exsilium | 06 △ VIDEO

06 △ VIDEO

[ Video--coming from Adam's tablet for once, and not his retinal enhancements. it shows him, obviously in his messy apartment, and obviously... different from what one might be used to. he's neither properly dressed nor his usual stoic, composed, monotone self.

but most notably, the lenses of his shades--which are mounted to his head--are retracted. his eyes are visibly artificial. here's the usual gravely voice: ]

...And they keep dragging more and more people here. Or is that the machine malfunctioning again? Can't be sure anymore.

Anyway, hello. My name's Adam Jensen and I'm -- [ insert vague, dismissive gesture here--his hand, too, is artificial and looks like it's made out of black metal. ] ... who the fuck even cares. I'm the local oversized can opener. Hi.

[ if it wasn't obvious before that he's drunk, it's sure as hell now. ]

Given the uh, premise under which you all arrived here as well as the popularity of thought-provoking surveys lately, let's talk about a topic each of you surely can contribute to with a story or two. Since I couldn't help but notice that we're quite a miserable bunch of misfits. Exceptions prove the rule by the way.

[ pause, during which he reaches off screen... for his smoke. ]

So, broken dreams. There's a pretty catchy song on them by Green Day which I can only recommend. But before you scurry off to find it, why don't we share with the class why we're all so damn bitter, and not only since we ended up in this shithole. Though I guess the shithole made it worse, in some cases. I don't know. Getting it off your chest might have a soothing effect, or something.

[ another pause, and he seems pensive for a moment. ~~he might be able to offer alternative treatment methods for your troubles which may involve punching~~ ahem. ]

Here, I'll start. I was planning to get married not too long ago, start a family. I had the perfect girl, a decent job I liked and paid well, and then--then science happened.

[ a dry, humorless chuckle. ]

Gotta love science. Your turn.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Yeah, I can tell.

[ To the 'exceptional' part. But exceptional is good, because 'normal' was seldom enough and his relationships with ordinary girls had never lasted long for this reason.

Although he's not sure how much importance the career part has these days, for him. Back then he'd been pretty proud of how high he'd climbed the ladder. ]

I'm gonna be thirty-five next year... I think.

[ Who knows how that works in this screwed up place, anyway. Truthfully he expected her to be a bit older, even if she doesn't look it. Like this she's almost ten years younger... ]

My youth wasn't very eventful. Went to highschool, then college. Joined the local police department when I was done with my education.

[ He's staring at his plate as he says this, eating slowly. ]

[Nearly ten years... Not that this bothered her. Samus was somewhat robbed of her childhood--a young girl thrust into an adult world very fast, caught up in orders and responsibilities and the knowledge that she would one day have the weight of the universe on her shoulders. It shouldn't come as a surprise then that she would naturally be drawn to and generally associated with men (and other species for that matter) much older than her--admired and respected their age and experience--more on her level than most individuals her age might have been.]

You'll have to tell me your birthday then, so I can embarrass you.

[Not that she really would; teasing is harmless and embarrassment enough, she figures.

Samus observes his lack of eye contact. It seems like that's more of a touchy territory than her parents, though she is rendered very curious.]

After that you went into private security, right? You must have had an impressive record.

If you tell me yours. It's sometime in March.

[ He pokes at his pasta. It's not nearly as bad as it could be, but then again it's probably really hard to screw up pasta. ]

Not exactly. I quit SWAT. That's Special Weapons and Tactics.

[ Though the news liked to put their own spin on it and claim he was fired. Didn't matter. ]

There was... an incident, involving an augmented kid. He was out of his mind because he suffered withdrawal symptoms. Usually, you need to take a drug called Neuropozyne or your body will reject your augmentations, but it's not exactly cheap.

[ A beat. ]

Hurt a number of civilians, and it looked like it was going to get worse. In the end, my superiors gave me the order to shoot to kill. Which I refused.

[ A humorless smirk, and he's pausing for a while to feed himself and let that sink in. He's sure Samus can imagine the aftermath herself. ]

The only reason I even got another job after that was because of my then-girlfriend's contacts.

... Soon. [Like two days ago but she has found the date meaningless and would be reminded of the fact it passed without her realizing it, yet again, without a calendar right in front of her to consult.]

It's soon.

[Samus idly wonders if he needs this Neuropozyne, but saves that question for later, as it is all too easy for her to imagine the ramifications of his actions in a situation like that. Her most recent mission went resulted in something like that. The Federation held their trials and tribulations after she did what she did, which hurt, especially given how many years of loyalty she had given them otherwise.]

...Then I think you have an impressive record. [It's said slowly and without any sarcasm; there's even a smile on her lips, tiny but sincere.]

Sometimes it takes a stronger man to not pull the trigger.

[She stares off for a moment, lips parted, as if she were to elaborate and recount her own experiences. She's dirtied her hands before, and it never gets any easier knowing when it is and isn't for the best to pull that trigger. Shooting a child was something she could never attest to doing, even a dangerous one. Her lips close.]

You had a girlfriend?

[ENTIRELY INNOCENT QUESTION.]

[ ... Well he didn't expect her to ask about that, of all things, and it throws him off for moment... so he keeps poking at the noodles. Somehow he thought the Neuropozyne or his job might have been more interesting to ask about.

BECAUSE, YOU KNOW, BEING IN A RELATIONSHIP AT THAT AGE ISNT EXACTLY... UNUSUAL. ]

... Well, yeah. The one I was going to marry. [ Okay let's make this sound innocent although he's already drunkely rambled more details to other people, hopefully Samus didn't see that. ] But she was more in love with [ his genes ] her work than with me, so it didn't last. [ He shrugs--nonchalantly, and quickly tries to change the topic. ]

I take it you don't have time for relationships either? And I'm not gonna be left guessing when it comes to your birthday, I hope.

[Digging up details is a favorite pastime of hers, and she'll be sure to return to his post after she leaves to finish the job. This was a nice way to get him to elaborate a little more on her very innocent question and she almost wishes she hadn't.]

Nn... [She frowns and looks away, muttering.] No time... and collateral damage. [Everyone she knew DIED... the subject change is of course welcome.]

The eighth, actually.

[She shovels more food in her mouth and then cranes her neck, looking around his apartment for a clock, a calendar a--oh.]

...two daffs agoff.

[Samus finish your food. She looks mildly disappointing for all of about two seconds then shrugs it off.]

Edited 2012-11-18 02:57 (UTC)

[ He's almost tempted to tell her how he can't imagine that she doesn't have SOMEONE following her around like a puppy, but she seems uncomfortable and like she's hiding something so he isn't going to prod. The CASIE might be more precise about it but he can tell at least that much on his own, so it's probably best to drop that subject altogether. ]

...

[ Samus did nobody tell you that a lady isn't supposed to speak with her mouth full. ]

And here I thought I was the only one who manages to forget about his own birthday. Does that make you twenty-seven, then?

[ A small smile. ]

There any wish I could grant on the spot? Happy belated birthday, by the way.

[She's ironically not very lady like, as her Adam would eventually note. While Samus doesn't quite care for the date any more or much of its meaning, she can appreciate birthday wishes.]

Thanks.

[She returns the smile then stares down at the pasta and twirls her fork around and around, in thought. She wasn't a materialistic woman at all. She commended actions, not possessions.]

A nice home cooked meal, for once.

Got the 'home cooked' part down at least. As for nice...

[ Adam shrugs. It's certainly edible--despite his improvising--, but even he can tell that it's sort of... boring. ]

I'm still working on that.

[ Or not, because he's lazy and will never ever have enough stuff in his kitchen to actually attempt a decent meal.

He finishes up eating after a while. ]

There's still some left if you want more. [ Or maybe she wants a CEREAL DESSERT. ] I'm gonna get a shower. Make yourself at home.

[ So that's when he gets up to head for the bathroom. ]

[It's certainly not impressive, but she wouldn't be eating it if she didn't like it to some degree.

She nods as he leaves for the shower, finishes eating and deposits the dishes in the sink.

After she hears the water come on it slowly dawns on her that hadn't really expected to stay this long. Then again she wasn't exactly sure what she was expecting coming over to a drunk man's home.

Naturally, she's drawn back to his workbench and hovers over it. The projects he seems to have going on are a little more archaic than his own technology. She has a similair fondness and interest in mechanical tinkery, though hers was born more out of necessity and then over time grew into something more resembling of a hobby (for whatever free time she actually managed in-between missions). It was fun trying to figure things how things worked, and why; machines had clear cut purpose and intentions. They could be modified, refurbished, rebuilt, repaired, redesigned...

People weren't like that at all, and consequently much more difficult to figure out...]

[ Being augmented does have a few perks. For example, he can keep tracks of Samus' movements and even outright watch her while he is standing in the shower. Somehow, it doesn't feel wrong at all to do it if she's not in the bathroom herself.

He stops anyway, after a bit. It's not like there's anything interesting or too revealing for her to find, anyway, and he should concentrate on washing the smell of booze off his own body.

And get a clear head.

After about fifteen minutes, he's done and emerges out of the bathroom--unfortunately not much more dressed than before, seems like he's comfortable walking around like this in his own home even when he got Samus as a visitor now. He's only got an added towel around his neck now, much like she did before, and is still pretty... wet. ]

I thought you would have gone home by now.

[She twists around, eyes flitting over his wet, bare form very briefly. She seems to catch herself doing it too and averts her eyes, responding with a quick quip.]

That was hardly a long shower, Jensen.

[ Look at all that shiny, wet black metal. ]

It was, for a guy.

[ Though he wonders if he caught her in the act with something because that question seems kind of odd. ]

Adam is fine.

[ Wow, that's the first time he offers someone the first name basis. Everyone else just calls him Adam without asking! (And yes it usually bothers him.) ]

[Right. For a guy. Uh huh.]

...Adam.

[She tries the name out, and it unsurprisingly rolls off her tongue with ease, and for that very reason she frowns. Using someone's last name was a convention of sorts for her to remain impersonal. Professional. Distant. If you read between those subtle lines, you could usually tell how close Samus was to someone by what name she called them by. She assumed this was a typical convention of anyone with a background similair to her own, and finds this offering of his first name... warm.]

My former commanding officer's name was Adam.

[She offers as an explanation for the frown, sure he wouldn't miss it, or that past-tense. His was a name she referred to closely.

In spite of that she doesn't seem to let it affect her too long, managing eye contact and with a sort of bittersweet reprieve in her voice.]

It's a good name.

[ ... Oh. Well. That certainly explains the frown, though there's no way he could have known... but from the sound of it, Samus seems to have been on good terms with her commander, so maybe it's nothing to worry about. ]

Glad you think so, though I hope you're not mentallly comparing me to him.

[ Now he frowns. There was something about the way she said it. ]

You liked him?

[ Saying this, he wanders past Samus to pick up his pack of smokes--hope Samus doesn't mind. ]

[She scrunches her nose, expression twisted into something unreadable, but very marked in response.]

...Adam Malkovich was a gruff, harsh, man with a brilliant military mind, and was relentless in criticism... but he was not a machine obsessed with duty. He was... almost like a father figure.

[There's definite begrudging respect in the way she speaks of him.]

I ultimately defected from his unit to pursue a more flexible career. One where I wasn't constricted by orders or rules.

That doesn't answer my question, you know.

[ But he'll let it be. He can tell she thought about this a lot though, if the guy wasn't somehow important, she wouldn't have brought him up to begin with. A name was just a name, after all, and Adam isn't a particularly uncommon one given some people's obsession with religious themes. ]

Can't blame you, anyway. Sometimes rules just get in the way of what really matters.

[ He pulls a cigarette out of his pack, to place it between his lips and light it. ]

[He would know all about that too, wouldn't he?

She's going to cross her arms and favor being vague and mysterious with a subject that heavy, for now. She lets her eyes drift over his body very briefly again, though her eyes settle on his cigarette. Alcohol was her vice of choice, and that tended to come with hazy smoke-filled bars so she didn't mind it, but it was kind of, you know, unhealthy. Adam.]

That doesn't tar up your augs?

Hm?

[ It's one of the only small pleasures he's got left... although there's nothing much pleasurable about it since it's not even harmful. No fun in self-destruction. ]

Apparently not. Does it bother you?

[ ... It's his place, so he didn't think to ask. ]

[A shrug. Honest to god indifference.]

I'm used to it. Besides, it's your home.

...Used to it?

[ what does that even mean. he raises a brow. ]

Do you smoke? No offense, but I can't see you being around someone regularly enough to be considered a passive smoker.

[She shakes her head. She doesn't--might have experimented in her rebellious youth but currently, she doesn't.]

Things aren't different in space. Hazy bars are some of the best places to pick up intel and rumors on a mark. The seedier the sector, the better.

Edited 2012-11-19 10:49 (UTC)

[ Oh okay, that makes more sense. Though he chucklegrunts. ]

So you'd consider me and my place seedy? And I just took a shower.

[ TURNS AROUND TO LAZILY FLOP DOWN ON THE COUCH with legs wide spread and all like a manly man. ]

[Ha ha okay she even finds that funny and will certainly run with it. She smirks then goes back up the stairs into the kitchen.]

Yes, your place is very seedy. There's smokes... liquor everywhere. Sometimes this place harbors homeless drunks and women.

[She emerges with her glass of scotch refilled. Indeed, she's making herself quite at home in his seedy place.]

Or half naked guys who don't know how to keep their legs closed.

[She says this very nonchalantly.]

Looks like it. Good thing you're a dirty woman who is used to seedy places, so you're hardly bothered.

[ YEP KEEPING HIS LEGS WIDE SPREAD AND PUFFING ON HIS SMOKE, just because. ]

Be glad I keep my pants on.

[ is it a joke? IS IT??? he probably only started putting on pants at home when he couldn't stand looking at his own legs anymore. ]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject