animus_network | [Text] [Locked selectively (see OOC text) and Hackable]

[Text] [Locked selectively (see OOC text) and Hackable]

[OOC: This post is locked to each individual that Signless has ever met or spoken to, even for a short time. He also has locked it to each of the rest of the trolls, and anyone he's ever seen talking on networks. Basically, while it is locked, if you want your character to see it, you can assume Signless has seen you posting around. Or you're welcome to hack it, because Signless is pretty shitty with computers, anyway.

He's trying to make it open to as many of the prisoners as possible in the tower, without leaving it open to the administrators of the tower - though with his current paranoia, he's pretty sure that they'll find out, from the spies who will certainly see it]

ALL RIGHT, ALL OF YOU FUCKASSES LISTEN UP.
TODAY WE GOT OUR MISSING FRIENDS AND COMRADES BACK, AND FOUND THEM HORRIBLY CHANGED.
OUR FRIENDS WERE TORTURED AND EXPERIMENTED ON BY EVIL PEOPLE, AND TURNED INTO MONSTERS. DON'T SAY IT ISN'T TRUE, BECAUSE YOU ALL KNOW THAT IT IS.
NOT ONLY THAT, BUT WE RECEIVED NOTES TODAY INFORMING US THAT IT ISN'T JUST THESE UNFORTUNATE *FIRST VICTIMS* BUT ALL OF US WHO ARE PART OF THIS EXPERIMENT.
AS IF WE DIDN'T ALREADY KNOW THAT.

THE TIME HAS COME TO TO ACCEPT THAT THIS IS NO REFUGEE CAMP.
MAYBE OUR WORLDS ARE DESTROYED, MAYBE NOT, BUT THAT DOESN'T FUCKING MATTER, ANYMORE.
ARE WE GOING TO SIT BY AND WAIT WHILE WE'RE TAKEN ONE BY ONE, HAVE OUR HORNS SHORN OFF AND OUR BODIES CORRUPTED FOR THE ENTERTAINMENT OF A BUNCH OF PSYCHOTIC SCIENTISTS?
I SAY, NO.

THERE ARE A LOT OF DIFFERENT PEOPLE HERE, WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES - MAGICAL AND OTHERWISE.
WE NEED TO COME TOGETHER, PUT ASIDE OUR DIFFERENCES, AND WORK TO FIND THE PEOPLE WHO'VE BROUGHT US HERE AND DESTROY THEM.
IF WE HAVE TO STAY IN THE TOWER FOREVER BECAUSE THERE'S NOWHERE FOR US TO GO, SO BE IT.
BUT WE WON'T BE PUPPETS, DANCING AND SHAKING OUR PLUSH RUMPS FOR THEIR AMUSEMENT.
I KNOW THIS POST WILL PROBABLY ATTRACT THEIR ATTENTION TOWARDS ME, BUT I'M WILLING TO ACCEPT THAT RISK.
IF THEY TAKE ME NEXT, PLEASE, ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU MEET WITH ONE ANOTHER, IN PERSON, IN SECRET IF YOU CAN, AND TRY TO FIND A WAY TO FIND ME.
LET'S WORK TOGETHER, ALL OF US, ALIEN AND TROLL, LOWBLOOD AND HIGH, TO STOP THESE PEOPLE.

THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

UNLESS YOU'RE WORKING WITH THEM
WHICH I'M NOT DISCOUNTING
I'M PRETTY SURE YOU'RE NOT IMMUNE.
ANYWAY, I'M PRETTY AMAZINGLY HUMBLE, ASK ANYONE.
DIPLOMACY IS MY WHOLE SCHTICK, WHICH YOU VERY WELL KNOW.
WHAT DO I NEED TO DO?

[Here's Signless, wandering the library until he finds the Empress. Good idea? Bad idea? We'll find out.]

What if I'm genuinely interested in your leadership?

[She doesn't trust Signless anywhere near her back after the last incident, so the second she hears footsteps, she's on her feet -- slowly, gracefully, though not without purpose.

She can't say that she was expecting him to actually come and seek her out, so there is a quirk of her eyebrow while the other furrows slightly. It's not a spoken acknowledgment, but it is a profound one, considering she hasn't out and out tried to choke him yet.

She's listening. Begrudgingly, but she's listening.]

You don't trust me anymore than I trust you.

No, I don't trust you.

[He sighs and glances away, drawing his cloak around himself a little]

You've been the leader of our species for a lot longer than I've been alive. On the other hand, I have a lot of friends here. If we work together, we can probably unite almost everyone in the tower. We each have something different to offer.

[He looks up at her again.]

You don't want to be a slave or a prisoner any more than I do. I know you want to kill me, but do you want it more than you want to regain control over your destiny? That collar chafes you, doesn't it?

[Her reply is smooth, cold, and full of venom. She's still pretty bitter about him getting away, thieving her Helmsman and killing her, after all.]

The tribulations of everyone else in this Tower are not my concern.

[She holds her chin proudly, ignoring the collar comment. He was right on all counts, but that didn't mean she would actively admit it.]

[He hasn't forgiven her, either. His gaze is now steady and firm, heat to her chill]

That may be so. But you have no special powers to escape here, Empress. If you want to be free, and rule, then you need people to do the dirty work. And if we want to organize, we need a strong leader.

[He shrugs and turns away slightly, though he keeps her in view] But if you're not interested, then I guess that leader will have to be me.

You're not entirely incorrect.

[She's scoffing at the idea, which he'll see if he's looking at her face, which has broken slightly to reveal those shark teeth ever so slightly.]

Under the assumption that you're a strong leader.

[He's watching, and he turns back towards her, shrugging] Under the assumption that you're too scared or too apathetic to step up and seize what you claim is your birthright. I shouldn't have to convince you to rule.

[He squares his shoulders and lifts his chin] I'll do what I have to do to save all of these people. I don't claim to be anything other than what I am, but I'll do what I need to do, and be what they need me to be, as best I can.

And what would I have to fear exactly? That's quite presumptuous of you.

[Now she's just arguing for the sake of arguing, but his attitude causes her to tilt her head a bit in curiosity.]

At least you acknowledge that much.

[He knows she's trolling, and he's sick of it.]

So all that being said. If you stopped fucking around, you said I would have to humble myself. So what is it you want from me?

Nothing.

If my rule is what you want, then I'll give it to you.

[Well, when you put it like that, he hates the idea. But he can't help thinking that he needs help.]

And I'm second in command.

[She can't hold in the laugh this time, sorry Signless. It's actually a rather feminine giggle, completely uncontrolled.]

[He can't say he didn't expect it. He only stares at her]

Listen to me, Condesce. You have the blood and the experience, but I have the army. You have Dualscar, and maybe one wriggler. No one else here, that I'm aware of, has any reason to follow you.

[The comment on her blood actually gives her pause, glancing at him a bit suspiciously. Her answer is plain and dry -- fact, rather than insult.]

You won't have my best warrior if you're going to try and seat yourself higher than him.

He'll do whatever you order him to do, and you know it. [And oh fuck is he going to love seeing Dualscar's face. He takes a step towards her, drawing a little too close.] I'll follow you, Condesce, so long as I believe our interests are aligned and that doing so is likely to save more lives than not doing it.

But I am not bowing to your barkbeast, too. Go ahead and tell him we're equals. Your two advisers. Whatever you have to fucking tell him, this is the deal.

[Rolling her eyes, and then wrinkling her nose when he steps into her personal bubble before waving him off arrogantly.]

I'm not mediating between the two of you, so if that's what you'd like, you're going to deal with whatever tantrum he decides to throw. Other than that, I can't say I care.

[Now it's Signless' turn to laugh, and he doesn't back off.] I couldn't be less interested in pailing your pet fish. Do we have a deal or not?

[Sneering.]

For now.

[He smiles and steps back, but not because he's backing off. He bows, a little too theatrically - he's never done it before, what the fuck does he know how you greet a real Empress? - and then straightens]

Thank you, Your Highness.

[This could have gone a lot worse. He was prepared to give up something more than this, but he's glad. She's probably scared, too, he figures. Really, she was just waiting for an excuse]

Edited 2011-10-12 04:42 (UTC)

I CAN IMAGINE

sobbing

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