oohforeshadowing | IC Inbox

oohforeshadowing

Let me get back to you, darling.

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From:

oohforeshadowing

They give him a singularly unimpressed look.

"You call that a backstory? Try harder. What's wrong with your Earth? What are you here to fix?"

From:

oddswerebad

Well, that's a lot easier.

"There was this... plague. In my country. Over 59 million children died, with the number counting to rise over the years. Most of the ones who survived are in, uh, dangerous circumstances. A lot of other people have died too, because of various - political upheavals. I'm here to mitigate the damage as much as possible." He's not at ease, but he's far more comfortable when dealing with simple facts, where how it's personally affected him doesn't matter.

From:

oohforeshadowing

"I see."

Pacing along the valley floor, they glance back over a shoulder at him.

"And in that context, what makes you special?"

From:

oddswerebad

He shrugs.

"I have more information on the... larger picture then most people where I'm from have the chance to learn. I was willing to sign on to the barge in exchange for the chance of getting the deal." He shrugs again. "I don't know how the Admiral chooses."

From:

oohforeshadowing

"Pssht." Trouble flicks a hand dismissively. "The Admiral chooses protagonists, darling. The brave, the bold, the unusual, the pivotal players. For wardens, anyway."

From:

oddswerebad

It's an argument that has a decent amount of support, but not one without exceptions. But he considers the criteria offered carefully. The first three are clearly inapplicable, but information is important.

"Playing a pivotal role isn't necessarily limited to protagonists."

From:

oohforeshadowing

"There's a sizeable overlap," they say breezily. "So what role do you play in what I'm sure is a completely intolerable group of people too young to save the world but charged with doing it anyway?"

From:

oddswerebad

"It's a mostly adult organization, and better defined as wanting to shift political power from the person currently in charge to their own candidate. Most likely the only difference will be slapping on some surface level 'changes' and claiming that they'd like to do more convincingly enough for people to believe in it because it feels better to pretend they made a choice instead of just going along with the option that is less obvious about wanting to kill us. The illusion of control." Just based off personal observation.

"I do computer stuff. Information gathering, creating viruses, analyzing propaganda..."

From:

oohforeshadowing

"Rallying the troops with your optimistic outlook and sunny disposition?"

From:

oddswerebad

"They haven't asked me for that very often." There could be a sense of humor there, but it's hard to tell. "Is there a lot of kids charged with saving the world, where you're from?"

From:

oohforeshadowing

They chuckle.

"Almost exclusively. That's what you get when a dictator from another world sets up shop on your planet and deals with the previous generation."

From:

oddswerebad

He nods, it fits with the discussion of... archetypes.

"What role do you play?"

From:

oohforeshadowing

"Troublemaker."

Since he asked.

From:

oddswerebad

He struggles with it for a moment, but he has to ask.

"Did you, uh, pick your name?" He's not judging, but letting people know what they're getting into seems like an interesting choice.

From:

oohforeshadowing

"You know, I didn't - but it's interesting how the two things have dovetailed, isn't it?"

They grin at him, all sharp teeth.

"What's your deal for? Trying to escape to somewhere less depressing?"

From:

oddswerebad

It is interesting, the sort of name that could make you wonder what came first.

"No. It's to stop kids from dying of IAAN." He doesn't need a deal to go somewhere else. "Do you want to go back to your world?"

From:

oohforeshadowing

"Absolutely not." They hop from a low wall to a higher walkway, with barely more effort than taking a step. "There's nothing for me to go back to."

From:

oddswerebad

Nico follows with far more effort. "I'm not going back home, either. After." There are things for him to go back to, but another world offers so much more. "Where do you want to go?"

From:

oohforeshadowing

"No idea," they say, unconcerned. "Why are you going to all the effort of fixing a world you don't even intend to live on?"

From:

oddswerebad

"Because I wouldn't be able to live fully somewhere else if I didn't."

From:

oohforeshadowing

"Fair enough, I suppose."

They stop abruptly, sitting cross-legged on top of an oil barrel.

"So. You're my temporary warden, I'm your test subject. Warden me."

From:

oddswerebad

Nico considers them seriously, meeting Trouble's eyes for the first time before looking down again. The assignment might be temporary, but Nico believes in full diligence. Or perhaps he just doesn't like the thought of 'test subjects'.

"I had an inmate for a while. She was the... villain of the story. It was a role she chose to play, and one that she took on as a - reaction. It had its benefits, at times." More details are personal. "What do you get out of trouble?"

From:

oohforeshadowing

"Money," they tell him. "Thence food, clothes, shelter et cetera."

From:

oddswerebad

All the basics of survival, reasons he can understand easily from his own life. "The barge provides food and somewhere to live and clothes. There are dangers, but rarely permanent consequences in terms of life or limb. People come and go frequently enough that you can reinvent who you are with out the majority insisting you're actually someone else." It's a strange sort of reality, all told. "What do you like?"