ᵏⁿᵒʷ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵈᵒ

       “ i dunno,  but you could always try  CHRISTIAN MINGLE  if ya don’t wanna see dicks! ”

Daryl stirred awake with a low groan, sitting up and wincing at the throbbing pain in his head. He blinked away the fuzziness in his vision and tried his best to focus on the blurry figure in front of him. He wasn’t familiar ( though Daryl couldn’t even see his face ). At least, he didn’t sound familiar.

  ❛  Where am I?  ❜  He grunted out, looking at the bowl and squinting at its contents, but not making a move to take it. He didn’t know who this guy was; the shit could’ve been poison. Then again, why would Daryl be safe in a small room if the stranger wanted him dead? Reluctantly, much like a stray cat accepting a scrap of food, he took the bowl and nodded his head.

Of course the man would be hesitant to accept whatever he had to offer. They were strangers and had run across people in the worst possible situations. The only reason Yuuta was so relaxed around the man was because he had taken the more dangerous of weapons off of his person and hidden it.

         “ You fell down a steep slope and nearly split your head on a rock. You’re lucky I came across you before a few wanderers caught you. ” Looking to the man as he stood there in the doorway of his small hut, Yuuta turned and held out something akin to a bowl with a dark broth and other pieces in there. “ Your stomach growled while you were unconscious. And I heard you looking for your crossbow. You’re not getting it until I can trust you. ”

             “I look like a contractor to you?” The word had a different meaning to him than it perhaps did to most. His mind immediately associated the word with military contractors specifically, BLACK WATER had been what he’d normally run into over seas.  He’d never met a contractor that was as dedicated to something as he’d been. At the end of they day they were just getting paid to do something they didn’t care much for either way. He feels that it couldn’t be much different than an assassin or something of the line, it was just a JOB. “I’m self employed,” though he wasn’t sure EMPLOYED was the best word choice, it was what this man would understand.

         “  I CAN DROP BY THE STATEMAN HEADQUARTERS NEXT WEEK ; i’m there for a week, as eggsy is helping out. so i’m joining him.  ” more often than not, she enjoyed her visits in their hq. it was becoming a home away from home much like the kingsman hq was for her in london. “ that would be lovely, thank you.  ”

❝Fair point—❞ Nimble fingers pluck down one of the paper birds flying overhead smoothly for a quick initial before he’s easing out of his seat & over to the coat rack. ❝There’s fish and chips at the pub two blocks down, or….Italian, with slightly questionable but hearty sauces. A Greek cafe—And Thai food.❞ James is no stranger to the muggle population, but there’s no doubt he finds the curious glances into the interrogations office entertaining. It’s rare to have an American guest in the ministry—But for the most part? His father’s colleagues were amiable & it had seemed like the most neutral ground to interview.  ❝Do you feel like a walk? Or would another round of sidelong apparition be too much in one day…❞ 

It has been years. Last she recalled seeing Yuuta, Diem was still under training– not even a candidate yet. Buzzed hair, paler skin, a colder appearance. Looking back at old photos it was like seeing somebody completely different than who stood before her in a mirror today. Long hair like her mother’s, gentle smile like her father’s, and a cold-killer stare like her mentor’s.

An ever gentle smile replaces the outward act. It was like removing a mask of enthusiasm and settling into the comfort of tenderness, of reservation. Her shoulders give a long shrug, hands still in her pockets as she regards the other.

       “ He liked a very secret life, “   she notes.   “ but he figured it was time to use his name. —I would like to catch up, but maybe someplace else? “

As long as it had been, it was good to see her again. Though he only knew so much from what Ruou had told him, Yuuta knew that she was being trained to be an optimal agent. Diem was nothing like the child he had met. Much brighter in demeanor from then, much stronger. He smiles back to her and nods as she spoke about Tuan Le.

        “ oh,  so he didn’t  WARN  ya.  yeah,  that’s the whole point o’  grindr  an’  tinder  an’ stuff.  people like sendin’ those  nudes  instead of havin’ meaningful conversations nowadays. ”

“ Death is kind whenever it comes, only cruel when its visit is prolonged indefinitely. ”

“ … Now, just because you are being overly dramatic and practically begging, I’m going to keep this folder where you can’t get to it. Just to further your suffering because this whole play is quite amusing. ”