004 ★ text; encrypted

[mathemagician]

[The pyjaks and the varren aren't very concerning, but the water going out had made Kengo concerned from the beginning. Something like this didn't just happen so easily. So, he'd volunteered to work with getting the water lines back on and operating. What he hadn't expected was that fires would start while he was working to get everything online. As soon as he catches the news, he sends a message to the network. He doesn't like being underground and out of the way, unable to help like he had the time before.]

Someone give me a status report. Where is the fire and how bad is it? I need specifics.

[This message is nothing like the ones Kengo had sent before. He learned his way around an omni-tool and has every possible defense up against being traced or having his messages tied to him.]


[A few minutes later, a separate, less heavily encrypted message is sent along to Ryusei's omni-tool.]
Where are you? Are you okay?

Comments

text

[asteroidbelt]

[Give him like a full minute to debate whether to use voice or text.]

That's my question.

[text]

[mathemagician]

I can't tell you.

Are you safe?

[text]

[asteroidbelt]

[Depends on the definition of "safe."]

Unburnt. [I'd tell you about the fire, but I assume by this encryption that you don't want these messages associated with each other.]

What can't you tell me? [That you're okay, or where you are?]

[text]

[mathemagician]

[You would be correct. There's a reason I kept them separate and tried to make them as different as possible.]

I'm safe, so don't worry.

[text]

[asteroidbelt]

Not good enough.

[text]

[mathemagician]

[There's a few minutes before Kengo responds again, too busy focusing on fixing the damages.]

Just trust me, Sakuta. I'm fine. I promise.

[voice]

[asteroidbelt]

[Got frustrated with text.]

How do I know that?!

[text]

[mathemagician]

[That makes him recoil a bit, but he's still not sure if he should say or not...]

Because I'm asking you to trust me. I'll meet up with you soon, okay? Just tell me where.

[text]

[asteroidbelt]

Your workplace. I'm holding you to it.

[text]

[mathemagician]

I'll meet you there once things calm down.

Be careful. I don't want to lose you.

[Maybe he shouldn't have worded it like that, but there are few other ways he could get his point across so well.]

[text]

[asteroidbelt]

[...] [A few minutes later]

Worry about yourself first.

[text]

[mathemagician]

[Kengo takes about ten minutes to respond this time, both distracted by working and unsure about what to say.]

No.

The person I'm with will keep me safe.

[text]

[asteroidbelt]

[Would "are you sure you trust whoever that is" be rude to type? ... Hypocritical, maybe?]

Fine.

[text + action]

[mathemagician]

I'm on my way.

[It's nearly three hours later when Kengo messages Ryusei back again, having made a side stop to stash his armor and other equipment before going to the Ariake Technologies shop. He's clearly worn out, looking almost ready to collapse from all of the work he's put in. His arms ache and his thoughts are muddled. Sitting down and doing nothing sounds like the best idea in a long time.

As soon as he's at the shop, Kengo sits down at his usual spot, nearly collapsing once he's down. That really had been almost too difficult to pull off.]

[action]

[asteroidbelt]

Where were you?

[mathemagician]

[Kengo keeps his head down at first, shoulders tensing as though he's expecting to be yelled at. He still has his gun with him, though the armor is somewhere entirely separate.]

I was working.

[asteroidbelt]

What were you working on that you needed your weapon?

[mathemagician]

[ . . . ]

It's a safety precaution. With everything that's going on, I didn't know what else to expect. I've been trying to keep an eye on things.

[asteroidbelt]

[You didn't know about the fire.] What things?

[mathemagician]

[well, I found out afterwards.] What's going on. You weren't here when everything happened last time. I made it my job to keep everyone updated with the situation. This time, I was trying to figure out what was going on. Everything about this is suspicious.

[asteroidbelt]

Suspicious enough that you couldn't tell me where you were?

[mathemagician]

[cough.]

I don't want to talk about it.

[asteroidbelt]

About what?

[mathemagician]

What I was doing.

[Not that I don't trust you, but... I don't trust you.]

[asteroidbelt]

Who were you with? [I'll beat it out of someone else, then.]

[mathemagician]

We're both safe. Isn't that what matters? [You can try. I don't think you'd win.]

[asteroidbelt]

...

It's not enough.

[mathemagician]

[He gives a frustrated sigh, tilting his head up and leaning back in the chair.] Fine. What do you want to hear?

[asteroidbelt]

Where were you. What you were doing.

[mathemagician]

I don't know exactly where I was. I was helping fix some of the systems. Everything's online now and back in working order, so I don't need to do anything else.

[Purposely avoiding getting more detailed than that. He would rather not admit he was working with a mercenary group with how angry Ryusei's acting.]

I was worried about you...

[asteroidbelt]

[Those things don't warrant any secrecy. Damnit.]

I'll take your word for it.

[mathemagician]

[It still feels strange to admit it, since I feel all suspicious.]

Let's just go back, all right? I'm not feeling well.