hasaknightjob | Midnight Manor Private Residence, Saturday Night

Marc didn't want to talk to anybody. In general, really, but particularly not this weekend. With like two notable exceptions. But Marc often didn't get what he wanted so here he was on the phone with Layla.

"It's one thing if you don't want to take the time to see me when you're in town," Layla said.

"Steven and Watts were doing a thing!" Marc said. Which wasn't, yanno, not true. It just skipped over the other reason why Marc wanted to lay low that week.

"Which is fine," Layla told him, more firmly like she felt like he wasn't listening to her. "But if you're doing things in my territory - "

"What things?" Marc asked. He paced back and forth along the hallway of the first floor. Not that it did anything but it helped to get the energy out. "I wasn't there, remember?"

"Oh, so it was someone else?" It wasn't a video call but Marc could see the dubious look on Layla's face all the same. "Marc, I get it. You think you have to go it alone. But you could at least do me the courtesy of telling me something is going on where I live."

Marc blinked. And blinked again. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Alexandria?" she prompted.

Marc frantically cast his thoughts back through anything that week. Yeah there'd been that blackout but Steven had just gone to sleep outside, right? It hadn't lasted long enough for -

"Layla," Marc said, now letting her hear some of his uncertainty. "Run it by me again. Tell me what you know like I don't know it."

There was a pause. When she spoke again, she sounded more patient. "There were reports of someone dealing with some smugglers over in Alexandria. Matching your description. Suit, moons, all of it."

Marc felt a sinking feeling in his stomach. "When was - "

"Last night."

And now Marc was blinking again.

"Layla, we've been here all week." Okay, Watts and Steven had added a couple of days on the tail end there but they'd been back most of the week and that's what counted. "On the island."

"What?"

"All week," Marc said. Again, close enough since the point was last night. "Whoever the fuck people are telling you about, it's not me."

Marc could practically see her look of confusion. "Then who?"

"Maybe whoever told you is lying," Marc said. "Could be trying to fuck with you."

Marc didn't say that clearly fucking with her had worked but his tone kind of implied it.

"Good news is they overplayed their hand," Marc added, because he was trying to be slightly less of an asshole. "Now you know they don't know I'm not around. Might be something you could use."

"Maybe," she said, absently. Marc could tell she was trying to adjust to the new information.

"If you need help I'm there," Marc added. Again, trying to be less of an asshole. Also he would've gone to help her if he knew she needed it regardless of whether or not she asked.

"I'll let you know," she said. The way she said it made it clear she wasn't putting high odds on needing to make that phone call. "You swear it wasn't you?"

"Wasn't me," Marc said. He couldn't fault her for doubting his honesty. "If I'm doing shit in your neck of the woods I will tell you if it's something you need to know."

"Right," Layla said, with a flatness that suggested she'd been well aware of the conditional part of his statement. "Fine. I'll tell you if there's anything you need to know about what's going on."

Conditional for conditional. Not like Marc could judge. "Thanks."

Another pause as Marc actually using that word meant Layla needed a moment. There was a sound like maybe she was starting to say something, then changed her mind.

"Tell Steven I said happy birthday."

Marc winced. She said it sincerely, but he winced all the same.

"I will," Marc replied. He hung up before the conversation could go any further.

Marc then went to find Watts.

[for Watts]

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From:

hasaknightjob

Marc took another drink. This time just so he could think about what Watts said. No real need behind it.

"We weren't too subtle when we were fighting Ammit," he said, thinking back to it. "People probably figured out the connection there, even if they didn't make the jump to me and Layla personally."

Of course Layla didn't wear a mask and Marc had taken his off more than once in that fight, but still.

From:

pocketpretzels

"Still," Watts said, around a sip of his own. "There's a finite number of people who'd make all those connections and have reason to try and get her attention."

From:

hasaknightjob

"Most are gonna be in Egypt though," Marc pointed out. "As are the people who don't like her."

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pocketpretzels

"Ah, but that's good," Watts said. "Helps narrow down the suspect pool."

From:

hasaknightjob

"She said she'd let me know if anything else came up," Marc said. Then, rolling his eyes, "If I needed to know."

Like he hadn't given her the exact same if.

From:

pocketpretzels

"Did I not hear you offer the same condition regarding your actual presence in her 'neck of the woods' as you put it?" Watts asked.

From:

hasaknightjob

"That's different," Marc said. He went to refill his glass. Don't mind him.

From:

pocketpretzels

"It is not."

From:

hasaknightjob

"Mine is a good reason," Marc said.

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pocketpretzels

"As opposed to...?" Watts asked pointedly.

From:

hasaknightjob

"A bad one," Marc replied, smirking.

What? He so rarely got to make jokes.

From:

pocketpretzels

"Marc." Watts rolled his eyes. "You know what I meant."

From:

hasaknightjob

"I'll tell her if she needs telling," Marc said. "Why bother her otherwise?"

From:

pocketpretzels

"Because you seem put out by her imposing an identical condition on you," he replied.

From:

hasaknightjob

"I can't help if I don't know what's going on," Marc said.

There was zero double standard here. None.

From:

pocketpretzels

"Hmm," Watts said around a mouthful of pie. "Exactly."

From:

hasaknightjob

"Thank you," Marc said, as though Watts was fully agreeing with him. "Least someone around here sees it."

From:

pocketpretzels

"The reverse is also true," Watts pointed out.

From:

hasaknightjob

"She doesn't need to worry about shit she doesn't need to know," Marc said.

Again, zero double standards with him.

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pocketpretzels

"Perhaps she feels the same about you," Watts pointed out.

From:

hasaknightjob

"Why?" Marc asked.

Somewhere Steven was sighing.

From:

pocketpretzels

"Because she doesn't want to trouble you unnecessarily," Watts suggested.

From:

hasaknightjob

"I guess," Marc said. He punctuated that with more pie, stabbing his fork down into his slide as though doing so made a point of some kind. Other than the points on the tines of the fork of course. "Least she's got the hippo looking out for her."