001 ⇉ video (un: envoy)

[resleeves]

[ the communicator that he'd been given was close enough to the oni that it doesn't take kovacs very long to figure it out. the tech is still a little behind what he's used to but it does the job.

when the video flickers to life, kovacs is wearing his default expression: boredom with a side of 'i hate everyone'. what he's really feeling is the almost overwhelming need for a fucking cigarette. but, those, like many other things, appeared to not exist on this station. booze only went so far. ]

Anyone have any drugs?

[ his lips draw into a thin smirk and he snickers. while he wouldn't necessarily say no to some good reaper, he's rather not spend any time in some drug induced fog while he's stuck on a station that he doesn't know. he's already run into someone who'd talked about eating him (nevermind that kovacs had brought that up) and he'd rather not wake up with a kidney missing. ]

Now that I've got your attention, anyone have a cigarette or is this place lacking in good vices as well as everything else? Haven't seen any dolls running around here either. More's the pity.

[ there was a fair amount of mystery surrounding the locked doors and corridors that piqued kovacs curiosity but that was about the only saving grace of this place. besides, he didn't have any real motivation to figure things out since he wasn't getting paid. ]

Pretty sure the fact that I was going to have to go cold turkey off something wasn't in the brochure for this place. But, neither was the fact that I can't fucking leave so I guess I was just asking for too much.

[ he hates being stuck. it's like being on ice except he's fucking aware. if he wants to stay in one place for any amount of time, he will make that choice. having it taken away from him grates. it pisses him off. ]

So, any of you Meths? Just trying to figure out how who I should cozy up to. I miss having friends, you see.

[ the laugh that follows the statement is one of sarcasm. he definitely wants to know but not for any friendly reason. kovacs figures that no one's going to know what he means but, if they answer, he can probably judge them well enough to decide on his own. ]

I really hope we're not being set up to try and save whatever world they were talking about on that recording when I woke up. I'm really not up to that. Think someone'll get pissed if I sit that one out?

Maybe I could cheer you guys on from the sidelines.

[ fuck, he really needs a cigarette. maybe he'd be a little more optimistic about things after that.

but, maybe not. #winning ]

Comments

Re: audiio; un:millerlite

[resleeves]

[ you'll have to excuse kovacs' momentary silence but he is just oh so shocked that someone's actually agreed with him. he's gotten used to people with hero complexes and martyrs that wanted to die for a ridiculous cause. ]

You got it, grandpa.

[ well, if he was a kid...]

Can't even understand the logic of trying to save a world anyway. Just go somewhere else. Make it easy on yourself.

[ planets existed to be stripped clean or destroyed. saving the world one day wasn't going to guarantee you saved it before. ]

World sure as shit hasn't done anything for me.

[ and that was the important part! what have you done for me lately?! ]

[pampa]

[ one corner of his mouth tugs up at the moniker though kovacs can't see it. and the rest of what he says erases the mirth anyway. isn't that what he does? save the earth? but he hasn't actually done it yet. and no matter how many people tell him that's what happened he still has a hard time picturing himself doing it, in the end. going through with something so obviously selfless and against his basic instinct to survive. one that somehow coexists with his blinding self hatred. u kno u kno ]

Sometimes there's nowhere else to go.

[ and that's really all he has to say on the matter. he doesn't want to argue for chivalry when he's the opposite of chivalrous himself. doesn't want to make a case for bravery when that wasn't even close to why he'd gone to eros in the first place... ]

Still, think you're right. About everything but the cigarettes. That shit's just barbaric. [ who smokes anymore/???? seriously, no. you don't smoke into an air filter and miller grew up in places exactly like this. does kovacs want to kill all of them including himself? ] There's some decent liquor left in the bar if you can believe it. [ if u wanna get wasted with him. that's basically all he's done since he got here. other than yell at people who like him for some stupid reason?? like wtf is that. ]

[resleeves]

There's always been some place to go. The kicker's been finding a place that hasn't been razed to the ground because someone needed a nice new home or wanted a view that would give them a hard on.

[ earth was pretty good at that. they took and took and took, leaving planets like mars and harlan's world devastated in their wake. the planets kept spinning, looking inviting and hopeful from space.

then, you put your feet on the ground and all you could smell was smoke and bitterness and death. memories that were better left in the ground. ]

I'm feeling a little bit judged here on my preference for cigarettes. Would you rather I shot some good stuff right into my veins?

[ at least cigarettes would leave him lucid even if the stink of smoke would then be clinging to him for probably the rest of his life. it was a decent trade off, if he asked him. ]

Oh, I've found the bar. It's a wonder I'm not there right now. It's all that's been keeping me entertained. Quite the fun game, picking an unlabeled bottle and guessing if you're gonna get something good or piss mixed with sweat.

[ basically, they needed to play that game together. see who got schwasted first and see who ended up drinking something that made them wanna retch. it'd be fun. they could drink and bitch until they passed the eff out. ]

[pampa]

[ he's just skipping over that, but it makes miller assume he's an earther. takers - not that there weren't just as many in the belt. ]

Yeah, I would actually. That would only kill you instead of the whole damn station.

[ though... ] Surprised we haven't run into each other already then. I've been making it something of a second home.

[resleeves]

Wouldn't kill me. I've put that shit in my body plenty of times before. Still here. Could be a good thing for some of the more uptight people here. Get those sticks out of their asses.

[ though, he'd have to be somewhat careful here. if he ended up dead by his own hand or someone else's, he wasn't going to be able to come back until someone found a way to get him off his fucking station so they could shove his stack into another sleeve.

hopefully it'd be a pretty one. ]

If any Reaper somehow falls into my hands, gonna make everyone ask me nicely for it.

[ he figures he'll get a few bites, at least. from the curious and from those who just didn't give a fuck. ]

Obviously an oversight on both our parts. Seen plenty of people in there though. One of 'em had furry ears. Another wanted to clean up my mess.

Didn't know an unplanned vacation would come with a maid.

[pampa]

I'll put it another way: if you fuck with the air filtration on this barge you and me are gonna have a problem. Capiche? Other than that, I don't give a damn what you put in your body, whether it kills you or not.

[ it's not like he can judge either way bro, just don't fuck with people being able to breathe. ]

Yeah, well. Takes all kinds, right?

[resleeves]

What kind of problem?

[ is he being threatened? is there the possibility of fisticuffs in his future? how exciting! ]

But, don't have a stroke, grandpa, I don't think cigarettes are in my future. It's not like there's some vending machine hanging out somewhere to get me my fix.

[ unless that's what was behind all those locked doors. wouldn't that be a let down? all this work and energy and the only thing back there were some old cigarettes, stale candy bars, and tampons that would give anyone within a fifty foot range toxic shock syndrome. ]

I guess.

What kind are you, then?

[ was that rude? was that in the same category as asking a women about her weight or age? oh well. already out there and asked. ]

[pampa]

The kind of problem where I space you and all your death sticks.

[ is that clear enough??? what-ever, loser. ]

All sorts of shit is showing up, wouldn't be surprised if you got 'em back. So don't get any stupid ideas, Sonny-boy.

[ what kind are you, welwala? he can hear the words, but they're in anderson dawes' stupid drawl. he just sniffs at the inquiry after a long pause. ] Not like any other kind you'll find on this rust bucket.

[resleeves]

You'd have to find me first.

[ because there were just so many places to hide on this station! whatever, he'd make it work.

even if the point was moot because no one had any fucking cigarettes to share. that was the saddest thing of all. ]

You got it, Pops.

[ too late, miller, he'd already had tons of stupid ideas. so, there. but, cigarettes would not be his first choice if this station turned out to be in a giving mood. he'd want a gun or he'd want his pretty pink backpack, thank you. ]

You make it sound like that's not a good thing. I'm pretty unique myself. Ain't gonna find another person like me ever again.

[ cuz they were all dead!!]

[pampa]

Oh, it's easy to find someone in a place like this. Especially if they don't wanna be found.

[ he makes it sound menacing. but ceres is a lot bigger than reverie and he's never had a problem finding anyone - well, except julie. but she wasn't on ceres at all, so that's a good excuse. ]

Ever again, huh? Spooky stuff.

[resleeves]

The best places to hide are probably behind all those locked doors.

[ in fact, everything good was probably back there, taunting them with their inability to do anything but stare and fantasize about what might be lying behind the magical, mysterious doors.

and when they did eventually get them open, kovacs fully expects to find a fucking broom closet. ]

Not unless I wanna start procreating and making little versions of myself.

[ god no. also, that wasn't how it worked. ]

They kept me around for entertainment value. Trout me out every so often, say I'm the last one, let their friends ooh and ahh and then send me on my way. Easiest buck I've made in awhile, at least.

[pampa]

Yeah, don't hold your breath on that one. Or maybe do, just in case the air filter's really on its last legs.

[ earthers breathe much more deeply than belters after all. save some oxygen for the rest of us, you lush! ]

Alright, kid, I'll bite. [ if only because he's bored and in need of distraction enough to ask- ] What makes you so special people would line up?

[resleeves]

Everyone else like me is dead.

[ was that the first time he'd said that out loud since he'd gotten here? probably. was there a rhyme or reason for saying it to miller, of all people? probably because he'd asked. ]

You get a certain aura about you when that happens. Enough that you get trotted out for show and tell during dinner parties.

[ fucking bancroft. ]

But, he pays well.

[ still a fucking prick. ]

[pampa]

[ okay but you still haven't answered- ] When what happens? What's different about you?

[resleeves]

I'm prettier than anyone else.

[ that was obviously true but it wasn't why it made him different. might as well just get this out there now since he can't see anyone here knowing what an envoy is and therefore, won't turn it into some sideshow like Bancroft. ]

I'm something called an Envoy. Last of, in fact. Layman's term: supersoldier. Meth term: terrorist. Earther term: freedom fighter.

[ was he really the last of them now that his sister might have somehow avoided death? he'd watched the ship explode, watched the ashes fall to the ground. ]

And I'm still pretty.

[pampa]

Wouldn't know what that's like.

[ but he can read between the lines well enough, he's a tool. there are people like that - people the OPA uses to their ends. he gets it enough anyway. ]

Good for you, kid.

[resleeves]

Wouldn't recommend it.

[ he doesn't regret becoming an envoy. it had brought him quell and given him some sort of purpose in his life. but it had taken away everything too. and now all he had going for him was the fact that he was a fucking spectacle and had some skills that a burnt out meth could use. ]

The pretty part I'd recommend. Though...

[ eager to get away from all the envoy talk, he peers at miller, sizes him up and then nods. ]

You got some work to do on that front, pops.

[pampa]

What for? Who am I trying to impress? You?

[resleeves]

Yeah.

[ of course you should be trying to impress him, miller, of course. ]

I can put in a good word for you.

[ with no one. ]

[pampa]

You do that. I'll wait here.