03-28-2023, 04:33 PM
Instant unbridled enthusiasm for the proposition would be a neat surprise, but Near hasn't waded into this swamp expecting much. If anything, he's braced for instant unbridled refusal. After all, the people he's talking about are Jude's friends? Family? A derisive "hah" isn't promising, but it's not the "fuck no" that would lead to him to making the contact to inform said people where their runaway asshat is, so he decides "hah" counts as obnoxious but more or less positive.
From what he has gathered, Jude was previously regarded as some sort of tool for some sort of nefarious purpose, and so he had no need for any real direction or strategy of his own. Based on their conversation so far, he hasn't managed to develop any strategy or direction in the interim. Ostensibly, though, he has knowledge and some kind of value (at The Reaches he demonstrated that he can do [i]something[.i], though it was never abundantly clear what that something was ...). And that is why he has been brought here to Near's crappy apartment, to sit on Near's budget couch and sip Near's tapwater. Near is all set for direction. What he needs is knowledge and a tool.
"Why not?" he asks back, still as serious as before. He really wants to know: why not? What are the major obstacles to accomplishing this? If it turns out they're immortal, bulletproof, fireproof, prosecution-proof (no, he hasn't nailed anything specific down yet) maybe he'll sigh and change his mind. Otherwise, what's to keep him from trying?
From what he has gathered, Jude was previously regarded as some sort of tool for some sort of nefarious purpose, and so he had no need for any real direction or strategy of his own. Based on their conversation so far, he hasn't managed to develop any strategy or direction in the interim. Ostensibly, though, he has knowledge and some kind of value (at The Reaches he demonstrated that he can do [i]something[.i], though it was never abundantly clear what that something was ...). And that is why he has been brought here to Near's crappy apartment, to sit on Near's budget couch and sip Near's tapwater. Near is all set for direction. What he needs is knowledge and a tool.
"Why not?" he asks back, still as serious as before. He really wants to know: why not? What are the major obstacles to accomplishing this? If it turns out they're immortal, bulletproof, fireproof, prosecution-proof (no, he hasn't nailed anything specific down yet) maybe he'll sigh and change his mind. Otherwise, what's to keep him from trying?