[ The woods seems slightly...overly cautious. Walter was thinking more along the lines of one of their pods, but he supposes he can't complain about Carver being careful. It actually puts him at ease a little. ]
[ There’s no response. But Carver’s there, hanging back in the shadows. Watching, and waiting. He’s scouted the area enough that he knows it by heart now. Always control your environment. ]
[ Walter's mouth turns downward into a frown, an expression of habit as he looks through his glasses, which have lowered some on his nose for reading purposes. His prescription's obviously changed but who has time for ophthalmology appointments when he spends most of his time being poked and prodded by various doctors. One less is perfectly fine with him, even if it means he makes a funny face when he reads.
There isn't a response to his voice message, so he sets down his device and leaves his pod, eyes scanning upwards now, looking for the telltale peaks of trees. The woods--that's where he's headed. He would grumble about how vague these directions are, but it isn't as though he has anything better to do. This gives him purpose, for now.
Walter tentatively steps away from 'civilization' and under the cover of trees, making sure not to go too deep. The last thing he needs is to get turned around. He goes several paces in and then stops, ears pricked for snapping branches or other signs of life. ]
[ It doesn't take long. Carver's figured out how the trees sound in the wind, how people move through the space. That's part of the trick. Figuring out how things fit together, how to blend, how to mark disturbances, to pay attention long enough to notice what stands out. And when other people are approaching.
He waits behind a tree, a knife sheathed at his side. Gloves on his hands. A whip concealed under his coat. He steps out deliberately, hands loose at his sides. Watching the other man. Walter White. High school chemistry teacher. They didn't exchange names last time, but it's not hard to find out who people are around here. ]
I need gas, [ he says, without preamble. ] And a canister to deploy it. I can mix the gas, I'm not a fucking moron, but the canister - mhmm.
[ It's not hard to make chlorine, or something nastier. It's really not. ]
And you strike me as the sort of motherfucker who goes twitchy without a challenge.
[ At first, Walter's eyes narrow. Gas. What kind of gas? Walt can name more than he has digits on his fingers. But this man seems the type to go at cautiously. But then, his mouth twitches, the barest hint of a smirk at Carver's mostly correct assessment. Yes, Walter does indeed get bored with nothing to do, particularly with nothing to challenge his brain with, which, of course, this prison is lacking. At least at first glance. ]
Gas...are we talking lethal or non-lethal? How debilitating? I need more context to work with. What sort of purpose is this being used for? And yes, that matters. Because there are many options for methods of delivery, the usefulness of which depends on the situation in which it is to be used.
I can make chlorine out of the shit they used to scrub the bathrooms, [ he drawls, affecting a careless air. Because he can, he's done that before. It takes some care so you don't poison yourself by accident, but you don't need to be a chemist for that part. Just halfway competent and able to follow instructions he memorized a long time ago from someone who was>/i> a chemist. Or at the very least somewhat deranged - though competent - bombmaker.
God, the people you meet in the mercenary business.
Carver grins. He doesn't flash his teeth this time. ]
But you really wanna make my day, white phosphorus. It deploys like tear gas. Get it in an enclosed space with the target and it does it's thing.
[ Makes an awful, vicious mess. ]
I wanna mess somebody up. In case that wasn't clear.
[ Walter scowls ever so slightly at the mention of chlorine gas. Any idiot can produce chlorine gas. People who don't heed warnings on household cleaning products regularly create it in their bathrooms by combining ammonia products with bleach products. Walter nearly scoffs aloud at the thought, but he remembers that he's in front of company who might misinterpret the sound. ]
Ah. White phosphorus, now there is a project. Doable, sure...the most difficult piece would be obtaining phosphate rock. It's quite possible that it's naturally occurring here, though I haven't yet studied the elements of this planet. I hear it's possible to request things from other worlds through the commissary. But I don't have any credits yet myself. I would also need silica, though I can likely get that from sand on the beach and...a piece of equipment. An electric furnace. Building one should be possible, though finding the necessary components will certainly take some time. It is doable, though. Need I advise you that, once exposed to oxygen, it quickly transforms into harmless compounds? This would need to be quite the enclosed space and deployed within especially close range.
[ He seems more pleased with this option. After all, creating a deployment method is much more engineering and less chemistry, though he has a fondness for both. But then, suddenly comes the thought of how he had strangled someone to death in a basement. How the sound of the man's death rattle still sometimes plagues him at night. ]
[ Walter fucking White, everyone. Carver's smile twitches, though he doesn't flash his teeth this time. Yeah, this motherfucker knows what he's talking about. Whether he'll actually be useful is another question, but Carver's willing to take the leap. ]
I know how it deploys.
[ Firsthand experience, and all that. It makes an ugly, brutal mess. ]
[ Walt looks Carver in the eyes, hands up and palms facing outward as if to say he isn't a threat. But, he gets a faraway look about him as his hands drop back down and he begins to ponder aloud. ]
It's just...if you want to kill this person so badly why not just--
[ He makes a stabbing motion. He's certain that Carver has a shiv already. Anyone this concerned about another inmate would. This whole thing needs to make sense to him. He has a thing about going into anything with questions unanswered. Stabbing certainly seems like the cleaner and safer of the two options, which only leads him to believe that Carver wants this person to suffer. But why? ]
[ What, can't say the words out loud? Carver snorts. His hand doesn't drift to the weapon sheathed at his belt but he thinks about it. Knows the weight of it in his hands. How to utilize it, how to slit an enemy's throat open or stab it through their skull. Easy.
Too easy. ]
Some people deserve to burn for what they do. I don't want it fast. I want it to fucking hurt. And I want to hit them by surprise, so they don't see it coming.
[ Walter nods solemnly. It was the response he knew was coming, but not the one he'd wanted. Even though he's a murderer himself, he hasn't yet felt the amount of rage to warrant anyone's suffering. Sure, he's had to eliminate problems and tie up loose ends. But it had all been in self-defense, not revenge. He isn't sure he likes his name being attached to this sort of thing. Even if nobody else finds out that he'd assisted, he'll know. It'll be something else to live with. ]
[ Oh, do you? Carver doesn’t laugh but his mouthy twitches. Close to a sneer. You think you’re owed that, motherfucker? He stares at the man across from and calculates the between them. How much force it would take to get him on the ground, to snap his neck.
Not much, on balance. Can’t have loose ends, can we? ]
They betrayed my sister. Our family’s dead now.
[ It comes out very soft. There’s something bright in Carver’s gaze then, creeping to a manic edge. Even so, he holds perfectly still. ]
Wanna know how they died? Hmm?
[ That’s a warning. It doesn’t need to be spelled out. He doesn’t owe a stranger the gory details. He doesn’t owe a stranger much of anything. ]
[ Sister. Family. That hits home for Walter. Too close to home. His family is the only reason he even began to delve into the dangerous underworld of the drug trade back in Albuquerque. They are also the reason he committed murder to begin with. The danger that would have lurked around every corner for them should he have let Krazy-8 go...it had been too much to risk. They are also, perhaps, the only reason he might consider not giving someone an easy death. Should anyone harm Skyler or, God forbid, Walter Jr.? He nearly shudders at the thought. Yes, he would draw out their death for as long as possible. He would want them to suffer as he had.
Perhaps this man has a reason to be as unhinged as he seems, though Walter doesn't like the threat of danger he feels in the quiet air between them. The fine hairs at the nape of his neck are tingling and standing on end, warning him. He holds his stare. Looking away would be acknowledging that Carver has the upper hand and that's not entirely clear yet, is it? Walter may not be as physically capable as Carver, but he would certainly put up a fight. He would fight dirty if push came to shove. He hasn't left his pod without his shiv since he won it at the Games. ]
I didn't ask how they died. I asked why this person should suffer, and you gave me an answer.
[ Walter doesn't show fear; doesn't back down or shrink away. Quite the opposite, actually, as he pulls his shoulders back and stands up straight and tall. ]
We'll have to stagger acquiring the parts so as not to alert anyone to what's happening, at least with anything we need to get from the commissary. Split between the two of us, it should be quite easy. But I'll need credits to put in for an order.
[ Walter knows how to get credits, but he's in no rush to dive into any of that. ]
[ They swing to logistics. Carver doesn't move, watching him intently. Taking him all in. Thinking about his brothers, his sisters, all these loose ends. And all the ways he's planned out to kill Dixon. Maybe this works, maybe it doesn't, but he has a feeling Dixon won't see this coming.
Good. ]
I can spot you, [ Carver agrees, calm again. He's been here longer, he's earned things even if he doesn't like thinking about how. ] But we should talk payment, teach. I'll owe you a favor for this. Mhmm?
Mm. I'm not yet familiar with how credits work here. What the exchange rate would be. Seems favors would make more sense as I doubt anyone would be able to acquire the amount of credits needed to pay off something like this.
[ Walter presses his lips into a line, eyes shifting from side to side as his brain cranks away at lightning fast calculations. Yes, there's no way to get paid for this in credits. Perhaps some combination of favors owed and monetary compensation would work. Accomplice to murder do3snt come cheap. Particularly not ehen one is already incarcerated. He has already seen people punished rather harshly for minute crimes. First-degree murder, though...even as an accessory he would pay a hefty price if caught. ]
For starters, nobody can know that I was involved in this. Ever. You get caught, you're going down for it on your own. Anyone retaliates? It'll be you they come looking for and no one else. I'll need credits to gather necessary materials, and I'd say this is worth at least two favors. Considering the risks I'm taking on.
[ Carver's mouth quips. Half a smile. Not a nice one. ]
That'd depend on what the favors are, teach. And if you're careful, and smart, then nobody will ever know you did a thing. You can be smart, can't you?
[ Just a little barb, to see if he'll puff up and take it personally. Men like that tend to. It makes them easy to manipulate. ]
A favor's a favor. How am I to know what I'll need in advance? It'll be something we both agree on.
[ That should be fair enough. That way Walter only gets the help he actually needs and Carver can be put at ease knowing he won't be forced to do anything he doesn't agree to. And then Carver goes and takes that dig at him and Walt fights the urge to clench his fists at his sides, though his fingers do twitch a little and a scowl threatens to erupt on his face. This guy has no clue who the fuck he's dealing with. ]
You wouldn't have asked for my help if I wasn't smart. I meant that nobody hears of my involvement from you. As far as you're concerned, this was a one-man job.
[ Oh. That got a reaction, didn’t it? Only a little push and he puffs right up. Carver files that information away for later. Men who rise to the bait are easier to maneuver around. And one day they’ll be enemies. It’s that simple.
He grins in response to the scowl. Ooh. Scary. ]
Course it is, teach. Keeps the world nice and simple. Far as anyone’s concerned, I did this shit on my own.
[ It certainly got a reaction, but whether or not that speaks to the ease in which he's manipulated has yet to be seen. Walter doesn't have any triggers, but any blows to his ego or attempts at otherwise emasculated him or making him feel less than, are easy ways to get to him. ]
Good. We're on the same page, then.
[ He nods once, finding Carver's response acceptable. ]
Shall we divy up the required components now? Or is some time needed for you to procure additional credits? This won't be cheap. Not if you want it done right.
[ It comes out flat. There are only a few ways to make money around here and working in the kitchens doesn't net nearly enough. But the only way out is through. ]
[ Walter nods, understanding. These things can't be done overnight. He's just glad that he isn't required to make up any of the credits himself, though he's starting to realize that he'll need some sooner or later. ]
I'll do some research and figure things out on my end as far as components. Contact me when you're ready to proceed.
[ He leaves it at that and turns to walk away. No need to linger for unnecessary conversation. Business is business, and best done concisely. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
timeasmymeasure
Text; un: f.s.
Date: 2022-09-09 02:22 pm (UTC)voice; un: w.w.
Date: 2022-09-09 03:43 pm (UTC)One of the best. Why?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 03:51 pm (UTC)[ And he doesn’t trust the network. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 04:19 pm (UTC)Where do you want to meet?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 04:25 pm (UTC)[ Fewer prying eyes. And it’s easier to breathe outside, to focus. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 06:30 pm (UTC)I'll see you there.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 06:43 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 10:38 pm (UTC)There isn't a response to his voice message, so he sets down his device and leaves his pod, eyes scanning upwards now, looking for the telltale peaks of trees. The woods--that's where he's headed. He would grumble about how vague these directions are, but it isn't as though he has anything better to do. This gives him purpose, for now.
Walter tentatively steps away from 'civilization' and under the cover of trees, making sure not to go too deep. The last thing he needs is to get turned around. He goes several paces in and then stops, ears pricked for snapping branches or other signs of life. ]
Hello?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-09 11:08 pm (UTC)He waits behind a tree, a knife sheathed at his side. Gloves on his hands. A whip concealed under his coat. He steps out deliberately, hands loose at his sides. Watching the other man. Walter White. High school chemistry teacher. They didn't exchange names last time, but it's not hard to find out who people are around here. ]
I need gas, [ he says, without preamble. ] And a canister to deploy it. I can mix the gas, I'm not a fucking moron, but the canister - mhmm.
[ It's not hard to make chlorine, or something nastier. It's really not. ]
And you strike me as the sort of motherfucker who goes twitchy without a challenge.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 02:06 am (UTC)Gas...are we talking lethal or non-lethal? How debilitating? I need more context to work with. What sort of purpose is this being used for? And yes, that matters. Because there are many options for methods of delivery, the usefulness of which depends on the situation in which it is to be used.
[ Duh. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 02:23 am (UTC)God, the people you meet in the mercenary business.
Carver grins. He doesn't flash his teeth this time. ]
But you really wanna make my day, white phosphorus. It deploys like tear gas. Get it in an enclosed space with the target and it does it's thing.
[ Makes an awful, vicious mess. ]
I wanna mess somebody up. In case that wasn't clear.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 03:38 am (UTC)Ah. White phosphorus, now there is a project. Doable, sure...the most difficult piece would be obtaining phosphate rock. It's quite possible that it's naturally occurring here, though I haven't yet studied the elements of this planet. I hear it's possible to request things from other worlds through the commissary. But I don't have any credits yet myself. I would also need silica, though I can likely get that from sand on the beach and...a piece of equipment. An electric furnace. Building one should be possible, though finding the necessary components will certainly take some time. It is doable, though. Need I advise you that, once exposed to oxygen, it quickly transforms into harmless compounds? This would need to be quite the enclosed space and deployed within especially close range.
[ He seems more pleased with this option. After all, creating a deployment method is much more engineering and less chemistry, though he has a fondness for both. But then, suddenly comes the thought of how he had strangled someone to death in a basement. How the sound of the man's death rattle still sometimes plagues him at night. ]
What did this person do?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 02:21 pm (UTC)I know how it deploys.
[ Firsthand experience, and all that. It makes an ugly, brutal mess. ]
They have it coming. That gonna be a problem?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 02:47 pm (UTC)[ Walt looks Carver in the eyes, hands up and palms facing outward as if to say he isn't a threat. But, he gets a faraway look about him as his hands drop back down and he begins to ponder aloud. ]
It's just...if you want to kill this person so badly why not just--
[ He makes a stabbing motion. He's certain that Carver has a shiv already. Anyone this concerned about another inmate would. This whole thing needs to make sense to him. He has a thing about going into anything with questions unanswered. Stabbing certainly seems like the cleaner and safer of the two options, which only leads him to believe that Carver wants this person to suffer. But why? ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 03:02 pm (UTC)Too easy. ]
Some people deserve to burn for what they do. I don't want it fast. I want it to fucking hurt. And I want to hit them by surprise, so they don't see it coming.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 03:29 pm (UTC)I need to know why they deserve to suffer.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 03:35 pm (UTC)Not much, on balance. Can’t have loose ends, can we? ]
They betrayed my sister. Our family’s dead now.
[ It comes out very soft. There’s something bright in Carver’s gaze then, creeping to a manic edge. Even so, he holds perfectly still. ]
Wanna know how they died? Hmm?
[ That’s a warning. It doesn’t need to be spelled out. He doesn’t owe a stranger the gory details. He doesn’t owe a stranger much of anything. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 04:43 pm (UTC)Perhaps this man has a reason to be as unhinged as he seems, though Walter doesn't like the threat of danger he feels in the quiet air between them. The fine hairs at the nape of his neck are tingling and standing on end, warning him. He holds his stare. Looking away would be acknowledging that Carver has the upper hand and that's not entirely clear yet, is it? Walter may not be as physically capable as Carver, but he would certainly put up a fight. He would fight dirty if push came to shove. He hasn't left his pod without his shiv since he won it at the Games. ]
I didn't ask how they died. I asked why this person should suffer, and you gave me an answer.
[ Walter doesn't show fear; doesn't back down or shrink away. Quite the opposite, actually, as he pulls his shoulders back and stands up straight and tall. ]
We'll have to stagger acquiring the parts so as not to alert anyone to what's happening, at least with anything we need to get from the commissary. Split between the two of us, it should be quite easy. But I'll need credits to put in for an order.
[ Walter knows how to get credits, but he's in no rush to dive into any of that. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 05:07 pm (UTC)Good. ]
I can spot you, [ Carver agrees, calm again. He's been here longer, he's earned things even if he doesn't like thinking about how. ] But we should talk payment, teach. I'll owe you a favor for this. Mhmm?
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 06:37 pm (UTC)[ Walter presses his lips into a line, eyes shifting from side to side as his brain cranks away at lightning fast calculations. Yes, there's no way to get paid for this in credits. Perhaps some combination of favors owed and monetary compensation would work. Accomplice to murder do3snt come cheap. Particularly not ehen one is already incarcerated. He has already seen people punished rather harshly for minute crimes. First-degree murder, though...even as an accessory he would pay a hefty price if caught. ]
For starters, nobody can know that I was involved in this. Ever. You get caught, you're going down for it on your own. Anyone retaliates? It'll be you they come looking for and no one else. I'll need credits to gather necessary materials, and I'd say this is worth at least two favors. Considering the risks I'm taking on.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 06:42 pm (UTC)That'd depend on what the favors are, teach. And if you're careful, and smart, then nobody will ever know you did a thing. You can be smart, can't you?
[ Just a little barb, to see if he'll puff up and take it personally. Men like that tend to. It makes them easy to manipulate. ]
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 07:17 pm (UTC)[ That should be fair enough. That way Walter only gets the help he actually needs and Carver can be put at ease knowing he won't be forced to do anything he doesn't agree to. And then Carver goes and takes that dig at him and Walt fights the urge to clench his fists at his sides, though his fingers do twitch a little and a scowl threatens to erupt on his face. This guy has no clue who the fuck he's dealing with. ]
You wouldn't have asked for my help if I wasn't smart. I meant that nobody hears of my involvement from you. As far as you're concerned, this was a one-man job.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 07:30 pm (UTC)He grins in response to the scowl. Ooh. Scary. ]
Course it is, teach. Keeps the world nice and simple. Far as anyone’s concerned, I did this shit on my own.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 10:32 pm (UTC)Good. We're on the same page, then.
[ He nods once, finding Carver's response acceptable. ]
Shall we divy up the required components now? Or is some time needed for you to procure additional credits? This won't be cheap. Not if you want it done right.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-10 10:42 pm (UTC)[ It comes out flat. There are only a few ways to make money around here and working in the kitchens doesn't net nearly enough. But the only way out is through. ]
I'll get what you need.
no subject
Date: 2022-09-11 12:17 am (UTC)I'll do some research and figure things out on my end as far as components. Contact me when you're ready to proceed.
[ He leaves it at that and turns to walk away. No need to linger for unnecessary conversation. Business is business, and best done concisely. ]