duplicity inbox

[protocol]

placeholder content up here until rocket gets his shit together

expect nsfw.

Comments

[notleavingquietly]

[ Nope, living species but at least they're not going to have to get into that shit, again. ]

I don't recall claiming to be particularly moral or consistent.

The line is where I feel like it. I hunted a man down for more than a year for an accident that killed someone I cared about. I also killed my ship and myself when we ran out of options to prevent him endangering others.

Primed and used as a weapon certainly influences my sympathy level.

[protocol]

[ LETS TALK ABOUT YOU THEN, because while wash is very bewildered by how much information you're willing to share he's happy to keep making use of it. you're still a potential threat, more information is only good. lets talk about this and not about the killing felix thing, he's good with that. ]

Were you the same, then?

[notleavingquietly]

The same then as when?

And which bit of City bullshit was behind you not knowing if you killed Felix or not?

[protocol]

If you were primed and used as a weapon, eventually resulting in killing your ship and yourself. And whatever else.

[ ugh. ]

The fake memories, the dreams. I ended up finding Felix dead at the end of it. I almost definitely killed him, and I'm willing to bet that I did. What were you hoping to do about that, exactly?

[notleavingquietly]

I was conscripted from a pacifist colony into a mercenary, fascist, organization when I was twelve. The change between the two was that I was still in that organization when I went after a man for killing my brother, and had been well clear of it for years and interfaced with Talyn when I blew myself and him up.My morality being inconsistent and emotion driven was the same in both.

[ Honestly, Wash, take all the information. If you find a way to 'use' it, good. It's likely to save him shit related to being an alien in a sea of humans at some point, and if not it's certainly not going to lead to him feeling threatened. ]

Do with that information? Weigh whether or not it's believable as a thing that would cause you to kill someone and not remember it; it's believable.

[protocol]

[ you are so much. it's information he doesn't have context for, but wash will absorb it anwyay. and note, bewilderingly, how forthcoming he is. is this how he'd been with felix, too? ]

You came to me asking if I'd killed him, and I'm telling you I most likely did. So what now?

[notleavingquietly]

Now? the same thing as having seen you in one of Ephemera's dreams - or helmet footage. Nothing particular.

Why were you interested in my ability to fix armor? Have you eaten recently?

[protocol]

[ . . . wat. ]

You know, I was a little curious about the idea that Felix had managed to get someone on his side enough to be seeking some kind of retribution.

[ and now it's whatever. okay then. ]

[notleavingquietly]

And if you hurt him intentionally and knowingly, I will hunt you down and slit your throat.

He is a lunatic, but he's one of my lunatics.

Now. Have you eaten recently?

[protocol]

[ look he's going to keep ignoring that in favor of answering the death threats because that's the part he like, knows how to deal with. ]

I'm just surprised you're willing to back down from that just because I've claimed not to remember.

[ what are you some kind of revenge amateur ]

[notleavingquietly]

[ Why are you all like this? Not new territory, never going to not make him roll his eyes and sigh heavily. ]

You're not even doing a good job of not admitting you haven't eaten recently.

You certainly aren't going to admit that you probably did but happen to not remember it because of a particular event created by the city to someone you expect to want to murder it for you, anyway.

If you're feeling guilty and just want to be punched in the face by someone because you think you deserve it I'll oblige, but if you want me to question what you tell me you need to seriously improve the level at which you lie and evade. I didn't spend thirty years surrounded by people conditioned to behave like psychopaths and not develop some skill at cutting through bullshit.

Particularly not when I already have context for you people and your lives.

[protocol]

I'd rather not get punched in the face, thanks.

[ guilt-driven, punishment-seeking, yes. but for this, not really. he just isn't sure how to handle this interaction at all. he's quite convinced he'd killed felix, is genuinely torn up about it but absolutely loathes it because he shouldn't give a shit, at all. it makes figuring out how he's supposed to respond to this guy, well. confusing. ]

You have context through two people who would intentionally and knowingly kill me without much hesitation given the opportunity, and who have tried to multiple times. I don't expect anything they gave you to be flattering.

[notleavingquietly]

Wrong kind of context. I don't talk about other people and I'm not asking them questions about you. It's what they've told me about their lives and their experiences that provides context.

And why the frell are you contracted to someone who is willing to kill you? That's idiotic.

[protocol]

You can give Felix shit for contracting someone willing to kill him, too. I'm not exactly thrilled about it, but the city holds the contracts as binding, so it is what it is.

[notleavingquietly]

Signed when you both thought you were someone else then. I'll give him shit later, but if you actually kill one another you'd be in jail, or worse.

Do you live in public housing?

[protocol]

[ felix didn't seem that concerned about that when he'd tried to murder him on what was basically wash's first day in the city.

he's also going to ignore you asking where he lives. it probably wouldn't be that difficult to find out, but right now he isn't sure if you're going to still try to kill him or like order him food delivery. they both seem equally bad to him at the moment. ]

Since death apparently means nothing here, I'm going to have to deal with it eventually.

[ he's THRILLED. ]

In the meanwhile, I have all his belongings. I noticed the repairs.

[notleavingquietly]

I wasn't keeping it a secret, though I appreciate Ephemera's discretion in case I was.

I'm finding you. You can either meet me at Wild Pony or I will figure out where you live and show up at your door. Your call.

[protocol]

[ ugh ]

You're not going to take a third option, are you?

[notleavingquietly]

There's a third option. That's you coming to me where I live.

What isn't an option I'll accept is none of the above.

[protocol]

[ why are you like this. ]

I'll come to you. Either place.

[ just give him directions and he will, however reluctantly, turn up. but not before contacting some of the other freelancers and giving them a very confused heads up about it. ]

[notleavingquietly]

[ He sends the address to the Duplex - and which half of it is theirs.

He starts coffee, puts a kettle of water on to heat, and is ready to open the door when Washington finally gets there. Hair neatly back and the tail wrapped in leather, black pants and red shirt, both of a fairly military cut and worn with boots.

Also wearing a wide black leather collar with red padding that only mostly obscures the submissive tattoo down his throat, and a teenaged kitten in one hand.

He gets out of the way so Washington can get in, thrusts the cat at him with a 'hold this' while he closes the door.

There's... a painting of the city at Sunrise that Ephemera did on one wall, and a sparkly galaxy like dildo bolted to another wall, and the neural interface from his neck sitting on the mantle. What is decoration? They don't know. ]

You are absolutely eating.

[ He's a good submissive. Really. ]

[protocol]

[ he arrives very punctually, because wash takes all of his commitments seriously, even if he's incredibly unhappy about them. he takes the time to send a message to some of his own, but what he should even say to them about it was confusing. is he dangerous? maybe? yes but also no? look, its just that if he doesn't respond back in a couple of hours its probably worth looking into. he's trying not to think too hard about it. but the entire way there, he is, of course, thinking too hard about it, but if nothing else it's a welcome distraction from all the time he's spent circling the drain about the fake memories being shoved into his mind.

wash turns up dressed as he usually is -- which is like a soldier who has no idea what to do if he isn't wearing uniform or armor. plain, utilitarian, practical. he's not sure what kind of person he's expecting to answer the door, and he doesn't even actually know his damn name yet, but he's still a little surprised by the look of him, by the collar. and by the kitten.

he spends a good minute staring blankly at the kitten. gentle, clearly, and fond, but just bewildered to suddenly have one in his hands, maybe even a little noticeably flustered, as much as he ever gets. but he does eventually gather himself, his expression managing to reset into something convincingly guarded and neutral, gathering the kitten securely in his arms as he looks around. it certainly is an eccentric sense of decor. the dildo's a hell of a statement piece. ]

-- You're not exactly giving me a choice.

[ not exactly hostile in tone, but a little dry. seriously it's not like you're going to let him say no. ]

[notleavingquietly]

[ He wasn't expecting someone over 6 feet tall to show up. The guy having damn near six inches on him is a surprise.

Not necessarily an unpleasant one, but a surprise. ]

That was the point.

[ He inclines his head toward the kitchen - open concept, but separated by a bar, and very much just utilitarian and clean, save a bowl of fruit on the table.]

Coffee, tea, or hot chocolate.

[ Look that b-crais has his name in it. He thinks he's introduced himself. Manners are not a point he's strong on.

And offering options isn't an accident.]

[protocol]

[ he's looks over towards the kitchen cautiously even while giving the kitten an ear scritch. wash is a good liar, a good actor, has a perfect poker face, but it probably isn't quite as effective with the cat thing. ]

Coffee's fine, I guess.

[ ughhhh ]

Listen. Crais, right? Is that your actual name?

[notleavingquietly]

Crais is my last name. My first name is Bialar. Don't use it.

[ No lack of clarity on that, at least, as he moves to the kitchen to pour the coffee for Washington. He pretends to be ignoring Sylvester and how Washington is interacting with him, but he is not doing that.]

Tell me what you're willing to eat. Protein bar, yogurt, sandwich, fruit, or all of it. I'm only capable of cooking eggs and pancakes.