IC Inbox

[stand_unshaken]

 

Comments

[dog_eat_dog]

"Alright, alright."

Tess shoves the drawer back closed with her hip and fishes her communicator back out of her pocket with her good hand. She scrolls a moment, checking messages. None. The network: there's a Pagan post.

"And we have a murder," she says, typing a response to Pagan with her thumb. "Looks like he used Norton as bait. I'll tell him I'm leaving his shit here, he can come back here and hide it himself."

[stand_unshaken]

Arthur groans, displeased with that outcome. Fine, Pagan didn't get killed - someone still did die, even if they're going to come back.

"Come on. Let's get outta here before people clue in."

[dog_eat_dog]

"Yessir," Tess replies, a little flippantly. The death of a total stranger feels like nothing, an afterthought. She types something more and then nods her head towards the booze bottles lined up on Pagan's desk. "He's offering a bottle as thanks, grab one and we'll go."

[stand_unshaken]

"Let's try somethin' new," he says, and picks up something that looks exotic and maybe a little spicy, before heading out.

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess grins, following him out the door.

"Thanks for this, by the way."

It certainly makes staying out of trouble a hell of a lot smoother, too.

[stand_unshaken]

"Sure, I don't mind. Reminds me of home, goin' into abandoned places and finding useless shit."

[dog_eat_dog]

“Same.” A near-daily habit for her, really. “I almost miss that.”

[stand_unshaken]

"Almost," he emphasizes. "I could do without it for a while longer."

[dog_eat_dog]

“Especially if it means avoiding people getting offed,” she remarks.

[stand_unshaken]

"Full of upsides, this place."

He wiggles the bottle - case in point.

[dog_eat_dog]

“It’s not all bad,” she agrees. Griping about things is fun, but at the very least there are perks. “Good luck to Ellie with Pagan, though. Almost had a quiet month.”

FEEL FREE TO DROP I'm a lil late

[stand_unshaken]

"I bet she'll be happy to have somethin' to do, instead of sittin' around, tryin' to do something good. I was happy as anything to get a permanent pairing, I can tell you that."

nah I'm good I always have energy for Arthur B)

[dog_eat_dog]

Tess chuckles, and she links her good arm with his.

"I've kept you from a lot of sitting around, that's for sure," she replies. "Haven't made the doing good part easy, though."

[stand_unshaken]

He smiles at her when she does that - it's good to have such easy rapport with someone.

"I never wanted easy, lady."

[dog_eat_dog]

“Good man, that’s the right answer,” she grins. “When we first got paired I told Misty I’d lick this thing in six months. That would have been too easy.”

[stand_unshaken]

"Now I never known you to be an optimist," he faux-chides her. "Six months? Je-sus."

[dog_eat_dog]

"Not an optimist, no, but I'm sure you've known me to be competitive," she teases.

[stand_unshaken]

"Who're you competing with, then?"

[dog_eat_dog]

"Everyone," she replies, crisply. "Whether they know it or care or not."

[stand_unshaken]

"So who's the quickest graduate?"

[dog_eat_dog]

"I don't know about who came before me, but Rose, Demona, and Nadia have graduated since I got here. Rose in eight months, Demona in a year, and Nadia in sixteen months."

[stand_unshaken]

"That bother you?"

[dog_eat_dog]

She shrugs like it doesn't, but it needles her just thinking about it.

"Second place is just the first loser," she replies.

[stand_unshaken]

"Who else you competing with at this point?"

Since all of them have gone home.

[dog_eat_dog]

“Everyone,” she replies. “But if Rawne or Newlin graduate before me, I’m going to be ticked.”