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[fessus]

WHO? Midnighter thingpuncher, Noctis fessus, and Hei dipolar
WHAT? A BASE chat becomes a TDM nightmare.
WHEN? Post-shapers, just pre-TDM.
ANYTHING ELSE? Why not.

[ He’s not sure which has a greater potential for disaster: all three of them meeting up in person after the unintentionally volatile events of the shaper infestation or his broiled eel. He props open the oven door after deciding it’s the latter, having purposefully waited for a time that Angel would be in one of her all but comatose states after staying up far too long on the network. At least they have a few things in common. ]

>>TO: @TRENTCOAT, @BURGERKING
Hey Hei, M, I have you both on this. Swing by capsule 14 when you have a sec.

[ There’s a brief pause before the second message comes as obvious enticement. ]

it’s food-related.

Comments

[thingpuncher]

[Midnighter gives Noctis a sly look-- told you so-- and leans comfortably back on the little couch around the communal table.]

Yeah, Hei, tell us about prison life. [His voice is... humored, incredulous, maybe making fun of Noctis a little. He isn't the most socially adjusted creature, but he knows this isn't entirely normal table conversation.] Where's your gang tattoo?

[dipolar]

It was a standard jail cell. It was hot and dirty. I was the only one down there, I slept on the floor, and I ate a protein block three times a day.

(another bite of eel that cleans his second plate, hugging it close to himself with fingers on the edge, not noticing at all that noctis is struggling with the clashing comments and the fact that he's being made fun of.)

It was nice enough.

(dating site profile: will destroy any mood.)

[fessus]

Oh. Good, sounds like you got plenty. [ Well, the mood's already been set for him. He accepts where he is and who he's with; this train wreck is going to happen with or without his approval. Fuck, this backpack is heavy. ]

Felt kinda' worried that you wouldn't get any sleep. Midnighter was too. [ RATS HIM THE FUCK OUT ]

[thingpuncher]

Yeah, fucking bawling my eyes out, over here. But not denying that he was worried. [He's made that kind of fucking clear, hasn't he? They're allies, comrades, friends, that's what you do.] Seriously- no gang tattoos?

[dipolar]

No, I... slept. (another long pause.) As for tattoos, it's as I said. There wasn't anyone...

(discomfort is what he feels. he's hearing what he thinks are some of the nicest comments he ever has, even if there's humour being slapped on, and he's the last person who deserves anything like that. they worried about him? about him?

he's rooted to the spot with a blank stare down at the table.)

I shouldn't be here.

(no one's... stopping him but himself...)

[fessus]

[ Noctis pins Midnighter with a disparaging look at his word choice; if they were alone then he might harass him further or potentially seek out a billiard ball to throw at him. It'd at least liven the mood a little, which... Hei is working very hard to revive just for the sole purpose of murdering it a second time. ]

--hah? I invited you here; don't get weird about it. I think he just likes tattoos or something. [ Right, assuming that M's commentary is the issue. ] I don't know how to give tattoos anyway; I'm not helping with that...

[thingpuncher]

I was kidding, princess. [He kicks Noctis under the table-- lightly.]

[He turns back to Hei. He has more of an idea of what he's implying from his own experiences-- homeless, adrift, generally fucking alone. Didn't they argue about whether or not one or the other was a real person? His memory of that is still hazy.]

[His insight doesn't mean he knows how to fix it, though.] And you can't get rid of our shitty company. We've come to a mutual agreement while you were in the pound; you've been adopted. [He leans in slightly, faking a whisper,] I'm the dad.

1/2

[dipolar]

Don't get weird about it? How the hell... am I supposed to just sit here and accept this?

(a visible frustration, brow pinching.

god, is this something he's just going to have to accept? it's terrifying. he doesn't want to, he can't make the same mistakes he did in life and fixate on people who could die at any moment, but he doesn't want to be alone — what other options are there? what's he been left with, now that he has nothing?)

I don't want a dad or a tattoo.

2/2

[dipolar]

...

Why don't you both shut up?

[fessus]

... I'm not shitty company... [ So comes the first mutter of protest, immediately ready with a return kick that honestly feels not unlike driving his foot into a wall. So satisfying and so deeply unsatisfying at the same time. ]

And don't just decide that you're the dad, either. [ His hand raises as if he's about to encase it in flame and make good on his earlier threat of hair destruction for the "princess" comment but it falters in midair once Hei speaks again, effectively stealing his attention. ] ... [ Abruptly Noctis moves, suddenly taking a heavy seat next to the dark-haired man and more or less boxing him into the undersized booth, denying him the ability to go for an easy escape. He nods to Midnighter; this is a success. ]

I owed you food. I'm making good. 'Sides, we both wanted to see how you were doing. This works out for me.

[thingpuncher]

[So they sit there, boxing Hei in with the power of raw stubbornness. Midnighter shoots Noctis a look in return of pure unadulterated approval. Nice move. Now he really is going to have to get the kid a better nickname. And maybe a nice knife?]

[It is his birthday.]

[Midnighter reaches over, still not touching Hei, but putting his arm around the back of the booth, both casual and obvious in implication.] Yeah, you'll accept free food. A fucking burden to bear, I know.

[He looks over Hei's head-- not a difficult feat-- and pretends to whisper to Noctis,] Don't worry, he's just cranky because he hasn't finished his dinner.

[dipolar]

(stares as his window of opportunity is blocked by noctis and a giant backpack. then by m and an arm. he's been plotted against and they sit there and nod together like a couple of douche-bags. ... can't say he's entirely displeased, though. at least the conversation is changing up. slowly.

stabs the last corner of eel with a particularly aggressive bite before slouching to chew, letting himself get dragged.)

I'm doing fine. It shouldn't be a concern.

(ah-- he thought of something. that none of them are struggling with.)

How's the training going? It's an alright warm up.

[fessus]

[ At that "I'm doing fine" Noctis just steals a slow, pointed look back over at Midnighter as if to say "can you believe this?". "I'm doing fine" right after a cut-off mini-breakdown about his worthiness to eat a broiled eel. Obviously misdirected and about something deeper, but that doesn't hint at someone who's doing fine either. ]

The training? Ah... I'm tired. [ Predictably. ] Would definitely be a hell of a lot easier if we didn't have such an early wake-up time... The rest is fine, I guess. Learning about all the long-range weaponry's pretty new.

[thingpuncher]

[Midnighter shrugs, not really giving a shit that they're being as subtle as a brick to the back. He was never much for subtlety anyway. Hei's problems are Hei's problems; he'll share then when he's ready.]

[Or the next time they get high off their asses. Whichever's first.]

Yeah, it's not that bad. Lemme know if you need any pointers; this shit's easy for me. It's like Band of Brothers, right?

[He watched one episode of that because he thought it'd be more to his interests from the title, and was sorely disappointed to find out it was a war movie. Who doesn't know the difference between the World Wars? This prick.]

[dipolar]

Maybe. You wouldn't be tired. If you didn't sleep so damn often. (said to his plate, because he can't find the strength to even look at him after saying something so obvious.

holds onto his empty plate, though, stifling a knee-jerk reaction that would lead to him cleaning it and likely the whole area if left to his own devices for long enough. too bad they're boxing him in.

looks from m to noctis, puzzled. then back to m.)

What's Band of Brothers? Did you work for them?

[fessus]

I chose to specialize in mortars, so I guess that one... If you've got any tips, I mean.

[ He idly looks over the empty plate, feeling a quiet sense of satisfaction. Hei wouldn't have eaten all of it if he didn't like it a lot, right? Maybe he would... Anything beats singular protein blocks in the brig, probably, or the shitty food they're being served now. He mentally talks himself out of his own self-praise, sighing out quietly. ]

Maybe. I wouldn't sleep so damn often. If I wasn't tired. It's not like I'm slacking off... and Band of Brothers is a video game, not a company. [ There are so many things wrong here. ]

[thingpuncher]

Aim far the fuck away from the front. [Midnighter gives Noctis a thumbs up. Mortars aren't fucking hard, and the kid has good aim. He'll be fine if he watches his ass (and if he doesn't, Midnighter is going to watch it for him regardless).]

And it's a TV show, you're both idiots. It's about the war we're going to. [No it isn't.] One of the worst ones in history of my planet, so be fucking careful, okay? This isn't gonna be like France. [And that wasn't a cakewalk either.]

[dipolar]

Why would you guess at something when you don't know a thing about it? You two are clueless.

(skimming over the fact that he just asked if m worked for the fucking band of brothers. dear god in heaven someone eject capsule 14 into dead space.)

I don't watch television, it's a pollutant and I believe in formulating my own opinions of the world. (okay...) Tens of millions of soldiers and civilians died in trenches and out. This kind of warfare will be haunting; it was one of attrition. The more you know the better, I suggest you study up.

[fessus]

I wasn't guessing; how do you know it isn't a video game where I'm from? [ Honestly? He's a little proud of himself for this defense. He thought that up pretty fast. Good job, Noctis.

But... then they both keep speaking. ]

... Yeah, I got it. Much as I can anyway. [ Because he feels like this is directed primarily at him. ] I left a war back home so it's not like I have no experience... The scale's different, though.

[thingpuncher]

[Midnighter rolls his eyes at Hei, but it's not without fondness. How is he totally not surprised by Hei having some kind of grudge againt television?]

I barely sleep; what the fuck else am I supposed to do?

[More importantly-] Your war- what's it like? Trenches? You're obviously not a soldier; have you ever been to the front lines?

[Not that Midnighter's ever soldiered either, but he's not thinking of his own total inexperience when it comes to understanding how waves of armies work or how he's only ever been a singular force fighting a singular force. He just thinks of Noctis getting his brains blown out and feels the anxiety creep up his spine. What does this kid know? What does he need to know? They only have so much time.]

[dipolar]

(that's a good question and he's keen on listening to the answer despite knowing a fraction of what the war means for the king. he saw the snippets in a dream, the plague his world his suffering, the people he's had to kill and the oppressive worry that permeated it all.

maybe that's telling when he doesn't speak and when he doesn't turn his head to look at noctis, keeping his eyes on and around the table.)

[fessus]

[ Hei's silence feels as loud as Midnighter's questions and he too avoids looking at him. How direct and telling should his answer be? This is hardly what he called the two of them here for but that goal's since been trampled underfoot. It's true that no grudges appear to be lingering after their former disagreements, a blessing unto itself, but that's just one hurdle now out of many he expects them to face together. ]

It's not like that. It's been fought in stages but... now my country doesn't really have a force large enough for that style of combat. We've been at war for a long time but they took our crown city, finally, after faking peace talks like a bunch of damn cowards, so I've been on the run on the outside. Attacking their bases, taking out their soldiers where I can... A small group, just me and three other guys.

I wouldn't call it "back lines".

[thingpuncher]

[Midnighter senses the kid's embarrassment-- it's kind of hard not to-- and assumes he's grown up on stories of glorious fighting at the front. Probably missed conscription age or whatever, and now the whole thing's blown to shit. But far from being judgmental, his eyes light with obvious approval; he's impressed.]

Shit, kid, you did recon? Actually, that makes sense, it's perfect for your fighting style. If you get pulled on missions like that wherever we're going, let me know. I've done time with spy shit, I know the deal.

[AKA he trusts you to take care of yourself, really, he promises, he definitely does (let him look out for you).]

[dipolar]

It does suit you.

(taking the chance to help where he can. he'd rather him be away from all of it, but if he's been picking things off one by one then surely he won't bite off more than he can chew.

hei's seen him fight extensively and there isn't anyone on board this ship he'd sooner rely on. m's reliability has also been proven, despite the lack of things to kill on board. the shapers were too easy, but soon he'll see them both in a very real, very stressful setting. suffice to say, he's ready to get off of this ship and make it happen — so much so that he speaks up again with his muted revelations.)

We'd all work well together.

[fessus]

Recon? [ It's obvious from the quiet surprise in his own tone that that isn't what he'd meant but he steels his expression again, propping an elbow up on the table in a lean forward. ]

Ah... Mm, yeah, something like that. [ Very, very little like that, but it's growing increasingly clear to him that their understandings of war are different. He's never been walled in by mud with a slew of other soldiers, awaiting orders, and those he'll be in the trenches with have likely never fought the corrupted form of a daemon. ] I'd do that kind of work if I had to so I can bug you if it comes down to it.

... what, us three, though? [ He considers it. ] Yeah, probably, if Midnighter doesn't end up worrying too much. I bet he'd be like "good job, Hei" and then pull you back so he could kill-steal...