IC INBOX

[batricide]

@hafid.alghul| ■ ▲ ◌ ▼

Comments

[batricide]

That's why I didn't say anything. And I don't want company.

[ because being sick is being human and he's embarrassed about being human and mortal ]

[batricide]

[ ha

hahaha whoops. sorry, rey. he's an idiot. ]

Been better.

[forcevisions]

That doesn't surprise me.
Why were they trying to murder you, Hafid?

[batricide]

[ he WILL. ]

Not yet.
My temperature seems to run higher thanks to my abilities. They're mistaking it for fever.

[ It could also... just be a fever. ]

[batricide]

I piss people off.

[forcevisions]

I've noticed.
Usually, it doesn't seem to bother you too much.
How did you piss off these people? I know it was a message. Why were they sending you a message?

[batricide]

I just told you.
I pissed someone powerful off. Powerful people have delicate egos, so they threw a tantrum and this was the result.

[forcevisions]

Pissed off who. And how?
Are they going to come after you again?

[batricide]

Doesn't matter.
If I act like I've learned my lesson then they'll leave well enough alone.

[forcevisions]

It matters to me.
I'm worried about you.

[batricide]

There's nothing to worry about, Nolo.

[ other than being hospitalized. ]

I'm not stupid enough to shoulder something I can't handle by myself.

[ but. ]

But if we're talking about being safe, stay away from Pulsar and Giles Bell.

[forcevisions]

[ she does not believe him. ]

I work for Giles Bell. You're going to have to give me more than that if you want me to quit my job.

[batricide]

The Maeda family is dangerous.
Stay away from them.

[forcevisions]

Is that what you're going to do? Stay away from them?

[ she's digging into the maeda family as they speak. ]

[batricide]

That's unrelated to this.
Anyone with that much power and influence is corrupt and without scruples.

[forcevisions]

Hafid.

[batricide]

What

[forcevisions]

Tell me you're not going after the people who tried to murder you.

[batricide]

It wasn't them.
And no. That would go against everything I've been trying to do.

[forcevisions]

Then why are you warning me about them?

[batricide]

Because the idiot son went on the trip with us, and the last thing anyone needs is to be on the radar of a corrupt superpower in the city.
The people I pissed off are small compared to the risk this poses.

[ It's not strictly a lie. He pissed off her henchmen and guards, and they came at him with knives before. It's a pretty decently known that Damian barely even flinches when someone stabs him because it just happens so often.

But no one needs to know the depth of their involvement with the Maeda family. They just need to know they're dangerous. ]

They wanted me out of the rings because I made them look bad. So I'm out.

[forcevisions]

You're deflecting.

I'm not saying it's not true. I'm not saying the Maedas aren't dangerous. But you're deflecting from what happened to you, and I can tell.

[ calling him out is one last ditch effort to get full honesty. rey thinks she's earned it, given that she put herself in the middle of it to help him that night. but she can't force his hand either. ]

[batricide]

was told to take a dive and I didn't. The benefactors of the fights warned me there would be consequences, and there were.

[ Lying leaves a bad taste in his mouth. ]

No one was trying to kill me. This was a lesson. And I learned it.
I'm telling you about the Maeda family because there are a number of dangers in this world, and not all of them are as easy to spot as jackasses that can't throw a punch for shit.

[forcevisions]

I can look after myself too.

[ just to be clear. but she accepts this answer. his damn pride, of course, but rey can't begrudge him that. she'd have done the same. even after the consequences were done, she wouldn't have regretted it. she can't tell him he ought to, or that he should have done otherwise. ]

Besides, I won't be brushing up with people like the Maeda family.

[ zero risk of that happening when she's a dirty sand gremlin who has worn one (1) dress in her life. ]

[batricide]

I know.

[ Dragging a hand down his face. He'll just leave the 'btw i was hospitalized because you were right and i was wrong' part of all of this off. ]

I want to revisit the topic of committees.
I'll be reaching out to Griffin shortly to try to bury the hatchet and move forward.