"....yeah," she says. "Yeah, I do."

Looks over at the photo. (If Sal's normal-- and Sal does not really seem particularly normal but that doesn't mean he isn't normal-if-you-catch-my-drift--)

But they'd gone together to put violets on a dead woman's grave and there had been no judgement there.

"She's the same person who I said would notice if I suddenly developed a new goal or a new crush? She's... not happy about it. The thing we're about to do. I was worried she'd be angry but instead she's just-- sad, and not trying to talk me out of it. Which might be worse."

"That's good. I'm glad you have someone."

"I do too. Not like -- that, exactly." He gestures toward the picture. "Kelly Orkham. We met in college. She lives in Brighton now, but we still go on dates, whenever she's in town."

"Or -- we did -- well, it's been a while. She's busy, I expect. But I still love her, just as much as I always have."

"At least -- I think I do. I sit up and look at her picture and I wish she was here. I think I've spent more time wishing at this point than actually doing. Sometimes I don't know if I ever loved her. Maybe I just like the feeling of having someone to long for."

"...I feel like I should have something better to say but the only thing coming to mind is that that's very you."

"I suppose it is." He's not sure whether to be flattered or self-conscious.

"I don't even know if she thinks of me. I doubt she's still faithful. She's probably had her share of men. That's alright, I suppose, I don't mind. I have as well."

(If he says it casually enough then Inaaya can decide for herself how to parse that. It's a risk, in either direction. He's suddenly feeling up for some risk.)

"...is that what Nessa Clapper meant when she called you Violet?"

...That was quicker than expected. Sal's eyes are big for her face at the best of times; right now they're saucerlike, caught by surprise, as vulnerable as Sal seems capable of being.

She looks away. "You're very astute."

"It's-- when we were at the cemetery, talking about Valentine--"

"--well, I'd been hoping, I think."

Her heart is fluttering. Stop that immediately.

"You and your girl, then, you're..."

"We live together and we're making a life together, and that's... not going to change, if I live to make a life with anyone at all."

"But we've spent some very fun nights in other girls' beds, both together and apart. If that's what you're asking."

"I'd been wondering. Since Valentine. But it's hard to bring up that sort of thing."

"And so easy to find reasons not to."

"I ought to -- when I spoke to Miss Clapper, about this, about -- bringing this up with you -- she said some things about what might happen, and I've gotten it into my head that going through with it would be akin to pursuing that, and it's been driving me half mad. So I feel like I ought to state explicitly that I'm -- not. Trying to get anything. Of any nature. I just -- don't have many people I can talk to, and I thought it would be nice if you were one of them."

"Sorry, I'm sure that's made all this more awkward. But I think I would've gone insane worrying about it if I didn't."

"I would not have thought that you were trying to-- get anything." She is blushing furiously. Stop that. "...also I think it was fairly awkward already."

"It was at that." She would like to die. "...Does she have a name? Your girl?"

"Joan."

"...Goes by John when she's working."

There's a recognizable ache in her heart, one she can't put words to. There's a smile on her face she didn't put there.

"Give her my regards, would you?"

She's smiling too. Sal-- Violet-- whichever-- is beautiful when she smiles. "I will."

Meanwhile, Jing Yi obtains guns for everyone from his criminal contacts.

Sal... doesn't actually manage to help.

Sal's stealth is great for getting in and out of scandalous locations without it getting tied to his identity. He has a lot less experience in the criminal underworld.

And Jing Yi didn't die! All around successful criming, he'd say. "Now, Sal, you have to solemnly swear to me you'll only use these for world saving purposes, or things of similar import. ...Parker is the exception."

"Parker may well be a world saving obstacle." But he gets the point.

Jing Yi knows a place that's the right level of secluded and soundproofed that its the known spot to go practice with the guns you maybe shouldn't have. There's a few spent shells on the floor; people are getting sloppy. He's never had any reason to go there before: guns are usually just not worth the risk, but he knows about it and can practice there.

(Hopefully he never gets asked to investigate gun smuggling. It would be terribly inconvenient if this place got investigated.)

Sal tags along behind him. Makes a note of the range's location. Visits it himself. Starts... starts spending a lot of his free time there. It is embarrassingly difficult to shoot a gun such that the bullet hits the target. He puts a commensurate amount of effort in. He is not improving fast enough. He is improving some.

Explosives: check. Gun: check. Aarons: check. Carlisle: check. Inaaya: check. He still needs to... talk to Simone. About whether he's behaving like himself.

She might be busy. She's probably busy. If she's busy he'll just leave this note.

Okay no response she's probably busy he'll just leave this -- dammit. Hello, Simone, how are you, hope you don't mind how we're going to be carefully dancing around about two-thirds more than usual of what's happening in my life. Hope that doesn't worry you any.

"I'm alright. Come in, what's going on?"

"Nothing much."

Transparent lie, try again.

"Or, nothing you'd want to be dragged into. I've got a bit of an odd request, though."