That Same Niceish Hotel in New York | Sunday Morning

[defenderofdesmoines]

So, it turned out that you couldn't just deliver a big, dramatic, speech and end it with a mic drop about your own sexual assault without -- weirdly! -- most of your friends wanting to check that you were okay.

Sounds fake, right?

In any case, Annie had received a text from Rey today that she hadn't headed back to Fandom just yet, and thus, she'd made a few arrangements.

First and foremost, she had called down to the front desk with some basic sizing information, and within an hour, a discreet employee had appeared at the door with clothes for both herself and Diego (and then had left with an absolutely massive tip, since Annie had added to it when he'd given her a second look, just to be safe.)

With that taken care of, Diego had headed out on a run just to get out of the room for a little while (since he wasn't the one with the famous face running around dropping truth bombs on television), and Annie ordered basically half of the room service menu for brunch while waiting for Rey.

Clearly the cure for her hangover, amongst her other less physical ailments, was pancakes.

[for she who is mentioned, but also open for phone calls or boyfriend or whatever, too! eta: warning for discussion of sexual assault in the Rey thread!]

Comments

[thatwaslucky]

Annie had had a lot of people around her last night and Rey really hadn't wanted to overwhelm her, especially since the day after could bring on a whole new set of emotions. So there she was Sunday morning, knocking on the door to check in.

[defenderofdesmoines]

And that knock either meant food or Rey, so Annie was pretty quick to answer.

"Hi," she said with a smile, stepping aside to let Rey in (and peeking out into the hallway to make sure she wasn't being trailed by paparazzi or whatever.)

[thatwaslucky]

"Hi," Rey said, stepping inside. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"Nope, Diego went for a run and I just ordered so much food from room service," Annie told her, shutting the door. "I kind of figured everyone headed back to Fandom last night."

Which meant she was really, really touched that Rey had stayed, and it showed.

[thatwaslucky]

"As far as I know, everyone did," Rey said. "I wanted to check in in person if I could."

And if Annie wasn't up for it then that would have been fine, too.

"How are you doing?"

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm okay," Annie told her, almost automatically. And it was actually a lot more true now than it would have been last night, though she did also still amend, "Okayish."

She considered what she wanted to say for a second longer, and then just decided she was going to go ahead and hug Rey rather than try to elaborate for right now.

And hey, unlike last time, she probably wouldn't start crying. (Annie was genuinely unsure if she had enough water in her body still to produce that many tears, anyway. Like it seemed maybe physically impossible at this point.)

[thatwaslucky]

"We'll take okayish," Rey said, hugging her back tightly. "I'm sorry this happened."

[defenderofdesmoines]

"I'm sorry I didn't say anything," Annie told her, holding on tightly. It felt so much better now that she'd opened the floodgates a little and told people what was wrong, but it had been hard getting here, too. "And that I've been acting weird."

[thatwaslucky]

"Do not apologize for that," Rey told her. "You don't have to say anything you don't want to. Or are ready to, or whatever."

[grenadesandohana]

Steve had decided that given everything, Annie probably hadn't wanted to have a tall, dark-haired swimmer anywhere near her yesterday, but he also didn't want to give her the impression that he wasn't concerned about her.

(And of the pair of them, Danny was better with the emotional stuff, so he'd let him do what he clearly did better first.)

But still. Had to check, and so he here was texting like a non-old person: Hanging in there?

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie smiled when she saw Steve's text, because while she probably would have been fine (please, Steve was so unlike that asshole), she also had been really touched at his and Danny's divide-and-comfort approach.

Doing okay she sent back, following it up with a swift, As long as we don't turn on the TV, at least.

She had been on every channel last night. Like, even the Weather Channel.

[grenadesandohana]

There hasn't been anything worth watching since they cancelled that detective show set in Hawaii in the '80s, Steve sent back. You're missing nothing.

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie was shocked that Steve liked that show. Just shocked.

heard you were there for Diego last night. Thank you.♥️

Because seriously, Annie was well aware that people had wanted to comfort her, and she understood why, but she was very grateful that there had been people around for Diego, too.

[grenadesandohana]

Cool cars and explosions! What was not to love?

Of course. Drinks and stupid movies with laughable fight scenes at our place when you're back on the island?

[defenderofdesmoines]

only if you also promise someone will cook for me.

Tough negotiator, that Annie.

[grenadesandohana]

I'm going to tell Danny you thought he wouldn't cook and you can deal with the pouting.

So much matzo ball soup heading your way, Annie. Just so much.

[defenderofdesmoines]

See, that was how you played this. Endure pouting, get more soup.

how are you doing, btw? Diego brought me coco puffs from his trip to Hawaii.

Annie felt bad to check in on this via text, so she kept it fairly casual, there -- just coco puffs and a trip to Hawaii for no reason, see? Given how busy they'd been (and how frankly fine-seeming Steve had been while discussing Supes being given military clearances yesterday), she hadn't really wanted to broach it, but you know. She wasn't the only person who'd had A Week, here.

[grenadesandohana]

Repression Compartmentalization was Steve's real super power.

Did they travel okay?

That was not answer the actual question, Steven.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Summer knew she was kind of in a unique position that weekend as probably the only person (Annie probably included in that) not caught completely off-guard by the events of yesterday, and if she was fully honest with herself, she did not know what to do with that, if she should even do anything, but it felt kind of weird not doing anything even though she was pretty sure Annie was probably more than a little overwhelmed with fallout at the moment.

But she'd thought about it. A lot. And then wrote out a text, especially since a text would be, you know, super cas and no pressure.

hey. Super proud of you. You're more of a hero right now than any of those assholes could ever even dream of being.

I know it goes without saying, but if you need anything at all, hit me up. U got this, grl. ❤❤❤

[defenderofdesmoines]

Annie was a little overwhelmed by fallout, but staying holed up in her hotel room was helping a lot. She'd have to actually, you know, deal with it all tomorrow, but for right now, it wasn't too bad.

thank you. ♥️♥️♥️ you're right and I should've said something sooner. but at least this way I figure he can't do it to anyone else, right?

Because if nothing else, Annie had probably just tanked The Deep's chances with any woman, even if he went about it respectfully, for the foreseeable future.

[somethingwithturquoise]

Ohhh, there were so many things Summer wanted to say to that, but that was the thing, they were things she actually wanted to say to Annie, to her face, probably with a hug (and booze), and not just text. But she figured a response was good, and that was a better response that it could have been, as well.

So she grinned a bit faintly as she typed back.

And good luck just brushing it aside or just sweeping it under the rug now, dickwads!!! Seriously, Annie. 10/10. go big or go home. Kinda inspired, ngl.

[defenderofdesmoines]

I mean, I might be fired?

Though Annie was really starting to kind of come around to Diego's way of thinking, that Vought would look really bad if they fired her right now.

But they can't pretend it didn't happen, and he'll have to release a statement, minimally. Probs not invited back for Believe Expo next year, tho.

Sad.

[somethingwithturquoise]

T R A G I C

Yeah, yeah, yeah, she knew it was a big thing since Annie was little and she actually did believe in some of that stuff, and Summer found fun I'm it where she could, but she really hoped that after that one, Annie could really see how gross it had all been.

And this coming from someone whose blind devotion to giant space heads trying to destroy their planet almost caused her to sacrifice her parents via dozens of balloons, soooooo....

I mean about believe expo, not the job, although I'll be honest. No great loss there either if you ask me

Also?

Summer paused for effect, before Annie received a set of pictures, which included a few action figured of the Deep that had obviously been used for plasma gun target practice (and one Homelander, too, because fuck that guy as well), one more the Deep action ficture subjugated to what she was now going to be calling the Uniform Treatment on the stove, and one more of the Deep taking a nice swim in Pancakes' litter box.

Don't worry. I totally stole these before leaving your world. Vought didn't get a single dime.

Look. It was the little things that helped make the big things easier to manage, right?

[defenderofdesmoines]

I might make one of those my wallpaper.

Seriously, there was maybe a little heart-eyes going on here, particularly at the be-plasma'd action figure.

no idea what they're going to do about him. like, they might just send him to "rehab" or something.

Although Annie was pretty strongly considering including his removal of the team as a request in her negotiation when she had to talk to Ms. Stillwell tomorrow.

[somethingwithturquoise]

whatever it'll be, I just hope it has all those PR jerks sweating bullets and having about a million aneurysms each

And at least "rehab" would mean not having to work with him anymore, too, right?