genessia | video + action

Entry tags:

video + action

[ Mercury, never content to just start the feed focused on his face like a normal human being, instead backflips into the frame shortly after the video begins. What might be most surprising to anyone who knows him is his change of attire - instead of the same outfit he wears pretty much every single freaking day, he's in what appears to be some kind of uniform. Blue buttondown shirt, darker blue slacks and a hat of matching color, a nice pair of shoes... he kind of looks like-- ]

Ta-da! Guess who works for the post office!

[ Yeah. That. ]

Well, the Nova City branch anyway. So anyone who lives around here can expect to be seeing a lot more of me soon. Right on your doorstep, even! I can hardly wait.

... I won't be the one delivering the paper, though, so don't whine to me about broken windows.

[ He winks at the camera, leaning in as if to turn it off... but pauses for just a moment. ]

Oh, uh. Right. If any of the other city's guardians could shoot me a line? There are things I'd like to discuss. Sooner rather than later, please and thank you!

[ Now he clicks the feed off. ]

========

PRIVATE TO: Emerald Sustrai

[ ... or at least clicks the feed to a private channel. ]

Tell me your jaw didn't just drop.

=========

ACTION: Nova City

[ Mercury, on the job and dressed for it, is making his way to the addresses he's assigned to for the day with a sack full of letters and such slung over his back. Feel free to intercept him, or have him show up at your door with some stuff.

Or, perhaps, talk about delivering something outside the normal postal system. He's not opposed to some smuggling work on the side. ]

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[ His eyes lower as his frown hardens for a moment. He knows what he wants to say, but he just... needs to make sure that he really is sure about it.

... Yeah. He is. ]

Why should we?

[ He looks back up into the camera, reaching up to grab the stupid cap from his head and toss it aside. ]

Cinder was good for us. Keyword: was. What's she really done for us lately, though? When has she ever come through for us here?

[ The only world Emerald really knew without Cinder was the one where she was totally alone and starving. Even for that short while when she was left in Genessia alone, it wasn't as if Cinder had left her behind. She would be back- Emerald always figured that. But she was in prison, she needed their help, she needed to be out and if Emerald didn't do what she wanted then it would just go back to the hell that she had spent her whole life before Cinder in.

Mercury may be sure, but Emerald is terrified of being in a world where they don't need Cinder. ]

She's taken care of you since we found you. We never would've met without her because I'd be dead and you'd be in a psyche ward your whole life.

[ He did kill his father, then become a murderer himself. Emerald may like him, but it doesn't mean she's willing to just turn her back on Cinder because he says so. Trying to branch out on her own a little without failing is a very different beast than suddenly being without someone who was as good as her master, if she were a dog. Even if she probably would've found a way to get by, she's so convinced that she needs Cinder, especially after she tried to force herself to back away from that regret she felt after the fall of Vale, she's pretty sure she would've died. ]

I need her, Mercury. Before Cinder I was- I wasn't anything.

[ He leans in a bit closer to the camera, lowering his voice - the odds of anyone listening through the walls is pretty much zero, and he's not about to say anything that could land him in prison, but it's still a sentiment he's better off keeping between them. ]

We don't need anyone here. Back in Remnant? Yeah, we need her. Hell, back in Remnant I'd follow her into hell itself. In Remnant, she's powerful. In Remnant, we're winning.

But this isn't Remnant.

[ There's something he's been considering, something that is really coming into play now, but this is the first time he's ever spoken it. ]

That's the whole deal with this place, isn't it? Time here and time back wherever everyone comes from isn't the same. Every time we go back, it's like we were never here. So whatever happens to Cinder here, doesn't affect us there. I say we side with Cinder in Remnant, like we always planned to... and while we're here, we do our own thing.

Blind loyalty doesn't lead to survival, Em. A lot of people in Beacon can attest to that.

You don't know a damn thing about survival, you went from your dad to Cinder to Weiss Schnee. [ There's a lot of scathing in her voice for that. Because frankly, without Weiss she has no doubt that he wouldn't be able to get a job around here. Not one that people wouldn't eventually land him in prison anyway. ] Cinder is the only one who ever wanted me around and the only one who ever helped me even if she knew what I was. You're not loyal to Cinder of all people, why would I think I'm not going to end up exactly how I was in Remnant?

[ "you don't know a damn thing about survival"

His jaw clenches at that, a sneer tugging at his lips, and his tone is absolutely venomous. ]

You were cold and hungry. Boo hoo, poor freaking you. You didn't live with that asshole, you have no idea. I was--

[ He cuts himself off, shaking his head and squeezing his eyes shut to just... seethe, for a moment. No. He's not going to make this a pity battle of who had it worse. He's never unloaded about what his dad did to him, and he's not about to start now. ]

Don't. Go. There.

[ A slow, deep breath - it almost sounds shaky, like he's fighting back his anger - released in a loud sigh as he runs a hand through his hair. ]

You mock anyone else for getting sentimental, but look at you. "Oh, wahhh, only Cinder understands me!" It's embarrassing. If it was anyone else you'd dump 'em the moment they became useless to you.

Here, in Genessia, that's what she is to us. The most she helped us with was getting a hotel room, and we could have pulled that off ourselves. Get a freaking grip.

You and Cinder are all I've ever had and you're telling me not to even try! You think I didn't consider Ozpin's offer? I chose you because I'd rather have you nearly beat me to death for a lie than betray you and Cinder.

[ She knows she went overboard commenting about his father but Emerald has always been angry. When she doesnt have to play nice losing her temper while having something specific to be angry about can lead to saying stupid things. If it wasn't for the fact that Cinder being in prison probably meant that the only thing she thought she had now was Mercury, she probably would've thrown the phone for now. Instead she's just gripping it tightly enough that it's clear every muscle in her arms are tense. Cinder really did a number on teaching her what her place was, it's hard to get over that just because Mercury said to. ]

I couldn't do it myself. You fought him and won on your own. Cinder caught me while I was running away. You're strong and capable, Mercury. I can barely use my own semblance without hurting myself.

Edited 2016-05-19 04:58 (UTC)

[ At the very least, pointing out that he killed the shit out of his dad is a nice way to swing Mercury's attitude from downright toxic to just plain sullen. ]

If you want to go see her once visitations are open, be my guest. But I'm not coming with.

[ There's a pause as he glances towards the camera. ]

Let's say you bust her out. Then what? If Cinder can't even protect herself, how is she going to protect you?

[ Silence. Emerald doesn't have an answer to that, so she doesn't say anything for a while, just glaring angrily and something off the camera. It doesn't really matter what it is, she's just angry. Angry, and abandoned, and confused. ]

What's my other choice? Joining the postal service and kissing the heiress's ass like you and Torchwick and even Neo?

[ How did she know this wasn't Mercury's fault to begin with? He was so quick to drop Cinder, to tell Emerald to, why? Did he want this to happen? ]

I thought we killed traitors, not become them.

Oh, now you've got a moral compass? Murder and theft, that's okey dokey, but putting yourself first - that's crossing the line?

[ That's all it is, really. He's selfish, unapologetically so. When Cinder asked for his help, even with broken legs and nowhere to go, the first thing he wanted to know was what's in it for him. Loyalty for loyalty's sake? Never. ]

Your choices are do what you have to in order to stay ahead, or burn your bridges before you even cross them and wind up rotting in a cell too. I'm not saying I like it. I'm saying it's better for you.

[ She knows he has a point. SHe knows he's right, that she should just focus on surviving now because things have changed. Things always change, and she knew that there was no way that this would last forever. Nothing lasted forever and she'd told herself she wasn't going to fall for hope anymore. Cinder had given her some hope that there was something for her. Of course she can't just let that fall away so easily, but she knows- if Cinder can't keep her promise, that's it. Mercury's right. It's obvious that she thinks as much too, since her tone gets much more complacent and she almost seems to resign, the tension in her muscles going from pissed off and scared cat to mopey sloth. She doesn't like arguing points she can't win unless she's in a good mood. She'd rather just ask about the one thing that's left. ]

If you don't care about anyone other than yourself then why do you care so much about what's better for me?

[ That's a question that he really. Needs. To think about the right wording for his answer. This conversation's already gotten a bit too raw for his liking, way too real, and discussing whatever complicated sort of relationship they had right now just felt like too much. ]

Because you're way more fun than any of these other losers, except when you're mopey.

[ ... It's not untrue. ]

[ It wasn't because she was useful, or because he owed her a favor, or because of some stupid desperate reason like not having anyone else. It was so.. Mercury, but it actually made her feel a little better. Emerald felt like a moron for thinking he was just going to abandon her because Cinder was gone, so he wouldn't have any use for her. Emerald still had no idea what she was going to do with herself. She still had no idea if they weren't going to end up in prison with Cinder anyway, since she doubted either she or Mercury could manage to avoid getting in trouble for very long. But Mercury thought she was fun. That was probably the nicest thing anyone had ever said about her if they actually knew her. ]

I'm still quitting my job.

[ She probably should find some way to do it that isn't going to get her thrown in jail though.. at least for now. ]

And I'm still tired of hotel rooms.

[ But she'll.. she'll try, at least. She has no doubt she'll end up visiting Cinder, trying to see what Cinder wants her to do, but at least she's stopped feeling like the world is crashing down on her. ]

[ He leans back with a sigh, head lolling back so his face is out of view for a moment.

He doesn't want her to see the look of relief on his face. Because if she'd stood her ground, if she'd insisted on going to help Cinder at all costs, he wasn't fully certain he'd be able to keep himself from getting involved. He may have mocked her sentimentality a moment ago, but there's a sliver of him deep inside that wouldn't want her to go down swinging alone.

Bullet: dodged. At least for now.

He rocks forward again, and while he's not smiling outright there's a familiar gleam in his eye. ]

You can have the couch.

[ what a gentleman ]

Okay.

[ She's still going to borrow his bed when he's not using it. Emerald doesn't particularly care about sharing without permission. ]

You don't get fired, and I'll.. figure something out.

[ What he doesn't know won't hurt him.

... In this case anyway ]

If you fall on desperate times, Huggy Heart is free for you to use. You're welcome.

I'm so glad Huggy is there for me to never, ever use.

[ Weren't they going to burn him? ]

..I think I'm going to go out tonight.

[ She doesn't know where, she just.. doesn't know if she can sit still right now. ]

... Alone?

[ If she wants the space, she can have it. If she wants the distraction, he can provide it. ]

You'll get in trouble if you come.

[ And she knows he doesn't want that. Whatever he's playing at, whatever he's planning on doing with this, Emerald doesn't want to ruin it for him.

Okay, she kind of does. She kind of wants to put him in the same position as her so they're on the same page. But she knows better. ]

I need to do a lot more than hit you in the arm right now, and that's the kind of fun you aren't allowed to have.

Edited 2016-05-19 06:51 (UTC)

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