Penned by Brees

"Most men are," Lou shrugged as if the story she was just told shouldn't shock or appall. Maybe someone else it would have but she'd seen far too much and encountered far too many people very deserving of having their eyeballs melted for it to register much. Really, making a portal somewhere was far more impressive.

"So is it reactive? Like you just come up with something you need at the time or...can you pick the things you do?" She shouldn't be asking. There was some level of reciprocity when you asked questions. She needed to be prepared to be asked the same questions in a moment. Of course, she was also very well versed in dodging questions. "Seems like less messy ways to get a human off of you."

Lou paused and stared at him again. It was too much of a deflection for her to believe it, even for him. That either meant he knew exactly what was going on and was using it to his advantage...or he was involved. Both wouldn't have surprised her but for some reason his involvement made her relax. That meant it was definitely random but it wasn't something that could take them all out like she had feared.

It also meant she could use the rest of the conversation for personal things.

Without a second thought, Walker tosses him the water bottle he had dangling from his belt. He can get whatever he wants from whomever he wants when he wants it. A little water is nothing to him in the grand scheme of things. "Take that and I'll grab you more. I'm done for the day." He wasn't but it was quick work to make anyone think he was. He could take care of the rest tomorrow. Fucking humans. Or even worse, if his superiors were mutants and doing this to their own with absolutely no cause. Walker didn't shy away from giving a mutant exactly what they deserved if they came for him without provocation. Other than that, Santi would lose his ever loving mind to see mutants treating each other like this.

"Seems they stashed us all inside during that." Even the council knew that letting everyone die meant they were next. Fucking bureaucrats. "What do they have you cleaning up? Just this ashy shit? It'll blow away eventually. Seems a little pointless."

Walker watches as Santi explains. It's not the eloquence that gets him, he could see through any attempt to sell him on something without even blinking. It's the conviction. Santi actually believes what he says. Something Walker had checked back when they first met. Any man could say they wanted to elevate the mutant race to something more than sheer oddities for the humans amusement. In fact, many had said it. Santi actually can. And he'll actually live to see it happen regardless of the outcome in Walker's lifetime.

"Hope is a dangerous thing," he laments. There's many ways that could be taken but he's simply agreeing. The last thing holding the humans to their blind faith in humanity is hope. They've really already lost. "Glad to know you've finally caught onto my abilities," he comments with a smirk, "Took you long enough."

Her arms were carefully crossed again. Confusion written on her usually unreadable face. How did someone so jumpy end up with the type of job that required far more gumption than this? Of course, Lou had been out there when she travelled from her other settlement. There was a reason even she didn't volunteer for those jobs, even as she was built for it. But the girl should have done the same then. Stayed safely inside the walls if she was so terrified of...how had she put it? Exploding into a million pieces?

"You always this tense?" She finally asked after pausing. She actually didn't mind the moniker the girl had given her which was unusual. Although, throwing around the term unethical in this town seemed redundant. What really were ethics these days? "Kind of picked the wrong career if you're so nervous."

Any response was going to get him sucked into a conversation that he probably didn't want to be in but he answered anyway, "Make a man blush with talk like that." Walker didn't even offer the man a glance as he sat down and his tone doesn't offer any warmth no matter how friendly the comment might sound. If history is any indication, Seth won't let that deter him from whatever goal he's set himself. Though that part of the man's mind is probably too dark even for Walker to venture into.

"Tell me truthfully, how often do you actually update anything around here? Feels unnecessary since you have the corner on the...market." At least semi-legally. There are several groups vying for all illegal markets. Though in Walker's opinion, some of them shouldn't be illegal. Hunting humans for sport for example. "And why do you mingle so much with them?"

"Inquiring minds want to know," They smile. "What is the weirdest thing you have come across at work? I don't mean things weren't where you put them or you heard a creepy noise...I mean like, already found a body on top of the grave you were supposed to be making. Or - or, like...only part of a body.

It wasn't the first time he'd been asked but it was the first time his audience was quite so eager to hear the information. It was sad that the mutants had to be buried along the humans. He definitely took more care with one than the other.

"And here I thought a gentleman like you always gave the lady her satisfaction first." It was out her mouth before she really thought about who she was saying it to. Anyone else would have rolled their eyes or grimaced and avoided actually answering it. He would likely take the comment and run with it.

"I'm sure you've heard about the...attacks that keep happening." She continued hoping to move past her comment quickly. "Centered around one particular bar. Not a favorite of mine but seems to be popular in town. Too much fancy flair for my taste. Seems a little weird for those to all be in one place but you also seem to have a knack for knowing things you shouldn't."

Lou shrugged.

Seeing someone's mutation wasn't all that high up on her list of things she enjoyed. Mostly she felt like it wasn't anyone's business but their own but everyone seemed to have the mentality that everyone's business was theirs. It was weird.

But then the woman continued as if she hadn't just turned down the request. And boy was it an interesting answer. "Devil magic," Lou repeated as if it was some kind of joke. But then again, she was damn near eighty years old and could make people bleed out through their eye sockets if she was so inclined. "What exactly does devil magic consist of?"

Walker hums. Of course they'd lie to him and tell him that the day was almost over so they could overwork him. Either his size or the fact he's a mutant or his strength. It didn't matter. Humans would find a way to exploit him and justify it. "They give you some water for those?" He gestures to the slits that Fins was just scratching. He's seen many other mutants be kind to this one and yet, he still stays in captivity. Willingly it seemed.

"Well, you know, people die. Gotta do something with the bodies," she shrugged. Really he took the job because it was some level of physical activity that he could do alone. As long as things got done, no one really checked up on him. "Few more than normal after all the bullshit. How'd you fair? Stay out of the ash?"

His smile is wide and genuine as he takes the chip. Finally some fun. It's like humans used to hunt animals back before the end of the world. It's a sport. Plus, humans are just animals now. Granted, they are taking their loss of the top spot on the evolutionary chain badly, but they still lost it. They don't like being treated they way they've treated everything else for so long.

"Done." Though part of him blanches at having to show mercy to their own kind. It's not that he isn't merciful, on occasion. It's that he doesn't think their own kind who've joined with the humans, especially in some sort of experiments, deserve that mercy. "You know," she sighs knowing he could find the information himself if he chose too but since it's Santi, he asks out loud, "You could have given this to anyone. You wanting something that requires my expertise here?"

Stake outs? In an alley? What the heck was going on here? Was there truly someone watching their movements and waiting to catch someone like Lou? So many questions and she seemed to have someone willing to talk in front of her.

"Healers." She answered simply. It was more complicated than that but that seemed to convey the message in the best way. There were quite a few types of mutations that included some level of healing. There was likely some other fun party favors that the girl had to deal with but that wasn't any of Lou's business. She knew what she needed to know. And still, she didn't take the ball back.

Lou couldn't help but laugh. It was hollow and had no humor, but a laugh none-the-less. The girl seemed to be trying to illicit some sympathy but she was definitely aiming that at the wrong person. There was no compensation for what people did to each other. "Humpty Dumpty didn't survive that situation," she crossed her arms, "You can. You'd rather someone die? Glad I don't have to go out with you. Throwing people under the bus like that."

Lou's eyes flick over his face. It's possibly the longest time she's looked at him without finding some excuse to be distracted or look away. She's lived long enough to be able to read people with almost 100% accuracy but even with that, he's probably the best she's ever met at being deceptive. She hasn't questioned anyone's motives quite as much as his but even she is starting to buy what he is selling.

What was happening to her? She needed to get it together or she risked heading down the same path that lead her to Sol City in the first place.

"Doesn't matter, she's all yours." Lou shrugged. Sharing details of herself wasn't something she did even when she was close with someone, she wasn't about to start airing her dirty laundry with a stranger. Even an attractive one. Trust was earned and she had yet to meet someone who earned it. "That's quite an interesting philosophy you have there," she turned back to the bar and sipped at her drink. Treating humans like that was exactly how mutants were treated and she couldn't really see the benefits of everyone killing each other off but...she also didn't care enough to do anything about it. Lou's hate didn't discriminate, there was enough to go around for everyone.

Playing games. That wasn't a surprise at all. Occasionally she felt like she was talking with the Cheshire cat around him. Riddles and half truths only really being made clear once everything was on the table, and even then it was still confusing. She took off her glove to shake his hand and took the opportunity to scan him. It wasn't something she did often. In fact, she could probably count on one hand the times she did it to another person.

So he had been injured recently. Interesting.