Hold You Back

[kyley_b]

WHO: Kyle & Kaz
WHERE: The Bloodsport
WHAT: The boys catch up a little.
WHEN: Post Billy's Hero City
WARNINGS: Terrible language, most likely some references to violence and sex.



The Bloodsport is not exactly welcoming, but it's come to be something of a comfort to Kyle. Most importantly at the moment, people prefer to be elsewhere in Temba rather than stowed away on a ship with communal bunk rooms. Kyle figures he'll be alone on the Bloodpsort, so he can sit and be properly miserable in private.

Because he is miserable. Kyle had gone from struggling to make something resembling a life for himself on Agra 10, trying to be useful to people and to make connections that meant something, to having a life that seemed effortless in comparison. In Billy's fake city he'd been really happy on pretty much every level there was. And now here he was, back in a city where he wasn't contributing much and where it was as difficult to get close to anybody as it had been on Earth.

So hiding out in the Bloodsport and feeling sorry for himself seemed like a GREAT plan.

Kyle wasn't counting on running into Kaz - almost literally, because he really wasn't looking where he was going as he walked into the galley kitchen to get some tea.

"Holy shit, dude, you scared the hell out of me!"

Comments

[demjiin]

"Evreything that makes up who you are starts with the memories you have. It's like the idea of thinking you're successful regardless of whether or not you really are. You'd never know if something was wrong.

Anyone that knew enough about what you used to be and what you were like now could come along and control you."

And that idea was horrifying to Kaz.

[kyley_b]

Kyle considers this, nodding slowly. "Okay," he says. "I can see that, yeah, it making you easier to manipulate. I guess we lucked out, since Billy didn't really seem interested in that."

[demjiin]

"Yeah. Billy wasn't this time. It doesn't seem like the Agrii's - and by extension the Atroma's - usual MO but if they take any tips from this that could change. So I say start leaving reminders around. Little notes and stuff. Nothing that interesting on them, things like where you really grew up and that you were brought here against your will. Maybe little pebble-sized things in your pocket as reminders."

Kaz had a constant reminder with him at all times since this was far from an ordinary cane and he had to use it for his limp.

[kyley_b]

Kyle listens to Kaz with wide eyes. The very idea of planting memories for himself just in case his mind was messed with is frankly terrifying.

"Okay," he says. "You really think this might happen again, huh?"

[demjiin]

Kaz just looked at Kyle flatly.

"Paranoia, remember? Always have a contingency plan."

That was why Kaz was still alive after all.

[kyley_b]

Kyle absorbs this in silence for a few moments - but only a few, he's a talker this one - and then nods. "That is definitely paranoid," he agrees. "But I mean, you're right, obviously. If the Atroma - or the Agrii, who knows if they who they say they are - are trying to fuck with us for whatever reason, affecting the mind is the best way, really."

It's surprisingly easy to understand Kaz's mistrust of the world. "But. Okay, like... why though. Why make Billy warp reality? That seems dangerous to THEM as well."

[demjiin]

Kaz gave a small shrug.

"This time it was about Billy trying to give everyone a 'perfect' life, and since it was Billy doing it then it was bad for them. But what happens when it's someone else that isn't giving out a 'perfect' life? That could be the Atroma or maybe someone else that's already in Temba. Regardless of who is doing it just the fact it's being done at all is enough to take precautions against."

[kyley_b]

"You think there's other people here?"

He himself can't imagine it - the city is so decrepit, they'd be bound to run into someone trying to access their resources. Wouldn't they?

[demjiin]

"In the city now? I doubt it. But then again I don't know what everyone in the city is capable of. But since we've been shown there are whole other planets out there, then there's no way to tell who might show up and what they might be able to do. And we're still trying to figure out what the Atroma are planning to do, so there's another problem."

Kaz came by his distrust of the whole world honestly but that sense of paranoia had served him well. Why he was taking the time to explain any of this to Kyle was something outside of paranoia. Maybe even a fondness for the lanky redhead since Kaz would certainly never have 'friends'.

[kyley_b]

Kyle sighs. "You know... I spent the last four years of my life without shit like this. Aliens and mysteries and people possibly trying to murder me. I can't say I missed it."

His tea is nearly gone. "I guess you just can't escape weirdness. Not forever."