Brand New (OTA) [video]

[runes_brand]

[Brand has been kidnapped, disarmed, and tortured with bad slide shows, electric shocks, and small talk. Today can officially get fucked. At least fallout from the fucking "Go-Away bombs" hasn't suppressed his bond to Rune -- he can feel him just fine, even if he's not entirely sure what to make about the emotions he's getting. But that can be resolved and soon as he fucking finds Rune, which would be easier if he had any fucking idea of where to start.

The sensor in front of the Mess only gets a scowl, and Brand stalks off to find another place to hole up and try and get in touch with Rune. It doesn't take him long to find something that looks like a corporate break room threw up on itself.

When an unfamiliar face appears on the network, it's wearing a near-homicidal expression, because that's just how Brand looks when he doesn't fucking know where Rune is.]

Where the [BEEP] is Rune Saint John?

[Do you answer this angry stranger about one of your fellow New Hires? Or do you try to find out more?]

Comments

[runes_brand]

[Brand absolutely feels Rune's relief, and grits his teeth to keep from yelling into his comm for Rune to fucking answer his. He's pacing the room like an animal in a too-small cage by the time he hears the sound of approaching footsteps. At which point, he throws his comm in the direction of a piece of furniture and dashes out the door, using the frame as an anchor point so he doesn't have to slow down to turn into the hallway.

There he is. There he is. There he is.

Brand only stops so that he can brace himself for the collision, because otherwise they're just going to end up in a pile on the floor, like assholes.]

[hot_dad]

[Listen. Maybe Brand's only been here a few hours, but Rune is fully willing to be assholes at this point.

Something about the intensity of that relief might even tip Brand off. It's not like they've never been separated for a while before, even if weird dangerous situations, so it just seems like a bit much. Maybe enough to break through Brand's you fucking asshole where have you been instinct.

But yeah. The collision happens, like Rune hasn't seen Brand in months – because he hasn't. He throws his arms around Brand's shoulders, heedless of whether it'll knock his Companion off his feet, and immediately plants his face in that space between shoulder and neck. It feels like home, and not much has since he's been here.]

[runes_brand]

[The emotions that Brand's been getting through their bond have been fucking intense, one of the reasons he's been so agitated. Not that the whole situation isn't plenty fucking agitating on it's own, but something is going on and Brand doesn't know what yet. And if something is going on that Brand doesn't know about, then it's a major fucking problem and they need to deal with it.

So he's not going to bitch about Rune taking forever to check the communications network and find him, he's going to hold him tight and let Rune bury his face in his neck, and also turn them so that Rune's between him and the wall and he's between Rune and everything else.]

Hey. Got you. I'm here.

[The words come out more as a rumble than anything else, and he rubs his jaw across the side of Rune's head in place of pressing their foreheads together.]

I got you.

[hot_dad]

[God. Brand makes him feel like a kid again. It's the overprotectiveness, sure, but also just the nostalgia of it. It's too easy to remember every instance of Brand just automatically slotting himself between Rune and anything even potentially threatening, all the way back to when they were toddlers getting their first haircuts. Never before has a small child been ready to fight an adult just for holding a pair of scissors.]

Yeah. About time.

[It's muffled against Brand's uniform, but there's no heat in it. As if he could be upset at Brand about anything right now. Even the prickle of stubble against the side of his head is strangely comforting.]

[runes_brand]

[Now that Rune isn't flooding their bond with relief like he's a drowning man catching a life preserver, Brand starts steering them back to the room where he'd been lurking. It's not very private, but it's more private than the open hallway and they need to talk about what the fuck is going on here.

Brand slides his hand up to the back of Rune's neck, which confirms that Rune's not wearing his sigils. He'd expected that, but Rune's hair also seems shaggier, even by quarantine standards. And...

Brand moves his hand back down to Rune's bicep and gives it an experimental squeeze. Something seems off...]

[hot_dad]

[A part of him wants to protest being directed around like that, but...yeah, no, they're getting weird looks from passing Jorgmund staff. Privacy is probably for the best.

It's not like it's much of a break from all the blessedly familiar contact. Brand's immediately got hands on him again, and it'd probably read as more intimate touching if Rune didn't know him so well, couldn't feel the tinge of suspicion coming through their Companion bond. He rolls his eyes, shrugging off the probing hand.]

Can you give it at least a day before you start critiquing my muscle density? I haven't seen you in forever, let me actually enjoy it for a bit.

[runes_brand]

[Rune is free to protest being moved to a more secure location at any time. They can argue about it as Brand moves them to the more secure location anyway. That would be more fun than the picture Brand is assembling in his head right now, which he can't see yet but doesn't fucking like the shape of. The relief on his end at finding Rune is giving way to a thrumming tension.]

The fuck?

[Then, almost reluctantly, since he needs answers that he suspects he's going to hate:]

I just saw you before I ended up here.

[hot_dad]

[...Ah. That would explain why Brand hadn't been the one tackling him to the ground. Huh. Well, that does line up with things he's heard from other people.

But it's fairly rare for him to know shit that Brand doesn't outside the realm of magic or court politics. Rune's grin gets just a teensy bit smug.]

You don't know?

[Humor him, he's in a good mood.]

There's some kind of time magic involved in all this. Or at least, something close enough.

[runes_brand]

[Fucking time magic.]

Yes, Rune, they just let me out of the world's worst job interview and I'm already caught up on everything.

[He spins his hand in a circle to indicate that Rune should keep talking as the two of them enter the room where Brand abandoned his communicator.]

Spit it out already.

[hot_dad]

You're usually pretty on the ball.

[Is that a compliment or giving Brand shit? Both, probably.

But he can only distract with humor for so long, so he sighs.]

It's been a little over a month from my perspective.

[It felt a lot longer, though, between missions and murderspirits and the 3:1 irl to game time ratio.]

[runes_brand]

[Yep, he doesn't like that at all.

Brand gives Rune a stricken look, trying not to let the horror he feels at those words flood their bond.]

A month? A fucking month?

[Brand gets twitchy contemplating going a full day without seeing Rune, and that's with their bond intact and no obvious oncoming threats. He'd almost thrown down with the Tower for suggesting he let Rune walk into danger without him for less than a week. And it's been a month?]

Fuck.

[He hauls Rune in for another hug. A month. A fucking month.

He's going to kill these people slowly.]

[hot_dad]

[Rune doesn't need the Companion bond to know how Brand is reacting to that revelation, no matter how much he tries to keep a lid on it. Brand can barely stand him being on his own for a few hours in a high end restaurant with his boyfriend. This shit? He's sure Brand would be murdering someone for even suggesting it if it wasn't already too late.

The hug is also pretty good at communicating some thoughts on the matter, though. Rune sinks into the embrace easily and tries not to get all teary about it.]

I survived. I'm pretty good at that, contrary to popular belief.

[runes_brand]

["Contrary to popular belief". Brand doesn't want to let Rune go long enough to punch him in the arm and Rune will try to wiggle free if he pinches him, so Brand headbutts him instead. Gently, but Rune's being an ass and they both know it.]

I've got no doubts about your ability to survive. That's what you do. I'm gonna be mad about this shit anyway.

[hot_dad]

[It's like having a giant, affectionate dog sometimes. Just with less licking, usually.]

Oh, really? I wouldn't have guess that, judging by how often you remind me to look six ways before crossing a street.

[He rolls his eyes, but leaves his head resting there against Brand's post-headbutt anyway.]

[runes_brand]

[Brand snorts.]

I'd stop reminding you if you fucking remembered to do it. Asshole.

[Hey. Hey Rune. Remember how it was before you habitually carried a sigil with a flight spell in it? When gravity would suddenly and mysteriously start increasing its pull on your Companion when he was near you?

There's a spark of mischief in the bond that says Brand does.]