The nomadic life isn't terrible. [He was still doing it, and he had been for years now. It was something that he had gotten used to and age old paranoia would keep him on the move for a long while yet.] But you've put in your time. You get to have a place of your own.
[He sipped his drink and let Gabriel get on with the heavy drinking. He put the lid on the food he had been eating and set it on the coffee table then sat back again. He rolled the bottle he was drinking from between his hands to keep them occupied.]
I'll keep watch if you want to start going whole hog.
It isn't, no. [Wasn't as if he didn't do the same back home when given the chance. Always on the move, didn't stay with Talon when he didn't have to for one reason or another. Had places he moved about, stayed.] For now.
[Gone back to the neon purple stuff, sinking back in to the couch at more of a slouch, letting his feet rest on the coffee table there. Damned tempting to just down it, rather than let himself spiral while he was still in a more... alright sort of mood.
Could easily shift, even if he was more of a happy drunk. Didn't change the fact he wasn't... happy.]
You can sleep on the couch here tonight for doing this. Just roll me in to the basement.
[At least they were in agreement there. He wondered how nomadic Gabriel actually had been, since being in big with Talon made all manner of resources available. It was probably prudent here in this place at the beginning where no location could be considered safe for long.] Unless you're planning on leaving, seems like you'll be here for awhile.
[For now, they seemed to settle into the old rhythms of drinking, not that they had bothered with it as much. No point back then given it did nothing for them. Their metabolism had been too fast back then. He figured they'd be down to business soon enough.
And really, seeing Gabe drunk would be interesting. They hadn't met when it had been possible to be drunk.]
I'll make certain you're delivered to the basement, don't worry. [He didn't commit to sleeping in the house, not when McCree could find him or all the other people Reyes told him stumbled in here. No, it wasn't safe.]
[Most of the resources used from Talon as Reaper was information, transportation. The fact he was sitting on the Council meant he had access to so much- but he had to be careful. Didn't use more in appearance than he always had, playing his part carefully. Knew exactly what line he was walking, and didn't want to give himself away.
What did a ruthless mercenary need for some of the things offered? Very little.] Place never plays by anyone's plans other than whatever the hell is it's own.
[Sinking back further in to that couch, slowly draining the bottle; maybe pulling more each swig taken since he wasn't bothering with the food anymore. Figured he'd done enough he wouldn't manage to make himself sick off of this.]
[He lived on very little, though he had funds squirreled away that he could access, but like Reaper, he had to be careful. He couldn't draw attention to himself with them, took as little as possible. He survived, nothing more, nothing less. Everything else he earned with odd mercenary jobs. Mostly, he just accepted going without.]
Fair enough, but you've been going strong for four years. You must be the most persistent old bastards that this place keeps you around.
[He nodded his head at the indication of why the basement was the best. He had figured as much. He nursed his drink and stared off ahead.]
Half the time wish it didn't. [For obvious enough reasons that even getting drink him thought would be so very obvious.
Too long of things being in a lull and he got overly restless and then ran himself ragged trying to find something to do. Comb over the library and archives again, take trips to the surface and go dive down in to places they were still able to access. Whatever he could do, trying to find something missed or just-
Who knows. Downing monsters that attacked him, even if he didn't bother collecting rewards for them. Even if he came back bleeding and never let anyone know. He was an expert at hiding things these days after all.]
Maybe you'll disappear next then. Who knows. [He wasn't certain how that would make him feel honestly. Sad? Angry? Probably a little envious.
The problem with a man like Reyes was that he needed to be busy, and he figured this place was much the same for him. After all, he was one of the few that could claim to know many of Gabriel's habits and personality, could call what he might do next. Hell, it wouldn't surprise him to find the guy wounded and just hiding it; they had been doing that since they were twenty-one years old.
He nodded and let them drink together, the weight of old and new losses apparent.]
[Read over anything that seemed important at least twenty-times over by now, to the point he'd had to stop going or else something would catch fire from his own frustration despite his control. The War. The Arehtei destroying everything in their madness from the use of emotion fueled weaponry corrupting them. Corrupting the entire world. Simpatheias sacrificing herself to save this island.
Thras and Daimonia no affected by the madness, thus both protecting and hiding their own cities. Their people. The other island being found. These artifacts being found. People going out to try and recover the lands and cities lost that belonged to the other Arehtei.
There was so much, and still so very few answers.
This was no existence for him. Tilted the bottle and his head back, finishing the entire bottle in one go like that, letting it drop as he fumbled for another.]
Never know. Ana was here as long as you were and now she's returned. Maybe these stupid gods have your number to roll next.
[There was no point really dwelling on it, was there? According to everyone he had spoken to, there wasn't a rhyme or reason for people coming or going in this place. It was whoever had a lucky or unlucky number by this point.
While he should do his research, he just plain didn't yet. He wasn't feeling it. No, he finished off his second bottle and reached for a third, though he was definitely slower than Reyes. For the best, he was going to end up carrying the guy downstairs.]
You getting drunk yet? 'Cause you don't fumble much usually...
You're just being technical now. Still might have your number, unless of course you don't want to go back.
[After four years, it might be understandable. He took the bottle that was slid to his hand, flipping the lid off of it and tossing it on the coffee table. He stretched his legs out under it and made himself comfortable.]
I haven't felt that since I was seventeen. [He could remember what it was like though. He wasn't that far along, being more conservative, but he was warm enough to perhaps be more talkative than he usually would be.] Snuck into the pub for dancing after getting to that place. Got much drunker than that after...
[He sipped his new bottle.] Just feeling warm. I'm in control.
Selfish part of me wants to stay at times. Rest of me knows I can't.
[At least they were both comfortable while drinking, even if only one of them was slowly moving towards trying to blackout from it.
Hummed a little, taking a bit longer to get the lid off his.. fourth? Fifth? Whatever, the latest bottle he'd grabbed. Took a little while to get it off, letting it bounced off the coffee table.]
Last time I got like this on something normal was the night before the first round of injections started, for the batch I was in. We all figured it was our last chance before possibly dying from whatever they were going to be putting in us. [Putting them through.] Worth it.
[He had never asked before, hadn't thought that it was worthwhile or possible. Now that he was warm and fuzzy on alcohol, he could push forward the questions that he would otherwise just hold his peace on.
He almost reached over to help Reyes open the next bottle, but the guy managed to get it before he could make it. No matter, they were set for a night now, and no going back.]
Oh yeah, first round where there was an expected critical mortality rate. No wonder you went out and got smashed. [He shook his head.] Did you pass out somewhere or were you good and make it back to base?
[Seemed simple; if he had a reason to want to stay, he'd chose to stay. Otherwise... what other reason would he have? That selfish part of him was at least somewhat reasonable.
Head tilted back, just holding on to that bottle.]
Did one better. Group of us went out in a few 'borrowed' cars and got as much as we could get, brought it all back. Partied it up in the Mess. [Young and dumb and not knowing who would live or die, so giving it one last go.] We all slept there, too.
[He was genuinely curious, which was actually rare for him these days. The life and times of Gabriel Reyes had always interested in for most of their lives together, save that dramatic and deadly parting they had shared. The freedom of alcohol meant he could have looser lips.
Of course they did. That was such a young person thing to do.] So you were all hung over for your first injections? I bet that was a great time.
Finally he did take a sip from the bottle, smaller than the last few swings from the previous bottle had been.] Some of us were, some of us weren't because we know how to avoid a hangover well enough.
Honestly? I wish I'd been hungover, wouldn't have been as bad as that shit felt.
As in your reasons for staying are no longer easy because they keep disappearing.
[He figured that Reyes would stay for people, friendships and even family he had formed here, but otherwise, the job, the missions were just filler. After all, they had a mission back home, so the ones here weren't any more pressing than there.
He nodded his head, remember his group of volunteers. Many of them had gone out drinking before the testing phase, but Jack had not. He'd been assigned watch duty that night, so he had to be sober.]
Felt like every fiber of your person was under pressure from all directions.
Yeah. The mission back home is important, I need to get back to it, even if it manages to kill, me.
[No matter what some selfish part of him might want. It wouldn't matter the moment he did finally get sent back, wouldn't remember anything. Be like it never had happened, never even mattered at all.
Some had drank as much as they could out of fear, some because they wanted their possible last moment alive before it all started to be a damned memorable one- well. One that could have been thought of as something fun.]
I wasn't aware that anything could kill you these days.
[It wasn't even a case of old soldiers either. It was impossible to tell how much damage Reyes could take these days and if there was any kind of finality to the man anymore. He figured Moira might hazard a guess or two, but they weren't exactly on talking terms anymore.
He remembered the agony of it. First round of injections were bad, but the second were worse. He actually thought that he might actually die in the second round, and he had puked every fifteen minutes for four days straight after.]
Like you were being pulled apart from the inside out.
Knowing Talon? They're likely trying to come up with a way, somewhere. Just how they are.
[Some sort of precaution, because there really was no denying just how dangerous he was, and how dangerous he could potentially be. Way he liked it, despite knowing it was a double-edged sword. All the more reason for no one to actively step on his toes whenever he did set down something.
The agony was hard to forget. SEP was rough, it was all so very experimental, an nothing was guaranteed, even if they did improve with every failure and every success. What was being done would always be a painful process.]
That doesn't surprise me. They do like to kill any members that think about leaving, but you won't go down easily or readily.
[He knew some of the inner workings of Talon by now, what with enough of their agents having jumped ship only to end up telling tales of being hunted and then disappearing. He had heard the policy before, and it made his skin crawl.
More of his test group survived then the others because it was the last group to go through before it was deemed too dangerous. It was all about unlocking genetic potential for the purpose of making them better fighting machines, enhancing them. Everyone reacted differently... but the pain was likely the same.]
Not sure how you've kept your sanity experiencing that all day every day.
The only way you leave Talon is in a coffin. [Some more forcibly with some internal skirmishes for power, and others just outright being greedy. Some genuinely finally seeing Talon for what it really was, but in too deep. Too late.
He flexed the fingers of the hand not holding the bottle-]
Gotten numb to it, just background noise. Makes it difficult to notice injuries unless they're really bad. [Like trying to move with a few broken ribs.] Real noticeable whenever I pull certain tricks of mine, too.
What a sad way to live and die. [He shook his head, and he finally took a sip from his bottle. It was amazing that Talon attracted any talent with such strict ideals where people couldn't grow so much as served until they were either too power hungry or no longer useful.
He swirled his bottle absently, tipping his head to look in Gabe's direction.] Always knew it bothered you, but never realized it was quite that bad. [Not sure how something that painful could be nothing more than background noise.]
Talon got good at portraying themselves as a group that wants to help the beaten down, give power to the weak- to help. [He knew damn well just how Talon worked, intimately these days.] They took advantage of people who lost everything to the Crisis, people Overwatch was too slow to get to.
There are those that genuinely think they're good.
[Others that had no where else to go, those that didn't care they were hurting people, just wanting the power, the thrill- everything that came with it.
His head tilted, glancing Jack over.] Not like I'd ever say shit otherwise.
You're not the only one that knows Talons tactics. We've had multiple meetings about it, and you and I both know there was no way to get to some of those people. We didn't have the resources. [He sighed and hung his head, taking another sip from his bottle. No matter how hard Overwatch had tried, it would always be seen by some as failing them.
He knew very well the type of people that Talon went after, some of whom Overwatch wouldn't have touched. Too dangerous, too reckless.]
I know. [And he did.] You always suffer in silence. Always have.
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timeasmymeasure
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 03:48 am (UTC)[He sipped his drink and let Gabriel get on with the heavy drinking. He put the lid on the food he had been eating and set it on the coffee table then sat back again. He rolled the bottle he was drinking from between his hands to keep them occupied.]
I'll keep watch if you want to start going whole hog.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 04:10 am (UTC)[Gone back to the neon purple stuff, sinking back in to the couch at more of a slouch, letting his feet rest on the coffee table there. Damned tempting to just down it, rather than let himself spiral while he was still in a more... alright sort of mood.
Could easily shift, even if he was more of a happy drunk. Didn't change the fact he wasn't... happy.]
You can sleep on the couch here tonight for doing this. Just roll me in to the basement.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 07:03 pm (UTC)[For now, they seemed to settle into the old rhythms of drinking, not that they had bothered with it as much. No point back then given it did nothing for them. Their metabolism had been too fast back then. He figured they'd be down to business soon enough.
And really, seeing Gabe drunk would be interesting. They hadn't met when it had been possible to be drunk.]
I'll make certain you're delivered to the basement, don't worry. [He didn't commit to sleeping in the house, not when McCree could find him or all the other people Reyes told him stumbled in here. No, it wasn't safe.]
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 07:37 pm (UTC)What did a ruthless mercenary need for some of the things offered? Very little.] Place never plays by anyone's plans other than whatever the hell is it's own.
[Sinking back further in to that couch, slowly draining the bottle; maybe pulling more each swig taken since he wasn't bothering with the food anymore. Figured he'd done enough he wouldn't manage to make himself sick off of this.]
Quietest place in the house. [The basement.]
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 07:52 pm (UTC)Fair enough, but you've been going strong for four years. You must be the most persistent old bastards that this place keeps you around.
[He nodded his head at the indication of why the basement was the best. He had figured as much. He nursed his drink and stared off ahead.]
Don't worry. I'll put you where you want to go.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 08:14 pm (UTC)Too long of things being in a lull and he got overly restless and then ran himself ragged trying to find something to do. Comb over the library and archives again, take trips to the surface and go dive down in to places they were still able to access. Whatever he could do, trying to find something missed or just-
Who knows. Downing monsters that attacked him, even if he didn't bother collecting rewards for them. Even if he came back bleeding and never let anyone know. He was an expert at hiding things these days after all.]
Good.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 08:25 pm (UTC)The problem with a man like Reyes was that he needed to be busy, and he figured this place was much the same for him. After all, he was one of the few that could claim to know many of Gabriel's habits and personality, could call what he might do next. Hell, it wouldn't surprise him to find the guy wounded and just hiding it; they had been doing that since they were twenty-one years old.
He nodded and let them drink together, the weight of old and new losses apparent.]
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 08:38 pm (UTC)[Read over anything that seemed important at least twenty-times over by now, to the point he'd had to stop going or else something would catch fire from his own frustration despite his control. The War. The Arehtei destroying everything in their madness from the use of emotion fueled weaponry corrupting them. Corrupting the entire world. Simpatheias sacrificing herself to save this island.
Thras and Daimonia no affected by the madness, thus both protecting and hiding their own cities. Their people. The other island being found. These artifacts being found. People going out to try and recover the lands and cities lost that belonged to the other Arehtei.
There was so much, and still so very few answers.
This was no existence for him. Tilted the bottle and his head back, finishing the entire bottle in one go like that, letting it drop as he fumbled for another.]
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 08:46 pm (UTC)[There was no point really dwelling on it, was there? According to everyone he had spoken to, there wasn't a rhyme or reason for people coming or going in this place. It was whoever had a lucky or unlucky number by this point.
While he should do his research, he just plain didn't yet. He wasn't feeling it. No, he finished off his second bottle and reached for a third, though he was definitely slower than Reyes. For the best, he was going to end up carrying the guy downstairs.]
You getting drunk yet? 'Cause you don't fumble much usually...
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 08:52 pm (UTC)Slid a bottle closer using the one he managed to grab so it was within Jack's reach, sitting back a little heavily with his own.]
You know that place where... everything is warm and light? Nice feeling, kind that makes you feel like you can do anything.
Gotten well in to that point. [Reyes was that kind of drunk. Knew he was, and didn't give a single fuck that he was.]
You?
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 09:00 pm (UTC)[After four years, it might be understandable. He took the bottle that was slid to his hand, flipping the lid off of it and tossing it on the coffee table. He stretched his legs out under it and made himself comfortable.]
I haven't felt that since I was seventeen. [He could remember what it was like though. He wasn't that far along, being more conservative, but he was warm enough to perhaps be more talkative than he usually would be.] Snuck into the pub for dancing after getting to that place. Got much drunker than that after...
[He sipped his new bottle.] Just feeling warm. I'm in control.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 09:14 pm (UTC)[At least they were both comfortable while drinking, even if only one of them was slowly moving towards trying to blackout from it.
Hummed a little, taking a bit longer to get the lid off his.. fourth? Fifth? Whatever, the latest bottle he'd grabbed. Took a little while to get it off, letting it bounced off the coffee table.]
Last time I got like this on something normal was the night before the first round of injections started, for the batch I was in. We all figured it was our last chance before possibly dying from whatever they were going to be putting in us. [Putting them through.] Worth it.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 09:17 pm (UTC)[He had never asked before, hadn't thought that it was worthwhile or possible. Now that he was warm and fuzzy on alcohol, he could push forward the questions that he would otherwise just hold his peace on.
He almost reached over to help Reyes open the next bottle, but the guy managed to get it before he could make it. No matter, they were set for a night now, and no going back.]
Oh yeah, first round where there was an expected critical mortality rate. No wonder you went out and got smashed. [He shook his head.] Did you pass out somewhere or were you good and make it back to base?
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 09:29 pm (UTC)[Seemed simple; if he had a reason to want to stay, he'd chose to stay. Otherwise... what other reason would he have? That selfish part of him was at least somewhat reasonable.
Head tilted back, just holding on to that bottle.]
Did one better. Group of us went out in a few 'borrowed' cars and got as much as we could get, brought it all back. Partied it up in the Mess. [Young and dumb and not knowing who would live or die, so giving it one last go.] We all slept there, too.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 09:33 pm (UTC)[He was genuinely curious, which was actually rare for him these days. The life and times of Gabriel Reyes had always interested in for most of their lives together, save that dramatic and deadly parting they had shared. The freedom of alcohol meant he could have looser lips.
Of course they did. That was such a young person thing to do.] So you were all hung over for your first injections? I bet that was a great time.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 10:02 pm (UTC)[Well, he was being honest at least.
Finally he did take a sip from the bottle, smaller than the last few swings from the previous bottle had been.] Some of us were, some of us weren't because we know how to avoid a hangover well enough.
Honestly? I wish I'd been hungover, wouldn't have been as bad as that shit felt.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 10:11 pm (UTC)[He figured that Reyes would stay for people, friendships and even family he had formed here, but otherwise, the job, the missions were just filler. After all, they had a mission back home, so the ones here weren't any more pressing than there.
He nodded his head, remember his group of volunteers. Many of them had gone out drinking before the testing phase, but Jack had not. He'd been assigned watch duty that night, so he had to be sober.]
Felt like every fiber of your person was under pressure from all directions.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 10:19 pm (UTC)[No matter what some selfish part of him might want. It wouldn't matter the moment he did finally get sent back, wouldn't remember anything. Be like it never had happened, never even mattered at all.
Some had drank as much as they could out of fear, some because they wanted their possible last moment alive before it all started to be a damned memorable one- well. One that could have been thought of as something fun.]
Like blood was boiling and bones were melting.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 10:34 pm (UTC)[It wasn't even a case of old soldiers either. It was impossible to tell how much damage Reyes could take these days and if there was any kind of finality to the man anymore. He figured Moira might hazard a guess or two, but they weren't exactly on talking terms anymore.
He remembered the agony of it. First round of injections were bad, but the second were worse. He actually thought that he might actually die in the second round, and he had puked every fifteen minutes for four days straight after.]
Like you were being pulled apart from the inside out.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 11:03 pm (UTC)[Some sort of precaution, because there really was no denying just how dangerous he was, and how dangerous he could potentially be. Way he liked it, despite knowing it was a double-edged sword. All the more reason for no one to actively step on his toes whenever he did set down something.
The agony was hard to forget. SEP was rough, it was all so very experimental, an nothing was guaranteed, even if they did improve with every failure and every success. What was being done would always be a painful process.]
I get that feeling daily like this.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 11:08 pm (UTC)[He knew some of the inner workings of Talon by now, what with enough of their agents having jumped ship only to end up telling tales of being hunted and then disappearing. He had heard the policy before, and it made his skin crawl.
More of his test group survived then the others because it was the last group to go through before it was deemed too dangerous. It was all about unlocking genetic potential for the purpose of making them better fighting machines, enhancing them. Everyone reacted differently... but the pain was likely the same.]
Not sure how you've kept your sanity experiencing that all day every day.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 11:15 pm (UTC)He flexed the fingers of the hand not holding the bottle-]
Gotten numb to it, just background noise. Makes it difficult to notice injuries unless they're really bad. [Like trying to move with a few broken ribs.] Real noticeable whenever I pull certain tricks of mine, too.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 11:30 pm (UTC)He swirled his bottle absently, tipping his head to look in Gabe's direction.] Always knew it bothered you, but never realized it was quite that bad. [Not sure how something that painful could be nothing more than background noise.]
No wonder you went full dramatic edgelord.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 11:45 pm (UTC)There are those that genuinely think they're good.
[Others that had no where else to go, those that didn't care they were hurting people, just wanting the power, the thrill- everything that came with it.
His head tilted, glancing Jack over.] Not like I'd ever say shit otherwise.
[Another slow, small swig.]
Gotta cope somehow.
no subject
Date: 2019-08-31 11:55 pm (UTC)He knew very well the type of people that Talon went after, some of whom Overwatch wouldn't have touched. Too dangerous, too reckless.]
I know. [And he did.] You always suffer in silence. Always have.
[He sighed heavily.]
Always will, I expect.
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