Penance IC Inbox

[deaddrop]

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[deaddrop]

What? You're not even going to tell me how you mean?

[hypoxic]

[The corner of his mouth turns up slightly.]

When I was injured at home, she would always keep tabs on me. Make sure I didn't get lost. I tried to do the same when she was on the mend.

[That doesn't exactly answer Natasha's question, but it's the answer he wants to give instead.]

I think it's important for people to stay together when they're pushed past their limits. We keep each other human.

[deaddrop]

[Far be it from Natasha to judge someone for wanting to control the narrative a bit.]

Is that something that happened often where you were before? People being pushed past their limits?

[hypoxic]

It could be, at times. But a bigger problem there was complacency. People would accept things. Stop trying.

[ he shrugs under his umbrella. ]

You built up a lot to keep people from settling.

[deaddrop]

Settling? You mean people getting too comfortable. Something along those lines?

[hypoxic]

Stockholm Syndrome doesn't take long to set in. You don't already see it happening here?

[deaddrop]

Not what I'd describe as Stockholm Syndrome.

[Which isn't the same as saying no, exactly. She's seen what she'd describe as resignation, acceptance. She's seen people who think they belong here.

She might even have been one of them if it weren't for a few details that keep her questioning. That and a suspicious nature.]

I've seen people who seem like they're prepared to settle in for the long haul, though.

[hypoxic]

Functionally, a lateral move. Pain makes people compliant. It's better for the forces at work here if we lose hope.

[deaddrop]

Fairly on brand if you believe we're in hell.

[hypoxic]

Still a rubbish belief to have.

[ So he hopes she doesn't. ]

[deaddrop]

[Jury is still out.]

Because you think we should be trying to get out.

[hypoxic]

This isn't the sort of place we should have to stay. And I've had my fill of bouncing around prisons, to be perfectly honest.

[deaddrop]

Maybe it shouldn't be. But it's where we are. It's not so unreasonable to imagine that getting out isn't going to be realistic in the short term.

[hypoxic]

We come from a world that is regularly under threat of destruction by aliens. We've been visited by the Norse god of thunder. Accomplishing unrealistic things is what we do.

[deaddrop]

What we do isn't unlimited, though.

Look, I'm not saying I'm not looking for a way out of here too. I'm just keeping things in perspective.

[hypoxic]

If it takes some time to accomplish what we need, then so be it. Pocket dimensions offer a luxury in that respect.

[deaddrop]

But the longer we're here, the more likely we are to start accepting it.

[hypoxic]

I can be stubborn if you can.

[deaddrop]

The problem isn't that I'm not stubborn, Agent Fitz.

[hypoxic]

It's that you genuinely believe yourself dead.

[deaddrop]

I know that I am. That was the price of victory.

I can't risk losing that.

[hypoxic]

Might not be a risk. You might've stumbled into a loophole instead.

[deaddrop]

I'm not looking for a loophole. That doesn't mean I don't want to get you and everyone else who shouldn't be here out.

Just means I'm not someone who gets to go home.

[hypoxic]

You mean you've given up.

[deaddrop]

If I meant I'd given up I would have said that I gave up.