EVENT: ORIGIN'S ORIGINS (Aftermingle)

[fairwind]

Who: everyone
When: Day 32, morning
Where: the clearing

[As the final session of exploring the town ends, it's getting close to dawn.

There's a break of about an hour, while the explorers return, licking their wounds. Then, a flash of dark, violet sparkles, and a petite young man with many many wings appears, standing atop the train.

Some of you have heard his voice before, speaking of justice in Trials. You might've heard about him, and how there's "something wrong with him", too. This is The Angel, and his wings are dyed a deep black, with feathers falling out in a sickly way. He doesn't look too pleased, but he also doesn't look like he's about to attack.]

So, you searched. What did you find out? I want to know if you really think this universe is worth saving.

If it's not... Then there's no point to your existence, is there?

[Well. He's not attacking yet, anyway. He is taking a moment to gesture at your deertaur companion though -- a wisp of black wind is pulled out of his mouth.]

I'll give you one chance.

[At least your dead companions are safe? They're waking up now in their rooms, none the worse for wear. But they remember dying, and they have a deep sense that they've seen a kind of void no person should ever look into.]

Comments

[bowtiedbones]

[comes out of the train, looks up at him, and PLANTS HER HANDS ON HER HIPS]

Of course I think it's worth saving.

[fairwind]

[he seems a bit startled she thinks so!]

Why?

[bowtiedbones]

Seriously? I get you probably wanted us to look at the war and the cover-ups, but you sent us to a municipal office and a church community center. We found records of work being done every day to help the town thrive, we found children's toys, we found people with pictures of their families on their desks. Even in the deepest of it we found an animal guarding her young.

Why wouldn't I think a universe where people love each other is worth saving?

[fairwind]

[ew you sound like cardy]

Because of all that depends on things going well. As soon as someone is in the way, people grow ugly. They hurt even the people they love.

[bowtiedbones]

[buddy i LECTURED cardy]

Don't say that like it's a zero-exceptions fact, because it's not. You're the face of the teaching team, you should know history and relationships aren't all absolutes. Peace treaties! Couples' couseling! Second chances! Forgiveness! Choosing to move out of my parents' house so they don't always have to deal with me throwing a tantrum over a failed experiment! They're all things!

[fairwind]

And yet this is still where we are! If people weren't full of darkness, Malice wouldn't have taken over so easily. You can't save it, so why is it worth struggling so much?

[bowtiedbones]

[makes air quotes. "DARKNESS" yeah, okay, edge.]

They had normal human emotions and they were taken advantage of. If they were thinking right in the first place! Everyone knows Malice can mess with your head.

You don't know we can't save it, so don't tell me my life and everything in it aren't worth struggling for.

[fairwind]

They were wrong before Malice. It's just the nature of people. How are you going to save it when you can't even change yourselves?

[bowtiedbones]

Excuse you!? That is factually untrue. I have been taking active measures to manage my stress and my attitude.

And are you really one to talk? If you think we can't change, why are you out here right now? You've run multiple trials and now there's all this right now. If you think we're doomed you could have left us to it without trying to explain or convince us. In fact, even if I don't agree with the message, I should thank you for that. Thank you for actually speaking to us. Thank you for trying to make this ultimately easier for us to bear. Thank you for warning Lucien and me out instead of letting us just die.