(no subject)

[theshabbiestofmen]

[As the camera clicks on, those who know Remus will notice how tired he looks. Not simply as if he hasn't gotten a night's sleep, but truly exhausted-- as if he's been on a long journey, or suffered some great hardship. The circles beneath his eyes are too dark, and there's a long pink scar forming on his right cheek.

Still, he gives the camera a smile, albeit a tired and nervous one.]

Ah-- hello. I do hope this is working properly; I haven't precisely had much practice with cameras. But-- yes. My name is Remus Lupin, and, as most of you know, I've been technically on-board the Tranquility for some months now. However, I've no memory of this-- really, it's as if this is my first month. So please, if I knew you but you haven't heard from me in a while, it's nothing to do with you, I assure you.

[The smile fades now.]

Which brings me to my second point. I've, ah, heard it said that I was rather free with this information, so I suppose it's no longer a secret. But--

[He glances behind him uncertainly, as if seeking support from someone unseen, and then nods.]

Well. I'm a werewolf. No jokes, please, I assure you I've heard them all. And-- well, we're taking every safety precaution we know, Sirius and I, but-- just so you know. I'll post up what days I'm dangerous, simply so no one stops by my room while I'm changed.

[He gives them a thin smile.]

And finally: a simple question. How many people, precisely, have duplicates or twins aboard the ship? Not biologically, I mean, but-- people who look like that, for no discernible reason at all.

Comments

[jurisimpudent]

Isn't that what a dark creature would do, though? So you must not be a dark creature in fact.

[theshabbiestofmen]

It's a classification, not a state of mind.

[jurisimpudent]

Quite. So you're telling me that you would be classified as a dark creature if someone of your world were to classify you in this very moment? As you are standing here, speaking to me?

[theshabbiestofmen]

No, I'm telling you I'm a dark creature because my government has classified me as such, and it's a world-acknowledged classification.

[jurisimpudent]

And you are always a dark creature. There is no division between when you are in control and when you are not.

[theshabbiestofmen]

Yes.

[jurisimpudent]

[Crisply:]

Quite. There's a term for that, but I shall not utter it, as it is surpassingly rude.

[theshabbiestofmen]

Please do, Miles. I'd rather not guess.

[jurisimpudent]

Er -

[He clears his throat and makes a slight face.]

Quite. Part of my job, Mr. Lupin, as a prosecutor, is to assess the threat an individual poses to society at large. Answer me this: how many people have you bitten?

[theshabbiestofmen]

None.

[He makes a face-- the yet in that sentence goes unsaid, clearly visible in the way he hunches his shoulders over defensively and scowls.]

[jurisimpudent]

Quite. And why is that?

[theshabbiestofmen]

Because the wolf hasn't yet figured out how to evade spells-- and no one has come wandering in. But it's only been ten years, and accidents happen all the time.

[jurisimpudent]

...The answer, Mr. Lupin, is because you have taken precautions.

[theshabbiestofmen]

Which fail all the time!

[jurisimpudent]

"All the time." Such as when?

[theshabbiestofmen]

Quite obviously, such as when I myself was bitten!

[jurisimpudent]

I'm asking about your precautions.

MOODSWINGS!!

[doggedly]

Leave it.

/insert period/werewolf joke here

[jurisimpudent]

Black, you don't need to be so protective.

HEH HEH HEH

[doggedly]

And you don't know what the hell you're talking about so stay out of it.

[jurisimpudent]

...I'm proving a point.

[theshabbiestofmen]

[He glances toward Sirius, grateful-- but he can't just ignore Miles, so he adds:]

Then no. They've never failed.

[jurisimpudent]

There you are then. Tell me - what is "evil" about a man who less than two percent of the time loses his reason but, with conscientious attention to detail, ensures that no one comes to harm because of it? Indeed, I should think that such determination in the face of possible harm does not bespeak evil, but indeed the opposite.

[theshabbiestofmen]

There's a difference between Dark and evil.

[But that's a quiet note, not even a protest. He falls silent for a few seconds-- and then:]

What sorts of creatures do you have in your world, Miles? Anything supernatural?

[jurisimpudent]

No. Nothing of the sort.