'Course I do. You mind swinging by the tower to meet me? I've gotta bring Sable home, we're at the park.
[ He could just say he'll meet Jesus somewhere in a little while, but really he just wants the chance to have as private a conversation as possible. And he's not saying that over an open line. ]
We're 19B. Don't let her jump on you before you say 'okay' -- we're trying to train her to sit first before she gets big enough to knock somebody over.
[ Back to the apartment they go, too. He'll get there first and opens the door when Jesus knocks shortly after, expression as open and friendly as ever. ]
[Jesus is sporting a split lip and a dark bruise on his cheek just under his left eye. For all that, he is genuinely, openly glad to see him--he just can't grin without reopening the cut, so his expression is carefully more subdued.]
[ Once Drake gets a look at that his expression shifts to concern, and he steps back to let Jesus in with a bit more reserve. ]
Hey. Come in, baby girl's waiting to meet you.
[ Moving into the apartment, there's a mostly-grown black lab puppy on the living room rug. She's sitting politely at the moment, but with an obvious air of barely restrained excitement for NEW PERSON, her tail whipping back and forth behind her.
Drake's gonna hold off asking what exactly happened for a minute longer, but as Jesus comes in he's not hiding a very careful once-over to see if the smaller man might be hurt anywhere else. Stiff movements or what have you. ]
[It's barely there, but there is a limp. When he bends slightly to introduce himself to Sable, he has to coax his back to allow even that little movement.
Most dogs have gone wild in his world. Seeing a pet, a friendly one, gets a smile that immediately turns into a wince because, yep, that damn lip injury. He doesn't mind though; it's worth it to grin at a puppy. He waits for Drake to give the okay before he will go right into ear and belly scratches]
[ Somebody beat the shit out of him, Drake thinks, bristling protectively as he follows and gives Sable the okay to rush up to their guest. Luckily she's oblivious to his tension, and bounds forward for an enthusiastic greeting. All wiggles and puppy kisses. She's just about full size now, but has yet to fill out and still has that lanky clumsiness of youth. ]
Pet shop. In my world that's sketchy, but the only shelter here was all cats when we looked.
[ They wanted a dog. But unless Jesus is really gonna dig into this topic, Drake's changing it. ]
Who, Jesus? If it was another LIEr, it matters why he wanted to know.
[ Drake looks worried. And there's nothing he can do about it now, but in the future? ]
You're not 'due' for anything. It might happen when the city's really fucking with us, but don't resign yourself to it like people get to use you however they want just 'cuz you lost the societal coin flip. Doesn't matter if you've had worse. You don't deserve it now.
I don't think he was. I've never seen him before. I didn't get his name.
[But he isn't sure he'd share it if he did, either. He's a little disturbed with himself to find that he still defaults to protecting those who abuse him, even after all these decades and after all this time spent teaching himself to handle things better. But he tells himself that in this case he has a plan.]
I didn't deserve what happened. No one who goes into that place deserves it. But it's still happening. That's what we have to work with.
[ He doesn't sound angry about it, but he is calling it out. Tell him what you learned, Jesus. And what you're going to do with it.
Luckily or unluckily, Drake's not the type to push or make demands. Not without a damn good reason. So here he just rakes a hand through his hair, circling behind the kitchen island and opening a cupboard. ]
[He flinches because Drake, he knows, deserves more than Jesus is giving him. He follows him and leans against the island, taking some weight off his sore leg.]
I don't want to get you in trouble. I want to talk to you about all of it--it's part of why I'm here. [The main reason, though, is just that he wanted to see Drake, to be at ease with him like he was the first time they met. He just wants to be around someone he likes.]
I'm just having a hard time now that I'm here because I don't want to get you hurt, I don't want to ruin any of this for you.
[ Drake's brows draw together slightly, not quite a frown but... concern. Unhappiness. General 'mrrrrr' energy, as he pulls down jar of peanut butter and opens a drawer for a knife. ]
You know keeping this totally to yourself will still be dangerous for everybody around you, right? I've done the 'lock it down to protect people' thing before. Sometimes all that means is they walk right into shit unprepared.
[ The jar and knife come with him as he moves back into the living room, glancing around until he seems to spot something -- Sable's got one of those hollow toys. Drake picks it up and sits on the couch to fill it so she's entertained while they're out, and Jesus is welcome to join him. ]
I'm not gonna force you to tell me anything, but all the secrecy's gonna do is make me worry about you.
[ Okay, so he did learn something. The question is, how useful could it be? Captives rotate quickly, in the actual prison and the zoo alike... and guards tend to be far more vicious on the streets, especially in the Down. Places where the city authority has less eyes on them as well.
There's obviously more to this he's not seeing, so he might as well ask. Strategy's never exactly been his area of expertise. ]
Personally? When things mess with who we are. Some of it's actually the city's fault drugging us, some of it seems beyond their control. But if we're sticking to fighting the government's bullshit? I guess I'd target the SLUT Center.
It really depends on what you want to change, specifically. And what you're willing to risk -- every attack in the past four years has failed, but the power has switched hands. I wouldn't tear it all down, in any case. There are places in this world with worse practices than Duplicity. You ever heard about Veracity? I'd worry if we ever actually struck hard enough to shake this city, they'd move in to put us down.
Another city nearby. My only experience with it was camp last summer... which had way stricter rules than we live under here. Like death sentence rules. And I heard about what they do to the noncompliant.
[ This is secondhand, but Drake believes the source, so. ]
On a trip two years before, anyone who didn't meet daily quota was marched up onto a gallows with their contract partner and made to watch them die before getting executed themselves.
Glad we're on the same page. A lot of newer folks act like this is the worst place ever, and... it sucks, sure. But I'd be in the improvement camp, not the blow it all up camp. If I had the means to do either.
[ He doesn't have the network or the skills, not really, and people tend to find his kindness suspicious. So he's just... settled. Found his place, such as it is.
Jesus' question earns a moment of consideration. ]
I don't think my standards are what anybody should be going by.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
Voice
[Because he's out and free and excited to see Drake now]
no subject
[ He could just say he'll meet Jesus somewhere in a little while, but really he just wants the chance to have as private a conversation as possible. And he's not saying that over an open line. ]
no subject
[He's on his way.]
> action
[ Back to the apartment they go, too. He'll get there first and opens the door when Jesus knocks shortly after, expression as open and friendly as ever. ]
Re: > action
Hey.
no subject
Hey. Come in, baby girl's waiting to meet you.
[ Moving into the apartment, there's a mostly-grown black lab puppy on the living room rug. She's sitting politely at the moment, but with an obvious air of barely restrained excitement for NEW PERSON, her tail whipping back and forth behind her.
Drake's gonna hold off asking what exactly happened for a minute longer, but as Jesus comes in he's not hiding a very careful once-over to see if the smaller man might be hurt anywhere else. Stiff movements or what have you. ]
no subject
Most dogs have gone wild in his world. Seeing a pet, a friendly one, gets a smile that immediately turns into a wince because, yep, that damn lip injury. He doesn't mind though; it's worth it to grin at a puppy. He waits for Drake to give the okay before he will go right into ear and belly scratches]
Where did you find her?
no subject
Pet shop. In my world that's sketchy, but the only shelter here was all cats when we looked.
[ They wanted a dog. But unless Jesus is really gonna dig into this topic, Drake's changing it. ]
Who did this to you?
no subject
He wanted to know how I broke the guard's arm. I didn't tell him. I guess he thought this would motivate me to fight with him.
[He looks tired, and not especially happy, but he's okay.]
I've had worse. And I'm probably due for worse now that I live here.
no subject
[ Drake looks worried. And there's nothing he can do about it now, but in the future? ]
You're not 'due' for anything. It might happen when the city's really fucking with us, but don't resign yourself to it like people get to use you however they want just 'cuz you lost the societal coin flip. Doesn't matter if you've had worse. You don't deserve it now.
...I hope you found out something useful.
no subject
[But he isn't sure he'd share it if he did, either. He's a little disturbed with himself to find that he still defaults to protecting those who abuse him, even after all these decades and after all this time spent teaching himself to handle things better. But he tells himself that in this case he has a plan.]
I didn't deserve what happened. No one who goes into that place deserves it. But it's still happening. That's what we have to work with.
For now.
no subject
[ He doesn't sound angry about it, but he is calling it out. Tell him what you learned, Jesus. And what you're going to do with it.
Luckily or unluckily, Drake's not the type to push or make demands. Not without a damn good reason. So here he just rakes a hand through his hair, circling behind the kitchen island and opening a cupboard. ]
Don't trust me yet, huh?
no subject
I don't want to get you in trouble. I want to talk to you about all of it--it's part of why I'm here. [The main reason, though, is just that he wanted to see Drake, to be at ease with him like he was the first time they met. He just wants to be around someone he likes.]
I'm just having a hard time now that I'm here because I don't want to get you hurt, I don't want to ruin any of this for you.
no subject
You know keeping this totally to yourself will still be dangerous for everybody around you, right? I've done the 'lock it down to protect people' thing before. Sometimes all that means is they walk right into shit unprepared.
[ The jar and knife come with him as he moves back into the living room, glancing around until he seems to spot something -- Sable's got one of those hollow toys. Drake picks it up and sits on the couch to fill it so she's entertained while they're out, and Jesus is welcome to join him. ]
I'm not gonna force you to tell me anything, but all the secrecy's gonna do is make me worry about you.
no subject
I just wanted to know firsthand what it was like, so I'd know what I was fighting if I decided to try. Now I know.
no subject
There's obviously more to this he's not seeing, so he might as well ask. Strategy's never exactly been his area of expertise. ]
Why the focus on the Zoo?
no subject
Because it's a symbol. It's the place they use to scare us into obeying.
no subject
[ It's hard to explain what the actual threat of Duplicity is to somebody so new -- Drake isn't even sure where to start. ]
no subject
What's your biggest fear here?
no subject
It really depends on what you want to change, specifically. And what you're willing to risk -- every attack in the past four years has failed, but the power has switched hands. I wouldn't tear it all down, in any case. There are places in this world with worse practices than Duplicity. You ever heard about Veracity? I'd worry if we ever actually struck hard enough to shake this city, they'd move in to put us down.
no subject
What's Veracity?
no subject
[ This is secondhand, but Drake believes the source, so. ]
On a trip two years before, anyone who didn't meet daily quota was marched up onto a gallows with their contract partner and made to watch them die before getting executed themselves.
no subject
It doesn't mean Duplicity can't be made better and no one should fight to make it so, but that is worth keeping in mind.]
Good reason not to burn this place all the way down.
...Are you happy here?
no subject
[ He doesn't have the network or the skills, not really, and people tend to find his kindness suspicious. So he's just... settled. Found his place, such as it is.
Jesus' question earns a moment of consideration. ]
I don't think my standards are what anybody should be going by.
no subject
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)
(no subject)