riverviewlogs | closed to starters;

[It's implied, and Bryn catches it. One of the good things about Taako is that there are so many things they can leave unsaid, knowing the other will already catch it, understand it. So she just nods. Yes, she gets it. She didn't expect Thor to handle it well that she'd left, and that he and Taako hooked up...

It is what it is, isn't it? Another one of those situations where she can't change anything, just accept it.]

Loki punched him? [That surprises her.] I can't really hold it against Thor. I left, and he didn't know if I'd ever come back. I didn't know. He knew that...that he was free to do whatever he needed or wanted to cope or move on. Interesting that Loki punched him over it...

[How 'bout that side-long glance, Taako.]

[Why must everyone @ him about this.]

Uh, first of all, I dunno if I'd call it moving on, more like a stupid one night stand but listen...

[He has....... nothing to say in his defence? He takes a sip of his tea as if that can buy him much time.]

Turns out Loki gets possessive, who knew.

[we been knew]

[Bryn lifts an eyebrow at Taako, fighting a smile.]

Who knew.

[Right. Time for that thing where they speak without words because Bryn is giving him a Look that clearly asks if he's actually surprised to learn about this.]

[a little indignant:]

It's not like we're fucking or anything! I didn't think it was that big of a deal. [Taako, underestimating how much Loki cares about him since day one.] Anyway I got a fuckload of diamonds out of it so I kinda win.

[She snorts.]

You got to fuck Thor and you got a fuckload of diamonds for it. Thor...got to fuck you and got punched for it.

[Leaning forward, she scrubs her face with her hand, shaking her head. Okay maybe she's grinning a little.]

Are diamonds the universal sign for "everything is okay now"?

[Taako is nice enough to cover his laughter with a cough, although maybe that's more for the next bit:]

Well, they're set in what's basically a collar, so I dunno if it was an "everything is okay now" sorta gesture, more like, uh...

[Wow isn't his drink super fascinating, actually. He's just gonna let Bryn fill in the blanks on that one.]

Anyway! What's up with you?

[smooooth]

[Wow.

Loki bought Taako a diamond collar.

Bryn gives him another, pointed look...but says nothing. Not yet.]

Well, I'm back. I...I ended up back in Rhevidjan where I'd been running before. Managed to lose the people after me because I wasn't blonde anymore, got past the border and back into Askoupur in time to track down my father before his trainee got him killed. Didn't get through unscathed but mom and my other dad think the scar on his cheek gives him an attractive sort or rogue look going on to match his personality so... [Bryn shrugs.] Mission accomplished there. It was a near thing...

[If she'd been ten minutes later it might have all gone to crap, and she'd have been down from three parents to two.]

[As much as it was a diversion tactic, he does genuinely want to know about what's been happening with her, which is rare for him, so this is True Friendship.]

I'm glad he's safe, bubbale. [He knows how important her family is to her, something that he can definitely understand.] You made the right decision.

[She doesn't need any kind of approval from him, but that's not why he's saying it, he just thinks it might help to hear it, to know that it wasn't a mistake to leave.]

[She knows she made the right call, and her parents are alive and whole because of it...but she also knows that she left them behind and even if it's with their blessing she's still adjusting to that fact.]

Yeah. Wasn't an easy decision, though. I mean, going back yes, that...that was the right thing. It was important that I went back and I saved him. But I had to tell them the truth about everything. Not just where I'd been for almost a year but the truth about my work...

[Bryn takes a longer sip of the tea, glad to have that slight burn of alcohol on her tongue.]

And I had to tell them and face them when I told them that I'd be wishing with all my heart to come back here even though it meant leaving them forever.

[That must've been tricky, he knows how important her secrets were to her, as difficult as they were to keep. He sort of idly realizes that he has a lot of friends with secrets, but that's neither here nor there.]

So this is it, you're gonna stay in the Quarantine?

[She nods.]

Yeah, I am. I can be more here. Live more. [A stupid little smile crosses her face.] Love more.

[Her arms slide up briefly as she stretches them above her head.]

It's worth all the months I spent in front of the Council getting debriefed by them, the Twelve, and anyone else they deemed necessary.

[After all, she couldn't not tell them about Riverview. Not with the other Askoupurans already here, some of whom Bryn knew wanted to return. Perhaps they could find a way here, or a way to give the people with the portal better control. It was worth a try.]

[He makes a point to wrinkle his nose at that love more, just to be a bit silly with it, because he thinks Bryn will get some amusement out of it.]

Should we be expecting a bunch of your friends to roll up and take control of the portal or are we good?

[Not to make assumptions but he doesn't trust most governments not to act purely in their own self interest.]

[Yes, yes, Taako. It's terribly cheesy, she knows, and she doesn't care. Just for that she presses a smacking kiss to his cheek, because yes, that means him as well.]

We're good, I think. This particular Council has no interest in expanding the borders in a cross-dimensional way, and even if they did, they don't have the magic or the tech to manage anything. The deities...they were curious of course. But the compact that sustains them and keeps them present also keeps them bound to the land and our people. If they manage to come here I imagine the most they'd do is offer aid with the portal if possible or at the very least offer to help get any ex-pats home who want to leave.

[She pauses a beat.]

That isn't to say that people will stop showing up, however, even if the deities now know why some of our people have disappeared inexplicably.

[Gross, feelings.

He loves it.]

I guess that's good to know, not that I wouldn't like - mind a change in who's in charge around here cause I'm over the bullshit but no one needs another big fight about it.

[He's read enough about the original wars to know better. Talking about that isn't as fun, though.]

I'm glad you're back, bubbale, for real.

[Laying her head against his shoulder once more, Bryn takes a slow, deep breath. There's still a little smile on her lips as she settles in.]

Me too. And hey, so you remember the kind of work I did back home?

[She's got news!]

[He missed his tiny friend.]

Oh, sure, you were what, a librarian?

[He's being a shit, he remembers what her job was.]

Mm, yes. A librarian. Dangerous work.

[Bryn stretches her legs out this time before tucking them back onto the couch again.]

Going to do the same kind of work here. Got officially discharged with honors back home so...no conflict of interest. Means I'll be in town more, for one thing.

Are you allowed to tell me that's your job or am I in on your shady spy shit now?

[It's not like he really cares, he just wants to clarify exactly how discreet he has to be with this piece of information.]

You knew it was my job back home before I left here. You and Thor. Cassian suspected though I didn't confirm anything to him of course.

[She breathes in deeply, exhales.]

You would have guessed when I didn't return to surveying and my schedule changed, and I made it a condition that I be allowed to reveal it to those who already knew. You still can't tell anyone but at least now when I say I had a shit day at the office I'll be able to tell someone who has an understanding of what that might entail. It was shitty having to hide everything from my family, and I told them I wasn't going to do it again.

[With this family.]

[Bold of her to assume that he pays enough attention to anyone's schedule but his own.]

So I better put a hold on the instagram announcement about your new job? [He's obviously joking, he might not be great at sneaky spy shit but he knows how to keep his mouth shit about important shit.] That was a good call on the conditions, I wanna hear as much about your shitty days as you can tell me.

[He's a good friend.]

[Don't lie, you'd totally notice when Bryn was suddenly available at more times than usual for drinks, and different times of the day than usual. Taako, search your soul, you know it to be true that you're going to be keeping an eye on her for a while now that she's back.]

Should be fun. I can tell you my exciting stories in skulking around dangerous places and eating bad take-out while waiting for hours for something to happen.

[Okay, her stories might be more exciting but she won't pretend there isn't a lot of boring stuff to slog through first.]

This is exactly why I don't do spy bullshit, I couldn't handle the bad take-out.

[It has nothing to do with the fact he emotes very obviously and bad at lying when it isn't about hiding his own personal secrets.]

[She's a good enough friend right now to not call him on that shit.]

I know. Which is why I hope you'll be kind and deliver delicious things to me on occasion when it's safe to do so.

[The request comes paired with batting eyelashes. Pretty please, Taako?]

Have mercy on my stomach?

You know I can turn invisible, right? I don't think you gotta worry about me blowing your cover.

[Which is to say: he'll make her meals when she's on stakeouts, because no one needs to live on a diet of fast food.]

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