hadriel | voice;

[ Will hasn't really been around much at all. Finding small comfort in escapism. Fishing was too obvious a choice as was the spot down by the river he'd made for his Fenic fox and Nugs. No, Will had been living low, hiding out in various God's temples and small nooks and crannies not so deep inside the tunnels, practicing how to most efficiently take out some of the monsters with or without a weapon.

His voice is raspy like he hasn't spoken a word in weeks... which is partly true. ]

My mind has been a busy mess of blur and motion. Thoughts buzzing past like worker bees, endlessly in their endeavor... Nauseating- I er, I know a lot of turbulent occurrences have swooped down and splattered, most ungracefully so, all over this shithole of a cavern we have no choice but to call home. It's been testing, to say the least...

[ A moment of silence as Will recalled the fires, the mirrors and so on. That wasn't what he wanted to be focusing on right now. A heavy sigh before he continues. ]

... Such has been out of our control, true, but what about the things that aren't? There's no death here, no justice either, no real justice. Sure, we have the illusion our City Guard like to cast over us, that we're safe and looked after. Frankly, since Jill vanished I can't for certain say I'd trust any of them with my life- Ah, but what does life matter here, huh? No death, no crime. Murderers and monsters are our neighbors. Friendly Mr. Rodgers in his bloodstained sweater...

[ He's rambling, emotional and tired. ]

We need justice. We're ruled by our emotions, literally! God's? What God's?' He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings utter darkness into the light.' Isn't that what a God does? No, all this death, killing, darkness has to stop. We need a system of order, a place to hold the dangerous, a means of judging and sentencing them... How many times can we be revived before it's too late?

... Well, I'm gonna be trying to do something about it, even if I have to do it alone.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ You'd be surprised. The number of people who have been killed is disturbing. Sure, some of it can be accounted for the fact the Gods were messing with their emotions but still. ]

Both. I'm well aware of the difference, it's my job to know.

Well, most people here seem to be against my idea anyway. Seem to think there's no way to detain or even prove someone if guilty. But I er, I had the idea of using the guilty as more power for the Gods. Lock them up somewhere where they can't hurt anyone for a set time, let the Gods inflict them and feed off them for a while.

[ Heh, Michael might be on to something with that thought. Not that Will would admit it himself but he knows a few. ]

[Fucking- Michael makes an undignified keysmash (but thankfully avoids hitting "send") before putting the phone down for a few minutes. Why is everyone so into this hold people and torture them thing? First Seel, now Will. Just let him have one, god.]

Your job?

I don't think they're going to limit themselves to people you've captured.
Are you strong enough to hunt down and detain killers by yourself?
I could help with that first part, at least.
But I'd need names.

[He's not desperate. Definitely not.]

I worked with the FBI as part of a criminal behavioral profiling special agent.

[ He takes a breath, waiting for the questions that normally follow that mouthful of a sentence. ]

You're right, they won't- but if they have them at hand, for easier access it might be a deal breaker. I eh, I-- No, not really but I know someone who could both hunt, restrain and detain them. Again, any help would be welcome, however.

[ Asking for names again?! Come on, Michael at least offer him a drink or take him for a meal before you jump right into the good stuff! ]

You'll get your names. I have to know I can trust you first.

[Perhaps surprisingly, Michael has no questions about that. He knows what those people do. And he knows that it makes this conversation risky, but he can't help it. This is frustrating as hell, but Will has something they want- he wants. Careful.]

So you do have a way to detain them?
Or at least someone who can?
Anyway,
consider this an offer of assistance.

What does knowing you can trust me entail?
I assume it's not just me saying
"you can trust me".

[ Will has a secret weapon up his sleeve too, he's a highly charged empath. So yes, Michael needs to be careful what he says, even through text. It doesn't normally take Will long to work someone out. Especially if they're trying to hide something. ]

It's easy to detain someone here, especially in the tunnels. Easy to hunt them down too if they manage to escape.

I find it hard to trust a stranger. When you know what people are capable of... So yea, I'd have to know you're not planning some Legion of Doom shit with all the information you're looking for.

[He'll have to be careful, yes, but careful isn't his preferred approach. He's reckless at the best of times, and probably the only reason he's never been caught is because their modus operandi leaves no direct connection to him and is, quite frankly, unbelievable. At least, it was outside of Hadriel.

Earning someone's trust- on purpose, anyway- isn't Michael's strong suit, but being all mysterious through text certainly isn't going to help. It hasn't so far. Time for a more direct avenue.]

Is this a little better? I get that it's not easy to trust people, especially here. Believe me, I know what people are capable of. That... wasn't supposed to sound ominous. I just work in the forensics field.

Legion of Doom, though, really? You think I'm trying to team up with these people? [He snorts, like the idea is ridiculous. Because it is. The Visitor doesn't play well with others.]

The names are how I intend to find them, yeah. But I'm not interested in starting some secret society.

[ Reckless, huh? Another thing they have in common then. By this point, Will is already tossing the idea around in the salad bowl of his mind, that this guy is a killer himself, or he's at least killed before, be it self-defense or other.

It was a surprise, the switch to audio, he'd not actually expected Michael to expose himself in any way. Will appreciate the vulnerability it exposes. ]

Better, yes. Thanks, now we're even Stevens.

[ Will pauses a moment. The names of killers here would be easy to find if you invested a little time into it. Sure, he admits it's easier to just get some weird knowledgeable guy on the network to do the work for you, so he gets it. ]

You say you want to find them, what are you planning on doing when you do, in fact, find them? I'm curious.

[Make that "other".

And yes, the names could probably be found by posting on the network and just... straight up asking, but that seems a little incriminating and suspicious. Besides, network posts aren't exactly "proof". The Visitor will spring without much evidence, but for his own (admittedly lax) conscience, Michael needs more than a network post.

Like, say, the opinion of an FBI profiler.]

I'll be honest, it's not what you were planning. Sorry to disappoint. But it's for the best, in the long run. Better them than someone else. You said you wanted to punish them.

[He's being vague, but it's mostly because he doesn't know how to say it. He knows the words, but that's not the how. And anyway, he suspects Will already knows what he means.]

[ How very interesting indeed. Congratulations, Michael you just skipped to the top of Will's list of interesting people!

He listens carefully, hearing between the lines. Already getting a slight feel on what kind of a person the man he's talking to is, or what his design is at least. ]

You don't have to beat around the bush with me. If you want my help, my opinion- be it for less tasteful musings, you can just come right out and tell me.

[ He knows Michael plans on something more than simple justice, and this makes him exciting to talk to. A mystery, a like-minded acquaintance even. Someone to keep in your back pocket perhaps. ]

And I do, I want them punished for what they've done, what they're doing... They can't be killed so I need to know your idea would be sufficient before I give any information out.

[Sadly, Michael would not be pleased to know that. He'd also probably correct Will on one point; this design isn't his, not exactly.]

What do you mean they can't be killed? They're flesh and blood like everybody else. [A small point of contention, maybe; the killer he was chasing back home had achieved something of urban legend status.] Unless you mean keeping them dead. I don't need to do that.

[Aaaand he's essentially just told Will what he wants. And in the same breath made himself out to be useless to Will's cause. Which he can't let stand, because he needs those names. God, why is he so bad at this? You don't have to beat around the bush with me. Yeah, but he also doesn't want to make himself a target for whatever "justice" Will's planning.

Fuck it.]

Listen, what I do's going to be messy. If that's not punishment enough for you, people come back to life in the same place every time, right? I'll be delivering them to you on a silver platter. Do whatever you want after that, I don't care. [He does care. Kind of.]

voice;

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private]

[private; switching to audio]

[private audio]

[private audio]

[private audio]

[private audio]