092014darmoksami

[07:08] AA: Sami goes wandering around, looking for Darmok. They didn't really get a chance to talk when she first arrived.

 [07:10] CC: Ͽ Đarmok is outside, sitting in the lowest branch of one of the trees, cleaning blood from beneath his nails. Ͼ

 [07:12] AA: "Hi there, Darmok. Did you want to talk? Get to know each other?" Sami seems a little nervous. "I've kind of been waiting a few years to meet you!"

 [07:13] CC: Ͽ Đarmok looks down at Տami. "Đarmok, slave of inevitability." Ͼ

 [07:13] AA: "Yeah....I guess I kind of know what you mean, lately. I've felt pretty stuck myself lately." She sighs.

 [07:14] CC: Ͽ "Տami, Ⱦhe Ļand of Տalt and Ʀazors." Ͼ

 [07:14] AA: "The....what? You know the Land of Salt and Razors?"

 [07:15] CC: Ͽ Đarmok nods. "Đarmok, Ʀiddles in the Đark." Ͼ

 [07:16] AA: "Yeah, you are kind of talking in riddles out here. Is this your troll quirk thingy, then?"

 [07:16] AA: "Like how Null would talk in reverse sometimes and Maenam can't stop herself from making fish puns?"

 [07:17] CC: Ͽ Ƕe shakes his head. "Đarmok, Ļand of Ƿendulums and Ƿain." Ͼ

 [07:18] AA: "You've been there? That place sucked. It was so gloomy and so many bad things happened there."

 [07:20] CC: Ͽ Ƕe nods. Ͼ

 [07:22] AA: "Wait. Is that some sort of metaphor?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:24] CC: Ͽ Ƕe nods. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:27] AA: "I think I get it. You've been through a lot of shit in your life, huh?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:28] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shrugs. "Ɓalish, Տad little king of a sad little hill." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:28] AA: "Yeah....I owe him a couple of black eyes for what he's done to you."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:29] AA: "Maybe break every bone in his body a couple of times, too."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:29] CC: Ͽ "Ⱦhe இracle, Տees with Σyes Цnclouded." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:29] AA: "Libby?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:30] AA: "Yeah....I guess so. I don't know. I've decided to trust that she does for now. But....her methods seem so harsh."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:30] AA: "Like I can't believe there was no nicer way to handle that situation with Lily."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:30] AA: "Oh....I'm sorry. You don't know about that. And I can't actually tell you because of..." she points to her wrist and gives him a significant look.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:33] CC: Ͽ Đarmok waves her hand. "Đarmok, Ɋueen Ǵossip Ǵirl." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:33] CC: ((his*))

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:33] AA: Sami chuckles. "So they tell you about stuff? That explains why you know about LOSAR and LOPAP I guess."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:34] AA: "What happened, Darmok? How did you end up with a contract? Was it out of desperation because of Balish?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:38] AA: "Or....did they come for you because of me?" Sami looks sad and guilty.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:39] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shakes his head. "Ѧll the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players; Ⱦhey have their exits and their entrances, and one man in his time plays many parts." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:40] AA: "That's Shakespeare, right? I'm not sure what you mean by it though."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:40] CC: Ͽ Đarmok smiles ruefully. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:41] AA: "Doir would be having a field day with it though. He already thinks this is all just a story and we're just playing parts."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:42] CC: Ͽ "Đoir, Ļand of Ѷixens and Ɓaby இil." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:42] AA: "Heh. But LOVABO turned out to be fake."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:42] CC: Ͽ Đarmok smirks. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:43] AA: "Okay, I think I get what you're saying." She chuckles.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:43] CC: Ͽ "gaslampȾragedian, Ļand of Ѷixens and Ɓaby இil?" Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:43] AA: "gaslampTragedian? That was the name Jack was using when he was pretending to be one of us."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:43] AA: "I mean....not Jack your brother. The other Jack."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:44] AA: "Still can't believe Other-Me named him Jack."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:44] AA: "Sometimes I wonder if that was just Paradox Space mocking me."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:44] CC: Ͽ Đarmok chuckles. "Ĵack, Ļast Ƕero of Ѧrena." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:44] AA: "Yeah, yeah. 'Hero.' He certainly seemed convinced he was."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:45] AA: "...but I don't know if I'm in a position to judge him anymore, considering the things I've done for the 'greater good.'"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:46] AA: "...no, I take that back. I can still judge him. He was an asshole."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:46] CC: Ͽ Đarmok reaches into one of his pockets, and pulls out a photograph, offering it to Տami. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:48] AA: Sami takes a look at it.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:49] CC: Ͽ Ⱦhe photo depicts Ɓalish, and Տami, and an infant Đarmok, looking happy together, on a red sand beach. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:50] AA: "Wow. They actually look like a happy little family."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:50] AA: "What happened?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:50] CC: Ͽ Đarmok taps the Ɓalish in the picture, then perfectly mimics Տami's voice. "Ƕe was an asshole. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:53] AA: "Yeah." Sami chuckles. "But he doesn't look like one here. He looks like the Balish I knew."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:54] CC: Ͽ Đarmok tilts his head. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:55] AA: "Oh, don't get me wrong. I never felt that way about the Balish on my side. But we were friends. Even if he would've never admitted it."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:57] CC: Ͽ "Ɓalish and Ļibby in the Ⱦower." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:57] AA: "He had dark things inside him, but he fought them off. Right up until the end." She sighs. "We actually had a lot in common in that sense. Both of us had things in our heads that we couldn't afford to let take over. And both of us were Breath players."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:57] AA: "Yeah. He and Libby were crazy about each other."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:58] CC: Ͽ Đarmok nods sadly. "Ⱦhe Ҁhuckler, Ҁrazy about Տami." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:58] AA: "The Chuckler? You mean Subby?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:59] AA: Or 'The Grand Highblood' or whatever he called it?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [07:59] CC: Ͽ Đarmok nods. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:00] AA: "He certainly didn't SEEM crazy about me. He seemed to want to hurt everyone close to Balish. But I was just a friend. Libby and Maenam and maybe Null were the ones really in danger from Subby."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:01] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shakes his head. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:02] AA: "Oh....you meant the one on this side?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:02] CC: Ͽ Ƕe nods. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:04] AA: "So he DOES have the same Grand Highblood thing going on here, too?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:04] CC: Ͽ Đarmok looks away. "Ɓalish, the Ǵrand Ƕighblood. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:05] AA: "Is that why he went so bad? Is he the Grand Highblood all the time?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:06] AA: "Balish on my side said that's what the highbloods who put it in his head had intended in the first place."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:06] CC: Ͽ Đarmok nodded Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:06] CC: Ͽ nods* Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:06] AA: "Fuck. No wonder he's such a shithead."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:09] AA: "And you were raised by THAT guy, huh? Was the me on this side not strong enough to take you away from him?" Sami sounds sad.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:11] CC: Ͽ Đarmok opens his mouth, and sounds like someone else. "Ҁommander Տami Ƕeston has been released by the Ѧlternian Σmpire today, from her extended captivity by the notorious Ҁommander Ɓalish Ѧggaro. Տhe is banned from returning to the planet for 10 years." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:12] AA: "...banned or not....I can't believe she wouldn't have moved heaven and earth to get you back."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:12] AA: "Like did you ever see Kill Bill?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:12] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shrugs. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:13] AA: "Well....I'm sorry she wasn't able to. I guess I don't know what it was like for her. I guess the fact that she didn't is proof that I wouldn't have been able to if I were in her shoes, since she IS me in her shoes."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:13] AA: "But....I'm sorry."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:14] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shakes his head. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:14] AA: "The reason I'm in this mess with the horrorterrors right now is because I kept looking for the power to do something in situations like those. But she wouldn't have made those deals."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:15] AA: "So I guess in some ways....the fact that she's free of their influence doesn't make her luckier than me. If she had to sit idly by knowing what you were going through and unable to help. I know it must have been killing her the whole time."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:16] CC: Ͽ Đarmok frowns down at her. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:18] AA: "Yeah. Okay, fair enough. Maybe my deals are going to end up hurting the people I care about more than sitting idly by would've done. But I hope not."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:22] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shrugs. "Տami, Ļand of Ʀock and Ƕard Ƿlace." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:23] AA: "Yeah. Every god damned day of my life at this point."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:23] AA: "Darmok....are you disappointed? In who I turned out to be?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:24] CC: Ͽ Đarmok sighs. "Đarmok, Ⱦhe Ѿay is Ҁlosed." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:24] AA: "The way? What way?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:27] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shakes his head and climbs down out of the tree. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:31] AA: "And this 'Way' is closed because of me? Because of something I did?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:33] CC: Ͽ Đarmok smiles ruefully. "Đarmok, Ⱦhe Ƿath is Տet." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:33] AA: Sami looks troubled. "Darmok....it sounds an awful lot like you're saying your future's already been decided."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:34] CC: Ͽ Ƕe nods. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:35] AA: "And your attitude about it....it doesn't sound like a happy future."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:36] CC: Ͽ Đarmok pats Տami's shoulder gently. "Đeath is only the beginning." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:36] AA: "What?! No! You can't mean what I think you mean!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:37] AA: "I've only JUST MET YOU, Darmok!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:39] AA: Her eyes are watering.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:39] AA: "Is this some sort of Golden Path bullshit? There's got to be a way to change things, right? Give you your freedom? That's one of the things Breath is about, right? Change and freedom?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:41] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shakes his head. "Տami, the Ҁontract is Տealed." Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:41] AA: Sami slumps to her knees. "No...!"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:45] AA: "I'm so sorry, Darmok."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:49] AA: "I wish I could've been a better mom. I wish Balish could've been a better dad. I wish you weren't having to pay for my stupid decisions. I wish....I don't know. I wish everything were different."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:51] AA: She gets up, walks over to him, and hugs him as tight as she can. Which isn't much, since she can't even get her arms all around him. She begins sobbing onto his chest.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:54] CC: Ͽ Đarmok runs his fingers over her braids and murmurs nonsense at her. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:57] AA: She finally composes herself, and sniffing, looks up at him sadly. "Do you know how long you've got?"

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [08:57] CC: Ͽ Đarmok shrugs. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [09:02] AA: Sami nods sadly. "Okay. Well....I don't know. Let's make things count while we can, okay? I want to be the best mom I can, for as long as I can." Tears are still falling from her eyes, but she's keeping herself from sobbing.

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [09:03] CC: Ͽ Đarmok nods. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [09:09] AA: "Do you want to do any family activities? I mean....I'm not really sure what they would consist of....my dad's idea of family activities were mostly obstacle courses and 'basic training,' and I couldn't do those even if I wanted to."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [09:10] AA: "And you're not exactly a little kid so I can't teach you to read or anything."

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [09:12] CC: Ͽ Đarmok chuckles. Ͼ

<p style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;"> [09:15] AA: "I know! We can have a family dinner together! I'll bet this house here has a kitchen. I'll just go try to make something." Sami goes off to the kitchen. "I'll let you know when it's ready!"