[ Marcos hates this. They were finally done with secret meetings, and here they are, being told that they need to sneak around yet again. If it weren't so much better than where they started out, he'd probably be saying more about it.
He also hasn't really gotten the hang of these strange communicators yet, so he's more or less testing if this will go through. ]
[ lorna hates it just as much as he does. she'd thought that escaping the inner circle and bringing reeva down meant that her days of sneaking around and spying were over, but she hadn't accounted for this place and it's been difficult, even having him here.
she's relieved when she gets his message, and looks around carefully before answering. ]
So am I. [ it's really a weird thing, though she guesses it's not any weirder than what they've already seen.
she sighs, knowing exactly what he means and how he feels. it's been a lot to keep up with and cope with, and she's just been trying to keep up in hopes that it means eventually getting back home and to their daughter safely.
her fingers run over the rattle in her pocket, and she sighs again. ]
Yeah, I am too. I'm trying to focus on what we're supposed to remember, who we're supposed to be aligned with. But I just want to go back home.
[ It hurts to hear her talk about home, and his heart breaks at the word. He knows that they need to focus right now, figure out where they are and why they were really brought here, but he just wants to have his family with him. After the tower, he knows not to doubt the power of the witches who hired them, which makes the next thing that slips out sound all the more reckless. ]
I need to see you. I don't know how these devices work, but why risk someone listening in? [ There. That's some logic. He can't stand doing this again if they can't at least meet. ] There are a ton of empty rooms in this place. We'll find somewhere they won't know to look. A closet, I don't care.
[ she wants it, too. they'd spent too much time away from each other and fighting each other, and deep down, she knows that's her fault, even if she'd believed she was doing it for the sake of their kind, and especially their daughter. it hurts to remember what they'd just finally had in their grasp, only to have it torn away from them again.
it's logic. probably not logic that'll stand up, but she doesn't particularly care. she wants to see him, too. ]
Yeah. I think there's bound to be. [ this is nothing they haven't done before, it's even in a more condensed location than they're used to. it'll still be difficult, but worth it. ] How do you want to find one?
[ He's relieved she doesn't push back at the idea, even if he hasn't entirely thought this through. The safer move would probably be meeting outside of the palace grounds, putting on those masks everyone seems to wear, but it's a big place and he hasn't gotten the layout down yet. ]
Do you think it'd be too obvious if I wrapped a tie around a doorknob?
[ He's joking. Maybe. That is the universal symbol not to barge in on someone. ]
I'm not sure how closely we're actually being watched. If we wait for it to get dark, I can flash a light you can see from your window and we can find someplace quiet.
Maybe a sock would work if we can't find a tie. [ they'd just need to find a room for it first, but it sounds as if he might already have an idea for that. ]
Okay. [ maybe it's not a perfect plan, and maybe it's risky. but at least that much is familiar in a place where nothing feels like it is. even if they only end up having a few minutes alone together, it'll be worth it. ] I'll see you soon.
[ It's not like this is unfamiliar territory. True, they're dealing with witches now, but they can't be worse than telepaths. ]
Leave it to me. I'll send a signal.
[ He spends most of his time before the sun goes down trying to locate somewhere unassuming, which takes longer than he thought it would. True, he had to melt the lock off to get inside, but what he found is more or less an old storage room that hasn't been used in quite some time.
Later he estimates where Lorna's room is from the ground and brings up a hand, emanating his light in discrete flashes to signal that he's found something. Hopefully it's enough. If this works, maybe they can keep using it as long as they're here. ]
[ he gets it close enough for her to see it and recognize it for what it is. there's a pang in the pit of her stomach when she remembers the last time he'd sent a message across the city, for her and for dawn, and everything that happened immediately after.
she knows it's something they need to address, eventually, in more depth than they previously have. but it doesn't feel like the time when they still have to sneak around after dark and pretend not to associate with each other in public. it feels important to just be during the moments they've been able to spend together.
it doesn't take her too long to determine the room he's found, and she sticks to the shadows as she moves towards it. if she weren't sure which room it was before, she spots the melted off lock and smiles before knocking lightly on the door. ]
[ Marcos is in the middle of his thoughts when he hears the knock at the door. He tries to hold back from the kind of reception he'd like to give her while they're being discrete, but he still reaches it in half a second to let her in. It's been too long. He's anxious to hear how they've been treating her, and share what he's been able to find out so far.
Worried eyes searches hers for a moment, but he breaks it to draw attention to what he's come up with. ]
What do you think?
[ Like this is their new vacation home. He doesn't know if he's going through more lengths than he needs to, but the room he found feels more comfortably secure. No windows, but he thought ahead enough to bring his own candles that he has lit on top of a crate. There's a suitable amount of dust and it's not very well insulated, but all things considered... ]
It doesn't look like they've used this in a while, so it should work until we find something better.
[ she's anxious, tension held in her shoulders until marcos opens the door. lorna doesn't exhale until she steps through the door and sees him, and she's so fixated on the sight of him for the first time in days that it takes her a second to realize how he's set up the room, with candles set up on a turned-over crate and some of the dust cleared away so they can sit (relatively) comfortably.
she beams, walking up to him and winding her arms around him, pulling him down to kiss her. ]
It's wonderful. [ she'd have been happy just to meet in an empty room, but that he'd gone to the extra effort means the world to her, especially since their options for even seeing each other have been so limited here. ] Thank you.
[ He grins into her kiss, because it’s way more gratitude than he deserves for essentially breaking into a storage shed. But he gets it. They’ve been apart more than he ever wanted to be after he swore those days were behind them. ]
It’s not much, but it is the one room that doesn’t look like it belongs in a palace.
[ He should have grabbed some actual chairs too, but if they use it again he can probably manage to dig up something.
They should use their time wisely, he just can’t help it when his thoughts stray whenever he sees her. If she wasn’t around he wouldn’t be dealing with this nearly as well, and it’s still been hard. ]
I missed you. [ If that wasn’t obvious. He smiles and takes a breath to break any tension he’s been holding. ] How are they treating you, really? Because I don’t know about you, but I’m running out of fake errands to send my assistants on.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
un: eclipse | audio
He also hasn't really gotten the hang of these strange communicators yet, so he's more or less testing if this will go through. ]
I hope you didn't lose my number.
un: polaris | audio
she's relieved when she gets his message, and looks around carefully before answering. ]
Of course not. How are you doing?
no subject
I'm glad these things get good reception. [ He takes a deep breath, and tries to not sound worried. ]
Honestly? I'm still trying to wrap my head around what exactly we stumbled into. I can't say it's what I expected. You?
no subject
she sighs, knowing exactly what he means and how he feels. it's been a lot to keep up with and cope with, and she's just been trying to keep up in hopes that it means eventually getting back home and to their daughter safely.
her fingers run over the rattle in her pocket, and she sighs again. ]
Yeah, I am too. I'm trying to focus on what we're supposed to remember, who we're supposed to be aligned with. But I just want to go back home.
no subject
I need to see you. I don't know how these devices work, but why risk someone listening in? [ There. That's some logic. He can't stand doing this again if they can't at least meet. ] There are a ton of empty rooms in this place. We'll find somewhere they won't know to look. A closet, I don't care.
no subject
it's logic. probably not logic that'll stand up, but she doesn't particularly care. she wants to see him, too. ]
Yeah. I think there's bound to be. [ this is nothing they haven't done before, it's even in a more condensed location than they're used to. it'll still be difficult, but worth it. ] How do you want to find one?
no subject
Do you think it'd be too obvious if I wrapped a tie around a doorknob?
[ He's joking. Maybe. That is the universal symbol not to barge in on someone. ]
I'm not sure how closely we're actually being watched. If we wait for it to get dark, I can flash a light you can see from your window and we can find someplace quiet.
no subject
Maybe a sock would work if we can't find a tie. [ they'd just need to find a room for it first, but it sounds as if he might already have an idea for that. ]
Okay. [ maybe it's not a perfect plan, and maybe it's risky. but at least that much is familiar in a place where nothing feels like it is. even if they only end up having a few minutes alone together, it'll be worth it. ] I'll see you soon.
no subject
Leave it to me. I'll send a signal.
[ He spends most of his time before the sun goes down trying to locate somewhere unassuming, which takes longer than he thought it would. True, he had to melt the lock off to get inside, but what he found is more or less an old storage room that hasn't been used in quite some time.
Later he estimates where Lorna's room is from the ground and brings up a hand, emanating his light in discrete flashes to signal that he's found something. Hopefully it's enough. If this works, maybe they can keep using it as long as they're here. ]
no subject
she knows it's something they need to address, eventually, in more depth than they previously have. but it doesn't feel like the time when they still have to sneak around after dark and pretend not to associate with each other in public. it feels important to just be during the moments they've been able to spend together.
it doesn't take her too long to determine the room he's found, and she sticks to the shadows as she moves towards it. if she weren't sure which room it was before, she spots the melted off lock and smiles before knocking lightly on the door. ]
no subject
Worried eyes searches hers for a moment, but he breaks it to draw attention to what he's come up with. ]
What do you think?
[ Like this is their new vacation home. He doesn't know if he's going through more lengths than he needs to, but the room he found feels more comfortably secure. No windows, but he thought ahead enough to bring his own candles that he has lit on top of a crate. There's a suitable amount of dust and it's not very well insulated, but all things considered... ]
It doesn't look like they've used this in a while, so it should work until we find something better.
no subject
she beams, walking up to him and winding her arms around him, pulling him down to kiss her. ]
It's wonderful. [ she'd have been happy just to meet in an empty room, but that he'd gone to the extra effort means the world to her, especially since their options for even seeing each other have been so limited here. ] Thank you.
no subject
It’s not much, but it is the one room that doesn’t look like it belongs in a palace.
[ He should have grabbed some actual chairs too, but if they use it again he can probably manage to dig up something.
They should use their time wisely, he just can’t help it when his thoughts stray whenever he sees her. If she wasn’t around he wouldn’t be dealing with this nearly as well, and it’s still been hard. ]
I missed you. [ If that wasn’t obvious. He smiles and takes a breath to break any tension he’s been holding. ] How are they treating you, really? Because I don’t know about you, but I’m running out of fake errands to send my assistants on.