[He takes a seat and stays there for a little while, staring down at his hands. It's been a rough week all around. He has no idea what Red thinks of most of it; it feels like he hasn't seen her in eons, even if she was only away over the weekend. The last weekend seems very far away.
It always does, but...]
... Is this really what we're supposed to be doing?
[Yeah, he... sees the bottle and remembers her guzzling coffee at the trial and it's not hard to put two and two together. There are plenty of heavy drinkers at home, several of which he works or worked closely with. It makes him frown, briefly, because Red hasn't done this before now. Or at least, not out in the open.
It really has been a week. He feels a little more guilty for it, but doesn't remark on it for now.]
I know you need time. But Stan didn't really... explain what you're trying to do. Or what we're trying to do.
[He's so tired of wandering in the dark, grasping at the tenuous threads of why he's on this path to begin with. He's just tired of... this, in general. He doesn't even have the energy right now to question her about everything at the trial. They've... gone over some of that, in detail, out in the open.
He just...]
There has to be more we can do, than what we've been doing.
[...well, maybe if she tells him, he can help get the others to go along with it.]
I called in a favor with a friend of mine, someone who is much higher in our organization than I am. I'm trying to get the camp re-evaluated and issued a different protocol. If all goes well, they'll deem the camp too dangerous and destroy it entirely. Then everyone still alive at the time can leave.
But it took me a week just to get him to agree to try, and it will take longer for him to do what he needs to do. So until he comes through for us, all we can do is wait.
[And he does want to work with her -- her and Stan -- because they're a direct resource the way Mishibijw and Sol and the rest aren't quite. More reliable in an unreliable world. And also because he wants... to help them, despite everything; he's gotten attached almost despite himself, or perhaps because he's himself.
He's bad at giving up on people, even this late in the game and with all of the last day and the week clanging around in his head. Red is complicated as ever. He doesn't know what to think of Stan now, yet.
But Lenka frowns. Stan really hadn't explained the plan in terribly coherent terms. But it sounds like... a nuclear button. Something to wipe out, rather than what he's been quietly hoping for ever since they heard from the Metaverse team. Perhaps ever since they all heard from the dead again. Talcott. Lillith. Those voices would be wiped out together with the camp. He's pretty sure now.]
... I don't think we should only wait, Red. There's something -- the Metaverse. [it pains him to bring it up, after what happened to Ren earlier, that price and everything that came with it and his own reaction to it] If they were able to talk to Sol, and confirm all those souls, then we can't destroy it like this.
Sol has to be holding the souls for a reason. We still haven't found the reason.
[It's going to be more difficult now, considering Sol is actively hostile to them -- at least that's what this week feels like, on top of the rampant hallucinations and paranoid spells or perhaps because of them, together with them. It could all be part of the same discount package. They'd be just that lucky. He doesn't know how far they'll be able to hold up like this.
It was close, today. The distrust and the turning on each other, the cracks showing in the group. And...]
I don't know how easy it will be to find the reason. [they probably can't use the Metaverse again, either] But do you remember when we talked about how things might have changed, since Sol asked for food? Ren said... that there had to be a reason they had a Palace. That it might have something to do with that.
[Mitsuru still isn't sure their relationship is repaired after. . . uh, her recent string of questionable decisions. but whether it is or not? she still wants to talk]
[to make sure that Red is okay after the obvious fury that consumed her expression during the execution yesterday]
[Mitsuru is not a touchy-feely person, but. . . she can make exceptions. as soon as she's let inside, she reaches out, hand coming to rest on Red's upper arm]
Red-- [hesitation. what does she say? she's still extremely, extremely bad at this]
After we spoke to the lake creature, they informed us that the rock spirit had an. . . agreement, with your organization.
And in the Metaverse, the rock spirit seemed to be. . . upset? They spoke as though they were only encouraging us to kill each other because someone was asking them to.
Do you think. . . it's possible, that your organization is purposefully manipulating Sol?
I would believe that the rock spirit fell through the cracks of a bureaucratic nightmare before I would believe that any manipulating my organization does is on purpose.
You're correct, but you're not thinking on the right scale here.
When a single worker's company car breaks down because his boss didn't clear it for regular maintenance, and as a result the worker becomes disgruntled, is that your grandfather's fault? Was your grandfather, or even the direct boss of that worker, maliciously trying to upset that worker?
Might you be suggesting that whomever is controlling Sol might be someone disgruntled with your organization? Or someone working independently from it, with the freedom they've been given?
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timeasmymeasure
Week 5
Date: 2018-07-02 05:00 pm (UTC)Saturday
Date: 2018-07-08 05:01 am (UTC)It always does, but...]
... Is this really what we're supposed to be doing?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-08 05:21 am (UTC)Red is sitting at her desk drinking what appears to be coffee, maybe.
There's a bottle of smirnoff tucked under her desk as well, and it's clearly been opened and used, though more than half of it is still left.]
I need more time, Lenka. Red tape is a terrible thing.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-08 05:32 am (UTC)It really has been a week. He feels a little more guilty for it, but doesn't remark on it for now.]
I know you need time. But Stan didn't really... explain what you're trying to do. Or what we're trying to do.
[He's so tired of wandering in the dark, grasping at the tenuous threads of why he's on this path to begin with. He's just tired of... this, in general. He doesn't even have the energy right now to question her about everything at the trial. They've... gone over some of that, in detail, out in the open.
He just...]
There has to be more we can do, than what we've been doing.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-08 05:37 am (UTC)I called in a favor with a friend of mine, someone who is much higher in our organization than I am. I'm trying to get the camp re-evaluated and issued a different protocol. If all goes well, they'll deem the camp too dangerous and destroy it entirely. Then everyone still alive at the time can leave.
But it took me a week just to get him to agree to try, and it will take longer for him to do what he needs to do. So until he comes through for us, all we can do is wait.
[They're stuck in red tape hell, basically.]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-08 05:55 am (UTC)He's bad at giving up on people, even this late in the game and with all of the last day and the week clanging around in his head. Red is complicated as ever. He doesn't know what to think of Stan now, yet.
But Lenka frowns. Stan really hadn't explained the plan in terribly coherent terms. But it sounds like... a nuclear button. Something to wipe out, rather than what he's been quietly hoping for ever since they heard from the Metaverse team. Perhaps ever since they all heard from the dead again. Talcott. Lillith. Those voices would be wiped out together with the camp. He's pretty sure now.]
... I don't think we should only wait, Red. There's something -- the Metaverse. [it pains him to bring it up, after what happened to Ren earlier, that price and everything that came with it and his own reaction to it] If they were able to talk to Sol, and confirm all those souls, then we can't destroy it like this.
We can't just give up on everyone else.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-08 06:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-08 06:49 am (UTC)[It's going to be more difficult now, considering Sol is actively hostile to them -- at least that's what this week feels like, on top of the rampant hallucinations and paranoid spells or perhaps because of them, together with them. It could all be part of the same discount package. They'd be just that lucky. He doesn't know how far they'll be able to hold up like this.
It was close, today. The distrust and the turning on each other, the cracks showing in the group. And...]
I don't know how easy it will be to find the reason. [they probably can't use the Metaverse again, either] But do you remember when we talked about how things might have changed, since Sol asked for food? Ren said... that there had to be a reason they had a Palace. That it might have something to do with that.
sunday
Date: 2018-07-09 01:48 am (UTC)[to make sure that Red is okay after the obvious fury that consumed her expression during the execution yesterday]
[her knock on Red's door is gentle]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-10 01:56 am (UTC)She opens the door and lets Mitsuru in, but she looks pretty worn down.]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-10 02:04 am (UTC)Red-- [hesitation. what does she say? she's still extremely, extremely bad at this]
. . . I am so sorry.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-10 02:43 am (UTC)...It's alright. It's not the first time I've been through this.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-10 08:23 pm (UTC)That doesn't make it better. What-- what even happened? Was that the rock spirit, or. . .
[she trails off]
[was it the rocks spirit, or was it Red's organization, who ordered the zombies carry out that execution?]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-11 03:57 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-11 05:30 pm (UTC)After we spoke to the lake creature, they informed us that the rock spirit had an. . . agreement, with your organization.
And in the Metaverse, the rock spirit seemed to be. . . upset? They spoke as though they were only encouraging us to kill each other because someone was asking them to.
Do you think. . . it's possible, that your organization is purposefully manipulating Sol?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 04:33 pm (UTC)I would believe that the rock spirit fell through the cracks of a bureaucratic nightmare before I would believe that any manipulating my organization does is on purpose.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 04:38 pm (UTC)You have that much faith in them, despite the nature of this camp?
[she doesn't sound judgmental, just. curious to understand why]
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 04:49 pm (UTC)When something goes wrong, is it usually because someone was malicious? Or is it usually human incompetence piling up in the worst ways possible?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 04:50 pm (UTC)My grandfather's goals and ideals were malicious and wrong.
[she says that, straight up, flat out, without beating around the bush]
Those mistakes he made are the ones I am trying to atone for now.
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 04:54 pm (UTC)When a single worker's company car breaks down because his boss didn't clear it for regular maintenance, and as a result the worker becomes disgruntled, is that your grandfather's fault? Was your grandfather, or even the direct boss of that worker, maliciously trying to upset that worker?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 05:33 pm (UTC)Might you be suggesting that whomever is controlling Sol might be someone disgruntled with your organization? Or someone working independently from it, with the freedom they've been given?
no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 05:36 pm (UTC)1/2
Date: 2018-07-12 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 05:38 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2018-07-12 05:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
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