[ Psyche gives a little nod, wholeheartedly in agreement with the sentiment. Not that she'd been inclined to think well of them after what happened with Merlin, but... ]
I hadn't thought of that. If he'd been sleeping, then... someone could just have killed him as he slept. [ She bites her lip a little, but they're well past tiptoeing around that. ] But why would he be awake? They must have done that on purpose.
It's a bit harrowing when you think about it... We're all asleep, and amongst us walks a black cloak none of us can witness at the time. I'm sure it was all planned.
[It's all said very unflinchingly. Before, Psyche had seemed earnest about wanting to prevent more death... this must be settling hard for her.]
None of us really made good on our little experiment, but what about you? What took you off course? Were you well?
[ Her brow furrows a little; Waltaquin might not be flinching, but she certainly is, a bit. What does she do when the administrators have abilities like that at their disposal? ]
Oh... I ran into some of the others on the beach. They were having a gathering, and Temenos said they were planning on keeping watch on the situation from there. I thought I would just stay for a little while, but... then I fell asleep, like all of us.
[ So, quite well. Psyche reaches up, digging a nail absentmindedly into her lip. ]
I wonder if Chai would have gone out if we were all here... it probably wouldn't have made a difference.
Watching from the beach? It suits him. Rather than circling the wagons, they must have wanted to watch for any unexpected comings and goings. [Temenos has already called them an unruly flock before; to Waltaquin, it seems obvious that despite his protestations, the priest-detecting has some habits of that ingrained still.]
Chai probably had his own ideas and lost track of time.
[And, as they will learn at the trial, the arcade crew didn't even realize that anything was strange about their location at the time.]
If you start feeling responsible for not saving people, you're more likely to miss something important in the future.
[ Psyche glances up, dropping her hand back to her side and giving a sigh. ]
I know. I keep telling myself that, but... [ Well! She won't make Waltaquin go in circles about it. ] I want to do something. I just don't know what else to try. Our idea and Temenos', there's nothing we can do once we're asleep. It's not enough to keep going like this.
[ She needs a different approach... which means she's back to mangling her lip with her nail as she mulls it over. ]
There are always traps that can be set. Alarms, for example, or barred doors that can't be disturbed without leaving a trace.
... In addition to trying not to die, we can also resolve to do what we can to leave behind something useful, even if we do.
[Waltaquin has no intention of being bested by anyone here, but she will do her best to condemn them to hell even in death. The satisfaction of that vengeance would be fulfilling in its own right.]
You mean... so everyone knows who did it? Something like an injury that no one could mistake, or...
[ Hm, this isn't her specialty. But her gaze goes a little thoughtful. Would focusing on this mean accepting that these murders are going to keep happening? But if something happens, maybe at least that much could keep the others safe... ]
...I'll try and see what I can think of. [ There's a spark there, but she's not getting into it yet. ] What I really wish is that I could do something that would let us stop this whole thing. But that's... I just have to start somewhere.
That might not work. Half of us can heal, even if it's not as much as we used to be able. This will be very useful for me if someone mounts an assassination attempt on me...less so if our only retaliation is a wound they can mostly conceal.
[Yes, of course, Psyche, we all want to change the world. Better to think of these things now than when you're getting flung across a mini-golf course.]
What I imagine it would take to stop this is a significant enough expulsion of powerful energy all at once.
[ So it would have to be a wound someone couldn't conceal... Psyche grimaces a little and shies away from that thought. Just because it might work doesn't mean she wants to contemplate it, let alone do it. ]
That's true, too... That's what I was wondering at the very beginning. Ho-oh said our powers were needed, didn't he? If we could somehow give up just those, then maybe that would be enough energy without anyone needing to die. I wanted to talk it over with him, but then Merlin...
[ Now, well. Ho-oh can choke on her powers (polite). ]
I guess we just have to get through this trial first.
We could also do away with a great number of us all at once, though I'm guessing they've tried that method already.
[She says this quite casually out of hand; it's not a serious proposal to kill a large swath of their number, but it might not fully be a joke. She's certain their two hosts have already attempted a mass "sacrifice," as desperate zealots often do when they don't get the spiritual results they want, either.]
Yes, nothing to be done to get to the bottom of it... then we shall see exactly what they have in mind for their idea of justice. [Through more sacrifice...it won't be pretty, either way.]
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no subject
I hadn't thought of that. If he'd been sleeping, then... someone could just have killed him as he slept. [ She bites her lip a little, but they're well past tiptoeing around that. ] But why would he be awake? They must have done that on purpose.
no subject
[It's all said very unflinchingly. Before, Psyche had seemed earnest about wanting to prevent more death... this must be settling hard for her.]
None of us really made good on our little experiment, but what about you? What took you off course? Were you well?
no subject
Oh... I ran into some of the others on the beach. They were having a gathering, and Temenos said they were planning on keeping watch on the situation from there. I thought I would just stay for a little while, but... then I fell asleep, like all of us.
[ So, quite well. Psyche reaches up, digging a nail absentmindedly into her lip. ]
I wonder if Chai would have gone out if we were all here... it probably wouldn't have made a difference.
no subject
Chai probably had his own ideas and lost track of time.
[And, as they will learn at the trial, the arcade crew didn't even realize that anything was strange about their location at the time.]
If you start feeling responsible for not saving people, you're more likely to miss something important in the future.
no subject
I know. I keep telling myself that, but... [ Well! She won't make Waltaquin go in circles about it. ] I want to do something. I just don't know what else to try. Our idea and Temenos', there's nothing we can do once we're asleep. It's not enough to keep going like this.
[ She needs a different approach... which means she's back to mangling her lip with her nail as she mulls it over. ]
no subject
... In addition to trying not to die, we can also resolve to do what we can to leave behind something useful, even if we do.
[Waltaquin has no intention of being bested by anyone here, but she will do her best to condemn them to hell even in death. The satisfaction of that vengeance would be fulfilling in its own right.]
no subject
[ Hm, this isn't her specialty. But her gaze goes a little thoughtful. Would focusing on this mean accepting that these murders are going to keep happening? But if something happens, maybe at least that much could keep the others safe... ]
...I'll try and see what I can think of. [ There's a spark there, but she's not getting into it yet. ] What I really wish is that I could do something that would let us stop this whole thing. But that's... I just have to start somewhere.
no subject
[Yes, of course, Psyche, we all want to change the world. Better to think of these things now than when you're getting flung across a mini-golf course.]
What I imagine it would take to stop this is a significant enough expulsion of powerful energy all at once.
no subject
That's true, too... That's what I was wondering at the very beginning. Ho-oh said our powers were needed, didn't he? If we could somehow give up just those, then maybe that would be enough energy without anyone needing to die. I wanted to talk it over with him, but then Merlin...
[ Now, well. Ho-oh can choke on her powers (polite). ]
I guess we just have to get through this trial first.
no subject
[She says this quite casually out of hand; it's not a serious proposal to kill a large swath of their number, but it might not fully be a joke. She's certain their two hosts have already attempted a mass "sacrifice," as desperate zealots often do when they don't get the spiritual results they want, either.]
Yes, nothing to be done to get to the bottom of it... then we shall see exactly what they have in mind for their idea of justice. [Through more sacrifice...it won't be pretty, either way.]