un: antigoneiguess | audio

[rudelanguage]

--en it's out loud for other people? Is there like a timer? A warning? A, a sound?

[the voice is small, feminine, kind of nasally in its dubious tone.

there's a brief beat, expectant. then, uneasily:] No, really. How do I know? Just--justjust tell me when this Hope-person can hear me so I don't jaw on like some kind of idiot asshole! I already feel dumb as shit so this doesn't help nothin'--Hey. Hello?

[...]

...I'm just talkin' to nothing, aren't I. Fuckin'--

Comments

its okay i am here now

[hexcope]

... Social contract?

[He doesn't know either!!]

[rudelanguage]

[she squints.

after a beat:] We should blow something up and see what they do.

[hexcope]

You're joking, right? That would hurt people. Innocent people.

[rudelanguage]

Are they innocent, Long-Term? [she arches a brow.] Or are they secretly hiding this anonymous thing? That we're looking for? Right?

[she flaps an arm out toward the streets below.] How do we know what's not normal until we set up normal! It's like, uh--science?

[hexcope]

Science isn't just do something wacky and go "huh" at the result. You ask a question- let's go with your question: How do we know what's not normal? The answer is step two: Do background research. If your answer isn't there, the you move onto step three, with forming a hypothesis. You want step two. Want to know what's normal? Look around, watch media, speak to people.

If your method of finding "guilty" people involves hurting innocent ones, then you've failed your task.

[He's taking this very, very seriously it seems.]

[rudelanguage]

[has Jayce considered that doing the background work is very boring and tiresome and that explosions can be fun? he should consider it. for fun.

Antigone huffs like a child just denied dessert before dinner.] This is an awful lot to ask little old me, y'know. How about you do it, tell me, and I can work from there?

[hexcope]

I'm not going to do something you're too lazy to do just to prove you shouldn't kill people.

[He is relieved at the very least that she is little (AS FAR AS HE KNOWS), and he's beginning to assume she also can't read, and so managing to do something that dangerous herself would be very difficult.]

[rudelanguage]

[SCOFF.] I'm not lazy, I'm practical! [she puffs up, hands on her hips.] I can prove it's a waste of time for me to try, too, and then you can apologize when you have to chuck some guy into the trash for trying to tie me up like a dog!

[hexcope]

[The face he's making.]

Then we agree? It's a waste of both our time.

[rudelanguage]

[accusatory point:] But not because I'm lazy! Don't be mean!

[hexcope]

[He doubles down instead.]

So what do you call it when you'd rather do the fast and dangerous option, instead of the slow and safe one? Careless? Lacking foresight?

[rudelanguage]

Playing to my strengths. [she'd put her nose in the air if it...already wasn't...because he's tall. goddammit.]

[hexcope]

I hope some day you realize that's not your strength.

[Disappointed™]

[rudelanguage]

Pfft, like you'd know! [I'm twenty-six KINDS of problems, guy!] Whatever, you got what you wanted outta me already, [seeing the Funny Tool] so it's not like you got a reason to stick around. Go do your...whatever-you're-doing, I don't know.

[actually:] ...What are you doing?

[hexcope]

I was practicing my abilities somewhere outside the city limits, and then I need to do some research, but you're not giving me much confidence I should just leave you here, either.

[He was hoping he wouldn't have to worry about what she was up to while they're here, but now she's asking what's wrong with blowing up buildings, so he's quietly penciling her in as someone to watch.]

[rudelanguage]

[she waves dismissively, looking toward the street.] You got better things to do.

[hexcope]

...

[The problem isn't that he doesn't get where she's coming from, to a degree. And maybe it's because his mind is a little scattered at all this that he can't figure out how to convince her in a way that doesn't seem like scolding. If he was just a little better at talking to someone without winding up yelling at them, sometimes...]

Let me at least bring you back to the ground. You put in a lot of effort to get up here.

[rudelanguage]

[she looks at him with extra scrutiny, expecting that to have been said in derision (as one would consider taking out trash) or jest (haha just kidding get lost mongrel).

dealing one-on-one with sincere sorts is still jarring now that Knife...has like...some experience extending trust. it's weird.

and, considering the last time someone held them aloft they promptly dropped them to potentially die, Antigone's tone is wary:] ...You're not just gonna drop me the second we're off the roof, are you?

[hexcope]

... After I just made a big deal about hurting innocent people, you think I'd do that?? No!

[rudelanguage]

[while seinfeld handsing:] Hey! You were talking about strangers and innocent people, I didn't think I qualified!

[hexcope]

I'm not- okay. I don't want anyone to die. Not you, not strangers, not even people I don't like. It's a you-or-me, last-choice sort of decision. If I'm being attacked with lethal intent, then I have to. If someone is a huge danger to everyone around them and that's the only way to stop them, then it has to be done. Only those two situations.

Understand?

[rudelanguage]

[Fuckin' nerd. Lucky I'm short and can't just push you off the roof...

...You'd fuckin' float anyway. Bah.

Knife is dangerously close to being endeared. why is endearment so close to annoyance?! how rude.

Antigone huffs, dusting off a sleeve.] Fine, fine... I'll allow you to be gallant, I guess. Now just stand there a second.

[because instead of indignantly holding arms out for uppies, Antigone pads over and then scales up his leg, back, and onto his neck like a toddler, clutching tufts of hair for security.]

[hexcope]

Thank you. Wait, what are you- not my hair-

[It's too late. She's ruined his perfectly coifed hair. He huffs in frustration.]

Perfect. Thanks.

[Sarcasm!]

Just don't pull it.

[And with that, he steps off the side of the building, gently guiding them down to the ground level, more out of concern she'll genuinely rip his hair out if he goes any faster than a granny's pace.]

[rudelanguage]

[What's he bitching about now? If I grabbed he's ears he'd hate that more! Sheesh.

but to be fair, she'll not pull (though the temptation is ferocious). on purpose. can't really control reflexes, y'know!

Wheeeee, Knife thinks blandly, watching the ground approach, realizing it would've been cool to like...maybe ask and specify a location to drop off to? and not just...random avenue.

sigh.]

You could make a business out of this, y'know.

[hexcope]

So I could live out all of my carriage driver dreams, right?

[With a soft thud, they land, and Jayce gestures for her to disembark from his shoulders.]