(no subject)

[lurkin]

Daud told her to leave the city, but let's say she's inexplicably waiting for the man and his ship that she bribed good coin for. Ok? Ok.

Anyway for convenience's sake she's hiding in an abandoned house near the shipyards. Waiting. Anxious to get out. Unsure of herself now, especially after everything that's happened.

As the days pass she stays in the house (the only place she was comfortable without a mask) and listens to the broadcast. Things were changing fast, and that was an understatement. The announcements in between were interesting too. She heard a lot of familiar names. One of them was Teague Martin. So he had become High Overseer, huh?

Billie remembered snorting when she heard it not too long ago, both with contempt and bemusement. Bastard.

Comments

Let the crack begin. :P I'LL JUST KEEP IT AS VAGUE AS POSSIBLE FOR NOW

[bornintonothing]

Martin, meanwhile, has no interest in leaving, but the choice is no longer his; any power he might have had in the matter was long removed by Corvo's blade. Though he never knew her personally, he and the late Empress had something in common now. Too bad their paths aren't destined to cross.

He's already in a bad mood when he wakes up from what sleep he can manage and sees no reason to hide it. He gives Billie a look and rolls his eyes.

"And what is it you intend to get up to today?"

He already knows he's not going to like it.

YESSS jsyk you can do whatever you want, we can crack this up all day errday

[lurkin]

Billie's already awake, fixing the last few buttons on her collar and walking past where she set him on the table last night. She looks to him. Oh. Right. It's hard to forget when the Outsider shows up in your dreams, especially when it was only two days ago. And ESPECIALLY when he decides to give you a severed head.

Teague Martin's severed head.

Why was the Outsider an ass.

"I'm running last-minute errands today. Maybe you can help." She reaches for her belt on the same table. "Do magic-powered heads still eat after royal protectors sever them?"

Because she already turned him over and looked at the bottom of what was left of his neck. If she was supposed to feed her new pet head, they were going to have a problem.

Re: YESSS jsyk you can do whatever you want, we can crack this up all day errday

[bornintonothing]

Martin frowns as Billie finishes equipping herself. "I should be dead. Why would I eat?" This strange "re-life" was not something Martin relished and every day was a new agony. Not that Billie can appreciate it fully, he sulks.

He adds, after a moment, "I don't see how I can help you either." Outsider's eyes, why had he been brought back?

[lurkin]

Billie snorts.

"How did that happen, anyway?"

The broadcasts gave her the barebones details. Corvo Attano killed him. Emily was on the throne again, and for the time time in a while? Maybe things were looking up.

But yeah. High Overseer Martin was dead. And judging by the fact that Billie had his head of all things, it wasn't hard to figure out what the former Royal Protector had done.

"Dying, I mean."

She doesn't answer his question. As awkward as having a head in your apartment (well, the cleanest one she could find) was, she did take an subtle pleasure in torturing her torturer.

[bornintonothing]

"How did what happen?" Martin says as dryly as possible, as if he hasn't the faintest idea what Billie means. This facade is shattered when he acknowledges it seconds later. "I only seem to remember as far as losing my lower half. The bit in between that and suddenly finding myself serving your needs is, well, a bit hazy."

There's no lack of hostility in his words; the Outsider was no doubt having a laugh at the Overseer's expense for all the years he refused to bow before him.

[lurkin]

Billie come back and sits in front of the table. She slips and buckles her boots on as she does.

"You must have done something to the Empress' daughter to make Corvo Attano do something like that."

[bornintonothing]

Done something to the Empress' daughter? It wasn't as if they'd be especially rough with her, at least not as far as Martin knew. They'd kidnapped her, double crossed Corvo, and locked her in the lighthouse, but that wasn't anything especially heinous. No, it had been more about vengeance.

"Things got carried away," He finally concedes. "But I don't think Emily had anything to do with them."

oop, meant to add to my PM, I'll reply to the other thread later if Nadya doesn't

[lurkin]

Kidnapping Emily, double-crossing Corvo, and locking her in a lighthouse is what she meant. They didn't have to have hurt her. That alone would have been enough for Billie to put two and two together.

"For a disembodied head that's supposed to tell me secrets, you're still vague."

[bornintonothing]

The secret thing. Yes, Martin has noticed that he knows things about people now that he wouldn't have thought possible. Also, he seems to have an innate sense as to the location of bone charms and runes-- both abilities he's not keen on sharing, especially with someone like Billie.

"I don't remembering agreeing to tell you anything."

This was something the Outsider had decided upon. Like bringing the former High Overseer back as a talking head.

Fucking whale gods.

[lurkin]

Billie ignored that.

"So what do you know about me?"

Said with the most innocence she could (clearly) fake, but the assassin really was curious. Then again, Billie Lurk was curious by default.

Still. She wondered what Martin could know now. That her mother beat her regularly as a child? That little Billie "fell" down the stairs once during one of mother's many drunken rages? That, when the son of the Duke of Serkonos killed her dearest friend, she drove a piece of wood through his eye as deep as it would go? What she did to Daud, maybe? Maybe, if anything, Martin knew her real name by now.

That is, if he told her anything at all.

[bornintonothing]

Martin can see it all. It comes as a wave of information, an innate knowledge of the entity that is Billie Lurk. He chuckles at the inquiry and if he could, he would cock his head to the side to regard the assassin. As is, he stays right where he's situated.

"What do I know about you? Far too much."

And then, as if he didn't already know, he adds, "Whatever became of your mother, I wonder."

[lurkin]

A pause. Impressive. Billie's intrigued and it shows in those dark eyes. Come to think of it, she hasn't thought about her mother for a long time. Then again, for all Lurk cared, her mother could feed herself to the rats.

She stands up.

"I wouldn't know. I never went back."

Aloof, her other default. Still, there's a bitter hint to her tone. Billie slips on a red whaling coat.

"I suppose you know."

[bornintonothing]

Martin is pleased to have hit a nerve with that statement. It's not as if he can do much else in his current state, so if he can use his words...

"Do you ever dream of her? Or perhaps of your murdered friend instead? It seems the two of you were close."

[lurkin]

"Sometimes. I'm sure you know."

Billie could talk about it now. It had been long enough. Still, it didn't mean she liked to.

[bornintonothing]

Martin sighs. "I do."

So, the assassin has errands she intends to run? As much as Martin enjoys needling Billie, he is curious about the day's plan. "What now? Are you off to eat breakfast?"

[lurkin]

"I already did."

Billie moves to the other side of the room.

"I'm getting ready for my ride out of here. I supposed I'm taking you with me. I have a feeling the Outsider would just bring you back if I didn't."

Because if she could, she would. Though at the same time, the only other reason not to tie a rock to what was left of the High Overseer and drop him in the bay was because his misery gave her an almost strange satisfaction. People deserved what they got. Maybe the Outsider appointed her as part of what Martin deserved.