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[He supposes he could tell her to just leave them by the door. But he knows Shaw isn't going to press any excruciating heart-to-hearts on him before he's ready.
The door opens. Jedao is on the couch, wrapped in a pile of blankets. He looks a bit haggard, weary and crumpled-up, but the throat wound is gone. There's weird - not music, playing, but something like meditation sounds, with waves and cat purrs and low chimes in it.]
Hey.
The door opens. Jedao is on the couch, wrapped in a pile of blankets. He looks a bit haggard, weary and crumpled-up, but the throat wound is gone. There's weird - not music, playing, but something like meditation sounds, with waves and cat purrs and low chimes in it.]
Hey.
I noticed it when I came by to deliver the soup, yes. And I waited until I was sure one of you picked it up before I left.
[ He was just invisible! Like you do!! ]
[ He was just invisible! Like you do!! ]
Edited 2024-01-08 00:23 (UTC)
im not convinced you understand my strategic priorities well enough to give me advice
how could you tell!
[Archer that's very cool!]
[Archer that's very cool!]
Magic.
Detecting the structure, composition, and history of tangible objects and constructs is my bread and butter, so to speak.
I would have knocked, but I generally prefer not to be seen when I’m having a difficult time and wished to afford you the same courtesy.
Detecting the structure, composition, and history of tangible objects and constructs is my bread and butter, so to speak.
I would have knocked, but I generally prefer not to be seen when I’m having a difficult time and wished to afford you the same courtesy.
Edited 2024-01-08 00:34 (UTC)
[Shaw looks physically tired and emotionally flat, but in a way that seems pretty close to her baseline level of emotional flatness. The exhaustion reaches her eyes, but beyond that, there are no signs of distress.]
Hey.
[She holds the mugs by their handles, which she's careful not to let tip too far sideways because the brushes are sticking out of one of them. The paint sets are tucked under her arm.]
Where do you want me to put these?
Hey.
[She holds the mugs by their handles, which she's careful not to let tip too far sideways because the brushes are sticking out of one of them. The paint sets are tucked under her arm.]
Where do you want me to put these?
[Eiffel could communicate by- well, communicator. But it's more fun to go by walkie-talkie.]
This is Texas Blue Dog hailing Mothman, come in Mothman.
This is Texas Blue Dog hailing Mothman, come in Mothman.
It can all go on the tea table.
[He gestures to the low table in front of him, that other people would call a coffee table.]
Thank you for helping with Neal. Is he - doing any better?
[Jedao looks away. All the guilt and revulsion and self-loathing and frustration he didn't feel then, he feels now.]
[He gestures to the low table in front of him, that other people would call a coffee table.]
Thank you for helping with Neal. Is he - doing any better?
[Jedao looks away. All the guilt and revulsion and self-loathing and frustration he didn't feel then, he feels now.]
[A week later - feels right, in his bones. The toll is over, or nearly; Jedao isn't hurting Eiffel every moment, any more. It's fair, somehow, even though Jedao doesn't usually care about fair. It also means he doesn't have the added guilt of Eiffel reaching out to him through the misery of the toll.
The callsigns even make him tweak a tiny smile, for a moment.]
This is Mothman. Reading you loud and clear, Texas Blue Dog. Over.
[His voice is a little scratchy with disuse, sounds hoarse and tired - playing into the joke is an effort. But worth it, probably.]
The callsigns even make him tweak a tiny smile, for a moment.]
This is Mothman. Reading you loud and clear, Texas Blue Dog. Over.
[His voice is a little scratchy with disuse, sounds hoarse and tired - playing into the joke is an effort. But worth it, probably.]
[Jedao nods. There's a reason he didn't ask is he okay.]
If...there's a time when it would help him to hear my apology. I'm willing to make it.
If...there's a time when it would help him to hear my apology. I'm willing to make it.
[He was worried Jedao wouldn't reply, but the relief is obvious in the wide grin in his voice that follows.]
Copy that, Mothman. We are on an intercept vector to your last known position, please confirm vector fiver decimal one three is correct for current approach.
[...in retrospect he doesn't know if being good at his job is a joke Jedao will appreciate right now but it's very much not the dazed tone of his chipped self; it's dry, playful and a little bit silly just overall.]
Copy that, Mothman. We are on an intercept vector to your last known position, please confirm vector fiver decimal one three is correct for current approach.
[...in retrospect he doesn't know if being good at his job is a joke Jedao will appreciate right now but it's very much not the dazed tone of his chipped self; it's dry, playful and a little bit silly just overall.]
[Jedao swallows. Part of his brain is busy laugh-mumbling that's not what a vector is - he loves Eiffel so much - and part of him is immediately afraid. Voice he was ready for. Eiffel's actual, physical presence - when he doesn't know what Eiffel will want from him -
Maybe it will help, Jedao tells himself. Maybe it will help to see him.
Eiffel lives on level one. He's probably still in the elevator, not on level 5 yet. Which Jedao would know if he'd given an actual vector. The more Jedao panics the more chance Eiffel will catch him.
Jedao checks the door camera and runs for it. He gets to the stairwell and jumps the last three stories through the center hollow, stopping himself with a mothpush a few feet before he hits, which hurts like all fuck for about three seconds, but does mean he doesn't destroy any joints.]
Uh, Negative, Texas Blue Dog.
[He doesn't sound breathless. He lets himself into the engine room.]
Current position, aft engine block. Over.
[Leaving aside that he did almost fuck Hakkai in the engine room once, it feels - safer.]
Maybe it will help, Jedao tells himself. Maybe it will help to see him.
Eiffel lives on level one. He's probably still in the elevator, not on level 5 yet. Which Jedao would know if he'd given an actual vector. The more Jedao panics the more chance Eiffel will catch him.
Jedao checks the door camera and runs for it. He gets to the stairwell and jumps the last three stories through the center hollow, stopping himself with a mothpush a few feet before he hits, which hurts like all fuck for about three seconds, but does mean he doesn't destroy any joints.]
Uh, Negative, Texas Blue Dog.
[He doesn't sound breathless. He lets himself into the engine room.]
Current position, aft engine block. Over.
[Leaving aside that he did almost fuck Hakkai in the engine room once, it feels - safer.]
Edited 2024-01-08 01:08 (UTC)
[Jedao laughs softly. Horribly.]
Bad? I don't know. We're -
[Shuos and Andan.]
Oil and water. I like him, I respect him, I want to help him. Every time we talk I hurt him or he hurts me or both. We never understand each other. He asked me to be a part of the mediation thing and I was so surprised you could've caught airshrimp in my mouth.
Bad? I don't know. We're -
[Shuos and Andan.]
Oil and water. I like him, I respect him, I want to help him. Every time we talk I hurt him or he hurts me or both. We never understand each other. He asked me to be a part of the mediation thing and I was so surprised you could've caught airshrimp in my mouth.
[Eiffel has indeed just gotten out of the elevator when Jedao gets back to him, with no evidence of his sudden exit from the floor in sight.]
Oh, uh. Copy, Mothman. [And slightly more quietly, as he lowers the walkie but forgets to let go of the talk button:]
Goddamn it. [He's still banned. Or at least doesn't have a key.
He'll just drop the act, at least.]
Can you at least meet me in the hallway so we can talk?
Oh, uh. Copy, Mothman. [And slightly more quietly, as he lowers the walkie but forgets to let go of the talk button:]
Goddamn it. [He's still banned. Or at least doesn't have a key.
He'll just drop the act, at least.]
Can you at least meet me in the hallway so we can talk?
I'll let you in. But you do have to knock.
[Unlike his cabin door.]
[Unlike his cabin door.]
Yeah.
I mean, use your judgement about whether, or when he wants to hear anything from me at all, but I'm fine with you telling him.
I mean, use your judgement about whether, or when he wants to hear anything from me at all, but I'm fine with you telling him.
AND HISTORY
you're a prince among wardens and when I can bear to look at people for longer i want to know so much
you're a prince among wardens and when I can bear to look at people for longer i want to know so much
Wilco, Mothman. Over and out.
[Small victories! And he'll turn up at the engine room just a minute or so later, rapping 'Shave and a Haircut' on the door to announce himself.]
[Small victories! And he'll turn up at the engine room just a minute or so later, rapping 'Shave and a Haircut' on the door to announce himself.]
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