012✖; (video)

[circumitus]

"Recently, you've all been told that there is a traitor.

"So you should probably know what it was I did."

[She pauses, searching for the words while she lets that sink in for a heavy moment. One might note that her tones are different; she doesn't sound like her usual robotic self when she speaks. Quite the opposite, actually. Rey sounds almost like-human. In her own way, you could say that this her one big "fuck you" to Smiley. You think she wouldn't tell everyone? Well, now she is. Full disclosure. So there.]

"I entered the dark corridors shortly after the DUPRR crew had docked the ship. Before long it became apparent that the things infesting the hallways weren't approaching me with any hostility. Because they weren't attacking, I was able to reach the secondary shuttle bay more or less without much incident. During that trek I made an effort to avoid others, not knowing the extent of the compulsion and whether it would also drive me to harm anyone who stood in the way." [Well, it's mostly the truth she speaks. You're welcome, William.]

"All that remained was the DUPRR pilot, Neson. Needing his trust, I tricked him into coming with me by pretending to be a person who was trustworthy. It's something I've become rather good at, actually -- pretending to be someone else, much like how I am right now. Despite the fact that something wanted me to kill this man, I decided to will against it.

"It didn't work as intended.

"Instead, I took him to the White Room. I opened the door. And I led him through.

"He's likely still in there right now, where it's kept him."

[She stops, still dizzied from the jump. The more she speaks, the more hoarse her voice gets. She hasn't been using it that much lately, and it's clear from her shadowed eyes and worn features that she's been neglecting more than just sharing this information.]

"Apparently, doing this has-- 'stopped the clock', whatever that means.

"For what it's worth, I'm sorry."

Comments

[circumitus]

Can't say for certain, since the nature of the White Room is still an unknown. But whatever it is that's in that room definitely wants us there, too.

[muscovy]

Maybe it is lonely.

[Being all alone in a white room, he could totally see that.]

[circumitus]

Well, there's no need for it to get greedy now.

[Or send someone like her to herd company to its little abode.]

[muscovy]

It isn't greedy to want others to live with one because one doesn't want to be lonely. Because being lonely hurts.

[circumitus]

Yes, it does.

[Rey knows that loneliness hurts more than most would know, almost driving her out of her damn mind.

[She pauses.] It's already kept others. If it's "lonely", it shouldn't need us.

[muscovy]

Maybe being with it kills them, but it doesn't understand that dying hurts them, so it just wants to try until someone does not die.

[circumitus]

...

[She shrugs.]

Can't say for certain. We don't know how it thinks at all.

[muscovy]

Will you try to kill it?

[circumitus]

If it tries to kill us, which would likely entail it trying to "keep" us, then yes.

[At least she would rather go down fighting, if nothing else.]

[muscovy]

But nobody has tried yet?

[That kind of surprises him - the way she speaks of it, if there's been others before... he would have thought that the attempt has been made.]

[circumitus]

Wouldn't know if they have. Doesn't seem like people had any idea what "it" was until recently.

[She's not even certain if it can be killed, or if it's TOO LATE.]

[muscovy]

[A nod.]

I have fire, if that will help.

[circumitus]

You have fire.

[hhhahahahhahahhhh]

As in the means to make fire, or...?

[muscovy]

[How to explain this without giving an exact description...]

I can call upon fire and send it places. But it will only stay for a while.

[circumitus]

[...Aaand NOW you have her attention. Curious Rey is curious.]

Is that something you learned how to do back home? How does it work?

[muscovy]

No, it's from the world that I was in before coming here. I got it because I killed some hounds.

They are soldiers made of flame, and I can send them places. But they get tired so they have to go home after a while.

[circumitus]

[Huh.]

How long do they last before they-- "go home"?

[muscovy]

Not very long.

[He isn't going to get more specific than that because that would be dangerous if someone who wants him ill learns of it.]

[circumitus]

[Fair enough!]

...Could you demonstrate sometime, perhaps? Would like to see them.

[muscovy]

Why?

[A bit wary, and is there anything that he would get out of that? But then displaying strength is good, too... But what if she tries to steal his fire?]

[circumitus]

Curious.

[That probably isn't good enough, she knows.]

...

Can make fire, too.

[muscovy]

How?

[His hands tighten a bit, clasped together as they are, keeping himself from reaching for one of the tiny soldiers.]

[circumitus]

By manipulating my body heat, am able to cause myself or things within proximity to overheat or burst into flame. Have a better handle of it now than before.

[Which had proven to be rather useful when she was able to cook a basilisk from the inside. Gross as fuck, but useful.]

[muscovy]

You set yourself on fire to set other things on fire?

[That sounds really dangerous and ...well, he likes warm things, but that is definitely overdoing it a bit.]

[circumitus]

[Well when you put it that way...]

Sort of.

Should probably clarify that fire doesn't hurt me.