[IC] [Mask or Menace] Contact Post

[dendarii]

"This is Miles. Leave a message and I'll respond to you at my earliest convenience."

The line has gone silent; any messages sent to this name only return an error.

Comments

[dendarii]

[ Jim has left by now, but Miles is still rather ... un-put-together, let's just say. His hair is wild and he's definitely not wearing a shirt, so he has to take a moment to tug something on before he makes it to the door. Rather disheveled as he looks up at Tex, and sporting some real obvious hickeys along the his neck and collarbone.

On the plus side, he's rather more cheerful than he would normally be after having been stunned for the majority of the operation. ]

... Er. Yes. Hello, Tex. Come to check up on me?

[failureisntachoice]

[ While the scramble to finish and clean up had been going on, it looks like someone's been having a better time. Her eyes trail from his out of control hair and stop to stare pointedly at the hickeys.

With a voice dryer and less amused than the Sahara Desert, ] I see you've been busy. Are you alone or do I need to come back?

[dendarii]

[ Well. Tex is nothing if not direct. He clears his throat and tugs his collar a little closer around his neck. ]

I'm quite alone, thank you. But perhaps we'd be better off in the living room.

[failureisntachoice]

Yeah, we would.

[ She rolls her eyes as she steps back to allow him an easier escape. Not that it'll be much of one with her following a step behind him, but it's better than nothing. ]

[dendarii]

[ Escape from the details of that topic, anyway. He flops down on the couch lightly. ]

So. Come to confess your co-conspiracy?

[failureisntachoice]

[ Thankfully they're details she doesn't need. She's well-aware of his current relationship status and it's not one she needs a blow-by-blow on.

She leans against the back of the couch, deciding she'd prefer to be looming for now if that's his conversation opener. ]

What conspiracy?

[dendarii]

[ Well great, now he's at even more of a height disadvantage. Eh. He decides to deal with it, mostly because he's enjoying his sprawl. ]

With Jim. To knock me out.

[failureisntachoice]

[ What? She fixes him with a firm look. ] Why the hell would I be part of that idiot scheme? When I found the two of you, you were unconscious and he was trying to stuff you in a closet. It looked like he'd gone sleeper agent on us.

[ A light snort. ] I'm surprised he didn't bitch at you about me aiming my rifle at him before chewing on your neck.

[dendarii]

[ Miles' eyes instantly widen. Not with alarm, oh no. Is that ... gratitude? He feels the urge to swoon a bit, anyway. ]

You threatened him for it?

[failureisntachoice]

[ She corrects, ] Almost shot him.

I ran a scan on you to make sure you were still alive and he wasn't hiding the evidence and kept him talking for a while before deciding he was just an idiot, not a double agent.

[dendarii]

[ Miles just puts his head back and laughs for a moment. At Tex, at Jim, at both of them. Dear god. ]

[failureisntachoice]

[ Is he seriously laughing? She manages to suppress the urge to smack him though his reaction causes her to tense. ]

You do realize he stunned you twice right? In a short period of time? Might want to tell him to lay off before he causes something worse than a broken arm.

[dendarii]

[ Right, right ... he forces himself to stop laughing. Mostly. ]

Oh, no. I was furious with him earlier. Still am, in fact. I'm glad you stood up for me.

[failureisntachoice]

I prefer you alive to dead.

[ She glances down at his upturned collar. ] You couldn't have been that mad. What bullshit did he tell you?

[dendarii]

That's very sweet of you, Tex.

[ He shakes his head a bit. ]

That he was doing it to protect me, that it was the best possible option ... Didn't stop to think how I felt about it.

[failureisntachoice]

[ She'll just pretend he didn't call her 'sweet.' It's easier for both of them that way. ] So I had him pegged right then.

[ She sighs and finally moves to sit down on the other end of the couch. Plenty of space between them. ]

He doesn't seem like the thinking sort. He didn't sneak a third stun in during the rest of that op, right? I promised he'd find a few things of his missing if he tried.

[dendarii]

[ He knows her well enough to know it's a compliment, okay. A soft sigh himself. ]

If he did, I've no knowledge of it. But - really, Tex. He's a touch telepath. I would have known if he were brainwashed.

[failureisntachoice]

[ She shakes her head. ]

That's part of what saved him. But what the hell was I supposed to think with you in a heap on the floor and him shoving you somewhere as fast as he could?

[dendarii]

... That he was doing something stupid but was unlikely to harm me?

[failureisntachoice]

I didn't shoot him, did I?

[dendarii]

No, you didn't. Thank you for not doing that.

... and thank you for looking out for me.

[failureisntachoice]

It's what you pay me for. Next time he wants to protect you, tell him to tie you up instead. At least then you aren't getting electrical shocks going through your system.

[dendarii]

I would like to be conscious to direct at bare minimum, yes.

[ Plus he's reasonably certain he could shrink or teleport out of a rope with enough finesse. ]

But - I don't think he was shocking me. It didn't feel like one.

[failureisntachoice]

[ She'll get back to how stupid it is that he was even in the line of fire trying to command everyone. But first... ]

Then how the hell was he stunning you?

[dendarii]

To be honest, I'm not sure. But I've been stunned enough by conventional means to recognize a shock, at least. This was much smoother.