GENERAL OPEN POST/IC INBOX/WHATEVER IDK

[burnination]

"Busy. Send a text."

[ that's right. it's been a decade and he still hasn't changed his voicemail message. ]

Comments

[saints]

I'll sleep soon.

I'm tired.

[saints]

I love your dick too, weirdo.






I'll be checking in with Dani to be sure anyways.

[burnination]

i will. promise promise promise. three promises.

[burnination]

do you need someone there?

[burnination]

you make the fatherland weep

if you want. take your nap first.

[saints]

Everything in threes. Good boy.

PS Your fatherland can cry more.

[saints]

I can sleep by myself. Don't make detours. I don't know if that'll change anything.

[saints]

[ no he can't but whatever. ]

[burnination]

see? good already.

no more beer gifts for you

[burnination]

[ he stares at the phone for a while, and honestly, he knows tris. this is the most freaked he's been in a while, not counting (or perhaps, in light of) marco's disappearance. he doesn't like leaving him like this, and the part of max that just wants to mama bear everyone in their circle is fighting the urge to go to tris' place instead.

no. he said no detours. fine. ]

i'm calling.

[burnination]

[ ring ring ring ring ring banana phone, answer ur shit. ]

Tucked in yet?

[saints]

[ Tris ignores the next few texts that come in, letting the phone buzz on the table softly as he gathers up everything. The cards will need to rest and he'll need to do the same. He feels it, a low and dull ache cradled in his bones and he knows sleep will come eventually, but only in shallow gasps.

He's halfway into more comfortable clothing (with less blood around the collar) when Max calls.

Tris hesitates a minute before picking up, sliding the phone unlocked and wiping at his mouth with a damp cloth. ]

Going. Promise.

Why're you calling? You have a trip to make.

ugu ;3;

[burnination]

[ james' key took him more to rome proper than straight to dani's house. he's been there, and he could have taken him to dani, sure, but max felt like he wanted to do some wandering on his own for a bit. thinking. about marco, about tris, and himself. about what will happen if they don't find him.

about what he'll do.

he's close to heading towards dani's when dani conveniently pops up right next to him. iiiin the middle of st. peter's basilica. wow. good thing he was being a tourist, like tris told him to, and no one's likely to notice someone suddenly new here in the throng of foreigners. still, max's head jerks one way and the other, before he's being tugged into a hug.

shit. so tris told him. a slow sigh deflates him, and max gradually brings his arms up behind dani's back, petting down his spine and tilting his chin to drop a kiss against his temple and cheek. only pausing to scowl at an old catholic woman straighting disapprovingly. consider yourself lucky he isn't shoving his hands down his pants right here, lady. ]

You know how long he's been gone now? [ normally, he'd joke here, probably. say something nonchalant and odd. but he's been worked up for the whole month marco's been MIA. ] Most people would be setting up funerals by now.

[tangit]

Doesn't mean you have to go knocking on the devil's door.

[He squeezes Max tightly, reassuring himself that he's here, he's safe, before pulling back to look at him.]

You don't have to go asking for trouble. I'm... I'm terrified about Marco, about what might've happened to him, but throwing ourselves into harm's way for a scrap of information is... it's just stupid, Max.

[burnination]

I wanted to sing you a lullaby.

[ that is a joke, despite how flat it is. max has a bad habit of not changing tone when being funny. but no, he is not going to sing. no one wants him to sing. it's bad, okay. ]

I'm waiting on James to come get me. Takes a bit of him to set up. I already left the car - it's taken care of.

[ so hush. lay your face down and hush. ]

How's your head?

[burnination]

i don't heist, i liberate

[burnination]

but yes. of course i will.

[burnination]

is there a spell that'd let you feel it?

[burnination]

you don't just make a scary face and send demons running?

i'm glad you like putting permanent things on my skin

[tangit]

my face is the least scary

[burnination]

Why not? He knocks on mine often enough.

[ he mutters against dani's hair a bit petulantly. growing up demonic was never terribly fun. dani pulls back, and max blinks down to him, feeling a bit hollowed out, before glancing away again. ]

If it were us missing, he'd be doing the same.

[saints]

If you're singing me a lullaby I hope you brought a lot of bass to lull me to sleep.

[ The deadpan is what makes Max... Max. He doesn't care and can tell the difference in just the context and maybe there's a smile there. The floor is creaking a little, and there's the sound of a bed dipping, pillows brushing the speaker on the phone as Tris gets himself adequately comfortable for a nap. The throbbing behind his eyes is soft, a pulsing like his heartbeat and there's still the vague taste of blood on the air from his mouth, from his nose. He wipes at it a little. ]

My head's had better days.

But there have been worse ones as well.

[ He closes his eyes, letting out a soft sigh. ]

I just wanted to be sure I didn't make a mistake.

[ I know you're working hard to find him. I didn't want to waste your time if I was wrong.

I wish I was.

Maybe I still can be? ]

[saints]

Oh I forgot. LIBERATOR. Not THEIF. Got you.

[saints]

And I don't know about that. Though it'd be nice.

[tangit]

You're right, he'd be just as stupid.

[Dani frowns at Max, then sighs.]

I just... be careful, please. What are we supposed to do if we lose you, too?