texts from last night

[preternaturalist]

y'all know what to do

Comments

[diggingupdirt]

[ A bar name and an address. ]

I can be there in 15.

[scions]

Done. Save me a spot.

[diggingupdirt]

[ And she's down at one end of the bar, waving. ]

First round's on me, you deserve it after that kind of trauma.

[scions]

[ Madsen slides into the seat quickly, letting out a puff of air. ]

Thanks. Definitely one of those moments where it's almost hilarious how absurd it is.

[diggingupdirt]

Yeah. You almost have to laugh so you don't cry.

[ Or at least, that's how she approaches these things. ]

Never thought I'd live to see the day that story got topped. It's impressive in its own terrifying way.

[scions]

What better way to fill an uncomfortable silence than a few laughs?

[ She grimaces before shaking her head. ]

I'm honestly impressed on top of disturbed. Then again, I really probably shouldn't be that surprised.

[diggingupdirt]

How did it even come up? Like did he just bust out with this story, or was there some "here let me share some trauma with you" bonding or what?

[scions]

More the latter? I joked about seeing some weird shit, which isn't wrong considering past events, but then he launched into. That.

[ Yeah, the memory's definitely giving her reason to take a long drink. ]

[diggingupdirt]

It's not wrong at all, but... shit. Now I'm scared to ever bring that up myself, in case I get some traumatizing story.

[ She's all for hearing about weird shit considering the things she's lived but. But. Not like that. ]

[scions]

I'm pretty sure it was a weird exception? Maybe? Probably.

[ Madsen presses her lips in a thin line after the fact, grimacing before going for another drink. Thank fuck for enhanced healing and alcohol tolerance. ]

[diggingupdirt]

[ Olivia wishes she had those things. They'd sure come in handy. As she does not: ]

I hope it was. It better be. I can't have my days of telling stories about weird shit curtailed for fear of being traumatized by someone's over the top misadventures.

[scions]

Well, hopefully most people either don't have anything that bad or are at least, y'know, actually tactful about it.

[ Then again that might just be her being too hopeful. ]

Hopefully.

[diggingupdirt]

Hopefully.

...Maybe we're giving this too much attention.

[ She's totally superstitious, worried about manifesting something like this for herself if she's not careful. ]

I served someone with papers today and I didn't have them take a swing at me? I feel like I'm moving up in the world.

[scions]

Probably.

[ She grimaces. ]

But hey, that's a good start! It's just an unfortunate side-effect of the job.

[diggingupdirt]

My mom wonders why I didn't choose a job where people would be happy to see me.

[ She shakes her head, wry. ]

And give up all this excitement?

[scions]

Never a dull moment, that's for sure.

[ Madsen flashes a grin. ]

She not a huge fan of you striking it out as an investigator?

[diggingupdirt]

[ She sighs, slightly exasperated, though it's also shot through with affection. ]

I love my mom. I do. But it's like...

I have three older brothers. One's an assistant district attorney, one's a doctor, the third one runs a community service agency, a nonprofit. All [ Two fingers lift away from her glass, curling a couple of times, forming half-hearted air quotes, ] respectable jobs.

When I started she thought I'd joined one of the gangs and was shaking people down for money. Now it's, why don't you get a [ there go her fingers again ] respectable job, or, god help me, why don't you get married so I can stop worrying about you.

[scions]

Yeah, that sounds a little familiar.

[ Madsen looks away for a moment, her expression sobering up for a bit before she starts tracing the rim of her glass again. ]

Mine wasn't too thrilled when she found out I was jumping back into things so quick after nearly [ legitimately ] getting killed a couple years back. I get why she's worried, considering certain events, but at the same time, it's ... frustrating. Especially when I feel like I'm actually making a difference.

[diggingupdirt]

I'm sorry about that, and glad you're still here.

[ She sighs, picking up her drink. ]

Moms are gonna be moms, right? What can you do? Though sometimes I wish they'd calm down just a little.

[scions]

S'fine. I'd like to think I've moved on since then, and bright side, things did turn out for the better.

[ By way of the guy who did it ending up being killed shortly after that whole stunt, but she'll leave that part out for now. ]

Think it's something in the mom handbook or something - "fret over your daughter's lives, especially if she starts getting into non-conventional fields of work". Probably a subset about meddling in love lives, too. [ She strokes her chin in thought before shaking her head and taking another drink. ]

[diggingupdirt]

God, the meddling in love lives. [ She huffs out a breath. ]

Does your mom immediately size up any man she hears about or meets that knows you that's between, like, 20 and 50 years old?

[scions]

Preeeeetty much. Which especially sucks when you tend to have a lot of guy friends anyway for whatever reason. It's like - Mom, no, these guys are like brothers and I'd rather not kiss a sibling. Gross.

[diggingupdirt]

Super gross. Not every man you meet has to be considered for marriage material.

[scions]

Yuuuuup, definitely know that feeling.

[ She raises her glass. ]

To solidarity in surviving meddling mothers.

[diggingupdirt]

Hear, hear.

...You ever see yourself doing anything else? A different career? Because I don't. That's what she and I stumble on, sometimes, that I won't just up and change my job.