Jim craned his neck towards the entrance again. He had successfully defended his own, as well as Sy's, dinner from 628, though he was not sure how long the temporary truce would last. Braxton reached over to tug Jim's rat tail. "It's been ten minutes. He'll be back," He said as he settled back into his seat. "You should eat."
"He waited for me, I can wait for him." Jim replied stubbornly.
Braxton's nose wrinkled in amusement. "You two are pathetic. I love it." 628 tugged on Braxton's sleeve. Braxton leaned down so 628 could whisper in his ear. He nodded. "I told you, didn't I?"
628 giggled. "Jim tay Sy."
Braxton laughed. "You said it. While he's not here, though, did you want to…" He trailed off with a mischievous smile as he tapped the side of his head.
628's face lit up. "Jalipaa!" He leaped up onto Braxton's shoulder and spun the dials wildly.
"How come he gets to touch your radio?" Varian protested.
"Because I trust him not to dismantle me."
"...fair."
"That's good, 628, hang on…." Braxton listened for a moment before he began reciting. "'-yeah, well, at least I'm not Lenora.'
"'True! I wouldn't want the lieutenant's attention.'
"'You know I can hear you two, right?'
"'Yes, and we feel so bad for you dear. But please do give us details! I heard from one of my students he'd asked you out again the other day?'"
628 made a face. "Eww." He spun the dials again. "Ziz-ziz."
"Try this one then." Braxton winked over at his friends as he picked up a new conversation. "'Go for administration.' 'The laborers have arrived. They'll be fitted with identification bracelets and sent your way in ten minutes.' 'Thank you front gate, we will have someone to meet them.'"
"Wonder what that's about," Matt mused. "Why do they need laborers?"
"Could have to do with the missions," Varian suggested, "but maybe they didn't finish all the renovations?"
Braxton scooped 628 into his lap. "Alright you. That's enough for now. Sy's on his way back."
Jim was instantly on his feet. He reached out for Sy as he approached, wanting to shelter him from whatever he had been needed for. "Everything okay?"
Sy nodded, his cheeks turning bright red again. As he settled into his seat beside Jim he said, "De Châteaupers spotted my shiner earlier." He put a hand over the swollen lump protectively. "He wanted to make sure I wasn't getting into fights. I guess he's heard about your reputation."
Braxton snickered and high fived 628. "Alright! We're known for corrupting the innocent!" Jim shot him a glare. Braxton grinned back at him and wrinkled his nose again. "You love it and you know it. Sy's a good kid, probably top of his academic classes. Without us, he'd never know what trouble was! Now he'll be safer because he knows how to recognize it." He winked at the younger boy as he added, "And I bet you love it."
Sy turned his attention to his dinner. "Of course I do. It's always valuable to have someone you can blame your mistakes on. Any time something goes wrong, I just tell people you were involved."
Braxton laughed harder. "You little bureaucrat! Politician! Grandstander!"
628 perked up, clearly eager to get in on the insults. "Politician! Blitznak! Choota!"
"Lawmaker."
"Trog!"
"Legislator!"
"Yu porma dissy!"
"Hey now, let's not go too far," Braxton chastised his friend gently.
628 plastered his ears to his head. His antena drooped and he sunk down into his seat. "I sorry."
Sy gave him a smile. "It's alright. I didn't understand it anyway. Braxton hid an extra dessert in his breast pocket."
"You really are a politician!" Braxton cried in horror. 628 instantly was plastered against him with huge pleading eyes turned up at him. Sy just gave him a smile.
