bang bang (open/closed)

[shashka]

Who: Revolver Ocelot (shashka) & YOU
What: Catch-all for Wyver (with some backdated threads)
When: Throughout Late October
Where: Around Wyver
Warning(s): Shadiness. Possible adult content. The usual.

I.THE OLD CITY

[ the Old City certainly fit its name, though it was unlike any place that he was used to back home, despite his well-traveled status. there were a few different ways to get to know the area.

Ocelot decides on something a little more creative. he separates the coin that he has on him into two pouches. the first, he tucks safely into one of his boots. the second... he places on his belt. and really, all he has to do is wait until just the right person bumps into him, and...

the bait is taken. of course. he does his best panicked expression, before rushing to the nearest person that he can find. ]

That man took my money!

[ if nothing else, it helps him run into a few locals, meet up with a potential new ally, and gain some more information about the area. not that bad, now was it? ]

II.THE GILDED CAGE

[ while Ocelot wouldn't admit it out loud, he felt more at home in the Gilded Cage than he had in Olympia. he likes the intrigue, the information trading, and the fact that you never know exactly who it is that you're supposed to trust.

and so, of course, he's eyeing you. someone like him, who doesn't quite seem like they're from around here.

maybe you're someone he knows. or maybe you're a fellow refugee that looks distinctly out of place. or maybe he just wants to annoy you. either way, he's speaking to you right now, with the ghost of a smile on his face. ]

Can't say I was expecting to see someone like you here.

[ notably, he doesn't say why he's here. let the other person answer first. then he can come up with a reason to match theirs. ]

III.THE UNDERGROWTH

[ there's something about the jungles that remind him of one of his first postings in his youth. he can't exactly say that he's overly fond of it, but all the same, he finds himself feeling a certain sense of... nostalgia.

still, it comes as a surprise to him when he manages to run into someone else among the undergrowth. ]

You trying to hunt, too?

[ he can't say that he's the best survivalist out there, but he's learned enough from the best that he's pretty sure he won't die. ]

IV. WILDCARD

[ got another idea? let me know via PM or over at roflskate ]

Comments

iii

[judicia]

( The terrain is entirely unlike that which he's encountered in Ferelden and the Free Marches. The undergrowth itself made it a bit hard to track where he'd been, not that Anders was ever particularly good at that in the first place, but he was always able to tell when he'd circle back around to a particular area.

He wanders aimlessly like that for a while, looking around for any medicinal herbs that he could use for potions, or for something that he could take back for supper that night. So, when he sees something moving up ahead of him, he freezes, his hand glowing with arcane magic in preparation to strike. And he very nearly does, until he realizes that the thing ahead of him wasn't a creature as he had suspected, but rather, someone that he knew. )

Trying to. ( He echoes, once the magic in his palm dissipates. ) I haven't come across anything except for you, though. Are you scaring everything off?

[shashka]

[ he can't help but give a small quirk of his lips when he sees the other man, even if he'd almost ended up on the unfortunate end of a spell. Anders was someone that he enjoyed talking to, especially given the fact that he possessed truly amazing abilities.

you can't help but admire that. ]

I don't think so.

[ and it's at this particular moment that his hunting companion makes a reappearance, tail wagging and about to approach the newcomer until Ocelot gives him a look, and he stops dead in his tracks. ]

He might be though.

[ DD lets out a strong 'bark' as if to deny that he's responsible for the lack of progress being made on both accounts. for his part, Ocelot shakes his head. ]

I don't believe you.

[judicia]

( The admiration goes both ways. Ocelot earned that pretty quickly with how competent he seemed, and later, with how well he was able to hold his liquor. A small crosses his features for the barest moment, before he notices DD bounding out into the clearing. )

I should've guessed that you would be a dog person. ( Not that Anders has anything against dogs. He likes Hawke's mabari well enough as long as it wasn't slobbering all over him or beating him at cards. )

Is he from home or from here?

[shashka]

Because of my name? [ it was a common enough assumption. ] What can I say? I like to keep people guessing.

[ though truthfully, he was far more like a cat than anything else. untrustworthy. friendly to those he liked, but always somewhat conditionally. downright vicious if you crossed him. but despite all that, he'd always liked dogs. ]

Home, actually. I guess you could say I shared ownership with a... friend of mine [ the easiest way to describe Venom Snake, he supposes.
]. He found him wandering in the wilderness, and I decided to train him.

[ he's like a son to him, ok. ]

[judicia]

( They do say that opposites attract, and that pets look a lot like their owners. The dog's rugged, sturdy appearance does resemble Ocelot a little — and he means that in the most complementary way. Anders moves a little closer to them both, watching DD though he doesn't reach out to try to pet him just yet. )

What all did you teach him? Not to hunt, apparently. ( Anders, luckily, isn't all that bothered by the wildlife being run off. The undergrowth is home to a variety of plant life — he should be able to find something be edible before he has to head back to town. To the dog, he says lightly, )

You just like to chase things, don't you?

[shashka]

[ a chuckle. ]

You'd think. He's normally better at this. Might be the unfamiliar terrain that's throwing him off. But, everyone has their off days. It's just a shame you had to see him on his.

[ as for DD. well. he's not impressed. not at all. he barks once, twice, before bolting off into the undergrowth.

Ocelot, for his part, doesn't look particularly concerned. ]

Don't worry. I think we made him determined now.

[ hopefully, he'd come back with something decent to eat now. all it took was a little more motivation and the friendly insinuation that he wasn't a useful dog.

now to wait and see what he brings back. ]

ii

[exorion]

What's that supposed to mean?

[He doesn't really sound offended, turning his head to give Ocelot a quick look up and down. He's not dressed like a local, that's for sure, nor someone from Olympia. It's a fair shake this guy is a refugee too, but who knows if that's what the guy's talking about or if he's another person shocked to see a robot. The latter's getting real old at this point.]

[Anyway, he tilts his head and lifts a hand to his cheek, as if fixing something in place.]

You don't like my hair?

[it's funny because he doesn't have hair.]

[shashka]

[ the ghost of a smile comes to his lips at that. at this point, he's pretty sure that the other guy is a "refugee". he hasn't seen anyone like him in Olympia and Wyver yet, but hey there's a first time for everything. ]

You seem a little stiff, that's all.

[ get it? robot? stiff? ]

Not from around here, I take it?

[ though maybe he also sticks out just a little, himself. ]

ii!

[vorrutyer]

No?

[ By smiles right back at Ocelot. Truthfully, he looks absurdly comfortable in these environs - leaning confidently against the wall behind him, his manner lazy and cheerful. He clearly likes it here. ]

And whyever not? It's a beautiful place - nearly lovely enough for two handsome devils like us.

Re: ii!

[shashka]

[ he can't help but laugh at that. ]

True...

[ and honestly, Byerly is someone that fits in well in the whole area. but if he'd pointed that out in the first place... that would defeat the point of the banter, now wouldn't it? ]

But it's lacking in that certain abject misery that makes me think of home. You understand, don't you?

[ fellow Russians who are fond of less than savoury establishments do have to stick together, in a sense. ]

[vorrutyer]

All too well.

[ His smile becomes an outright grin in response to Ocelot's laughter. ]

What do you think, dear fellow - shall we burn this place down? Cut off their food supplies so that they starve? Stage a coup?

[shashka]

All in good time.

[ he raises a hand, as if to order a drink. ]

While I am partial to cutting off the food supplies, that takes time. If we wanted to bring the charm of the homeland here, it could be a lengthy undertaking to plan it to absolute certainty.

[ is he joking? given that they're out in the open in the middle of what was essentially a den of spies, probably. but what is far more interesting is the other man's reaction. ]

[vorrutyer]

[ His reaction is warm, charmed, and amused. ]

So how would you start? If you were to bring down this place. Or - better - if you were to bring down the whole country.

[shashka]

[ oh. colour him intrigued. seems things really don't change that much with Russians, centuries into the future or otherwise. ]

Well, if I were serious, I wouldn't be talking about it where anyone could overhear it...

[ but his grin widens. ]

But, since this is all hypothetical, I suppose that I'd start by securing myself allies that I can count on. Not necessarily fully trust, but someone who I can work with towards a common goal. Then the real "fun" would begin.

for solider: 76

[shashka]

[ just as they'd agreed, Ocelot was ready, and waiting at the observation deck. regardless of anything, 76 seemed like a useful man to have around. good at gathering information. it also helped that he reminded him a little too much of someone who was sleeping in the pods, always keeping him waiting.

just like this guy was too. ]

[personalwar]

[ It's not like they had specified an exact time, so 76 would argue that he isn't really running late. If it had been something urgent, he can only imagine that Ocelot would have said so. He honestly doesn't know what to expect from this meeting, but he can guess that Ocelot has questions for him.

He steps into the room, glancing around to make sure that it's just the two of them there. It seems like plenty of the refugees don't bother with trips up to the station that often, or they keep those trips short. It makes sense. There isn't really space for someone to stay here, and there's usually not much going on.

It makes for a good meeting spot, though, if you don't want to be interrupted.

76 walks over, stopping a couple of feet to Ocelot's left. ]

[shashka]

[ Ocelot seems to barely acknowledge him at first, staring out into the void of space. finally, however, he turns his head ever so slightly, the ghost of a smile lingering on his lips. ]

Glad you came.

[ and he means it. 76 was one of the more astute refugees he'd met, recent streak of bad luck aside. and Ocelot was definitely determined to keep him as an "ally", if you could call him that. ]

Enjoying Wyver so far?

[ eventually he'll get into the real meat of this conversation. for now, was the brief small talk.

(maybe a part of it was also for his own amusement, just to see how a man who usually gets right down to business might react) ]

[personalwar]

[ While 76 still doesn't know what to think of Ocelot half the time, he can say this much. They'd interacted when 76 was an active fugitive and Ocelot hadn't made any attempts to turn him in, even though his position in the guard had given him good opportunity to do so.

Not to mention they'd had a successful mission together. The guy seems reliable so far, but if espionage is his trade, then 76 is going to be limited with his trust.

The question seems irrelevant, and 76 sighs briefly before he crosses his arms and shrugs a shoulder. ]

I'll take it over Olympia. [ Let's cut to the chase. ] But I'm guessing you didn't ask me here so we could discuss that.

[shashka]

[ a smile slowly begins to creep over his face. just as expected. well, unlike some people that he knows all too well, he wasn't going to keep the other man waiting for his answers. ]

Wouldn't think that a "wanted terrorist" would be in any rush to go back to Olympia. [ but again, the two of them both know he wasn't the one responsible for it. ]

I was curious on what you think about what's going on with Olympia and Wyver. And whether or not there's a third player that might have his own agenda.

[ he's talking about Cree, of course. but he'll let 76 bring up his name. prove he also followed the breadcrumbs laid out for them. ]

That one might be someone worth keeping an eye on.

[ takes one to know one, after all. ]

[personalwar]

[ 76 could hope that now that people have been cured and the immediate threat is gone, that the Olympian officials would be willing to pardon him, but he's not a particularly hopeful person. (Not anymore, anyway.)

It's not hard to guess at what Ocelot is really asking him. He's figured that 76 went to talk to Cree, and he's figured right. So this is about sharing information, then, as he'd originally assumed.

He crosses his arms and leans his left side against the nearest wall, though his gaze through the visor remains on Ocelot. ]

Kind of hard to keep an eye on someone who's constantly moving, but... I spoke to him. I wanted to know what his motive was for the terrorist attack.

[ If 76 is going to say any more than that, he needs to know that he'll get something in return. ]

for peggy carter

[shashka]

[ ever since they'd been told they could teleport up to the Thesa Station at will, Ocelot had spent as much time as he could in the stasis chamber. he was reminded all too much of those nine years he'd spent, travelling back and forth to Cyprus, caring for someone that he had no guarantee of waking up, while being forced under the thumb of a man they'd both tried to escape from, all thanks to that same someone's terrible taste in friends.

but, all of that was in the past, and this was different. as Adam looks at the man who'd come to define his life, he can't help but mutter something under his breath. ]

This time, you better not keep me waiting for nine years.

[ perhaps that was why, rather uncharacteristically, he didn't hear the sound of someone else approaching.

as always, John proved to be his greatest weakness. ]

[revlon]

[ She visits this part of the station sometimes; not often, because she finds it a little maudlin to dwell. But it seems unkind to try and forget the faces that still lie asleep under the glass and ice. She has many friends up here — and one, sadly, that she made on the surface of El Nysa who has since returned to his pod. That had been an especially difficult thing to navigate and one she hadn't expected to.

Seeing other people making the same sort of pilgrimage isn't unusual. The chamber is vast enough to remain private, if you wish, but today the aisle Peggy chooses to walk down on her way out happens to be occupied. ]

Sorry, [ she says softly, recognising the man at once. She just meant to slip past him. ] I don't mean to intrude.

[shashka]

[ of all the people to see him...

truthfully, he does like Peggy. as much as he likes anyone, really. but, the problem was, she seemed like the type that was naturally perceptive, meaning that if he tried to craft some sort of lie, she'd likely just see through it.

he really should've been paying more attention. so, he sees that he really only has one option right now. ]

It's fine. Just checking up on an old 'friend'.

[ it was actually probably the closest thing to the truth that he could say. no use in over-complicating things, not when you're right there in the open. ]

[revlon]

[ She smiles briefly. He doesn't owe her any explanation, regardless of what she can pick up — this isn't work, this isn't her deliberately prying for more information or testing the boundaries of a conversation. This is a chance encounter in a place that values privacy. Or, at least, that's the unspoken rule she's learned. ]

Why else would any of us be here? [ It's rhetorical. Peggy inclines her head. ] I know it should be reassuring, that everyone we know is safe up here. But it can be difficult.

[shashka]

[ it may be a rhetorical question, but he answers it nevertheless, with a smile on his face ]

Oh, I don't know. I suppose some of us might be checking up on old enemies as well.

[ for him, at least, the line tended to blur at times. again, he debates internally with himself on what exactly to reveal. in the end, he decides to go with the "official story". ]

This guy, he is... was, an American agent who I ran into years ago. He was sent in on a covert operation to kill my commanding officer, when I was only twenty.

[ a pause. ]

In the end, despite my best efforts, he succeeded. And not only did he get a medal of honour from the President, but our government also named him a Hero of the Soviet Union. Said he did the country a "public service".

[ he tries to not sound like he admires the man too much. but hey, sometimes "enemies" become friends. ]