animus_network | [Filtered from the Condesce, Dualscar and Grand Highblood]

HEY, THIS IS THE SIGNLESS.

I HAVEN'T REALLY POSTED TO THE NETWORK IN A WHILE, AND I'D APOLOGIZE, BUT I REALIZE THAT NONE OF YOU PROBABLY TAKE MUCH JOY IN SEEING MY EYE-BLEEDING BIG-LETTERED CANDY RED TEXT, ANYWAY. SOME OF YOU, PARTICULARLY THE TROLLS, ARE PROBABLY WEEPING FROM YOUR OCULARS ALREADY, REACHING FOR THE KEYBOARD TO SPEW YOUR VITRIOL AT ME FOR EXISTING.

BUT DON'T WORRY. YOU'RE SUFFERING FOR A REASON.

Her Imperious Condescension
Orphaner Dualscar
The Grand Highblood Subjugglator.

If you know these names, then you know that to encounter any of these trolls is dangerous at best, and very likely to be fatal.

To be honest, I feel partly responsible. Since they arrived in the tower, I have tried to show them that the hemospectrum doesn't give them the right to cull indiscriminately, that there are other ways of dealing with people that are more constructive, and even beneficial to them. All three of them have rejected this notion, and while I do have hope that they might come around eventually, we cannot allow them to simply continue to treat the tower - and the people here - as their own personal sporting arena.

But I'm just one troll, and I'm not a very big one. I need help, I need a plan. And taking revenge upon them is not going to make a positive difference in this situation.

So please. Is there anyone here who can do something to, at least temporarily, make them stop killing? Maybe if they can start to feel what it's like to be powerless, they can begin to relate to those of us whom they have held down for so long.

I don't want to hurt them, and I believe anyone else in this tower who engages in violence should be dealt with in the same way. This tower is our home, at least for now, and if we are all going to live here, I think it's time to lay down some groundrules, and figure out how to enforce them.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Okay, that does feel a bit odd, but Signless is okay with it. He shrugs and nods]

That sure is elaborate. [He straightens up and steps back, not wanting to interfere] Do you want me somewhere specific while you do this?

Oh, urm, thank you. Just stand outside the circle while I finish this...

Sure.

[He watches] Hey, can I ask you something?

What is it?

[...Which is more just a formality when he can cheat and know Signless' question already.]

Is that you that's, uh... tickling my think pan?

[...should he lie but no lying is bad and the Tower isn't the same as home! But at the same time Signless is the first one to actually notice the mindreading, or at least the first to notice and make it known.]

Urm. Yes? -- I'm not really looking into it, much.

You can read minds? [Signless is more bemused than frightened by it]

[And it relieves Yori because he doesn't like people being afraid of him.]

...Yes.

Wow...that must suck.

[Because people would be afraid of Yori, and many of them would probably react badly. Not to mention that knowing exactly what someone thinks of you isn't always fun.]

Urm, I guess so. Back home, most people don't know about it. Or they wouldn't believe it right away. It could be a lot worse.

[Not that this doesn't mean he hasn't already had people react badly to knowing their mind is being read.]

Isn't it hard to know what everyone's thinking, too?

...I guess? You get used to it, I think. I can't remember a time where it's ever really been quiet. Inside my own head, I mean.

Yeah, I guess you can get used to almost anything. [He smiles] So are you ready for the demonstration?

Oh, yes, right.

[...This is an awkward moment to realize he forgot to bring something for bloodletting, whoops.]

Urm, step towards the circle? If it works you shouldn't be able to come in. Like there's something telling you you can't? Unless you try forcing your way in, then it just pushes you away.

[He settles for bitting down on couple of his fingers, hard enough that that they start bleeding, and then holding the hand out so the blood can drip on the floor.]

[He could have used one of Signless' sickles, but the troll watches him biting into his fingers with his blunt teeth, a bit taken aback by that. He nods and walks forward, then pauses at the edge of the circle.

He tries to push forward, but it only shoves him back, and he grins]

That's pretty damn cool. Does it have to be drawn with chalk? Can anyone activate it if they use their own blood?

[If he had known about the sickles he would have asked sob...]

Oh, you can draw it with anything! As long as you get it right. Chalk's just convenient. And anyone can use it, it just won't last nearly as long as if I did? But that kind of depends on how much blood sacrificed too.

What if it were permanent? Like a carving in the floor? [He's got some ideas, churning around in his thinkpan] For example, we could create a safe space. Anyone who needed a safe place to go could find the place and activate it with their blood, and at least they'd be safe for a while.

Oh, that would work! We'd need to figure out where to put it, of course, and tell people about it, but it'd work.

Great! [He thinks for a bit] The more of them there are, the better, I think. So if someone gets attacked, they stand a chance of getting to safety.

Do you have any ideas where would be good places to put them?

[He laughs] Everywhere.

[Filtered from the Condesce, Dualscar and Grand Highblood]

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