032915melniasami

[02:43] TT: Melnia is pacing down all the halls, her hair astray and her face slightly wet from wiped away tears, looking for Sami.

 [02:43] AA: The door to Commander Heston's office is ajar, and you can here shuffling going on in it.

 [02:44] TT: Melnia pokes her head inside. "M-M-M-Miss S-S-Sami..?"

 [02:45] AA: "Oh. Hi Mary." Sami gets up off the floor where she was going through the drawers, and sits down at the desk. "I haven't seen you since what happened in the gym. Are you....okay?"

 [02:46] TT: "H-Honestly..? P-probably not.. D-Dad, and m-my b-brother, are b-b-b-both d-d-d-d..." Melnia avoids eye contact as she can't even make out the word. She shakes her head. "I need to ask you, wh-wh-what is g-going on."

 [02:47] AA: "I'm not really sure myself. I can tell you that I had no intention of killing Ryspor. And I don't think I did. He teleported away while I was trying to convince him to let me take him to the sylphs."

 [02:48] AA: "I think it might've been the other me. The one Meouet said she brought over." Sami practically growls at the name 'Meouet.'

 [02:48] AA: "The same one who was in the memo that night, using my handle."

 [02:48] TT: "I k-k-know it w-w-wasn't y-you who d-d-d-d-did it. I s-s-saw his b-b-bones b-break, th-th-that wasn't you, b-but s-s-someone is t-taking credit i-in your n-name, and m-m-miss M-M-Meouet"

 [02:49] TT: "I c-c-c-can't b-b-believe that sh-she w-would.." She starts to choke up again

 [02:49] AA: "Mary, are you okay? I know this has to be hard on you. I'm trying to be as honest with you as I can because I think you deserve that, but if it's hurting you to hear me say these things..." Sami trails off.

 [02:50] TT: "P-P-Please b-be h-honest.. I k-k-k-know it h-hurts, b-b-but I h-have to b-be s-s-strong."

 [02:50] AA: Then she sighs. "...well, honestly, I just kind of want to hug you and tell you everything's going to be okay. But I can't in good conscience. Things will get better eventually, but I can't promise it'll ever be 'okay.'"

 [02:50] AA: "And yeah. You do have to be strong. I hate so much that you do have to be strong, but you do."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:51] AA: "The game isn't going to give you any other choice. So me being a little cruel with my honesty right now....might be kinder than trying to spare your feelings."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:51] TT: "I a-a-already k-know"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:51] AA: "I can't believe Meouet would do it either."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:51] TT: "I-I-If I st-stay like this, I w-w-will die."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:52] AA: "It's not even that. Death isn't the worst thing that can happen to you in this game. Sometimes it's the kindest fate available."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:52] AA: Sami looks sad for a moment. "But if you're not strong, it'll break you before it kills you. Heck, sometimes it won't even bother to kill you. It'll just break you over, and over, and over again."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:53] AA: "And make you watch while everyone you love dies around you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:53] AA: "And that's way worse than dying yourself."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:53] TT: "M-Miss S-S-Sami, d-d-do you w-w-want a h-h-hug?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:53] AA: "God....there are times that I think if I had died a Heroic death ages ago, everyone would be better off. Myself included."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:53] AA: Sami sighs. "Yeah. Yeah I do. But I don't think I really deserve one."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:54] TT: Melnia hurries over, hugging Sami tight. "E-E-Everyone d-deserves a h-hug"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:54] AA: "I can't believe I let someone use me AGAIN, Mary! And what I let her make me do....how do I keep doing this?!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:54] AA: "Why do people find it so god damned fucking easy to use me to hurt the people I love?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:55] AA: Sami lets herself be hugged, but still looks uneasy.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:56] AA: "That bitch who's wearing my face was right about one thing. I'm too fucking naive. This is the last time. I'm not letting it happen again."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:57] AA: "From now on, I trust no one except Beau."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:57] AA: She looks up shamefully at Melnia. "I'm sorry. I know that 'everyone' includes you so that's probably not something you want to hear. But like I said. I can't afford to pull punches. For either of our sakes."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:58] TT: "It's ok.. I know you can't fuly trust me, I do hope y-y-you'll let me k-keep b-being your f-f-friend though"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:58] AA: "Of course. I'm not giving up my friends. I just....Meouet was my friend, too, dammit!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:58] AA: "Or I thought she was!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:59] TT: I th-th-thought she w-w-was mine t-too.."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:59] AA: "I mean I know she never let me back in after that whole unpleasantness, but....FUCK!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:59] AA: "I thought I was making progress! She smiled with me! She invited to me to lunch completely unsolicited!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [02:59] AA: "I thought that meant something! Like I was finally getting through to her and she wouldn't have to be so lonely anymore!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:00] AA: "Do you know, we even had a fucking talk about how bad it feels to be used?! She had the gall to make me feel bad for her about when people had used her in the past!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:00] AA: "And all the while she was pulling my heartstrings to turn me into a murderer!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:01] AA: Sami puts her hands palm-down on the desk and takes some deep breaths.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:02] AA: She shakes her head. "This is why I can't go after her now. I'm too close to all this still. She can probably see me shining brighter than the sun right now."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:03] TT: "I-I-It's ok M-Miss Sami, L-L-Loss is a-a-always p-painful e-even when it isn't d-death.."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:03] AA: "And even after all of this I still don't want to end up killing another friend. Or whatever she was."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:03] AA: "But god damn I'm mad enough to punch her right in her smug face!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:04] AA: She calms herself down with a few more breaths.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:05] TT: "Y-You l-l-lost M-M-Meouet, a-a-and it h-h-hurts. I k-k-know h-how it f-f-feels"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:05] AA: "I'm sorry, Melnia. That little tirade is probably the last thing you needed to see right now when you're already scared and confused about what's happening with the team."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:06] TT: "Y-Y-You're h-h-human t-too, n-no one i-is invincable."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:07] AA: "Other than physically. Because I kind of am invincible physically. At least temporarily, at times."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:12] AA: "So" Sami says as she composes herself, and changes her posture to "Open Door Policy Team Mom," "Was there anything specific you were wanting to know about?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:12] AA: "In regards to what's going on?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:12] AA: "Because the short answer is 'a lot of complete bullshit.'"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [03:13] AA: "But I doubt that's useful to you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> -- tumblingThinker [TT] changed their mood to OFFLINE --

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> -- tumblingThinker [TT] changed their mood to CHUMMY --

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:29] AA: "Other than physically. Because I kind of am invincible physically. At least temporarily, at times."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> -- tumblingThinker [TT] began pestering arcaneArtisan [AA] at 04:29 --

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:29] AA: "So" Sami says as she composes herself, and changes her posture to "Open Door Policy Team Mom," "Was there anything specific you were wanting to know about?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:29] AA: "In regards to what's going on?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:29] AA: "Because the short answer is 'a lot of complete bullshit.'"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:29] AA: "But I doubt that's useful to you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:30] TT: "Y-Y-Yes, b-b-bs does seem apt, b-but uh"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:30] TT: "W-Well, wh-wh-what are we g-going to d-do now?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:31] TT: "Everyone is e-e-emotionally comprimised, or ph-physically"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:31] AA: "We're still figuring that out. We don't want to make any decisions while our heads are full of anger. That's just what Meouet would want."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:31] TT: "W-W-We need to go back out to the w-worlds soon"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:31] AA: "Yeah. And we've still got Maenam to worry about, too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:31] AA: "I know you guys have no reason to trust or forgive me, but I think I'm still going to try to direct you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:31] TT: "O-O-Oh, yes m-mister N-Nate's warning"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:32] TT: "I t-t-trust and f-forgive you, i-if that is worth anything"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:32] AA: "Thanks Mary. That actually does mean a lot."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:32] AA: "But I don't know if the others are going to feel the same way."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:32] AA: "But for now, I think they need to."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:32] AA: "Or at least put up with me for the time being."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:33] TT: "I-I-I

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:33] TT: *I-I-I'll v-vouch f-for you

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:33] AA: "Hopefully Lily doesn't pull off her little revolution and murder me in my sleep or something before we can get things back on track."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:33] TT: Y-Yeah, sh-she t-tried to t-t-trick m-me into j-joining

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:33] TT: B-But it isn't h-her fault

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:33] TT: sh-sh-she's h-hurting

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:34] AA: "I know. It's part of why I'm not taking it as personal as I could be."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:34] AA: "But I also can't let her take over or anything. I really don't think she can lead the team effectively."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:34] AA: "I might think with my heart instead of my head too much, but I at least manage to think about the long term consequences of my actions sometimes. I don't think she does."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:35] AA: "I know she means well, but she can't keep the team safe or together."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:36] AA: "I'm sorry. I'm not trying to attack her or anything. But like I said, I'm trying to be honest with you. And that's how I see things."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:36] TT: "I a-a-appreciate your h-honesty, r-really"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:37] TT: "I d-d-do h-have o-one more q-question a-actually."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:37] AA: "What's that?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:38] TT: "I-I-In y-your s-session, d-did d-dad, I m-mean, J-Jossik.. d-did he ever m-mention r-rainbow d-drinkers?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:38] AA: Sami thinks hard about it. "I....feel like I've heard the term before? So maybe. But not much, if so. I want to say they're kind of like vampires?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:38] TT: "Y-Yeah, th-that's right"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:39] AA: "Jossik and I didn't talk once. Although he is one of like four trolls who decided to explain in detail to me the nitty gritty of troll reproduction despite my protests, so that was special."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:39] AA: (( Didn't talk much, rather ))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:40] AA: "He was on Team Justice. I was on Team Slammajamm. Not many of the members of Team Justice are still around, I'm afraid. Of the survivors, I think the only ones left are Seriad and Meouet." She looks sad as she says Meouet's name.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:41] TT: "I s-s-see, m-m-maybe I c-c-can ask M-M-Miss S-S-Seriad."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:41] AA: "Maybe. I'm sorry I can't tell you more. Maybe if my dreamself had survived I would've gotten to know Jossik better."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:41] AA: "The last thing I remember on Derse was trying to rescue him from Scarlet."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:42] AA: "But then the whole Jack business happened and I stopped going to Derse. Just woke up every night in his Gallery."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:42] AA: "Not that I could ever focus on where I was during those dreams anyway."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:43] TT: "It's o-ok, th-the l-last thing y-you need to focus on is y-your regrets"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:43] AA: "No, it's okay. I'm not going to live in the past, but remembering my mistakes will help me not make them again in the future."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:46] TT: "M-Maybe I'm b-b-being silly, and ch-chasing f-fairytales, b-but I m-might have a r-real l-lead here, I j-just need t-to know where t-to look."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:46] AA: "I would say to check Libby's library, but it's on the ark, and we can't go back there."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:46] AA: "Libby might be able to make echoes of books she's read if she remembers them well enough....or she might have electronic copies."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:46] AA: "But you've got to be careful about going to Libby just for information."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:47] TT: "Lily s-said the same. and I s-said e-exactly that. I-I'm n-not gonna u-use her"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:47] AA: "She's a person and I learned the hard way how easy it is to fall into the trap of treating her like she's just a librarian."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:47] AA: "Yeah, you've got a good head on your shoulders."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:47] AA: "I didn't even mean to do it, and I ended up doing it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:48] AA: "But if you ever end up doing her a favor and she wants to reward you for it, you can keep in mind that she might have the information you need. Other than that..." Sami thinks about it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:48] AA: "I don't know, this base is the last bastion of Earth and Alternia on your world, right? If I were building something like that, I would try to save as many important cultural artifacts, and as much of the knowledge of the worlds we were losing as I could."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:49] AA: "Which means Commander Heston must have had the same thought, and I'll bet she would've mentioned it to Queen Beau. And I imagine the people on Alternia had the same idea, or that Beau and Sami from this universe might have mentioned it to them."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:50] AA: "So there's got to be a library or an archive or a warehouse somewhere on this base just chock full of that sort of thing."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:50] TT: "I d-d-don't think I s-saw a l-library a-around, b-but I d-didn't expect there to be a g-gym o-or a morgue e-either.."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:50] AA: "Actually, a map of this place would be really good, and an inventory of what assets are available on base."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:50] TT: "I c-c-can do that..!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:50] AA: "Maybe I should ask Jackjack and Mahtah to have a look around. Assuming either of them are still speaking to me."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:50] AA: "Or yeah, you too if you'd like!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:51] AA: "Information is more important than any other currency in this game, and we always have less of it than we need."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:51] TT: "I-I'm n-not v-very good at drawing, b-but I can m-m-memorize things pretty well."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:51] AA: "No one ever seems to tell us the things we need to know. Not the twinks, not the NPCs, and sometimes not even our teammates."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:52] AA: "It's okay! I'm pretty good at drawing, so if you get me the details I might be able to whip something up."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:52] AA: "But even a rudimentary map and list will be enough for now."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:54] TT: Melnia salutes Sami, almost out of habit from being in commander Heston's office. "I c-c-can d-do that m-miss Sami!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:55] AA: "Heh. No need to salute me. I'm still going to try to lead you guys, but I'm not a general. I'm just the wind in your sails, not the captain of your ship."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:57] TT: Melnia drops her hand. "R-Right, Sorry"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:58] TT: "I s-s-should b-be g-going, b-but r-remember, i-if you n-need a b-bandaid or a-anything, I c-can u-usually be f-found in the infirmary"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:59] AA: "Thanks Mary."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:59] AA: "You know, you could be a pretty awesome psychiatrist if you put your mind to it. And not just because of your classpect, although that would make you even better."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [04:59] AA: "If we do find any archives like that and you think it would be fun, maybe you could look for some psychiatry books while you're there."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:00] TT: "A-A psychiatrist..? M-Maybe.. I-I'll think about it, s-some o-of m-my teammates r-really need it"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:00] AA: "I think every single person I've met needs one, Mary."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:00] AA: "At least everyone who's still alive."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:01] AA: "So you'd be taking on a lot of work if you did it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:01] TT: "If it would help, I w-would be g-glad to do it"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:02] AA: "Be careful about that instinct, Mary. It's good to want to help people, but don't forget to think about your own well being, too. It's not selfish to take care of yourself."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:02] AA: "'Physician, heal thyself,' right?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:02] TT: ?

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:03] TT: ((oop sorry, wrong window))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:03] TT: "G-Geeze, a-all this t-talk of d-doctors, I r-really am d-destined to b-be a sylph"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:04] TT: "Th-Thank you M-Miss Sami"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:04] AA: "Sure thing. My door is always open. Or if it isn't, feel free to knock anyway."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:09] TT: "O-Ok, b-bye" Melnia tiptoes out of the door, walking away to the infirmary

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [05:09] TT: her cough is heard a few seconds later

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"><span style="color:rgb(0,0,0);">[05:10] <span style="color:rgb(100,149,237);">AA: "And go talk to Seriad about that cough young lady!"