[ it's in part why he hadn't told her on the network (the other part didn't really have the time on account of the mission). but if she forced it straight of kirigan's mouth, corner him on what had happened, maybe the result would be different.
but all at once, kovacs knows there's something else in learning truths like that. he's had his share of learning betrayals from those he trusted most. his concern for newt is plenty, but he's not the only one. ]
[It feels like all of the air has knocked out of her lungs as she leans against the wall in the hallway. She’s only just left his room when she messaged Kovacs.]
No
[Normally she would just lie or brush it off, but she’s spiraling.]
[ figures he would. even now, he's sure that kirigan doesn't see the wrong in what he did, and if the opportunity came up again, he wouldn't hesitate.
without daisy to keep him at bay and with alina actively trying to warn everyone against him, that man could just become more of a risk walking around.
[ though he pauses for a moment, realizing his "room" would bear a bit of a different definition for her if she wasn't already aware of the change, especially since he hasn't bothered to share it, save for a few people. ]
[ it's just a few seconds after she gives a knock to the door that he answers it. for once, he's actually fully clothed, looking more like it hadn't been too long since he'd come back, with even his boots still on, jacket freshly tossed on the bed.
he steps aside, gesturing for her to come inside. ]
C'mon.
[ the room doesn't look too different from what his side had looked like when he shared with kirigan, only that it's a private room for one this time, still mostly neat save for a stack of books on a table bearing quite the variety (including a few romances) and a small cardigan that clearly isn't his hanging on a chair. ]
[One of the first thing she notices is the cardigan, but she doesn’t have it in her to ask right now. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Daisy turns to face him.]
[ he doesn't answer the question immediately. it's likely she only knows parts of the story now, the parts that kirigan was cornered into telling, likely carefully crafted to make his choices that day seem reasonable.
if that's all she's got to go on, daisy deserves the full truth. ]
Yeah, I did. [ he turns to her, exhaling deeply through his nose. ] Newt was asleep. Defenseless. When I came in — Kirigan had his shadows wrapped around his neck. Ready to choke him out without anyone there to know. Even when I pulled the gun on him, he wasn't planning to stop.
[ it's the brutal truth, but kovacs would rather not sugarcoat it, especially if it means allowing daisy to see the rawness of what kind of acts kirigan might pull when she's not looking. kovacs has never been one to soften reality anyway. ]
He could have easily killed me too.
[ he's aware he doesn't have what it takes to fight against someone with that kind of power. he signed his own death sentence the moment he stepped inside.
but kovacs isn't stupid either. he's lasted this long as a survivor for a reason. ]
Well, he clearly didn't give a shit about Newt's own life.
[ doesn't matter that they had all spent months on this station together, fought and bled on these missions as a team. the idea of familial bond clearly wasn't a concept kirigan understood if he could go after one of their own without hesitation. ]
So I told him we didn't know the reach of those things in Newt's head. That killing Newt would likely just make them jump into someone else. That he'd probably have to kill me and everyone else too.
[ he shrugs a shoulder before crossing his arms. ]
Hell if I knew if that was even possible. But I knew if I convinced him he had a clear lack of control over the situation, he'd waver. Men like that like to have it all planned out. Clean kill. Easy. No mess to wipe up afterwards.
[Wiping her cheeks as she turns to look at the stack of books Kovacs has instead, Daisy nods in understanding.
Aleksander's done this before, that much she knows. It's the fact that he could so easily Newt, after knowing him for a year that really got to her. And on a personal level, Daisy relates to what happened to Newt more than most people. As much as she had wanted to die afterwards, her friends had never once tried to kill her for it.]
He tried to say he did it because of all of the people Newt had killed. How he had almost killed me--
[A knot forms in her throat, like she's finally absorbing just how much he's lied to her. How he almost killed Newt. Would have, if it hadn't been for Kovacs.]
[ he honestly doesn't need to look right at her to know that this is probably hard for her to hear, but he can see the way she tries to turn away, catching the faint hint of wet on her cheeks as she tries to wipe tears away.
a part of him feels guilty, not for telling her, but for not catching it soon. all those months living with the man and aside from assuming him to be peculiar and a bit of a reclusive oddball (who seemed to strangely draw a lot of women around), kovacs didn't think it was worth diving too deep to try figuring him out.
daisy mentions almost dying and his eyes turn away. that day on the train, plenty of their group was at risk too. he'd almost lost marta. a few seconds more and she and him both would have been blown to shreds with the cars.
kirigan mentioned someone "very special" almost getting killed. was it daisy he was talking about? ]
It ... wasn't Newt. Maybe if it'd really had been him on that train, fucking us all over on purpose, I'd have pulled the trigger myself. But it wasn't him inside that body. And Kirigan didn't want to believe that. I don't think he'd have cared either way.
[ and in that moment, alina's words surface in his mind again, prompting another sigh. ]
[In a way that most other people here can't relate to. What it's like to be completely out of control of your body, but witness everything that's happened. Remembering what it felt like to hurt someone you wouldn't. The guilt eats away at you.
She straightens up a bit when he mentions hearing more warnings, her heart sinking even further.]
[ he thinks of alina reaching out to him almost as soon as kirigan had appeared with news about viveca's body. kirigan can't be trusted with it, she'd said, like he'd been prepared to somehow use it as a bargaining chip. lining it up with what he'd already learned about the man by then, it seemed a lot easier to believe.
but alina had been careful about what she'd said to him then — i want to make sure i'm not trusting anyone on this ship who would make excuses for him. somehow, he doesn't think it'd be a good idea to attach her name to his warnings. not from his mouth, at least. ]
I don't know the details, for sure. Just that he has the tendency to make plans and he's capable of using people as tools to get it.
[ that it's likely he's done it before. if alina ever tells him what went on between them. ]
If he's planning something now, I can't say for sure, but I'm definitely keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't pull anything. But it'd be a good idea for you to stay as far away from him as possible. You especially.
[ he doesn't have enough on kirigan's past to spread those details so certainly, not until he talks more with alina to find out just what kind of man he really is.
though daisy laughs, his own face remains stern. ]
It's not about hurting you. Not physically.
[ he steps further towards her, expression serious. ]
Daisy, you were ready to fight everyone through the earpieces to defend him. I know you didn't know everything then, but whatever you do know now, it doesn't change that you two have plenty of history. If he really is someone dangerous, he probably wouldn't hesitate to use that against you. To manipulate you into believing his side.
[ it's not daisy's fault. relationships — they can be a tricky thing. he's been manipulated by people he trusted most. he knows how easy it can be to fall for something just from wanting to believe it so badly. ]
Right now, until we get a better idea of what might be going on, it's safer for you to just avoid talking to him completely.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
i didnt know
im sorry
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[ it's in part why he hadn't told her on the network (the other part didn't really have the time on account of the mission). but if she forced it straight of kirigan's mouth, corner him on what had happened, maybe the result would be different.
but all at once, kovacs knows there's something else in learning truths like that. he's had his share of learning betrayals from those he trusted most. his concern for newt is plenty, but he's not the only one. ]
you okay?
no subject
[It feels like all of the air has knocked out of her lungs as she leans against the wall in the hallway. She’s only just left his room when she messaged Kovacs.]
No
[Normally she would just lie or brush it off, but she’s spiraling.]
no subject
without daisy to keep him at bay and with alina actively trying to warn everyone against him, that man could just become more of a risk walking around.
right now, he wouldn't expect her to be fine.
after a moment, his response comes through— ]
got a pink bag with your name on it
no subject
Where are you?
no subject
[ though he pauses for a moment, realizing his "room" would bear a bit of a different definition for her if she wasn't already aware of the change, especially since he hasn't bothered to share it, save for a few people. ]
new one
further down the hall
no subject
[Daisy makes her way over to his room, quickly wiping the tears from her cheeks before knocking on the door.]
no subject
he steps aside, gesturing for her to come inside. ]
C'mon.
[ the room doesn't look too different from what his side had looked like when he shared with kirigan, only that it's a private room for one this time, still mostly neat save for a stack of books on a table bearing quite the variety (including a few romances) and a small cardigan that clearly isn't his hanging on a chair. ]
no subject
[One of the first thing she notices is the cardigan, but she doesn’t have it in her to ask right now. Chewing on the inside of her cheek, Daisy turns to face him.]
You stopped him, didn’t you?
[Stopped Aleksander from killing Newt.]
no subject
if that's all she's got to go on, daisy deserves the full truth. ]
Yeah, I did. [ he turns to her, exhaling deeply through his nose. ] Newt was asleep. Defenseless. When I came in — Kirigan had his shadows wrapped around his neck. Ready to choke him out without anyone there to know. Even when I pulled the gun on him, he wasn't planning to stop.
no subject
How did you stop him?
[Kovacs is far from weak, but how easily could he go against someone with powers like Aleksander?]
no subject
He could have easily killed me too.
[ he's aware he doesn't have what it takes to fight against someone with that kind of power. he signed his own death sentence the moment he stepped inside.
but kovacs isn't stupid either. he's lasted this long as a survivor for a reason. ]
So I catered to his own poison — I talked. Lied.
no subject
What did you say to him?
no subject
[ doesn't matter that they had all spent months on this station together, fought and bled on these missions as a team. the idea of familial bond clearly wasn't a concept kirigan understood if he could go after one of their own without hesitation. ]
So I told him we didn't know the reach of those things in Newt's head. That killing Newt would likely just make them jump into someone else. That he'd probably have to kill me and everyone else too.
[ he shrugs a shoulder before crossing his arms. ]
Hell if I knew if that was even possible. But I knew if I convinced him he had a clear lack of control over the situation, he'd waver. Men like that like to have it all planned out. Clean kill. Easy. No mess to wipe up afterwards.
no subject
Aleksander's done this before, that much she knows. It's the fact that he could so easily Newt, after knowing him for a year that really got to her. And on a personal level, Daisy relates to what happened to Newt more than most people. As much as she had wanted to die afterwards, her friends had never once tried to kill her for it.]
He tried to say he did it because of all of the people Newt had killed. How he had almost killed me--
[A knot forms in her throat, like she's finally absorbing just how much he's lied to her. How he almost killed Newt. Would have, if it hadn't been for Kovacs.]
no subject
a part of him feels guilty, not for telling her, but for not catching it soon. all those months living with the man and aside from assuming him to be peculiar and a bit of a reclusive oddball (who seemed to strangely draw a lot of women around), kovacs didn't think it was worth diving too deep to try figuring him out.
daisy mentions almost dying and his eyes turn away. that day on the train, plenty of their group was at risk too. he'd almost lost marta. a few seconds more and she and him both would have been blown to shreds with the cars.
kirigan mentioned someone "very special" almost getting killed. was it daisy he was talking about? ]
It ... wasn't Newt. Maybe if it'd really had been him on that train, fucking us all over on purpose, I'd have pulled the trigger myself. But it wasn't him inside that body. And Kirigan didn't want to believe that. I don't think he'd have cared either way.
[ and in that moment, alina's words surface in his mind again, prompting another sigh. ]
Since then, I've heard more warnings. About him.
no subject
[In a way that most other people here can't relate to. What it's like to be completely out of control of your body, but witness everything that's happened. Remembering what it felt like to hurt someone you wouldn't. The guilt eats away at you.
She straightens up a bit when he mentions hearing more warnings, her heart sinking even further.]
What do you mean?
no subject
but alina had been careful about what she'd said to him then — i want to make sure i'm not trusting anyone on this ship who would make excuses for him. somehow, he doesn't think it'd be a good idea to attach her name to his warnings. not from his mouth, at least. ]
I don't know the details, for sure. Just that he has the tendency to make plans and he's capable of using people as tools to get it.
[ that it's likely he's done it before. if alina ever tells him what went on between them. ]
If he's planning something now, I can't say for sure, but I'm definitely keeping an eye on him to make sure he doesn't pull anything. But it'd be a good idea for you to stay as far away from him as possible. You especially.
no subject
[Look, Daisy is all for privacy. But hiding something like this? When they're all stuck here unable to escape him? Not a great idea.
She laughs bitterly when Kovacs warns her to stay away,]
I'd love to see him even try to hurt me.
no subject
[ he doesn't have enough on kirigan's past to spread those details so certainly, not until he talks more with alina to find out just what kind of man he really is.
though daisy laughs, his own face remains stern. ]
It's not about hurting you. Not physically.
[ he steps further towards her, expression serious. ]
Daisy, you were ready to fight everyone through the earpieces to defend him. I know you didn't know everything then, but whatever you do know now, it doesn't change that you two have plenty of history. If he really is someone dangerous, he probably wouldn't hesitate to use that against you. To manipulate you into believing his side.
[ it's not daisy's fault. relationships — they can be a tricky thing. he's been manipulated by people he trusted most. he knows how easy it can be to fall for something just from wanting to believe it so badly. ]
Right now, until we get a better idea of what might be going on, it's safer for you to just avoid talking to him completely.
no subject
She understands his hesitation, but right now she is so beyond livid with him, and herself for not seeing it sooner.]
I want nothing to do with him.
[And as firmly as she wants to say that, her voice wavers with the overwhelming feeling of hurt.]