Something for the SPOEns: "Words are perhaps the most vulgar of all of humanity’s inventions, in that there is no benefit in keeping them sacred and locked away. Their true magic only takes place when they are read and spoken by many." -- RecklessPrudence
Rael looked at the quote on the graffiti wall. Then he looked at the larger tangle of artistic font that sprawled across the greater effort. Once decoded, it read, Evolve or die!. And worse, Shayde had written her quote about words in Latin. A universally-acknowledged dead language.
The weekly SPOEn meeting was due to break up in two hours' time for meals and business. They would definitely pass this way. And they would definitely be incensed.
Rael found some handy cover before he composed Shayde a ping. The message was simple and to the point, Don't you have enough trouble to get into?
She replied with an invitation to go low-g mountain climbing on a passing Kuiper planet. An expedition that would, conveniently, take them both out of communication and revenge range for the rest of the day.
On one hand, she wasn't using food bribery to get him to have fun any more. On the other hand, he really didn't appreciate threats.
Threats were not necessary, he wrote to her.
Her reply was a cryptic series of sigils. o.O OMGWTFBBQ. And then, a bare minute later, Honestly didn't think abt implications. BZ setting up troll. V much sorry. Can arrange NEthing U like. Just say word.
And she was learning, very slowly, that certain tricks would not fly. He signed them both up for a meticulous survey of one of the Labyrinths, for the good of the station. And, co-incidentally, in a comms dead zone.
Boring enough to penalise her lack of forethought and satisfyingly useful enough for his need to be worthy.
Her final ping, before they both embarked towards their meeting point, was three contrite words. I deserved that.
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