meadowlark | @anonymous

Fastest way to get caught by someone who's looking for that sort of behaviour.

（ you can't play too dumb, that's suspicious. it's actually easier to fool people if you act just competent enough that you seem like someone who's caught up in seeming so. ）

You can't assume you're the smartest guy in the room.

I don't. And I'm hoping I'm not, 'cause if I am, this shit sucks more than originally thought.

( suck to be the smartest guy in a room when their later independence depends on the ai in charge. and when the well being of everyone involved depends on morningstar. )

I'm not stabbing anyone.

Yeah, leave the stabbing to the experts.

（ fingerguns. look he has absolutely no problem with murder, it's fine. he's got this. ）

( jai, no. )

I'm not stabbing anyone because it isn't going to get us anywhere. ( an us, stupidly. ) Not because I need an expert to do it for me.

( he knows how to stab, don't be rude. )

（ it's okay, he's also team 'us'. everything he's done so far has been with aidan in mind — he functions better when someone else's welfare is on the line than just his own. ）

Obviously a joke. Tune your sarcasm receptor.

My sarcasm receptor died when I woke up in another world with fucking nothing.

( the adjustment period really isn't going well for him, but he'll figure it out. maybe. )

I did find a good knife inside a medkit.

Good, keep it.

（ he doesn't need a weapon. never rely on something someone can take from you. then, he gets aidan's attention with a flick of one hand and he goes through a series of little gestures at a rapid pace. old shorthand in the hollies. useful when you know other people are listening in, and the best part is that no one here is gonna know it. ）

« We need to get away from these people as soon as the safehouse is open. »

（ the displaced, he means. this whole fucking operation. ）

( he watches close, catches every movement but responds by--sliding in a little closer to jai. leaning in dangerously close without skin contact. just enough that it definitely looks and feels like he might, but he tilts his head at the last moment: lips pressed close to jai's ear without touching, head tilted enough that all anyone on the other side would see is his cheek to prevent lip reading. )

You think about why we've got all these people from other worlds, and they can understand us without any issue? Universal translator. Don't teach it shit, it'll catch on given enough time.

（ the only reason he doesn't twitch away like a spooked horse is because he's in work mode — emotions in lockdown, tension screaming in every fucking line of his body masquerading as a teenager's casual annoyance at the whole situation they're in.

see, he's two people around aidan. one is jai, who doesn't like being touched, who can't fucking stand rich people or fucking vegetables and all the rest of that shit. and the other is the kestrel, who's gone to this stupid kid more than a few times to be stitched up. he's sat under aidan's hands without flinching. it's always easier to stand than he expects.

but the kestrel's at the forefront right now, and that's why he can stand it, and smile. in a low murmur, ）

You seriously think it'll catch hand signals?

（ it sounds stupid even when he says it. aidan's right — they probably have to fucking assume it can, don't they? it's still less a risk than being overheard the old fashioned way — even if whatever artificial intelligence neuronet they've got here can figure it out, people will still have to be looking at them.

but it's a good point he hadn't thought of. keep it for when they need it. he mutters a long, drawn-out fuck under his breath, and then just drops back against the bed, though not without reaching up to grab aidan by the collar and haul him down, too.

it's a good cover, even if he's pointedly still not touching him directly. ）

My point fucking stands.

( aidan started it, back in the bakery. he's used it once, so he really can't say shit about jai jumping to trying to use shit nobody else would understand. it's logical. a good way to keep others from knowing what the hell they're up to. aidan's used shorthand most his goddamn life when venturing outside of his safe zone. but given how shit seems to work here it's--probably best to save it for when it's really needed, until the translator catches on. )

You think it won't?

( it's murmured soft, before aidan moves to put some distance between them--only for jai to flop backwards and drag aidan down with him. he's careful still, to respect jai's personal space and not touch. hovers instead on his elbows and knees. they're faced away from everyone else too, which helps with the avoiding everyone else figuring them out shit. )

These people can't even get along with each other half the damn time, let alone--fix all the strife between them and everyone else. ( he's read up. step number one in a new environment: get to know what you've got to work with. )

So I see your point, and I agree with it.

( he'd stay, just to learn about their resources, learn about them more--but associate with any of them long enough and someone's bound to catch on. so. he'll do it jai's way. that's fine. )

I'll look for a place.

Thank you.

（ he puts his hand against aidan's chest, fingers flexing in the soft, worn fabric of whatever shitty shirt he's wearing. it's always easier to touch than be touched.

and then: ）

Laugh.

（ he waits for the compliance, and then he shoves aidan like he just told the world's shittiest joke, grabs one of the pillows from the head of the bed and wallops him across the stomach with it. not hard. from the outside, it'd look playful.

there's no escaping the fact that they know each other. he's probably also going to go after anyone that gives aidan shit and he wouldn't be able to stop himself for it — but they can sell another lie without too much hardship on either side. it gives them an excuse to be close and whisper to one another. ）

( it's more of a snort than a laugh, although it morphs more towards one when jai smacks him with a pillow and shoves him over. the beds are narrow, but they're both scrawny enough that he doesn't flat out fall onto the fucking floor when he rolls. )

You're not that funny.

( like he'll fake it but whatever dude. another roll to the side, and aidan's getting himself up on his feet. )

Since my fairy fucking godmother's being a dick, I'll go get my own juice.

Get me one too, would you, sweetheart?

（ he sucks his teeth, as loudly and obnoxiously as he can possibly make it. you brought this on yourself, aidan. ）

( aidan hums under his breath, almost thoughtfully. and raises a hand to flip jai off as he passes him on his way to the kitchen area. )

Go fuck yourself, darling.

@anonymous

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