TLV Inbox

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

voice . text . video . action

Comments

[pharadyne]

[From what he's heard about Abel's father, he suspects Abel's heard it, too. Maybe where he got it from without realizing it.]

The psychotherapists like to say everything wrong with us is because of the relationship we had with our mothers, but I think it's the fathers who are the primary culprits.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

No.

No my mom did fuck all to save my brothers. She just let it happen. So I did it myself.

It's why I went to war, apparently.

[He grins.]

A shrink told me that.

[pharadyne]

That you went to war because of your mum? [Norton's nose wrinkles at that.] I really don't follow.

I know you protected your brothers, though, when no one else did. I admire that. If you'd been at my school I'd have hitched myself to your wagon immediately.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Yeah, I didn't say they were a good shrink.

[He runs his fingers along his bearded jaw as he thinks.]

But I still ended up here. Go figure. He's right, though. Abel. You really shouldn't have to put up with my shit.

[pharadyne]

[Norton shrugs.] Honestly if this is the worst thing you do you'll have been a better behaved inmate than I was.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He looks exceptionally skeptical.]

You brainwashed someone and sent them to kill someone else?

[He laughs.]

I thought you don't do your own dirty work.

[pharadyne]

No I had sex with people and asked them to kill someone else.

Multiple times.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[Jacob laughs.]

I don't know, Norton. Conditioning and your fucking mouth are probably equally effective in getting people to do what you want.

I never did tell you why I changed my mind about it, did I?

[pharadyne]

You didn't. And I'm still terribly curious.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Cazador. And - Tor. That fucking flood fucked me up.

[pharadyne]

[Norton gives a small nod of acknowledgement at that. Both thanks for Jacob telling him and understanding what he means by it.]

Unlike them, you have remorse. That's a good thing. You can choose not to do the sorts of things they did.

Would you like to read my inmate file?

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Tor wasn't-

What do you mean? Why?

[He frowns, ever suspicious of motives. He very much does want to read it, but he doesn't want to fall into a trap.]

[pharadyne]

You were concerned about the power dynamics. No amount of talking can really fix that, so I thought maybe we should change the rules instead.

[When something's stuck, he thinks throwing in a grenade is the best way to get things unstuck.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Alright.

Yeah, let's see it.

[pharadyne]

I'll need to pop back to my cabin to fetch it.

[When he'd requested a copy ages ago he didn't expect to be needing it for this, but it is convenient for when a wild whim like this takes hold of him.]

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Then do it. I'll be here.

[He's not going anywhere.]

[pharadyne]

[The nice thing about teleportation powers is that it makes quick errands very quick indeed. And Norton knows exactly where his inmate file is. It's not the sort of thing he wants to go astray. So he has it within moments and holds it out to Jacob.]

There you are. Some fun reading for you. Ask me anything you like about it.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He takes the file from him and moves back on his bed to read it.]

This is some crazy shit.

[He's on the second page...]

[pharadyne]

The aliens or the Soho social scene?

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Aliens.

...the fuck.

[pharadyne]

You get used to it after a while. You go about your routine days with a niggling worry in the back of your head that the world may end at any time from either an alien invasion or a Soviet atomic missile.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He reads. He reads and he makes small noises as he does, but he's quiet until -]

Adam?

[pharadyne]

[He knew this was coming, but he tenses slightly at the name anyway. He manages to keep his voice light though.]

Why I really hate mind control.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Yeah.

That's some shit. [He frowns, closing the file.]

That what you wanted me to see?

[pharadyne]

In part. You asked why, when I said it earlier, and now you know.

But I also wanted you to see why I'm not inclined to think you're an irredeemably bad person or that your only value is to die. I've killed a lot of people, some of it I'm not even ashamed of. But I detest when human lives are measured merely in "value" or the benefit they provide.