( 01 ) video ♧ and if we don’t live to be old and faint

[became]

[ oh hello, giant creepy spaceship. have a shiny, shiny smile directed your way. said shiny smile is attached to a freakishly put together looking gentleman. dapper, one might call him. ]

So... space, huh? [ neal adjusts his cuffs-- he's wearing a suit (a real suit: classic, 50's style devore, for any suit buffs) because fuck that jumpsuit crap right in the ear-- fussily, smile dropping wattage just a tiny bit. ] Does anyone want to catch me up a little more on that, out of curiosity? Because I have to admit, other than the bits and pieces I caught wandering around the first day I have no idea what's going on.

Anyway, come on. Help a new guy out, anybody? [ smile ratcheting up another few notches. aaaaaand HOLY CHARM BATMAN. doesn't everyone watching just want to drop everything and help? (yes. your answer is yes.) ] I'll owe you one.

Comments

data;

[wiretap]

[ Aberdeen does a perfunctory sweep of the network to find no other manifestations of this device signature or the name 'Neal'. It's very possible that he's lying, but his answer is at least consistent thus far. So she sends him a packet of data collected and collated off of the public networks, detailing information of the ship and the proposed theories as to how the warp drive is malfunctioning, how there is a third party responsible, and what else may have resulted in their displacement here. ]

( video )

[became]

[ give him a second to scroll through things, the hyper charming smile dropping away in favor of intense focus for a few moments. then he looks up and it's like that serious man never existed. ]

That's... a lot of information. An impressive amount, actually. [ he looks down again, skimming the words. ] Well, I know what I'm doing tonight.

text;

[wiretap]

[ She sees you there, Neal Caffrey. If only for a moment. But says nothing. ]

the network is flush if you know where to look.

( video )

[became]

And I'd guess you know exactly where to look.

[ operation: flirt with aberdeen is a go. ]

text;

[wiretap]

[ DO YOUR WORST. ]

logic follows.

( video )

[became]

[ challenge: accepted. ]

Do I get a name? I can't thank you properly for helping me out without your name.

[ come oooooooon aberdeen, look at this cute little face. ]

text;

[wiretap]

[ For the record: her propositioning you for sex doesn't count as a win, Neal. ]

define 'properly'.

( video )

[became]

In this case? Thanking the person who gave me a hand by name.

text; 1/2

[wiretap]

conveniently circular argument.

[ And it seems as though she's going to leave it at that, but— ]

text;

[wiretap]

aberdeen.

( video )

[became]

[ A WINNAR IS NEAL tiger blood, charlie sheen, etc etc etc. ]

Thank you, Aberdeen. [ SEE SOMETIMES HE KNOWS WHEN TO TAKE A VICTORY AND BE GRACIOUS. ]

text;

[wiretap]

[ Ugh, Neal, your face is so not okay. Which is actually just another way to say it's so attractive it hurts.

But Aberdeen's a brain's kind of girl. By his own admission: ]

you owe me one.

( video )

[became]

[ the brains, he has too. SHHH IT'S A SECRET. kind of. ]

Name your pound of flesh.

text;

[wiretap]

[ Well. When that reveals itself, you may find this Everest exceedingly easier to climb, Mr. Caffrey. ]

on accounts.

text;

[became]

[ ask neal how many languages he speaks, sometime. he's the world's best read and most accomplished high school dropout, apparently. his skill list only lacks 'turning into a unicorn'. oh, and 'has a well-honed sense of self-preservation'. ]

Deal.

text; at least 24-48 hours later.

[wiretap]

[ For a very, very long while there is no response from Aberdeen. She's moved on to bigger and better things but during one of the later hours of the passing 'evening' cycle, another message comes. ]

how much is your suit worth?

text; HE JUST CHOKED ON HIS OWN SPIT

[became]

[ oh HALE no. ]

More than one IOU. Why?

text; AND SHE HEARD IT.

[wiretap]

trying to figure out the measure of a favor to you.

text; oh god aberdeen ilu.

[became]

Not the suit.

text; NO U.

[wiretap]

how many favors is it worth?

hypothetically.

text; /rubs my face all over your tags

[became]

Short of life and death trades? There aren't enough favors.

text; /builds a nest in all of yours o 3 o

[wiretap]

why is it so important?

text;

[became]

I'm a passionate sponsor of protecting pieces of history.

[ because june gave it to him, essentially. and because the last jumpsuit anyone required him to wear was orange, and he's not doing that again without a fight. ]

text;

[wiretap]

it's a suit.

text;

[became]

[ EXCUSE YOU, ABERDEEN. ]

It's a Devore.