update from sparkleup
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<p>“Just waiting on you, mostly. I wanted to check and make sure you and May Then My Name were alright.”</p>
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<p>“Check…” Ey shook eir head. “Why would you care about our well-being? You just sent an assassin to our house.”</p>
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<p>“Only to tidy up loose ends,” he said, leaning back in the chair again and using the well-shined toe of his shoe to knock a bit of snow off the railing of the balcony. “I trust you’ve stashed your skunks away somewhere safe?”</p>
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<p>“My skunks?” All of the stress of the last forty-five minutes that ey’d been holding back around May, all that had been obscured by eir need to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, all of it came crashing down on em at once. “<em>My skunks?</em>” ey shouted. “Jonas, what the hell? You sent a fucking assassin after True Name, sent them over to our house so they could hound May. What the hell are you even talking about? Of course I’m going to keep my fucking partner and friend safe if you’re going to try killing them! Fucking…<em>my skunks</em>. Good Lord.”</p>
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<p>“My skunks?” All of the stress of the last forty-five minutes that ey’d been holding back around May, all that had been obscured by eir need to get from point A to point B as quickly as possible, all of it came crashing down on em at once. “<em>My skunks?</em>” ey shouted. “Jonas, what the fuck? You sent a fucking assassin after True Name, sent them over to our house so they could hound May. What the hell are you even talking about? Of course I’m going to keep my fucking partner and friend safe if you’re going to try killing them! Fucking…<em>my skunks</em>. Good Lord.”</p>
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<p>Once ey’d finished and was left panting again, Jonas sat up in the chair and grinned widely, clapping his hands. “Mx. Ioan Bălan! Such language! I didn’t know you had it in you! Bravo.”</p>
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<p>“Fuck you too.”</p>
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<p>That grin lingered as Jonas gave a hint of a bow. “Very well, Ioan. To your concerns, the bit with May Then My Name was unintentional. One of True Name said that she was with you, and while I was pretty sure that meant your little coffee shop, I figured I’d stop by just to make sure. Guōweī got a little excited when he saw her, thinking it might be his target. She’s quite good at fighting, your girl. You have my most abject apologies. We should’ve just waited.”</p>
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<p>That grin lingered as Jonas gave a hint of a bow. “Very well, Ioan. To your concerns, the bit with May Then My Name was unintentional. One of True Name said that she was with you, and while I was pretty sure that meant your little coffee shop, I figured I’d stop by just to make sure. Guōweī got a little excited when he saw May Then My Name, thinking it might be his target. She’s quite good at fighting, your girl. You have my most abject apologies. We should’ve just waited.”</p>
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<p>“And True Name?”</p>
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<p>“Ah yes your…ah, friend, was it? Your friend and I had a meeting this afternoon where I was hoping to deal with all of that quietly and efficiently. Ah well, can’t win ‘em all, can you?” He picked at his fingernails, looking the very picture of boredom. “106 out of 109 isn’t too bad, is it? Two merged down before I could get to them, so I guess that leaves just the one. Changes things a bit, doesn’t it? On to plan B.”</p>
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<p>“Plan A being to kill one of the most well-known members of one of the most well-known clades on all three Systems?”</p>
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@ -49,7 +49,7 @@
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<p>“Why on Earth would I–“</p>
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<p>“And no assassins, promise. I only mixed up a batch for True Name, no one else. No one’s going to die, we’re just going to have a talk and hash out some new boundaries, and you’re going to watch and write it up at the end.”</p>
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<p>“And why should I believe you on that?”</p>
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<p>He shrugged. “You don’t have to, but I am telling the truth, Ioan. If you and True Name don’t show at the very least, you’d better plan on not leaving home or wherever you’re staying again. Just because I <em>didn’t</em> mix up some syringes for you doesn’t mean I <em>can’t</em>.”</p>
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<p>He shrugged. “You don’t have to, but I am telling the truth, Ioan. If you and True Name don’t show at the very least, you’d better plan on not leaving home or wherever you’re staying ever again. Just because I <em>didn’t</em> mix up some syringes for you doesn’t mean I <em>can’t</em>.”</p>
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<p>“That’s pretty dramatic.”</p>
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<p>“I don’t have the training your pretty little skunks have,” he shot back. “Just try and get everyone together and we can get this over with. There’s no huge rush. Sometime within the year, okay?”</p>
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<p>“Why?” Ey shook eir head. “Like, why do you need to talk with her and why do you need an amanuensis? You have to give me something, here.”</p>
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@ -145,7 +145,7 @@
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<p>They sat in quiet well into the evening, instead, each of them trying to digest the day in their own way.</p>
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</article>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-04-20</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-05-16</p>
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@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
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<p>“Thank you, May Then My Name. I appreciate it.”</p>
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<p>They fell back to silence, then, Ioan and May self-consciously finishing their sandwiches while True Name simply stared into the fire. She had made herself half a sandwich, explaining that she wasn’t terribly hungry, and had yet to touch it.</p>
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<p>Once they had finished, the skunk sat up straighter and said, “I think that I have had sufficient space from it, now. Can you tell me what Jonas said?”</p>
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<p>Ey shrugged. “Not a whole lot, all told. He said that he wants to meet up with you to discuss next steps and that he wants me there as an amanuensis so that I can write another book.”</p>
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<p>Ey shrugged. “Not a whole lot, all told, especially given how much he talked. He said that he wants to meet up with you to discuss next steps and that he wants me there as an amanuensis so that I can write another book.”</p>
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<p>She tilted her head. “You?”</p>
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<p>“Yeah. He said…well, let me start from the top. He said he was waiting there for me to make sure that May and I were alright, that he was there to tidy up loose ends, and that, uh…” Ey hesitated, unsure of how well Jonas’s next comment would go over with either of the Odists. “And that he trusted that I’d, and I’m quoting here, ‘stashed my skunks away somewhere safe’.”</p>
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<p>Both May and True Name bridled at this, likely for similar reasons.</p>
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<p>May frowned. “Including me?”</p>
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<p>“Specifically you and End Waking, yeah.”</p>
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<p>“Why would I trust him on that?”</p>
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<p>“I mean, I don’t,” ey said, tossing a pebble at the fire. “He said no assassins, but who knows what else he has planned. And it does sound like he has it planned, by the way, that plan A didn’t pan out, so he moved on to plan B, that he had up through plan M.”</p>
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<p>“I mean, I don’t,” ey said, tossing a twig at the fire. “He said no assassins, but who knows what else he has planned. And it does sound like he has it planned, by the way, that plan A didn’t pan out, so he moved on to plan B, that he had up through plan M.”</p>
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<p>“And nothing else?” True Name asked.</p>
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<p>“That’s about it. I swept him after that. Swept the whole place.”</p>
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<p>The skunk’s ears splayed to the sides. “A preemptive apology is likely in order.”</p>
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<p>“Who were the other five, then?”</p>
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<p>She tilted her head quizzically. “You swept seventeen? Those were likely Jonas’s, I imagine.”</p>
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<p>May’s voice was steeped in sarcasm as she spoke. “Find out any juicy details?”</p>
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<p>Her cocladist held up her paws. “There is no excusing my actions. I know that there is little that I can do to earn your trust, May Then My Name, and at this point, even I suspect that I do not deserve it. There were few details of note enough to report back to me. We knew of your career changes. We knew of your…your feelings towards me. We…well, they learned about the Artemisians early on when you got your letter from Castor, though in the last decade, the reports that I have received have decreased in number, which I attributed to a lack of interesting goings on. That they did not report on your letter from Artemis is a red flag I should have paid attention to sooner.”</p>
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<p>Her cocladist held up her paws. “There is no excusing my actions. I know that there is little that I can do to earn your trust, May Then My Name, and at this point, even I suspect that I do not deserve it. There were few details of note enough to report back to me. We knew of your career changes. We knew of your…your feelings towards me. We…well, they learned about the Artemisians early on when you got your letter from Castor, though in the last decade, the reports that I have received have decreased in number, which I attributed to a lack of interesting goings on. That they did not report on the letter is a red flag I should have paid attention to sooner.”</p>
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<p>Ey shot May a questioning glance, but she shook her head. <em>Perhaps she really doesn’t know about the Name,</em> ey thought.</p>
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<p>“And why did you not?” May asked instead.</p>
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<p>“Pay attention to the red flags?” True Name stared at the fire for a long few seconds, then shrugged. “I was overworked and being fed bad information.”</p>
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<p>“You overworked yourself, you mean. 108 forks! Did you synchronize daily?”</p>
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<p>“Of course. Why would I not?”</p>
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<p>“How are you even still sane?” Ioan asked. “I’m surprised you aren’t jumping at shadows, at this point.”</p>
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<p>“She is not sane at all, my dear,” May said.</p>
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<p>“I am sure I will be now,” True Name said at the same time.</p>
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<p>“I am sure I will be now,” True Name said.</p>
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<p>“She is not sane at all, my dear,” May said at the same time.</p>
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<p>They frowned at each other.</p>
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<p><em>I’m glad End Waking gave us two tents,</em> Ioan thought. <em>It’s been civil so far, but…</em></p>
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<p>Out loud, ey asked, “So, what’s next? We head back tomorrow and build you a room, but then what?”</p>
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<p>Ey gestured her toward the tent with one cot in it and watched her slip inside, then sat and waited for May to come back, staring at the fire and trying not to feel bad enough for the three of them. </p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-04-19</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-05-16</p>
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<hr />
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<p>Everyone was off in the morning. Tired, grumpy, sore.</p>
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<p>The narrowness of the cots had frustrated Ioan and May throughout the night. They <em>could</em> both fit on one, but only if they straightened out rather than their usual tight curl. At one point, they tried dragging the cots to be side by side, but the frames against each other made a hard ridge that was impossible to rest on comfortably. In the end, they’d fallen asleep on their on cots, facing each other, arms tangled enough to get at least some contact through the night.</p>
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<p>The narrowness of the cots had frustrated Ioan and May throughout the night. They <em>could</em> both fit on one, but only if they straightened out rather than their usual tight curl. At one point, they tried dragging the cots to be side by side, but the frames against each other made a hard ridge that was impossible to rest on comfortably. In the end, they’d fallen asleep, each on their own cots, facing each other with arms tangled enough to get at least some contact through the night.</p>
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<p>Whether or not True Name had actually slept seemed up in the air. She had shrugged noncommittally when asked, but it certainly didn’t look like she had.</p>
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<p>Conversation was equally awkward. May apologized stiffly to her down-tree instance over breakfast of further sandwiches and True Name accepted graciously enough, but then they fell into silence again.</p>
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<p>After breakfast, there was little else to do but head back home. The camp remained set up. Ioan couldn’t begin to guess how to take down the tents, given how distracted ey’d been while End Waking had been setting them up. <em>Besides,</em> ey reasoned. <em>Best to keep them around just in case things go sideways.</em></p>
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<p>They decided to leave forks behind in case anything went wrong, then Ioan took each of the skunks’ paws and stepped back home.</p>
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<p>True Name immediately wrinkled her nose at the sight out the picture windows into the back yard. “Snow?”</p>
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<p>“Ey is some sort of masochist,” May said in a stage whisper. “You will have to forgive em. Ey is working on it with Sarah.”</p>
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<p>“Ey is some sort of masochist,” May said, <em>sotto voce</em>. “You will have to forgive em. Ey is working on it with Sarah.”</p>
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<p>So out of place was the humor that it took em a moment to catch up. Ey laughed tiredly and shook eir head. “For theatre nerds, you guys have no imagination. Coffee?”</p>
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<p>May leaned up and dotted her nose against eir cheek. “You, my dear, are an utter delight.”</p>
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<p>True Name followed them into the den. “Please. I am going to fall over if I do not have something.”</p>
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<p>“Naps all around,” True Name added. “Again, thank you two.”</p>
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</article>
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<footer>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-04-19</p>
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<p>Page generated on 2022-05-16</p>
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