travelingreportersam

[travelingreportersam]

BEEP - Willa

1 - a funny text

[AhnS] God I can finally tell you that having to pretend to not be into the same celebrities as you in high school was absolute torture. All those posters in your room? Pure torture.

[travelingreportersam]

He blinked from his work, not expecting an interruption, much less from Stephanie. "Wait, you were serious about that suggestion?" Sam nodded slowly at the suggestion, leaning against his chair in thought. "Are there any members not at the house? Finding out why they stayed would definitely be a good angle to start with."

@travelingreportersam

Steph sighed as she went to Sam’s desk and then slumped into a chair. “Ok, so I know I volunteered to act like I wanted to join the Listeners but honestly? They scare the shit out of me. And I’ve heard some of the members are still living at the commune, so I thought was if we can get one of them to be our inside person?” she suggested. “I mean, if they didn’t have any doubts, they would have moved with the group, right?”

[travelingreportersam]

Sam grinned, feeling better than any apology would have. "I like to think I've put out enough good karma," he quipped, although genuine. "Even if it's gotten me into trouble here and there."

She thinks about apologizing and clarifying but thinks better of it. It probably wouldn't help. The compliment makes her pause, genuinely touched, before her smile grows and she bumps him once more. "You are too - and not just because you're figuring all this stuff out for everyone here. I get a really good vibe from you."

[travelingreportersam]

Sam shook his head. "It wasn't meant to last, anyway." Even if there was still a pang in his chest when he thought about it. His eyes widened at the mention of his brother. "No. I'm serious Wil. He can't know." With a shaky breaths he took off his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's. It's my duty to continue the family line, not his. I won't put that on him."

Willa watched him with worry until he started speaking, and then she felt the sympathy wash over her expression. She took his hand in hers and gave it a reassuring squeeze. “I’m sorry for the past tense on the boyfriend aspect, but thank you for telling me.” Now that she knew, even just a quick thought to how much pressure he always felt explained why it took so long for him to tell her. “You know I will always love you no matter what, right? And I know Jonathan would too, whenever you’re ready for that.”

[travelingreportersam]

He ran a hand along his face, not even sure how to come out and say everything (pun not intended). It had been a secret from his family for so long, that to say it aloud to the person he considered a little sister felt damn near impossible. Taking a long exhale, Sam finally decided fuck it. "Remember when I introduced you to Lonnie? I....wasn't totally honest. We're friends, yeah, but....at the time he was actually my boyfriend." He winced, feeling his stomach already twisting in knots. One part of the confession at a time. It was all he could manage without feeling like he would be sick.

Willa wasn’t sure she would get anything out of him, but the way Sam said those words, she realized it must be even more serious than she imagined. She looked over at him and nodded. “Of course, I won’t say a thing to anyone, unless you tell me otherwise,” she promised.

[travelingreportersam]

Another tight lipped smile. "Sounding like my ex again." It wasn't her fault, but the sting was certainly still there. The smile turned warmer as he bumped Zoja back. "Thank you, really. You're a good person Zoja."

"Hey, adding therapist to your job description now? He really can't be stopped." Zoja jokes, shifting just so she can bump her shoulder to his. After a moment, though, she smiles. "I appreciate that. Really. And the same thing for you, obviously. I'm here to talk if you need it."

[travelingreportersam]

His instinct said to brush it off, to assure Willa everything was fine, but it was always harder to outright lie to her. And if Sam was being honest with himself, he was tired of lying to his family for the past 30 years. Even if it was just one person, maybe it would be a relief to share some of that burden? With a heavy sigh Sam ran his hand along his face. The need for a cigarette was strong right now.

"You can't tell Jonathan. Promise you won't."

Willa shrugged in response. “I don’t know, can’t put my finger on it,” she sighed. “I just thought maybe you wanted to tell me something a couple times but then you never did so I thought I’d just reassure you that you can tell me anything. If there’s nothing, then my bad.”

[travelingreportersam]

He shook his head with a wane smile. "I learned pretty early in my career to get sleep any chance you can. Sometimes the most news worthy things happen in the middle of the night. Or when you least expect it. Plus I usually prefer watching documentaries, or reading."

“keeping up with..?” leo chuckled. “it’s watching movies, you’re telling me with all your traveling you never just popped on a movie during commute or something?”

[travelingreportersam]

Sam nodded, in complete understanding. "If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here."

"Hey, that's a pretty big win to me. Or a pretty big handful of wins," Zoja says firmly. His comment makes her sigh. Thinking about Beryl brought on a whole bunch of feelings that were hard for her to confront. Ones she tried her hardest to shove to the back of her mind where they belonged. "We're doing as well as we can. I think she hurts more than she shows." She shrugs. "You keep moving, though. You know? You don't forget but you can't let it stop you."

[travelingreportersam]

Sam gave a sheepish smile as he scratched the back of his head. "Only a year now. I used to travel for work, so keeping up with pop culture was never really feasible."

"oh yeah there's lots of spidermen, how long have you been in this place? video games aside they actually made a movie where three different spidermans came into a single universe and the miles morales one also deals with multiverses and has different versions of spiderman."

[travelingreportersam]

He took a seat in the other seat, brows furrowing in confusion. "Off? Off how?" As far as Sam could tell he hadn't acted any different....aside from the stress of having to hide having a boyfriend when Wila first came to town. There were reasons he didn't typically date. It just was never a good idea. But that was months ago, surely there couldn't be anything else.

@travelingreportersam

Willa had been happy to stop by Sam’s place in the morning, she even brought him a coffee along with her own as she sat down after being let inside. “Ok cuz, I have to say it. I feel like something has been off with you since I got here and that there’s something you’re not telling me. Am I super off base here?”

[travelingreportersam]

His confusion only became more apparent. "There's....more than one Spiderman?" Sam was the first to admit he had a pretty surface level grasp on pop culture. He just never really had the time.

“not really,” leo answered with a shrug, “depends on the spider-man though but i have spider-man miles morales which is its own separate franchise from the regular games.”

[travelingreportersam]

He laughed, shaking his head. "Would it actually kill you to have some optimism? Who knows, it could be fun." Sam's expression dropped some as he ran a hand through his hair. "I mean, sure. I'm working on something, but I've ran into so many different dead ends. I have strong theories, but nothing substantial to back it up."

"Oh, the speed dates!" Mirana snaps her fingers as if just presented with a treat. "Did you sign up for that? My money's on that it's a hell of shitshow. So I signed up, of course." Her eyes narrow in something akin to skepticism. "That's it? I don't believe for a second the most interesting thing you're working on is a date night."

[travelingreportersam]

Sam let out a long sigh. "Trying to, anyway. Though I was the one that reported on the portals, so there are a handful of wins." His expression softened. "I am so sorry for your loss. I can't even begin to imagine. How is your sister-in-law holding up? Or shit, even you?"

"wow," zoja's brows raise. "i mean... shitty that you're here, of course, but at least you're figuring things out, right?" she offers. the question makes her pause. "it's complicated," she responds after a moment. "my brother and i weren't talking, he passed away and i heard his wife was here so i felt like i needed to be there for her." and also because she was in love with her, but that part didn't sound so good to say out loud.

[travelingreportersam]

Walking over to Parker's desk, Sam gave a soft smile. "How've you been? Feels like it's been a while since we've talked."

@endlessreruns

[travelingreportersam]

Sam felt a strong sense of deja vu as he walked past the Listener's house and saw Lilith on the porch with her tarot cards. "Lilith, hi. How's everything been going?" After their last conversation he wanted to make sure she was doing okay, the guilt still eating at him for overwhelming her.

@thirtecnth

[travelingreportersam]

His brows furrowed in confusion. "Would it make sense playing them without the first two?"

"hmm fair point," leo scratched the back of his head trying to think about what other games he had. "oh! i have a couple of spiderman games if that's more your speed? i have pretty much every one except like.. the first two that were made."