ataraxion | 013✖; (video)

[Rey is looking significantly different now than most have seen her prior to the jump. For one, her hair is much shorter, almost pixie-ish, but not so much as cut as it has been growing back. While she has an array of new scars, the most notable one right now would be a nasty-looking horizontal gash across her throat that resembles a knife blade.

[Other than that, she looks no more worse for wear than her last public appearance. But she's not really here to talk about her harsher mien.]

"Other people saw it, right? Outside of the pods at the jump?

"Seems that it's been watching us for a long time."

[She looks away briefly, biting the inside of her cheek, and then back to the screen.]

"Whatever is happening to us, this connection we share... Perhaps it's supposed to help us fight it. Not sure how yet, but if it wants us alone and it can't control us to the point where we have it scared, it'd be nice to think that we've been given more of a fighting chance than the old crew ever had." [Hey, she's at least trying to be optimistic here.] "So maybe we should be learning how to control our link, rather than resist it."

['The clock has stopped.' 'It means the path planned for you is gone now.']

[Taking a deep breath, her eyes close. When they reopen, her expression changes. Even her voice is different when she speaks; suddenly hardened by fortitude.]

"Don't know about you, but I say fuck it. I plan on taking my own path."

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[Tadashi's expression freezes for a moment before he can shake it off, eyes wide.

They had just left someone? ]

Has there... I mean... You've sent rescue parties, right?

[Technically, it was Rey and William who left the pilot. But one was holed up for a month planning to go full hermit, while the other didn't have a soul to give a toss for a good while.]

No. Didn't exactly make it public knowledge until the beginning of the last jump. Even if there was a rescue attempt, it wouldn't help sending anyone else into that room. They'd only be joining him.

But we have to go look for him!

[The words are tumbling out of his mouth before he even has time to think about it. And a sense of urgency is building in him the more Tadashi hears. If there's even a slim possibility that someone is trapped and alive out there, it's leaving him hard pressed to not strike out on his own to start his own search.]

We could take equipment. Analyze the room -- try to find a way to shut down whatever energy source is keeping people from leaving once they enter. There has to be something we can do. We have to help.

We've tried something like that before, and it ended with that thing clinging to our brains so that it can have control over us. At this point, there would be nothing left to save after it learned whatever it did from him. It's done.

[She doesn't know that for certain, but it's better than letting the shadow get its fingers in someone else's head, or worse.]

If we now have some control over it, though--

[He bites his tongue, but he's not happy about being shut down. Without knowing there's no hope, it doesn't sit well with him to just give up.

There's no way he can ask for a general idea of how to start looking, though. Not from Rey, anyway.]

[He would be right about that -- Rey would rather cut off her hands than to give anyone hints on where to even begin. But then, no one would really know "where" the White Room is, even her.]

Yes, and those of us who've been there are still a risk of it going the other way around, unless we can figure out a way of undoing that. But that doesn't change the fact that the only reason we survived that room, it seems, is because we're different. And the pilot that went in there is not like us.

What proof do you have that he's not just held captive? Why get rid of him if that thing might want to lure someone else into that room?

[Tadashi's slightly surprised as he realizes that his tone is getting more accusing. He tries to reign himself in. He takes a deep breath -- lets it out. He's not here to pick a fight. When he continues, his tone is calm again, but his jaw is still right.]

What makes those of you who went in different from the man left behind?

[She's neither phased by his tone nor does she regard it with any defensiveness. It's not like she's never heard it before.]

Because it's already had one of us killed since then. If it wanted to lure more people into the room, it could've just done so. It wanted us once and now it doesn't, making it more likely that it plans to just kill us or worse this time.

[He's still not convinced. Just assuming that someone can't be helped based on the whims of some... entity.... seems like negligence to Tadashi. Then again, he's the guy who runs into burning buildings to try to save people.]

And you don't think it might take it by surprise to take the fight to it? We could find out if the man survived and try to trap that thing inside. Or at least learn more about what we're dealing with.

{ooc: *rein; *tight. plz no one let me tag at 2:30am ever again}

[Rey isn't one to judge. She's set herself on fire in order to protect someone, and she's not above resorting to drastic actions in order to keep people from doing stupid things. Most of the time.]

And that's exactly why it's important for people to exercise how this link works, because we're stronger in numbers than anyone is on their own.

That thing has the ability to see inside you and bend your perception of reality. Taking the fight to it is not going to be easy.

[ooc: Wow I didn't even notice, lol. It was pretty late for me, too.]

If everyone concentrates on improving and understanding the link, will a search party be sent? To at least make sure the man didn't survive.

[He's really stuck on this point..]

[She just sighs, pinching the bridge of her nose.]

Doubt that it's the last time we'll be hearing about the White Room -- so, all things considered, we will find it again.

Or it will find us.

[Not exactly the most sincere promise for a search and rescue, but it's the most she can offer. She's not going to lie to someone's face and give them any type of false hope. That's just not how she rolls. ~~Even though sometimes it probably should be.~~]

[Tadashi frowns, seeming for a moment like he's on the verge of starting in on another attempt at a near-argument. The moment passes again and his shoulders slump slightly, the tension draining out of him.]

I guess I'll just wait and see what happens.

[Unless the opportunity comes up to safely search by himself.]

[Tadashi noooo.]

Just don't do anything rash. Or, if you do, at least don't be stupid and go it alone.

You don't have to worry -- I won't do anything thoughtlessly.

[With that, he offers a wry smile that doesn't reach his eyes and disconnects his video feed.

And yes. He did leave himself a loophole in that statement that he might do something stupid after thinking it over carefully first.]

[Bro, you were just talking to a MASTER OF CONVERSATION LOOPHOLES here and she totally caught that.

[As the feed disconnects you can bet her saying something along the lines to herself: "Do you really expect anyone to believe that?"

[consider yourself officially on Watch List.txt]

013✖; (video)

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