Inbox for duplicitynet.

[purpler]

Comments

text, post-fibber/circa-fill that hole

[westcoasts]

( it's short, abrupt and to the point. he's not going to apologise for being an ass, not in so many words, but—. )

heard some rumors about that fundraiser

[purpler]

[ She and Clint clashed at home too, albeit in different ways and for very different reasons. This time Kate doesn't feel like it's on her to wedge her way back in, and gone is the temptation to fill his inbox with more voice messages than it can hold. But part of her worries he'll just avoid her altogether — she's not the Kate he knows, anyway — and that nagging concern doesn't let up until he makes contact. ]

i got nothing solid but
something about it seems off
apart from, you know, all the obvious stuff

[ As much as she has avoided them in the past, she'd take an ostentatious rich people fundraiser over this any day. ]

[westcoasts]

( it's different for him, too — in most circumstances, he and kate have played a game of 'who can hold out the longest' interrupted only by clint being the one, inevitably, to give in and try before deciding that no, it's not worth it. before deciding that there's only so many times a person can end up on voicemail, or left on read before getting the hint.

he's a little surprised when she replies, but not unhappy.

and maybe some of it's not even kate, not even that she's different (and he's different, at least as far as she's concerned), maybe it's duplicity. it's a question he doesn't know the answer to, one he's not sure he'll get the answer to.

—in much the same way that kate's own response doesn't really say much of anything. )

sooo
you're going to check it out?

[purpler]

[ Okay, that's new. Usually she ends up involved by way of bulldozing past Clint's — other Clint's — repeated insistence that her involvement is not necessary at best, a hindrance at worst. Let the experienced Avenger handle this, go home and stay out of trouble.

It's a welcome change of pace, but she doesn't quite know what to do with it. ]

i might
those rumors come with any leads on where to start?

[westcoasts]

seem to remember being told the gangs run the down.

( katie, he almost adds. doesn't, but— almost. the thought's there. for five seconds, and then— )

natasha gave me a file on them. territories, dens. hotspots.

[purpler]

we should start with the construction company
see who knows what
i'm pretty good at chatting up receptionists

[ She annoyed the receptionist at her mom's firm into submission Kate's first day on the job, is what she means. ]

[westcoasts]

how you do it's not really any of my concern...

[purpler]

it is if we're gonna work together
but i guess that's on me for being too quick with the "we"
did you just text me to be grumpy then??

1/2

[westcoasts]

that's not what I meant!

[westcoasts]

I just wasn't expecting you to lead with a hitherto unknown talent.
THAT one's normally mine.

[purpler]

the other you has a lot of skills but charm isn't really one of them
it's usually up to me to make up for what he lacks in that department

if it's not gonna make a big difference, we could leave it up to a coin toss

[westcoasts]

I'm going to avoid commenting on that.

it's probably gonna depend on the receptionist, kate.
who knows what they're into.

[purpler]

okay see
when i talk about chatting up receptionists, i'm talking about being friendly
which usually goes a long way

but since we are where we are, i'll give it to you that friendliness alone may not cut it
anyway, we're catching them in the middle of a work day, it can't be that crazy
and all we need is a lead on which gang we're dealing with, it's nbd

text, un: hawkeye

[westcoasts]

kate I need your help

[purpler]

yeah sure
with what though

1/2

[westcoasts]

( well, now he has to actually explain it and hmm. a very large amount of him is tempted to say 'you know what, nevermind—'. )









I have to make a video.

[westcoasts]

( about thirty seconds later— )

with nat and bucky.

( ugh, not better— )

it mentions choreography.

( "it". )

[purpler]

i hate that i have to ask but
dance choreo or uh...?
cuz technically you could also choreograph a threesome...

[westcoasts]

kate
I do not need you to choreograph a threesome

[purpler]

okay well excuse me for making entirely logical inferences from "i have to make a video" involving nat and bucky

[westcoasts]

I wouldn't have used the word "choreograph"! I don't need to be coy!

and as soon as technicalities enter it, you KNOW you're being pedantic.

[purpler]

it's not coy, it's a term of art!
in a production, everything is either blocking or choreo
i'm just thinking like a director!!

[westcoasts]

thinking about me and nat and buck HAVING SEX.

[purpler]

...you know what? fair point
i was about to defend that like it's a normal first thought to have
but actually i think i've just been here too long

[westcoasts]

that raises so many questions but there's not a damned chance I'm gonna ask any of them.