Brand Saint John (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
runes_brand) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
goneawayworld2020-12-27 07:13 pm
runes_brand) wrote in goneawayworld2020-12-27 07:13 pm
Entry tags:
[closed] Dispose of your trash safely
Who: Brand, Kokichi
What: Brand and Kokichi have their second encounter, then form an alliance
Where: the hallways, a more secure location
When: a few days after Brand's arrival
Warnings/Notes: Swearing, a grown man stuffing a teenager into a trash can
Brand has held his tongue and made an effort to not stomp on any more toes after his introduction to "the team" (ugh), but it's going to be awhile before the aftershocks of that first impression fade. The fact that he's very good at what he does will eventually work in his favor, but he hasn't been here long enough to prove that yet.
But while he waits to become tolerable in the eyes of the people he's being forced to work with (and, to be fair, are being forced to work with him), he's got a job to do. A calling to attend. A fucking purpose that he couldn't ignore even if he wanted to. And that means he needs to talk to a particular little shit who doesn't seem to have gotten an answer about a hole he's pointed at.
And he spots that little shit conveniently near a trashcan. It's almost poetry.
"Kokichi, right?"
What: Brand and Kokichi have their second encounter, then form an alliance
Where: the hallways, a more secure location
When: a few days after Brand's arrival
Warnings/Notes: Swearing, a grown man stuffing a teenager into a trash can
Brand has held his tongue and made an effort to not stomp on any more toes after his introduction to "the team" (ugh), but it's going to be awhile before the aftershocks of that first impression fade. The fact that he's very good at what he does will eventually work in his favor, but he hasn't been here long enough to prove that yet.
But while he waits to become tolerable in the eyes of the people he's being forced to work with (and, to be fair, are being forced to work with him), he's got a job to do. A calling to attend. A fucking purpose that he couldn't ignore even if he wanted to. And that means he needs to talk to a particular little shit who doesn't seem to have gotten an answer about a hole he's pointed at.
And he spots that little shit conveniently near a trashcan. It's almost poetry.
"Kokichi, right?"
no subject
But Kokichi plasters on a smile anyway, turning to the man with a vapidly curious look, as if he doesn't immediately recognize the foul-mouthed new guy from the network.
"Hm? Oh, did you want an autograph? Sorry, but I don't give those out to just aaanyone."
no subject
His face doesn't say 'funny', but he's not looking pissed off either. Or at least as not pissed off as he ever looks; Companions don't tend to develop facial expressions that make them look approachable. Brand is, as always, scanning the area as the two of them speak.
"I overheard you saying something the other day about teamwork and how to know if people are trustworthy," he says casually. "It sounded interesting, I was hoping we could talk more about it."
He makes eye contact with Kokichi, then rolls his eyes significantly toward the nearest camera. Sure, the cameras apparently don't work. It's his job to not trust them anyway.
no subject
"Now that's funny," he says with the same bland smile. "Aren't you the guy who came on the network and immediately started cursing everyone out? You almost made a worst first impression than I did!"
Yeah, he doesn't sound at all apologetic or ashamed about that.
"But now you wanna ask about teamwork, huh? And I'm the first person you came to about that?"
He won't say it outright, but the pieces are laid out pretty clearly: that sounds like some bullshit right there.
no subject
"Who am I supposed to talk to about teamwork?" he asks, raising an eyebrow. "Most people here welcome new arrivals with open arms. I grew up so suspicious that I used to take out my own teammates in dodge ball so they couldn't stab me in the back."
And then he stood in front of Rune to protect him, but that's not the point he's trying to make right now. The point is that he and Kokichi are both suspicious bastards and the secret network is only as trustworthy as the least trustworthy 'New Hire'.
no subject
"What, no one likes you so you decides your best bet was the only person people hate even more than you? I guess that makes sense."
Kokichi very much did sneak a peek at that second much more socially-competent post – courtesy of a "borrowed" comm he made use of while the owner was sleeping – but it'd make his life harder if he gave that away. Besides, he's kind of curious where Brand is going with this.
"Well, you're in luck. You're new, so I guess you might have missed it, but I am the Ultimate Supreme Leader. I'm great at getting people to work together!" Big talk for a scrawny kid in trash can range, but he carries right on. "My expertise doesn't come cheap, but I suppose I can do a free consultation. Pretty generous, right?"
no subject
Judging by Kokichi's own post and his current behavior, he's great at getting people to work together to kick his ass.
"Lucky me," Brand says, dry as the Sahara. He rolls his eyes toward the camera again. "You know of a more...comfortable place to have that conversation than the middle of the hallway?"
no subject
For the moment, he's making quick judgements. This guy gets a few points for having the sense to take him seriously despite the smokescreen of bullshit, but also losing a few for expecting him to answer that question in front of the camera in a way that won't negate the whole point. But hey, he's up for a challenge.
"Ohh, you wanna get me alone somewhere comfortable, huh? More private? What a creepy old man." His eyebrows arch pointedly, as if nudging Brand to catch the meaning behind those stressed words. "Maybe somewhere loud would be good? Y'know, so I don't actually have to hear you talk. Old perv voices give me a headache."
Hint hint. Nudge nudge.
no subject
"Okay," he says, and darts in to flip Kokichi into the trashcan.
no subject
But hey, whatever works.
For a moment, as the man lunges towards him, he has a genuine reaction. The instinctual attempt as a dodge, a shout as the world spins while he's manhandled and roughly shoved into the cramped space. It takes a moment longer than he'd like to straighten his head out and stop seeing the threat in everything.
He doesn't know if this is a guy that would hesitate to beat up a kid. It could just be retribution for antagonization from an adult with just enough morals to not hit minors. But the conversation just beforehand makes Kokichi think there's more to it. He thinks he sees the plan in progress here.
It'd be strange if someone caught sight of that on the cameras and he went quietly, though, so he makes a show of discontent for a minute or two. Indignant shouting, banging, shaking the can around, etcetera. It's obnoxious and childishly whiny, but he notably makes only wimpy attempts to "escape". Just enough to fool anyone watching.
no subject
Pretty bad at dodging for such a mouthy kid. Brand slaps the lid on the garbage can to keep him "contained", though he notes with some satisfaction that Kokichi isn't making any real effort to escape. At least they're communicating that much.
He picks up the trashcan and its cargo easily and all but whistles as he carts it off down the hallway, walking at a brisk enough pace to deter questions from anyone he might encounter on the way. It's not the smoothest trip for the kid, but he doubts the kid expected that.
The maintenance closet Brand had been thinking of is fortunately unoccupied when they arrive. Brand still checks it out before dropping the trashcan on the floor and opening it up.
"All right, let's talk."
no subject
Kokichi listen carefully as they move, paying attention for any signs of other people and the level of background noise to act as a cover. It's probably as good as it's gonna get, and he thinks he knows where they ultimately ended up even before the can gets opened back up just based on his sense of where Brand went compared to his mental map of the Rig.
Still. He can't entirely just let Brand get away with tossing him around like this, so he responds in a perfectly healthy and mature way. There's no response, and when the lid comes off, the trash can appears...somehow empty. Empty of anything but regular trash, at least.
no subject
The kid didn't teleport out, because the trashcan had maintained its weight while Brand was carrying it. Therefore, the kid is still in there.
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"Jeez, you're no fun." He pouts as he climbs out of the trash can, brushing a food wrapper off his sleeve to the ground. At least he doesn't wear his all-white uniform from the Ultimate Academy here. That'd definitely have come out way worse in the garbage.
"And so rough!" he carries on complaining, "Aren't adults supposed to be gentle with kids??"
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Then, because he knows complainers (Rune), he speeds ahead to the carrot that might move the conversation along more quickly: "Depending on how this goes, I've got ideas for pulling that trick off in the future. Fuck around and I'll fucking keep them to myself."
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"Ehh?" He frowns as he tries to shake that pins and needles feeling out of his arm. "But fucking around is my whole brand! It's like you wanna strip me of my whole identity!"
Kokichi leans back against the wall to maximize the space between them, looking Brand up and down. The frown fades along with his overdramatic whining, and he gives the man a cool look.
"Besides, you've clearly already got ideas for how this goes, so I think it's your job to start us off here."
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"You made some good points in your first post on the 'secret network', Brand says. He doesn't make the quotation gesture, but the marks are there in his tone. "You got any practical thoughts on that, or were you just pointing out the problem?"