Jade Curtiss (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
sarcasmancer) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
animus_network2014-01-26 08:07 pm
sarcasmancer) wrote in animus_network2014-01-26 08:07 pm
3. Knowledge [Video]
[[OOC: This is backdated to the 16th, after the Nyx Avatar battle. I meant to make this post earlier, but so it goes. Better late than never!]]
The video opens up on Jade Curtiss, picking up and slipping on his glasses, then looking at the camera while smiling his usual unconcerned smile and wearing his usual military uniform.
"Forgive me my abruptness, but I'd like to conduct a little survey," he says pleasantly. "My name is Jade Curtiss, and I had the fascinating experience of my first death yesterday--at, apparently, the hands of Death itself, no less. When I awoke this morning, I couldn't help but wonder, what sorts of deaths have you all experienced thus far? If you wouldn't mind indulging my curiosity, please leave a response in whatever format you prefer with as much detail as you feel comfortable with giving.
"Please be aware that I will likely ask follow-up questions. This is, of course, completely optional. For those of you who do participate, thank you in advance for your cooperation."
He nods his head politely, then reaches forward for something off-screen. The video cuts there. ...Morbid much?
The video opens up on Jade Curtiss, picking up and slipping on his glasses, then looking at the camera while smiling his usual unconcerned smile and wearing his usual military uniform.
"Forgive me my abruptness, but I'd like to conduct a little survey," he says pleasantly. "My name is Jade Curtiss, and I had the fascinating experience of my first death yesterday--at, apparently, the hands of Death itself, no less. When I awoke this morning, I couldn't help but wonder, what sorts of deaths have you all experienced thus far? If you wouldn't mind indulging my curiosity, please leave a response in whatever format you prefer with as much detail as you feel comfortable with giving.
"Please be aware that I will likely ask follow-up questions. This is, of course, completely optional. For those of you who do participate, thank you in advance for your cooperation."
He nods his head politely, then reaches forward for something off-screen. The video cuts there. ...Morbid much?
[video]
Hello Jade, [He greets with a smile, as usual, though it of course fades to one of sympathy shortly thereafter.] I'm sorry to hear that you've had to experience dying. It's not very pleasant, is it? Though, I suppose it happens to all of us, here, eventually.
[More to the point, though, niceties aside, as Ion's well aware Jade can surely appreciate.]
If I remember correctly...I've died, I believe, four times. At least, technically speaking. [He didn't want to have to count the July incident.] I died twice in the poppy field on floor 87. The first time was on my first day here, when I was with Guy. We didn't realize that their powers were so deadly, and thought it would be a good place to rest while I regained my energy--I had gotten rather tired after traveling for so long up the staircase. The second time was my most recent death. I hate to admit that I, well, collapsed again after overworking myself. A nice young man tried to help me, but ended up taking me right back onto that floor and I was too far gone to warn him of the danger.
[Ion shakes his head, sad at the memory. Their newest Luke had been there, too. In fact...that might have been the last time that Ion had seen him before he disappeared.]
Other than that, I died once with the Luke that's currently in the Tower when we went down as a group into the Administrative floors and got cornered by retrieval units. Before that, my second death was by the first Luke that was in the Tower when I arrived. We had both had our minds altered by Jason at the time, so...it wasn't really his fault.
[The touch of sadness that affects his eyes disappears all at once as Ion remembers himself. He smiles again.]
I hope that helps? I, of course, don't mind answering any questions.
no subject
Not especially, no, though from a scientific point of view it was very interesting. I imagine it wouldn't be difficult to avoid, but you'd have to be a shut-in to accomplish it. Those of us who aren't content with such roles run that risk.
[The poppy field... He'd seen it in passing, but he hadn't been aware that it was deadly. Good to know, that. The retrieval units getting nasty was something he'd heard of already, at least.]
Which young man was this? I assume you would have mentioned his name if you knew it, but if you could give a description, I'd appreciate that. As for the last death you described, you say you and Luke had your minds altered? I understand this must be difficult to talk about, and I apologize, but could you explain that in more detail, please?
no subject
Oh, not at all. I don't mind elaborating.
[First, there was the question of the young man.]
You're correct; I never got his name, or even saw him again afterward. It's fully possible that he's disappeared from the Tower since. But he was probably somewhere around Luke's age, with dark hair and...a headband, if I remember correctly. He was a bit tanned; the sort that one gets when they work outdoors often, and rather strong.
[He was able to lift up Ion, after all. But then, Ion was quite the opposite--small and pale from his time indoors and underground. Lifting him wasn't much of a challenge for most people. Hell, Anise could probably lift him if she wanted to.]
As for what happened between Luke and I...I'm afraid I can't speak for what happened to him. It was something very different, from what I could tell, and he wasn't around much longer afterward for me to be able to ask in detail. [Ion pauses, here, looking thoughtful.] As for me, I can tell you that this was only a couple of weeks after I had arrived. I don't remember the process. The last thing I remember is being grabbed by a retrieval unit, and when I woke up I didn't have control over my body, though I was fully cognizant otherwise.
[He frowns. He can still remember it with such clarity; it hadn't even been the biggest horror he had gone though...but it had been the first. How could anyone forget the first?]
I had had these sort of...speakers...[He gestures to the sides of his head.]...put over my ears. For the most part, I just walked around doing simple chores. But other times, I could hear...forgive me, it's hard to describe, exactly, but it was death. I could hear when residents of the Tower were about to die. And when I did, I'd stop what I was doing to seek them out.
no subject
Thank you, Fon Master. If I ever see someone matching that description, I'll inquire after him. If he may not still be in the Tower, though, I won't worry about it too much.
By a retrieval unit, though... I see. That was some welcome. Please don't worry if you can't remember it all or describe it coherently; it was clearly a traumatic experience. I appreciate that you're willing to discuss it at all. On that note, what happened when you found those residents?
[He thinks he has a pretty good guess, but...]
no subject
I would watch or put an end to them myself. Generally, I would just watch.
[He pauses. He probably doesn't have to give Jade further details, but he might as well.]
And when they would die I'd feel this sort of peace that I'd never quite felt before or since. I have to admit that when I was back to my normal self, I was afraid that this feeling was one of my own making. I've come to understand, however, that it was something I was made to feel.
[There was no way, of course, for Ion to know how that was possible. He was young, and didn't know more than he had been meant to know for his duties. But Jade was a scientist; likely he was already coming up with several possibilities.]
no subject
I see.
[It makes sense. If his body was being controlled, then his neurological responses to his actions, or perhaps his psyche itself, could have been controlled as well. But that would imply...
...no, there's too little information in the broader sense for him to guess anything. This is definitely something to remember, though.]
Thank you for your responses, Ion. I apologize for the discomfort I've caused you.