IC Contact for duplicity

[arkfall]

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[arkfall]

[Knives watches him for a moment before speaking again.]

Wake me on purpose next time.

[endthem]

[Taking another moment to compose himself, he gathers the mugs of tea, along with the containers for milk and sugar, and brings them to the table. Only once he's there and setting things down does he reply.]

For what reason?

[arkfall]

Perhaps I can do something to ensure you go back to sleep.

[endthem]

[...Forgive him if he's a little dubious here.]

Such as what?

[arkfall]

Use our connection to soothe you? [He is pretty sure that's a thing he could do. If his aura can be used to strike fear in humans, surely it can do other emotions too?]

[endthem]

[Legato is quiet for a few long seconds, covering for the delay by methodically adding sugar and milk to his tea. It's not that he would ever doubt his master's abilities... but trying to imagine Knives soothing anything is proving both impossible and uncomfortable to try to do.]

...You don't need to trouble yourself with that. I'm sure I will find some other answer.

[arkfall]

What would trouble me is if you broke down due to sleep deprivation.

[endthem]

I will do a better job of trying to find rest, so that won't happen.

[arkfall]

You don't think I can do it.

Not that I blame you. I'm not sure I can either. [He admits it quietly, glaring at the table as he speaks.]

[endthem]

[While Knives' eyes are glaring down at the table, Legato watches him for a few careful moments, extremely unsure of how to handle this. Rarely is he ever allowed to see Knives unsure about anything, let alone something like this.]

Is it... something you want to be able to do?

[arkfall]

Yes.

[Knives says without really thinking about how that might sound to Legato. His brow narrows and he looks up at Legato.]

I want to be able to master everything that I am. I've spent nearly two centuries trying to be the strongest of my people. [One more thing he's failed at.]

Part of that includes projecting my aura into the minds of those around me. I can cause fear, why not other emotions? I've never tried before.

[endthem]

[At least when Knives phrases it like that, it's more understandable. He can look at it through a lens of simple logic, like this. Flexing the fingers of his left hand, he considers the things he himself can do with the minds of others...]

Even if it doesn't work, I suppose it's worth a try if you want to explore the reaches of your abilities.

[arkfall]

[Knives seems to find that acceptable.]

Let's drink the tea first. It would be a shame for it to go to waste. Then, I'll see what I can do.

[endthem]

[Being done with the containers of milk and sugar himself, he moves them closer to Knives, agreeing to settle with tea before anything else. And maybe it's a continuation of old habits, but any silence that falls between them, Legato feels compelled to fill with reports on his various projects.]

...I should tell you, I've been testing the limitations that this place has put on me, and I think I may have discovered a weak point.

[arkfall]

[That does seem to interest Knives. He sits up and leans a little closer to listen.]

Tell me.

[endthem]

[In the name of desperately wanting something that makes him feel more useful than nightmares, he clings onto the opportunity to share. Even the small bit of interest that Knives is showing eggs him on.]

Due to whatever restrictions were placed on me when I arrived, I haven't been able to touch the guards and scientists working the program. [Which he assumes has been pretty obvious by the fact that they have been able to drag him in and do whatever they want to him, but making it clear is important for the next point.]

So, I've been testing this limit, scanning the lower ranking employees to see if all of them fall under the same protection... but I have found a few that are not. They're very low-ranking, but I can control them without a problem. With enough time, I'm sure I can gain access to secure locations or gain valuable information through them.

[arkfall]

Interesting... [Knives says as he leans back in thought.]

Vash and I cannot attack the guards and scientists either. I found that out when they arrested us for destroying sexbots that looked like... [His jaw tightens a bit.] Like someone from our past.

It's interesting they don't give the same protection to all.

It's good that you've realized you can use that. If we can figure out how they block our abilities we could figure out a way to stop it.

[endthem]

[He gains a thin smile. As always, he can't help but fill with some amount of pride at Knives' approval.]

I'm not surprised that they've underestimated us. And yes, the plan is to find out how to take the reins from them, at the very least removing their control over us.

[There's a world of possibility there... but, unlike the previous world he'd been trapped in, the goal is not to find out how to be returned home.]

[arkfall]

That's good.

I don't know about you, but this is not what I counted on for an afterlife.

[endthem]

[The smile fades at that.] No... it isn't. [Especially with the nightmares tormenting him, it's easy for the anger to rise up.]

Each day that you're forced to endure it as well infuriates me. I will find a way to change it.

[arkfall]

You realize when you do, the both of us will likely end up dead again? Does that bother you? [His own voice is passive, as if he doesn't have an opinion either way.]

[endthem]

[His fingers tighten around his mug of tea before he can catch himself, and his voice carries more of an edge than he means it to.]

I won't let that happen. If we can take control of this place, we can decide how we want it to be.

[arkfall]

And what do you want to be?

[endthem]

[Maybe it's how often Knives has asked him recently to share his opinions whether he wants to or not, but instead of turning the question around and asking Knives what he would want, he just answers for himself.]

I want the extent of my abilities back. I want this damned quota to be removed. I want you healed.

[arkfall]

And... what if I don't want to be healed? [He still seems to be carefully keeping his voice passive, almost apathetic.]