( ml. ) i n b o x

[genova]

@nicky.smith| ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

Comments

[genova]

[ his husband is a smart man and nicoló is delighted by this development ]

Blue or green. You choose.

[malta]

Green then.

Nile calls it soccer.

[genova]

Which colour are you getting?

Well. She is American.

[malta]

[ another picture comes: an awful orange, pink, and green ball balanced on the top of joe's foot, the pattern reminiscent of the garish 60-70s psychedelic era. it's truly hideous, it's on mark down, soon it will be theirs. ]

She can be American and not incorrect at the same time.

[genova]

[ ah. he loves this man, truly he does, but. that is something. ]

We will certainly never lose it.

Yes? [ that is technically possible, yes ]

[malta]

And no one will ever steal it. It is at a discount, on account of how ugly it is, I expect.

[genova]

Perhaps someone who is colourblind would take it.

[malta]

Why do I have a feeling this ball will mysteriously be stolen by a blind football prodigy when you are in charge to putting it away?

[genova]

A blind football prodigy would be something.

[ no comment for the rest ]

[malta]

[ he will splurge on two balls. the hideous one and the plain green replacement, but he is hiding that one. ]

This place is weird enough that I wouldn't question it

[genova]

[ nicky doesn't actually care very much about colours one way or another ]

You are right about that. It would be good, no? If it is less of an issue here.

I have been thinking about the medical advancements here. I think I would like to learn.

[malta]

I think anyone would be lucky to have you looking after them. Do you want to go back to school?

[genova]

If I can, yes.

[malta]

[ joe is so proud of this good man he could cry ]

It is a good idea.

[genova]

[ he would much rather heal than harm, these days. ]

Can we afford it?

[malta]

Of course.

[ there is no hesitation despite joe's uncertainty of the state of higher education in the future. is it free? subsidised? grossly expensive and strictly for profit? unsure, but joe will make it work. they've made do with less. ]

[genova]

Then that is what I will do.

[ he meant to have this conversation while they were in the same room, so that he could look at joe, see his reaction, touch him, kiss him.

this works, too.

but there is more to be considered, nicky thinks. can they afford to financially is part of it, but —will the fake identity hold up? will he be too public, too involved in the lives of people who belong here?

he has made these things work before, they all have. not here, admittedly, but —some of the challenges are not unique to this place. ]

[malta]

Good.

[ he wants nicky to have some semblance of the purpose andy had accepted back in copley's room of creepy voyeurism and he can't say he minds that that purpose is more mundane than violent. academia is safe. ]

Whatever this is, this place, I want you to be happy.

[genova]

You know it is the same for me.

[ he cannot be happy unless yusuf is ]

[malta]

If I am with you then I am happy.

We could have a normal life for a while.

[ the last year had been normal while andy was taking a break and more often than not life is fairly even keeled, but the outside world somehow seems less pressing here. ]

[genova]

I do not know how normal it can be, when we are in a new world with new powers, but I would like that.

[ he would. he will also always want to do good, to help where he can. there are different ways of doing so, perhaps.

they will see what the future holds, here, and face it together. ]

[malta]

Normal-ish

[genova]

Normal for us, almost.

[malta]

That is all I want. You, our family, peace.

[genova]

Me, too.

[ and again, it is not the time or the place; it is something he should not bring up when he cannot see joe's face, but - ]

What about Booker?