E A R T H 'S EYE

Kenneth Joseph Wake. KJ. Townie. 32. Captain of this Ship. Nouveau Hotel & Resort. Not always happy about it. Ghostwriter Earth's eye; looking into which the beholder measures the depth of his own nature.

[captainxkj]

rhyslovespopcorn​:

Rhys didn’t even question the question. “Yes,” he stated.

He always did what Jesse told him to do.

If Jesse told him to stay home, he would stay home, if Jesse told him to put on a nice shirt, he would put on a nicer shirt. Of course, Jesse didn’t ask a whole lot of him. He didn’t ask him to stop seeing Sonny, or to chill, or to keep his mouth shut. Jesse was never mean, he was a good brother. 

But KJ was right. 

For one, Rhys really wanted a button. 

He felt like a Raven in a trap, he loved shiny things. 

And also he figured if he did KJ a favour, it would be good.

But more importantly: a button didn’t mean he was going to vote for KJ.

Rhys was voting for Jesse, no doubt.

“It’s just a button.” 

x

“You know, I do what I want to do. When I feel like doing it. You are actually allowed to make your own decisions.” Despite claims otherwise, KJ did, in fact, spend quite a bit of his time doing what other people wanted him to do. 

Among them, of course, were his mother, George Alby, and the mysterious RMR. But once he and Ajita won this thing and were deputy mayors or co-mayors or however the ballots would play out, he would finally be the one with a say in things. 

He narrowed his eyes and cocked his head to one side, studying Rhys almost like a shark circling its prey. “That’s right. So take it. Wear it. Do what you want,” he said at last, extending has hand as if to see what he would do. “So. What parts of your brother’s political platform are most important to you?”

[captainxkj]

wispykatsopolis​:

while this silly face / staring contest thing was going on, whisper was responding to a text to her sister - bitching her out, because she was still salty about the other night. shadow was almost a master at ‘the staring game’ and could make a grown adult feel inadequate just by the blank expression on her face sometimes. lord knows it happened often enough at home. all whisper had to do was say something that was somehow appalling to a two-year-old and she’d give her a look that said 'how the hell did you make it this far, mom?’ just as whisper sent the text, a sharp screech came from her daughter, which made her visibly flinch and drop her phone on the ground and look at shadow with an exasperated expression. “hey, you little pterodactyl - let’s not do the dinosaur thing, some people don’t like being screeched at in tyrannosaurus rex language,” whisper said as she picked her phone up. “i swear she was a velociraptor in a past life. that’s how she wins games, by the way. it’s the shock factor, she’s too smart for her own good.”

x

In truth, KJ had already found himself poised to lose this standoff. His brow twitched, and his lip curled. And he truly was about to avert his gaze when the noise erupted from the child’s mouth. With it, he let out something of a soft gasp, eyes widening. “Uh...yeah, know I’m not much of a looker, kiddo, but never made someone scream before.” This was a joke, not exactly funny or charismatic, but at least goodhumoredly self-deprecating. He sighed a little, managing a weak smile, as much of a proper one as someone like KJ could actually muster. “She’s got a killer poker face, though. That’s a good thing. Future in law or maybe, like...you know, card playing.” Maybe it was taboo or impolite to suggest to people that their toddlers might grow up to be professional gamblers, but to KJ, the gig sounded glamorous. 

[captainxkj]

rhyslovespopcorn​:

Rhys was going to the cinema to get a request in, hoping he could convince the owner to play “Singin’ in the Rain” for valentine’s day so he could take Sonny there.

So far they had looked at him with a sort of pitiful and endearing gaze, but never a full admission that: yes, they would make sure the movie was in the cinema. 

Rhys was holding onto the idea however, he could hold out, even if they didn’t want to show it for Valentine but the day after, he would be totally fine with it. 

But they took a lot of convincing. 

He felt like a mafia person.

Gently probing the owner every day.

Today however, someone was making his way along the cinema building, following the line front to back, handing something out.

He already had his hand out when KJ appeared, not really caring what was on it, just that he wanted the button. 

The sight of him gave Rhys pause. The furrowed brow and the clearing of his throat. He bit his lips together. 

“Oh.” Was his response. 

He took a look at the button. “Oooh.” 

“Jesse wouldn’t like it.”

x

Jesse wouldn’t like it. Something about that sentence just about tickled KJ, as much as anything could amuse KJ. The slightest hint of humor played across his features, revealing itself in the lift of a brow and the twitch of a lip. He sniffed, nostrils flaring, as he took a long breath. And holding the button up the air, KJ seemed to pause, narrowing his eyes. He almost smirked, but not quite.

“Do you always do what Jesse tells you to do?” The question came as something of a challenge. It would be something, he thought, for the reigning mayor’s own brother to be walking around touting a piece of the competition’s campaign merchandise. And if nothing else, KJ wanted to see how far he could push it. 

“I mean, do you want one?” He rolled his shoulders. “I’m actually looking to get rid of them. You’d be doing me a favor. And besides, what he doesn’t know won’t hurt him. I’m not asking you to vote for me or anything. It’s just a button.”

He raised an eyebrow. 

[captainxkj]

Closed starter for @wispykatsopolis​ Time: Midday Location: Downtown Pleasance

KJ did not know how to interact with children, but it was not entirely his fault. An only child with no real extended family, he had not learned to cope with siblings or cousins or nieces or nephews. But with the mayoral election approaching and his public image not exactly softened, despite his better efforts, he supposed he ought to try to make some effort to develop a personable persona. 

Of course, he had no intention of going out about kissing the babies of Pleasance. But meeting Shadow’s eye, he tried to make something of a silly face, titling his head upward. The expression felt silly. And so, he was left in a staring contest with the toddler from his vantage point on a sidewalk bench, looking more perplexed than anything else. 

[captainxkj]

singingofwoesfm​:

the wicker basket bounced in her hand as the freshly picked vegetables began to fill nearly to the brim. the winter air nipped at her uncovered hands, nearly freezing off her fingertips. tights the only thing between her and the absolute freeze that surrounded her. none the less, she wouldn’t let her hard work go down the shitter. hypothermia was overrated anyway, she’d simply sit by the fire to defrost, a little cold couldn’t get her down. The roar of a whining engine snapping her attention from the collard greens and parsnips that she picked. Okay so, perhaps a clearing in the middle of the forest wasn’t the most convenient but, it was the place that seemed to have brought her the most peace. hazel hues gazed over, a small smile splaying across her face as she recognized the familiar face.

“ while i would love to say you have my vote, i’m afraid i’m going to have to put your strengths to test, ” the smile never faded from her lips before she’d nodded toward the cottage, taking in a small breath, the air fogging in front of her as she spoke. “ come on, we should get out of the cold. i’ve got some cookies baking, i’ll throw in a glass of milk – and for your information, without your mom’s help i probably would’ve starved when i first got back. ” and it was true, coming back to the town, back where she’d grown up sent her into a tail spin, her father calling mrs. wake, begging her to check, only to see she’d hardly gotten out of bed, take out boxes and tv boxes littering the ground. a tug threatened the corner of her lips as slight disgust reflected in her eyes. shaking her head, the thought flew away as quickly as it came.

“ seriously, it’s freezing as hell, and i promise you’ll get my vote, so long as you bring it in and stay for some soup. that is, if you want my vote,” and without another word she started the walk up the path to the cottage. 

x

"I mean, you can vote for Jesse Hancock if you really want to. I hear he has his eye on a new public swimming pool, though. Or at least a big cement hole in the ground. All this woodland and all...” Trailing off, KJ stuck a hand out his car window, making a tipping motion with his fingers as if to indicate all the surrounding trees falling over in a flurry of bulldozers. “My running mate and I are building environmental preservation into our platform. No defacing of Pleasance’s natural landscape, you know?” 

Sniffing once more with that, KJ knit his brow, committing now to acting exceedingly difficult, which was, of course, his usual mood. Even the invitation inside could not entirely defrost him; managed something of a sigh, a noise akin to defeat. “I mean...What am I? Santa Claus?” He huffed, but shaking his head, he still turned the key in the ignition, sending the pickup truck’s whirring engine sputtering to a a halt. The door flying open, he swung around, boots landing on the ground. “My mom’s gonna be upset if you don’t put on a proper coat. Dips below fifty, and she breaks out the earmuffs. Think it’s a Southern thing. Hotter down there and all.” 

He rolled his shoulders, cocking his head to one side. And maybe it was a cliché, but Mrs. Wake, one of those people who had been drawn to Pleasance from the outside, really did bring a sense of hospitality to the place. The gentility had not rubbed off on her son. He sighed, turning back to his car to pick up the tray and allow the door to slam shut. “Hey! Wait up. I thought it was cookies. Where’d the soup come from? Besides, you’re gonna have to eat some of these because she’s going to ask me if you did. And I can’t lie to her. She knows everything.” He jogged a little to keep up pace. “You know, you act far too much like a kid sister for someone who’s not my kid sister. Or like maybe a weird cousin.” 

[captainxkj]

Closed starter for @singingofwoesfm​ Location: Outside Lexus’s Place Time: Evening

One could hear KJ’s rickety approach before they could see it. He had pulled, without warning, into the drive outside the cottage in his beatdown pickup truck, which was, once again, roaring and whining as if in defiance against the very prospect of driving. But it did this every winter, and each winter, KJ would privately pray for just one more year. And he always got one. Leaning his head out the window then, talking over the din of the engine, his breath fogging at the sudden chill, he spoke up as if not even trying to feign real interest.

“Yeah, so, my mom made too much food yesterday. She asked me to bring some over because she thinks everyone in this town’ll starve if she doesn’t personally feed them.” He looked over his shoulder, as if to make sure the aluminum container on the passenger seat was still there. Sniffing, he turned back. “It’s stuffed artichokes. Which, I don’t know why one person would need a whole platter of those, so...”

He resented having to run errands, and somehow, he always seemed to get stuck doing just that. Still, he knew the true reason his mother had asked to make the drive was to check on Lexus. She did that, though, checked on people, her son included. He still resented having to be the messenger. “If I can count on your vote, I’ll even bring it inside for you.” 

[captainxkj]

Closed starter for @rhyslovespopcorn​ Location: Spotlight Cinema Time: Night

“Vote for KJ Wake to ‘Wake up, Pleasance.’“ The theater was showing some old romcom that night, and with Valentine’s Day approaching, the couples of Pleasance seemed out in full force. KJ, clad in a somewhat neater getup than he might typically wear, was walking along the line to the ticketing booth, handing out the last of his election buttons, of which he had ordered far too many. And in truth, even with all their successes, he was not quite sure he and Ajita would actually pull this off. 

If nothing else, however, he would at least go down fighting, he decided. Their very presence, the fact that they were willing to challenge the status quo, had to mean something. This place, the people that lived within it, deserved better. They deserved to have their own voices prioritized. And they deserved leadership that recognized their best interests.

“Vote for...I don’t think you get a button.” He furrowed up his brow at Rhys, clearing his throat. He planted himself, though, not trying to look intimidating but succeeding at it anyway. “Sorry.” 

[captainxkj]

ajita-tannu​:

CHRISTMAS STARTER FOR KJ ( @captainxkj )

Ajita’s parents had adopted the celebration of Christmas, given a Hindi spin to it, and made it their own. There was traditional Indian food, decorations from Diwali back on the wall for the sake of reusing, and a steaming pot of tea on the stove.

Their mom always invited hordes of people to come eat something. The guests were always invited, and friends from town.

Ajita, for the first time ever, had invited KJ. Not only because he was their running mate, but because they knew he was alone for the holidays. They figured he could use the company.

“Welcome to the Tannu family special! It might be a bit confusing at first, my mom picked only the things about Christmas that she likes,” they said with a wink, taking KJ’s jacket. They were wearing their dress from Diwali, a beautiful pink and yellow sari.

x

Now that he had let his facial hair grow back in, having given up on the clean-cut politician persona for the moment, KJ stood on the threshold looking like the world’s worst Santa Claus, bundled up in a winter hat and holding a solitary cardboard package.

Still, he managed a smile as he entered the house, offering Ajita and appreciative nod. “I...uh, the supermarket was pretty picked clean, so I brought this. For dessert, I mean.” In the box was a birthday cake, the type of blank white thing a person would usually ice a message atop. “I really tried to do something better, but it...well, my apartment has a hot plate for the moment. Which is not real good for baking. You look nice. Am I underdressed?”

He was no good at parties or social graces, but he had made an effort to wear a sweater and slacks all the same. It was perhaps the most put-together KJ had ever looked besides their early political efforts. 

[captainxkj]

Open Starter Location: Near the Cemetery Time: Night

The air hung heavy and acrid, biting cold with the threat but not the promise of snow. A cloud of visible breath escaped KJ’s lips as he shone the flashlight into the brush along the graveyard’s fence. The cemetery itself sat abandoned at this hour, frozen over with winter chill and blanketed in the silence of the dead. He had pulled his pickup truck over, though, its headlight still on, when he saw it once more: the white deer. 

These things naturally occurred in animals, genetic variants or something, KJ knew. But he had been seeing it, the thing, the phantom, for a few weeks now, hiding in the corners of the woods, darting about by night. And the animal was too young for this time of year. It should not exist. And for that reason, its presence gave KJ a terrible feeling, an awful harbinger of something. 

Because it was the same white deer, the fawn with the missing eye, the other glistening like an ember in the moonlight, that his grandfather, in a grave voice, once told him to never dare take aim at with his hunting rifle. “Oh, Jesus!” KJ cried out upon making out a humanoid shape in the dark. He sighed. “You always skulk around and sneak up on people in graveyards?” 

[captainxkj]

ajita-tannu​:

WHERE: in font of town hall WHEN: saturday afternoon WITH open

Ajita was running a one-person protest. She had made a huge board on a whim, gotten her mom to drive her into town, prepared a bag with coffee and some lunch, and was chanting: “Not another failure no, the institute has got to go!” She wasn’t the right person to be making slogans, but she had decided to do this as quickly as possible, and that meant she had written down whatever had come into her brain the night before. But it was true: the institute had got to go, because she was certain this fuck up was their fault.

She yelled at the first police officer that told her to leave. “I have a right to protest, it says in city rules that only if my protest is over a hundred people, I have to get a permit, I know the rules, I’m not in anyone’s way.” 

x

KJ emerged from the building itself with a stack of papers. He had, of course, up to now, been taking himself more seriously than usual. And serious people with serious goals filed paperwork and signed things. Still, he seemed genuinely surprised to find Ajita already outside and genuinely perturbed by the scene as it unfolded. He kept his distance.

“Hey, Officer Richwood. It’s a public sidewalk. No one’s doing anything.” He spoke up from his vantage point. The cop himself, he recognized, was a member of his mother’s church. And this threat, and the moment of mutual recognition, seemed to get the guy to back off.

Once he was gone, retreating with a final warning, KJ wrinkled his brow, moving to join Ajita on the sidewalk. He snorted mirthlessly at the sign.

“He’s gonna come back, you know. We ought to go,” he said, shaking his head. “But what’d the eggheads do now, huh?”

[captainxkj]

johndoesmith​:

The hot coffee John prepared for himself and kj warmed his hands. It was a classic interrogation interview technique. Give the target a lesser thing, coffee, chair, food, and make the institution the villain. Then bring in, as an individual, a much better version. Makes people like and trust you. He purposely given the secretary an hour old cup of coffee to give kj for that exact reason. This wasn’t John’s first, second, or fifth rodeo. It felt good to be in control. So much of John’s life wasn’t his. The anomalies, this damned mission, but here? This is what he trained for. He opened the door, sat on the opposing chair, and gave one of the new hot coffees to him. “Hey there KJ, how’s it going? The coffee sucks around here, I had an inkling so I brought in some fresh.”

John sat there thinking about the interview. In his experience, pre interviews were the real deal. The public ones, the performance. He saw how nervous the man was as he sipped his coffee. Good.

“Good afternoon Mr. Wake, let’s start this interview. I’ve got a few questions for you.”

“First, why did you decide to run for public office? And I’ve heard that you’re a captain, of what specifically?

x

KJ looked up and offered a crooked smile, one that somehow looked genuine despite its oddness. But he had been practicing in earnest, making a real effort in the mirror to look approachable or charismatic or political. Still, the expression fell quickly, and he was left with his usual sort of quiet glower. Rallying against it, though, he regarded John with more sincere warmth; at least more warmth than the coffee had. “Oh...uh, I’m real good. Happy to be here. How’re you, pal? It’s all right, though. I’m not really...Coffee’s coffee. Works for me.” Simple. Salt-of-the-earth. Unpretentious. This too was part of the new persona, he decided, with varied successes. 

He sighed a little, shifting in his seat and crossed his hands in front of him. “You can call me KJ. Mr. Wake’s my dad. Which is a joke everyone makes.”

Cocking his head to one side now, KJ cleared his throat. “Well...long story short, I care about Pleasance. And I care about the folks that live here. I think those folks deserve someone to speak on their behalf. Someone with no other interests. Born and raised here. No hidden agendas. No private meetings. No backdoor deals.” He gave a definitive nod, managing a low laugh now. “Yeah...that’s more of a nickname. My dad and my grandad. They were real Captains. Fishing boat charters, you know? My family has pretty deep roots in the Northwood area. Me? I run the docks these days. But that means I know what a day of hard work is.” 

[captainxkj]

behrooz-najm​:

WHERE: Dutch’s WHEN: friday evening WITH open

Bez yawned, they hadn’t closed a single eye since the day before, and they were certain their sleeping hadn’t been great, or at least not up to standards, and the whole night they had calls about the water. The dark water.

It needed to be solved. 

They stared at the glass in front of them.

It had to be solved.

“I have to sleep.” 

x

“You’re in the wrong place then.” KJ replied flatly, bringing his own drink to his lips and throwing back the last of it with one mighty gulp. Although he had, in earnest, been making an effort to be nicer and more personable, he seemed to be offering none of that courtesy to Bez. He sniffed, casting his eyes in their direction. “You look just awful. Maybe you should...get some air or something.”

[captainxkj]

jaxriver​:

WHERE: the lake (of course) WHEN: friday morning WITH open

Jax was feeling weird, odd even, she wasn’t sure what she was feeling, but all of it was wrong and right at the same time. She shook her body, trying to wake up, but it didn’t work. She couldn’t, she was in a daze, in a haze, completely lost to herself. 

She bit her lip and took a step closer to the water. Nothing changed much, the feeling stayed intense and the same. Frustrated by not knowing, Jax screamed. 

x

“Jesus!” KJ winced, emerging from the woods like a hulking shadow. As usual, he was hoisting a box around, moving things here and there about the lake and docks to begin the winterizing process (which really should have begun weeks prior). He furrowed up his brow, regarding Jax from some distance, cocking his head to one side. “Am I...interrupting something?”

At one time, this question may have come cruelly, with an edge. But KJ himself seemed somehow deflated now, and the query carried a glint of sincerity. 

[captainxkj]

ajita-tannu​:

Ajita laughed, looking at the cake. “Your mom’s also going around trading gossip?” She asked, shaking her head slightly at the talk being dragged back to them by the wind. She watched KJ and his cake and wondered if there was a reason for it, or if that was a regular thing. She had grown up used to food being constantly exchanged, her mother would cook for five households, and all that food would not go to waste, hoards of people would come by to get a few bites. 

“Sure,” she said in response, then cocked an eyebrow when he smiled, before asking her how it looked. She smiled back with a look of love she didn’t know she had in her. “You have a nice smile, KJ, just a little forced in this case. Think of something fun when you are trying to smile. Like… I don’t know, the taste of that cake, assuming it’s good.” They really were two peas in a pot, running for mayor, two of the most unapproachable people in the whole of Pleasance. She annoyed people to no end, KJ looked like he might eat small children. And somehow she loved that even more about their cooperation. They were the underdogs after all, and underdogs always had a chance of winning. “Is the cake for church?”

x

“She’s from the South. Gossip’s just part of the deal, I hear,” KJ replied with something of a long sigh, shaking his head. “Bless her heart.” This remark, and the forced accent that accompanied it, earned a rare laugh, short and gruff as it was, from KJ. And evidently, he had genuinely been trying to make a joke. Letting the moment pass, though, he cocked his head forward, an indication for Ajita to follow along with him down the sidewalk. 

He grunted then, retreating back into his more dour self. “I don’t got so much to smile about. What can I say? It’s out of practice,” he replied with some seriousness, knitting his brow. He flashed his teeth, a deliberate bad smile that teetered somewhere been villainous and depraved. “Maybe you ought to be the face of the whole thing. I’ll just...carry the signs.” He indicated the cake now, as if lifting things up and getting them places were all he were good for.

KJ nodded, though, some lightness returning. “Bake sale. My mom’s in secret competition with one of the other ladies there, so she whips out the Doberge Cake to put her in her place. But you’d never even know she was doin’ it. And that’s why I think I probably spent too much time with my dad growing up.” He blew out of a breath. “The Wake men lack social graces. Always have. But she could run this town if she wanted.” 

[captainxkj]

Open Starter Location: The Streets of Pleasance Time: Afternoon

This was stupid. He felt stupid. And it was not just the goddamn collared shirt. But in truth, that afternoon, KJ barely looked like himself. He had traded in the faded flannels and tattered baseball caps for something neater, something he actually had to iron. But by now, he had rolled up his sleeves and undone a button, an effort rebel against whatever this was he was getting himself into.

He had been walking about with a clipboard for an hour now, mostly leaning against walls and glowering, screwing up his courage to actually approach someone and do the damn thing. But the bravery had not quite come yet. At the city council meetings, during which he was already known locally to join forces with the Palmers, being likable had not been a factor. He just had to be vocal and honest. He was learning, though, that honesty was not always the thing. Well, maybe it was the thing, but it was not the only thing. People had to want to have a beer with you.  

Straightening up his shoulders, then, KJ mustered all his resolve to take a step forward. “Excuse me. Do you have a moment to talk about the tax break situation in-town? City Hall has been favoring specific big players for a long time now and puttin’ Main Street at risk, and don’t you think it’s time to take a stand for the little guy in Pleasance?”

[captainxkj]

Closed starter for @johndoesmith Time: Late Afternoon Location: All-Timer Diner

The lukewarm coffee sloshed around the mug like a mudslide as KJ brought it once more to his lips; he swallowed hard, a sour expression trickling across his face. But he had been nursing the cup for more than an hour now, having arrived early to spread his notes across the table. In truth, this whole affair still felt strangely new. This campaign for public office, still in its infancy, had come from a genuine desire to help, of course, to do something. But maybe he should have spent more time ruminating.

After all, KJ now felt like a teenager again, left studying for a test for which he, no matter his efforts, would be painfully, woefully underprepared.

Still, he had to put on at least some show of resolve, he decided. Politics were nothing but optics, after all. And in any case, this was a pre-interview, not the real interview. He could mess it all up and then run to Ajita or someone for advice on fixing it.

And so, he cleared his throat, beginning to arrange the papers in a neat little pile as their meeting time drew near. He glanced up to the door, trying to at least look a little less caught off-guard,

[captainxkj]

xslater​:

“Oh, fuck off with that, would you? No one else is around, you don’t have to keep up that big, scary boat man façade ‘round me. I work here, too, for Christ’s sake.” The callous sound of his laughter is easily enveloped by the smoke from his lips and his flaring nostrils. He fans it away, at least. Out of courtesy, if nothing else, and turns the hand he’s holding his cigarette with to face the direction of the wind. KJ had always sort of been the odd one out, especially when Jordan and their other friends grew towards other interests. Jordan thinks it makes him special. Quite memorable, in fact, that he’d always been a face he’d particularly missed in the years he hadn’t been able to return to Pleasance.

He brings the cigarette to his lips, just a shallow breath for a quick puff this time. “Don’t be so obtuse. I think she actually likes you. Like, like you like you. I’m sure she’d love to have you there.” Could you imagine, though - KJ Wake belting out to an ABBA hit? “Everything okay?” He pulls himself towards the railing while he sticks his cigarette out to the other direction, eyes grazing downwards, to KJ’s pocket where he assumes his phone must be.

x

KJ narrowed his eyes, giving the usual grunt he used to convey annoyance or dismissiveness. “Okay, man, you workin’ here and me workin’ here are not the same thing.” This came pointedly, an eyebrow raising. And with that, he clicked his tongue, letting the topic go. But even as a teenager, KJ had harbored an obvious bitterness about George Alby. Youthful idealism, he imagined, had at one time allowed him to look at Jordan as separate from it all. The guy was his friend, distinct from his lineage. But now, an Alby was an Alby, and KJ could not help but take any attempts at drawing parallels between the two of them as condescension. “This isn’t the scary boat man façade. You gotta tip me for that. This is, you know, me just...bein’ practical and to-the-point and safe. Salt of the earth or whatever.” These were perhaps rebranding words he was testing out.

As Jordan continued, though, he shook his head. “She’s not my type.” He replied flatly. “Look, Grace is fine and all, but...people like her invited me to things like that when we were kids to make fun of me.” He crossed his arms, knitting his brow, expression softening. “You haven’t heard? People’s phones been ringin’ off the hook all over town. I had to unplug my landline. Kept me up all night.” KJ treaded this topic lightly; he had been willing to assume the calls were meant for him specifically until word starting spreading about the extent of the situation.