[He's gone through the network a lot further back than that, he'd seen Bill's reaction to both the twins. The Ford he'd seen had been unnerving, he knows a lot about the danger of people with...convictions. He also knows a lot about the line between what you believe and the truth.]
I don't, uh, usually tell people much. But thanks.
I'm not sure if not telling you what you want to hear counts as unhelpful.
[He's never anything much other than 'quiet' but Bill is so...not human that there are some things Nico has an easier time saying to him than he would most people.]
Things here - they can go either way. About getting bigger than the two of you, I mean. But I won't say anything.
IT'S NOT HELPING MY ARGUMENT! BESIDES, THAT WAS JUST ONE TIME. I CAN HANDLE HIM!
[No reaction from the ring. Apparently, true.]
YEAH, I KNOW. JUST DOING AS MUCH AS I CAN BEFORE HE FINDS OUT I'M HERE. AN OUNCE OF PREPARATION IS WORTH A POUND OF VENOMOUS SNAKES HIDDEN IN YOUR ENEMIES' BEDS!
[True???? The ring has no idea what to do with this statement.]
[There's a difference between helping an argument and helping, but Nico quietly decides not to point out the obvious.]
Especially when they can come back to life.
[If you're going to stick venomous snakes in someone's bed, you should at least get some use out of it. He does feel a need to share another point, even if it's obvious.]
It probably won't take him that long. You're, uh, someone's who's mentioned. And the stuff last time wasn't...quiet.
[Ford Pines had not hidden his feelings and there are plenty of people still on the barge from that. Quite a few of whom aren't Bill's biggest fans.]
[The quiet guy in the corner always sees everything.]
WELL, TAG ME IN IF I CAN MESS WITH HIM, COACH. LAST TIME HE WAS HERE HE TRIED TO STICK HIS LITTLE FINGERS IN WHAT I USE FOR A BRAIN - THINK HE BIT OFF MORE THAN HE COULD CHEW!
Knowing things doesn't always help but at least it's not a surprise.
[The universe being terrible is never a surprise but knowing what form it's probably going to arrive in is the closest he can usually get to 'control'. Besides, it offers a chance to be useful.]
If he remembers, he probably wouldn't be, uh, stupid enough to try that again. I don't think there's much you could get out of it.
[He doesn't discount that Bill likes...amusing himself but he doesn't think Clancy really has anything useful to offer Bill, which is enough to make him say something.]
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timeasmymeasure
video
Date: 2018-02-05 05:39 am (UTC)[Bill looks more serious than he's been in a long time, and waves his Alan-made ring for the camera.]
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Date: 2018-02-05 05:44 am (UTC)[He
mayhad been hiding under a bed at the time but he keeps up with the network.]video (forgot to put a date. 02/05/18)
Date: 2018-02-05 05:53 am (UTC)HE KNOWS THAT WE'RE ANY KINDA FRIENDS, I DON'T LIKE YOUR CHANCES. DON'T TELL HIM, HUH? EASY.
[The ring indicates that Bill at least thinks this is true. He thinks, and then pops out of his uncharacteristically-serious tone.]
ALSO, HE MIGHT HAVE A LITTLE PISTOL THAT CAUSES EARLY-ONSET DEMENTIA. IF YOU CARE ABOUT THAT KINDA THING!
video (forgot to put a date. 02/05/18)
Date: 2018-02-05 06:00 am (UTC)[He's gone through the network a lot further back than that, he'd seen Bill's reaction to both the twins. The Ford he'd seen had been unnerving, he knows a lot about the danger of people with...convictions. He also knows a lot about the line between what you believe and the truth.]
I don't, uh, usually tell people much. But thanks.
Are you going to be okay?
video
Date: 2018-02-05 06:33 am (UTC)I JUST DON'T WANT IT TO GET ANY MORE COMPLICATED THAN THE TWO OF US!
[True.]
HE'S NEVER BEEN ABLE TO BEAT ME.
[False. Bill looks cross, and snaps at the ring.]
HEY, IF YOU'RE NOT GONNA BE HELPFUL YOU CAN MIND YOUR OWN BUSINESS!
video
Date: 2018-02-05 06:41 am (UTC)[He's never anything much other than 'quiet' but Bill is so...not human that there are some things Nico has an easier time saying to him than he would most people.]
Things here - they can go either way. About getting bigger than the two of you, I mean. But I won't say anything.
video
Date: 2018-02-05 06:46 am (UTC)[No reaction from the ring. Apparently, true.]
YEAH, I KNOW. JUST DOING AS MUCH AS I CAN BEFORE HE FINDS OUT I'M HERE. AN OUNCE OF PREPARATION IS WORTH A POUND OF VENOMOUS SNAKES HIDDEN IN YOUR ENEMIES' BEDS!
[True???? The ring has no idea what to do with this statement.]
video
Date: 2018-02-05 06:53 am (UTC)Especially when they can come back to life.
[If you're going to stick venomous snakes in someone's bed, you should at least get some use out of it. He does feel a need to share another point, even if it's obvious.]
It probably won't take him that long. You're, uh, someone's who's mentioned. And the stuff last time wasn't...quiet.
[Ford Pines had not hidden his feelings and there are plenty of people still on the barge from that. Quite a few of whom aren't Bill's biggest fans.]
video
Date: 2018-02-05 07:04 am (UTC)[No flash from the ring.]
I JUST DON'T NEED HIM DECIDING HOSTAGES ARE FUNNY. ESPECIALLY WHEN YOU'RE WORKING ON SOMETHING FOR ME!
video
Date: 2018-02-05 07:12 am (UTC)Thanks, I don't like being used as a hostage. It might not be better to remember but it's all I have.
[The barge has taught him he'd rather hold onto his memories bad and - well, mostly bad, really.
Since he doesn't doubt Bill's network stalking -]
There's someone here from my home too, now.
video
Date: 2018-02-05 09:04 pm (UTC)video
Date: 2018-02-05 09:07 pm (UTC)video
Date: 2018-02-05 09:35 pm (UTC)[you barely need the ring for this but: true]
I'LL GIVE HIM SPACE!
[False.]
OKAY, NO, I'M GOING TO SPY ON HIM. BUT I WON'T LET HIM KNOW!
video
Date: 2018-02-05 09:42 pm (UTC)He just nods.]
Watching is different.
[Well, not always but stalking is a perfectly valid form of non-interaction.]
video
Date: 2018-02-05 09:51 pm (UTC)[The quiet guy in the corner always sees everything.]
WELL, TAG ME IN IF I CAN MESS WITH HIM, COACH. LAST TIME HE WAS HERE HE TRIED TO STICK HIS LITTLE FINGERS IN WHAT I USE FOR A BRAIN - THINK HE BIT OFF MORE THAN HE COULD CHEW!
video
Date: 2018-02-05 09:56 pm (UTC)[The universe being terrible is never a surprise but knowing what form it's probably going to arrive in is the closest he can usually get to 'control'. Besides, it offers a chance to be useful.]
If he remembers, he probably wouldn't be, uh, stupid enough to try that again. I don't think there's much you could get out of it.
[He doesn't discount that Bill likes...amusing himself but he doesn't think Clancy really has anything useful to offer Bill, which is enough to make him say something.]
video
Date: 2018-02-06 12:16 am (UTC)...ASKING FOR FAVORS MAKES ME ITCH. I PREFER MAKING TRADES!
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Date: 2018-02-06 12:20 am (UTC)[Yes, probably because it ultimately makes him more useful but that doesn't stop it from being a trade.]
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Date: 2018-02-06 12:23 am (UTC)[True??]
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Date: 2018-02-06 12:25 am (UTC)I used to look up information for people all the time.
[Which he doesn't like as much as theoretical physics but he doesn't dislike like it.]
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Date: 2018-02-06 12:32 am (UTC)OKAY, OKAY, I'LL BUTT OUT, DOOOON'T WORRY ABOUT IT, KID.
video
Date: 2018-02-06 12:33 am (UTC)Uh. Good luck.
video
Date: 2018-02-06 12:35 am (UTC)[The ring seems to think his promise to stay out was true, at least.]