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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

[dipolar]

...

(eel juice is dripping onto his lap.)

[fessus]

What commander? Who do you think is leading my team, my bodyguard? [ In the heat of the moment that question slips out, fork glancing off of the plate uselessly before Noctis draws back with an agitated exhale. ]

Kills belong to people if you're the one that's been doing all the fighting so far. You're just avoiding the point anyway... That's you, I described you perfectly.

[thingpuncher]

The hell are they doing sending somebody with a bodyguard into a warzone? Your commander sucks. [Nope, not getting it.]

[He retracts his plate shield once Noctis retreats from his fork salvo, placing it back down on the table with an agitated clatter.]

You've never even seen me fight. Neither of you have. So don't tell me how I get my work done.

[This, he thinks, Hei will understand better than Noctis. He is how he fights. That's the purest expression of himself, who he really is.]

[dipolar]

(pulls his hands away from the table, stiff-arming both of them at the chest. get out of my personal space.)

Noctis makes executive decisions where his own actions are concerned. There's no one higher than him, he defers to no one. (a glance from m to noctis,) And what M does in battle is none of your damn business. If we see an opening, we're going to take it. It's not stealing, it's efficiency.

(a rough sigh, before blinking open a notification on his BCE.)

You're both underestimating each other and it's pathetic. Now get away from me, I have a message.

[fessus]

[ The look he gives Midnighter is dripping with sheer incredulity when he mentions his non-existent commander yet again, opening his mouth to speak when Hei does the job for him. Finally. It's enough justification that he gets from the simple back-up clarification that he's largely unbothered by the chiding that follows, already checking his own BCE. ]

... Yeah. Same here. [ Finally he's snatching up that plate himself, reading over the message as he hauls himself up to take it and the utensils back into the kitchen. Another mission... ]

Guess we're cutting this short.

[thingpuncher]

[As much as he discounts Noctis' opinions, he values Hei's, and defers to his wisdom on the subject. If Hei has invested his nebulous faith in this kid, then Midnighter will too.]

[Or he'll try anyway.]

[He sees the message, and a grin lights his face.] Gotta run back to my place and grab my gear before heading out. Catch you on the other side.

[Because obviously, all of them are going, right? He stands.]

[dipolar]

(satisfied with the responses and heartened by the fact that they are all going. a sentiment he's almost afraid of. they invited him over, fed him, worried over him, and now they are fighting together?

it's dangerous, he knows that. but he's always been weak.)

I'll leave my backpack here and retrieve it when we've returned from Vorspiel. (sidles out of the booth after m, already prepared for the transfer.) Noctis. M. Thanks.

(a nod, before he's gone.)

[fessus]

[ He's just turned back around when Hei's saying his goodbyes, giving him a quick nod before the transfer. ]

Ah... yeah, sure. Next time it'll be cleaner. [ Next time. Right, reluctant as he is to actually tidy, he manages to find the main point here. And then he switches his focus to Midnighter. ]

... well, that's my cue to go too, so I'll see you down there. [ ... ] I know you're good at what you do and you're gonna' do it the best way you think of, so... Forget it. [ Time to shrug off that backpack, accept that mission, and then get the hell out of here too. ]