[Aefenglom IC Inbox]

[judgementor]

"Leave a message. If it's important, I'll get back to you."

*beep*

Comments

[battlebound]

You know what I mean!

[judgementor]

What makes you think that I care what happens to me now?

[battlebound]

[ That text probably shouldn't surprise him, given everything Red Wine has gone through here in Aefenglom, but reading it, stark and bright on his watch, is like a punch to the gut.

He sits with the words a long time, longer than any of his responses ever are, and types and deletes answer after answer. The insults don't feel right, and he doesn't know how else to speak to Red Wine. Marie spent far too long spelling out exactly what he should be saying to support Red Wine and Steak still didn't get around to saying it. ]

Because you promised to stick with me.

[ It sounds stupid as all hell written out like that, but it's the truth. Red Wine promised his Master Attendant back on Tierra, and promised those at their Bonding ceremony here. ]

If you won't care about yourself, it'll be my duty to care for you.

[ And do you really want that, Red Wine? Really? ]

[judgementor]

[And Red Wine, filthy and bloody, muscles screaming, with some nameless creature split in half at his feet, looks at the reply. The light is like a torch in the darkness of the Wilde, and he frowns at it and shakes his head silently.]

Sentimental. Concentrate on taking care of yourself first.

[battlebound]

[ But what is Steak without Red Wine really? He could take care of himself and lose Red Wine in the process. ]

Come back soon or I'll come find you. Bastard.

[judgementor]

You won't find me. Now be quiet. I need to concentrate.

[battlebound]

Well now I know you're up to no good.

[judgementor]

[The next reply takes a while to come.]

Because you've always been so forthcoming with what you get up to when you're not with me.

[battlebound]

What's that supposed to mean?!

[ Oh Steak, don't open that door. ]

[judgementor]

You know very well what I mean. Don't act stupider than you are.

[battlebound]

I had good reason for that!

[ Like the fact that Red Wine was just ignoring it and Steak wanted to make sure that bastard knew that he didn't get to mess with any of the Knights without having to deal with Steak. ]

[judgementor]

A good reason to snoop behind my back and then run off and put yourself in danger? Did you even spare a moment to think of how I might have felt about that?

[battlebound]

[ Red Wine, do you really need to ask that question? ]

... No.

[ But Red Wine's insistence on leaving it unaddressed was just as dangerous as Steak going back by himself. He knew he would make it back, and if he was, by chance, wrong, he would have returned to the Chaos doing something worthwhile. ]

Why the hell were you ignoring him?

[ They could have confronted Bloody Mary so many times before Steak left, all three of them, unified and able to overpower the bastard together. ]

[judgementor]

[He writes few things out and deletes them again as he begins to walk back to the city, his body heavy with exhaustion.

It wasn't worth

I didn't want to give him the satisfa

He was never

But in the end, he settles on;]

Because I understand him.

[battlebound]

[ He might have expected one of the unsent answers. They might have been easier to read than the one Red Wine actually sends. ]

I see.

[ No complaints, no arguing, because maybe, just maybe, Aefenglom is teaching Steak something about the darkness he usually dismisses.

He doesn't understand, but he sees. ]

[judgementor]

Don't do something like that again.

[battlebound]

Don't make me resort to it.

[ Slightly petty? Maybe. ]

You keep too many secrets.

[ Maybe if Red Wine had spoken more about what was going on, Steak wouldn't have resorted to that. ]

[judgementor]

I don't control you you absolute moron. How dare you try to blame me for something you decided to do of your own free will.

[battlebound]

[ Oy. Why is it so hard to get his point across, even after knowing Red Wine for so long?

Alright. Give him a minute. Maybe he needs to think about what his point even is. ]

If something's happening, I want you to tell me what the hell is going on.

[ He didn't know who was attacking Red Wine, who was sending those letters. Sure, he had suspicions, but nothing more. It was simple curiosity, and a burning need to make sure Red Wine was safe.

Anything to avoid the repeat of that moment back at the Baroness' mansion, the chilling knot of worry in his stomach as he realised Red Wine was there, out of sight of all of them, doing who knows what. ]

[judgementor]

It was my problem to deal with. Not yours.

You had no right to interfere like that.

[battlebound]

[ But was it? Those arrows have been deflected by himself or Gingerbread many times, and with the three of them together so often, anything that affects one of them, affects the others by proxy. ]

We're a team. You, me and Gingerbread. These problems affect us all.
But I went too far.

[ And while he might feel guilty for what he now knows it did to Red Wine, confronting Bloody Mary is something he can't bring himself to regret. If he faces Bloody Mary's ire instead of Red Wine, that's fine. He can take it. ]

[judgementor]

Yes. You did.

[Because Red Wine had seen the full contents of those letters before he tossed them into the fire. Because he knew what Bloody Mary wanted.

Because he didn't want Steak to be anywhere near him alone.]

Next time you decide to take my business into your own hands, spare a moment to consider what I'm supposed to do if you don't come back.

[battlebound]

... Fine. I'll try.

[ Because trying is all he can really promise when it comes to Red Wine's secrets and safety. He knows it's all he can promise, because he made too many oaths to keep this bastard safe.

Ones to Master Attendants, ones to Red Wine himself, and ones he's left unspoken for centuries. ]

When will you be back?

[judgementor]

I don't know. An hour. Maybe two.

Go to sleep.

[battlebound]

I'll see you then.

[ Because he's certain he's not getting any sleep after all of that. ]