hadriel | Two ☠ Text

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I've been told that if you keep a body cold enough, it will retain its features for years, frozen in time. Can you imagine yourself like that? Your blood and your bone frozen solid, with skin and hair and everything, eyes open and wide and staring sightless into the world. I'd like you to really think about it- dying in the cold, that is. Preserved perfectly forever.

It would be an interesting way to keep you all from complaining, don't you think? A quick snap freeze and you're all immobile. If we're being honest, I think that would probably be the best solution to our interpersonal problems- but I'd want to keep you just barely alive somehow, conscious enough to still feel fear. Frozen and screaming. Take a minute and think about it. I rather like the idea.

...oh, also, Rage apparently won Hope's stupid poll. He's making the preparations to revive her and you should expect her to awaken at the end of the month.

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[Yes, he sees those. But-]

-you aren't? What's the difference, then?

[Like, okay: he sees the ears and the skin and the eyes and everything else, but maybe regular humans have those too? Maybe humans decompose a little when they get older. He's positive that they do, actually.]

I am elven. Born of the arcane, once.

[She shrugs gently and leans back in the chair she's chosen. This little device she has is interesting -- hard to tell whether she's looking at it or at fear.]

Reborn into this.

You look very similar to humans. You have four limbs, you walk on only two of them, you've both got hair on the top of your head, and wear the same sorts of clothes.

[In his defense.]

My kind are not nearly as clumsy. Or ugly.

[SMILE.]

That's a very narrow margin of difference.

[His brow furrows.]

You're all sort of ugly to me.

You might factor in matters of culture, but I am not the one to consult in that regard.

[One eyebrow raises with some interest.]

Ugly for lack of power, appearance, or something else?

Culture makes you different species?

[That's odd. But he considers the question for a moment, before responding.]

Hm... well, all of it. You're so- confined. And lumpy. Not that the other creatures here are much better, but at least they don't know any better. You creatures have higher thought, just not higher forms.

And yet not all apex predators are created equal. Especially in terms of intelligence.

[She doesn't seem to take offense to his observations. After all, there was a stretch of her lifespan where she was an apex predator with no higher thought herself.]

In any case, you have a collection of undead among you now. We do not fear quite so easily.

I noticed.

[He runs his fingers through his hair, considering for a moment.]

It makes this harder. But no matter- the undead may as well be monsters themselves. You can strike fear into the hearts of the humans around here, can you not?

I can do far worse than that.

[Winkyface.]

-just fear, thank you.

[Airily.]

Can't get that out of people who are dead. [A beat.] -actually dead, I mean.

Necromancy is not such a simple art. After all, the goal is to perpetuate suffering, is it not?

[That's not the kind of correction you want to make in a public forum anyway.]

So, you can sense fear outside of the reactions displayed here, can you? How did you find this experiment?

I wouldn't know. I'm not a necromancer.

[A pause, and he shakes his head.]

Are you referring to the Door? Someone told me about it a long time ago.

The answer is yes.

[She's not a necromancer at heart, but since she's capable, she feels she has the authority to answer that for him.]

How long ago?

Fear and suffering aren't quite the same, but I'd appreciate the assistance if you could give it.

[He shrugs, cautious at the question.]

You measure time in the rotation of the planet around the sun. Using that measurement- several hundred years ago? That sounds accurate.

No, but one often begets the other, wouldn't you agree?

[The figure doesn't seem to bother her. She's focused on the first thing he said. She props her chin up on her hand.]

If I offer you assistance, what would you provide me with in return?

I would.

[Simply.]

It depends on what you want. I can section off a portion of my power and offer it to you, or I can make a variety of other things happen.

[Oh. She wasn't expecting actual compliance. That changes things, and obviously appears to get her attention.

Silence hangs.]

Power is not something I require in any sort of urgent manner. But I will accept your offer and hold it until such a time where I may need a favor. Do you find those terms agreeable?

I do.

[It's better than some have done, at least.]

Tell me when you know what it is that you need and I'll see what I can do.

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