text, u.n: J

[enarms]

Can't help but notice it's been a couple of days without anyone talking about murder. Are we all feeling alright?

Comments

[enarms]

He's got a habit of getting into trouble. I like to make sure he gets out of it alright

[ don't mention the Danger Thing™ ]

[insurgent]

and if you get into trouble?

[enarms]

He likes to make sure I get out of it alright too

[ regularly..... after every kidnapping...... ]

[insurgent]

[ oh wow... having a loyal partner who doesn't leave you behind... sounds nice... ]

that's lucky

[enarms]

It is yeah

What about you? Have a job back where you came from?

[ one day soon he'll learn to stop asking questions altogether but for now ]

[insurgent]

[ geez john, this is a complicated question!! ]

job is a strong word

former soldier
then [ thief, forger, merc? ] a drifter

[enarms]

[ oh



huh ]

Me too. Ex-army.

[ who happened to drift rather quickly into the path of a certain consulting detective, thank god ]

[insurgent]

[ oh. ]

why ex?

[ another question that should not be asked, perhaps. ]

[enarms]

Got shot. I'm a doctor, so it put me out of commission. I was invalided home.

[ strange the things you don't mind discussing with people who wear some form of shared experience ]

[insurgent]

[ solidarity or something like it. she feels obligated to offer information in return. ]

an operation went sideways
i was left behind
not dead
but adrift

are you recovering?

[ his use of the past tense would suggest as much, but. ]

[enarms]

[ oh. jesus, that's hard ]

I'm sorry to hear it

Recovered, mostly. Scar tissue and occasional pain, but I'm otherwise in one piece and fully operational.

[ there's the rest of it, the nights, but there's always the rest of it. it's not something that needs a mention ]

[insurgent]

we're here now

[ so she avoids dwelling on it. ]

good for you
though i suppose detecting requires less physical exertion, anyway

[ than being an army doctor. ]

[enarms]

[ it's a good attitude to have.

avoiding dwelling on anything about the fundamentals of this situation, actually, seems like the best way to go ]

You'd be surprised

[ yes, mostly, but also the ratio of yes to no really isn't what it ought to be ]

[insurgent]

[ oh really? ]

sounds like it

[ lively murder scenes, huh. ]

[enarms]

First case had me running over rooftops chasing after a taxi. It's a charmed life

[insurgent]

[ well well well ]

a surprisingly thrilling one
will you keep it up?

[enarms]

I don't know that there'll be much call for it

[insurgent]

even with all the chatter?

[ the murder chatter. ]

[enarms]

I'm not the police. And with how happy people are to brag about their intentions over these things, there won't be a lot of detecting to do

[insurgent]

fair enough
i guess we'll drift for now

[ until opportunities arise. ]

> private

[enarms]

I guess so.

[ and - actually, things have started moving in ways that having this person as an actual contact might prove a good idea later. so, privating the feed: ]

John Watson, by the way. For potential future reference.

private

[insurgent]

[ huh.

she makes a note of that. ]

asta caplin
see you in the future, then

private

[enarms]

Yeah. Try not to drift off