IC Contact | Drift Fleet

[sinistral]

you know what to do

Comments

[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.

[sinistral]

Those are the only habits worth keeping.

I suppose.

[outstandingbalance]

Natural selection.

[There's a pause. Natasha doesn't want to argue and she doesn't want to push him. She's accomplished what she needed.

She's hesitant to let the conversation drop though.]

If you come up with any clues what might be going on, you know where to find me.

[sinistral]

[It’s simple really: Bucky doesn’t trust anyone to that degree. He trusts that there are those who would offer such cooperation, offer to watch each other’s back. But there’s no one he trusts to do so. It’s not a bad thing; it keeps him sharp, knowing that he’s got to look out for himself. It’s how he’s meant to operate.]

I do. Unless you’ve changed ships.

[outstandingbalance]

Still Vanquish.

[sinistral]

Still the Starduck here.