. 38 Public; Video

[grahamcommawill]

[Guess who's death tolling it up again? This guy right here. Because this happened. This post is... a day after that, let's say. Once things are wrapped up.]

That... could've gone better. I guess negotiating isn't really my strong point. Then again, it never really was.

[Weak chuckle that quickly becomes a cough, which then becomes a groan of 'Ow

Comments

[cannibalmind]

[A soft sigh]

Will, Will, Will. What trouble did you get into this time?

I'll bring by a stack of books.

[grahamcommawill]

I tried to play the hero. [And... nope, not going to add to that, because it might turn into an accusation.]

That'd be great, thank you.

[cannibalmind]

Very well. I'll bring back the Mishima so that you may finish the story.

...

You know, Will, if you keep getting yourself killed I'm going to have to insist that you take some further precautions before dashing to anyone's rescue.

[grahamcommawill]

[Will smiled a little.] I wasn't dashing, exactly. Besides, typical vests wouldn't have helped in this case.

[cannibalmind]

Vests nothing. This place is loaded with white-knight types who have nothing better to do than race to the rescue. Bring more backup...if you are not going to bring me.

[grahamcommawill]

Bring... you? [All the surprise. Then he defaults to being offended.] I don't need a protector. Especially not one who tried to kill me. Twice.

[Says the guy from death toll. So very convincing.]

[cannibalmind]

Well. I do owe you a life-debt twice over. As it were.

Protector nothing. you are not a child, and I appreciate that. However, there are simply some things that require a crowd to handle correctly.

[Rustle and thump. He's gotten his books back from the Library and is finishing shuffling through them.] There! I will be right down.

[grahamcommawill]

We had a crowd. It still didn't work out. [Grumble, grumble. This is how former Feds say 'Thanks, I appreciate the concern.']

...Okay. I'll be here.

[cannibalmind]

Hrmph. [That's shorthand for Unca Hannibal's "Ok, be that way."]

[spam]
[He arrives a few minutes later, books stacked to his chin, calm as a cow in pasture but with his eyes flicking around until they settled on Will.] There you are. [He walks over and sets the books down on Will's serving table.]

And how are we feeling? [Hands behind back.]

[grahamcommawill]

[In the time it took Hannibal to arrive, Will had spoken with Kay. He was sitting up in bed, watching Hannibal with an unreadable expression. He still appeared a bit sickly, but his eyes were sharp in a way that said he'd ignore his physical weakness for now; set it aside and deal with it later. It'd most likely hurt worse, but that wasn't a concern for now.]

Never mind that. There's been... some stuff I've heard. [He nodded toward the chair beside his bed. He needed to take a moment, anyways, and organize his thoughts.] Okay, I'll start generally. How are things with your... warden? [He couldn't think of T-X as a human right now, let alone a warden, and he mostly held his dislike of her in check.]

[cannibalmind]

Hannibal paused in midstep, then breezed on, heading for the chair. He settled into it, crossed one leg over the other and steepled his fingers.

"Generally we make a good team. I cannot unnerve her, and she does not unnerve me. Only her rigid inability to assimilate new concepts with regard to her off-Barge duties gives me...trouble."

[grahamcommawill]

[Will moved in his seat to face him fully, and listened. His worry showed.]

Its 'off-Barge' activities? Why would those trouble you?

[cannibalmind]

[The corner of his eye twitched slightly. He had reservations about sharing this information, but he was currently in such moral conflict as made it difficult to forge ahead with a clear conscience either way. Moral conflict. Him. He would have laughed if it was not so serious.]

Tell me, Will. If you were programmed for one purpose--to assist in the extermination of humanity--and you died and found yourself here, what would your Wish be?

[grahamcommawill]

[It took him a second to catch. Either because of shocked disbelief or the death toll. Perhaps both.]

Oh, Jesus. Genocide of the whole human race. That's not even... ['Possible' is the word he wanted to use, but knew right away that it very much was. This was the Admiral, after all.] That was her- its deal? And she expects you to graduate knowing-

[Pause. Realization. That had to be it. The memory wipe. It all made sense. More to himself then to Hannibal, thinking out loud.] But you couldn't, unless you didn't know.

[cannibalmind]

[A soft sigh] As she so delicately put it, she does not wish for humanity's fall; she merely wishes to return to her world in a new body in order to assist with it.

I do not know what she will do to me now that I have made it clear that I will not submit to being party to a genocide.

[grahamcommawill]

Not a damn thing, that's what it'll do. [Spoken with a distinct finality that wouldn't allow for argument.] I can't... go into details, but trust me when I say nothing will happen to you. If it does? The wardens will know.