[He was wondering if she'd meant something more violent for making the Karterians accept them, but of course, she's thinking of the aid part of it. Not violence.]
Beggers can't be choosers, eh? Take your pick: a slow agonizing death, or living with us freaky monster people.
[He tilts his head again in consideration of her compassion for her fellow Augmented.]
Sounds like you're talkin' about someone specific.
I know which one I would choose if I was a native here.
[ Would it be an easy adjustment? Not at all. But she'd prefer to survive among creatures than to die a terrible death, or to see the people around her fall apart in the worst ways.
Mel rubs at one of her arms absently. ]
It's no one in particular. [ Not completely a lie. ] I've met a handful of people who truly care but to their detriment.
[ Jayce, Viktor. Hythlodaeus, Momo. Ace, even Texas. ]
I'm hoping groups of us can convince the people to see us as we are. Just...people who unfortunately are changing. I've asked some of the Augmented to help me by keeping an eye on the streets, on the populace, and to help whenever and however they can. So we can avoid what happened in East Sophia from happening again. But, again--
[ People overextend, overtax themselves, pour from an empty cup. She worries for the longevity of such a project and the effects it will have on people. ]
Yeah, well, when someone's got it in their head you're less than human, it can be impossible to change their mind. Even moreso when a bunch of them have the same idea at once.
[Not that he's speaking from experience. Not that he's thinking of fucking Marcus calling his kids sump rats.]
[ The irony isn't lost on her. Mel doesn't wince but her gaze softens, regretful. ]
True enough. I...worry that at some point we'll need to leave this city. But being beyond the barrier for long stretches of time, alone and otherwise, likely won't keep our changes under control.
[ Not that they're under control here, either. They're all fumbling along and trying to figure things out. ]
I think it was just after you arrived. There were people missing in the district, with people wearing suits wandering around. The Velvet Claw asked us to investigate. Rather, citizens put in an ad to get help. We... [ Her throat closes briefly. ] ...I don't know if the people we found were connected completely. But there were bones and pieces of bodies in the Asphodel Fields, in the marshlands. And, further out, walking corpses. Creatures without souls or thought any longer.
[ Mel stares straight ahead because she knows if she looks on him, he'll see the agony and horror in her eyes at the memory. How her newfound ability to see souls only made the reality all the worse. But her hands, folded into each other, are clenched tight enough to bleach her knuckles; her lips are pressed so firmly together that they could shatter stone. ]
[Vander hums, considering this. It's possible. He wonders why Patho-Gen didn't just put them in their own little city outside the barrier in the first place. To keep better surveillance, maybe.]
We might. They may decide enough is enough and exile us. So long as we all had each other, I think we'd be alright.
[But there's a bit of pain in his voice. It brings up memories of Zaun, of being barred from participation in higher society, kept down in the dirt where no one had to look at them. Treated less than human. It'd be hard to go through all that again in a new place.]
Gods... That's horrible.
[He's looking at her anyway, her tense expression, the pain in her eyes.]
[ Alas, as cynical as she is, she doesn't know that she believes it. And Vander's tone is worth noting: she imagines it won't be so different from home, being a part of a group outcast from 'civil' society. Something else to be remorseful over. Silco would love to see her and Jayce experience the same suffering and perhaps it's deserved. But Vander shouldn't have to go through it all again.
Mel shakes her head to his question. ]
Not as far as I'm aware. We imagine they were kidnapped. I've asked for some Augmented presence in East Sophia to try to keep an eye on things. In fact, I'd like more of our presence throughout the city just to get eyes on things, be available to support, make ourselves as 'friendly' helpers.
[ Be indispensable, so when the time comes for them to be ostracized, it will be that much harder to convince the common person to let the Augmented be pushed out. ]
It's... I don't want to say it's impossible. We don't know enough yet. I don't know that it does, though. I think we would have seen a great deal of activity long before this if that were the case.
[ That's what she's desperately hoping will be the case. The alternative is just too painful. But to what Vander says, Mel seems a little less tense. She even offers a smile, a much more genuine one. ]
I'm glad. What happened was...terrible, so anything we can do for them would be of help. I don't want them to be abandoned by this city. Or by us.
[ She can't even begin to fathom what caused it, what happened in the sky that night. What might happen again. ]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2025-07-30 12:29 am (UTC)Beggers can't be choosers, eh? Take your pick: a slow agonizing death, or living with us freaky monster people.
[He tilts his head again in consideration of her compassion for her fellow Augmented.]
Sounds like you're talkin' about someone specific.
no subject
Date: 2025-07-30 04:08 pm (UTC)[ Would it be an easy adjustment? Not at all. But she'd prefer to survive among creatures than to die a terrible death, or to see the people around her fall apart in the worst ways.
Mel rubs at one of her arms absently. ]
It's no one in particular. [ Not completely a lie. ] I've met a handful of people who truly care but to their detriment.
[ Jayce, Viktor. Hythlodaeus, Momo. Ace, even Texas. ]
I'm hoping groups of us can convince the people to see us as we are. Just...people who unfortunately are changing. I've asked some of the Augmented to help me by keeping an eye on the streets, on the populace, and to help whenever and however they can. So we can avoid what happened in East Sophia from happening again. But, again--
[ People overextend, overtax themselves, pour from an empty cup. She worries for the longevity of such a project and the effects it will have on people. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-03 02:49 am (UTC)[Not that he's speaking from experience. Not that he's thinking of fucking Marcus calling his kids sump rats.]
What happened in East Sophia?
no subject
Date: 2025-08-03 06:22 pm (UTC)True enough. I...worry that at some point we'll need to leave this city. But being beyond the barrier for long stretches of time, alone and otherwise, likely won't keep our changes under control.
[ Not that they're under control here, either. They're all fumbling along and trying to figure things out. ]
I think it was just after you arrived. There were people missing in the district, with people wearing suits wandering around. The Velvet Claw asked us to investigate. Rather, citizens put in an ad to get help. We... [ Her throat closes briefly. ] ...I don't know if the people we found were connected completely. But there were bones and pieces of bodies in the Asphodel Fields, in the marshlands. And, further out, walking corpses. Creatures without souls or thought any longer.
[ Mel stares straight ahead because she knows if she looks on him, he'll see the agony and horror in her eyes at the memory. How her newfound ability to see souls only made the reality all the worse. But her hands, folded into each other, are clenched tight enough to bleach her knuckles; her lips are pressed so firmly together that they could shatter stone. ]
no subject
Date: 2025-08-10 07:32 pm (UTC)We might. They may decide enough is enough and exile us. So long as we all had each other, I think we'd be alright.
[But there's a bit of pain in his voice. It brings up memories of Zaun, of being barred from participation in higher society, kept down in the dirt where no one had to look at them. Treated less than human. It'd be hard to go through all that again in a new place.]
Gods... That's horrible.
[He's looking at her anyway, her tense expression, the pain in her eyes.]
And still no clue how this happened?
no subject
Date: 2025-08-11 06:17 pm (UTC)[ Alas, as cynical as she is, she doesn't know that she believes it. And Vander's tone is worth noting: she imagines it won't be so different from home, being a part of a group outcast from 'civil' society. Something else to be remorseful over. Silco would love to see her and Jayce experience the same suffering and perhaps it's deserved. But Vander shouldn't have to go through it all again.
Mel shakes her head to his question. ]
Not as far as I'm aware. We imagine they were kidnapped. I've asked for some Augmented presence in East Sophia to try to keep an eye on things. In fact, I'd like more of our presence throughout the city just to get eyes on things, be available to support, make ourselves as 'friendly' helpers.
[ Be indispensable, so when the time comes for them to be ostracized, it will be that much harder to convince the common person to let the Augmented be pushed out. ]
sry for the delay
Date: 2025-08-27 04:37 pm (UTC)Hm. Not a bad idea. I've been trying to help out some of the folks who went blind.
no subject
Date: 2025-08-28 01:55 pm (UTC)[ That's what she's desperately hoping will be the case. The alternative is just too painful. But to what Vander says, Mel seems a little less tense. She even offers a smile, a much more genuine one. ]
I'm glad. What happened was...terrible, so anything we can do for them would be of help. I don't want them to be abandoned by this city. Or by us.
[ She can't even begin to fathom what caused it, what happened in the sky that night. What might happen again. ]