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I will. Don't worry.
( she offers up what she hopes passes as a reassuring smile before heading for the door; some sleep she can do. )
( she offers up what she hopes passes as a reassuring smile before heading for the door; some sleep she can do. )
[scrawled on a thin sheet of parchment paper addressed to bellamy is a simple message of warning:]
Gods in the sky and the Shuck eating the White Hart.
The end is coming.
Stay alive.
[there's no signature or hints as to who it's from, that's for bellamy to figure out.]
Gods in the sky and the Shuck eating the White Hart.
The end is coming.
Stay alive.
[there's no signature or hints as to who it's from, that's for bellamy to figure out.]
Bellamy? [There's a short pause after that.] I...thanks for yesterday. But I think we need to skip the next lesson and pick it up later. I'm heading out in a few days but I just kinda wanted to let you know? [Since that seemed to be Jason's biggest concern, Hiro taking people's advice and time and then Hiro not acknowledging it or telling people what he's doing.]
[It's good to have the warning, and as far as Bellamy's concerned, missing a lesson or two isn't that big a deal. Hiro's got the basics, he can practice on his own.]
[But it doesn't mean he's not curious, not with how much the kid's been under lockdown lately.] I'd ask if you got grounded again, but that kinda goes against the whole 'heading out' thing. How much later is later and where're you off to?
[It's not a demand. Just a question with his usual gruffness.]
[But it doesn't mean he's not curious, not with how much the kid's been under lockdown lately.] I'd ask if you got grounded again, but that kinda goes against the whole 'heading out' thing. How much later is later and where're you off to?
[It's not a demand. Just a question with his usual gruffness.]
Well...[There's a pause because honestly he doesn't know how long he's going to be gone. He's hoping it's not long, but it's hard to say.] However long it takes, I guess. And I'm heading out to Redgate for a while. [Another beat.] Jason knows. Me going is kind of unavoidable, otherwise I'd reschedule everything.
It's not an inquisition. [In case the hesitance is related to his feeling grilled?? He still wants to know more, but weirdly he doesn't want to make Hiro feel obligated to share.]
[He does consider, however, seeing if there are Hand agents in Redgate that might be able to keep an eye on the kid. Not even for Jason's sake. Just because of the penchant for trouble Hiro has that Bellamy has learned plenty about firsthand by now.] You ever been to Redgate before?
[He does consider, however, seeing if there are Hand agents in Redgate that might be able to keep an eye on the kid. Not even for Jason's sake. Just because of the penchant for trouble Hiro has that Bellamy has learned plenty about firsthand by now.] You ever been to Redgate before?
[There's no verbal response, but there's a slow exhale on his end of the line. It is. It very much is related to that; Jason's either trained him very well or he's made him so paranoid about sharing anything that he's not sure who he can talk to or what he can share anymore without pushing a ton of buttons. In a way it's actually not a bad thing though. It means learning to be more defensive and protecting himself.]
Twice, but I don't know if the field trip with Clarke really counts since it was just for the day. And the last time I was there was for a week or something back in February and I wasn't working on somebody else's agenda. [He stops to consider for a moment before continuing.] It's been a really, really long time since I've traveled out that far. [Even without the rest of the sentence, the implication's clear. "It's been a really, really long time since I've traveled out that far by myself."] But it should be fine. It's just Redgate and as soon as I have what I need I'll be back at Caer Scima anyway.
Twice, but I don't know if the field trip with Clarke really counts since it was just for the day. And the last time I was there was for a week or something back in February and I wasn't working on somebody else's agenda. [He stops to consider for a moment before continuing.] It's been a really, really long time since I've traveled out that far. [Even without the rest of the sentence, the implication's clear. "It's been a really, really long time since I've traveled out that far by myself."] But it should be fine. It's just Redgate and as soon as I have what I need I'll be back at Caer Scima anyway.
[He's a little surprised Jason is apparently letting him go without a definite return date, and he wonders about that too, but doesn't ask. Mostly because he doesn't want Jason on his case.]
What're you going for? [Bellamy pauses.] Unless it's a secret mission, then don't go blabbing. [There's a little teasing in his tone, just over the idea of Hiro pulling off a secret mission, but it's an honest enough out if there are secretive aspects about the trip.]
[He's certainly been cagey about his trips outside Diasbaile often enough too.]
What're you going for? [Bellamy pauses.] Unless it's a secret mission, then don't go blabbing. [There's a little teasing in his tone, just over the idea of Hiro pulling off a secret mission, but it's an honest enough out if there are secretive aspects about the trip.]
[He's certainly been cagey about his trips outside Diasbaile often enough too.]
[In all fairness he caught Jason at a good time when Jason was working on his own mission. This would have never worked otherwise. He scoffs a little, knowing by now that sometimes Bellamy (for as gruff as he can be most of the time) actually is sort of like Jason in the sense that he'll tease people when he feels like it.]
Oh yeah, totally top secret mission. Don't tell the presses, but I'm heading out to coerce a bunch of dwarves into telling me their life stories so I can write a report on them. [Can you hear the dry tone, Bellamy? Can you? At the same time...] Could be kind of cool though. I've always wanted to talk to them about their tech.
Oh yeah, totally top secret mission. Don't tell the presses, but I'm heading out to coerce a bunch of dwarves into telling me their life stories so I can write a report on them. [Can you hear the dry tone, Bellamy? Can you? At the same time...] Could be kind of cool though. I've always wanted to talk to them about their tech.
You'd suck at playing spy, you know that? [It's insulting, but there's a trace of a grin in his tone, especially with how dryly Hiro responds.]
[But Bellamy does nod a little. He hasn't learned too much about the dwarves, but he knows they're big on technology, a lot moreso than most of this world. It's fitting that Hiro's going off to investigate them.] You'll probably enjoy yourself. Just don't go inventing nukes with your newfound friends.
[But Bellamy does nod a little. He hasn't learned too much about the dwarves, but he knows they're big on technology, a lot moreso than most of this world. It's fitting that Hiro's going off to investigate them.] You'll probably enjoy yourself. Just don't go inventing nukes with your newfound friends.
Yeah, maybe. [There's a slight laugh, but it's telling enough. He's not telling Bellamy everything about what the entire quest is for, but he can tell him about it later.] But it makes me all the less suspicious.
And I promise I won't invent anything that'll blow people up until I can nail the formula for gun powder first. Fair?
And I promise I won't invent anything that'll blow people up until I can nail the formula for gun powder first. Fair?
Run with that. It's more likely to keep you alive. [His tone is still more light than warning, even with content. But surely not even Hiro can fuck up a visit with some dwarves - maybe he shouldn't finish that thought.]
[His face cracks in an actual grin over the mention of gunpowder.] Once you got that, you could probably blow up just about anything. [Bellamy why are you encouraging this???] Sounds plenty fair.
[His face cracks in an actual grin over the mention of gunpowder.] Once you got that, you could probably blow up just about anything. [Bellamy why are you encouraging this???] Sounds plenty fair.
Trust me, once I figure out how to blow things up you'll be the first to know, and you'll be one of the first to know I'm back at the castle so we can start training again. Let me see what I can find out from them.
Anything else I should keep in mind?
Anything else I should keep in mind?
( honestly, she's meant to be doing school work. she has a break between classes that she normally uses to either study or catch up on Midach paperwork, but today her concentration for it just isn't there. so instead, she flips her locket open; it's basically instinct at this point to contact Bellamy. her voice is light, teasing, clearly amused. )
Someone asked me about you today while I was walking to class.
Someone asked me about you today while I was walking to class.
[Look, he knows he probably loiters around the university more than someone who doesn't even attend would normally visit, but he doesn't think he's done anything to draw too much attention to himself. Redgate's not exactly off limits.]
[Her tone though.]
Do I even want to know? [He does want to know.]
[Her tone though.]
Do I even want to know? [He does want to know.]
( well at least it isn't video so she can't judge him for it, right-
Clarke huffs out a laugh at the question, tapping her pencil down against her unfinished notes. only then does she clear her throat, taking on the accent most heard in the Western parts of the Drawbruld. )
"Good morning, Midach Griffin! How are you and your husband faring?"
( and cue hysterical laughter. )
Clarke huffs out a laugh at the question, tapping her pencil down against her unfinished notes. only then does she clear her throat, taking on the accent most heard in the Western parts of the Drawbruld. )
"Good morning, Midach Griffin! How are you and your husband faring?"
( and cue hysterical laughter. )
[Can she hear the eyerolling over the audio??? It's pretty loud. But then again, so is her laughing.]
That's a new one. [Despite himself, he sounds vaguely amused.] So how are we faring today? Or did you react with a laugh to their face too? [What did you say, Clarke!!]
That's a new one. [Despite himself, he sounds vaguely amused.] So how are we faring today? Or did you react with a laugh to their face too? [What did you say, Clarke!!]
( okay, well, that gets a snort of laughter out of her. )
I did my best not to. ( her laughter finally calms, at least. ) And we're fine, but you're not my husband, and don't worry, it's a common mistake.
I did my best not to. ( her laughter finally calms, at least. ) And we're fine, but you're not my husband, and don't worry, it's a common mistake.
The mistake of us being together is the common misconception. But I'm not sure when we graduated to married, probably when you started taking over my office during the sickness.
( if she had to pin a time down, it was likely that. he was at her office all the time, maybe that gave the wrong impression? who knows; she mostly just finds it funny. )
( if she had to pin a time down, it was likely that. he was at her office all the time, maybe that gave the wrong impression? who knows; she mostly just finds it funny. )
That I knew. [At least he's stopped ????? over it and has just accepted the amusement instead.]
Pretty sure most people just thought I was there to cause trouble. [He hadn't done much to offset the suspicion either, not with how irritated he was throughout the whole thing. But - he had lurked a lot, and it was the Midach's office.]
Pretty sure most people just thought I was there to cause trouble. [He hadn't done much to offset the suspicion either, not with how irritated he was throughout the whole thing. But - he had lurked a lot, and it was the Midach's office.]
( another snort of laughter. )
You mean you go places without the intention to cause trouble? Since when?
You mean you go places without the intention to cause trouble? Since when?
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