indispensible | one. spam & voice. spread love like violence.

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one. spam & voice. spread love like violence.

[There's no question in Vin's mind about reading through the file several times. There's also no question of letting Stark see it. He knows what's in it. She is not all that surprised herself, not about the generalities. The specifics hurt more than she thought they would.]

[Hell. And - Alice.]

[She knows his habits well enough by now that she can track him down quickly. He's on the deck. She wrinkles her nose again; he's smoking.]

Stark.

[If he'd wanted to be James, he would have said that from the start.]

public } voice

[While her voice isn't hesitant, it's definitely quiet. She still doesn't quite understand the point of the network, but now that she's been paired it'd probably be more noticeable not to say something.]

I'm Vin. I arrived here a few weeks ago, and I've spoken to - some of you. I'm a warden.

[She considers leaving it at that, but decides against it.]

I'd like to know about other people's worlds. I don't know very much about Earth, but that's not where I'm from. So it would be useful.

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[In a perfect world, he could just ignore her and she'd go away. But that's not likely to work in Stark's favor in the least bit and if anything will just make her all the more tenacious.]

[He doesn't offer her the usual grin though or smart-ass remark. The look he gives her is downright cold, like he's already making the statement "I won't forgive you." without her even needing to admit to anything. He knows she's read his file. There's not even a chance she didn't. And it's not that he doesn't understand the temptation. He does. He wants to know as much as he can about the other guy without having to surrender too much about himself. That's the key to survival. She knows that. She abides by that.]

[But that doesn't mean he would read it if their positions were reversed. He'd think very long and hard about justifying something like that before he'd even pop open it, much less actually read it.]

[He's not in the mood for her excuses.]

[Stark takes a long drag from his cigarette. He's not particularly careful about which the direction the smoke goes in because yeah, he's pissed.]

Vin.

[She wouldn't give any even if he asked. There's a reason he's here, just as there's a reason she is. Besides, if their positions were reversed and he didn't read her file, she'd probably try to kill him. It would be suspicious, not taking advantage of something like that.]

[Her eyes narrow. There's no point in being coy about this. He's already angry. If he's going to get angrier, it might as well be now and not later.]

We're going to talk now.

[This is not optional.]

Your choice is where, not whether or when.

See that's where you're wrong. Talking requires two people.

And as it so happens, I've got abso-fucking-lutely nothing to say to you. So, I'm going to finish this cigarette and you're going to fuck off.

You can do it right over this railing, if you want.

[Normally there'd be a nicely placed and sarcastic smile here, but he's too angry for that. His trust - what little she'd managed to earn - is too betrayed. He's not patronizing her or sugarcoating it.]

[He's wrong, too. She isn't interested in his trust, not yet. She doesn't expect it. What she wants is to do her job - and protect him, she can't quite deny that that's a motivating factor. The thing is, she doesn't trust him either.]

[And here he is, angry and chomping at the bit for violence, and it's going to come out sooner or later.]

[It might as well be sooner. This isn't a smart idea. But it's what feels right in this moment. So she does what she needs to do.]

I won't, you know I won't.

You have something to say about Alice.

[With fists and knives and guns and anger, he has a lot to say about Alice.]

[She flares pewter.]

[Vin barely gets halfway through her name before Stark reacts. His cigarette drops to the floor. As far as he's concerned, she has absolutely no goddamn right to even think of Alice's name. He doesn't have a weapon and he knows as they stand right now she's the stronger of the two of them, but that doesn't stop Stark for aiming for the most damage possible.]

[He grabs Vin by the back of the head and slams her face-first into the railing behind him.]

[Even she's not fast enough to evade a surprise attack like that - and maybe she wouldn't have even if she had atium, because she knows what she's done even if she doesn't regret it.]

[Her cheek hits the railing. She does not cry out. Instead, she twists and grabs him by the wrist, squeezing tightly until his bones creak, then wrenches out of his grip and grabs him by the collar, holding him away from her at arm's length.]

[The grip to his wrist to make him let go does the job, but it's not enough to discourage him or take the wind out of his sails. If anything, it just incenses Stark even more. He knows he's going to lose the fight, but he doesn't care.]

[Just like how arm's length doesn't stop him from trying to angle a kick straight to her gut to make her let go.]

[In response to which she jumps up, Pushing against the nails in the deck. She doesn't let go of his wrist until she's high enough to wrench his arm in its socket, pull muscle but not break bone, then lets herself fall backward just enough to land on the railing beside him.]

[Crouching like an animal, she pulls a glass dagger from her sleeve and holds it ready, waiting for his next move.]

[The pull to his arm hurts like a son of a bitch, but he just grits his teeth through it and stays silent. It's been a very long time since he let anyone have the satisfaction to know verbally just how much something hurt and he's not about to break the streak here and now. If he had his damn powers, he'd shrug it off a lot easier.]

[The dagger adds a new level of danger, but Stark's faced worse. And she's on the defensive, not the offensive. She has the advantage on the railing. He can't get in a low shot to take it without getting close to her.]

[Of course, that makes the assumption he actually gives a shit about not getting cut. It's not going to stop him from turning, slamming his weight into her with his shoulder and making an underhanded grab for the dagger.]

[She doesn't need or want to hear his pain. She doesn't really want to be fighting him at all - but he isn't so dissimilar from her that she doesn't understand the helplessness, the desire to destroy. The need to lash out.]

[Which she does with the knife the second he moves, not entirely caring where it lands. She grunts, too, at the hit of his weight against her - remembers with sudden violence the way Zane outweighed her, outmaneuvered her - and pushes back hard with all the strength she can muster. Her heels brace on the rail, her free hand clamping into his shoulder tight as a vice, and her cheek is already bruising.]

[~~NOW IT CUTS LIKE A KNIFE BUT IT FEELS SO RIGHT!!!~~ Sorry, you didn't order Bryan Adams? My bad.]

[The knife manages to get a slice along his back and arm, but Stark ignores it. He's got a hold on her arm and he knows he could break it easy, make her recoil and possibly fall right off the railing, but he doesn't. It's a very, very small display of mercy on his part because all he wants to do is hurt. Not kill.]

[Though the thought is tempting.]

[Instead, he puts a foot on the railing and uses the leverage to throw her back down onto the deck. She could just as easily land on her feet if she's quick enough, but the point is, he's not trying to kill her today.]

[The thing is, while she doesn't want to kill him, she does, at this point, want to hurt him. Even as she falls she's moving on instinct, letting herself fall to her back and kick up and out at him. There's blood on the dagger, she notes, not waiting for Stark to recover from the kick before she gets her feet under her and twists upright.]

[She's still crouched, dark eyes watching him. She can do this for as long as he needs to.]

[The kick knocks the wind out of him and he quickly notices it's starting to hurt to breathe. Likely his ribs. He's not going to start poking around to figure out if it's just bruising or broken and where right now. Stark catches himself on the railing to keep his balance before the kick completely knocks him back. He doesn't go for her though once she's in a crouch. Instead, he just gives her a hard look, just daring her to either make a move or open her mouth again.]

[Just give him a real excuse because at this point, he needs to kill something or someone.]

[She meets his eyes and holds them for a long moment, then lets her gaze travel over his body, assessing. Something's hurting him, but he'll just keep fighting, won't he - something that engenders fierce pride in her, that he is so strong and so stubborn. So stupid. She could kill him now.]

[Ruin could have destroyed her, too. But she didn't stop fighting.]

[There is, for the briefest of moments, a smile on her face, a small and fleeting thing. Then she lashes out and punches him in the temple, quick enough to be a blur, hard enough to knock him out.]

[When his body crumples to the floor, she stays still a moment, listening to his breathing, then hops off the railing, picks him up, and throws him over her shoulder with no apparent effort. She takes the elevator down to her room, so as to avoid as many people as possible. Anyone who does try to confront her about the unconscious man on her shoulder gets a silent stare.]

[She puts him down on her side of the bed when she gets to her room (Elend's side remains pristine and untouched), and then curls up in the corner with her knees pulled up to her chin, watching and waiting until he wakes.]

[Stark's head is swimming when he comes to, but the headache takes a backseat to the pain in his ribs on his next inhale.]

[Most people would probably start demanding the aspirin, but Stark just wants to know where the hell the alcohol is stashed.]

[He doesn't ask though. Just because he's in pain doesn't mean he's not still pissed off. Because it only takes a second of assessing the aches and pains before Stark remembers what exactly happened. His anger is a little subdued for the moment though. He doesn't know exactly where he is right now and he knows better than to start shit in unfamiliar territory.]

[Stark curses just once as he sits up, willing himself not to grab at the pained side. And of course, there's Vin. Being creepy and watching him.]

[He needs more alcohol for this bullshit.]

[Vin doesn't ask if he needs medical assistance. For one, she's not used to it at the efficacy it's found here; for another, she isn't going to take care of him like that. She's not sorry for what she's done. It was necessary. She doesn't expect he'll hold it against her, either, certainly not as much as using Alice's name.]

[If someone used Elend's name against her, she'd kill them without a second thought. He shows a great deal of restraint, considering.]

[She nods slightly when she sees he's awake, not moving from her compact posture.]

It will come back around eventually. I'm bringing your magic back today. But you can fight me for a hundred years and not break me down.

It will come back, no matter how angry you get or how much you hurt me.

[Magic's a bonus, but it's not enough. And he knows it's not meant to be. She's just giving it back to him because she understands what it's like to be without something like that.]

[Stark pushes off the bed and to his feet. He takes a moment to inspect his arm. Well, that's one shirt ruined. No great loss there.]

[Oh and the bleeding's stopped. That's a good thing.]

You can go to Hell as far as I'm concerned.

[I could go and come back, just like you.]

[She doesn't say this.]

I can't tell if that's a joke or not.

It's whatever you want it to be, Vin.

[She said Alice's name. She made a demand about talking about Alice. That all serves to greatly decrease the chances it's actually a joke exponentially. They were moving towards some kind of weird friendship, but Stark's bound and determined now that it's over.]

I've been.

[She stands now, all of five feet tall in her men's clothes, and she looks up at him without fear or concern. There is a shred of compassion, but it barely shows. She doesn't know yet whether it will be weakness or strength, with him.]

I can wait. There's nothing to go back to. I can wait.

[Normally standing up to him like that would be worthy of some respect. Not because Stark thinks he's so big, bad, and tough that it's some kind of accomplishment on her behalf. But she's sticking to her guns. Most people have no resolve, no spine. They fold the second an easy solution presents itself. But she's not and Stark is applying a helluva lot of pressure to do just that.]

[Right now though, it's just irritating and he just glares down at her.]

You go right ahead. It's your time to waste.

It's not real time. I'm dead. It's all extra.

[She doesn't seem bothered by this in the least. She is, of course - for a hundred reasons - but she doesn't let that show at all.]

If it's not real time, it can't be a waste.

Edited 2013-09-01 02:10 (UTC)

[Stark laughs, but it's a bitter one.]

That's where you're definitely wrong, Vin.

Life's the joke and the afterlife's the punchline. And you? You're the butt of the joke. It doesn't make a damn bit of difference whether you land up in Hell, Heaven, or this piece of shit Barge.

It's all more of the same.

[Stark shakes his head.]

I don't know why I expected you to have half a brain when you already made your deal with that psychotic, do-it-yourself wannabe god. You don't know shit, Vin.

[It's nothing she hasn't heard before. Plenty of people have underestimated her. Disagreed with her irrevocably, even. It doesn't bother her much. The way Stark is looking at her . . . does, a bit.]

[Again, it doesn't show. She puts her shoulders back slightly.]

That's unfortunate. Since you're stuck with me.

[It doesn't show, but she is trying to stand taller. Which means he's either managing to get under her skin or she's trying to stand up to him in general. Either way, Stark isn't feeling all that deflated and if he's going to feel bad about any of this, it's definitely going to be later rather than sooner.]

No, I'm really not.

Just because you're paired up with me doesn't mean I have actually speak to you or have anything to do with you.