Niko Bellic | Log 003

[vengeance_driven]

Who: Niko Bellic | Charon
What: An attempt to make Charon be human
When: Sometime before the trip to the desert temple and after Dorian's masquerade.
Where: All around Blackway
Notes & Warnings: Language probably. Horrors will likely come up, as it is Charon and Niko and their worlds suck. Some talk of human trafficking to start.

He didn't know when he'd gotten it into his head that he was going to try and see if he could pull some of Charon's humanity back into view. There had to be some in there. Maybe it was that uneasy feeling that Charon had spent more than a lifetime being owned. Maybe it was knowing that Niko himself had sold people, had saddled them with ownership. Maybe because Niko knew he'd been owned by Bulgarin and his sordid business, and that was so damn hard to escape. Maybe it was that when he looked at Charon, he looked on the outside like Niko sometimes felt on the inside.

Whatever the reason, he was trying as hard as he could. First there was the bowling alley at Mr. Jellicles. And then pool and darts at Pugsy's. Oh, he was putting effort into it, and from what he could tell there was very little response.

In a way, it was kind of heart-wrenching. He worried sometimes that he was beyond saving, he didn't want to think a big hunk of Charon's head was, too.

Then again, he guessed that there was such a thing as trying too hard.

Niko didn't let it cross his face as he stepped out of Pugsy's with him. He just patted the tall ghoul on the shoulder and gave him one of his failed-friendly looks. "Well, at least I know how good your aim is now." See? Wouldn't Roman be pleased with Niko for looking on the positive side. He pulled his hand back, ignoring the odd scent that came off Charon and feeling ashamed that he was a little concerned that his glove might end up smelling like that if he kept touching him.

Eh. He'd smelled worse.

"I'll see you later?" He offered and started to walk off finally, internally defeated but refusing, refusing to let it show because if there was one iota of humanity left in Charon- well, Niko knew how he would feel if someone gave up on him right to his face. He hadn't made it more than twelve steps when he accidentally ran into the back of a large, scaled man.

The next moment Niko had strong, three-fingered hands wrenching into the collar of his coat and lifting him off the ground. All fucking 6'2'' and 200 lbs of meaty, muscly Serb. "Oh, it's you." He said mildly, and then stooge poked the bastard in the eyes. It succeeded in getting him dropped hard onto the sidewalk, anyway.

Comments

[andiwillfollow]

Charon, at the very least, was able to separate himself from the contractually obligated lifestyle to some extent. Maybe not so much that there were any glaringly visible changes, but he went bowling, played pool, and a game of darts with someone he considered...someone he didn't mind hanging around, and that's just not something he would have done before he arrived here. Believe it or not he was on a personal mission to start anew -- that's why he's here, after all. What "starting anew" entailed, even he wasn't sure, but regardless of the fact that he found very little joy in the things he did once upon a time he went with it anyway.

Old habits die hard though, as he was still itching to get back to work. That's just how it was with him. Even if his job most of the day consisted of patrolling the same places over and over, diffusing ruckuses before they got out of hand, nothing glorious...but it was work. Work is what he knows. Even as he recalled vague memories of playing pool with the guys, having a beer and playing darts, bowling even...most of the feelings associated with them were long gone. And the ones that weren't were buried deep, because dredging them up seemed pointless. Casual conversation, engaging in these activities -- he partially recognized their role in living as your own person, but as he went through them it was hard to find purpose in them. Hence his incredible lack of enthusiasm.

The pat on the back earns a small sound from Charon, half-assed acknowledgement that Niko said something and Charon heard it. And a curt, "yes" at his offer. He will likely see him later, patrolling around like a mindless...ghoul.

He's already walking away when he hears the commotion behind him, and by the time he turns around he sees Niko being dropped on to the floor. Charon is quick to stride on over, neither concerned nor intimidated by the scaly punk, and stand between him and Niko, milky blue eyes boring holes into the man. His voice was more gruff than normal, if possible, but Charon made sure to speak clearly enough so he wouldn't have to repeat himself.

"The hell do you think you're doing?"