Inbox -- Genessia

[fondofapples]

Regina Mills
Queen Mayor Mother
Sorceress
Fond of Plants

"You've reached the inbox of Regina Mills. Leave a message. If it's urgent, it's probably too late."

(text, voice, video, action, ooc planning if necessary for Genessia only)

Comments

8-19 | Evening | Private

[fondofapples]

That provoked a soft snort of laughter, wry, even though she took his outstretched hand. "You forget, I could teleport us both from here and have us back in our respective rooms in seconds."

She could, yet she didn't want to. She wanted to walk back the way they'd arrived. Maybe even take a longer route and spend more time together in the open air.

No subtlety in her at all, not in this moment, Regina laced her fingers with Neil's, pressing them down between his until they could go no further and their hands were locked together, secure and steadying. "But it's a nice night for a walk and I'm not ready to be cooped up in a 10 x 10 cell for the rest of it."

Re: 8-19 | Evening | Private

[hellorhighwater]

Once he fished out a couple of bills to drop on the bar for their drinks, Neil offered no resistance as her fingers locked with his, gripping hers with gentle strength in silent reassurance that he was going nowhere but with her as they exited the restaurant.

"It is a pretty nice night." he agreed, looking up at the sky. "Not gonna lie, though: probably won't sleep a wink to get to morning. Lookin' forward to sunrise--haven't seen one on the regular in twenty years."

multiple texts because it's new to him and fuck this tiny keyboard and it's impossible punctuation

[hellorhighwater]

hey its neil

sorry it took me so long to get in touch

still trying to get settled in and get the fuck out of the common space

listen if youre not busy tonight

want to have dinner with me

Re: multiple texts because it's new to him and fuck this tiny keyboard and it's impossible punctuati

[fondofapples]

[ The first text is a pleasant surprise. By the time she gets to the fifth, she's annoyed. She hates having a boss as it is. Having one giving her the eyes every time her message notification sounds is not her idea of fun. ]

Figure out how to send the whole thing in one message 
and I'll consider it.

text: 8/25

[blueberryprincess]

I have a job! I'm Chef at Fortuna Palace.

I might also be learning Alchemy and Transmutation, too, to hopefully put that towards some manner of employment here.

Re: text: 8/25

[fondofapples]

Congratulations, love. Today Fortuna Palace, tomorrow 
Bad Apple. I'm proud of you.

Who is teaching you Alchemy and Transmutation?

8/30 - text

[hellorhighwater]

i made a rule

[Hidden Message: HELP.]

Re: 8/30 - text

[fondofapples]

[ The force of distress in those four words is so strong that Regina doesn't even consider messing with him. She wishes she understood it better, though, so she didn't have to ask before she answered. Who is the rule for? Him? Them? Someone else?

Pursing her lips, and suppressing her elitist streak to speak to him where he was, she responded quickly ]

what kind of rule?

[ Mostly suppressing. She couldn't help the question mark. ]

Evening of 9/1 - photo/text messages

[hellorhighwater]

[The first thing Regina receives is a photo of a dingy motel corridor, followed by a barrage of texts.]

this is where charlie lives

over my dead fucking body

but thats not cool

not what a friend would do

how do i shove her ass into a tower until shes thirty without shoving her ass into a tower until shes thirty regina

because shes not fucking living in this dump

its a mugging waiting to happen

just no

help

Re: Evening of 9/1 - photo/text messages

[fondofapples]

Breathe.

[ Easy enough to say, but those pictures... Regina shudders at the number of cockroaches she can imagine in the corridor alone. Not to mention the neighborhood is appalling. ]

Respect her right to choose. No 'over my dead body'. State your concerns, ask her to help you understand why this place if she digs in her heels... 

I may have alternatives for her. But you need to know why first.

Most important: breathe. 

We can always set unpleasant wards around the neighborhood.

morning of 9/9 - series of texts

[hellorhighwater]

hey beautiful

just thought of something funny i heard about yesterday and forgot to share

you alone or not busy

youre gonna laugh your ass off

Re: morning of 9/9 - series of texts

[fondofapples]

Just having coffee. Plenty of time, especially for you.

Tell me.

9/15 - a little after eleven - TEXT

[hellorhighwater]

[He spends a lot of time in Everglade and Fayren, with his home base still in Genessia City. Back and forth between the areas, and the changes in the weather...

A flare up was inevitable.

The first couple of days, he does okay with a little caution when he's lifting something heavy. He has a high pain tolerance, always has--so of course, he pushes it and by the third day his eyes are burning every time he moves his shoulder or opens a doorknob. He can't find a comfortable spot to lay when he sleeps at night, and it takes him ten minutes in the morning to get his fingers to move so he can actually grip things without wincing or moaning.

Yeah, he could go to the doctor, but he remembers the doctors and the drugs from back when the break originally happened. He remembers the discussions about possible surgery and pins--how the pills made him feel, made him sleepy and unstable and vulnerable to revenge from the buddies of the kids he sent to the hospital right along with him. Even the healers that attended him in the Night Dragon's service quickly learned he would always reject the heady drafts that would numb pain by way of numbing the mind and senses--and bleed anyone that tried to force a draft upon him by any means.

So, by the fourth night, when heat has only done so much to dull the constant, pervasive throb that turns the edges of his vision red and makes his stomach roll when it happens to spike, he's reaching for his phone when he realizes sleep isn't going to happen. Again.]

hey angel

Re: 9/15 - a little after eleven - TEXT

[fondofapples]

[ It's a little after eleven and Regina's still poring over the history of Schnee's Feyren branch. She pushes her glasses up to rub her eyes and rolls her head on her shoulders to stretch her neck. For the last ten minutes, she's felt uncommonly fidgety for no reason she can think of--

Until a text notification lights up her phone and she realizes: she's been waiting for some kind of contact from Neil. Her neck and shoulders pop when she reaches for the phone, and she smiles to see the familiar greeting.

After pausing to put lotion on her hands -- glamours are for disguises, not for living in; her appearance is a product of care -- and rub it in, she picks up the phone to text back. ]

Hello, my knight. I've missed you today.

Text: afternoon - 9/18

[thefirething]

there’s a rumor going on around town about you selling cursed objects and while I know we barely know each other? I may or may not have cursed out the npc idiot that tried to tell me its true.


Just in case this one gets back to you; you have someone on your side. Someones. Lots of people. One of which is me.

Re: Text: afternoon - 9/18

[fondofapples]

Thank you, Charlie. 

I'm annoyed, but nothing more. It's hardly the worst thing 
that's been said of me.

[ And most of the terrible things that have been said about her, unlike this, are true. ]

9/20 - ;video

[hellorhighwater]

[When the feed comes to life, there's no one directly in front of the camera, but the source of the message is swiftly evident: the telltale flame of a dragon fire sprite drifts into view before winking out of existence, revealing the inside of a stripped down gym--and a stripping down Neil with his back to the camera as he tugs off his shirt impatiently, tossing it on top of his gym bag before turning around to face his phone, bending to peer into it.]

Regina! You around?

[...yeah, someone's in a bad mood. Bad mood. When there's no immediate answer, Neil grits his teeth and sighs. Drawing back from the camera, he snaps his fingers and calls another sprite to life, tiny tongue of dragon fire dancing cheerfully in front of him.]

If she answers, come get me. [He starts to turn away, then pivots on his heel to issue another order to the sprite.]

And if it looks like I'm gonna pop someone's brain like a zit by slamming my fist into their fucking head? Set my goddamn hair on fire. Prolly the only way I'll stop.

[He promptly snaps his fingers again, summoning another sprite.]

You? Put me out if he sets my hair on fire. Then go find Regina and tell her she's dating a bad tempered asshole with third degree burns.

[He starts to turn away again--then stops and looks over his shoulder, pointing at the sprite in warning.]

But only if your big brother sets my hair on fire.

[Satisfied he'll be protected from himself for the time being, Neil finally turns away, heads for the middle of the floor, and throws himself into a heavy workout, hoping to burn off his bad temper with exertion.

At least until he can get ahold of Regina, who can probably talk him into cooling off.

...probably.]

Re: 9/20 - ;video

[fondofapples]

[ Much of the day has been devoted to putting out tiny fires, most of the related to the ridiculous rumor that she's been selling cursed objects. She's more annoyed than anything, because it's a waste of her precious time. As if she would do anything so gauche and irresponsible.

She's got a headache and her temper is rising.

So she's glad when she returns to her desk and finds she has a call from Neil. If anyone can put her mood back in order, it's him.

But when she connects the call, it's not his face or his smile but his goddamned gorgeous body she sees, and he's throwing himself headlong into a brutal workout.

For short while, she watches appreciatively, because it's definitely the best thing she's seen today, but then ]

Did you call to entertain me with your athletic prowess or was there something else?

text: evening - 9/25

[thefirething]

How many languages do you know?

Re: text: evening - 9/25

[fondofapples]

That you would have heard of or in general?

9/21 - around 7:30

[fondofapples]

Several hours later and an hour and a half later than she intended to be...

Head splitting from a half hour argument with her current now former assistant that ended in said assistant getting summarily fired and being inordinately lucky that was the worst of it, Regina shifted her document bag from her right shoulder to her left and touched her fingertips to the door of her room. No spell necessary, she instantly knew the primal heat and predatory aggression of the dragon magic behind the door and had she not, she'd have deduced it from the several degrees difference in temperature of her door compared to the ambient that she'd grown so sensitive to in the month and a half she'd spent with Neil.

Knowing he was there lessened the tension in her jaw and let her shoulders down a notch by releasing her from the anxiety of not knowing, but it was setting eyes on him when she opened the door that began to knit her frayed nerves. She didn't have to work to summon up a smile for him, even if it didn't quite light up her eyes.

"I threw an overeager child across my office today for casting a curse in my presence," she informed him as she set her bag down, and if he heard a confession and a request for forgiveness, he wouldn't be wrong. "How was the rest of your day, dear?"

Re: 9/21 - around 7:30

[hellorhighwater]

Neil had stopped for take out, and when he saw Regina was going to be late, he'd set it aside with a charm to keep it warm until she arrived. With nothing else to do, he'd settled on amusing himself with magic.

When she walked in, Neil was seated backwards on a chair, a ball of dragon fire in his hand that he was morphing into various shapes in the middle of his palm with perfect absorption in what he was doing. The sound of her voice broke his reverie, and the fire winked out of existence as he rose to greet her. She had a smile on her face, but it wasn't connecting--that worried him.

She explained, though, and so he relaxed as he crossed over to snag her with an arm around her waist to pull her close.

"That's rude--a little extreme, if you actually threw her, but I wouldn't worry." he reassured her, leaning in to steal a kiss. "Mine was pretty good--got a drink tossed in my face, and I knocked a couple guy's heads together. Who'd have thought workin' the door of a bar could be so damn much fun?"

9/30 - ;text

[hellorhighwater]

hey beautiful

just talked to your ex

tell me i do not have permission to disembowel him

or cook his brain inside his skull

or weave a fishing net out of his circulatory system

the setting his heart on fire thing is also appealing to me

but he has only one eyeball to watch pop so that might be less fun

i could do them all but then id be late coming home for dinner

and i pride myself on punctuality

Re: 9/30 - ;text

[fondofapples]

Thor is not my ex. He's a friend I had sex with a couple of times, no feelings involved.

You absolutely do not have permission to attack Thor because you're mad he touched me.

If you need to get macho and demonstrative, come break some furniture with me.

text: 10/8 - evening

[blueberryprincess]

Spiders in the bed is a first year student curse. Clearly, I've pissed off a witch with a basic and very poor grasp of spellwork.

Re: text: 10/8 - evening

[fondofapples]

Very basic.

If it turns out to be true, however, that very basic witch will get a lesson she won't soon forget.

TEXT; afternoon of 10-13

[hellorhighwater]

[He's been chewing on it for nearly twenty four hours. He's proud of himself for that, but while he's out for a run in the forests of Fayren (and his knee is making him regret his life choices), he finds a place to take a load off and sprawl out on some moss in a comfortable looking clearing, dappled with sunlight, and fishes his phone out of the pocket of his gym shorts.]

okay or not okay

murdering people who steal from children

Re: TEXT; afternoon of 10-13

[fondofapples]

[ Regina's busy shopping for the new house, furniture for the shared areas and for their bedroom, and it's strange to be doing this herself. When she redecorated the castle she had people for this. It's strange, but it's also a pleasure to touch the fabrics, imagine the colors, think of placement. She's looking at a brocade couch when her phone alerts her to a text from Neil.

She passes the brocade--not comfortable for children, and moves on to an overstuffed sectional, where she sits to pick up her text. And answer it. ]

you know I'm going to say no

okay to put them in the hospital or turn them into a toad though

11/3 - late, post-party

[hellorhighwater]

The party was more or less dead, meaning that Neil was able to slip out when he was sure Regina was good with rubbing a couple more elbows as the last of the guests started migrating towards the door. He was actually kind of proud of himself--affairs of state, gala celebrations, he was usually off in a dark corner or putting himself on duty about an hour in.

He'd been having the time of his life until roughly twenty minutes ago--and he was still having fun, he was just discovering that fun could be kind of exhausting.

So he'd slipped out, ambled a little ways down the drive, and just stood, facing the house and admiring the luminarias decorating the house. It wasn't nearly big enough, and the luminarias were far too elegant, but for a split second he was reminded of the torch-lined walls of Castle Nocturne, and the sight of it when he was riding into the Black City--invisible against the black sky save for those roaring points of light to mark it on the horizon.

The house wasn't a shadow, though--it glowed with warmth and cut a beautiful figure against the sky, just a little bit rustic and earthy in softer ways that Castle Nocturne wasn't.

It was a strange feeling, standing there in front of the little ball of light that was his home, a hollow sort of weariness in his marrow that required the dark and the quiet. It was the suspicion, pushing against skin and bone, unwilling to be stripped away by the joy, the contentment, the love and the sense of home that now filled him up, leaving no comfortable room for it anymore.

One day, this will end. One day, she'll understand and crush your heart. One day, they will see the blood and the hunger, and they will run screaming.

Shutting his eyes, Neil tipped his head back, turning his face to the sky as he stretched out his neck--as he pushed back at that old familiar friend, Paranoia, with the all-consuming stillness of the void within: the stillness of a mind unmolested by the beat of a living heart.

Straightening, he went back to regarding the house with a little smile, and popped another piece of rock candy into his mouth, every press of his tongue against the hard points of sugar a giant middle finger to that old, familiar friend.

Re: 11/3 - late, post-party

[fondofapples]

The party had gone as well as Regina might have expected, far better than she might have feared, and not quite as well as her most daring dreams. All in all, that made it impossibly successful in her mind, since her most daring dreams took flight only to crash and burn worse than her darker fears. Having it turn out steadily well, with both Neil and Thor in attendance, was something of a coup, and she'd even been able to take a few minutes here and there to simply enjoy it.

Her mind had begun something of a highlight reel of the best moments with the kids, her talk with Evie, the absolute astonishment on Neil's face every time something new had happened--even the water balloons had delighted him, as had the fact both she and Charlie had thought to keep the water warm. It kept her company through the goodbyes and some of the clean-up, so it wasn't until after Alice had long since been put to bed that she noticed that Neil had slipped away.

It wouldn't have been long, she reasoned, or she would have noticed. The weight of the air changed when he was nearby, almost literally, as she could feel his magic on it. Suddenly chilled, she rubbed her arms beneath his blazer and set out to find him.

Which she did, only moments later, standing in the drive looking up at the house. She warmed again immediately, seeing him smiling, and allowed herself a bit of pride in having thought to light the night for him.

"Skating out on the clean-up. Just like a man," she teased him. It was his party. He didn't need to do anything but enjoy it. And her smile as she slipped her arms around his waist said as much.

11/16 - text:

[blueberryprincess]

[ Nothing crazy. Just an address that happens to be fairly close to Regina's home, and a short menu of brunch items.

Nothing too exciting. All stuff one Evie Mills knows how to cook beautifully without magic. And the following words; ]

Nothing too exciting, but I found this amazing little place that serves some of the best brunch items ever. Join me in a couple hours?

[ Nothing sneaky about this, nope. Just an invitation to the house she and Jack now reside in. That she really did her best to not tell her mom about. ]

Re: 11/16 - text:

[fondofapples]

[ You don't mother Henry Mills without being aware when your child is up to something, and Evie had been up to something. She's curious, so she'll bite. ]

I'm at work, love. Will they be serving brunch when I take my
lunch? On a Friday?

11/18 - [TEXT; late afternoon]

[hellorhighwater]

[Something was wrong--and it took the better part of the day for Neil to figure it out.

It wasn't because he'd forgotten it was possible. It was unlikely, mindful as Regina and even the kids were of how hard he struggled to regulate his body temperature without letting his powers have free reign, but not impossible. It wasn't even that he felt remotely safe, having given his name and his wishes to the Sky Maker. He was at peace with his decision, though--even if he feared for his soul. He was a soldier, pledged to the Sky Maker, who was always thirsty for a new conquest...

It was, ultimately, a simple and stupid thing: Neil wasn't used to being warm.

The moment he realized what was wrong, how uncomfortable he was because of the temperature of the room, he knew immediately what was coming--and how little time he had because he hadn't noticed sooner. Begging off work, he went straight home, and on his way he sent Regina a text.]

need you to wrangle the kids tonight

im sick

Re: 11/18 - [TEXT; late afternoon]

[fondofapples]

[ Regina gets the text in the middle of a meeting. She pauses conversation to glance at it, explaining that she has children and her partner is texting her.

im sick

Neil doesn't get sick. He gets lethal fevers.

Her stomach twists but she shoves the panic down to finish the meeting. She has decades of practice at keeping her emotions off her face, but there's nothing that can stop her mind from running Neil doesn't get sick on repeat while they're finishing up.

The second they're done, she has her phone out to text Evie and Emma. She needs them to take care of the kids. If this is one of his fevers, he's going to need constant attention. She has no idea how long it will last, either, so she messages Schnee and takes the next three days off.

It all happens in less than three minutes and then she's texting Neil. ]

Emma and Evie can watch the kids. 

I'll be watching you.

On my way home.

[Video]

[madcuriosity]

Gina, Gina, Gina! [Alice is so excited, she doesn't even realize how much she shortened Regina's name.]

I'm going to help with a school play! I'm going to be in it!

Re: [Video] --> assuming this is Monday after the illness?? If not, let me know and I'll change it

[fondofapples]

[ Regina's at work when Alice video-chats her, and her initial inclination is not to pick up. She's a week behind at work, between Neil being sick and then her being forced to keep to her bed by a vast conspiracy involving her mate and her children. But her work isn't nearly as important as her children, and when she picks up, she's glad she did.

The 'Gina hits a soft spot in her heart, and her smile is briefly wistful, but very briefly and then it flares with warmth and amusement. ]

That's wonderful, love. What play is it, and what part will you be?

11/24 - shortly after his conversation with Alice - ;text (from the other side of the house)

[hellorhighwater]

does red riding hood live in your enchanted forest

and was she eaten by a wolf

Re: 11/24 - shortly after his conversation with Alice - ;text (from the other side of the house)

[fondofapples]

yes.

no.

she is the wolf. she ate her boyfriend.

12/01 - text:

[thefirething]

If I can do this right, everyone's getting some amazing christmas gifts because now I own both cake town restaurants. My boss vanished and since I don't want people to lose their jobs, I stepped in.

...and then realized I don't really know a lot about running businesses. Can you help?

Re: 12/01 - text:

[fondofapples]

You stepped in and now you own both Cake Town restaurants?

That must have been a surprise. 

I'll need to see the paperwork, but yes. I can probably help.

Video;

[madcuriosity]

R-Regina it-it isn't true, is it? [Her blonde daughter is practically in tears.] Father Christmas wasn't r-really killed, w-was he? The other children at rehearsal w-were all talking about it. It's not true, is it?

Re: Video;

[fondofapples]

[ Alarmed at the tone in Alice's voice, Regina looked up immediately, far more quickly than she ordinarily would when she's working. ]

What? Of course not, sweetheart. What did you hear?

[ She starts scrolling through network posts on her phone and news statements to see if this is something she missed. As far as she knows, there is no Father Christmas. So he'd best not be dead. ]

action-ish: christmas presents! 12/25

[blueberryprincess]

[ Evie loved the idea of giving people things without thoughts of any manner of return. She gave Carlos his first pillow not because she wanted something in return, but because she wanted to do something for someone she cared for. This is why Evie spent the last couple months working very hard on her mothers gifts.

Regina will find five custom made outfits, ranging from classy business to elegant and high-end formal-wear An outfit for every occasion.. All in Regina's preferred colors and cuts, all in Regina's preferred styles, and all with jewelry to match. Jewelry that, sadly, Evie did not make, but she did work hard to make sure they fit well with the outfits. How Evie got away with making these without measuring her mother frequently and having her mother try them on at every turn, it's a mystery. But Evie has her ways.

Regina will also find a box of home-made bath bombs. Evie's using her chemistry knowhow for this one. Each bath bomb a different scent and color. There's one that smells of sunflowers, one of apple blossoms, one of lavender, and others just light floral scents. She hopes her mother enjoys her christmas gifts. ]

Re: action-ish: christmas presents! 12/25

[fondofapples]

[ Regina's delighted...surprised...deeply touched by the thoughtfulness of Evie's Christmas gifts. Not only are they perfect for her, they're astonishingly well made. The clothes fit perfectly and the bath bombs are the sort of luxury Regina craves but rarely indulges.

Her gifts for Evie aren't the sort that can be delivered, aside from the chemistry books, the stocking filled with the usual Christmas goodies, and a locket with a picture of the two of them together inside it. They make a date for the rest of it--riding the horses Regina's picked out for Evie to choose from, and a trip to a lawyer's office to file the paperwork for Evie's adoption.]

applying pff video.

[lordgivemestrength]

Hi there.

[Take note on the wings behind her.]

I'm Flonne and I'm interested in working at the Rabbit's Foot. .....Just to be sure, you really don't sell actual rabbit's foot, right?

Re: applying pff video.

[fondofapples]

[OOC: Regina quit The Rabbit's Foot ages ago. If she's listed as the owner, I'll mentally adjust and do this, but if not, I think you can just go ahead and apply?]