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]

But Max I need you to lay low for a few days. Just a few.

cries deeply tbh

[burnination]

[ ..................wow thanks he loves getting good news. jfc. ]

i thought you didn't read for friends

[burnination]

why?

[saints]

I make exceptions for people about to do stupid things.

[saints]

Especially people I care about. A lot.

[saints]

It's unclear. But your reading's not stellar. You're angry, I get it. Marco's been missing for

[ longer than he should be missing. ]

[saints]

too long. But we need to be careful.

You're going to catch yourself too much attention and it's going to bite you in the fucking ass.

[burnination]

the longer we wait, the less likely it is we'll find him

[burnination]

comas and kidnappings are smiliar that way

[burnination]

i can deal with trouble

[saints]

Please listen to me when I tell you that I have bled out the nose trying to find where you fuck up.

I can't see it.

And normally I can. Normally, I'm fucking good like that.

I just know if you keep this up, you aren't going to last.

[saints]

I want Marco back as much as you do.

[saints]

But I can't lose you too.

[saints]

Dani

can't lose you too. Neither of us can.

[saints]

We'll find him, Max.

There's an end. I can't see it and I can't read it.

But there IS an end. We'll find him.

[saints]

Three days.

I'm begging you.

Let me find another way. Let me read you again in three days, okay? Just please do as I say, please.

[burnination]

[ ...you son of a biscuit, you had to go and pull that 'i can't lose you, dani can't lose you' card.

ugh.

uuuggghhhhhhhh.

he's in barcelona, sitting in a rental car, about to head into an ancient crypt. there's some spirit that lingers here - something old and angry that people typically stay away from, but if he can use it to track marco, you bet your ass he's going to.

except, here's tris. begging him.

fuck.

for a long moment, he doesn't answer. reads over the texts, looks over the card spread himself - not that he understands it any better than tris, he was always shit with divining. but tris isn't. tris has been golden at this thing for as long as max can remember him touching the cards. if tris says it's going to happen, 98% of the time, it'll happen.

what max is doing now is playing with fucking fire. he's ignored more than a few calls from his wife, at this point. ignore tris too? ]

[burnination]

[ nope, can't do it.

shit. fine. ]

define 'lay low'.

[saints]

Oh God thank you.

[ Tris hasn't crossed himself in years, he's doing it in triplicate. Making up for lost time? Old habit? He doesn't know. He's just grateful. ]

[saints]

Go to Italy.

Find Dani.

Become a tourist for three days.

Doctor prescribes a new burner cell and vehicle of your choosing when you get there (but nothing too flashy, something in blue).

Your lucky letters are J, Y, and Z. Lucky number is 5.

[saints]

And keep quiet. No guns.

No fights.

No. Broken. Kneecaps.

[saints]

I'll follow up with you in three days.

I'd like to do the reading in person. So I'll meet you.

[burnination]

there is nothing in the vatican i want to see that isn't you or dani

james can make a door for me from here. new burner, fine. i'm in a rental, i'll dump it and lift something else when i get to italy.

something with j, y, z or 5 in the license plate. promise.

[burnination]

i haven't broken a kneecap in at least four days, btw

[burnination]

i'll see you at dani's

stop bleeding in the mean time