001: Group Introductions - TEXT

[tarnishedavenger]

[During a lull in the party, Armstrong taps out a quick message to the network. Not that private one, he doesn't trust it. They can answer whenever they like, so long as he gets an answer. The trick would be wording it.]

So, we're all in this for now. You've had your welcome cake, but you can't meet everyone in a party, no matter how hard you try. But, since we've all been encouraged to sign up with Jorgmund, I figured now would be a good time to get some introductions done. Talk about any specialties we might have.

Share information that we feel comfortable sharing. This isn't to pressure anyone or to force out any dark secrets.

[Not where watchful eyes can see, at least.]

Besides, I prefer doing this to making a cute information sharing game.

So, please, make your own threads within this post to keep everything organized.

Comments

video;

[gempathizing]

Seriously!? How many times can this happen!? [ There's so much to unpack. On one hand, Jack didn't ping his danger radar. On the other hand, he historically doesn't always nail that anyway. Jack has the malicious glee of Aquamarine and Eyeball...

But Steven has never a) met someone who turned out fully legitimately evil, or b) met anyone who just outright said they were evil. There's usually some thinking they're right and good and going too far, or emotional damage his mom did or whatever. So that's something to add to his equation.

Yeah he can't make heads or tails of the legit levels here.

There are relationships he knows how to navigate and this theoretically is one. He's got all the scriptwork. But he's also offended and preemptively tired. Does he just have a magnet??? For this??? A sign on his back that says to turn out weirdly malicious? ]

Jack. I don't know you well enough to know if this is a prank, but if it's not? Guess who's about to make a really big blip on my disappointed radar?

[ That's the worst of all radars, in his experience. ]

[monkey_wrench]

[Aaaand now he's laughing. Something a little too light and spontaneous to be one of his patented evil laughs, bordering on just honest enough for him to clap a hand over his mouth, smothering it down to a giggle. When he manages to pull himself together there's a touch of sympathy in his smile, but whether it's genuine or mocking is up in the air.

That...that had been a hell of a reaction. Better than he'd thought it would be. He'd half-expected more disbelief. But it's clear the guy's sick to death of having to deal with people like him pulling this kind of garbage on him. How many times has this happened to you Steven?

There's a familiarity to that frustration, though. Feels good. Feels like home.]

Ah, relax. I'm not out to make myself your problem, Space Boy. Cross my shriveled little black heart. [Aw, look at that, he actually swipes an X over his chest and everything. Totally an honest gesture.] We're all in corporate hell together and all that. For the time being, I'm basically Switzerland.

[gempathizing]

And I appreciate that. [ Steven doesn't have to know anything about Swiss neutrality to get the vibe Jack is putting down, which is good, because he doesn't know pretty much anything about it.

This is something to not forget, not necessarily in a grudge-holding manner. Evil but not planning on doing evil stuff in corporate hell is the weirdest status ever.

He's keeping this one on his list of people, places, and things to be concerned about. Exactly what level it hits and what approach it gets to be determined at a future date. ]

But why specifically decide to be evil in the first place when you know it's evil?

[ Confused woman staring at math meme dot png. ]

[monkey_wrench]

[All the humor suddenly vanishes from Jack’s expression when he’s asked to explain why he’s evil, and he lets out a scandalized gasp.]

Steven!

[He’s “can’t believe that came out of your mouth” levels of aghast, putting a hand to his chest and everything. Like Steven had just broken some unspoken taboo.]

You don't just ask a guy why he's evil!

[And just as quickly as it disappeared that mischievous smile is back, tugging at the edge of his mouth, bringing with it a touch of dry humor to his tone.]

Especially not on a public forum run by kidnappers that could use that information against said evildoer. I mean...come on, man. Seriously.

[gempathizing]

Right. Sure. Sorry.

[ The world will know that he wants to know. And possibly infer that he has not lent much consideration to the prospect of constant surveillance at all to date. He's always been living very free-range.

Steven adds "ask Jack if people legitimately don't ever ask him about why he's evil where he's from" to his list for posterity. Who let this young man become evil and cause problems on purpose? ]

But seeing how I can't un-ask, do evil boy geniuses pencil in appointments for these kinds of talks, or...?

[monkey_wrench]

[For a moment his amusement visibly falters a bit, a hint of suspicion creeping in. Because, no, no one had ever asked him about that. And they certainly hadn't tried to make a thing out of it. The closest anyone had come to that was Omi asking if he ever considered that he might be meant to fight on the side of good. Which was more of an offer than an attempt to pry. And as Steven switches from what Jack interpreted as offended, to concerned and curious, it only puts him on edge.]

As a matter of fact I do. But I only slat them in after I’ve hit rock bottom. [It’s a joke. Or at least he makes it sound like one. Mostly. There’s a touch of a bitter edge that wasn’t in his tone before, a little more genuine malice in his smile, and he was definitely aiming to make Steven uncomfortable now.] So maybe try me after a session with Planker. [Despite forcing a little more chipperness into his tone with that line, it somehow ends up sounding more like a dare.]

But fair warning, last guy who tried a half-glass-full approach with me wound up regretting it. Just something to think about, in case you wanted to keep me in ‘not your problem’ status.

[gempathizing]

Maybe I owe you a fair warning that I'm hard to scare off.

[ If he had a resume maybe he'd find a way to fit that into it. That's a whole skill, right.

This is going into his top 3 weirdest escalating-dare-esque conversations. In the meantime he'll stand on his most familiar soapbox of all. He's been climbing it since before he knew anything about war crimes at all. ]

Seeing how I've never met a person who is a problem. Usually just people who have 'em. Aaand who maybe make 'em on the side.