(closed)

[biwinning]

Who: Sollux and Kanaya
Where Sollux's hideout
What: Reunion
When: January 14th or maybe 15th



[It's very well preserved in it's abandonedness attribute, at the very least. He made sure not to junk it up with all his every day nonsense in the time he's been here. Except for one room, his room, deep in the plant that has no windows or ways to see in. At least if he's going to squat somewhere, better make it a place no one can casually see you from outside, just in case they're taking a stroll in the middle of the woods for no reason.

That room in question is definitely junked up with all sorts of things. Bee hives, all sorts of computer parts, an array of monitors connected to what's probably a computer tower, or maybe two or three of them. Every part looks different, like it's all been hodgepodged together. Because it has. Microwaves, two fridges, and somehow it's all powered up. Somehow, he's got the power plant actually generating enough energy to make his shit work without being detected.]

So this is where I've been.

[Still got that ol' lisp, because no one threw him down a flight of stairs and knocked his teeth out.]

And now that you're here, just get to the part where you yell at me for not going out and finding you at some point over the past three sweeps.

Comments

[rainbowbright]

[ She follows behind him, not taking much notice of the mess as they get through the plant. She's seen enough places like this over the years that she's used to it. The dilapidated and abandoned places are where people like them tend to thrive. She is, of course, quietly fuming, but just manages to keep it in check.

It's only when they get to his inner sanctum that she show any real interest in the environment. This is how he really lives, and it seems pretty much in line with what she remembers. All the Terran bees are new, but she shouldn't be surprised about them. She is, however, wary of them.

When he finally speaks, she seems to deflate, all the building anger coming out in preempted frustration. She folds her arms and pouts, her nostrils flaring. ]

It really cuts the wind out my sails when you just put it like that. [ Kanaya doesn't talk the same way. The most immediate tell is that her accent's gone, but as she talks more he might notice how much her diction's simplified. It matches how long and flat her hair's grown, how drab her clothes are, how little makeup she wears anymore. Like everything fancy about the girl he knew all those years ago was cut away, deemed too frivolous.

She moves just enough to glance over at his computer screens. ] What the fuck have you been doing? I'm sure all these things must've brought you some news of the world out there.

[biwinning]

[For every part of him that's stayed the same: same lisp, same messy hair, same style of glasses (his original ones cracked a long time ago, he crafted a new pair), same boring clothing style and same interests... a part of Kanaya changed in equal measure, maybe. It's fair enough to say that neither of them had a healthy way of coping with their new and punishing environment.]

Yeah, they have. I know what'th happening. But what do you want from me? I didn't know you were around, and unlike some of us, I didn't get a "human disguise" power. Going outside like this would be like knocking on the government'th door and saying 'sup, I'm here to be kidnapped, brainwashed, and turned into a living weapon; just do me like Her Imperious Condescension planned!'

[rainbowbright]

[ She shakes her head, openly sneering at him. ]

Cut the shit. If anyone could've found a way to get involved without leaving this room, it'd be you. And you wouldn't even be the first I work with, either.

[biwinning]

Fine! Maybe I could have.

[He definitely could have.]

But why'th it up to me to get involved? Look what happened last time I "got involved." The whole planet blew up.

[He knows now it wasn't really his fault, Alternia was going to blow up no matter what. He's just being self-defeatist, per usual.]

It'th better off for everyone if I don't do anything, and just keep living out here alone, forever.

[Even though he's literally done the opposite of that in the past 24 hours, what with the random rescue of Mordin, and now bringing Kanaya here. Contradictions yet again.]

[rainbowbright]

It's not. If that were true, you wouldn't have gone out at all. Believe it or not, I'm happy to see you, and I'm never happy!

[ She stops herself from appending "you stupid bitch" on the end, and kind of regrets it. ]

It's up to all of us to get involved. We're the ones suffering from the current system, and even if humans out there are uselessly sympathetic, that isn't going to change shit. Not if they don't understand what it's really like. Just because direct action is what I'm doing, doesn't mean it's all there is to do.

You could run agitation programs from right here. Counter propaganda campaigns! Get the word out!

[biwinning]

[She's right because of course she is. She's always right, isn't she? One of the insufferably perfect things about her.

He slouches a bit more, his guilt mounting and taking its place on his shoulders as he crosses his arms. His gaze has drifted to the floor, to stare at a messy slop of slime that could have belonged to his attempt at growing a gamegrub.]

What'th the point? This is pretty obviously a doomed timeline. I don't know how long we're even supposed to hold on for. Even if I did start running... I don't know. Cyber attacks or counter propaganda, it wouldn't save us.

[Sollux looks up to her, she was always taller than him anyway.]

Sorry.

[rainbowbright]

[ She leans down, putting both hands on his shoulders. ]

Let me tell you a little secret, Sollux. Something I figured out a long time ago. [ Her eyes widen, expression growing manic. ] They're all doomed timelines! There is no hope, there never has been. Hope is just something we made up to fool ourselves about how bad things are everywhere, and nothing we've ever done has ever mattered on an omniversal scale.

But it's also the only timeline we get, so what's the point in not doing anything? We win or we die, but maybe we win and we die. There's nothing to lose either way. If I'm going to be doomed, I'd rather be doomed and doing something instead of nothing.

[biwinning]

[His eyes are wide as she speaks, and it's actually not an expression he's seen on Kanaya's face... pretty much ever. Mostly because he's from too early in the timeline to know that Kanaya can, and will, lose her shit when pushed far enough.]

Wow, fuck, and I thought I was the depressed one here.

[And yet, he's managing to crack a smile. He's been lonely for so long, and he was halfway expecting Kanaya to just give up on him and leave. Instead here she is, giving him some weird pep-talk about how everyone's doomed.

He missed her more than he realized.]

You know you just described hope, right? Doing the right thing for the sake of it being the right thing, even when it looks like there'th nothing that can be done.

[He actually hadn't written off the entire concept of hope. He didn't think it was present here but he thought maybe... somewhere else... it might exist.]

Fine. Let'th say I'll help. What do you want me to start with? Just start DOSing websites and sending out viruses, or what?

[rainbowbright]

That's not hope. Hope is believing that things can get better. What you described is moral fortitude, or maybe just stubbornness. I learned long ago that being hopeless is never an excuse to give up.

[ She doesn't really talk about it to many people, because that just makes them think she's crazy. They aren't exactly wrong about that, either, but no one would rely on her if they knew just how crazy she really is. She's glad that he appreciates it as much as she..........hoped he might. ]

But yeah, that sounds like a good start. Just find as many ways as you can to make their days worse. In the future, maybe we can work on some kind of information campaign you can put out there.

I should get you connected with Command. I think you'd like her, at least when she's in the mood to deal with anyone.

[biwinning]

[He didn't imagine he would be the one who would relate to the specific level of crazy Kanaya is capable of putting out... but he wouldn't be surprised if she said as much either. Doom was something he related to, obviously, and understands all too well one's struggle with accepting it.]

If she'th moody, then you know we're not going to get along.

[He will, by default, try to out-moodswing her.]

Also I don't want to make this a "thing," okay? I'm not joining some sort of military-esque operation here. I'll fuck up computers and spread campaigns, but I'm not going to fight anyone.

[He's already spent years dealing with the fact that he's a huge hazard to the resistance if he ever got taken by the government. If he was on any sort of battlefield... he just knows, it won't end well.]