(no subject)

[lackinginfaith]

I've been thinking. I've been thinking for a long time now.

They -- the enemy, that is. They treat us all as something inhuman, even the ones whose bodies haven't changed. We were all born human... animal company excluded, of course. But what are we now? Some of us are turning into monsters. Even those of us who look human are... something that aren't.

...I mean, look at me. I'm a soulless husk when you get down to it.

I asked you all something when I first arrived here. It feels like a long time ago now, but tell me. What do you think you can do?

How can you protect anyone?

Comments

text;

[ursoreckless]

if you don't try then you might as well let them win. you have to try because in trying you find your true strength

[lackinginfaith]

So you don't think about whether or not you can do it?

[dragon_blossom]

A soulless husk? What does that even mean? Are you undead or something?

[lackinginfaith]

It depends on your definition of undead. I'm not rotting, like that poor boy who had to run away from home, that's for sure.

[handwritten]

[moarnomsplz]

I can fight. I can do my best to help my friends and family. Theres not really a choice, I mean I don't feel like it's one. I want to find out why this is happening and I want the good guys to win.

Why would you call yourself soulless?

[text -> video]

[lackinginfaith]

So you do this because we have to, even when you're not sure of what you are or what you can do. Or rather... that's not as important as they think it is. Is that it?

*Kari switches to video. She's still got one of those pearl-cage necklaces on, with the pearl it came with replaced by an unusually purple one. She opens the cage up and holds the pearl out to the video.*

This came out of me during the tainted water fiasco. Was ripped out of me, and I fell over. Ever since then, I felt hollow -- somewhat like we do during Echoes, but duller, and it wouldn't go away. Then, during that second underground expedition, my microphone -- this pearl got knocked away. I passed out and didn't wake up until the fight was over and those girls brought the microphone back to me. And I remembered something then, where I pulled "myself" out of me and turned the pearl into something else before collapsing.

When I said that, I didn't mean I'm a bad person. The pearl I can't be without isn't just some item. I'm literally a soulless husk now. This is me.

[charcoalfeather]

I can find ways to protect myself. I have everything I could possibly need.

[lackinginfaith]

How long will you have everything?

[blastiaobsessieanonymous]

I'm a wizard. Or something like it. That doesn't make me inhuman.

What makes you think you've ceased to be human? I don't mean literally, by th way.

[lackinginfaith]

Humans have their souls inside them, for one thing. And aside from that, all of us -- we know we're different. They know we're different, possibly more than we do.

[Voice]

[originaloddcouple]

...I don't know how to protect people.

And I don't either...

But...

We have to try!

For the sake of our friends!

[Voice]

[lackinginfaith]

You don't know if you can do anything the way you are?

[Text]

[chalicejoker]

I can fight. It's one thing being a monster is pretty good for.

[He'd like to ask about the soulless husk thing, but has no idea how to do that and not have the question come out awkward.]

[Text]

[lackinginfaith]

Are you okay with that?

[video]

[peacefulwinter]

[It feels like it's been a long time since Winter first met Kari. A lot's happened since then. And her answer's changed.]

I don't know what I can do. Even after all this time, I... have no idea. But I c-can't just go through my life letting people get hurt. There are things I can do... powers or no. And I have a responsibility, to do what I can. Just because I'm n-not expected to jump into things anymore, doesn't mean I don't desire to do whatever is within my power.

In a way... I'm just as bad as Annie. I want to save everyone. But I know, just a little, what it feels like to lose. That t-terrifies me. And I'll fight to make sure it never happens again, to myself or anyone else. Whether I'm human or not, that's my responsibility.

[video]

[lackinginfaith]

You're a responsible person, you know that?

text;

[alilyinthemoonslight]

I know neither what I can do, nor how I can protect those that I need to.

I just know that I do need to precisely that.

Somehow.

[And though how Kari describes herself is certainly a bit... alarming, Lily decides not to pry there for now.]

[text]

[lackinginfaith]

You and a lot of people, it seems.

I don't know if we've met. Kari Acosta.

Voice

[sun_sun]

Well you could join a super hero team, or something. I wonder if anyone's got one of those started.

[voice]

[lackinginfaith]

Really? That's the first thing you say?

[Text]

[prismaticdestruction]

just because they want to treat any of us like monsters, does not mean we are..even if you feel like one.

[text]

[lackinginfaith]

What do you think we are?

[part_time_overlord]

Maybe we're not human anymore. Maybe we never were. Who cares?

What we are is powerful. I already saved someone from one of those blood keys by beating him to a bloody pulp.

[lackinginfaith]

And what if that isn't enough?

text;

[wirsinddiejager]

I might be a monster but thats what gives me the power to protect people. everyone can do something whether theyre human or not.

[lackinginfaith]

You've backed it up, anyway, even if it cost you, kid.

[handwritten]

[wastingtime]

By simply trying.

[lackinginfaith]

You think it's that simple?

[moralizes]

Do you think any of that means we, or you, can't protect anyone? Those things aren't even remotely related.

[lackinginfaith]

Well, can you?

text;

[umbrael]

[Jesus, that's a hell of a question. It's hitting Umbrael pretty hard-

Doyle. It's hitting Doyle pretty hard. It's making him think - he's stayed out of it as much as he could, so far - but that monster on Halloween. What if there hadn't been a bunch of super-powered network gang to hide behind? What if he's the next one to get booked by the cops? Or attacked by the Blood Keys? Or whatever crazy new threat pops up next.

He fortunately doesn't have a lot of close, personal friends in this city, and his family moved out-of-town years ago. But if he did, or if they didn't, then what would he do if...]

I don't know. I can't yet, I guess, but I think I'm going to turn into a monster. Gotta be able to defend something then.

[If he turns into the right kind of monster, that is. He doesn't like how his thoughts have been running since he got back from the holidays.]

[lackinginfaith]

You'd be in company. Just look at this place.

[ Voice ]

[nevergivesup]

I don't give a shit how they or anyone else treat us. We were born human. No matter what might happen to our bodies, that doesn't change anything about who we are, right? And it doesn't mean you can't protect someone if that's what you want to do.

[lackinginfaith]

So changing doesn't matter to you?

Text

[stop_hamerutime]

[Oh dear what is this feeling of something awful just on the edge of her recollection?]

you're a what?

[video because things]

[lackinginfaith]

It's a harsh turn of phrase, but it's technically true. This? *She pops the purple pearl out of its flower-cage pendant again and holds it up.* Came out of me last year. As far as I can tell from what happened afterwards, it is me.

text;

[centurian]

[ he did have something more substantial to say, however... ]

Husk???

[ ...Why does that sound so familiar? ]

[text]

[lackinginfaith]

To put it bluntly.