Re: Cantankerous | 7-28-2020 | Lunchtime "Is that the proper name?" Forge smirked when Jo asked, but didn't think she was ready for his full explanation of the history of solitaire, because frankly, no one was. "Most of the world calls it Patience," he dropped the most interesting fact but quickly backed off the subject. "Don't," he warned with one word and one hand gesture when she threatened to unnecessarily break something he'd have to fix, or more likely invent a new version of.
When she confirmed Nate was fine, Forge responded with a simple nod, but that soon transformed into a full head tilt when Giosetta spilled the full beans. "Branded. Ouroboros." Intense. This made the family meeting notification seem pleasant and routine. It was funny how none of that made it into the notes on his calendar. Jo knew, probably because of Nathaniel - but he wondered whether or not Jimmy and Troy knew. Probably at least one of them.
Forge released a long, drawn-out sigh as he pulled his phone out of his pocket and checked on the locations of his three idiots. All were still on the property, at least he had that going for him. Nathaniel had already recovered the journal and headed upstairs, the Native had watched that on the cameras earlier. He lowered his phone and replaced it in his back pocket. "Thank you," Jon had found Jo's eyes purposely before he'd spoken to make sure she understood his sincerity. "Zap can have a pretty intense relationship with a cheese pizza if she's hungry enough," Jon said, mostly out of frustration and immediately regretted it. "Don't tell her I said that," he politely asked. "Balls," Forge added for good measure.
"This is what I was afraid of," Jon said, clearly about to vent some of his frustration. "It feels like the first time I let Troy and Jimmy drive to Florida in my car. Sure, I trusted them, but did I really?" Forge squinted his eyes when he finished the sentence. "That trip also ended with tattoos," he remembered and grumbled a little. "Well, at least I can rely on you," Jon said his mind now out of the past. "I know you know better than anyone how serious this situation can be and I'd appreciate it if you could keep helping Nate remember that too. I'll wrangle Eva as best I can, but... well, you know," Forge held out his right, artificial, and gloved hand toward Giosetta and hoped he'd found a partner. "Who better to captain this ship of fools," he added, though that was a Plato reference, not Aristotle. He was slipping.