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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Wow, Vin. Let me tell you about the entire fucking history and culture of planet Earth. Get some microwavable popcorn because this shit might take about one or two...fuck it, a billion hours to get through.

I'll break it down for you, though, nice and simple;

-Formation of the planet
-Water forms
-Viruses and bacteria and shit form
-Insects, plants, amphibians, reptiles, eventually dinosaurs
-Wait fuck it changed my mind no dinosaurs
-Apes though. And monkeys. And things that look like monkeys but are way smarter.
-Yeah oh wait that's us.
-And look at us, writing and farming and learning languages and shit.
-And totally building trendy vacation spots for later generations. Thanks, slave labor and totalitarianism!
-Skip ahead, guy named Jesus shows up and dies. Thanks, Romans.
-Changed my mind, no more Romans.
-Knights, though. Knights and lords and a fuckton of plague.
-Plague turns into paintings, people get their heads out of their asses, start thinking a little bit.
-Oh fuck turns out there's this whole other continent we had no idea about.
-Oh shit, it has tomatoes. Bring that shit back across the ocean. Pizza invented.
-Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit. People die, regimes fall, democracy happens.
-Fuck yeah America is born; greatest country in the world, motherfuckers!
-Lots of wars and shit
-More bullshit, mostly political
-The Internet!
-Me!
-The end.

Questions?

[....................]

Very. Compact.

You're the culmination of history.

Kind of a broad question. What kind of things would you like to know first?

I know it is.

[After a moment's thought:] Your home city. What's it like?

Every single motherfucker who ever is the culmination of history. I'm just the one retelling history, therefore I get to put myself in history as a reference point for your convenience.

Importance is a matter of perspective.

[This is a-okay with her.]

Why don't you like dinosaurs?

Who the fuck said I didn't like dinosaurs? Dinosaurs are the shit.

You took them out of the story.

[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.

Well, it's not much of a city any more. Lots of people without jobs. A few folks and businesses still had some money so it keeps it alive. Lot of crime in the poorer parts but that's like all cities, you know?

I worked out in the country mostly. Odd jobs, carpentry. I owed some guys and I had skills they wanted. So, I used to do break-in jobs for them on the side. Things went to shit one time. I don't do that kind of thing anymore.

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.]

Because they died. And there's no Barge around to bring them back.

Who killed them?

[ A girl after her own heart. ]

Hello Vin. My name is Kara, and I'm from a planet called Krypton. What would you like to know about 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.]

Your favorite thing about it. And your least favorite.

No one. Nature did it.

Vin!

I heard you got an inmate. I will do my very best not to medal. Unless you want me to.

[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.]

[This all sounds depressingly familiar.]

I used to know a carpenter. Someone who . . . made art with wood.

Do you still do that part?

[This is definitely still voice, because somebody's got a big bruise on her cheek. Best inmate ever.]

You don't need to. But you will anyway.

[Oh very good thing this is voice]

Probably.

[then more seriously] I know you don't need me watching over you anymore. I will stay out of it, if you want me to.

You missed hockey.

[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.]

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