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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 10:53:29 GMT -6
Miranda gave a silent nod at Ben's thanks.
"I should be the one saying that - I was the one that hijacked your dream and your sleep, after all." Miranda gave another faint smile, the best she could muster to try and make light of the situation. Before either of them had a chance to say anything more, she murmured, "Goodnight, Ben."
She took a step back, her gaze drifting down to the watch, before turning and silently returning to her room.
The door shut with a quiet click behind her.
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 11:12:09 GMT -6
Ben watched her go, timepiece still resting in his hand.
No second guessing yourself now.
Just go back to sleep.
Right. Sleep.
Ben wasn’t sure whether talking to her would make him feel better or worse.
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 11:41:21 GMT -6
Miranda sat down on her bed and smashed her fist into her pillow, before falling back onto the mattress and staring up at the ceiling.
She had been foolish.
How couldn't she see this coming until now? Until today?
It didn't start with her brother.
It started when she had freaked at "predator".
That was the beginning of the end. And she was too blind with trying to make things work or too distracted with other things or too something to realize it.
They were different.
Maybe too different.
Of course it wouldn't last. Of course it couldn't work.
This was for the best. For the both of them. For her.
God and Goddess, it hurt to give him that watch after pouring her heart into it, but it was his watch and she had finished her little project. She was just grateful the exchange hadn't been too emotional nor too cold, on either of their ends. He seemed to like it. She supposed she could be grateful for that.
Miranda grabbed her phone and curled up under her blankets. She read the text that Trisha had messaged her, and sent back the audio file of the recording of her mother and grandmother as requested. She spent her time distracting herself from the deep ache in her stomach until she felt her lids start to droop.
Sleep claimed Miranda. Mercifully, it was black, and blank, and dreamless.
She didn't wake up at her usual time the next morning, but that was to be expected, given all of the nighttime activity. Eventually, Miranda groggily woke up, groaning as she fumbled for her phone. The bright light of her phone screen showed her the time. 10 AM.
She slumped back against her pillow.
After lingering for a solid thirty minutes, she got out of bed, got dressed for the day, and went downstairs to the kitchen to get herself some breakfast. Lunch? Brunch? Technically it was brunch, but not the kind that tended to flood Instagram.
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 12:20:47 GMT -6
When she got to the kitchen, Miranda found Ben already at the table, laptop with him.
“Oh, hey.” He said casually. “Glad you could get some sleep in.”
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 12:28:02 GMT -6
Miranda stopped for a moment. She drew her shoulders back as she took in a deep breath.
"Yeah, I know it's later than normal, but seems like I got the full eight hours," she said, trying to sound equally as casual.
She went over to the fridge and opened it up, pulling out deli meat, cheese, lettuce, before moving to a cabinet and pulling out a loaf of sliced bread.
She sat down at the table as she began to make her sandwich.
"What are you working on?" Miranda asked Ben.
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 13:03:03 GMT -6
“I told Julian I would find them a place to live that wasn’t a warehouse. Feels like the least I can do for how much shit I put them through.” Ben said as he switched to a different tab. He turned the laptop to face Miranda, showing her a listing for a 3 bedroom house. “Walking distance from Flavor’s, too.” He smiled.
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 13:36:01 GMT -6
Miranda's eyes widened. "Wow, that's- "
She reached over and moused through a few of the photographs of the place, before scrolling and scanning the details.
"That's a really nice house. I don't know how much of a cut they got when they were stealing things or how much savings they have, but I think all three of them could afford it, so long as they find jobs to keep paying it off," Miranda remarked. She pushed the laptop back to Ben, and smiled a little. "Legitimate jobs, I should add. Although putting them so close to their favorite food stop might make them go bankrupt."
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 13:50:39 GMT -6
“The whole point of me finding it was because I was planning on paying for it. For a little while, at least.” Ben turned the computer back around. “Give them a chance to figure out what they want to do. They’ve had to worry about just surviving for long enough that they deserve a break. They’d probably need a credit check and a guarantor, anyways.”
He shrugged, flipping back to something else on the computer.
“Helps to have legitimate business to point to, too.”
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 14:25:29 GMT -6
Oh.
You...
You're doing it again.
Being nice. Golden Rule. Respect.
Are you doing it because it's expected? Because it's the right thing? Because you want to hear them thank you, nearly prostrating themselves before you in gratefulness? All three?
It hits different because it's so generous, so much larger than what any typical person would do. Like you have a vested interest. Like you...like them. Feel for them.
But that's just you being you.
Miranda finished constructing her sandwich amidst her thoughts.
"They do deserve a break," she agreed. She took a bite of her sandwich, chewed, swallowed before continuing. "I'm quite positive they'll be very grateful for what you're doing. I would be, if I was in their shoes."
Another bite.
"I'm assuming this legitimate business you're referring to is something else you inherited from Emma?"
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 14:34:24 GMT -6
“I already mentioned it to Julian. He seemed responsive to the idea, though I don’t know why he wouldn’t be.” Ben said. “I like at least being able to throw money at people who I know deserve and need it. Emma and I vet our charities pretty thoroughly, but you’re never a hundred percent sure it’s actually doing anything good.”
He shut his laptop.
“Yeah, money going to less than legal or less than mundane purposes has to be worked in via some creative accounting. I mostly don’t have to worry about it, Emma knew what she was doing, but it helps to just have diverse assets just in case.”
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 15:07:49 GMT -6
Miranda nodded along with what Ben was saying.
"I remember. You talked about it before you went to the charity gala in Georgia," she said. "How mostly it's about tax breaks and influence. I believe yours and Emma's intentions though."
She finished one half of her diagonally cut sandwich and moved on to the last half.
"What business is it exactly? Or is it just an ephemeral corporation that makes it's money off of investing?" Miranda asked more directly. "Or am I confusing that with what you told me about Emma's personal investments, where she used knowledge of how well certain stocks would do in the future to generate wealth?"
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 15:27:50 GMT -6
((I try not to edit or even ninja edit, but it's a psychological thing! I read something after I post it, I think better of what I wrote, and then I edit. I do try and edit quickly after I post though, so that it refreshes instantly.))
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 15:38:47 GMT -6
"The charity gala was a double whammy too, because it's basically a tax break and circlejerk about how great rich people are all bundled into one." Ben put his cheek in his hand. "I could sit here for the next 30 minutes explaining the structure of the several shell companies and bank accounts and creative accounting that maximizes usable profit by avoiding capital gains tax and such, but I'm hoping that the oversimple answer of 'It's mostly real estate and hedge fund management and for some reason a large stake in the Smucker's company.' You probably know them for making jelly - that's what those peaches go to - but they own a bunch of other stuff like pet food. Essentially, the real estate is to make sure she can stay anywhere she needs to, the hedge fund is for making raw cash, and everything else is to have legitimate cash flow. You ever see that quote from the Joker about how the IRS is scarier than Batman?"
He smiled a bit before going on.
"As far as charities go, most of it goes to one Emma founded herself. You're going to laugh, and trust me, I've heard all the jokes from her before, but it mainly focuses on providing free birth control and lobbying for better sex education."
Ben, with a bit of flair, waived his hand in a grand gesture to himself.
"So, yes, I am an infertile, child-hating man who uses the bulk of his wealth to ensure as few children are born as possible. It's not all that, a lot of the focus recently has been on pad and tampon access. Not the physical availability, though that's still a problem in many places, mostly just trying to get states to classify them as essential so they're exempt from sales tax. Again, there's more details, but I don't think you need me to mansplain menstrual activism to you."
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Post by The Traveler on Jul 23, 2021 18:00:27 GMT -6
Miranda was grateful that Ben didn't go into a thirty minute explanation filled with jargon, because she was certain it would've put her to sleep. His oversimplified answer gave her enough to go off of, along with his basic explanation.
She gave another small smile at his reference to Joker, the IRS, and Batman. Who hadn't seen that quote?
"I've kept up with that as someone with a vested interest in the affordability of menstrual products, yeah, but do go on, please," she found herself teasing.
Stop. What are you doing.
Miranda took another bite of her sandwich as she mentally fought with herself.
Friends tease each other all the time.
Sure, but should you be doing that NOW when you want distance? All that will do is draw you closer. And then you'll get hurt again by out-of-sync expectations.
"I mean, it kind of fits with Emma, to be perfectly honest," Miranda continued, sobering a little. Focusing on Emma helped - with their heated discussion last night, the other girl didn't lend herself to warm feelings from Miranda, although the new information about her starting her own charity rounded out the image of Emma a little more in her head. "The free birth control, the better sex ed, more affordable tampons… The themes of sexual license and blood are all over that charity. Not that it's that simple, of course. I'm certain Emma has more specific reasons for starting it, and I'm not gonna assume. Can't imagine she'd be too happy with you if you decided to move the majority of those funds to a different charity too."
She tapped her temple.
"So infertile child-hating man makes certain there's fewer children in the world. The only way that title would be better is if Wisconsin or Florida was thrown in there."
Stop. You're doing it again.
"Were you taking care of said business in the other tab?" Miranda asked, gesturing to the closed laptop. "I didn't mean to interrupt if you were."
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Post by e on Jul 23, 2021 20:16:56 GMT -6
((Are you using Miranda to call Wisconsin the Florida of the Midwest))
“Oh, not really.” Ben shook his head. “Like most business owners, I do t have much real day to day work. It’s why I wander around doing this.”
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