31. » voice

[tolaywaste]

Hello. My name is Alex.

[And I am not afraid of you. Not said, but implicit in his voice if you know him, if you know what to look for. Not many people do.]

[He doesn't give his designation, 605. Other days he has. The fact that he doesn't provide this information is also an indication as to his mood - if you know to look for it.]

I'll be teaching close-combat fighting techniques this evening on deck, starting at 5 PM. This is in case any of you don't know how to fight something better than human. [Not arrogance: simple face. He isn't proud, he's just being accurate.]

[He hesitates, then, for an infinitesimal moment, before continuing, his tone unchanged, starched, pressed, unafraid, and something else:]

Those of you who are new, or out of practice, or have been recently injured are especially welcome. It's important to stay sharp.

[A warning. Half a threat.]

It's a responsibility to be prepared.

[Because if there's one weak link among them, they'll all come crashing down at the next calamity. Alex doesn't think he could withstand one more disaster.]

[But of course he could. That's what he was made for.]


( ooc; alex is a transgenic from dark angel, and he can do all this stuff. comments will be coming from toomuchwithus. more info here. also open to spam anywhere & everywhere on the barge! )

Comments

[myresponsibility]

What if we're just bored? [Says Peter, who is currently hanging upside down from what looks like the gym's ceiling wearing his Batsuit, cowl up and everything. The secret has been out for a while, so hanging out in public like this isn't a big deal. Even if Bruce would probably rip out his kidneys and then beat him to death if he ever showed up here and found that out, but.]

[toomuchwithus]

[His voice doesn't tighten. He sounds as even as when he first broadcasted - more so, maybe. But he is annoyed, somewhere under all that.]

Then the lessons could function as entertainment.

[myresponsibility]

Then I guess I'll see you there.

[toomuchwithus]

I . . . guess you will.

[He barely catches the figure of speech quickly enough to return it and doesn't possess the good humor to volley it back. Instead, he just hangs up. He will, however, be on deck precisely when he said he'd be.]

[spoilsplans]

Now there's an idea. I'm totally in.

[toomuchwithus]

[The enthusiasm pleases him. It's a little much to hope for competence, but - he hopes for a little too much sometimes, just to spite the universe.]

[There is five-eighths of a smile in his voice.]

Are you going to provide a challenge, ma'am?

[spoilsplans]

[ Hah, you wish. ]

Not likely. I've taken some self-defense classes but I've never actually fought before.

[toomuchwithus]

[A little more serious.]

Then you're looking for more improvement.

This will be harder than self-defense classes.

[spoilsplans]

I could use something harder than self-defense class. They don't exactly cover being hunted.

[druidism]

What, no number today? How will we tell you apart from all the other Alexes?

[toomuchwithus]

Process of elimination, ma'am.

[Shut the fuck up, Morgana.]

[druidism]

[boy don't hate]

I'm going to call you Alex-1 from now on.

And you could call me Morgana.

[toomuchwithus]

That would be inappropriate, ma'am. Almost as inappropriate as Alex-1 would be.

[druidism]

I'm a fan of the inappropriate, Alex-1.

[toomuchwithus]

Duly noted, ma'am.

[Now he's just doing it to be obnoxious.]

[druidism]

[two can play this game!!]

I think you're just toying with me now, Alex-1.

[toomuchwithus]

'Toying' with you?

[Such puzzlement. Very genuine.]

[druidism]

[He's so cute when he's genuine.]

Being annoying. Messing with me. Doing it on purpose.

Come on. Say my name, just once.

[toomuchwithus]

[His lip twitches, before he schools his expression into utter blankness.]

Morgana.

[druidism]

There now. That wasn't too hard, was it?

[warisart]

And, of course, it is your responsibility to make certain we are.

[toomuchwithus]

You could define that as one of my responsibilities. Yes. Sir.

[warisart]

Just Ben.

What if we're not? That on you too?

[toomuchwithus]

It might be, sir, depending on the situation.

[But it probably isn't. He mostly just wants to understand your angle.]

[warisart]

Ben.

For the sake of argument: what about the situation makes it go one way or the other?

[toomuchwithus]

If I have offered my help and it's been rejected, and the person who is unprepared comes to harm. I can't force someone to help themselves.

[Can. Won't. Unless they're part of his unit; but Anya has always been more prepared than he ever is.]

[warisart]

So what you're actually saying is that if anyone that's here right now doesn't respond to this, you've done your part.

[toomuchwithus]

Yes. Unless they endanger me [or Anya] directly, I have nothing more to offer.

Sir. You disagree?

[warisart]

Ben.

Not necessarily. I mean, you're gonna do what you're gonna do regardless.

[toomuchwithus]

I do what I'm told or, without orders, what seems to be necessary in a given situation.

[warisart]

What seems to be necessary for what?

[toomuchwithus]

[The very briefest hesitation.]

Survival.

[warisart]

Your own, naturally.

[toomuchwithus]

Sir?

[Yes.]

[warisart]

How long can you last on your own?

[toomuchwithus]

I am not alone.

[warisart]

Not right now. What about when everyone else fails to listen, and you just do what you need to do to survive?

[toomuchwithus]

Then I'll last as long as I last.

[warisart]

But what if you had another option?

[toomuchwithus]

The question is irrelevant.

[warisart]

How? How is a hypothetical irrelevant?