IC CONTACT (currently serving: duplicity)

[heavyhitter]

username: TARANTO

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text; un: a.wrynn

[massrez]

Do you have a moment?

[heavyhitter]

sure i got at least 2 of them
what's up

[massrez]

I need to be somewhere else for a while.

Do you know of somewhere that might suit?

[heavyhitter]

i'm on it
how long's a while and how much somewhere else?

[massrez]

I don't know.

[heavyhitter]

do you want me to come grab you

[massrez]

If it's not too much trouble.

Thank you, Ramir.

[heavyhitter]

are you at your place?

[massrez]

I am.

I'll meet you in the lobby downstairs.

[heavyhitter]

see you in 20

[ And, for once in her life, she's actually on time. Ramir waits in the lobby with hands pocketed, leaned against the wall, trying not to fidget nervously. This seems pretty uncharacteristic of Anduin, it's a little worrying. ]

[massrez]

[ It's not something he makes a habit of. It's too often been the case that if something is troubling him, he seeks prayer, or solitude, bottles up the feeling and sets it aside in lieu of what needs to be done.

And to an extent he's done that. He's set aside what he feels on the matter to see to those hurt the most. But that grief and hurt and shame is different when it's personal, when it's hurting the people close to you. It's different when there is effectively nothing he could do.

No. That's not right either. He could do a great many things. None of them would be particularly helpful, and a few of them are vicious enough to cause the old ache in his limbs to resurface until he'd pushed the thoughts away.

He looks worn thin by the time he arrives in the lobby. He hasn't slept, the shadows under his eyes speak to that. Even so, something brightens in his eyes when he sees her standing there, grateful despite everything. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ Anduin, when he comes into sight, doesn't look great. But at least he doesn't look injured, so that's something. Ramir presses forward, throwing both arms around his neck to pull him down into a hug — which is easier to do now as an automatic gesture of greeting, with a bit of practice.

Cheerfully enough: ] Hey, what's up, you look like shit.

[massrez]

[ When she reaches to hug him, he hugs back a little more tightly than usual. ]

Would you believe I'm the best off out of the lot?

[ Murmured quietly, as he reluctantly pulls back. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ So there's other people involved, and probably people he likes. She holds on just as tight, not letting go until Anduin does first. Then she swings around to thread her arm through his, starting them forward. ]

Do you wanna talk about it? Or is this a distraction kind of thing?

[massrez]

I can explain, but...

[ He shakes his head, following her lead as they step back out onto the street. ]

Later. If we could.

[heavyhitter]

You don't have to tell me ever if you don't want.

[ She leans them forward, headed for the nearest elevator down, and leans her head against his shoulder. ]

How about this — what're we doing for dinner?

[massrez]

What about that shop with the noodles? The one we first went out to.

[ It'd be nice to dwell on that for a while. Something pleasant, just for a few hours if nothing else. ]

[heavyhitter]

You got it. They got this new dish, spicy orange noodle. I gotta try that shit.

[ It doesn't take them long. In just fifteen minutes they're at the place, fifteen minutes which Ramir happily fills with inane chatter about nothing much. That's her specialty. She mixes in little amusing stories gathered since she's seen Anduin last, funny moments that happened or rivalries she picked up.

As she reaches to hold the door to the shop open for them: ] Anyway, I missed him that time, but I've been working on my aim. That piece of shit is definitely getting a snowball in the face next time I see him.

[massrez]

[ Anduin huffs, stepping inside and out of the cold with a shake of his head. ]

Just don't break his nose. Just because I'm head healer now doesn't mean I need any more patients.

[ It doesn't entirely break him loose of the current situation, but it's nice to have something else to focus on for a while. Ramir goes on and on and largely, Anduin has been quiet.

But it feels like being able to breathe again, at the very least. And it's one way of making sure he actually eats today. ]

[heavyhitter]

Oh, shit, did you get a promotion when I wasn't looking?

[ She leads the way to a booth tucked into the corner, the kind of place where one can quietly air any grievances without worrying about an audience. Just in case. ]

[massrez]

I did.

[ Sliding into the seat across from her, Anduin's smile turns wry. ]

Granted, I was the only Dominant among the magical healers, other than the one leaving the position to take ownership of the hospital itself. There weren't many other options.

[ Hardly something to brag about, but at least a positive. ]

[heavyhitter]

Hey, don't downplay it! That's worth a toast, anyway. Let's swing by a bar after this.

[massrez]

That might not be a terrible idea.

Provided we don't start any fights.

[heavyhitter]

What? Me? [ Her eyebrows nearly disappear into her bangs. ] I've never started a fight in my life.

[massrez]

Be that as it may.

[ His brow furrows, before his eyes dart away, skirting towards the menu. ]

A lot of people have been getting into trouble, as of late. We don't need any more.

[heavyhitter]

Yeah? [ She goes a little more serious, but only a little. And, of course, doesn't bother to look at the menu, because she knows just what she's here for. ] What kinda trouble are you talking?

[massrez]

...Realignment.

[ He doesn't look back up right away. There's a quiet, tense anger that keeps him very still for a moment or two, before he sighs and looks at the menu in earnest. ]

They've recently become very generous handing those out.

[heavyhitter]

Oh. [ Her face falls, but she has to ask: ] You?

[massrez]

[ He shakes his head. ]

My Submissive, Jacob. And a mutual friend of ours.

[heavyhitter]

Oh. [ She winces. ] Shit, Jacob? I like him, what'd he do?

[massrez]

Got belligerently drunk and threatened city officials over the network.

[ Light, but he sounds tired. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ Ah. She sighs, runs a hand through her hair. ]

Pretty fucking stupid.

[ Not that she doesn't understand it, just ... pretty fucking stupid. ]

[massrez]

[ He won't say she's wrong. ]

He was hurt. A lot of people have been. I've done what I can, but...

[ There's only so much. He's as trapped as the rest of them, for all the power he has.

Ramir must know that feeling, too. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ She nods, all the good cheer sapped out of it, and offers a one-shouldered shrug. ]

Sorry. [ It's really all anyone can say or do about it. ] How's he doing now?

[massrez]

Angry. As you'd expect. The others are in various states of shock, fear, or pain. They...

[ He pauses, realizing his fist had been clenching before slowly loosening it, shaking his head. ]

All we can do now is hope things fall quiet once more.

[ Until the next time. And the next. Until they provoke another such response and watch how many lives are caught in its rippling effects. ]

[heavyhitter]

[ This ... isn't really the place to talk about this, she thinks. It's a topic she has a lot to say on, but not here. Not when she's so carefully built a good relationship with the owners and employees. So she drops her hand over Anduin's and gives it a squeeze. ]

My roommate disappeared. Went home or moved out, I dunno. [ They weren't super close, apparently. ] If we shove both beds together, that's practically as big as your bed. After that drink, let's get a bunch of unhealthy bullshit snacks and watch a movie.

[ A nice, safe conversational detour. No seditious thoughts here, see, noodle place? ]

[massrez]

[ She grasps his hand -- the same one he'd felt the power of the void stir in when he'd reached into that bastard's mind -- and Anduin lets out a quiet breath before nodding, eyes lifting wearily. ]

...I'd like that.

[ Just to be away. To try. At least now she knows why.

If not all of the reasons. ]