expiationlogs | August Catch-All

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August Catch-All - Glitching Event

Who: Silco + Open to All
Where: Around Aldrip
What: August Monthly Post – Includes glitching
Warnings: Violence, murder

i. Glitching Out
[The previous month and part of this month, Silco had been spared having alterations to his person. His businesses, his property and even the generalized environment had seemed to be on the fritz, and no one seemed to know if it was a result of the previous infection or if they had failed their ‘rehab’ enough that this place was destabilizing and required a reset.

Still, he had to continue business as usual while he investigated on his own. That was until he was stepping out from the Last Drop to head to another business for a daily check-in when he experienced a disturbing situation not unlike being struck by lightning. He dropped at the unexpectedness of it all, and it took him exactly one minute to realize the difference.

He could see normally from both eyes. The aches of his facial scarring and generalized age had disappeared. The air felt unbearably clean to his lungs. His hair fell forward into his face.

Silco pushed himself back to his feet slowly, and he looked down at this hands – youthful hands – and then reached up to feel his face. There was a puddle of water nearby which he stepped over to look into, sighting an appearance half of his previous age.

Yet, his mind remained intact. He was trapped in a 20 year old body, and he couldn’t deny how amazing it felt.]

ii. Around Town - Parkour
[He didn’t know how long he was going to be stuck like this, but it seemed prudent to take advantage of the spirit of youthfulness. While he didn’t have idle time per say in Aldrip, he certainly made time every time that he stepped out of one of his businesses to enjoy what age and reputation had slowly turned him from.

Fissurefolk were infamous for their abilities to scale buildings and get into places that few others would dare to. Silco had been the slimmest of their group, meaning he could slide into narrow alleys and scale buildings were Vander had trouble; getting down was Vander’s strength. So he was going to enjoy the freedom.

Silco could be seen around the residential and commercial spaces perform feats that were as easy as breathing for those of his people. Scaling buildings, run over rooftops and leap between buildings, flip over large open spaces, and even using random poles to perform. It was all about testing the limits of a body he had outgrown years ago, and he found he enjoyed himself.]

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[ She shakes her head. ]

No, I've stayed myself so far. [ Luckily, she'd say. Not that Silco's current condition is all that bad, but she has certainly seen a whole lot more than just him-- ] But I have seen a lot of other people change. Most of them actually didn't keep their memories the way you did.

[ Which is interesting! Ange even sounds interested. Silco is definitely right to assume that she's just trying to use this entire situation with things getting so wild here to try and find out more about this place and the way it works.. ]

I guess it's since those other people seemed to have been changed into an alternate version of themselves. Judging by how you're talking, this entire thing has only affected your physical condition rather than anything about your mind, right?

[ Yes, he looks younger, which is slightly weird, but if she just focused on the way he talks - he sounds enough like himself to her right now. ]

Does anything else feel off to you? [ Sorry, Silco, you're now the object of some scientific research here, apparently.. ]

[He shrugged his shoulders; he wasn't afraid to be unique in such a way. If anything, it was better off for him to be physically young and retain all of his life experience. This was all fun and games until he used this to his advantage, whatever that was.]

Perhaps this place fears what I would do if it was fully young. However, yes, only my physical age seems to be affected. I've been like this for... two days now.

[Of course, he noticed her interest, which was... unusual. So far, he had only experienced her being interested in investigating and discussing clues and facts about how to sort this place out. He wasn't certain he wished to be the object of her fascination.]

Aside from a lack of pain from age and life, no, nothing feels off to me. Have others reported feeling off while changed?

Not really. Though I guess it depends on your definition of 'off.'

[ Ange shrugs, seeming a little bit more casual again. Sure, Silco's case is just unique, but then again.. Maybe it's since he's one of the few people in this place who could actually be turned younger without turning into an actual baby. ]

It's just kind of interesting that you still realize who you are and what this place is. [ She does contemplate it for a moment - more casually, but still thinking about it - before landing on: ] Maybe it's since you're a little more determined than most people, you know? You give off the impression to me as someone who wouldn't want to give up control of his mind so easily.

[ It's a compliment!

.. It's said with Ange's usual tone, so that can be a little hard to figure out.. But she does definitely mean it as a compliment. Silco is headstrong in a way Ange can admire. ]

Then no, I haven't felt 'off' at all. Nothing forcing me to be or act how it wants. I am simply me but back when I was in my twenties.

[It was actually hard to determine his age. It wasn't as if there had been any reason to keep track of years passing; there was simply key points in his life. He still both of his eyes so it was before that life-altering confrontation that he barely escaped and then would spend the next years of his life plotting revenge.

He shrugged, gesturing with his head for them to walk. He didn't like lingering in the open and in one place too long while in public.]

No, I would not. However, this place has forced my hand with control once or twice, but it is not often it's true. You seem the same, actually. Control is something that we both seem to value.

[It was as close to a returned compliment as he was going to offer. She was almost as driven as he was when it came to her own personal goals, and while they may not align, he wouldn't stand in her way unless it compromised his own.]

Do you want me to teach you how to climb a building?

[ Ange won't protest his observation. It's completely on point, after all. Indeed - Ange values control, maybe exactly because she has only had so very, very little of it in her life, both here and back home. She doesn't even think it's anything embarrassing to point out. Valuing control is a good thing as far as she's concerned, so she's glad it's something the both of them share.

.. Then there's that question.

Ange blinks for a moment, clearly surprised and a little thrown off by the question, but.. well, he was jumping around wildly a moment ago. Maybe it's just a skill he wants to share?

With her? ]

You'd teach me? [ That's the most surprising thing. It may be a very small generosity, but to a girl who isn't used to receiving any generosity at all, it feels like a lot. ] Are you looking to get something in return?

[There was a saying about people that valued a lot of control and something-something about loss of control trauma of the past. He ignored that sort of nonsense and expected that they needed control because no one else could be trusted to actually organize themselves in a manner accepting of the cause that they were fighting for.

He tucked his hands into his pocket, turning his head to view Ange's reaction as he walked down the street to be away from the rolling carts and horses.]

Watching you fall a few times will be payment enough. And not everything with me is transactional, Ange... just ninety percent of things are.

Everything is transactional with all people.

[ Ange does move to follow him, but speaks up with that as she's doing it. Something about her voice sounds very convinced of those words. ]

It has nothing to do with you personally, really. [ Granted - the girl does very much have a mental impression of him as a businessman in her mind, which doesn't help. But it is true that she expects all matters to be transactional with everyone. No one has ever done something out of the good of their heart for her back home, after all.

.. some people here have, but she's still waiting for that other shoe to drop. ]

It's just the way the world works. Just because I'm young doesn't mean I don't know that already.

You've never heard or experienced altruism then?

[Silco wasn't about to dissuade her of the idea as he too believed that almost everything was transactional as well. It was the world that he had grown up in, where if you had nothing to give, you were basically worthless. Nothing was free except potentially to first hit to draw someone in.

He crossed the road casually to find buildings that were easier to find hand and foot holds on, better for teaching.]

No offense taken by the way. You've learned some hard lessons early, it seems. That will allow you to survive longer I expect.

[He stopped, turning to face her and folding his hands behind his head. It was an act he would never do as an adult but at this age, he leaned into the youthfulness for his own reasons.]

Besides, you're old enough to have been burned on more than one occasion.

[ It's true. Ange isn't really thinking about it too much, but it does strike her that this sort of thing would probably look ridiculous if Silco was doing it as his usual self - given his demeanor when he's at that age and all. It doesn't feel as unnatural with this younger Silco though, somehow.

She snaps out of that thought when he says that last part. The girl huffs, trying to sound dismissive, but it does sound like there's a little bit more than that. Like it bothers her more than she wants to let onto here. ]

I've been burned by practically everyone. [ It's not.. even really an exaggeration, given just how shitty her life back in her own world is.. ] So..

[ Her voice trails off for a moment.

When she continues, her voice is flat like she's making a deadpan joke - or like she doesn't want to let on whether this is a joke or something more serious - and she stares at the buildings, rather than at him. ]

If you're planning to betray me at some point, you have to be honest and let me know in advance, alright?

And yet you continue to try to help others and yourself. It seems that the sting of those betrayals have not soured you entirely to your fellow man.

[He dropped his arms down to his sides again when she trailed off, and he could almost guess what she might say based on how direct Ange usually was during their conversations together. As if to point out the flaw of their conversation, the golden butterfly made a pass overhead on its usual patrol to keep him safe.

He looked at one of the buildings nearby, reaching out to run a hand over the rough outer wall. Yet, he made a point to look back at her at her non-joke. He shrugged his shoulders and hopped up to test the roughness of the wall with a booted foot.]

Planning? No. I find you sensible company. If our goals do not align or are completely opposite to each other, I may consider it, but I'll be certain to be up front about it if you wish.

Thanks. I appreciate the heads up before the knife is shoved into my back. [ Ange replies - dryly, though she doesn't necessarily seem annoyed at what he's saying. He is just doing what she asked, after all. And even a heads up would be more than she usually gets.

Either way, it might be noticable that she doesn't reply to the first part of what he says, wanting to avoid any acknowledgement of what she's doing. Silco may be right, but it's not like Ange ever wants to be seen as an openly helpful person.

That sort of reputation runs far too many risks.

Instead she glances over at the wall. ]

So, how am I supposed to do this?

Considering you've apparently never experienced that, perhaps wait until it happens before deciding. I shall be certain to grow a moustache to twirl it while divulging all my evil plans and providing an update on my inevitable betrayal.

[Silco noticed her lack of answer, and he took it simply as an answer to the observation in the first place. Everyone wanted to have some manner of connection even if it would eventually burn them; that was little more than human nature. They were a social species regardless of what vile acts they could perpetuate.

However, he wasn't about to fight her about it. He wasn't invested in pulling answers out of her, especially in light that she didn't with him. She would tell him if she wanted to.

He looked at her but mostly down at her choice of footwear. Sandals or bare feet were not great for learning or even doing.]

You need speed and to maintain momentum through the friction of the material you're climbing Going up? You need grip. Going down? You need little to nothing to grip or at least limited enough that you can control.

[He walked away from her several paces then turned and ran back - yes, actually ran - jumping up to slam a foot on one building face and pushing off for upwards motion until his other foot hit the opposite building to repeat. He stopped after two bounces and dropped. He made it look easy.]

Not enough speed and momentum you won't make it. If the surface is particularly rough, you can scale with your hands too.

[ Thankfully Ange does seem to have a decent pair of shoes on! It helps that she wouldn't want to be caught dead wearing sandals or flipflops or any other similar footwear in her life.. It means she's automatically prepared for something like this. ]

Going down isn't the part I'm worried about. [ Ange talks - rather casually - as she's watching him doing all of this. It is impressive, mostly because it looks like he's not even putting any real effort into it. Like this really is that easy for him.

But being impressed is not always something that shows up on the outside with the girl, hence why she talks so casually, like he's doing something totally normal here. ]

I have a lot of experience with that. It's going up that's the hard part, especially since it's not like I'm particularly strong. I'm not sure I would be able to pull myself up using just my hands.

[ As to that last part about scaling the wall, that is. Though it seems like he's more than capable of doing this without even using his hands. ]

[Well, going down was usually not where people were worried, and yet, it was usually the more treacherous portion. After all, gravity didn't stop to consider flesh well, and people could fall in all manner of ways. Still, if she would prefer to work on up, that was the easier one to teach.

He gestured at the wall. It wasn't the type that would afford much in the way of hand holds aside from a few points where there were windows, and even then, they were mostly flat against the building.]

You won't know until you try. I suggest getting a good run at the wall.

[He turned and took two long strides before the wall and jumped to catch the ball of his foot on the wall, pushing off then falling back and repeated.] It's a good exercise to make certain you know what strength you need. Don't blow an ankle out though.

Don't worry. If I do, I'll just sue you over it.

[ .. It's said so flatly that it's hard to tell if she means that for real or if it's just a deadpan joke..

Not that there's much of a chance to respond anyway before the girl is already making an attempt. She takes a few quick steps backwards to ensure she has some run up before getting to the wall, then runs forward, and-- she does manage to get one step up against the wall, but then misses her chance for a second one. It doesn't look like there's anything specific wrong about it, more just like there's still some awkwardness in her movements with how new this is to her.

Still, she does manage to land on her feet, rather than her butt, and gives the wall an inquisitive glance. ]

.. it's harder than it looks. [ She admits. ] Not totally impossible though, I think.

...sue? I'm unfamiliar with this term.

[So lawyers weren't really a thing where he was from. He was guilty of any particular crime depending on the enforcer involved and there was no trial including lawyers. Time in Stillwater was dedicated with a judge if one was lucky, but otherwise, people were dragged off all the time to never be seen again. Zaun had a far more straight forward legal system of punishment and torture. Monetary bribes, pay-offs and compensation were common but it was more who had more muscle or popularity to make it happen.

He watched her move with a keen eye of someone who had overseen children learning these skills in the past. He nodded his head at her attempt, and it was clear that it was her first time trying. Confidence and a lack of fear helped to progress of course, and both of those came with time and practice.]

No, it is not. Timing is key. If you linger too long, you lose momentum. If you go too fast, you will lose traction. It's a balance.

[ Ange huffs. ]

Did I mention I really dislike sports? [ .. but despite saying that, she's eyeing the wall like she's ready for another try. It's a careful, calculating gaze, like Ange feels like she can probably imagine the timing she needs better than actually practicing with it to experience it.

Which seems to be true. Her next attempt is certainly more successful. Not quite as graceful as he was about it, but she's getting there.

Though the girl doesn't remark anything about her attempt when she lands back on the ground, instead turning towards the younger Silco to ask: ]

Did the world you come from really not have a justice system that involved a court of law?

So didn I. However for us, survival can depend on how a youth is at the skill.

[Sports did seem like a complete waste of time, which might say a lot of his childhood. It wasn't important to discuss, and he had no interest in going that far back in the past for almost everyone.

He watched her, and it was a better attempt. With enough practice, he had no doubt she could be functional at the skill.]

Perhaps for our sister city. However the only justice in Zaun is that one is beat up, interrogated, dragged away to jail or killed. We are all assumed guilty by the enforcers charged with maintaining order. They don't even need to have the correct person, as long as someone pays their pound of flesh.

Sheesh.

[ That's her initial reaction. Maybe not too much, but she is still focusing on the wall and all that.. ]

I guess I can't say it's always that much better in my world, but at least there they pretend to be polite about it, even if it's just as dirty behind the scenes. [ Ange could know, considering how entrenched she was in the world of the rich. Not even enough to see all the dirty business dealings and all that, but-- she's glimpsed a thing here or there. ]

It seems like they didn't even care about keeping up that pretense much in your world.

Well, second and third class citizens deserve the full weight of cruelty to bring them in line. We are all just criminals and animals to them.

[There was rarely a polite interaction when he was this age, less so when he became older. Of course, he kept the enforcers on a tight leash to a degree when he had Marcus in his back pocket. Oh, those were the days.

He took a run at the wall and ascended far enough to grasp onto a ventilation pipe, about half way up. He pulled himself up to precariously perch on the pipe which so far held his weight.]

Hence why we fight.

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August Catch-All - Glitching Event

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