002 ✽ voice;

[goingsilent]

Once upon a time, [ Kasumi begins, and she sounds thoughtful as she says it, though also like this is the conclusion of her thoughts and not part of an ongoing process, ] there was a man. It doesn't really matter what his name was or where he was from, since most of you won't have heard of it anyway. He did some work for a client that seemed relatively harmless at the time. And boring too, actually. When the work was done, he delivered it to the client and collected his credits and went on his way.

But, as it turned out, the client wanted to use the man's work for something the man didn't exactly approve of, even if he thought he'd gotten over worrying about that sort of thing a long, long time ago. So when he heard about it, the man went to a friend of his and asked, "What can I do?" And his friend said, "You can start by stealing your work back." And the man said, "What happens if I can't get it back?" And his friend said, "Then you find another way to get even, first, and then you make things right."

[ There's a long pause and then Kasumi exhales an almost-silent laugh. ] I'm not really one for thinking big ethical thoughts, so let's just leave it at that, okay?

Comments

[scrambled; anon; 90% MegaEncrypt]

[megamind]

[He knows he's not suppose to do this; but at the same time--

--he liked Kasumi. Respected her. And he'd compromised her. He knew that. He knew he was going to. He used her just like he used Jane. But the odd seed of remorse and guilt that has set down roots in his black little heart make him feel, well...]

[Let's just say it's a new and terribly uncomfortable feeling, this emotion he doesn't want to name. So, while he has a moment where no one is watching, he creates a message, fiddling with his watch, and sends it off; it's a one off, a tailored package for Kasumi, working in pieces of Tali's code as a 'hello', so she'll have an idea of who it is from.]

I don't regret what I did. I would do it again, had I time and resources and a reset button to take me back to repeat it. I don't think I was wrong. But I know that I put you in a bad position and for what it is worth, one villain to another, I am sorry.

Good luck, Miss Goto. Your tools, by the way, are complete, and are in the lair. I never did get them to you. My apologies for such shoddy delivery service.

[And now he'll simply take the consequences as they come.]

[ action ]

[goingsilent]

[ Oh, she knows who it is all right. Once she's cracked the encryption and seen the message below, she doesn't even need the fragments of Tali's coding as a hint. And the message itself is-- Well--

Kasumi keeps her cloak up most of the way to the medbay, not that she expects anyone to have a problem with her visiting but because she prefers to keep things like this off an official records. But she keys it off when she reaches the door and then steps inside and approaches his bed. ]

Part of me thinks I should've seen it coming.

voice

[cutsofftheirlimbs]

I've been double-crossed more than my share of times, and it's never really ended very pretty for them.

That said, the circumstances I'm used to are kind of, unique.

permavoice;

[goingsilent]

Unique's an interesting word. It can mean a so many different things. [ If a voice could flutter its eyelashes and imply Go on, Kasumi's is doing just that. ]

voice;

[onsilksheets]

Screwing people over is a part of human nature sometimes. It can't be helped.

voice;

[goingsilent]

It's true. A lot of the time, it isn't even a bad thing. How would any of us learn to stay on our toes otherwise?

[ picture message sent to 001 » 032 ] THIRD TIME'S A CHARM

[zooms]

[ He didn't know the mystery person's name, let alone what they might sound or look like, but he had no other way of tracking down the person who had suggested the name Felicity and Spirit so many jumps ago. With only a comms number to go by he sends a short message with a simple still photo of the name carefully hand-painted on the side of the newly-repaired shuttle in the attachments. ]

TO: --- » 001 » 032
FROM: OPR » 001 » 060 [ MAX 'HOTSPUR' SOUTHEY ]

attached file: spirit001.jpg

video;

[saidhe]

I also heard tell - very similar case, you won't know the man, so names are never important - of a man who was only 63 inches in stature, not quite foreshortened but enough so to get a good nudge or a tease from a large number of people. He claimed he could drink a half giant under the table, a nearly seven foot tall behemoth.

He did, you know. Left with the money that night. I watched the whole thing, and how he hid his liquor in his false wooden leg, presumably hollowed.

[ It's not really clear what he's getting at here, so he flashes a smile, quick and dry. ]

Not all stories are meant to be believed, or even seen for what they are at face value, though your reasoning for the anecdote is transparent.

voice;

[goingsilent]

"Transparent," [ Kasumi repeats, but she doesn't sound offended by it. She wasn't trying to be particularly circumspect. ] Okay, try this one:

A human ship pulls up at a fuel depot in the Imir system, and the captain asks the depot commander, "What are the people like in the next system over?" The commander says, "What were the people like in the system you just came from?" "Awful," the captain responds. "Rude, cold, hostile, abrupt, and unfriendly." "Well," says the commander, "I'm sorry to say it, but you're going to find exactly the same sort of people in the next system up ahead."

A bit later, an Asari ship pulls in, heading in the same direction as the first. "What are the people like in the next system up ahead?" the second captain asks. The commander says, "What were the people like in the system you just came from?" "Wonderful people," the second captain responds. "Friendly, warm, helpful, patient, kind. They went out of their way to help a stranger." "Well," says the commander, "I'm happy to tell you that you're going to find exactly the same kind of people in the next system up ahead."

voice;

[became]

'Now I am become Death, the destroyer of worlds.'

[ the quote's almost to himself, but it was the first thing kasumi's post brought to mind. ]

If you don't mind me asking, did he get it back or go for door number two?

voice;

[goingsilent]

[ On the topic of revenge, at least some revenge, Kasumi thinks being a destroyer of worlds could be a sensible, proportionate response. ]

Door number two in the end. By the time he tried to steal it back, the damage had already been done, and there was nothing left to steal.

voice;

[wont]

[ What sort of people have something to say about betrayal and human nature? Villains, thieves, sociopaths.

And, apparently, Alayne. ]

Very few things are harmless. Whether they are intended to be or not.

voice;

[goingsilent]

[ It makes one of the softer parts of Kasumi's heart pang to hear that kind of observation coming from such a young voice. ]

That's the lesson the man learned, I think. Or maybe that things that seem harmless but aren't can be more dangerous than the ones that are obviously harmful on the surface.

text;

[puppydogeyes]

What if he never found out what it was being used for?

voice;

[goingsilent]

My best guess is the man would've spent his credits on brandy and an apartment on Illium and lived happily ever after. And a lot of other people would have found themselves suddenly sold into slavery.

voice;

[heltersskelter]

Wasn't the damage already done?

voice;

[goingsilent]

Some people would say that's the best time to get even.

audio

[articletwelve]

It's not always that simple.

voice;

[goingsilent]

Which part? Getting even or making things right?

voice;

[odinsons]

[ hahaha betrayal. a fine little quirk, isn't it? thor almost doesn't respond, because what can possibly be said about a case such as this? he's not one to get ethical or philosophical or even wax poetic about things of this nature. even so, a lot of things have been weighing on his mind, so he can't help but speak up. ]

Even if one were to retaliate and attempt to make things "even" there really is no way to do that. Once you have been double-crossed there is no going back, no moving forward... no way to even the field.

voice;

[goingsilent]

[ Kasumi's been double-crossed enough time, you'd think she'd be bored of it by now. But apparently not, or this post wouldn't even exist. ]

Not technically, I guess. But you shouldn't underrate the importance of making yourself feel better. A little revenge with breakfast can be good for that.

voice. | sob so late

[swagneto]

Skip getting even, go straight for revenge.

voice. | equally as late o-orz

[goingsilent]

Not that I'm disagreeing, but sometimes getting even can be pretty good revenge in itself.

( text; )

[purrfectlycute]

:33 < ohhhhhhhh thats a good start to a story!
:33 < its got this very justice-y vibe to it
:33 < kinda reminds me of a furiend, h33h33!
:33 < i hope its not a one-shot!
:33 < id totally read more chapters

voice;

[goingsilent]

In the second episode, the man decides he can't fix things on his own, so he goes back to his friend and appeals to her for help. Because she's as smart as she is beautiful and knows a worthwhile job when she hears it, she agrees.