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"Didn't one of you need a Hemlok to do damage today?" Essence asked through the communications link to her squadmates as she retrieved some energy ammo for her Devotion.
"Ugh, beautiful don't remind me." A despairing voice came through the comm-link before a chuckle comes through from someone else.
"I do not understand why you refuse to reroll for something else to achieve," Bloodhound's voice sounded amused. "Your task is simple yet you insist to procrastinate."
"Ok fine, but if we die, I'm blaming you for being the voice of reason." Loba teased, no bite in her threat whatsoever.
"As you wish." They responded, a lilt of amusement still in tact.
Essence smiled as she stretched, double checking the map and the areas that haven't been searched yet. She pinged her location in the direction of Survey Camp from their position in Refinery.
"I'm going to be heading there once I finish checking the outskirts of this area." The tactical witch doctor announced to her teammates. Bloodhound ascents to joining her momentarily. Loba however, had other plans.
"Before we migrate, let's do some shopping." Their companion dropped their black market for everyone to use. They congregate around it and peruse the area one more time of anything they may have missed.
Though, their thief had other plans for using their ultimate. It took a moment to allow everyone to settle in and browse how they want, before she disrupted the quiet with a thinly veiled innocent question.
"So, how was everyone's weekend?" She meant to ask this earlier but now was as good as early game. It certainly would generate conversation throughout the match and perhaps matches afterward.
Bloodhound was slow to respond and with good reason. As dear of a friend Loba was to them, she was certainly a woman that enjoyed knowing information. Especially to tease her beautiful friends.
"Oh! It was nice. I invited Bloodhound to my cottage, showed them around my garden, we had a picnic and then we traveled a little to explore Solace." Essence's expression was heartfelt, even through the African tribal paint on her face. Though she couldn't hide one thing, the white dots across her cheeks drew attention to the blush on her dark complexion.
Oh? How can such an innocent weekend garner that reaction? Loba thought to herself as she watched her friend smile. Turning her head, she observed Bloodhound who sighed in exasperation.
"Once again, you own a farm. There are even animals as well so you cannot refute that claim." They replied with an honest statement. Loba observed as her two tall companions made immediate eye contact with each other. Even with their helmet on, she knew Bloodhound was looking directly at the woman.
"But it does have a garden. We didn't have a picnic where the animals were." Sojourn corrected. Which humored her because she knew that underneath everything, they were more than likely rolling their eyes.
"You live on a farm?" Loba broke up their mini discourse. The response they got was simultaneous from both parties involved.
"Yes." Bloodhound huffed with indignation.
"No." Sojourn shared with sincerity, believing in the fact that Bloodhound was wrong.
The thief laughed at her companions as they both decided to briefly change the conversation, mentioning they had gotten everything necessary from the shop. Closing it, the squad began their walk in the direction Essence originally pinged, the woman in question scurrying further ahead to make sure the houses were looked into.
This left Loba and Bloodhound alone. Ordinarily, they did not mind it but they had their suspicions. Their dear friend wanted to know something, and they always laced it with pleasantries first.
"Was that all you two did? Have a nice quaint picnic and traveled to the city?" She peppered on sweetly while inspecting her fingernails for dirt..
"We had breakfast, lunch and dinner as well." They shared nonchalantly but informatively.
"That's very good, its nice to know you're eating well, beautiful." She genuinely meant that, despite prepping her next question.
"Was she also in your dietary plans?" Loba said casually without room for pending silence.
This was bait. Bloodhound knew it was and still felt themselves becoming hot underneath all their tactical attire. They've learned that Loba knew how to keep her lips sealed and didn't have to worry about any of their private conversations spreading to other curious sources. They had nothing to fear or worry about. Yet this felt more personal than they should share... so they'll bite, up to their own discretion.
"Perhaps." They never mentioned how this wouldn't be the first time either, they realized. They and Sojourn's decadent dalliances in duos didn't cross Bloodhound's mind to share. Probably because at the time, they had no one to really share them with and Loba was an acquaintance.
Loba seemed pleased if not enthused but she wasn't expecting the next words to come out of their mouth.
"It would not be the first or the last time." They tilted their head towards her. "Developments were made and I am content with them." The upward inflection in their tone sounded content. That brought a smile to the thief's features.
A giddy expression shined as she gushed about how she's been rooting for those two to get together. To know their weekend was proof of that truly caused her to let out a girllish squeal between the two of them. The blushing hadn't stopped underneath the attire either.
They cleared their throat as they observed Essence running to slide down the hill to reach Survey Camp. Her beautiful assortment of flowers on her head unwavering from their neatly nestled composition. Bloodhound smiled to themselves more than anything.
"I appreciate your support of us, Andrade." They said as the two of them made it up the hill to look over the untouched area.
"You seem more at ease than before Ísmael, of course I care about that," She winked at her tactical companion. "Honestly, if I had to wait any further, I would've thought it was nothing serious."
Which, that wouldn't have been an issue. Since Boone, Bloodhound has entertained simpler flings on the rare occasion urges arised. Being tied down once again wasn't within their original interests, but... Sojourn was different. Interesting, a rival turned into someone they enjoyed.
Even if she is wrong about not owning a literal definition of a farm.