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[weaponwithoutpurpose]

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[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.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[He frowns, rubbing the back of his neck idly.]

Yeah, I get it.

So what now?

[He is in desperate need of some kind of direction and will take almost anything at this point.]

[pharadyne]

First goal, no more murders. Meaning you don't murder anyone, and we try our best to not let anyone murder you either.

Second, question for you: If you could send a message to John, or receive a message from him, would you want to?

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

[A long pause.]

I - yeah.

Of course. Wouldn't you?

[pharadyne]

I'm not generally good at writing letters. But it could probably be done. Interdimensional mail delivery.

[weaponwithoutpurpose]

Maybe.

[He'd thought about it, certainly, but the reality seems more daunting.]

Don't know what I'd say.

[pharadyne]

Doesn't have to be perfect. You can give it a go and if you really don't like how it turns out, try again, and we won't deliver anything until you're satisfied with it. Just write what you're thinking to start with. You don't need to show it anyone else, even me, if you don't want to.