AUDIENCE: SOO-WON

[retellers]

Comments

[retellers]

Perhaps, perhaps not. I could not say--people can have any number of reasons to distrust others, and for reasons less drastic than death.

[recrowns]

That's not wrong either...

[he just looks a little tired]

.... have you gone to visit the removed yourself, Goat? Since I heard that it's apparently a bit hard to get to them....

Do you know what might be causing the messages to be difficult to read?

[retellers]

The pathway is unstable, as it has been from the start. Nothing is guaranteed to pass through safely, whether it be us, items, messages, or memories.

[recrowns]

Memories?

[huh]

What do you mean by that...?

[retellers]

When we pass through, there is a risk that our memories may be damaged in the process. That is all. Perhaps it is similar for that device. It forgets part of the messages as it carries them...? [ that's not how technology works exactly but it's fine goat doesn't know that ]

[recrowns]

Ah...

[the thing is that soo-won doesn't see a reason to correct him. it's cool. goat's cute.]

I see. No wonder you keep it to a minimum.

.... then perhaps you just have fans among the removed.

[retellers]

Perhaps. I don't know why, but everyone--here as well--has been very kind to me, even those not on my team.

[recrowns]

Admittedly, you are someone who's very easy to like.

[he's not going to flinch away from that]

[retellers]

Am I...?

[recrowns]

Yes.

[he says this so easily]

You're very endearing. I wouldn't be surprised if they were fond of you.

But ah - you said that they don't gain new information, correct...? Hmm... So is it just information they all compile amongst themselves?

[retellers]

That, or they heard it from a Leader. Or they may simply say whatever comes to mind--there is no rule that they must collaborate before writing any messages, after all.

[recrowns]

That is my theory with Kano, yes.

[KANO IS SUCH A MYSTERY TO SOO-WON but also he got the kid killed so he can't really judge him]

Just more to keep in mind, I suppose.

[retellers]

Mm. Also, I believe that the effects still apply to them as well, so keep in mind that, um, some of them may have been blind this week. [ a beat. ] Which means that, if they tasked another person to assist, not all of the messages are necessarily from different people entirely...

[recrowns]

[ . . . . ah.]

... good to know. Thank you, Goat.

Though I heard from Fox that at the very least, they're all safe there. Until we can... recover them.

[which he's

a little less excited to think about]

[retellers]

... Mm. [ yeah that's not a very happy topic ]

[recrowns]

[ . . . . he just.

sighs.]

... what do you think, Goat?

Do you know how many times our team needs to kill in order to ensure our revival? Is it a certain number of murders orchestrated by our team, or a number of people on our team who have to harm others?

[retellers]

[ he shakes his head. ] ... I only know what you know.

[recrowns]

[ . . . . he reaches up to pinch the bridge of his nose at that, as if warding off another headache - but at least this one is of his own making.]

.... I don't want to hurt anyone.

[ . . .

but?]

.... but if there's no other way to bring people back....

[retellers]

[ ... ] I cannot stop you from exercising your own will. [ though that isn't necessarily the same as approval. ]

[recrowns]

[it sure isn't.]

... I know you can't.

But knowing what you think matters to me too.

[retellers]

... Reviving that child was the worst mistake I ever made, in what few memories I have. Even if we disregarded the method itself, were I to support bringing back the dead without a second thought, it would mean that I've learned nothing from my past failures.

[recrowns]

[ . . . . ]

I know.

[and he'll reach out to take goat's hand if the other will let him.]

... but I don't know if these two situations.... If bringing back the removed.... who have lost their lives because they were brought to this Realm against their will, as opposed to dying at the end of their natural life -

Are they the same circumstances?

[retellers]

[ he will, though he frowns. ] Death is death, and that child wasn't any more ready to die young than anyone was prepared to be killed here. It is unfair to weigh the circumstances of one against another.

[recrowns]

[at the very least - soo-won listens.

that's true too, he thinks. he hasn't yet come to any conclusion, but.... at the same time....]

... do you think then, that it's not worth trying to save the removed?

[retellers]

... I acknowledge that I'm not the most impartial judge. [ ... ] But as I have said from the beginning, there is a price to pay, and now we know what it is. To hold a blade to someone and tell them that they must be an unwilling sacrifice to revive everyone--to me, such an explanation would ring hollow.