IC CONTACT

[wizzardly]

VOICEMAIL:

"Er... yes, okay, I suppose I should tell you that if you're trying to reach me I'm not here, and if you're trying to reach me because you want to do something involving pointy bits of metal or otherwise painful objects, I'm never going to be here. So sorry."

Comments

[wizzardly]

...Deal.

[that's admittedly a hell of an offer.]

[aggressiveapathy]

If anyone is gonna try to kill you or whatever, you have to tell me. I'm so over my things getting blown up because everyone has deep dark secrets they wanna brood over.

[wizzardly]

[Oh.]

Are you sure? I tend to become a rather popular target for murder attempts, for some reason. I'm not currently, that I know, but - things happen. You could get rather sick of hearing about it.

[aggressiveapathy]

Leave me sticky notes.

[wizzardly]

[sticky notes? Notes made sticky?? Okay]

If you insist.

[aggressiveapathy]

Good boy. Or, you know, you can figure out how to not get murdered all the time. And not leave me notes. Both work.

[But she's smiling, just a little bit.]

[wizzardly]

I've had a 100% success rate at staying alive so far, I promise you I don't plan to spoil the record.

[returning that little smile. And he's not going to kick April out of his room anytime soon, so - for as long as she's willing to chill, Rincewind is too.]

[aggressiveapathy]

That's what everyone says. Then I get my roommate's heart in the mail.

[ April has lived in this place 1000% too long. ]

[slightlyoffchilt]

As long as it doesn't have much meat, I'm fine enough.

[Chilton rolled his eyes at the mention of Jeff's carbphobia. No wonder the man was so bitter!]

I'll send the address, yes. Will you have to tell your keepers?

[wizzardly]

If I had those, maybe. [downright bratty, that tone.

Also: pizza it is. Easy to pick up, and he can have it loaded with mushrooms and olives and things. ...Half of it, anyway; it would be a damn shame to keep sausage off it completely.]

I'll be there within the half hour. Try not to drink too much shit wine in the meantime, right? I'll be bringing a replacement.

text on the 28th or so, from a blocked number

[jacksonian]

Make yourself scarce. Lucifer is about to be pushed into a corner. Get out of reach so that he can't make use of you.

[wizzardly]

what? What corner? What's happening?

[he'd be surprised by the kindness of this warning if his first reaction weren't immediate fear.]

[jacksonian]

I'm not an idiot. I'm not giving details - I know you're afraid of him, and I don't want you giving him anything. Don't go to him. Get away, instead.

[wizzardly]

everyone is bloody well afraid of him if they have sense. Why would I go near him?
And why do you know something is happening? Who are you?

[jacksonian]

Someone like you. Someone Lucifer cultivated as a weapon against the Vorkosigans and Gregor Vorbarra - the one he decided to put into use.

[wizzardly]

[and the background pieces click together; Lucifer has made his move against Miles and his army. In what form, Rincewind doesn't know, and he has a moment to feel incredibly grateful for that - that he was deemed unneeded, in the end. Overlooked. Thank the gods.

So now the question: who wasn't?]

Why would you warn me?
what are you going to do? After.

[jacksonian]

Because I'm not working for him any longer. And once they act, he's going to call on all the resources he has. I'd like it better if there's one fewer person protecting him.

[ Also, maybe, just maybe, he doesn't want Rincewind hurt. ]

And what I'll do after depends on how fast and how far I can run, I guess.

[wizzardly]

you're still assuming you know my connection to him. Or that we have one.

[but of course, in the very next text:]

Running doesn't work. he can find and teleport to you wherever you go. You need to stay somewhere warded.

[jacksonian]

[ He'd known about the teleportation. And he knows what wards are, now - after all, he's about to destroy Lucifer's own set of wards. He...hadn't thought about the possibility of wards helping him, though. So after a hesitation: ]

Are there places that have wards on them?

[wizzardly]

Miles' house was supposed to. I told him repeatedly to get them.

[still bitter about that.]

The home I'm living in also has them. They can be put on any building by someone skilled with spell crafting.

[jacksonian]

[ ...For fuck's sake. Did Miles have a means of protection that he never used? For all that Miles is his enemy - maybe - definitely - he feels a wave of real anger and frustration. Why is he leaving himself vulnerable like that? ]

How long would that take? Putting up wards. If I found someone who could cast spells.

[wizzardly]

Less than an hour I'd think, if the building isn't too large. Sabriel is most known for offering them but there are others.

[jacksonian]

Who else?

[wizzardly]

a person named Billy. Someone else as well, but I would have to ask their permission.
I wouldn't want to do that without knowing your name first.

[jacksonian]

[ It would help if I knew my own name. ]

I helped you with a certain financial question.