[audio]

[animusnpcs]

[There's a crackling throughout the Tower's staircase and--painfully--the power comes back on. A moment later, all of the glamour goes back up: everything and everyone looks the way it should, although the food remains nutrition bars and water.

And then Ruana's voice comes on over the network. It's low, sleepy--furious.]

You broke it. You broke it! How could you! How could you! After everything--and now--and now--

[She laughs, though it's not a pleasant sound.]

You're all going to die in one year, you know. For real. Everything will turn off, and you'll all die when I can't maintain you anymore. Maybe I'll send you back before that, and let you all walk around your ruined wastelands for the rest of eternity. Or maybe I won't. Maybe I'll let you die here.

But for now... [Another, high-pitched giggle.]

My darlings, let's play a game.

[While this recording is open for comments, Ruana will not be responding.]

Comments

[Audio]

[no_longer_a_king]

You torture us, twist our bodies and our minds, twist our very souls, and you have the gall to think we're wrong for fighting back against you? Perhaps if you had treated us with respect, treated us as people instead of toys this would not be happening.

We managed to get this far on our own. Give us your threats. We have a year, we have many people here with great minds and abilities. We will find a way to stop this.

And if we don't then at least our souls will no longer be in your hands.

[Audio/Private]

[adorably_evilish]

[It seems someone had a slight change of heart after the last predicament...]

This... comes much harder than you people make it seem but...

I... wish to thank you.

For making me realize that I still held my own fate in my hands.

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

And thank you, Veigar, for making me realize just how much I've let this place affect me. It has been so long since I was even close to being human I forgot some basic things about being alive once more.

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

You know... I didn't think I'd meet another being that could make me feel like my old self again since Amalia...

I suppose this Tower has more of the pleasant type of surprises still.

[Veigar is confesing that there's still good things out there... someone call the emergency squad...]

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

Who was Amalia, if you do not mind me asking? A friend of yours?

[THE WORLD IS ENDIN--Wait. It technically already did.]

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

Amalia...

She was the woman who gifted me Chompimus... A spellcaster of the nature kind and a protector of that which was natural.

She was... an intriguing woman.

[And there might have been more than just friendship between the two... Sadly the tower deemed it fit to take her from him before he could understand what that truly meant.]

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

I see. She must have been a very good person if you think so highly of her.

[It does not occur to her there might have been more than friendship between them, if only because Arturia's mind is the furthest from romance ever.]

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

Good... Yess, I suppose that would be the correct word for it.

[And yet not the full extent. Veigar just has a hard time quantifying goodness and such lables since he usually dislikes the 'goody two shoes'.]

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

You "suppose", Veigar?

[Audio/Private]

[adorably_evilish]

Hrmph, yes, I suppose...

Normally these 'good' types are wretchingly annoying.... But.

I've found that there are rare exceptions...

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

I do not know if some would call us 'good' right now. I was part of the group that has essentially condemned us to true death, after all.

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

Some of us value freedom and free more than a lie or illusion.

And true death is an uncertainty I intend to stop. After all, they made the mistake of giving us a timeframe...

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

That is true. I meant more that good or evil can be a gray area at times. An act that is considered evil by one group of people can be considered good by another. This is something I've learned to be true throughout my life.

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

An astute observation. I didn't use to believe in either. There was always me or them and somewhere along the line there were times were there was someone who shared the same desires as I and wasn't looking to work with them.

Things are a bit different here, but not by much.

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

Then which do you consider yourself now? Good? Or evil?

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

Neither. I refuse to be labled by such blindsided beliefs. I work for my best insterests in mind and...

I suppose more recently, I work for my allie's best insterests as well. I wish to make sure they don't do something idiotic and get themselves hurt or killed.

....

B-because that would hinder my plans!

[Yeah... nice save there Veigar. Way to say you care without 'saying' it.]

[Audio/Private]

[no_longer_a_king]

[She tries not to laugh. He reminds her of Rin in a way by stuttering something like that. She might not be succeeding.]

I am glad to be your ally, then. I wouldn't want to hinder any plans you might have.

[Audio/Private]

[isthatashortjoke]

Yes, good. [He clears his throat.]

As I said before, the feeling is mutual.

[What was that Veigar? You kind of lowered your voice there...]

In any case, I am sure there's even more to do now that we have a goal. If you should need assistance... You know what to do.