PRIVATE ☏ voicemail for jack chessing

[slay]

Hey, Jack. It's Buffy.

I know it's ... it's been a while, but I figured Gar's been updating you and all. Uh, it looks like Wynn's not too happy with how the mission stuff's going -- which, lame, because we're making total progress, but -- [ she stops herself in a way that's sudden enough that it seems like something on her end of the line makes her realize she shouldn't be ... whining about it to jack. ] Right.

Uh, he ordered us all back to the castle, but I figured I'd call and let you know I'm not going with. Myrilandel and I are doing this thing in Chicago. I was gonna say sorry that I'll miss you, but I guess if you're not picking up you're, uh, you're probably not at the castle, anyway.

Anyway. Hope I'm not fired by the time you get this. Call me back if you get the chance.

Comments

[chessing]

[ the return call comes about two hours later. ]

Buffy?

[slay]

Jack! Hey! Long time, huh?

[dragonsclaw]

Regretfully, yes, though I would hope for not much longer.

I was hoping you might be able to explain the situation in Chicago that has necessitated your urgent attention.

[slay]

Oh, it's um -- Well, see, we came to Italy looking for Angelo Nassi, this Shadowkind guy who sold his DNA to some sketchy record company, right? And -- Gar told you that the Eternal Jade's a person, right? A girl.

Anyway, Nassi was at this singer's show, and it turns out he's Shadowkind too, and he's, like, working some resistance movement. More importantly, he knows Jade. So, we're taking him to her. You know. In exchange for his cooperation and help with our, uh, talisman-finding. He wants to help us figure out what Nova wants with Shadowkind DNA.

[dragonsclaw]

It sounds like an impressive breakthrough.

... Might I ask why you thought the trip to Chicago couldn't wait the day it would take to see what Wynn wished to ask of you? [ it's not judgmental, simply an honest question, or at least it sounds that way ]

[slay]

Because ... [ ... good question. impatience, mostly, which is clear in the meek way she says 'because.' ] Because I didn't think he'd want us to go if he decides to take us off the case, and I wanted to make sure Rafael gets reunited with her? It seems like they were, um. Close. You know?

[dragonsclaw]

... A romantic notion. [ he sounds like he thinks that's kind of cute, now like he's going to bitch her out, at least. ]

[slay]

I know that it sounds lame, but Jack, you didn't see him. He thought she was gone. I just, I have to get him back to her.

[chessing]

The course of true love never did run smooth.

I'm sure Wynn won't hold it against you, not in the long run.

[slay]

Well, apparently he thinks he's got enough to hold against us without this on the list. [ grumble grumble. ] Does this mean you're gonna be there when I get back? [ /hopeful. ]

[chessing]

I wouldn't count it quite yet. There's been a... development.

But I would caution the lot of you not to take it too harshly that you've been recalled. It may have nothing to do with your performance at all. Wynn thinks... strategically, but he doesn't think of us all as merely pawns.

[slay]

He's an ocean away from everything that's happened. We're leaps and bounds ahead of where we were when we left. How can he know what the right strategic call is when he isn't the one who's been here?

[chessing]

The world is somewhat smaller than you give it credit for. And he has been at this for... quite some time, you know.

[slay]

penis

[slay]

Probably centuries. I get that. But those are centuries that this Talisman hasn't been found in, and in five months, we've gotten a lot closer to it than we're getting credit for if we're being pulled back now. No amount of experience changes that he's hearing it all secondhand because he's not actually here. He has no idea what kind of progress we've made.

[dragonsclaw]

Then perhaps he merely needs to hear more than what has been reported.

[slay]

If you're back by the time Myri and I come back to the castle and Wynn doesn't decide to keep us there ... are you gonna come back out with us? [ no she doesn't care about wild changes of conversation topic because she's getting all of her childishness out in one go. it's not fair. others have their knights along for the ride to observe them. kat promoted myri because she got to see how well she's been doing. it's hard not to feel the absence of her own, even as close as she's gotten to kat. ]

[chessing]

I imagine Wynn would find it beneficial to have a Dragon's Claw on the case, considering the importance of the artifact.

[slay]

Wait, seriously? You mean it? [ omg blind hope pays off. ]

[dragonsclaw]

It certainly isn't an impossibility.

[slay]

[ yaaaaaay ]

Well, in that case, I'll talk to you about the other stuff when we're back in England. [ c: c: c: she was going to mention david anders but now she's just going to ... leave that for another time. ] And hopefully I'll see you in a couple days.

[chessing]

A few days might be too early an estimate.

[slay]

I was shooting for optimism.

[chessing]

Sometimes it's difficult to tell with Americans.

[slay]

... Are you sure you don't have that backwards?

[dragonsclaw]

Quite.

Will that be all for now, Buffy?

[slay]

Uh, yeah. Yeah. I'll see you soon.

[dragonsclaw]

Do take care.