reboot: Voice

[deadbythename]

 [ The voice speaking doesn't exactly match the 15 year old kid who's usually talking.  It's gruffer and more sardonic than the kid's ever was. ]

Guess it's my lucky day.  Got dropped right back in here with all my memories intact.

[ Most of them anyway.  He's fuzzy on a whole lot and trying to sort through all this new shit makes his head hurt, but he won't let on to it.  He considers reaching out for a minute, maybe trying to address a few people from those memories who might still be there.  He doesn't. ]

Since I'm here, might as well do something I've never done before.  Where can a guy get a decent drink in this shithole?

Comments

voice;

[gamora]

Drinks. Pick a bar.

[ Nothing like a merry band of murdering miscreants to liven up a joint. ]

voice;

[deadbythename]

[Fine. Just give him a second to tab over to Ros' list and picking a name at random.]

Meet ya there.

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[gamora]

[ Gamora's actually there early - and waiting outside of the bar. Mostly because while she knows what he looks like when he's younger she's no idea what older entails.

She's really not one for surprises so waiting for him it is. ]

C'mon, kid.

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[deadbythename]

[ Older mostly entails bigger. He's not twice the size he was as a kid, but he'd definitely gained a few more inches to put him at an even six foot. There wasn't too much left physically to connect him to the mouthy kid, except maybe the domino mask he still wore.

He comes out of the shadows, right on cue, hands in the pockets of his jacket. He nods to Gamora.]

Hate to tell ya, but I'm not exactly a kid anymore.

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[gamora]

[ It's strange to see him eye-level with her instead of hovering somewhere undefined around her middle. But there's no mistaking the domino mask as something that anyone else would wear (as far as she knows). ]

But you kept the mask. Kid.

[ He's younger than her she'll call him kid if she wants to. ]

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[deadbythename]

It has its uses.

[ It's strange for him too, looking at a woman he shouldn't be remembering. He frowns suddenly. See, this was why he hadn't wanted to see anyone. He turns toward the bar, moving towards it. ]

Yeah, I think I need that drink right now.

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[gamora]

It's what we're here for.

[ She follows him in, quickly waving down the bartender to grab their drink orders. And specifies opening a tab up for the both of them. Something tells her they're going to need it. ]

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[deadbythename]

[ Jason doesn't say anything, aside from ordering his drink. Once he has it, he manages to not drain the glass. A great conversationalist he is currently not. ]

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[gamora]

[ The thing about drinking with Gamora is she knows better than to pry into details people aren't willing to give. That and she doesn't really care about the surface small talk people tend to get into. ]

Not going to win any drinking contests with that approach.

[ Mostly because if you're going to be drinking to forget you might as well do it properly. ]

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[deadbythename]

[ He turns to look at her, cocking his head slightly. ]

Got the feeling any kind of drinking contest I try with you, I'll end up with alcohol poisoning. Call it a hunch.

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[gamora]

Been drunk before. It's not impossible.

[ But he's right - and not only because Gamora generally doesn't drink until she's flat out drunk. ]

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[deadbythename]

Didn't say it was.

[ He leans forward, resting his elbows on the bar.]

Was I even gone from here? Did it seem like I went missing at all before I showed up again?

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[gamora]

Wasn't really paying attention. But I'd guess not.

[ SORRY JASON. ]

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[deadbythename]

[ GOD, YOU'RE NO HELP. ]

Huh.

This is fucking weird.

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[gamora]

Time travel - you get used to it. Still flarking hate it.

[ HELPFUL IS NOT IN HER RESUME UNLESS SHE REALLY WANTS TO BE. ]

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[deadbythename]

I've traveled across multiple dimensions and time travel still fucks with me.

Actually, scratch that, most inter-galactic whatever is fucking nuts.

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[gamora]

Now you sound like Flag. 'I hate cosmic stuff'.

[ A shrug, and a longer drink. ]

Get used to it after a while, mostly if you don't have a choice.

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[deadbythename]

[ He actually cracks a smile. ]

Flag sounds like my kinda guy.

[ And he takes a drink himself. ]

That's what they said about the League of Assassins.

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[gamora]

If you like multi-colored hair, sure.

[ Huh. ]

Thought you hated that kind of thing.

[ The killing bit, that is. She's not asking him to explain, and doesn't really expect him to. ]

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[deadbythename]

Total turn-on.

[ It's a vague gesture at lightening the mood, that fails instantly. He glares down at his glass. ]

...Things changed. [ He realizes how that sounds and snorts, laughing meanly. ] Ah, hell, no, they didn't. Things didn't fucking change even a little. That's probably why I lost it.

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[gamora]

[ Gamora is absolutely positively the wrong person to talk about this with, Jason. ]

So what?

[ Why should it matter what he was capable of doing as a kid and what he'd clearly done since then? So you murdered people - Gamora only felt bad about it when she's outmatched by goodness. Luckily for her, her purpose and redemption let her into the company of people just as fucked up as her. At least until they all died.

Which requires another drink. ]

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[deadbythename]

[ Yeah, he knows it. Which is probably why he is talking about it with her. ]

Not a lot of the heroes in my world have the same stance. Killing galactic monsters and shit is one thing, but the regular old monsters that walk around on Earth day to day? Nah, that's crossing a line for them.

And let's just say my "family" wasn't too thrilled about me turning over a new leaf.

[ Even if they were dealing with the fact that he'd also crawled out of his own grave in the process.

Yep, drinks all around. ]

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[gamora]

If your world is anything like mine, it's not like killing them means anything when they come back. The big ones at any rate.

[ OH BOY THEY CAN BE 'I'VE DIED' BROS TOO. ]

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[deadbythename]

Works the same with the good guys sometimes, at least. For all the fuckin' good it does us.

[ Loong drink. ]

...I came back. Can't say I was ever that big or good though.

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[gamora]

So did I. A few times, if we're being technical.

[ Matching his loooooooong drink with one of her own. ]