hopepainandshit | TLV: IC Inbox

Maybe it doesn't matter, in terms of... you know, you. [He picks up another mugshot, eyes trailing down slowly.] I don't know what happened to my father, but I don't think it would've mattered much in me still wanting to be a Belmont. Or at least I'd drive myself mad wondering about it.

My father was killed in an accident one say at work. My mother was so upset, she didn't leave her room for a week. My sister and I forced her to eat.

[He skims the page as he talks, summarizing the pages as he goes.]

Then my sister left.

[He's gathering all the posters, laying them out in order.]

Going from half an orphan to Lord Protector's a big fucking jump.

I was always good with a sword. I entered a contest. The Blade Verbena. I won and it earned me an officer ranking in the Guard. I was young, but - but everything seemed right. My mother would be comfortable and I could possibly go find my sister.

I was very good at what I did, so it was only a matter of time before I attracted attention and was given as a gift to the Emperor, Jessamine's father.

[He watches Richter lay out the photos, frowning as he does.]

And it was all going well, from there. You and Jessamine were happy, Emily was thriving. And then...

[He places Daud's poster on top, tapping the scarred face with one finger.]

Jessamine was killed.

Fourteen years with her. Emily was born.

[He doesn't look at the poster.]

We told her when she was old enough to understand why we had to keep it secret.

The Plague had been going two years when she sent me off to find out information about it. I came back early, which they didn't anticipate when they set their traps.

I was framed for the murder, then they took me to Coldridge.

[He sets his jaw, sitting back, shoulders tight.]

And Campbell made sure you suffered for it. Tried to get you to confess to something you didn't do.

[He slides his hand over to pull Campbell's out, resting it next to Daud's.]

Of all things, you poisoned him.

[He nods.]

I did. To - save Curnow. His niece asked me to save her uncle. Callista. She - took care of Emily.

I went through Dunwall and learned that he was going to kill Curnow. He was too loyal to the crown and they needed to get rid of anyone who wouldn't fall in line.

All I did was switch their drinks without him knowing. He poisoned himself.

It doesn't sound like he poisoned himself. You fucked off right away, right? [And he can't imagine Corvo would have left any trace of his own presence, the way he can blink around without notice.] Can't help but think that makes it look like Curnow killed a powerful man for his own gain.

He escaped.

I made sure of it.

[Yes, he got out, but Corvo took down as many guards as he could to leave him an exit.]

You knew Campbell was corrupt, though. You could've proved it, you could have ruined him completely.

[Corvo's silent for a moment, just staring.]

We'll never get through this if you want to pick through every damn choice.

[Richter gives him a completely unimpressed look.]

You just said you know you fucked up. That means you made a bad call somewhere on the way. [He gestures along the mugshots.] Most likely, you made a lot of them. How do you expect us to work it out quickly?

Alright. I could have done it. I had an idea, but it would have been considerably more risky that way.

[He turns the page.]

I wasn't willing to take that risk.

[It's impossible to keep all the incredulity off his face.]

As opposed to, and this is just a totally random example - stalking him to the house where he planned to murder someone, watching him poison the glasses, and sneaking in to switch them when no one was looking.

Yes.

[Absolutely no irony in his voice.]

Anything else or shall we move on?

"What was the other way?" he asks. He's not letting this one go just yet. "What made it more risky?"

He clenches his jaw again.

"To brand him with the Heretic's mark. Show the city and the country what he really is," he mutters. "I would have needed to knock him out and taken him down, unseen, to the Interrogation Room where the brand is."

It's creative, nonlethal, and would have been the better option.

Corvo still didn't think it would be worth the risk when he could hear the man choke.

"Couldn't you have taken the brand from the prison?" That seems the more straightforward way to him, but he might be missing something.

He shakes his head. "No. There is a chemical involved along with the brand itself being far too heavy to simply carry with me. I couldn't guarantee that the fires upstairs would burn hot enough, either."

He nods readily, easy acceptance of new information.

It doesn't make the Campbell situation better, but he's certainly starting to see a bigger picture.

He slides Campbell's picture to the side for the moment, clearing the way for-

"The Pendleton brothers. You said they were hiding Emily for a while there."

He nods, glad to be moving on.

"Overseer Campbell's journal, which I had been tasked to take, contained blackmail information that the Loyalists needed. It also told them where Emily was being held. The twins owned a pleasure house - the Golden Cat. She was inside. Their youngest brother, also a Loyalist, needed their votes in Parliament, so they needed to be taken care of."

He leans forward on the table again, linking his fingers. "I - met with Slackjaw. Leader of a gang in Dunwall. He said he could take care of them for me if I did him a favor. He wouldn't kill them. I didn't want to risk Emily by shedding unnecessary blood in the Cat, so I did it."

His eyes flick up to meet Corvo's, but his head stays angled towards the paper. "What did you do, then?"

"He wanted the code to a safe. There was an art dealer who - enjoyed the attentions at the Cat." He raises a brow.

"Are you even old enough to hear this story, boy?"

"That's cute, you think I don't know what a prostitute is." But it's a snicker, and his grin widens. "Don't tell me you had to suck his cock for the code?"

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