[ good. they've really come to expect nothing less from lup, at this point - there's steadiness and resolve in the way they say it. ] Get knocked down, get back up again, every time. Kinda what I've come to get from you.
... specially when you've got good friends around like that guy, too. [ with a little dip of their head, as if gesturing towards the memory of miles. ]
[a deep breath, as she shakes her hands out a bit.]
He's a good man. [...] There were a lot of good people on that station. I don't know if I would've gotten through it without his help. The support system I had there - most of them came here. Harrow, Molly, Yuri, Sheila.
... Not Zixi, though. And I hope he's safe somewhere.
[ they open their mouth to start to say something else, in response, but they don't get the chance. there's a shattering bright wave of stardust, and then... none of the voices are familiar. the sights of it - the people in it are shadowed. just there enough.
[ Standing in a little cave at the end of a conflict, you are perfectly calm.
You glance to your left. Someone stands beside you; you say something to him quietly, and he nods. To you, he feels familiar. Trustworthy. Important. He nods, and goes to take care of something up in the loft area of this little cave, and he's the only person you'd trust to do so.
...In the meantime.
In front of you are fifty some odd bandits, captured and defeated - their leader at the end of the line. They've caused trouble beyond measure, lately - for you, for the people in the closest village, innocent civilians - and on top of that, they have information. It's information you need, and you will have it.
You tilt your head, glancing across the group of bandits, and when you speak, your voice is calm. Casual, even. Relaxed. "I only have one question. How many entrances and exits do you have in these underground rats' nests? Please be aware of your current situation."
You smile, but it's not a real smile, as you think about the villagers nearby, suffering. "Let's do it this way. Starting from the first person on the west side - behead him on the spot if he refuses to talk. When the first person is finished, the next can add more details. If one can't add anything more, then, that's too bad. The ones at the front of the line may have some advantage - let's start. Counting to three - not talking will result in being cut down. Talking nonsense will result in being cut down."
You can almost feel the current of fear in the room tick up a notch, and you keep your arms behind your back, and you watch. One of the men on your side steps forward, weapon in hand, and the first bandit looks stunned - he is indecisive, looking at his leader.
You count. "One. Two."
You make a downward, decisive gesture with your hand - and your ally slashes through the bandit's neck. Your ally has some difficulty - the bandit's vocal chords don't initially split, and the bandit's bloodcurdling scream ricochets through the mountain as it takes a fully powered strike to behead him.
The second bandit shakily points to an underground tunnel entrance right behind you, as his friend's head rolls in front of his feet. You don't have time for this. You click your tongue.
"Nonsense. Can I not see it for myself?" Lightly, casually. Down goes another, this time smoothly, head separated from neck in the blink of an eye.
One by one, the remaining bandits drop information. The third man squeals like a rat, dropping several tunnel locations; you work your way methodically down the line, until you've removed the heads of ten or so men, stubborn to their ends, and left the rest trembling as they're trussed up to be thrown in prison. When you reach the leader of the bandits, he straightens and looks you in the eye.
You walk over casually, arms behind your back, as if this was a stroll through a garden instead of an interrogation, as if you walked through flowers, instead of a river of blood of your own creation. (And truthfully, a part of you is shocked. A part of you is too tired for the violence that has to come from this moment, but you think about the village, and the you think about the people that you've sworn to protect, the position you uphold, and you know that violence is what will clear this rat's nest for good.)
The leader clears his throat. He tries to be proud. "I used to hear people say that your elegance was unparalleled. I did not expect that you'd be well versed even in torture methods for interrogation; truly, the more talents, the better."
Amused, you reply, "There's no need for flattery. The main activity in war is to slay people, isn't it? I didn't lock you in a dark room. Didn't place you on a nail bed, nor did I ask you to sit on a tiger's chair. The words torture to interrogate - I don't dare to accept them."
The bandit leader's eye twitches.
You know there's more to this interrogation than sixty-four tunnels and sixty-four entrances. You know there's more. There's no way these bandits could have gotten access to all of the supplies they had, without help from the inside. That is what you're interested in.
The blade lowers beside the man's neck, and your smile, cold and ruthless, remains, as you step in front of him and lower your voice. It's ice.
"If you have nothing to say, you can accompany your men as well."
The leader clenches his teeth - and you know that you have him.
when the stardust fades, aquila's sitting straight up from their manspread, holding onto their glass. ]
[ they take a breath. in, and out, and then straighten back up. ]
Yeah - yeah! 'm fine, yeah. Y'know, love getting my memories dumped out in front of people like that, especially the shitty ones.
[ there's a little clack noise when they pull their hand down, like metal hitting against wood, but it's small, and they shake their head afterwards. ]
...had something I loved that I had to protect. Doesn't make it right, but... [ well, they trail off there. they had this conversation already. ]
[her ear flicks a little at the sound of the wood.]
Listen, I tried to kill Rupert in my excursion for the same reason, I'm not judging. [...] And uh, no kidding. Did you know I'm getting flashbacks of memories that don't even belong to me?
You too? Someone else told me the same thing. [ it sounds like they might be making a little bit of a face. ] 's really fucking weird to think about - a million different versions of you, getting sucked into ... whatever these things are.
[ they wave their hand in the general direction of the hotel. murder hotel. ] Weird that this is so consistent across all these places, too. Guess it's... really shitty bonding. The memory thing.
mm. they make a quiet noise, agreeing with her - it does suck. their veil shifts a little, like they're watching her hand, but they don't say anything about it.
[ this is more dry, matching her pouty tone as they lift up their mimosa glass and absently summon up their little shadow portal of holding to pull the breakfast back out for them both. ]
...I get it, though. Jokes aside. [ there's just not much they can do, goes unsaid, but - lup will probably get that too. ]
You'll be here all week. [ they're snickering at that joke even still, because they too have a terrible sense of humor. we need a lawyer! yeah! we sure do! ] I'll give you hilarious.
Apparently, we need a union, whatever the fuck that is, too.
You do. A union might actually be a bit more helpful. You ask for a lawyer and you get, uh, Sebastian. Which - don't get me wrong. I love the boy, but he's missing a few pages in his Extreme Teen Bible, if you get my meaning.
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guestservices) wrote2022-06-09 12:18 pm
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I got my butt handed to me for the first time in about a hundred years, but I wasn't about to let it win.
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[ good. they've really come to expect nothing less from lup, at this point - there's steadiness and resolve in the way they say it. ] Get knocked down, get back up again, every time. Kinda what I've come to get from you.
... specially when you've got good friends around like that guy, too. [ with a little dip of their head, as if gesturing towards the memory of miles. ]
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He's a good man. [...] There were a lot of good people on that station. I don't know if I would've gotten through it without his help. The support system I had there - most of them came here. Harrow, Molly, Yuri, Sheila.
... Not Zixi, though. And I hope he's safe somewhere.
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I hope so, too.
[ they open their mouth to start to say something else, in response, but they don't get the chance. there's a shattering bright wave of stardust, and then... none of the voices are familiar. the sights of it - the people in it are shadowed. just there enough.
when the stardust fades, aquila's sitting straight up from their manspread, holding onto their glass. ]
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a beat, and then:]
Wow. Bet Royce would like you.
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just laugh? they laugh, shocked, surprised, and shake their head, hand under the veil to cover their face, and just stay like that for a second. ]
Royce?
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Another Avatar. He's a dick.
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[ there's a beat.
and then, muffled, hand still over their face: ]
... was a dickish part of my life. Long time ago. Not - [ ... ] Not exactly something I'm proud of.
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[watching their hand.]
Everybody is a little dickish sometimes. Or always.
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Yeah - yeah! 'm fine, yeah. Y'know, love getting my memories dumped out in front of people like that, especially the shitty ones.
[ there's a little clack noise when they pull their hand down, like metal hitting against wood, but it's small, and they shake their head afterwards. ]
...had something I loved that I had to protect. Doesn't make it right, but... [ well, they trail off there. they had this conversation already. ]
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Listen, I tried to kill Rupert in my excursion for the same reason, I'm not judging. [...] And uh, no kidding. Did you know I'm getting flashbacks of memories that don't even belong to me?
Well. This me. Heugh.
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You too? Someone else told me the same thing. [ it sounds like they might be making a little bit of a face. ] 's really fucking weird to think about - a million different versions of you, getting sucked into ... whatever these things are.
[ they wave their hand in the general direction of the hotel. murder hotel. ] Weird that this is so consistent across all these places, too. Guess it's... really shitty bonding. The memory thing.
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Trust me, bucko, I don't like it either. [a pause, as she absently rubs at the back of her neck.] It's entertaining, at least.
[sigh.] Though I gotta say, I'm kind of sick of being that.
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mm. they make a quiet noise, agreeing with her - it does suck. their veil shifts a little, like they're watching her hand, but they don't say anything about it.
and to the question; ] Entertaining, you mean?
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Yes, entertaining. I'm not a circus animal. [but she's mostly just pouting.]
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[ this is more dry, matching her pouty tone as they lift up their mimosa glass and absently summon up their little shadow portal of holding to pull the breakfast back out for them both. ]
...I get it, though. Jokes aside. [ there's just not much they can do, goes unsaid, but - lup will probably get that too. ]
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Yeah, I know. This whole gig seems like a circus. Are you even getting paid?
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Agreed. Think I've had enough clowns for ten lifetimes at least. [ like a hard pass on that one. and to getting paid...
... they make sort of a wavy hand noncommittal gesture like "eh?" so jury's out on that one. ]
We get tips! Guess that what matters. Even if some of you guys're terrible at tipping.
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You really should get yourself a lawyer. [she thinks she's very funny]
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they snort
it is a completely ungraceful noise ]
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Thanks, I'm hysterical, I know. [for a lot of reasons that she probably doesn't even know, lbr]
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You'll be here all week. [ they're snickering at that joke even still, because they too have a terrible sense of humor. we need a lawyer! yeah! we sure do! ] I'll give you hilarious.
Apparently, we need a union, whatever the fuck that is, too.
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[ shaking their head... they huff a laugh, though, amused. ] I just wanna pinch his cheeks, sometimes! Can't help myself. Too easy to pick on.
[ that sounds affectionate, at least. affectionate bully the baby. ]
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