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[these_guys]

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FIND IT HERE
CUTOFF FOR ADDING CHARACTER WANT ADS TO THE GDOC IS:
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Comments

Eliot Spencer | Leverage

[hitsitoff]

[Most people would try to avoid going through the Ice Path if they didn't have to. Eliot is not most people. Not that he enjoyed the trip, far from it. But hell, he's been through much worse than this with not nearly as many supplies. So while he's tired and, of course, cold when he reaches the exit, he's otherwise holding up fine.

The same could not be said for the Mankey following him.]

Oh for- I told you to stay in the ball, didn't I? Didn't I?

[The Mankey keeps shivering and is clearly not too happy about what he's just been through, but is trying to keep up a brave face. Yeah, he's clearly trying to look impressive, but a grifter this 'mon is not.]

Damn it, next time you're staying in there whether you want to or not!

[And then it dawns on Eliot exactly what he's doing. Annoyed, he closes his eyes and tries to resist the urge to facepalm. What is his life.]

...And I'm arguing with a monkey.

Shoulda just let you get frostbite.

[nostabbing]

[There are some things that are universal in this world. Nate Ford being a Machiavellian bastard. Jim Sterling having a supremely punchable face. Alec Hardison staying up all night on account of a new World of Warcraft release.

And, occasionally, there are some things that are universal no matter what world you're in, and one of those things is:

No matter where you are, you may in fact be in danger of Parker popping up like a ninja behind you.]

That's actually a Man-key. Not monkey. I mean it's a monkey too but they call it a Mankey.

[...]

Hi, Eliot.

[DAMMIT PARKER YOU NEED TO WARN PEOPLE BEFORE YOU DO THINGS LIKE THAT.]

[hitsitoff]

[Parker's one of the few people who even can sneak up on Eliot like that and yeah, it startles him. He actually jumps a little. And the Mankey also, but that's not nearly as difficult a task, let's be real here.]

Wh- Damn it, Parker! [Yeah, was he gonna respond any other way, really?] Don't do that! It's not- [And now he turns his attention to the Mankey, who's currently laughing while still shivering. Eliot gives him a Look with a capital L.] It's not funny.

[No, it kind of is, Eliot.]

[nostabbing]

What?

[Looking mildly indignant, she comes around into full view, hands on her hips and flanked on either side by two Pokemon of her own — a Mightyena wearing a black fedora, and a Ninetales sporting an exquisite diamond necklace about its furry throat.]

Hey, did you name him? The Mankey-monkey. You're supposed to give them names. Like...

[ :|a ]

...Mister Punchy. He looks like a Mister Punchy, right?

[hitsitoff]

...Is that fox wearing jewelry?

[And the wolf...thing is wearing a hat. You know what, he probably shouldn't even be surprised, because Parker, but there are some things you just never get completely used to.]

What? No. That's a terrible name, I'm not gonna- [He's interrupted by a squeak from the Mankey, though. Sorry Eliot. You've just been outvoted, because the monkey likes.] Seriously?

[nostabbing]

[Three guesses where she got the aforementioned jewelry, too, and all of them end in "probably did not exchange actual money for it in any capacity".

Some things never change.]

Of course she is. She's Sophie.

[Which makes perfect sense if you think about it, except for the part where it makes no sense at all.]

...I mean, not Sophie Sophie but she acts like Sophie so I named her Sophie. And that's Nate.

[Pause.]

And you're Eliot and he's Mister Punchy I guess and I'm Alice. White. Alice White is...me. Here. Around here.

[hitsitoff]

[Honestly, he'd be way more surprised if she actually had acquired it legally.]

You named these things after Nate and Sophie, so you decide to give 'em accessories? [Parker...] ...Something seriously wrong with you.

[He is already so done with everything.

...Damn it, he can actually sort of see the resemblance now.]

Parker, Alice White was always you. [Wait, no. Not having this conversation again.] ...But as good an alias as any, I guess.

[nostabbing]

Yeah. When I got here, I...

[But then she pauses, kind of glancing around warily, and then opts to lower her voice even though it's pretty obvious there's no one else around.]

There are some bad guys here. When people wake up here, it's either at Mom's house or with the bad guys. And not all the bad guys are really bad. Some of them are good and they just got stuck being bad and don't know why.

...Did you wake up in a big underground base when you got here?

[hitsitoff]

[...Well. That makes things slightly easier.

And he's just gonna ignore that part about a mom because he's not entirely sure if that's Parker Weird or This Place Weird, but either way he doesn't really want to know.]

...Yeah. I did. Whole damn place had bad news written all over it.

Forcing people to work for 'em, though... That's a special kind of low. Normal people shouldn't be dragged into that kind of stuff.

[Bad enough when they were innocent victims, but being made into accomplices? That's just wrong.]

You're in it too.

[A statement, not a question, because he's pretty sure about this one.]

[nostabbing]

Alice is. Yeah.

[And on one hand, that's kind of reassuring, that having Eliot as part of the organization too means that there's now the potential for some backup involved when dealing with those things — mostly because let's be real, anyone can typically grift better than Parker — but on the other hand it also raises some thorny questions about bad people and bad people who try to do good things and attempts at being a good person who sometimes does bad things, none of which she's actively considered in a long time.]

Some of the good people who got dragged into the group, they don't know the first thing about picking a lock or stealing stuff or getting past a security guard. I started helping them out so they wouldn't get into big trouble for not being good enough at being bad.

[...]

And it's...better if it's me, anyway. Not them.

[hitsitoff]

[He manages to resist making another comment about Parker (still) being Alice, because he knows when it isn't the time for that sort of thing. This? Definitely not the time.]

...Most people tend not to. They're just not... equipped for this kinda thing. 'Specially not if they're being thrown into it blind, without a choice.

[Even when someone does make the choice to do bad stuff, they're still not always right for it. It's a lot easier in theory than in practice. For every good thief or hitter or grifter, there's just as many who don't make the cut.

That last comment of hers makes him pause for a moment. Makes him remember when they were on that mountain.

"It's a good thing it was us."

...He quickly corrects her statement.]

Us. Better if it's us.

[Because now that he's here, it's not just her in this anymore.]

...You did good, Parker.

[nostabbing]

Us.

[She echoes it, nodding, and as she does it gradually begins to sink in that it really does sound better that way; for a long time it was just intuitive to think of things individually, to put the "me" first and occasionally not really recognize that the "us" was even there, but it's there now and...

Yeah. "Us" is good.

It's kind of weird how seeing Eliot all of a sudden seems to have reawakened the recognition of how much she's missed her old family. That doesn't seem right, does it, to miss someone only once they've turned up in front of you?

Feelings are weird.]

...So what're we gonna do?

[hitsitoff]

[You know what, that's one thing Eliot and Parker can actually agree on. Feelings are weird.]

What we're good at. Adapt.

[...It'd be nice if Nate were here too, though, because honestly planning isn't Eliot's strong suit. Straightforward problems are more his area. This? Definitely not straightforward.]

Seems like the best way of keeping people safe is to do it from within, so that's what we'll do.

[It's not an ideal solution, but it's what he's got for now. He'll just... try to figure out a more permanent solution later.]

[nostabbing]

I got promoted.

[And up goes one finger, as if for emphasis.]

A lot of the good people get stuck on the lowest level of the evil organization because they won't do enough bad stuff to move up. I got promoted so I could adopt some of them and keep them from having to report to the scumbags.

[hitsitoff]

Good. They shouldn't have to do that stuff.

['Adopt', though... Okay that may get a small smile from him. Just slightly.]

I'll have to work on that too, then. Doing bad things for the right reasons is my job, after all.

[nostabbing]

...Oooh. You might have to work for me.

[At that, she makes a face approximately akin to the one she'd be wearing if someone had just said "you might have to listen to jazz".

But then, gradually, something seems to come over her, and she works her mouth around a little bit in silence like she's trying to muster it into forming the right words, except that even she's not entirely sure what they are.

Then, at last: ]

...I have friends. Here.

[...]

Not just Alice's friends. My...friends.

[hitsitoff]

You're not gonna get to boss me around, Parker. That's just not happening.

[And... then what she says next throws him for a loop. Multiple loops, actually. Because... uh. Huh.]

Wait. Friends... plural? How'd that even- No, never mind, not important right now.

[He definitely did not call this one. But also he's kind of proud? Look at you go, Parker.]

...They the ones you're trying to protect?