be your wife."
Duke dropped his phone to his side and cursed fluently at the sky. A little flock of porgs went scattering.
"Duke? Are you there?"
"Let me guess," he said, half hiss. "Gorgeous black woman, permanent smirk. Goes by Evi?"
"That's her. Is she really your wife?"
"Only technically."
"Well, she sure sounds like she thinks it's more than technical."
"You should arrest her," Duke said, seizing on the idea. "Just -- tell Nathan to throw her in jail."
"She hasn't done anything wrong."
"Since when does that stop him? Charge her with fraud or -- or jaywalking if you have to. Trust me, she belongs in jail."
". . . Right. I'll pass the word along."
Duke dropped his head with a sigh. "You're not going to arrest her, are you."
"Not without actual evidence. But I will keep an eye on her for you if you want."
"Yeah." Duke rubbed his hand down his face. "Yeah, that'd be -- that'd be great. Thanks, Audrey."
"Hey, what are friends for?
"Exactly this. Well done, Officer Agent Audrey Parker. You have succeeded in doing a friend thing."
They chatted for a few moments longer, just catching up (apparently one of the card sharks had been a mind reader, and there was a local ghost story that turned out to be a guy with uncontrollable super speed). She was talking around something big, Duke could tell, something to do with her mom or Nathan, or maybe even both of them, but Duke didn't press.
It wasn't his business. Or it wouldn't be if he didn't make it his business. And he was determined not to make it his business. He and Octavia were way too fragile right now for him to go haring off to Haven again. Whatever was going on, Audrey and Nathan could handle it, just like they did the mind reader and the superspeed guy.
And if he just kept telling himself that, maybe he'd finally believe it.
[mostly establishy ahead of more canon, but also open! That he got a phone call is fine to report, but contents are strictly NFB, please.]