002 | Video

[unitas]

[ The room behind her is ensconced in darkness, and only her face and neck are visible, lit only by the cold light of her phone. She's clearly apprehensive, and uncertain, filled with new doubts, and worries.   This is not a post she had ever thought she would have to make, but now, with Hope announcing the safety of the temples (safety that comes with a price, she believes), she has no real choice.  She swallows, suddenly all nerves. ]

I know it's tempting, but... [  Is there any way to say this where people will listen? ] don't use the temples, don't hide in them.  If you have to hide, then pick a building, find a room, and hunker down.  When the Darkness comes, you might have to move, but... [ She licks her lips, expression pained for a moment before she shakes her head, as if giving up on something.  ]

This is for the best.

[ ...Maybe. ]

Comments

[unitas]

Because I don't understand it. [ She admits quietly. Look, it's still such a new thing to her, and even Alessa could never understand why she could do what she could do. ]

[solvethepuzzle]

You seem to understand it well enough to advise people on what to do. [So he thinks you probably understand more than you claim to. The why is less important to him right now. And in general.]

[unitas]

I've spent a lot of time in this... reality back home. [ as a child, as a teen, as an adult. she may never escape from it, maybe doesn't deserve to. ] I know how to survive it, but I don't really understand it.

[solvethepuzzle]

So you don't know how to stop what you've caused. [Guess who's eavesdropping on the other conversations. This guy.] That's very short-sighted of you.

voice here too.

[torrefied]

[GUESS WHO ELSE IS EAVESDROPPING. This asshole.]

Seems like a bullet in her head might be a good place to start with looking for a way to stop it. You'd be surprised how well that works and with how many things.

[Why yes, he's replying in the post even though he's in the other room of the house.]

voice

[thechoiceisyours]

[Everyone's an evesdropper on this post let's be real. Including this guy.]

Dude.

Not cool.

[Even as a joke it wouldn't be cool and he isn't sure it's a joke.]

permavoice

[torrefied]

[He is absolutely not joking.]

Chris, I don't know if you've actually looked at what's going on out there, but this is not a situation where asking nicely is going to accomplish anything.

[thechoiceisyours]

[Great. Good to know his intuition is still working.]

Okay, pretending like there isn't some huge moral issue of suggesting killing someone as like, your first thought, it's still totally pointless. In case you forgot, that's not exactly a permanent solution to anything.

Also it's fucking reprehensible.

[He's so not joking either; as pissed as he is--what the hell is Sharon thinking? Especially after the argument he'd had with her during the wendigo thing--suggesting shooting her is just sick. Self defense is one thing and this is totally another, not to mention that she can hear this conversation.]

[torrefied]

One, it wasn't my first thought. I tried having a reasonable and completely civil conversation with her.

[Scroll down, Chris.]

And two? This is exactly the sort of thing I was talking about last time. Yes, there are some instances where killing another person is a reprehensible act, but this isn't one of them. She's endangered the lives everyone else living here, and she's done so willfully. One death - which, as you've so helpfully pointed out, isn't permanent - is an acceptable cost if it saves dozens of lives as a result.

[solvethepuzzle]

[Sigh.]

That assumes the effect would cease with her death, or that she wouldn't revive and the effect reinstates itself automatically or she decides to do it again.

[Why are they doing this where other people can hear them when they're in the same house?]

[torrefied]

[Because Reasons.]

Hope's the one who has to bring her back if she's killed, and he's not exactly happy with her at the moment, either.

[Scroll down, Near.]

I don't think it would take too much convincing to get him to take his time with it, at least long enough to figure out if that solution is effective.

[solvethepuzzle]

[He already has. Have you even met him?]

Or you could stop and consider things beyond the first impulsive thought that enters your mind.

[Yes, he knows this will go over badly.]

[torrefied]

[For fuck's sake, Near, you at least know him, not like everyone else here.]

It wasn't my first thought, you twerp! I tried talking to her like a reasonable human being, and you can clearly see how well that didn't work. There is a very simple risk-benefit analysis to be made, and I made it. And, by the way, I don't see you offering any alternatives. If you're going to criticize my methods, at least have a suitable suggestion of your own to present.

[voice]

[verinumeri]

[ Against his better judgment, but honestly. ]

You must know that everyone can hear you. I don't care: everyone can hear you.

Unless you're looking to give the city guard a reason to start a prison?

[ Not that he's suggesting this idiot plot murder more discreetly, even if the girl idiot's going to get him killed with this nonsense. He just can't listen to that and keep his mouth shut. ]

[permavoice]

[torrefied]

Hang the city guard. If they had any real influence, they would've been addressing this issue from the start.

[So - no, he doesn't care that everyone else can hear him. Sorry he's not more sorry.]

[verinumeri]

Yes, because the only way to have real influence is to, what, shoot the girl? Might as well, just because she'll come back eventually?

Irrelevant. I don't know how they're handling this. I'm only suggesting that you might consider that there might be people who wouldn't take kindly to it, and might try to stop you.

[ Pause. ]

Conversely, there are likely people who would approve and set off to hunt her down. Meanwhile, let's agitate the girl who can do this by discussing murdering her publicly. Right. This couldn't possibly get even messier.

[torrefied]

The way the city guard has influence is by guarding the city. It's right there in the name.

[You had ONE JOB, etc. etc.]

I'm not especially concerned with what people take kindly to, or what people might do, particularly when there's something that definitely is happening, like there is now. And in case you're new to this entire conversation, which I'm guessing you are, the girl is doing this on purpose. She had to know that her actions would have consequences. Even she isn't that stupid.

voice

[unitas]

Then come and do it. [ there is something dark, and dangerous to her tone now. she understands. if this is how it has to be, then so be it. no matter how much those words may have hurt. ]

I'll even give you my location.

voice

[torrefied]

You think I won't?

[There's no trace of his usual arrogant bravado in what he says; it's all grim determination. Mello doesn't delight in the idea of killing someone, even if it's only temporary. But he's done it before, when it was necessary, and he'll do it again, if circumstances call for it.]

I'm not bluffing.

voice

[unitas]

Fifth Floor, Spire Three.

I'll be waiting. [ for all the confidence in her voice, she's scared. she's terrified. and yet, if she dies? good. good. good. ]

[unitas]

I never said that. [ she can stop it, eventually, but with her emotions running high, it's unlikely to happen any time soon. ]

[solvethepuzzle]

[Emotions are terrible and cause people to make stupid decisions. That's why Near stamped out most of his.]

So is it that you can't or won't yet? If the latter, for what period of time before you decide it's enough? [Still steady, still calm. But there's nothing soothing about his voice. In reality, it is better described as empty than calm.]

[unitas]

A couple of days, at the most.

[ uh, she hopes? this isn't an exact science or anything (2 cups pain + 1/2 teaspoon of Fear is a Dick + 1/4 cup of Fuck you Hope = well, shit). ]

[solvethepuzzle]

By your own admission, you can't explain this power. You're actually certain of this timeframe?

[Just. Covering some bases here.]

[unitas]

...For the most part. [ oh man there are some flaws in her plan, aren't there? bah. it'll all end up ok. ]