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[While Billie is out on her mission and gathering intel, Daud is left alone on the Dreadful Wale to ponder all manner of things. Not every thought he has can be pleasant after such a long life. If he's bored, he can gaze oh-so-lovingly at the painting of the Outsider he brought back to the ship with him. Anton's work was always exceptional. Especially given that Anton never got to see the Outsider himself, despite dedicating so many years to pursuing the god.
The Wale creaks and shifts with the tide as it laps at the docks. The sound of the creaking vessel hides the footsteps of another who's arrived on board. Corvo doesn't need the mark to be silent. The next time Daud looks up, the masked man in a black coat is standing at the doorway to the living area as though he stepped right out of the past.]
He's seeing things. His first thought is he's seeing things, and he shouldn't be surprised. He's so tired. So achingly tired and out-of-place, feels as if he's falling into pieces of himself, as if every part of him grinds up against the next, as if his very blood's losing its course.
Of course it is. His time's running out; he knows that.
And he knows the ways he's been haunted recently. The way old memories whisper closer, the present overlaid with ghosts with voices with so much of the past it's sometimes hard to think. Sometimes hard to remember to breathe until he remembers his mission, reminds himself of what he needs to do, what should have been done years ago.
Still, there's something different about this specter. Something more solid-looking than the others, something more present (he can feel himself tensing as if someone were actually here, but that isn't true, is it?), and that can't bode well.
He'd been engaged in reviewing the map, trying to bring together the pieces of his knowledge, and now he watches, head turned, eyes fixed on the unreal visitor. Daud studies the figure levelly, and when he speaks - voice weaker than he'd like it - it's in annoyance. ]
[The look on Daud's face is different than the looks Corvo remembers. Years ago, Daud was always so sure. Confident. Powerful. The man before him didn't have a lot of time left. It was like the end of an era.
Corvo stepped forward from the shadows of the doorway and paused beside the painting to look over at it, staring a moment. Did Anton's work have to be so accurate?
Both hands lift to the mask, releasing it and pulling it away from his face.]
You don't look very busy to me.
[When the mask is pulled away, the face behind it is not the ghost of Daud's past. Corvo was a younger man back then. Now he's bearded and going gray. The years have been good to him. He still has some good years left, but he knows it won't be long before he'll have to step aside as Royal Protector. It won't be easy. Corvo was never good at letting anything go.]
[ Brag about it, you bastard; the years have been less kind to Daud, and the past half year's beaten him to the ground and just about torn his throat out. He still sports heavy bruises, cuts from the baths. His skin's going ashen. He knows he doesn't look well. It doesn't matter. There's little enough that matters anymore.
This, though. This... isn't right. It's Corvo Attano, sure enough, only this isn't the man Daud remembers. Is and isn't, and the tension creeping through Daud's shoulders, the cold running his spine, says this man's no ghost. Because every ghost, every vision has looked exactly as he remembered. Because no one has been so changed, so much a product of time and...
What is he doing here.
(Does he intend to try and stop Daud? Did the black-eyed bastard send Corvo to put an end to Daud's plan, maybe end Daud himself? It's possible. It's more than possible, and Daud can feel his fingers clenching into fists. It won't happen. It can't happen. He might be weaker, but another fight or two... He's got enough for that.)
Turning to face the man (because this is a man, this isn't any apparition, and Daud can't say whether that's better or worse), he takes a closer look (is it possible? is it possible and look at the man, of course it'd be Corvo who found him here of course), tries to clear his head, tries to prepare himself to fight if he needs to. Should he attack first? No. No, better to save his strength. He'll just need to be ready to react, but he can do that. He can. ]
Corvo.
[ He didn't intend to let confusion enter his voice, but there it is, making the name almost a question. ]
[It's easier to age well in the comfort of a palace. Corvo is aware that his life is filled with a little too much luxury. He was reminded of just how comfortable he had become when Delilah showed up right under his nose. It's not a mistake he'll make again. Due to his time spent out in the city, he heard some of the craziest rumors and had to look into them. Those rumors brought him here.]
Thought I'd come see the greatest fight club winner in history for myself.
[Corvo set the mask down on the table with the old charts, maps and books. Little about the Wale has changed over the years. Just the people in it.]
What game are you playing at now?
[Corvo takes a few steps in Daud's direction, but only to sit in a chair that faces the bed. Daud may look ready to fight, but Corvo makes no motion to do so.]
[ He's not about to relax. He's not about to relax at all, not until he knows what Corvo's come for. What he's really come for, not this... this mockery of an excuse he's given. On a better day, Daud might have offered a wry response to Corvo's first remark. As it is, he's too on-edge to react at all.
(Feels it, though. Feels that remark with a sting - the shame of capture the shame of being held so long the shame of being kept from his mission - and with the slightest pulse of pride. Because he had, he'd shown well, thrashed every last one of them. Not that it mattered. Not that he wants to think about any of it.)
Yes, he's becoming certain Corvo's been sent by the Outsider. The man can sink down in that chair, he can relax all he likes; he's come here with a purpose and Daud knows how quickly he can act. The choice to sit could be a way of attempting to ease Daud off his guard, to make him feel safe. Corvo's the Outsider's favorite, isn't he? Of course the bastard would go to him. Of course Corvo would respond.
(Never mind that this is the man who'd shown mercy all those years ago. Who'd had all the reason in the world to end Daud's life and still chose to let him live.)
(Never mind that Daud's close to dying, anyway. Why send an assassin after the nearly gone?) ]
[Sometimes, Corvo regrets letting Daud go. The conflict was in his heart for a long time. Daud ran a sword through the only woman Corvo ever truly loved. The one he thought would be by his side until he was as old as Daud is now. That was a future Daud took from him, and he took it from Emily, too.
And yet, he knew Daud regretted his actions. Killing him would rob him of a lifetime of regret. That's Corvo's only comfort. Plus, he's learned other things about the master assassin as well that justifies sparing his life.]
I know you must be mad. Maybe it's your age that spurs this insanity.
[ '...that spurs this insanity.' That's proof that Corvo knows, isn't it? Of course he'd call it insanity. Of course he'd frame it as something impossible and irresponsible, something only to be dreamt of. But it's possible. Daud's put his time his effort his life into searching, and he's finally found the way.
Which Corvo knows. Which Corvo is making light of or trying to dismiss, maybe trying to dissuade him. But Daud won't be persuaded. Daud won't be induced, at all. ]
Funny.
[ It's true he's had his share of regret. True that he's consumed by it still, that even his mission can't overwhelm that guilt completely. He knows too clearly what he was. (Though it never shouldn't have happened. Never would have happened if it weren't for. If it weren't for.) He remembers so much of what he'd done. Well. Never mind about that.
He doesn't like to think about his age - and he could point out the fact that Corvo's not so young, himself - but that's far from his primary concern right now.
His concern is keeping wary. His concern is defending himself. And his growing concern is the way his body's tremors are becoming more intense, more difficult to ignore. He should sit, but he doesn't want to make himself so vulnerable. He'll be fine. He can withstand this. Just a little more. ]
[Corvo did some things he doesn't like to think about when he put Emily back on the throne as a child. Even those who were spared did not go without punishment. Some might say life was worse than death for several of those Corvo brought down from their ivory towers. But those were his actions. His choices. He doesn't deny it or blame anyone else for the resulting guilt.]
Calling you mad is giving you the benefit of the doubt.
[It's an excuse for the actions of a dying old man.
When asked if 'he' sent him, Corvo smiles a little and lifts his left hand. The glove is removed and he turns his hand over to show Daud the back of it. There is no mark.]
Delilah's doing. [She pulled the mark from him, somehow.] I haven't spoken to the Outsider in years. Not since then.
[Since he fought to take back a kingdom.]
I don't ask for him. I don't pray at his shrines. He doesn't ask for me.
[Though Corvo has no doubts that the god is watching. He's always watching. He's probably getting a kick out of this conversation they're having.]
[ It isn't possible. It doesn't make sense. That his Mark should have been taken, that he should have come here unmarked and without the bastard's favor....
But Corvo isn't lying.
The empty span of skin means he isn't lying about the Outsider.
(No, no. Means he probably isn't lying. Daud can't let his guard down too far. What's the lack of a Mark to stop the Outsider from leveling demands? What's there to stop him from visiting Corvo in sleep, and what's to keep Corvo from lying about it?)
And there's that other name. Daud had heard something about Delilah. Knew a woman of her name had overtaken Dunwall Tower, but it'd been a background note, scarcely important in the face of his own pursuits. Yes, it'd crossed his mind that this could be the same witch he'd sent to the Void. Mostly he'd dismissed it, decided it didn't merit space for thought (which might have been a mistake; which might have been incautious).
Maybe there was something to the suspicion, after all.
(What does it mean that the Outsider had stood by and let his Chosen's Mark be torn away? It's a question Daud can barely hold. It's a question that - echoed dim as it is - only confirms his beliefs about the bastard.) ]
Delilah?
[ He doesn't know where to begin with any of this. One hand goes to his side, willing himself to hold his position, willing his body not to falter further. ]
That doesn't mean anything.
The bastard takes what he wants, Mark or no.
[ Two men chosen by a god, one without his Mark, the other's flickering inconstant, fading. The black-eyed bastard must be enjoying this show, indeed.
Well. Let him laugh. Let him laugh disdainful while he still has time. ]
[Corvo can practically taste the bitterness of the other man.]
When the Outsider offered me his mark, taking it was a choice.
[It wasn't forced upon him, just like it wasn't forced upon Daud or Emily. It was a choice they made so they could take what they wanted. Corvo has some doubt that the Outsider has a great plan he's working. The god seemed more like a child who simply liked to watch the show play out. Sure, the god sprinkled his influence, but in the end, the choices are their own.]
I guess you really have been out of touch for awhile. Delilah attacked Dunwall Tower. She took my mark and imprisoned me. Emily escaped and took back the throne. She accepted the Outsider's gift to do it.
[Corvo understands why. He can't fault his daughter for doing what he had once done.]
[ Taking it was an uninformed choice, and the offer could hardly be turned down. Because how do you deny a god when he offers such powers? Because how can anyone aside from that very god begin to understand the possible consequences?
(It's true, yes, that Daud had sought the Outsider in the first place. True that he'd visited the shrines in the distant hopes of catching his favor, not truly believing the god existed, knowing only he'd do whatever was necessary to mark a place and a name for himself. But that was long ago. And he'd never expected the outcome, or that's what he tells himself, has told himself for years.)
'What do you know about Delilah.' And how was it possible. It's beginning to occur to Daud that truly, she may truly have clawed her way out of the Void, that the Delilah whose name had been whispered - more than whispered - so recently was the very same he'd known. It shouldn't matter, it's none of his affair, not anymore, but the unlikeliness of it pulls at him. If it had been her. If it really had been her.
And... Emily? Is he supposed to believe the bastard had—? But that isn't difficult to imagine. Of course he'd go for her, especially if he'd lost his hold on Corvo, especially if he saw his chance, a woman - a very interesting woman, no doubt - on the run. Daud remembers glimpsing her just briefly in Dunwall, the initially unknown figure sprinting expertly across rooftops, the roar from the palace behind. Had she borne the Mark then?
The thoughts run together too quick and muddy to be pieced apart, and on top of the shakiness he's beginning to feel just a little lightheaded. It shouldn't be this hard to take in the information. He's tired. He's unwell. It doesn't matter; he'll find a way forward, and he can't let Corvo distract him from what Corvo's come to do. ]
I had my own business to take care of.
The affairs of the Tower aren't my concern.
[ He could say something cutting about Corvo failing in his role as Royal Protector or he could ask how Corvo'd let it happen, but the questions only half-occur to Daud and he doesn't want be... to be drawn into conversation with the one who's come to kill him.
(Unless he really hadn't. Unless something else truly has brought Corvo here but, but that's a possibility Daud can't afford to entertain.) ]
geez daud of course you can turn him down. there's even a trophy for it /shot
[Emily was an exceptional young woman. She had a bright future ahead of her and would rule for years to come if Corvo had any say in it. In the end, though, it was Emily who retained her throne while Corvo was trapped in Delilah's spell. When he heard about everything that had happened, Corvo felt so many emotions. The fearful emotions of a father whose child had been in danger, the anger and guilt of a protector who had failed to do his duty, and a dash of pride for what Emily had accomplished all on her own.]
Of course they're not your concern.
[Corvo didn't expect Daud to interfere with the workings of the Tower again if he wanted to keep his head.]
But this isn't just about you, Daud. You brought the woman Meagan Foster, also known as Billie Lurk into the equation. Did you have to get her mixed up in this as well?
[ This time his confusion's written clear across his face. Why in the name of all the Isles is Corvo asking about Billie?
(Beneath the confusion, buried beneath layers of bitter anger and denial, there's a distant pang of guilt, an awareness of what he's asked of her. A recognition that after everything, he should know better than to ask this of her, should know better than to place this on her of all people - hasn't he done enough harm to her already? - only who else is there that he can trust? And this thing has to be done. Daud would do it himself if he could, only that's no longer an option.
She deserves better. But what choice does he have?) ]
What do you know about Billie?
[ Maybe the bastard had told him. That makes sense. Yes, that makes sense. ]
[Corvo sits back in his chair and sighs. Daud was naturally untrusting, but Corvo was getting a little tired of the animosity. If anyone should be pissed at the sight of the other, it should be Corvo! And yet, here he was, still talking to Daud.]
I know Billie was involved with Jessamine's death.
[Which means Corvo's not entirely sympathetic toward the woman. But...]
But, she helped Emily take back Dunwall. Emily forgave Billie for the things she's done. Doesn't want to see her get hurt. Emily also found out that you saved her life once, as well.
[ It's getting worse and worse. More convoluted, anyway. These aren't details Daud wants to deal with. Not when everything beyond his mission's already a tangle, not when he has that mission to focus on. There are details he needs to run over. Signs he needs to determine how to read. All of this... All of this threatens to tear his attention away.
Is tearing his attention away. Slowly but surely, Corvo's catching Daud's focus, which is infuriating and what, what makes the man think he can speak of Billie, of her role, of... What? Daud doesn't think he's heard correctly. Doubts himself for a moment because what did Corvo mean about helping take back Dunwall?
There's much Daud doesn't know about the woman Billie Lurk became after he sent her from Dunwall. Much he doesn't dare ask and hardly has the time to consider. This. Is this proposition possible? What had Billie done. (He almost wishes she were here. Almost wishes he could ask.)
And. And Emily knows...? (About Delilah. About a too-late attempt at salvaging what had been set to ruin. About one of the few acts Daud doesn't regret.)
(How. How could she know? It doesn't matter. That was years ago.)
He can't sort this out. He can't sort this out and remain standing, so keeping a wary eye on Corvo, he moves toward the cot, lowers himself shakily. That's better. That's a little better. ]
[In all fairness, it's Emily who came to know an awful lot. She just shared the details of her journey with her father after he was freed from the stone Delilah placed him in.
He watches as Daud moves to the cot and can't help but think of the powerful man Corvo met years ago. Daud appeared indestructible back then. Untouchable. Corvo got as close as most had ever come to taking the man's life but chose to let him go. Now, it was as if Daud wanted to go out on his own terms. Fighting the Outsider would definitely speed that up.]
It's not what I want. Her highness, Empress Emily Kaldwin extends an invitation to you and to Billie Lurk. Give up this foolishness, Daud. Come to Dunwall Tower. There, you will be comfortable until your time is up. Who knows, given the right care, you might live even longer.
Or stay and die on a leaky boat.
[One is definitely more attractive than the other.]
[ Taking down the Outsider is all Daud has left. That's how it seems to him, anyway. His mission has taken on a stature that dwarfs all other concerns, has become so compelling, so seemingly dire that all other wishes and responsibilities fade to the background. The bastard has to be stopped. He needs to kill the Outsider before the bastard causes anymore damage. Someone needs to kill the Outsider, and he (no, Billie (which isn't fair for her, it isn't)) is the only one who can do it.
Better to die on this leaky boat than give over his mission. Better to die here than let himself be persuaded.
(What about for Billie? He tells himself she wouldn't want that life, trapped in a tower. He tells himself this mission is just important to her. But underneath, doubts coil. Writhe. And somewhere, somewhere down he knows it'd be better for her. Could almost want it for her.
But the mission. But Corvo doesn't know what he speaks of.)
He focuses himself on Corvo. Tries to read the features of the man, but it's hard to process anything, hard to know how to interpret the lines across his face or what's a tic, what any aspect indicates. Which would be frustrating, if it mattered. (Which is frustrating, and there's a growing pressure in the back of his head. This used to come so easily. But it isn't his concern. It shouldn't be his focus.) ]
The bastard needs to die, Corvo.
You've seen what he can do.
[ Besides, Daud kind of appreciates this leaky boat. After the baths, after months of running, it feels safe, almost. Almost like a home. ]
[Corvo has nothing to hide from Daud and no reason to lie to him now. If he wanted to do Daud any harm, Corvo could've done it already. The offer is what it is, but Daud is too stubborn to accept it. Instead, he's fixated on his revenge.]
Die? For what he can do?
[Corvo shakes his head.]
Then so do all who bear his mark. His power is our power.
[Or it was Corvo's power; not that he truly needs it anymore.]
[ There's a flash in Daud's eyes and for a moment he feels sharp, feels almost in contact with the scene playing out. ]
That's coming soon enough.
[ For him, anyway. Delilah must have been taken care of. Corvo's been severed from the Void. And Emily... Well. That isn't Daud's trouble. Nor does he seriously entertain Corvo's remark. Perhaps the Chosen should be destroyed; it isn't the point right now. And he doesn't know whether Corvo believes it. ]
Once we've gotten rid of him, nothing like this needs to happen again.
[ He doesn't specify what he means by 'this.' He doesn't think he needs to. ]
[ He'd like to believe it was all the Outsider's doing. He really would. But even believing it's half that bastard's fault is better than nothing. Lets him almost, almost fool himself into thinking he needn't fully shoulder the blame. Lets him almost believe he was the victim as well as the monster. (Though the delusion rarely penetrates to his core. He knows too well what he'd done, how it'd felt. Knows he'd made certain choices and stuck with them, bloody as they'd been.)
Daud flinches and looks away, sniffs. Of course Corvo would bring that up. Coming from anyone else, Daud would've taken the assertion easily enough. Would've simply pointed out that he couldn't have done it (he could have) without the Void's powers. That it never would have happened if the bastard hadn't interfered. From this man, though, he can't so easily brush it off. ]
I'm aware.
[ When he looks back, he's surprised to find Corvo standing. He hadn't heard a thing and now the man's above him, now he's got the high ground and could so easily attack. (And who knows what Corvo would do for that woman, long gone as she is. (As if she's ever been gone for Daud. As if he isn't visited by her memory again, again, unending.))
He's tensing again, though it's not so focused this time, though now he's too sharply aware of the lingering question of Jessamine and all that it suggests. ]
We'll all be better once he's gone.
[ He has to believe it, though even now the conviction in his voice has waned, wavered just minutely. ]
[If Daud denied his past actions in any of those ways, Corvo would not have accepted the excuses. Daud certainly couldn't convince Corvo that he was incapable of killing Jess without his power. Maybe it wouldn't have been so easy, and maybe Corvo would have stopped him, but Daud was probably a talented killer before the Outsider came long.
Looking down at him, Corvo could do whatever he wanted. End Daud's life. Make him suffer until his last breath was gone. Years ago, he pardoned Daud, and if he could do it then, when the loss was so fresh, he can certainly continue to do it now that age has tempered Corvo's anger.
Corvo doesn't know if they'll be better off with the Outsider gone. Or if Daud and Billie can even do it. Guess they'll all wait and see.]
Goodbye, Daud.
[Corvo does not expect he'll see the man again unless it's in the Void.]
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1-ish? XD
The Wale creaks and shifts with the tide as it laps at the docks. The sound of the creaking vessel hides the footsteps of another who's arrived on board. Corvo doesn't need the mark to be silent. The next time Daud looks up, the masked man in a black coat is standing at the doorway to the living area as though he stepped right out of the past.]
no subject
He's seeing things. His first thought is he's seeing things, and he shouldn't be surprised. He's so tired. So achingly tired and out-of-place, feels as if he's falling into pieces of himself, as if every part of him grinds up against the next, as if his very blood's losing its course.
Of course it is. His time's running out; he knows that.
And he knows the ways he's been haunted recently. The way old memories whisper closer, the present overlaid with ghosts with voices with so much of the past it's sometimes hard to think. Sometimes hard to remember to breathe until he remembers his mission, reminds himself of what he needs to do, what should have been done years ago.
Still, there's something different about this specter. Something more solid-looking than the others, something more present (he can feel himself tensing as if someone were actually here, but that isn't true, is it?), and that can't bode well.
He'd been engaged in reviewing the map, trying to bring together the pieces of his knowledge, and now he watches, head turned, eyes fixed on the unreal visitor. Daud studies the figure levelly, and when he speaks - voice weaker than he'd like it - it's in annoyance. ]
I don't have time for any more ghosts.
no subject
Corvo stepped forward from the shadows of the doorway and paused beside the painting to look over at it, staring a moment. Did Anton's work have to be so accurate?
Both hands lift to the mask, releasing it and pulling it away from his face.]
You don't look very busy to me.
[When the mask is pulled away, the face behind it is not the ghost of Daud's past. Corvo was a younger man back then. Now he's bearded and going gray. The years have been good to him. He still has some good years left, but he knows it won't be long before he'll have to step aside as Royal Protector. It won't be easy. Corvo was never good at letting anything go.]
no subject
This, though. This... isn't right. It's Corvo Attano, sure enough, only this isn't the man Daud remembers. Is and isn't, and the tension creeping through Daud's shoulders, the cold running his spine, says this man's no ghost. Because every ghost, every vision has looked exactly as he remembered. Because no one has been so changed, so much a product of time and...
What is he doing here.
(Does he intend to try and stop Daud? Did the black-eyed bastard send Corvo to put an end to Daud's plan, maybe end Daud himself? It's possible. It's more than possible, and Daud can feel his fingers clenching into fists. It won't happen. It can't happen. He might be weaker, but another fight or two... He's got enough for that.)
Turning to face the man (because this is a man, this isn't any apparition, and Daud can't say whether that's better or worse), he takes a closer look (is it possible? is it possible and look at the man, of course it'd be Corvo who found him here of course), tries to clear his head, tries to prepare himself to fight if he needs to. Should he attack first? No. No, better to save his strength. He'll just need to be ready to react, but he can do that. He can. ]
Corvo.
[ He didn't intend to let confusion enter his voice, but there it is, making the name almost a question. ]
What is it.
no subject
Thought I'd come see the greatest fight club winner in history for myself.
[Corvo set the mask down on the table with the old charts, maps and books. Little about the Wale has changed over the years. Just the people in it.]
What game are you playing at now?
[Corvo takes a few steps in Daud's direction, but only to sit in a chair that faces the bed. Daud may look ready to fight, but Corvo makes no motion to do so.]
no subject
(Feels it, though. Feels that remark with a sting - the shame of capture the shame of being held so long the shame of being kept from his mission - and with the slightest pulse of pride. Because he had, he'd shown well, thrashed every last one of them. Not that it mattered. Not that he wants to think about any of it.)
Yes, he's becoming certain Corvo's been sent by the Outsider. The man can sink down in that chair, he can relax all he likes; he's come here with a purpose and Daud knows how quickly he can act. The choice to sit could be a way of attempting to ease Daud off his guard, to make him feel safe. Corvo's the Outsider's favorite, isn't he? Of course the bastard would go to him. Of course Corvo would respond.
(Never mind that this is the man who'd shown mercy all those years ago. Who'd had all the reason in the world to end Daud's life and still chose to let him live.)
(Never mind that Daud's close to dying, anyway. Why send an assassin after the nearly gone?) ]
Don't toy with me.
You know.
no subject
And yet, he knew Daud regretted his actions. Killing him would rob him of a lifetime of regret. That's Corvo's only comfort. Plus, he's learned other things about the master assassin as well that justifies sparing his life.]
I know you must be mad. Maybe it's your age that spurs this insanity.
no subject
Which Corvo knows. Which Corvo is making light of or trying to dismiss, maybe trying to dissuade him. But Daud won't be persuaded. Daud won't be induced, at all. ]
Funny.
[ It's true he's had his share of regret. True that he's consumed by it still, that even his mission can't overwhelm that guilt completely. He knows too clearly what he was. (Though it never shouldn't have happened. Never would have happened if it weren't for. If it weren't for.) He remembers so much of what he'd done. Well. Never mind about that.
He doesn't like to think about his age - and he could point out the fact that Corvo's not so young, himself - but that's far from his primary concern right now.
His concern is keeping wary. His concern is defending himself. And his growing concern is the way his body's tremors are becoming more intense, more difficult to ignore. He should sit, but he doesn't want to make himself so vulnerable. He'll be fine. He can withstand this. Just a little more. ]
That's a convenient way of putting it.
He sent you, didn't he?
no subject
Calling you mad is giving you the benefit of the doubt.
[It's an excuse for the actions of a dying old man.
When asked if 'he' sent him, Corvo smiles a little and lifts his left hand. The glove is removed and he turns his hand over to show Daud the back of it. There is no mark.]
Delilah's doing. [She pulled the mark from him, somehow.] I haven't spoken to the Outsider in years. Not since then.
[Since he fought to take back a kingdom.]
I don't ask for him. I don't pray at his shrines. He doesn't ask for me.
[Though Corvo has no doubts that the god is watching. He's always watching. He's probably getting a kick out of this conversation they're having.]
no subject
But Corvo isn't lying.
The empty span of skin means he isn't lying about the Outsider.
(No, no. Means he probably isn't lying. Daud can't let his guard down too far. What's the lack of a Mark to stop the Outsider from leveling demands? What's there to stop him from visiting Corvo in sleep, and what's to keep Corvo from lying about it?)
And there's that other name. Daud had heard something about Delilah. Knew a woman of her name had overtaken Dunwall Tower, but it'd been a background note, scarcely important in the face of his own pursuits. Yes, it'd crossed his mind that this could be the same witch he'd sent to the Void. Mostly he'd dismissed it, decided it didn't merit space for thought (which might have been a mistake; which might have been incautious).
Maybe there was something to the suspicion, after all.
(What does it mean that the Outsider had stood by and let his Chosen's Mark be torn away? It's a question Daud can barely hold. It's a question that - echoed dim as it is - only confirms his beliefs about the bastard.) ]
Delilah?
[ He doesn't know where to begin with any of this. One hand goes to his side, willing himself to hold his position, willing his body not to falter further. ]
That doesn't mean anything.
The bastard takes what he wants, Mark or no.
[ Two men chosen by a god, one without his Mark, the other's flickering inconstant, fading. The black-eyed bastard must be enjoying this show, indeed.
Well. Let him laugh. Let him laugh disdainful while he still has time. ]
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When the Outsider offered me his mark, taking it was a choice.
[It wasn't forced upon him, just like it wasn't forced upon Daud or Emily. It was a choice they made so they could take what they wanted. Corvo has some doubt that the Outsider has a great plan he's working. The god seemed more like a child who simply liked to watch the show play out. Sure, the god sprinkled his influence, but in the end, the choices are their own.]
I guess you really have been out of touch for awhile. Delilah attacked Dunwall Tower. She took my mark and imprisoned me. Emily escaped and took back the throne. She accepted the Outsider's gift to do it.
[Corvo understands why. He can't fault his daughter for doing what he had once done.]
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(It's true, yes, that Daud had sought the Outsider in the first place. True that he'd visited the shrines in the distant hopes of catching his favor, not truly believing the god existed, knowing only he'd do whatever was necessary to mark a place and a name for himself. But that was long ago. And he'd never expected the outcome, or that's what he tells himself, has told himself for years.)
'What do you know about Delilah.' And how was it possible. It's beginning to occur to Daud that truly, she may truly have clawed her way out of the Void, that the Delilah whose name had been whispered - more than whispered - so recently was the very same he'd known. It shouldn't matter, it's none of his affair, not anymore, but the unlikeliness of it pulls at him. If it had been her. If it really had been her.
And... Emily? Is he supposed to believe the bastard had—? But that isn't difficult to imagine. Of course he'd go for her, especially if he'd lost his hold on Corvo, especially if he saw his chance, a woman - a very interesting woman, no doubt - on the run. Daud remembers glimpsing her just briefly in Dunwall, the initially unknown figure sprinting expertly across rooftops, the roar from the palace behind. Had she borne the Mark then?
The thoughts run together too quick and muddy to be pieced apart, and on top of the shakiness he's beginning to feel just a little lightheaded. It shouldn't be this hard to take in the information. He's tired. He's unwell. It doesn't matter; he'll find a way forward, and he can't let Corvo distract him from what Corvo's come to do. ]
I had my own business to take care of.
The affairs of the Tower aren't my concern.
[ He could say something cutting about Corvo failing in his role as Royal Protector or he could ask how Corvo'd let it happen, but the questions only half-occur to Daud and he doesn't want be... to be drawn into conversation with the one who's come to kill him.
(Unless he really hadn't. Unless something else truly has brought Corvo here but, but that's a possibility Daud can't afford to entertain.) ]
geez daud of course you can turn him down. there's even a trophy for it /shot
Of course they're not your concern.
[Corvo didn't expect Daud to interfere with the workings of the Tower again if he wanted to keep his head.]
But this isn't just about you, Daud. You brought the woman Meagan Foster, also known as Billie Lurk into the equation. Did you have to get her mixed up in this as well?
SUPER RUDE, RAT-MAN.
(Beneath the confusion, buried beneath layers of bitter anger and denial, there's a distant pang of guilt, an awareness of what he's asked of her. A recognition that after everything, he should know better than to ask this of her, should know better than to place this on her of all people - hasn't he done enough harm to her already? - only who else is there that he can trust? And this thing has to be done. Daud would do it himself if he could, only that's no longer an option.
She deserves better. But what choice does he have?) ]
What do you know about Billie?
[ Maybe the bastard had told him. That makes sense. Yes, that makes sense. ]
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I know Billie was involved with Jessamine's death.
[Which means Corvo's not entirely sympathetic toward the woman. But...]
But, she helped Emily take back Dunwall. Emily forgave Billie for the things she's done. Doesn't want to see her get hurt. Emily also found out that you saved her life once, as well.
whispers 'icon buddy'
Is tearing his attention away. Slowly but surely, Corvo's catching Daud's focus, which is infuriating and what, what makes the man think he can speak of Billie, of her role, of... What? Daud doesn't think he's heard correctly. Doubts himself for a moment because what did Corvo mean about helping take back Dunwall?
There's much Daud doesn't know about the woman Billie Lurk became after he sent her from Dunwall. Much he doesn't dare ask and hardly has the time to consider. This. Is this proposition possible? What had Billie done. (He almost wishes she were here. Almost wishes he could ask.)
And. And Emily knows...? (About Delilah. About a too-late attempt at salvaging what had been set to ruin. About one of the few acts Daud doesn't regret.)
(How. How could she know? It doesn't matter. That was years ago.)
He can't sort this out. He can't sort this out and remain standing, so keeping a wary eye on Corvo, he moves toward the cot, lowers himself shakily. That's better. That's a little better. ]
You know an awful lot, don't you.
What do you want with me.
eeeee~
He watches as Daud moves to the cot and can't help but think of the powerful man Corvo met years ago. Daud appeared indestructible back then. Untouchable. Corvo got as close as most had ever come to taking the man's life but chose to let him go. Now, it was as if Daud wanted to go out on his own terms. Fighting the Outsider would definitely speed that up.]
It's not what I want. Her highness, Empress Emily Kaldwin extends an invitation to you and to Billie Lurk. Give up this foolishness, Daud. Come to Dunwall Tower. There, you will be comfortable until your time is up. Who knows, given the right care, you might live even longer.
Or stay and die on a leaky boat.
[One is definitely more attractive than the other.]
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Better to die on this leaky boat than give over his mission. Better to die here than let himself be persuaded.
(What about for Billie? He tells himself she wouldn't want that life, trapped in a tower. He tells himself this mission is just important to her. But underneath, doubts coil. Writhe. And somewhere, somewhere down he knows it'd be better for her. Could almost want it for her.
But the mission. But Corvo doesn't know what he speaks of.)
He focuses himself on Corvo. Tries to read the features of the man, but it's hard to process anything, hard to know how to interpret the lines across his face or what's a tic, what any aspect indicates. Which would be frustrating, if it mattered. (Which is frustrating, and there's a growing pressure in the back of his head. This used to come so easily. But it isn't his concern. It shouldn't be his focus.) ]
The bastard needs to die, Corvo.
You've seen what he can do.
[ Besides, Daud kind of appreciates this leaky boat. After the baths, after months of running, it feels safe, almost. Almost like a home. ]
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Die? For what he can do?
[Corvo shakes his head.]
Then so do all who bear his mark. His power is our power.
[Or it was Corvo's power; not that he truly needs it anymore.]
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That's coming soon enough.
[ For him, anyway. Delilah must have been taken care of. Corvo's been severed from the Void. And Emily... Well. That isn't Daud's trouble. Nor does he seriously entertain Corvo's remark. Perhaps the Chosen should be destroyed; it isn't the point right now. And he doesn't know whether Corvo believes it. ]
Once we've gotten rid of him, nothing like this needs to happen again.
[ He doesn't specify what he means by 'this.' He doesn't think he needs to. ]
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The Outsider didn't kill Jessamine, Daud.
[A man did that. The one sitting in front of him. Corvo sighs and gets to his feet.]
You should reconsider Emily's offer. It wasn't made lightly.
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Daud flinches and looks away, sniffs. Of course Corvo would bring that up. Coming from anyone else, Daud would've taken the assertion easily enough. Would've simply pointed out that he couldn't have done it (he could have) without the Void's powers. That it never would have happened if the bastard hadn't interfered. From this man, though, he can't so easily brush it off. ]
I'm aware.
[ When he looks back, he's surprised to find Corvo standing. He hadn't heard a thing and now the man's above him, now he's got the high ground and could so easily attack. (And who knows what Corvo would do for that woman, long gone as she is. (As if she's ever been gone for Daud. As if he isn't visited by her memory again, again, unending.))
He's tensing again, though it's not so focused this time, though now he's too sharply aware of the lingering question of Jessamine and all that it suggests. ]
We'll all be better once he's gone.
[ He has to believe it, though even now the conviction in his voice has waned, wavered just minutely. ]
Tell the Empress we're not interested.
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Looking down at him, Corvo could do whatever he wanted. End Daud's life. Make him suffer until his last breath was gone. Years ago, he pardoned Daud, and if he could do it then, when the loss was so fresh, he can certainly continue to do it now that age has tempered Corvo's anger.
Corvo doesn't know if they'll be better off with the Outsider gone. Or if Daud and Billie can even do it. Guess they'll all wait and see.]
Goodbye, Daud.
[Corvo does not expect he'll see the man again unless it's in the Void.]