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Hey, it’s Kaeya. Do you have a few minutes for a chat?

Tss-!

[FUCK!

there's rattling and some clatter and then abrupt silence for a beat as they're looking around for the source of the voice being so close; they're not fucking used to this thing talking in their ear, so it's like someone got the drop on them!

Fucking where...?]

[He holds back his laughter. Steady, steady.] Sorry to interrupt your wanderings. I’m not with you. This is me talking via our earbuds.

[Eugh, other people can do this?? Shit...

they huff, forcing the Pending tone back in that got scared a few octaves off.]

What do you want.

The time that we’ve been waiting for has arrived. Aurora has announced our next mission. Would you like the details she put in writing?

Of course you do. [He gives the broad strokes, knowing Pending’s attention span. Locate anomaly causing people to shift from law to chaos and vice versa. Use a new identity and the legal stuff to move unseen. New abilities to help mask.]

[Pending's mouth opens and closes before they can interject.

...Well, no, it's...good to get the details from a second source. Just in case I missed shit.

but still:] Coulda done this face-to-face.

I can. If you want to discuss this further in person that’s fine. I brought tribute for the chat.

[Is that him in the distance with a large bag in hand? Maybe. No bird in sight. Just a man with a takeout bag.]

[tribute??? treats?? far be it from the most treat-motivated creature aside from, say, a dog, to say no to that.]

Then pick a bridge and I'll... [...

squint.]

Oh.

[that's him. over there.

Pending's just gonna fucking stand here 🧍‍♂️ and let him come to him.]

[He joins them with a sparkle in his eye. He offers the bag. Inside, waffle fries, a pair of milkshakes, and a neat row of grilled chicken sandwiches.] Save the mint chocolate milkshake for me, please. The rest is yours.

[Pending's eyebrows raise as he takes the bag and are hit with the barrage of foodsmells. it makes his eyes flutter a bit.

looking owlishly back at Kaeya:] What's the occasion?

Talks about annoying things should be had with something pleasant. [He waves a hand. He accepts the milkshake when it is handled to him.] And this one sounds like it will be a bit of a pain. Undercover work always is.

[he looks back down at the remaining bounty.

...yeah, nah, they're not immune to bribes. Pending turns and goes back to the waterside near his messy encampment to set things down.

when Kaeya's joined:] She talked to me. Aurora. From this. [he points to the earpiece.] Like a sending stone, but out loud.

Yes, she did the same to me when I asked to chat. So, how did it go? [He takes out the straw and slides it into his milkshake.

One sip and he sighs, content. Chocolate mint is quite nice. In his opinion anyway.] Or should I say, what did she tell you?

That she'll do it again later. Talk at me like that. She says...she'll give me warning. [but only time will tell if she does so.

he puts his drink aside to get to the food, tearing some wrapping.] She said that...we're getting new names.

[More shit I gotta keep track of.]

Ah, that. Yes, that was the announcement I was talking about. [He sips his drink. He’ll have to show these to anyone from home. They might like it. He reaches into his pack and pulls out a smaller take out back. He unwraps a single spicy chicken sandwich.]

She does tend to give warning when she talks to us one on one. That’s been what I’ve heard anyway. I reached out to her for my discussion.

Wadshi dell yew? [What'd she tell you? in mouth-full-of-sandwich speech.]

She answered my questions about herself and Echo. But only what she could answer. Are you familiar with the Rules of Binding? [He takes a bite of his sandwich. The spices are just right.]

[mutely, Pending shakes his head. Knife could guess at those just based on the words used, but it's too broad to really tack down, and them so...not fully learned of the world's magicks let alone the magicks of other worlds.]

It's not the official name for such things. That itself might be hidden behind The Rules. But it seems to be a common pattern with spirits and the divine. There are strict rules about what they can or can not say. In Aurora's case...it might be built into her from the start. Her and all her siblings.

[his eyes wince. Of COURSE there's more of her. Why not!

after a swallow:] So the lies can be on accident. Because of having to be quiet.

Or for both reasons. She has told me when she couldn’t answer a question because she can’t talk about Echo. [He takes a larger bite of his spicy chicken sandwich. He makes a pleased sound. Good spice level. It doesn’t detract from the chicken.]

[that gets a grumbly noise, more just an assent of hearing it than any approval or disapproval while Pending's trying to pick seasoning out from under his fingernail.

after a beat:] Another slave, I guess. [that puts them closer to even footing, but Knife isn't ready to sympathize with her beyond that.]

What could she talk about.

That echo exists and worlds are dying. She could tell me she has brothers and sisters but can only talk to those in reach. In short. What we at home call the standard response.

If gives the asker nothing. [Another bite. He chews slowly, savoring the sandwich.]

[that this could be a great, big lie made to placate and coerce responses is never lost on Knife. they grew up subject to being...well, a subject. it wouldn't be new.

it'd be awful, though; even a big cage is a cage.

surprising to no one:] I don't like it. [incredible revelation. it's not meant to be, though; just some words to fill in space before they cram the remains of that sandwich in their mouth and choke it down. where Kaeya savors, Knife scrambles - gotta make food disappear before it can disappear on you.]

Y'know there's people and sorts here that...can do a lot of wild things. To break a lot.

Nobody's tried to break this place?

[There's the muffle sounds of a party in the background.]

Checking in on you. I haven't seen you around.

[he won't get his answer then and there - try like. nine, ten hours later.

hushed, raspy:] Uh? Yeah? What? Long-Term? You--you wanted something?

No. Just wanted to make sure you were still around. Thanks for the update.

[He sounds incredibly Neutral.]

[woman doing math dot gif...

then a coughahem to actually get Antigone's voice back on right.]

Uh--oh. I... You... were worried? About that?

Of course I was. You're my friend, even if I don't know what you think of me right now.

A--

[huh????????????????????????? Jayce Jerk Talkass Talis is dropping friendship on a bitch currently in the middle of trying to endure five weeks of solitary madness?? is this like. is this a setup?

...it's probably not a setup. he's too like. honest for that.]

I, uh... [fuck, it's hard to get thoughts and feelings to idle long enough to tack down to words, especially with the constant looking around to ensure she's alone.] I, I-yi-yuh...I didn't know. That. You thought that. Actually. Considering I'm-- [a liar and a shithead and maybe six hours away from crashing out before locking the fuck back in to stay on-task.] Not...very good?

...You didn't know I thought you were a friend? Am I just that bad at this?

[First he belittles her to the point she flips out on him, now she's surprised he even thinks of her as a friend. Fuck, he sucks at having normal friends, doesn't he?]

Yeah, I do. And you're fine. I'm the one who was overstepping boundaries, remember?

[his mistake was picking someone with a really bad sense of self-worth and deciding that was friend-shaped. easy mistake, anyone coulda done it.]

I mean--yeah, but, [but-- flounder.] I, I dunno, you had, have...more important things to deal with? Right? [like not fuckin' dying for five weeks in fae hell where you could accidentally slight something that can curse you into a tree or make your brain think backwards or--]

You're one of those important things.

[Said with a genuineness that Knife surely hates.]

Anyway, if you're busy right now, it's fine. We don't have to talk long. I just know you were nervous about coming here. Let me know if you get in trouble, okay?

[she exhales an anxious, pained whine. just bash her head in with a shovel, godfuckingdammit.]

N-no, that. Ha. No. What, what're you gonna do? Beat a fae? You, you-you probably smell like a magic cheeseball to them as it is! Don't implicate yourself stupidly!

I'm not implicating myself at all. I can talk them down, gently. Maybe you find that hard to believe, but I used to be good at talking to people.

[Rather, he used to be good at telling people what they want to hear, regardless of how genuine he was about it. Maybe the reason he's so bad at it with Antigone is because he's trying to be honest?]

Is it worth the risk? Like...

Yes, it is.

[...,.,.

long beat.

small:] If you say so.

Try to stay out of trouble anyway. Talk to you later?

[Like it's my fucking call!! Fruhhhh...hrhhh...grlhhh...]

Y-yeah. Okay. Don't die or whatever.

Good day to you.

It has been some time since last we spoke, so I wish to ask how you are faring.

[day? try night! it's a bit, but not entirely out of rudeness, promise. but! eventually!]

Uh, heh-hey? Hi? Does this work? Don-don't say anything if you're like. Talking to other people or ar-around other people or whatever though!

[ Dion left a message expecting it could be some time until he received a reply. He used text to avoid being overheard.

Yet he's fortunately alone when she responds. ]

Worry not; none would overhear or observe me where I am.

If, if you say so. [dubious, but not cynically dubious, y'know? he's capable, but...fae shit. fae shit.

anyway.

beat.]

Uh. What, what was it? You needed? Again?

I'm inquiring as to how you've fared thus far. This place can be...taxing.

[ His tone heavily implies that last word is bearing the burden of euphemism. ]

[she gives a fluttery, busted laugh at that.]

Just, just say it's fucked. It's okay. I promise I won't say shit to anyone.

[ It's terrible and he's so done with it, she wasn't kidding about these people. ]

It has been a deeply vexing experience in too many ways.

[ Close enough? ]

Almost like it'sssssssssssss............... [c'mon. c'mon, bud. c'mon.]

Terrible.

[ He's too polite even now, but the weariness is certainly there. ]

But how have you been?

[she scoffs. UGH. not even at her lowest? what if it was her birthday or something. goddammit. she'll get him. it'll be a dying wish or, or something.

wearily:] Fucked.

[ What a thing to burn a dying wish on. But also: no dying. ]

It will be a relief when we're finished with this world.

Are you unhurt, at least?

Enh. [noncommittal noise.

beat.]

Nothin' broke or bleedin'. Almost gettin' eaten and still in one piece. Morsel.

Something tried to eat you?

[ Did he hear that right? ]

[blandly:] What, you didn't get stalked and pounced in the woods, too? Can't be just me. I wasn't even morsel-sized for it.

I've instead been stalked about by some obnoxious lout who writes me terrible poetry.

[ Frankly, he'd prefer monsters. ]

[snort.]

You tried cussing them out?

[ A long-suffering sigh. ]

I punched him for attacking a friend.

[ And somehow, that didn't dissuade the guy. Imagine. ]

[there's a hitched noise, halting the impulse to bark a laugh, swallowing it painfully.]

Guh, y-y'know that's... This is supposed to be a stealth gig...

I realize. It has been difficult, with Aestus' influence.

[ That has been the most tiring part of it. Dion has always felt deeply, but to be robbed of the ability to properly moderate it... ]

[she makes a faint noise through her nose, then goes quiet.

a long beat:] So. Did you find an alternative punching bag?

I spend more time in the forest, as our mission allows.

[ Better that than picking fights when indeed they should be covert. ]

Not getting nearly eaten. Lucky you.

I'm more a threat to anything in the forest than the reverse, like as not.

You wouldn't cut that loose and blow everyone's cover, though.

Of course not. But in a world so givdn to magic, they might sense how much aether I have.

I meannnn... Nnnrhh... [she huffs.]

Whatever. You're not askin' for advice, so I'm not gonna...fuckin'...bother offerin'.

Did you not advise me before the mission?

Nrhhh! [it's not like anyone's listening in EXCEPT THE FUCKING DEVICE TRANSLATING AND TRANSMITTING!! but still. erugh.] That wasn't solicited, either! That was-- [what? charity? itchiness?] Wasn't solicited.

That does not mean I appreciate it any less.

That-that's your business, I wasn't fishin' for your good graces, okay.

Of course not.

Yet I knew naught of fae, and likely would have run into difficulties your words allowed me to avoid.

[the spice has ebbed. back to grumbly, pouty mode.]

Probably cleanin' dishes like that other fancy-haired guy...

Fancy hair?

[ Who has fancy hair? ]

Nyeah. Stephanie or whatever. I forget.

I don't believe I'm acquainted with a Stephanie, but what qualifies as fancy hair?

You know! All like...soft and shiny and light... C'mon, Fancypants.

...Kempt?

Eh? [she doesn't speak spanish]

[ Neither does he??? ]

You describe the well-kempt.

That like a...like a species of people I don't know about?

No. It means one who keeps their appearance tidy.

[tsk!] You can tidy shit-colored hair all day and night and it's not fancy. I'm talkin' lighter colors here! [this is hair discrimination Dee!!]

Darker hair can certainly be fancy.

Might you mean that you fancy lighter hair?

A--

NO.

I shall take that as an affirmative.

Wh--he, hey! Fuck you, don't twist my words, that's sneaky fae bullshit!

I've not been accused of being sneaky in all my life.

Tuh! Do I get a prize for bein' the first?

[he is sneaky. dropping a line outta the blue and, and makin' her forget to be extra miserable and stressed in favor of maybe having good rapport. SNEAKY. mood assassination.]

I've only my doubts to offer in this instance.

Regardless, would something be wrong with you having a preference?

It's nunya business what I'm preferring or not preferring, that--this isn't what we were talking about! What the hell!

You brought up the subject to begin with.

I said the guy had fancy hair and now we're all up my ass about callin' it fancy! O-kay!

Everyone has personal tastes. I make no judgements.

[ Deflection denied... ]

Just filin' shit about me away judgment-free, are you? [HARRUMPH.]

What right have I to judge such things, after all?

Everyone has preferences.

Engh. You're so...! [sigh.] Fucking reasonable. Bleaugh.

Is that so terrible?

[moodily:] No.

[ He'll try not to sound like he's smiling, but he's Dion. ]

Good to hear it.

Have you located any of those we've been tasked with finding?

Yeah. Some of them are real assholes though, so I dunno how worth this is? Are they gonna be helping in some fashion?

I expect they'll be deployed on the same missions as the rest of us, going forward.

Great. More camp members.

[ Under his breath: ]

Greagor forfend.

[ Someone really didn't like camp. ]

Thus far missions have not repeated themselves, at least.

I don't know, none of them seem to be very productive outside of desperately trying to not get killed, y'know? Or is that just me?

They don't tend to, no. At least in this case, we might aid others like ourselves.

[she's quiet for a beat.

muttered:] ...More people to feel bad about.

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currently having a crisis over mcnuggets

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