Shenanigans!

[phaselocknroll]

Comments

[phaselocknroll]

Your fragile human ego was not a part of the agreement.

[nostalgiabomb]

Damn. Wish I had known that before I agreed.

[ He's quiet for several steps, before he turns to her. ]

Alright, then. How about you ask me a question, I ask you one? And we go back and forth until one of us gets angry and decides to stop talking.

[phaselocknroll]

Your loss.

[ She considers that a moment, and well, like she's one to ever turn down a trade ] Fair enough. How did you become a Ravager?

[nostalgiabomb]

They found me when I was a boy. I mentioned the "get eaten or fall in line" thing, I think. That's what I was referring to.

[ For his part, he chews lightly on the inside of his cheek, considering his question. ] How many contracts have you made?

[phaselocknroll]

Two. You, and Sophis.

If the Ravagers took you when you were young, what happened to your family?

[nostalgiabomb]

It was just me and my mother. She died from illness, and I-- left. [ Ran, more like. ]

What will you do with the time you take from me?

[phaselocknroll]

I don't do anything with it. Your life is my life. It's how I survive in the human realm.

What will you do now that you have me?

[nostalgiabomb]

Kill the Ravagers. [ Short, to the point, kind of emotionless. ] After that, I don't know. Might dismiss you.

If I do, dismiss you, I mean, do you go back to your own realm?

[phaselocknroll]

I can stay as long as I have the means, and I have Sophis' entire life to sustain me, on top of whatever I get from you. I'll likely find another contract before too long.

But if you don't dismiss me, I can help you learn to use your abilities. [ because yes, she's pretty sure he's a wizard of some kind, but if he was taken when he was a boy, it's likely he never knew. ]

[nostalgiabomb]

... I'm pretty sure you're still mistaken on that, sorry to say. I mean, you were in that relic for a while.

[phaselocknroll]

And you were raised in an environment that hates and fears magic, weren't you?

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He blinks, surprised. ] What makes you think that?

[phaselocknroll]

The way you look at me sometimes, like you think I'm going to eat you.

And the way that other man looked at me, when I had him in my Phaselock.

[nostalgiabomb]

Well, let's be fair: you're scary as hell, and you've got the power to back it up. Anyone would be afraid of you.

[ After a beat-- ] No offense.

[phaselocknroll]

There's a difference, though, between fearing my powers because of what they can do, and fearing them because they're magic.

I know that look- the Order had me go through more than my fair share of "nonbelievers".

[nostalgiabomb]

... Yeah, you pretty much caught me out. I imagine you find it annoying, then, that I'm a-- a "nonbeliever," huh.

[phaselocknroll]

First, the Order's beliefs are not my own.

Second, I only find it annoying that you won't even consider the possibility of what I'm suggesting.

[nostalgiabomb]

I'm just finding it difficult to believe, that's all. If I had any abilities, I'd think they would've manifested by now, in some way.

... Tonight's events withstanding.

[phaselocknroll]

Maybe they have, but subtly. Or in situations where you haven't had time to consider what just happened and why.

Or perhaps you're just a late bloomer.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He sighs -- clearly they're at an impasse with this argument. ]

Maybe, maybe not. All I know is that I've never knowingly done anything magical, aside from break you out of the relic -- and even that was still an accident.

[phaselocknroll]

[ Clearly, but now she's at least got him thinking about it. ]

Accident or no, I am grateful.

[nostalgiabomb]

Still an accident, but if I had known your situation-- [ He glances over at her, looking thoughtful. ] Well. Twenty-something years being stuck somewhere you don't want to be is shitty.

[phaselocknroll]

I'm guessing you can empathize.

[nostalgiabomb]

[ He shrugs. ] Ravager for twenty-six years.

[phaselocknroll]

That is a long time to be stuck somewhere you don't want to be.

But the fact that you would have been willing to free me based on my circumstances alone is-- I appreciate it. Truly.