IC Contact | Drift Fleet

[sinistral]

you know what to do

Comments

[outstandingbalance]

[Sometime after the other Barnes' return, this one will find a brief text from Natasha on his comms. It's short and sweet. Probably not surprising—her attention's still mostly elsewhere.

But she hasn't forgotten this Barnes, and she doesn't miss a pang of concern.

There can't be two of them, can there?]

Status?

[Then, a moment later:]

You all right?

[sinistral]

[He's pretty sure he knows what prompted her to text him. What he doesn't know is why.]

Functional.

[outstandingbalance]

[It's good to have that confirmation. Worth rousing suspicions.]

Roger that.

Thanks.

[There's a hesitation as she considers if she should say more. She doesn't want to come on too strong, but the situation is complicated.

She doesn't want this Soldier to be lost in the shuffle.]

[sinistral]

Thank you for asking.

[He's pretty sure it's what he's supposed to say, pretty sure it's a normal response.]

[outstandingbalance]

You're welcome.

[It is a normal response, and the fact he made the effort to go through the motion counts for something.

After another moment:]

You run into him yet?

[sinistral]

Not in person.

[outstandingbalance]

Network?

[sinistral]

Yes. Unencrypted.

[If she wants to look for it, he'll not stop her.]

[outstandingbalance]

[And she will, but later.]

How did it go?

[sinistral]

Should it have been anything other than civil?

[outstandingbalance]

Not that I'm aware of.

[Both of them might be kinder to themselves when they're actually different people, honestly.]

[sinistral]

It's fine. I'm fine.

[outstandingbalance]

Glad to hear it.

[She really is.]

Normally there aren't doubles. I suppose the two of you must be different enough for the fleet.

[sinistral]

Or the rules have somehow changed.

[Or — what he privately believes — he's too broken for what the Atroma want and they made the decision to replace him.]

[outstandingbalance]

[No. That is a bad conclusion.]

Possible. Or could be there's other differences. More slight things than we usually see.

[sinistral]

[It’s a logical conclusion.]

Or that our hosts are planning something.

[outstandingbalance]

That's the thought that's been coming back to me.

[sinistral]

Not only to you.

[outstandingbalance]

Now just waiting to see what that's going to be.

[sinistral]

Yes. The "fun" part.

[outstandingbalance]

I'm sure we'll all sleep better this way.

[sinistral]

You say that as if either of us is in the habit of sleeping heavily.

[outstandingbalance]

[Natasha leaves out the fact she's sleeping better. For related reasons, but they don't have to broach that topic any time soon.]

Not heavily, no.

[sinistral]

[It's really not any of his business anyway.]

Old habits aren't always poor ones.

[outstandingbalance]

Not when they keep you alive.

Even when you have someone to watch your back.