fourth. text.

[torrefied]

In the interest of having it completed some time this century, I'm taking over the project to create a guide document for new arrivals.

[And he's starting it from scratch, no thanks to Chris.]

If you can tear yourselves away from telling ghost stories long enough to reply, I'm interested to know what information you found most helpful when you first arrived, as well as what you would have liked to know sooner rather than later.

Comments

[torrefied]

You are in no way special, Chris.

[So ... the former, basically.]

[thechoiceisyours]

Cool, well, when you get over it and decide to act however old you actually are let me know if you need any info you don't already have.

[Since he's one of the people who's been here the longest, which is weird to think about. Also he doesn't for a moment think Mello will take him up on the offer, but he made it and that's the important part.]

[torrefied]

I'm twenty, actually - not that it's any of your business.

[Not that he actually acts like it, either.]

[thechoiceisyours]

[Huh. Josh's age, which is... Not an indicator of maturity, clearly. From either Mello or Josh. And he's curious--]

Counting time here or not?

[torrefied]

[... Well, this is kind of an odd twist in the conversation. But OK, he'll bite.]

I turned twenty about a month before I was brought here. What does that have to do with anything?

[thechoiceisyours]

Huh. I turned nineteen a month before I got here.

[Though since Mello arrived about six months after Chris their ages are actually closer together. As for what that has to do with anything the answer is nothing, but it's a distraction from pretty much everything else going on.]

It doesn't really have to do with anything. Just kind of interesting.

[torrefied]

Age is an entirely arbitrary demarcation of time, and it has even less relevance here than it did wherever we all were before.

[thechoiceisyours]

Yeah, I heard something like that once from a frat guy who was trying to pick up a high schooler.

[torrefied]

[Mm, well. Chris wouldn't have any real way of knowing that this is a particularly salient topic from Mello's past. Still, it's probably a good thing Mello's sticking with text for this conversation. Text wouldn't display the same markers of emotion that his voice would right now.]

Point me in the direction of the governing bodies that both make and enforce statutory rape laws in Hadriel, and I'll rescind my previous comments.

[thechoiceisyours]

[Chris is just expecting the usual reaction at being likened to that type of person, though that response is... Missing the point so hard it would be concerning if it weren't Mello.]

Do you honestly need there to be laws in place in order to not be a creep?

[Don't answer that.]

[torrefied]

Laws are hardly an adequate deterrent for, as you put it, "not being a creep."

[thechoiceisyours]

Yeah, I've noticed. That is so not the point but I guess it answers the question anyway.

[torrefied]

Sure, if watching a pathetic pick-up attempt one time counts as "noticing," then I'm sure you're an expert on the subject.

[Sounds fake, Chris, but OK.]

[thechoiceisyours]

[That response almost causes him to feel enough incredulity to break through the hazy semi-autopilot he's been on.]

I'm still trying to to figure out if you're purposefully dense or just really talented at coming to the wrong conclusion.

[torrefied]

Keep guessing, Chris.

I'll even give you a hint: You're asking the wrong questions.

[thechoiceisyours]

Really? Are you gonna pull out the 'it was all a social experiment' line next?

[torrefied]

I'm well past the point of needing to experiment, Chris. I've seen enough outcomes.

[thechoiceisyours]

No one's seen enough outcomes.

[That isn't even a jab at Mello personally, just generally. He doesn't believe anyone here, even those who've shown better judgement than Mello, have seen enough to be sure of anything.]

[torrefied]

On some subjects, you don't need to see many to know you've seen enough.

[thechoiceisyours]

Isn't this where you'd make some comment about sample size and margin of error?

Or I dunno, a book quote about how wisdom is knowing when you don't know something.

[torrefied]

And you wouldn't know anything at all about knowing when you don't know something, would you, Chris.

[thechoiceisyours]

I know this conversation is a circular waste of time unless you have a point somewhere.

[He could be crying under his blankets sleeping right now.]

[torrefied]

I've made plenty of points, Chris. When you pull your head out of your ass long enough to come up for air, maybe you'll be able to see them.

[thechoiceisyours]

I sure hope you're more interested in actually being informative and less in trying to one-up everyone when you write this guide.

[Though actually he hadn't thought much about it before, but now he's kind of wondering--]

What's with the sudden interest in it anyway? Since let's be real here being informative was pretty obviously not the motivator.

[torrefied]

Like you actually care.