inbox.

[heorte]

Comments

[acreage]

[ but then, more seriously, ]

I could ask someone else. I'm not trying to make you do anything. They both have friends here, or they will.

[ and one another, for that matter; he's made a request like this to naomi, before. but that was home, not in thedas, a different place with different rules and a very different status assigned to them. which — they'd also have the organization of riftwatch, for that matter. this isn't a request coming from a place of rationality. ]

It'd just make me feel better, [ and the words twist, self-deprecating, this is a selfishness, ] to know someone else would keep an eye on them.

[ and maybe, goes un-admitted, some of his faith in riftwatch has gone shaken after the dream; at least concerning rifter's interests. ellis might've been absent for a lot of the dream, but that also meant he wasn't part of certain decisions they both hate. ]

[heorte]

[ Had he asked this of someone before he'd vanished in that dream? Ellis doesn't remember, and it doesn't matter regardless.

How can he say no now? Knowing what it means to Holden, knowing it's a kindess? ]

Aye, I understand.

[ The names are almost unnecessary. Ellis can guess at them. ]

Anything you need.

[acreage]

[ there's a pause before he answers, long enough for a person to breathe out with some measure of relief, cover his face briefly. but he only says — ]

Thank you.

[heorte]

[ it's polite to ignore the weight of that gratitude, right? ]

Amos? [ he prompts. ] Who else am I missing?

[acreage]

Amos. [ agreed. and: ] Naomi Nagata. She's a new arrival; you'll meet her sooner rather than later.

[ he knows amos AND holden, and everyone in research basically, he's going to meet her. ]

[heorte]

Aye, I'll look out for her. For them both.

[ An easy promise, but as long as he's making promises of any sort— ]

And you'll do something for me. In exchange.

[acreage]

[ it's because this is ellis, and the magnitude of what he just asked for, that he says, ]

I can do that. What do you need?

[heorte]

Wysteria. Tony. Richard.

[ Surely Holden gets the gist of it. He doesn't need to know that Ellis likely has worse odds than he does in terms of longevity, just that this is what needs to be done. ]

[acreage]

[ he remembers: i was attending to warden business. and, only a moment ago: wardens aren't known for their longevity.

readily, ]

Of course.

[heorte]

[ passing urge to clarify: with your life.

but that's unfair. so he doesn't. ]

Alright then.

[acreage]

[ that awkward pause after you've swapped promises to protect people if one of you dies, for absolutely no reason whatsoever, everything here is fine. he considers adding, with my life, or, i promise.

instead, ]

If I find a lead worth following, you'll be the first to know.

[ from the letters. ]

[heorte]

Only if it's something I can help with. Might be better off bringing anything to the Commander.

[acreage]

[ a sound, assenting. but: ]

I'll keep you in the loop.