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 Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2023 8:55 pm
Niter squinted at Grieve, mainly to assess what the path of least resistance would be. It was pretty easy to say that he was being held hostage and didn't have any option but to tell Grieve what she wanted to know. Honestly, he didn't think that would even be a lie, or stretching the truth, since she looked scary and legitimately said that she used the planet for body dumping.
And, like, getting murdered had its perks for never having to talk to another person again, but? Actually getting murdered sounded like it sucked. It was probably better to fess up.
Niter scratched an itch between his braids. "Well, the lowest rank is Lieutenant. They usually have some kind of toy for a weapon? Like something that obviously shouldn't be used as a weapon. But they can drain energy by touching someone, and they can pull a person's starseed — anybody in the Negaverse can. Then Captains are above them, and they have actual weapons? Nothing like super lethal, though, that I've seen? And they can drain energy without touching people. Generals are above them, and they usually have a crazy-looking weapon that does lots of damage. I've seen them summon groups of youma? But like, I dunno if they drain any differently than Captains. Then there's General-Sovereigns, but I've never really seen any of them in action. They're usually only out if something big is happening, and then I'm usually like. Too busy trying not to die to pay attention to what they're doing.
"I dunno when they start making friends with youma, but some of them have like youma sidekicks? And youma listen to them, not us. Sometimes they're part youma, too, like there's this dragon lady and a dude who's on fire. But it's so rare that I feel like there's no really a trend to tell you about."
Niter folded his arms over himself as he tried to think of weapon types. "There's not really a trend? You don't really see the same weapon twice, but if I had to pick one? I think I've seen more polearms."
That was a lot of talking. Niter was tired. But Niter was suddenly not tired when Grieve offered to kill people for him.
"Um, what would the cost be? Just, um, hypothetically speaking."
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Posted: Sun Nov 19, 2023 9:21 pm
Her eyes had an almost reptilian cast as Grieve listened to the information, digesting it like another sort of meal offered before her. The starseed thing was probably the greatest concern for these targets. Disabling their hands with magic, with physical force as a less temporary follow-up, was likely to be the go-to strategy. At least if the intention wasn't to kill. It'd probably be best to just kill. But this Negaverse was a large organization, a large local one. Even at Eternal she'd have to be careful not to be notably lethal to its people. Even the foreign dragon may be defeated by the local snake and all that. In the end, it would have to be a matter of mutual survival unless she could ensure no witnesses, including consideration for whatever surveillance tech Earth held. Which wasn't her wheelhouse at ******** all. She'd have to find someone who was good at that sort of skulking. Maybe the Fat Mau would know a few. Grieve shurgged at the question, "Not all lives are worth the same. Depends on how much trouble they're like to bring me. Some are worth a chest of the finest ******** jewels and your firstborn child, others?" She spat on the ground once more, "A nice dinner."
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 5:51 am
"Oh." That was disappointing — it sounded like the price would be charged after the deed was done, which meant Niter had better accumulate a chest of jewels and kids first before he tried asking for any assistance with disposing of someone. And that was sort of exhausting in and of itself; should he choose easy targets, then? Lieutenants who picked on him and Basics who were extra annoying? Or was it better to just not ask at all?
And what happened if he couldn't pay the cost? Was it negotiable? Could he barter?
Niter didn't know that, either.
Feeling like his excitement was shriveling, Niter went back to staring at the ground where Grieve spat. Then he thought that, maybe, he should cover his bases before they continued. "So, um, are you holding me hostage here? Just in case my superiors ask me about anything I may or may not have, um, said." His mouth pressed into a line.
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Posted: Mon Nov 20, 2023 6:51 pm
"Consider it a standing offer." For a long moment, Grieve stared at the mannikin, before bursting out in another terrible laugh. Her hand reach out once more, the back of her fingers lightly brushing his cheek before he could scuttle away like a startled crab. "You've got a ******** up little life, don't you? Not judging, I've had a ******** up big life, myself. Yeah, you're a ******** hostage, sweet, but I just can't go through with it, cause I'm such a soft hearted do-gooder sort." She eyes him up an down, and asked, "You want me to leave a few bruises on you?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2023 6:22 am
Niter blanched from the touch, perfectly content to lean away from it. He did not exactly enjoy these trips up to space, he decided, especially after this one. It was actually pretty dangerous, where previously he thought he was rather safe. He thought he wouldn't be getting smacked around, but…
Niter breathed a never-ending sigh. "That sounds terrible." Then, after a moment of deliberation, "Probably."
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Posted: Tue Nov 21, 2023 7:57 pm
She gave him a hard slap on the back, which would be a good start on the matter. "Atta boy. Don't worry, I'm good at making things look worse than they actually are." And she was, though the injuries on his fists would be much more painful than those on his forearms. Grieve insisted it look like he put up a good fight. She had a reputation, after all. In the end, Niter would find himself back alone on Earth. Still at the bus stop, still with his sign, and now missing his potted plant. But he did gain, beyond some bruising and emotional distress, an intricately carved horn of some creature not of Earth, light green in hue and nearly transparent. "Tell them you convinced me to a truce." Again, that ugly laugh. "Try not to die too miserably, you're sweet for something so chaos eaten."
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