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Post by brennalarose on Nov 3, 2008 21:13:51 GMT -7
Time: 7:00 PM
Date: October 3rd, 2008
Place: BPRD, Hallway leading to the Library
Status: Open to anyone
Phia stepped out of the elevator, juggling books, a coat, three folders, and what looked like a silver metal briefcase with rubber bumpers. It was a common enough sight to many in the BPRD; the chubby, eager-faced young agent, staggering under a load of items and doing her best not to stumble on her own decorous heels. She peered over the pile, trying to see her path and failing.
True to form, she stumbled, books scattering, coat skidding across the floor and the briefcase bouncing to rest a few feet away.
The hallway was silent for a moment, the hush broken only by a muffled sigh and a muttered oath.
"Typical," said Phia, "I go all day without incident and bruise my pride after I clock out. Ain't that just ducky?"
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 5, 2008 11:30:00 GMT -7
Fluffy pink slippers shuffled down the hallway. They led up to Eeyore pajama bottoms, a painfully bright orange tank top, and then to Tabby’s face. Her hair was messy and red, entailing that she may have just woke up…even though it was seven in the evening. In one hand, she clutched a mug from which the aroma of black coffee emanated. She took a sip as she shuffled along, trying to wake up.
She had been up until five that morning, trying to fix a jammed weapon before it went out with its owner on a mission. When she finally cleared the blasted thing, another damaged weapon came in and was needed ASAP. So she didn’t get to sleep until ten-thirty that morning, and she had just woken up, ready to rush forth into the trenches of the Scrap Pile once more.
Tabby was only vaguely aware of a form exiting the elevator, but became alert when the briefcase came bouncing to a stop at her fuzzy pink feet. Tabby looked down at the briefcase slowly, then up at Phia, then down at the briefcase again, as if considering her next move. She took another sip from her mug before bending and picking up the briefcase, and then taking a few more steps to begin collecting books.
“…One of those days, I’m guessing?” She asked sleepily, looking up at Phia. She only vaguely knew her face, but then again, Tabby spent so much time in the shop, she hardly knew anyone very well.
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 5, 2008 16:31:27 GMT -7
"You said it," said Phia, getting up, "I get called in to analyze some 'iffy' graffiti, get shunted around by other suits, then get upstaged by some literati reject whose only qualification was managing to NOT fall asleep in the process of reading the Budge translation of the Book of the Dead." She began gathering up her things. "He's wrong anyway. I grew up in DC. Good little Catholic gangbangers don't write paeans to Mokosh in Latin on bathroom walls. Then, of course, to remind me that the Luck of the Irish must have skipped my generation, I trip on nothing."
Phia dusted off her knees. "Tabby, right? You fixed up Lovelace there once!" She gestured to the silver briefcase, which, sure enough, had a Panasonic logo on it.
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 6, 2008 7:30:44 GMT -7
"You know the good ol' BPRD -- Everyone and their mama thinks they have special insight here. Sure, some do, but most are just the muscle or something. Part of the reason why I like to be hidden away for most of the day." Tabby smiled. "And sometimes a little accident is a nice way to cap off a hard day. When I was in high school, I slipped on the ice out front of the building after failing for a certain type of tryout. This jock named Brent Bretterson came to my rescue. We dated for three months."
Tabby looked down at the briefcase and analyzed when and where she had seen it before. Yes, not too long ago...Something wrong with a mechanism...Bingo! "Oh yeah! Yeah, how's it been?" She stopped and laughed. "I mean how have YOU been, not the briefcase. But if you want to include details about the briefcase too, I won't be angry....Phia? Yeah, Phia."
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 6, 2008 19:03:44 GMT -7
"Lucky," said Phia, "The jocks at my school always thought I was like some precious kid sister. Though falling on my ass did help live long enough to get here." She grinned ruefully. "I keep waiting to get a memo saying I'm banned from heels." Come to think of it, everybody had been giving her funny looks today.
"Apart from a few nicks and scrapes in the field, I'm good," she said, "Lovelace is still hacking her way through firewalls that make lesser machines cringe, bless her." She eyed the cup of coffee wistfully. "I could sin for a cup of joe. Is it fresh?"
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 9, 2008 21:10:14 GMT -7
Tabby laughed. "If you get those mats that you put on your dashboard so you can throw your cell phone up there and it won't move around, you can take an Exacto knife, trim the mat to the bottom of your heels, and then super glue 'em to the bottom. Saved my flipping life when I received my Bachelor's, I swear. My parents were so proud I didn't fall and kill myself or someone else during the ceremony. It's great for non-slip shoes on any surface."
"Good." Tabby affectionately touched the briefcase and smiled. "She's quite a piece of technology, I'll hand that to her. Wish some of my machines were as good as her..."
"Go ahead, have a sip! As long your not afraid of germs or whatever." Tabby offered the mug to Phia. "They just brewed some in the cafeteria. I keep telling Manning we need to get a Starbucks down here. That would kick so much ass. Especially since they're getting their seasonal hot chocolates soon. Mmm, salted caramel..." She caught herself salivating and laughed. "It's black, just so you're warned."
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 10, 2008 19:04:38 GMT -7
"Considering today," said Phia, "Black is fine." She took a sip and handed back, wincing at the bitterness and swallowing hard. "I'm waiting for Irish Cream to come back into season, so I can drink it on duty. Until then, a little orange spice tea is good enough."
She wedged her jacket under her arm and took back Lovelace. "Any sense of outside would be nice," she sighed, "I miss clubbing."
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 11, 2008 20:23:44 GMT -7
"Mmm, tea. Tea's a nice cold season beverage. Tea and a bit of honey to soothe a sore throat...Good tasting and good for you." Tabby grinned. She vaguely wondered if she was babbling.
"I heard murmurs that there might be a Christmas party this year. You know, like we work in an office building or something. There's a sense of normalcy right there. Maybe we should form a union." Tabby mused. "My dad's a Union guy. I could ask him for advice."
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 12, 2008 7:55:40 GMT -7
"Good point!" said Phia, "Petition for something like a day pass, a party once a season, stuff like that. Damn good idea." She grinned. "Normally, I'm just too shy to say anything. I'm always scared that if I cause too much trouble, Manning'll lock me in the federal pokey." She hugged Lovelace to her chest.
"I guess that's why they took me. Fear makes me docile and such. That, and I couldn't turn down the laptop and free net access." She blushed. "I'm hopeless."
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 12, 2008 9:02:38 GMT -7
Tabby laughed. "You need to get some blackmail then, for insurance. Me, if they ever try to mess with me, I can delete Manning's entire technological and internet life faster than he can blink. Or I could probably find something shocking on his hard-drive, like embarrassing Christmas photos. I bet you and good ol' Lovelace could find dirt to frame him with." She winked. "Lord, listen to me. Talking about blackmail and framing people...And I work for the government."
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 12, 2008 10:12:01 GMT -7
"I hadn't thought of it like that," said Phia, "Come to think of it...No, bad, naughty Phia. We use our powers for legal, not morally questionable. Besides, that's part of my contract. I don't hack unless Manning says so, or Manning can have me tucked away at Club Fed."
Which brought an interesting question to Phia's mind. "How'd you get this gig, if you don't mind saying?"
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 12, 2008 15:46:46 GMT -7
"Well...You could always ask someone to do it...or accidentally do it. Or something. There might be a clause saying something like 'not responsible for acts of God' that you can exploit." Tabby laughed and ran a hand through her messy disheveled hair.
"Me?" Tabby took a sip of coffee. "I went to MIT and was approached by some government officials who had been given a head's up to my work and stuff. They offered me a contract and a place on a fast-paced technological program. I couldn't resist. And I ended up here. It's nice, because my family lives in upstate New York, so it's not too far from home. Or whenever I get a chance to get there." Tabby's interest in Phia was stirred, so she decided to reciprocate the question. "How about you?"
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 12, 2008 16:11:25 GMT -7
"I hacked some cultists' database and borrowed some cash," Phia said nonchalantly, "I was gonna put it back, but they kicked down my door and used me for a scratching post. Literally. I had no idea Bast was an Elder God ala Dagon. Thankfully, BPRD had apparently been tailing the little beesters and got to me before the Feds did. They made me an offer: room, board, pay and a job, in exchange for not taking anymore backdoor loans."
Phia shrugged into her coat, suddenly deciding she was cold. "Personally, I say it was their own fault for keeping a wiki."
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Post by Tabby Whitman-Foster on Nov 12, 2008 20:06:52 GMT -7
"I have a question: Are you allowed to vote even though you weren't busted? Because in m government class in high school, we were told felons can't vote. Not that you're a felon. But can you vote?" Tabby paused and cringed. "I'm sorry if I'm kinda fruit-loopy with my questions; I just woke up. But that's neat. I love the interesting and various ways people get here. It's always a good story asking people how they got here."
Tabby noticed that Phia was shrugging on her coat. "Hey, since it's kinda weird us just chatting out here in the corridor, want to go somewhere less conspicuous?"
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Post by brennalarose on Nov 12, 2008 21:24:17 GMT -7
"Sure," said Phia, "Gives me a chance to put my stuff down. I'm always open to odd questions. It's how humans learn. I ask some pretty odd questions occasionally. Technically, yeah, I can still vote and you'd better believe I'm voting this year. Part of the reason why I'm getting used to being sweet to my superiors and such, even when I think they're dumber than a hatful of grass."
Phia looked around for a moment. "How about my room? It's not too far."
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