Seasons Inbox

[forgingfires]

"You have contacted the great Red Son! Leave a message after the beep and keep it brief. If this is about a repair job, state the object and problem."

Comments

[forgingfires]

Which means he misses you.

[castaside]

I was speaking for myself. If I knew what was going on in his fool head, I'd do something with it.

[forgingfires]

To be fair, you miss him too.

[castaside]

Right, you can tell by how many different ways I've found to say so in the last however long we've been here.

[ He sighs and makes a gesture that amounts to "sorry, habit". ] I don't just miss him, it's utterly embarrassing how much I miss him. And yet I can't stop poking his soft spots like that's going to get me anywhere.

[forgingfires]

It isn't the most productive way to get him to admit he misses you.

He has regrets. I do think he misses you, he's just also not able to handle it rationally. Whether he'll ever let himself deal with those feelings...

[castaside]

It's not productive, it's protective. [ They've been over this. ]

We didn't make this mess in a day, I don't expect to get out of it in one. If we even can.

[forgingfires]

True.

Noodle Boy believes in you two. He's a pretty good judge for that sort of thing.

[castaside]

...What do you mean, believes in us?

I went through the scroll with MK but I didn't tell him everything, so all he knows is the fight under the mountain and whatever Azure told him. Or showed him.

[forgingfires]

You think the Noodle Boy needs information to decide that kind of thing? [Raises an eyebrow at him.] It wasn't data and logic that made him decide to befriend me.

I'm willing to bet it wasn't that much different for you.

[castaside]

--Oh. You mean that "he believes in everyone" thing. [ He was more curious if it was something specific. ]

I get that MK wants everyone around him to be happy. Often at his own expense. But I don't want him getting into whatever is or isn't happening with me and Wukong.

[ It would put everyone in a weird position. Macaque resents the relationship MK has with Wukong but not MK himself, he'd like to keep it that way. ]

[forgingfires]

More than that. He has great intuition for people. Not perfect, obviously, but the more he's around someone, the better he gets at seeing through the veneer.

Even better than the person themselves in some cases.

So if he thinks it can work, there's a reason. Now whether he can articulate beyond a feeling... [Shrugs.]

[castaside]

...He just found out about the death. Thanks to the stupid candles.

[ So that's. A thing. ]

He connected the dots pretty fast, but said he wouldn't talk about it with Wukong.

[forgingfires]

[He grimaces.] How was he holding up otherwise? I assume hugs were at least attempted?

[castaside]

Oddly not. He could probably sense that I wasn't comfortable with any of it. I never wanted him to find out like that. For all I gleefully throw Wukong under the bus, that's too far even for me.

He said he was sad, and trying to do that thing where he doesn't talk about it. I knew it was a bad sign. But I'm not the person who can help with it.

[forgingfires]

I'll talk to him. I'm familiar with the practice.

[A pause.]

You may want to come over with the full moon. Otherwise there is a very good chance he will tear up the city looking for you to keep you safe. I'm hoping he will be calm since all the....issues from the other two times have settled.

But that is likely to ramp up his need to protect you hard and the WereMonkey doesn't hold back the impulse.

[castaside]

[ Rubbing his forehead. So he gets to be stuck in a room with Wukong while watching MK and Red Son be a goopy couple? Fantastic, what could be better. ]

Just tell me where to be. [ Fuck, he can't believe this. ]

[forgingfires]

[Address for his workshop here.]

He is also very cuddly.

I may be the favorite again, but...

[castaside]

[ glaaaance ]

But what?

[forgingfires]

But you died and he just learned it.

Loss has been ramping up his possession tendencies.

So you may be the favorite.

[castaside]

--I'm honestly not sure which sounds worse, having to sit in a room with Wukong while you and MK are all over each other, or having MK all over me while you both watch it.

[ Are you sure he can't just vanish into the shadows and -- not? ]

[forgingfires]

.....

[Excuse him as his face goes steadily redder at that last sentence.]

[His hair sparks and the alcohol in his glass ignites.]

[castaside]

[ Another glance, this time with a slow smile forming. ]

Should I say more about that?

[forgingfires]

.... [The blush gets worse.]

You can't blame me when I'm tipsy and I know what you can do to a person.

[castaside]

Who said anything about blame? [ He's not sure what this is, but it's interesting ]

MK is a bit of a minefield [ to say the absolute least ] but we're just talking.

[ He leans closer, nearly murmuring in Red Son's ear ] Would you like to see me take him apart? Or the reverse?

[forgingfires]

[MK is definitely a minefield.]

[There is definitely a lot more crackling in his hair and Red Son shifts the Everclear bottle further away.]

...both have their appeal. [His face is going into his hands, voice very low. He knows Macaque can hear.]

Seeing him taken apart piece by piece...

But every time he proves how strong he can be...