myfavoritemurder | IC contact for meadowlark

Ugh.

[She changes tactics, making a grab for the sword instead.]

If you hadn't forgotten, you wouldn't be asking such stupid questions.

[It's a particularly simplistic, childish mindset that she's married herself to: to her, her family had been perfect, and representative of all that was good and safe in the world. And when they had died, everything she associated with them died for her, too.]

[ she wants the sword? he'll give her the sword. he tosses the bottle to free his hand to unsheathe the sword, swiftly pointing it at her. he tilts his head to the side as if to gesture he's sorry it came down to this. he might be slightly swaying, but he's fought drunk before. he can hold a sword. ]

Easy there, love. I only want to talk.

[ talk first, then she can have the sword. ]

My question wasn't in the past tense. I know you lost something, I felt it. [ and he knew that feeling even without the bond with her. ] Maybe there is another reason for you to continue living, but you haven't found it yet.

Edited 2021-02-07 20:20 (UTC)

[She isn't threatened by him drawing the sword on her. On the contrary, she gives him a mirthless grin.]

Maybe--

[She moves forward swiftly, aiming to strike him. This time it's landing a blow that's her goal, not triggering the empathy bond.]

-- I don't want anything else. Maybe what I had and lost is all I ever wanted, and if I can't have that, then I'll burn everyone and everything else to the ground.

[ he fumbles out of the way. clumsy, but lucky. ]

That's all you ever wanted?

[ he blinks, looking almost confused. okay, he loved milah more than anything. losing her destroyed everything and for many, many years the thought of avenging her death consumed him, but that didn't mean he didn't also hunger for other things along the way.

because of course he did, he's a pirate. greed comes with the job. and lately he's started to realize that it might have been the key to his survival. ]

My dear, I'd call that unambitious.

[ suddenly the air around them moves. barely, but the wind is enough to gently knock down her bat which was leaning against the bag. his chest glows blue. ]

Call it what you want.

[She scoffs.]

Ambition means nothing.

[She's been plenty ambitious over the course of her life, but only ever in pursuit of her one singular goal - becoming stronger, becoming untouchable, making Xena miserable, and then defeating her.

She whips around at the clatter of the bat, then snarls, turning back to face him. She still hasn't figured out how to activate her own blue power, and right now, that's kind of pissing her off.]

Don't think I won't fight you just because I have a broken arm.

[ what was that? he glances down at his own chest and as he does this he continues to sway in one place, feeling even more light-headed than before. he lets out an incredulous laugh. ]

I'm certain I didn't drink that much yet.

[ is this the power thing everyone keeps telling about? he glances to her like he just remembered she was here too. he was entirely wrapped in his own thoughts. ]

I suppose not, but I will not attack an injured woman. Love, I didn't come here to fight. We made a deal, didn't we?

And you haven't honored it yet.

[Regardless of the arm, regardless of anything he says, she still stands at attention, ready and willing to advance on him again.]

Either fight me, hand over the bat and leave, or hand over the bat and sit down.

[That last option is the closest she gets to inviting someone to keep her company for a while.]

So impatient.

[ he sighs and twirls the sword in his hand so that he can grab it by the blade and offer it to her handle first. it's not much, worn out and stolen, but it's still a sword. happy? ]

I'm going to ask you to keep the details of the acquisition of that weapon to yourself, but you already knew that - didn't you?

[ he's going to go pick up his bottle now. ]

You care too much about what other people think of you.

[She snatches it, testing the weight of it in her hands. And now that she has it firmly in her possession, she adds:]

Do you know a metalsmith here? I'd never give my only sword away - not unless I was sure I'd be able to get a new one.

It matters to me what they know of me. [ he picks up the bottle and wipes it on his sleeve before uncorking it with his teeth. ] And you care too little.

[ he turns and glances at her inspecting the sword. he supposes she looks more like herself now that she's got one. ]

I've got my trusted hook. [ and the police are looking for someone who murdered people with that sword, callisto can keep it. ] You don't have anything to drink, I take it? [ this one bottle isn't going to entertain him for long. he walks over to take a look at her sad camping ground. ]

Water, dear.

[Which she figures is of no particular interest to him. She watches him carefully, allowing him to look, though if he reaches out to touch or take anything she'll react, immediately and with lightning speed. She doesn't have a home, or many possessions; everything she owns is zipped up in that duffle, which means she'll guard it with her life.]

I don't know why you're so agreeable towards me. I've done nothing for you besides get into trouble.

[There's no regret or apology in her tone; she's just stating facts here.]

[ the magic words to make him give up on his search. he grimaces, looking like he was personally offended by the information. ]

You travel lightly.

[ at least bring a bottle. he steps away from the bag, taking a seat on some big root that's sticking out of the ground. he leans back, crosses his ankles and drinks. ]

Tell me about it. [ he actually sounds a little fed up. ] Must be out of the goodness of my heart.

You'll get over it.

[She says, coming to sit down across from him. She crouches more than she sits, really, sitting on her haunches.]

When you find another pretty face to look at.

[ does she ever relax? he's starting to believe that the answer is no. ]

You think it's your looks that attracted me to your company?

[ he raises his brows and makes a face like she might have a had a point there. but well, that's not all. ]

Lass, we have a lot in common. I find it interesting.

Do you think I find you interesting?

[Rather than looking at him as they speak, she roots around in her bag, unearthing something wrapped in cloth - which, when she unwraps it, turns out to be strips of dried fish. She takes one for herself, then jabs the cloth in his direction - her weird, unfriendly version of offering him some.]

Of course.

[ he states, no doubt about it in his mind.

to be honest he's not hungry and dried fish only reminds him of some unhappier times, but he does pick up the cloth anyway. mostly out of curiosity. ]

You're on a quest for vengeance, you wouldn't waste your precious time on any trivial acquaintances.

Just take one.

[She snaps. She caught and dried it herself, and she's saving the rest for later.]

Xena isn't here. Everything I do in this world is trivial and meaningless, unless it gets me back to her.

You really do know how to make someone feel special, don't you lass?

[ no offense taken though. it's like water off a duck's back. he picks one of the dried fish and offers the cloth back to her, mouthing a "thank you" with a cheeky grin if she happens to look his way. ]

So you only need to locate her, is that it? You have the means for actually defeating her all figured out already?

[She pauses, nibbling at her strip of fish.]

It's not that simple. She's usually easy to find. But completely destroying someone's life usually takes time; not all lives are like mine, where it could be destroyed in an instant. I'm sure her life is worse now than it was when we first met. I've seen the pain and anger in her eyes when she looks at me. The guilt. But it's not enough yet.

[It's never enough.]

There's also another pesky problem: I came here from the underworld, and she's still in the land of the living. She killed me, you know, and I really thought she was going to die with me, but that clever Xena - she managed to save herself at the last moment.

[ vengeance is like a void, it's endless and it will devour everything. the more he hears her talk about it, the more he realizes how close he came to losing himself to it and maybe he did. it surprised even himself how he can care about anything else now. ]

I'd say guilt is a great start. My enemy had no such feelings, he was no man.

[ it only made it easier to go after him, seeing that he felt no remorse for what he did.

hook suddenly looks up from his bottle when she casually mentions her own death. ]

She killed you? [ his first thought is that now she's never going to let it go. he never would. ] After everything she'd already done?

I know. Brazen, don't you think? I really didn't think she had it in her.

[And she laughs, this time more genuinely amused than bitter.]

I hope it haunts her.

Anyone would be.

[ she doesn't seem distressed by the memory, so he's not going to be too somber about it either. ]

She's not a completely heartless person then, I take it?

She's--

[Her lip curls, and she finishes off the last of her fish with a sharp bite, gnashing her teeth.]

No, she's not heartless. She sees herself as a hero now - someone to be celebrated and loved. She's reformed.

I'm more heartless than she is, and that's why I know I'll win. There's nothing left in me for her to hurt.

[ he got rid of his fish while she wasn't looking. ]

Well. Doesn't that sound like the perfect plan.

[ exactly the same plan that he had. needless to say, it didn't work out.

he actually looks uncomfortable for a moment, but he hides it by getting back up on his feet. he was planning to stay a little longer, but this conversation is giving him all sorts of flashbacks he didn't sign up for. nope. ]

I'd love to discuss it at length with you, lass, but I'm honestly getting a little thirsty. [ he holds up the bottle. ]

No, you're not.

[She says, a challenge in her voice.]

I've scared you off.

[But she doesn't try to stop him; doesn't try to fight. She pulls her bag over by the strap, making a show of picking through it rather than giving him any attention.]

Take your drink and go; it doesn't make any difference to me.

[And it's herself as much as him that she's trying to convince here.]

IC contact for meadowlark

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sorry it took me a million years

np!

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