hadriel | 007 [Video]

[Like the last few posts that have occurred, this is also clearly in regards to the Null's latest announcement; however, Lance is trying a different tactic, because he's doing his best to avoid getting kicked out of seeing their list. So he's wording this very carefully, and that's purposefully obvious in his tone; it's also probably pretty obvious in how intent his stare is, and in how he's casually fiddling with his FBI badge in view of the screen.

He's really hoping the Null aren't too good with subtle body language, and that the people here aren't as generally bad at it as he's concerned they are.]

In light of recent occurrences, I'd like to remind everyone that I'm a psychologist, and I have an office in the clinic should anyone wish to speak confidentially. Additionally, although I prefer to work with individuals, group meetings are also possible.

[Aka the Clinic is available for anyone who wants to have private conversations about all of this going on, and Lance will be lurking there himself both to participate and keep watch on things.]

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[Matt and Booth would probably get along, and it would be terrible honestly. But Matt focuses in on what Lance says next. He notices the pause, but doesn't interrupt, giving the doctor time to assemble his thoughts.

If nothing else, Matt trusts what the other man has said. There's been no deception in him that Matt can discern, heart rate and breathing not changing, voice steady.]

The list is growing. I landed myself on it. I think if we count out those on the list entirely, it'd limit us. If someone is capable and willing, I think we have to go with what we have.

[FBI psychologist. All right. Matt takes a moment to digest that. This guy is very clearly smart, if he's capable of some fighting too, more's the better.]

I'm willing and able to help as well. [He's aware that may sound strange coming from a blind man.]

[Lance is not used to people being able to read him like he can others, especially in regards to lying, and hasn't quite realized Matt's capable of it; fortunately, though, he hasn't yet felt any particular need or reason to be less than truthful.

He's silent while Matt is, also taking the moment to think about the situation, although he's more trying to figure out the logistics of setting up a guard at the clinic and trying to mentally check off who works there who might be able to assist in some way or another.

Matt's last comment is a little surprising, but considering how many people here have magic or other weird powers he's inclined to believe that's the explanation, or else he might just be a really good fighter and not need to see. Lance can shoot blind and he knows several other agents who can, so it's not difficult to believe Matt might be able to defend himself in another--or the same--way.]

That would also give you a very good excuse to be around often.

[Which is an added benefit.]

That's a good point, actually. All the more reason then.

[So he'll certainly take his shifts. And he's got the names that Lance has provided in the back of his mind, will see about speaking to them. At the moment, maybe it's overreaction, but there's no telling how this will play out. Matt is of the mind that they're better safe than sorry.]

This isn't.... [Okay how to describe this exactly.] This isn't the first time I've dealt with threats like this, with murderers and monsters who thought they could get away with using innocent people's lives for their own gain. I'm used to fighting.

[And then, since this guy is FBI.] The other thing to consider -- how do we deal if someone takes the Null up on their offer? Like I said, not much in the way of courts here. Maybe that's premature to be concerned with, but...

Likewise, unfortunately.

[All of this is a little too familiar to him, in several different ways, and he's not pleased with any of it. Matt's last question is one he doesn't have any answer to, but has thought about often himself.]

I don't know, because right now there are very few individuals I would consider to have both the experience and temperament suitable to handle such an issue, and several who are not but hold positions of social influence here.

[And so if the ball got rolling on the matter, so to speak, he's very concerned about the wrong people ending up controlling and deciding on consequences and how to enforce them. But they also can't just do nothing either, so it's a complicated mess.]

Right. It's not like there's any acting government. There's the guard, but somehow taking the step towards martial law feels dangerous. I guess we'll have to cross that bridge when we come to it, but the last thing I want to happen is bloodshed -- no matter whose blood it is.

[...well okay bloodshed is fine so long as it stops short of death.] So maybe thinking about it in advance can't hurt.

[Even if there's likely no good, simple answer. A faint sigh.] It's probably hypocritical as hell for me to say, but vigilante justice could be a disaster. I know how easy it is for that path to feel like righteousness and instead be blurring the line between morality if not outright crossing it.

Edited 2017-10-30 01:01 (UTC)

[Lance is definitely not interested in allowing the Guard to handle anything like this, so he's in agreement. And he doesn't miss that implication about using vigilante justice, but decides not to ask just yet; he's not mentally up to handling it at the moment, so instead he just nods at the last comments.]

It home we dealt with a serial killer once who truly believed he was doing good, only he kept justifying more and more 'collateral damage' as he went along and his scale of who he considered deserving of death kept shifting.

[With, surely unsurprisingly, disastrous results. So Lance is very sensitive to this particular issue and mindset when he sees it starting up, which also ties back into his issues with Guard, actually.]

Preventing anything from getting to that point, at least any more than it already has, should be a priority.

That's the problem. Once you start down that path, it's a slippery slope... [To use the legal phrase. A shake of his head and Matt takes a moment to let those thoughts pass. There but for the grace of god went he, really.

But somehow he'd kept from that path, god or grace or whatever the reason.]

Agreed. We've all functioned down here together remarkably well, but it feels tenuous somehow. Especially right now.

If something does happen, there is going to be a need for calm, rational voices. I think you're one of the more reasonable I've heard in this place, Doctor. [Matt has pretty decent judgment most of the time, so he's trusting his instincts on this one.]

[Unfortunately, although he's tried to tell some of the people here that exact same thing, no one seems to want to consider it. And that ties directly into Matt's last comments, which prompts a quiet sigh from Lance.]

I appreciate that, but I'm not sure many here are going to listen to me.

[He really does appreciate the sentiment, though. But the people who do listen to what Lance tries to tell them are the people he's least concerned about being an issue here, when and if things start to go really wrong.]

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