hadriel | five ☠ video | open to both sides!

Entry tags:

five ☠ video | open to both sides!

[There's something distinctly different about Fear when he turns the video on this time. He seems even less human than normal, not breathing, not blinking, as if he's forgotten how to manipulate his form so that it actually appears lifelike.

He manages to move his mouth as he speaks, but the motion doesn't quite sync up with the words echoed in through the mic.]

...so I've finally failed.

[His eyes are unfocused, but he looks downward, contemplative.]

I only got half the city out. It won't be enough- we can't start over, not without Hope. So it ends here, I suppose.

[He takes in his first breath since beginning the recording, letting it out in a long sigh.]

I'm sorry.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Something mechanical. Or technological, I guess. That's never been our area, you know? Anyway, they hate us.

Yeah, but why? The two of you have a war or somethin'?

[In his experience, there's generally a why.]

They really don't like what we can do. We used to get along, though.

[What they can do. Subsist off emotions alone? Assume physical form on a whim?]

So what are they?

Uh, I don't know what you'd call them. Robots? Machines? Something like that. Not organic beings, anyway.

[Not organic. So what does that mean for everybody else? Are they just gonna get - mowed down?]

Not the same way you guys are.

Not like us at all.

Good to know. In case they, uh...make any progress gettin' in here.

I'm really hoping it doesn't turn out like that. Let's make sure you guys don't see them, yeah?

Would seeing 'em, uh...be enough to actually hurt us?

Oh, I doubt it. But they'd probably want to kill you all, and that wouldn't be much fun for anyone.

Why? 'Cause we're there? Or -

[Well.

That's a horrible thought.]

Or 'cause we're with you?

Your existence gives us power, right? Kind of gets in the way of killing us all.

[Ah. Great. So whoever populated this damn place last...

Ha ha, yeah, he's loving this. All of this. His grin starts to look, bizarrely enough, like more of a grimace.]

Well. That's good to know.

Knowing's half the battle, right? The rest is not dying.

Y'know, both steps are a lot harder than people make 'em sound.

Most things are. We don't have many choices right now.

Yeah.

[No arguments there. And the specter of strain trembles, briefly, behind his tone. Briefly. Before it wicks away into nothing.]

Keep yourself together, yeah?

I'm sure hoping to.

Yeah. Me too.

[On that cheerful note, he signs off.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only