shrieking over burial at sea, what else is new

[who_is]

Well... I do cut a bloody fine figure in that new portrait, now, don't I?

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[apolloheir]

Don't sound so proud of yourself. You still lose in the end.

[RAR RAR RAR]

[who_is]

Ah, but ain't that the funny thing about them constants and variables? [No, he's not dropping the Irish schtick.] You can't be so sure that I will.

[apolloheir]

What did that woman say? "There's always a man, a lighthouse, and a city." So that means there's always me. [Or, well, Booker, but whatever.] ...And there's always someone to stop what's been set in motion.

[who_is]

Well, of course you'd always be there. You're my ace in the hole, aren't you? You're the reason any of my plans succeed to begin with.

But you'd be a fool to think that you'll always be there to make me fail.

[apolloheir]

Not by choice. Not willingly. [W-Y-K makes sure of that.]

And if I lose, all you have is a leaking city full of crazy people and ghosts. Some victory. [Jack... actually sort of cracks a smile.]

[who_is]

Choice is a wee bit overrated in your case, don't you think? You got along just fine with nothing but the winds of my guidance at your back.

And don't be so sure of that, boyo. Don't you remember? I had a ride to the surface waitin' with all the ADAM I could bring up with me... [Just like that, he's back to Bronx.] And there woulda been a seat for you in that sub if you hadn't thrown your lot in with Mother Goose.

[apolloheir]

[And there it is. Jack's tiny little smile vanishes like ice under an open flame.] Fontaine.

If I'd gone with you... you would have killed me the moment I stopped being useful. All Tenenbaum wanted was to save her girls. They deserved better than being Little Sisters.

[who_is]

Who's to say what I would or wouldn't do? Nobody but me, that's who, so don't go spoutin' off on that.

In fact... The same goes for the kraut too, you know that? You don't know if that's all she wanted. Who's to say she really "cured" you at all, huh? Who's to say she didn't put something else in your head that's even worse than a little would you kindly, just tick-tick-tickin' away until she finds the right moment to use it?

[apolloheir]

She wouldn't- that's not- you're lying. That didn't happen and you know it.

[Or did it? Jack shuts his mouth and looks away, profoundly unnerved by what Fontaine's saying.]

[who_is]

[Oh, he's enjoying this.]

Do I? Heh, you wish I had any idea what's goin' on in that brain of hers. But I do know one thing: it ain't anything good.

Look, kid. The only reason I had to put you down was because I didn't want her usin' you against me — and that's exactly what she did, ain't it? You can't blame a guy for lookin' out for his own neck... But if she hadn't gone messin' around in your head, you and me, we coulda made one hell of a partnership.

[apolloheir]

[No reply. No eye contact. It takes a while for him to find his voice again.]

..."Partnership" implies free will. You'd just order me around with "would you kindly". Wouldn't you?

[who_is]

Oh, I don't know about that. The kraut did manage to get that worked out of your system, after all.

Besides, why should I have to order you around when askin' politely seems to worked pretty damn well on its own?

[unkindly]

Funny, I never saw those.

[who_is]

I suppose they were a bit scarce by the time you turned up. Shame, that.

[unkindly]

Yeah. Shame.

[who_is]

Well, it's no matter. Besides, who knows... Maybe there'll still be a few waiting whenever you get on back to Rapture.

[unkindly]

You sound pretty sure I'm going back.

[who_is]

Where else is there to go? A place like this can only be a brief respite, at best.

[unkindly]

I guess.

[Astonishingly, he doesn't sound excited about the prospect.]

[dreamofthesky]

If it's any consolation, most of the portraits are still hanging in all their raw, chiseled glory long after the city's descended into complete disrepair. [So very dry.]

...those people truly thought you their savior, didn't they?

[who_is]

[Heh.] That's good to hear.

And so what if they did? Seems to me like a savior was what they truly needed, even if it didn't work out so well in the end.