IC INBOX - RIVERVIEW

[hellshot]

username: GraveMistake

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Comments

[smokedout]

jesus christ.

yeah, opportunity never came up to hear that shit, i thought he was just some kinda magic healer. y'know, japanese video game kinda deal.

you've been through some crazy shit, huh. still, it is important - knowledge is power. i figure the ship itself doesn't affect us here much, but if you were meeting some... alternate-universe version of the people here, that gives us some advantage on learning about them.

and the more we know about others, the easier it is to control them.

[hellshot]

You should ask pushier questions next time. He gave up the information easily enough to me, after a few questions. The way he speaks, he's afraid of it.[As if he's used it to kill someone before, or the thought of melting someone's head scares the crap out of him.]

It doesn't affect much here, save for people might show up that I have... history with. Not that they know anything about me of consequence.

I hold all of my cards close to my chest.

[smokedout]

probably doesn't have much control over it. mutants in my world hit that rut pretty often.

[He actually doesn't text back for a while... his firefly project takes his attention out of almost everything for a while, until he finally texts Reaper on the 13th.]

Who's Sombra?

[hellshot]

[It's not really certain what kind of response Dodger expects when he asks this question. But if one thing is for certain--]

None of your goddamn business, that's who.

[--He's asked a question Reaper's none to keen on even hearing.]

[smokedout]

[Well, that kind of answers that... but Dodger's not one to give up on something that keeps his interest, especially when this is the second time he's failed to get an answer.]

humor me. i heard she was on the eluvio - i heard you two had a reputation for keeping people safe.

what were you up to on that ship?

[hellshot]

[If it's the second time he's failed to get an answer, most men would realise that it's an answer not worth hunting for due to how dangerous getting it would be.]

You've got a working pair of eyes and a functioning set of ears.

I said it's none of your goddamn business. If you need it said in a different language, I know four.

All you need to know is she's not here, and she's likely never going to be here.

So who she is isn't information you need.

As for what I was on the Eluvio was the same that I am here. A dead man walking, waiting around to die permanently.

[smokedout]

[If Dodger knew when to stop chasing his curiosity when things got too dangerous, he would likely be a much happier man. But, at the very least,
he can see he's not going to get anywhere asking directly. Which gives him plenty of information in and of itself.]

fine.

fine, let's just get back to fixing that last part, yeah? let's get something going that's more fun than sitting around and rotting.

[hellshot]

[There might be someone in Riverview who knows a bit more about who Sombra is to him, but for now he's going to have to do his research to find something out about this mysterious woman.]

Glad you see it my way.

There's nothing 'fun' about sitting around and rotting. Which is why I'm growing to hate this place. I was having a better time when I was working for a group of terrorists.

[smokedout]

sounds like we need a new terrorist group, then.

would be fun to bend a place like this to your will, wouldn't it? not like anyone's got anywhere to go if they don't like your methods.

[If your mother could see you now, Dodger.]

[hellshot]

Do you know why terrorist groups exist?

[smokedout]

sounds like you're about to tell me.

[hellshot]

You got the clue.

'Terrorism' is a term that's more of an opinion than a direct definition. Those targeted by 'acts of Terrorism' see them as just that. Acts of Terrorism. Those preforming them, however, see them as something different.

A just cause, freedom fighting, a means to an end...

There is no 'Terrorist group' in the world that creates itself from the ground up with the goal of 'being a terrorist group'. They have a measured goal, a just means that those outside it will see differently.

Creating a group like that here would, at this point, only be for the means of villainy and wanton chaos. While I have no problem committing acts that might not be seen favourably by society, I don't go around causing chaos just for the fucking sake of causing trouble or making a mess.

When there's a good reason to create a group like this, I'll be there to lead it. But as it stands, now, creating a 'new group' for the sake of 'taking over' Riverview?

It's just pointless work. Especially with how many people here with powers that could easily shut down what few people would be willing to cooperate with such a thing.

Buildings aren't made overnight. And governments aren't overthrown in a week. You're still a youngster, so I'll give you a few years to learn that.

[smokedout]

freedom has a lot of definitions.

look, i'm not big on caring about the big picture - it's not really my problem. i've fought in turf wars, i've sacrificed people to false gods, i've taken part in revolutions. there's always reasons for people to want to change the world and i don't give a shit about any of them. it just gives me something to do.

[Not exactly true, but he's not going to go into the semantics of the odd fascination he has with change, war and fear. He likes to keep his poetic notions to a minimum.]

this place is a paradise. it's boring.
if that's not something worth changing, i can't think of what is.

[Translation: He's young and doesn't know how to handle peacetime after such a long time in constant turmoil.]

[hellshot]

And therefore Terrorism has a lot of definitions, too.

I could, honestly, care less about how many goats you could have cut open on altars or how many bullets you've put through the skulls of rotten and good people alike.

What the point here is, simply:

You're a child, having been told to share a garden you don't much like or have interest in.
So instead of putting aside your own issues and waiting to figure out something you want to do, you're digging up the entire thing just to see how everyone else reacts.

It's childish.

You're antsy and don't have any patience because you're still a kid.

[smokedout]

i'm not a kid, i'm 25.
which is about 15 years too old to have to be saying that.

if you're so old and wise, give me something better to do. i'm sick of sitting around while everyone plays house together.

[hellshot]

Physical age doesn't denote your ability nor your ability to handle things.

It's not my job to give you 'something better to do'. We're not so close for me to feel like I should give you tasks out of pity.

I'm not interested in integrating into society and playing house here either, but that doesn't mean I'm going to kick and scream for something to do, either.

[smokedout]

let me rephrase then
give me something to do with you.

or do i have to keep breaking the law to get your attention?

[hellshot]

'Give' you something to do?

Like it's my job to keep you entertained?

Like it's my responsibility to make sure you stay out of trouble?

Don't make me laugh, Jaime.

[smokedout]

dodger.

let me earn it then. make a deal with me.
whatever makes me worth your time.

[hellshot]

'Worth my time'.

Peculiar wording there. You care to explain it?

[smokedout]

it means what it means.

[hellshot]

Let me rephrase, then.

What it means to you and what it means here are two different things right now.

For me, it means you're being vague and expecting me to read your mind. Tell me what it means for you.

[smokedout]

[There's a very long pause here. In fact, it takes him an hour of erasing and rewriting before he settles on wording that won't sacrifice his pride.]

i just want to make a deal. it's a simple one.

i'll do whatever you want me to do. i don't care what. not gonna say what i've done for previous deals, but seriously. no limit.

in exchange i want you to keep me around. i've got nothing else going for me in this city except you anyway. all i want's some incentive from someone i can respect.

[hellshot]

[This is... a weird request. Honestly. He can't say he's ever met someone so quick to offer... subservience.]

And what do you get out of this sort of deal?

I hardly believe you want this just for 'some incentive from someone you can respect'.

Deals usually have a two-way gain, Dodger.

[smokedout]

who says i don't gain something from serving you.

what i'm offering is payment for putting up with me, isn't that worth giving me the benefit of the doubt a second?

[His responses continue to be slow and deliberate, because boy is he uncomfortable having to explain his logic. It makes him almost miss being forced into submission against his will - in retrospect that's so much easier than asking for it.]