xp_communication

Doug gets online from France in the evening, which is afternoon New York time. He happens to find Nathan online and they talk about various things.

XCypherDoug: Hey, Nathan. I'd say "good evening", but it's afternoon there, right? Time zone math is a pain. Not to mention jet lag. Still recovering. How're you?
GunForHire: Hey, Doug. Jet lag'll be worse on the way back, just to warn you...
GunForHire: And I'm fine.
XCypherDoug: Yeah, I've heard. Your body thinks it's been eight hours, the clock only says two...I had a friend who went to Europe on a music goodwill tour thing. He said it was pretty brutal coming back.
GunForHire: Just leave yourself enough time to rest up and you should be fine...
XCypherDoug: *nods* France is great, so far. Angie's mom is a little...odd, but we've been having a lot of fun.
GunForHire: Excellent. You both deserve a vacation... glad it's going well.
XCypherDoug: I had to make Angie slow down the other day, with that reading she was trying to do about Sarah. Sometimes she works herself too hard. Even a precog can't know _everything_.
GunForHire: She and I will have to talk more when you get home....
XCypherDoug: Lord help me. Angie's making jokes about topless beaches. She says hi, by the way.
GunForHire: Tell her to be nice. No breaking the boyfriend's brain.
XCypherDoug: That was your job with that picture of Doc Mactaggart's dress? *raised eyebrow*
GunForHire: Heh... wasn't really aimed directly at you, Douglas. Although I confess I snickered. Lots.
XCypherDoug: Douglas? *grin* Why so formal, boss man? Speaking of which, how are you managing without my able assistance as a TA?
GunForHire: Actually managed to get the Mandarin quizzes all marked last night. The library was nice and deserted.
XCypherDoug: There's this great new invention called "a good night's sleep", Nathan, maybe you've heard of it?
GunForHire: Who said I was marking quizzes instead of sleeping?
XCypherDoug: Uh, I just know you too well, and your penchant for using coffee in lieu of sleep? :)
GunForHire: You have a suspicious mind. It's very sad.
XCypherDoug: I'm learning at the feet of the master. :)
GunForHire: Learning from me... baaaad idea.
XCypherDoug: And don't think I didn't notice the attempt to change the subject. Isn't part of a TAs job description making sure the teacher stays, y'know, healthy and sane?
GunForHire: Doug, are you attempting to mother-hen me over the internet?
XCypherDoug: *grins* Was it that obvious? I am the number 2 mother hen in the mansion. Gotta keep up my reputation...
GunForHire: Lots of better people to henpeck around here. Save your ammunition.
XCypherDoug: I can always sic Dom on you...
GunForHire: Are you two.... you're colluding in another window, aren't you?
XCypherDoug: Would we do a little thing like that, Nathan? And now who's got the suspicious mind? :)
GunForHire: Neither of you need to fuss. I'm fine.
XCypherDoug: Just not sleeping.
GunForHire: It's been busy-ish around here.
XCypherDoug: Pardon the bluntness, but that's a crap excuse, Nathan. Shinobi, I can understand why he's not sleeping well. Your girlfriend isn't in the medlab. Okay, well, she is, but not as a _patient_.
GunForHire: I find your efforts to lecture me... I was going to say amusing, but actually, strangely vexing.
GunForHire: Adult over here, remember?
XCypherDoug: Yeah, well, I worry, you know?
GunForHire: Appreciated, but not necessary.
XCypherDoug: Dom and I lecture because we care, Nathan. ;-)
XCypherDoug: ~Nathan, are you lapsing into Askani again?~
GunForHire: That was really odd...
GunForHire: Doing it verbally is one thing.
XCypherDoug: Is it lack of sleep, or just generic stress? What do you think brought it on?
GunForHire: I don't know... you'd think I wouldn't do it in this format when I actually have to think about the phoneticization... is that a word? I'm not sure if that's a word...
XCypherDoug: Even if it isn't, I know what you mean.
GunForHire: Wish I'd stop doing it in any format...
XCypherDoug: Talk to the Professor about it?
GunForHire: He's got plenty on his mind these days... it's not as if this is a crisis. Hey, I'm still managing English conversations just fine.
XCypherDoug: *facepalm* Nathan, talk to _someone_ about it, please? If just for Dom's and my peace of mind?
GunForHire: Yeah. Don't worry so much, Doug.
XCypherDoug: Force of habit. And don't think Dom and I won't be checking up on you, Nathan...
GunForHire: Yeah, definitely colluding in another window...
XCypherDoug: We care about you, so we worry. And we're devious, so we collude. :)
GunForHire: I should say something about sneaky people here, I guess.
XCypherDoug: *chuckle*
XCypherDoug: Well, I should probably be getting some sleep. Am still kinda wiped from jet lag.
XCypherDoug: I trust Dom to ride herd on you. ;-)
GunForHire: Sounds like a good idea.
GunForHire: Take care, Doug.
GunForHire: Yeah. You and Angie have fun. Mind the mother.
XCypherDoug: Will do. She hasn't been _too_ bad so far.
XCypherDoug: Good night, Nathan.
GunForHire: Night.

---
At the same time that Doug is talking to Nathan, he gets an IM from Domino. They talk about life, but mostly they worry about what Nathan's doing to himself.

LadyLuck13: How's my favorite mutant translator?
XCypherDoug: Lady luck? Um...oh! Hey, Domino. :)
LadyLuck13: Better than Shinobi. He guessed I was Romany, at first.... I shouldn't giggle, the poor guy's probably half-dead from lack of sleep and worry..
XCypherDoug: Yeah, I actually talked to him for a bit last night. Joked and told him I had fled the country because I'd heard he was coming back.
LadyLuck13: I'm sure he appreciated the virtual company. :)
XCypherDoug: Yeah. It'll be good to have him back in the mansion. Hope Sarah comes through this latest batch of lunacy all right...wait, sorry, that was a bit catty, wasn't it?
LadyLuck13: Hey, I told Shinobi to tell her, when she's awake, that I'm coming back specifically to kick her cute little ass. There are too few people who can spar with me in the world... I don't approve of any of them trying to get themselves killed. Less fun for me.
XCypherDoug: *snicker* And it's all about you, of course, right Dom?
LadyLuck13: I am the center of the universe, yes. And aren't you a bright boy for figuring that out... ::pinches your virtual cheek::
XCypherDoug: Ugh. Cheek-pinching. Aren't you supposed to be someone's decrepit aunt before you start pulling that?
LadyLuck13: I didn't say which cheek, did I?
XCypherDoug: *facepalm* I walked _right_ into that one, didn't I.
LadyLuck13: Yes. And this is me making a mental note that it *is* possible to blush over the internet... you learn something new every day.
XCypherDoug: *shakes head* Between you and the jokes Angie's making about topless beaches...she says hi, by the way.
LadyLuck13: Ohh... go Angie. And hello. *waves*
XCypherDoug: Don't encourage her, she's bad enough under Alison's tutelage. :)
LadyLuck13: Hmm. She and I will have to talk when I'm next in town. Perhaps I'll kidnap her along with Amanda.
XCypherDoug: Well, I assume Nathan told you we're in France, right? If you're close, you could maybe come visit for a day. :)
LadyLuck13: I just may. We got back from a particularly tricky job... I could use some quality relaxation time.
XCypherDoug: Let's see, how much do we want to bet Nathan's not sleeping well. Again.
LadyLuck13: Oh, he's not. He and I had that discussion last night... I'm on with him now and he's not sounding like he did what he told me he'd do.
XCypherDoug: Yeah, I'm on with him as well, and he was a bit quick to deny that he was up grading quizzes instead of sleeping.
XCypherDoug: And then neatly deflecting by telling me I have a suspicious mind.
LadyLuck13: Typical diversionary tactic. He's even better at it in a text-based format...
XCypherDoug: Not _that_ good, if we can both spot it a mile off. :)
LadyLuck13: He's currently hissing at me in another window. Does noooot take well to being called on being stupid.
XCypherDoug: We can always double-team him...
LadyLuck13: And he can't reach either of us to do the pouty face. Hmm. You have a certain amount of tactical sense, Doug.
XCypherDoug: I've been working on it. I mean, with the amount of crap that goes on at the mansion...
LadyLuck13: Yeah, I'm getting the sense that it's not the tranquil and peaceful haven Nate was all starry-eyed about at first.
XCypherDoug: Uh, no, especially when you consider that I had to essentially kill my roommate and best friend. Twice.
LadyLuck13: ... well goodness. He just called me a very nasty name.
LadyLuck13: I'm thinking a trip to New York probably sooner rather than later.
XCypherDoug: Dare I ask what he called you?
XCypherDoug: And if you asked him if he kisses his mother with that mouth? ;-)
LadyLuck13: ...what the fuck?
LadyLuck13: He just typed gibberish.
XCypherDoug: Huh?
LadyLuck13: GunForHire: Ne'valahaya sinnesi iunalay
XCypherDoug: Oh boy.
XCypherDoug: He's lapsing into Askani.
LadyLuck13: Uh-huh. I don't want to know what that means, do I?
XCypherDoug: Hm. Just basically saying "I'm trying to keep it together here..."
LadyLuck13: Very weird... I really need to email Moira.
XCypherDoug: Yeah, that'd probably be wise.
LadyLuck13: Hate being across the damned ocean from him...
XCypherDoug: Yeah, it does make things hard. Besides, lord knows I have enough problems making sure _Angie_ takes care of herself sometimes. She had herself all stressed out trying to do a reading for Sarah the other day.
LadyLuck13: You think it's a precog thing?
XCypherDoug: Could be.
LadyLuck13: Or just a stubborn-person thing. Not that either of us should talk, I imagine. ;)
XCypherDoug: I prefer to think of it more like "do as I say, not as I do". *grin*
LadyLuck13: All right. My ears are very definitely singed. He's not yelling at you, is he?
XCypherDoug: No, just griping about the two of us colluding.
LadyLuck13: Hrm.
XCypherDoug: Well, I think it's about bedtime for me. Still wiped from jet lag. I'll leave him in your capable hands, hm?
LadyLuck13: Eh. I think he's about five minutes from stomping off in a huff.
LadyLuck13: But yes. I have my ways.... you take care, all right? Have fun in France. :)
XCypherDoug: Will do. And if you manage to swing by some time in the next week, let us know.