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You've reached Detective Nick Burkhardt. If this is an emergency, please call 911. Otherwise leave a message and I'll get back to you ASAP.

[Calls, texts, and emails are a-okay! He has both a work email and personal email, and an office phone and cell phone. Just specify which one.]

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[He's not well-aligned, but that's less out of clumsiness than lack of care, using this for the sake of equivalency to a plain call - and it chases itself thin at the ends, this probably should be treated as positive news, but it's still got to be some complication; either way it's an update...]

Nick - uhmm.

L said he's -- L's giving me a job, at - the -- [Long "e".] -- H-he's the -- [You had that sentence just right the first way, boy.] - At Espresso Yourself - I err -- don't - don't know what I'd be doing yet - but uhmm. He said he - I mean we can - we can try to figure it out...

[And that's probably all that he can really speak for himself on.]

That's great! Ray used to work there, it's a good place.

[There's a small pause.]

It's what you wanted, right?

[Very well then Nick approves - it is a good thing...]

Ermm -- ?

[And - he's cramping it, isn't he.]

- Yeah...! [Abrupt semi-cracking lightness.] Yeah - it's only that I, uhmm.

[Coughs.] Y-you know, I hope it doesn't make trouble for anyone. -- Co - considering... [Considering he's got a look and smell to put off appetites, considering he's fumble-prone, and considering he has no prior working experience of any kind - mumbles this along as backing, not further good news.] -- L said he's helping me start learning Braille, had - the... buttons on the registers changed.

L's not the kind of guy that would have suggested it if he didn't think you'd be able to help somehow.

[Or at least, that's what he's assuming, based on what Ray told him.]

And now I have more of an incentive to stop by, so you've already got them another customer.

[L had said a certain way, himself. Anthony's the one who needs help. It's a bit more of a hopeful investment.

Rather sheepish smile on his end of the line, though alas he's still not onscreen all that clearly.]

I uhm. [He knows very well this is probably a predictable thing to say at this point; it's self-conscious, but fairly unhitched, quick.] -- you know, I - still hope it isn't any trouble.

This, um. ["Development".] Changing.

[Nick's not sure if he means trouble for him or for L, but either way-]

Nah. At least not anymore than you're worth, anyway. Let me know when you get your schedule? I can see about giving you a ride, and maybe picking you up.

[Why, that's because he means both.

And ohh shucks he's going to swallow the little stir at that comment the best he can - ]

'Ff course. [Padding thin over another flop of guilt.] -- You don't have to. I'll uh -- f. Figure something out.

[He doesn't know if he actually will, at least not a timely fashion, but still.

And another thought comes misting back in from a widening crack.

Voice dries even thinner.] -- I have a. Question... also.

[Freezes put with his head bowed on the ledge before it. It isn't one he wants to ask; the answer's likely going to be obvious by now. However, it's still clinging a bit.]

I know I don't, man, I want to.

[Not that he'd expected anything different from Anthony, but he's still going to do whatever he can do get him a ride.

His confidence slips a little at that next bit, because, well, that sounds pretty serious. His tone lowers a little.]

Go ahead, you can ask me anything.

[Another cringing twitch of a smile that... slips into apologetically neutral, voiced sighing breath - ] -- Have you.

Heard from Alex Kusnitz.

Lately.

[Oh. Ouch. Yeah, definitely serious, and something Nick's been trying hard not to deal with.]

No. Not over the network, anyway.

I -- ...thought so.

[Not a good response, but, yes, that does seem to close the case, and "ouch", indeed.]

I'm sorry for.

[Ye know - bringing it up. Probably should've just let it be; bringing it up doesn't honestly help any for anyone who would've already noticed.]

[Nick winces, making a face at himself. He's supposed to be the adult here.]

I'm sorry, too. Do you want to talk about it?

[He does, actually, but most immediately on a selfish level. Through all this, he lost several loose school friends and made a best friend.

Nonetheless, Alex was both their friend.]

Not - unless you have anything to say. Sorry -- again.

[all right, Nick can do this. How's he supposed to teach Anthony to open up more if he can't do it himself?]

It feels like I never know what to do when this happens. Nobody's dead or really even gone, but it still feels like you lost them.

And I miss him. I'd like to hear what you have to say.

[There's no polite way to insist upon declining - "you don't" would be unintentionally insulting, "I don't have to say anything" would be undeservedly defensive; quick attempt at putting-in-place, briefly considers "If you miss him, you don't need to have me talking about it more".

But that's not necessarily the case, is it.

Rattling exhale, flinch off and back on.]

If -- you say so, it's.

[On another release of breath, lets it sag and drag low. To give some slack, so to speak.]

We were friends since - spring last year. -- On the network. [Binds, in spite of himself, hits a peak of emphasis before a slip - ] -- He uh - he was my best friend, and umm.

[And the only one who Anthony's never thought felt sorry for him, not to an extent that's outweighed anything else for any point in time. Easy to spend time with,easy to take action with. Always had good ideas.

Who knows what or who he even remembers a trace of anymore?]

[...yeah, Nick has no idea if this is helping or not. He's always avoided things, in the past, and just because he's been told that's not healthy doesn't mean he knows if this is any better.]

Have you talked to him, at all? He might remember something. Kotetsu and Yuji don't have their pulses anymore, but there's some things they still know. It's not the same, but...

[He trails off, because he doesn't know what it is.]

It's something.

We met on the network.

[A mired, morose mumble.]

We didn't even go to the same school. Only saw each other in person at -- meetings at the high school, unt - until. I.

[He does know it is something, in truth. What he's really scared of is the chance of proving himself right.]

I know. But - he's still interning with me at the police department. I haven't talked to him about it-

[because he wasn't sure he wanted to know, and because it's a hard thing to bring up around the other cops.]

-but I can ask him. Or I can introduce you, again.

[His brow lifts at "but".

Similarly, if Nick hasn't mentioned anything, he'd rather he not "spoil" it as it were on his account, if he's correctly guessing the reason, but...]

If, uh -- if there was a chance to ask him. Then.

[Re-introduction wouldn't work, he thinks. Not toward, really, the same end.]

I'll check, I can figure out a way.

[one that skirts around the network issue.]

He remembers me, and you and I are pretty closely connected. There might be something.

Nice to hear it - ...

[Stilted. Husky. He's not sure in what way he should be saying it.]

Er -- glad that he does, uh - remember you...

Yeah. Like I said, it's something.

[his voice is quiet, but he is glad of that, at least.]

It's one of the reasons I like doing stuff outside of the city with you.

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