past in present

[altinnin]

I've been doing some reading.

It's called "electricity". That's what I was being... rehabilitated with. It's a muggle imitation of magic, and they say that's what lightning and those little jolts you get when you touch something metal in the winter are from. When it runs through your body it burns the muscles underneath the skin, makes them

Comments

[brainsnotfists]

A teeny little bit of electricity is good. It's how information (what you perceive with your five senses for example) jumps between nerve endings. Electricity is not conscious, but it's why you are conscious and aware of your surroundings.

And I wouldn't say that "electricity" is a replacement for magic.

[altinnin]

What in Merlin's name is a "nerve"?

[brainsnotfists]

Okay. I see I'm going to have to be very very basic and simple. Do you know what cells are? The human body is made up of them, and they each have a particular function. Nerve cells relay information using a combination of chemicals and electricity to move information around so your body can react to stimulus. Imagine an entire net of these cells all leading to your spinal cord. The spinal cord relays all this information to your brain, which is a gigantic cauliflower resembling lump of bazillions of nerve cells.

For instance, if you grabbed something that turns out to be really really hot. The nerves in your hand go "ow!" and send the information to your muscles and you move your hand away while the information travels all the way to your brain, and you holler "OW HOT!" and swear a lot while shaking your hand and jumping until someone gets you an icepack.

[altinnin]

Don't condescend to me. This all sounds overly complicated.

[honestlyrubbish]

Imprisonment.

Although the latter would be, to the subject, the easier option.

[altinnin]

Assuming there was no way out, no way for anyone else to get you out, simply the vaguest hope of a chance of freedom.

[honestlyrubbish]

Imprisonment, still.

Granted, I don't know whether my answer would change, with time-- perhaps it would. All I have to go on lasted... no longer than an hour, really.

[altinnin]

So you believe that any life, no matter how pitiful, is worth living?

[adamantined]

I wonder if I could - How can anyone have seven fits?

[altinnin]

It's an expression. And you didn't answer the question.

[adamantined]

That's because I don't have an answer yet.

[altinnin]

Why don't you try out both and get back to me?

[backward]

The City itself is a prison with elaborate methods of torture.

Just look at who's tried to off themselves so far and who's roughed it out. There's your answer.

[altinnin]

No one tries to off themselves because they know they'll be revived the next day anyways.

[backward]

We're an optimistic species. Some would try just to be sure it wasn't possible.

[altinnin]

If it was possible to kill yourself, would you do it?

[miss_waldorf]

I thought they've stopped doing that a century ago.

[altinnin]

The reading, the electricity, or the torture?

[miss_waldorf]

The torture, obviously. What did you do?

[altinnin]

Well how am I to know, in a place like this?

And I don't see how that's any of your business either. Didn't your parents teach you any manners?