IC CONTACT (currently serving: duplicity)

[heavyhitter]

username: TARANTO

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[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. ]