[log] The Pit [open]

[snowblindmods]

Characters: Anyone participating in the Pit event.
Location: A room.
Date: Day 330
Summary: You wake up in a room.
Warnings: general warnings; potential for morbid/suicidal thoughts; note specific warnings in subject line, please!

Comments

[cahooted]

Come on now, don't give me the immortality line. That one's older than all of you together.

[But he mellows with a sigh on his own.]

I appreciate the gesture but I don't need an apology for either Enoch or my peace of mind. If you're not sorry, don't bother.

[bookofnope]

[Oh. That was easier than he expected. Could he be off the hook? Was Enoch wrong about something for once in his life?]

It's one of those cliches that endures because it's essentially true. But would it make you feel better if I told you Quill and his lady friend beat me bloody? Even the cat helped.

[cahooted]

I didn't say I wouldn't appreciate one, I just meant that if it's not genuine, I'd rather--

[Slow blink.] Wait, what?

[bookofnope]

Didn't he tell you? [Beckett isn't actually trying to turn Flynn against his friends here, but there's that vampiric instinct to manipulate. He tugs his collar down, showing a glimpse of healing scratches and deep bruises.]

It's been a week, but I assure you it was a bloody mess. They had a good time at it.

[cahooted]

No, he... [Flynn's voice trails off with a frown when he sees the bruises. His first reaction is to get defensive, but if that's true...]

I didn't know that. What happened?

[bookofnope]

Brian and I ran across... SnowClan in the hospital. Gamora cornered me in one of the rooms. There was frankly shocking violence. Everyone got their catharsis and we walked our separate way. Or limped, in some cases. Mostly mine.

[Other than the slight twist of the mouth on SnowClan, because really, Beckett's voice remains level and wry. This is not his first shocking violence rodeo. And he can even kind of acknowledge he kind of had it kind of coming.]

[cahooted]

[That's... bad, if true. Maybe to be expected after that utter and complete obituary disaster. Flynn remembers his own feelings of pain and rage, but... still. He isn't a violent man. He knows how to fight but likes to prevent it if possible.

And yes, Beckett had been a complete and utter jerk but Flynn really doesn't see proportionality between insensitivity and physical violence. Especially not if...]

... So it was three against two?

[bookofnope]

Three against one - Brian was on another floor. But one of the three was a cat.

[It'd be funny in retrospect if the cat had not at the time been a whirlwind of angry pain. Painful anger? Bad things, anyway.]

Another one of the three was a professional, though. I can see how that Gamora got her charming nickname.

[There is the teeniest bit of resentful admiration there.]

[cahooted]

Three against one?

[He sounds a little incredulous. That he definitely has a problem with. That's not a fight or punching someone in the face for being a jerk, that's an ambush.]

And Peter was with them?

[bookofnope]

Are you really that surprised? [Beckett sounds... incredulous of the incredulity. They are talking about the same Peter, right?]

Whatever else you think about him, I thought it's been established that Quill has poor impulse control.

[cahooted]

Well, yes, but-- that's not the same as...

[There has to be another side to the story. He's sure of it.]

Yes, I'm surprised. How about we leave it at that? I'm really not in the mood to hear more judgment of his character from you.

[He may not condone physical violence but that doesn't mean he has forgotten about Obituarygate, Beckett.]

[bookofnope]

And by 'judgments of character' you mean 'things he's done but didn't bother telling you?

[He's not even trying at this point. It sounds like Flynn and Peter are going to manage an argument all by themselves, without his generous help.

Abruptly, he grins, just a bit.] You're taking this harder than I did.

[cahooted]

Exactly that.

[There's a rather sour expression on his face now.]

I'm not even sure I'm taking this at face value.

[bookofnope]

[Beckett shrugs, looking a little tired despite the grin.] I know my kind have a reputation as great manipulators, but even if that were true for me, I don't see a reason to bother. Whatever you and Quill have is your own business. I have better things to mess with.

[This, with a meaningful glance at the pit. Remember the whole snowed in death maze? A bit bigger than their interpersonal drama.]

I just like it when people are honest with themselves.

[And you're just a shining example of that, aren't you, Beckett.]

[cahooted]

And I like it when people aren't raging jerks about the pain of others but we can't always get what we want in this place.

[Glancing over at the pit as well. Right.]

But I'm serious. Don't go down there.

[bookofnope]

I'm not planning to. I told you, I hate compulsions.

[And Norfinbury hasn't exactly made them more endearing, either.]

Though I suppose I should watch out for getting pushed. Or tripped.

[cahooted]

You really don't have a lot of fans in this place, huh?

[bookofnope]

Shocking, I know. [The sidest of eyes.] Though it's mostly your friends I'm worried about.

[cahooted]

You want me to hold your hand?

[bookofnope]

Maybe I want to know whether you'll do something if Quill or Gamora come around with ideas.

[cahooted]

I'm not just going to let them kick you into the pit if that's what you're asking.

[That better not be what you're asking.]

[bookofnope]

Really? You're going to fight your friend - not to mention his green amazon - to protect me?

[Alas, that is totally what he's asking.]

[cahooted]

I'm really not sure how feasible an attempt that would even be.

I would try to reason with them. Why does everything always have to immediately resort to fighting? It's like half the town got steroid poisoning.

[bookofnope]

MN poisoning. [He's pretty sure it's relevant.] Plus the usual high tensions of deprivation and close quarters. But in this case I suspect it's just Quill being Quill.

[cahooted]

[Oh no, you didn't.]

Really?

[For a moment he just gapes, his hands moving left and right in a frantic gesture of disbelief.]

After everything we just-- really?