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[kickem]

Ray. Leave a message.

[Texts, calls (for 90s canon and modern day) and pictures and videos (for modern day)]

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[hairlocked]

[ That awkward moment where for no reason your car radio suddenly rings like your mobile phone. Which is not ringing. But answer it anyway see what good it does you. ]

[kickem]

[That awkward moment when your phone isn't ringing but you still grapple for it anyway. And then realise. And can't work out why the radio is ringing, but try and answer both anyway... ?!... with a totally awkward:]

Uh?

[hairlocked]

Hello? Hello? Oh, there you are. It's Ray, isn't it?

[ Guess who's been listening to all his phone calls? =DDD ]

[kickem]

[Wow, rude.

Ray doesn't recognise the voice as anyone he should know. Except he kind of does recognise it too.]

Uh. Detective Vecchio, yeah. Who's this?

[hairlocked]

Detective Vecchio, yes. At least that's who you say you are. How's that working for you?

[ A pause. You can almost hear the fidget. ]

You can call me Leoben.

[kickem]

[He's still not sure whether he should be talking to his phone or his radio so he's doing an awkward mixture of both, wisely deciding to pull over. Good thing too, because he really doesn't like the sound of this conversation already.]

Sure, it's workin' just fine. How's uh, how's bein' a shady scumbag workin' for you?

[Prickly defensive already.]

[hairlocked]

[ Yes. Don't crash, Ray, cause that would really suck. ]

We all play our roles in God's plan, Ray. I have mine, and you have yours.

Have you stopped the car? You shouldn't drive while using the phone; a single distraction might kill you, and that would be a terrible shame.

[kickem]

You one of those Jehovah people? I'm not buyin' what you're sellin', stop ringin' this number and asking. And stop sending assholes to my apartment.

[hairlocked]

Jehovah, yes. Jehovah is another name for God. You don't believe, but that's okay. You will.

You're parked in front of a church, aren't you? Look out the window. You haven't stopped here before, but you stopped here now. Don't you even wonder why?

[kickem]

[A pause as he peers out the window, squinting towards the church that's painfully obvious. Lucky guess? Or maybe he's being watched. These bible bashers are relentless.]

Nope. No church. And no wondering. Look uh, it's been nice talkin', but I should I go. You tell that God guy he still owes me a Franklin.

[hairlocked]

[ God Ray it's called GPS. What do you mean it hasn't been invented yet? Well guess what--robutts.

Have some electrical feedback, and a sort of half laugh. ]

God doesn't owe you anything, Ray Kowalski, but if you trust in your path then you'll be rewarded. It's your destiny to find the Hand of Franklin, and I am here to guide you in the next step on your journey.

Go inside the church.

[kickem]

[Hearing his own name is enough to get him twitchy, head jerking briefly around as if expecting to see someone obvious that might be watching.

Seems like 'shady scumbag' was an acceptable first assumption after all.

With no one in obvious sight, he opts for sniffing nonchalantly instead.]

Only Franklin I know is the guy on the moolah. Dunno about no hand. Dunno no Kowalski either. You got the wrong guy.

[But, trap or not, there's still the sound of a car door slamming as he climbs out.]

[hairlocked]

Of course you don't. That's why you're getting out of the car.

[ And there's another pause. He did say go into the church, so there is some waiting, and then he says: ]

Are you in the church yet?

[ Because he's not psychic nope. ]

[kickem]

[Ugh ugh, what an asshole this guy is, but Ray's stomping his way sullenly off towards the church, phone in tow.]

Yeah, I'm in the church. God's not even gonna greet me? Kinda rude.

[hairlocked]

Are you always present in your home? I don't think so. Besides, God has properties all over the world, give him a break.

[ More electronic feedback. Strange electronic feedback. ]

You've never been here before, but Ray Vecchio has. It's not mere chance that led you here, of all the 358 Catholic parishes in Chicago. Did you forget your glasses?

[kickem]

[That feedback is painful, but even when holding the phone away from him, Ray can catch the rest of the conversation. Or maybe it's less of a conversation and more just being talked at.]

Uh.

[Patting down his jacket.]

Am I gonna need them?

[hairlocked]

I'd much rather not, if it's all the same to you.

[ Which is Leoben doesn't mind being shot at if Ray is going to miss him every time.

He steps out in front of the altar with his hands raised up in a placating Christ like gesture, phone in his left hand. ]

[kickem]

[He'd much rather not, and yet Ray's suspicions- instincts, even- have him suddenly reaching inside his jacket with his free hand and drawing his gun from the the shoulder holster. Is there something about drawing guns in churches? Whatever, self protection should be understood.

He spins to face the appearance of the other, gun level but still only in one hand.

That. Looks like one really familiar dude and Ray's hesitating just long enough that his police instincts are forced to kick in.]

Phone on the floor! Keep your hands where I can see 'em.

[hairlocked]

[ He keeps his eyes on Ray, his hands in the air in surrender, stepping down the creaky wooden steps at the front of the church. He keeps his phone in the air for a moment longer, and then at last on the bottom step he leans down, obeying the instructions of the man with the gun. The man with the gun and his face.

But not a Two. No. A son of man. But look at those genetics springing back into play after all these years. It's adorable. ]

Come closer. Let me see you.

[kickem]

[Ray tucks his own phone back into his jacket, hand immediately going to steady the firearm instead.

He doesn't want to shoot this guy, this guy with his face, but there's too much uncertainty, too many questions.]

Who the hell are you 'sposed to be?

[Shuffling closer almost out of instinct and totally not because he was told to!!!1]

[hairlocked]

[ Steadying the gun isn't going to help him when he's way more likely to shoot Jesus in the head than get a bullet anywhere near Leoben himself. He keeps his hands up and steps closer. ]

I told you my name. I've been sent to help you. But if you don't believe me, go ahead and shoot me. Go ahead. See how many answers you get then.

[ He waits until it seems like Ray isn't confident enough to step any further forward, and then he takes a single step and waits, cocking his head very slightly to one side. ]

Are you going to shoot me, Ray?

[kickem]

[Ray keeps a good ten feet between them, as tempting as it is to get closer, but then Leo's stepping closer and making that decision for him.

He won't shoot. He can't. He's got no justification for it anyway beyond looking the same. Hardly a good reason to go around murdering.]

Nah. Nah I, uh.

[A huff, shoulder roll, and then a veeeery slow lowering of his gun.]

Okay, so this is insanity, right?

[hairlocked]

No, you're not crazy. That would be too easy.

[ He takes another careful step closer. Eight feet now. Eight feet is very much closer, and it's better than a photograph. Better than the fuzzy clip of Ray on the news, on top of that man, where he'd first drawn Leoben's attention. ]

Look at you. No matter how far a drop of water travels, it eventually flows along the same stream, the same river, on its way down to the sea. It's been a long time, but here you are. God's divine plan in action.

You can put the gun down. I won't hurt you.

[kickem]

You so much as twitch in a way I don't like, you're gonna get a bullet.

[But for now the gun is best left out of this, safety on and slowly tucked back into it's holster, still on display and ready to make a reappearance.]

You ever make any sense? I mean, I get this is weird, but uh miracles and God aren't gonna make sense of this weirdness.

[hairlocked]

It's all just a matter of perspective. You make sense to me; a mathematical improbability resolved into human form. Human. Human, every bit of you.

[ Human, every bit. He glances up toward the roof of the church. ]

Are you seeing this, Kara? Do you see, now? I was right.

[ With his eyes on Ray again, attention wondrous like a child, he took another careful step forward, then reached out his hand. ]

I'm real. That's what you're wondering, right? Touch.