007 | Video

[abhero]

So, about the aliens.

You know the perky one? He was handing out ice cream last week, and then came to the shell freaks’ meeting-- I think his name’s Badri. We talked at the ice cream thing, and I asked him if he had cool alien powers. He said he can’t used them on me, but he can show me how it works on a pigeon.

[There’s a pause. Emil looks uncomfortable, and not because Badri made him pinky-swear not to tell.]

He looked at it and it just-- I don’t know what he did, but the pigeon freaked out. It couldn’t move but you could tell it’s suffering. Then he let go and it just died. Keeled over. Badri said it’s because, and I quote, “the severe mental trauma”. He also said that usually it only happens to more intelligent creatures. [Another pause, and he gives the camera a meaningful look.] More intelligent. He can literally scare people to death with his mind.

And It’s not just him having creepy powers. You should’ve seen the way he acted-- he kept smiling like it’s a game. When the pigeon died he was all like [Emil does a rather convincing impression of Badri’s voice] “Oops! Didn’t mean to kill it, must be the severe mental trauma, tee-hee-hee!”

I know they’ve been okay so far, but it was fucked up. What kind of person tortures an animal just to demonstrate something and smiles while he’s doing it?

Comments

voice

[youngestone]

One that wasn't raised on Earth?

[Since "isn't human" is kind of discriminatory against most of the people they know nowadays]

Maybe he's the simple one?

voice

[abhero]

I think that "not torturing living creatures while grinning like a maniac" should be basic morality everywhere, not just on Earth.

text

[mood2wiingiing]

wtf thats messed up.
and they say were supposed two trust them?

text

[abhero]

tbf they seemed pretty cool to me until the pigeon thing

[video]

[neopianangst]

...I almost wish I hadn't heard this.

Did he just...stop after that and go back to what he was doing?

[video]

[abhero]

Pretty much. Just went back to serving ice cream.

text;

[shortspoken]

I think their view of things is just different to ours.
I spoke to him a few months ago and he mentioned removing peoples' brains.
I don't think he was being malicious. He just isn't aware of human taboos.

Probably.

text;

[abhero]

not sure that makes it better
they've been here a while i think learning about human taboos is more important than ice cream
and if torturing living things is ok in their society then it's pretty malicious

[espigeonage]

...uh. Yeah, that is pretty disquieting. I remember when I met Geoff, he told me an outright lie about changing people, said he didn't have access to that sort of thing. Badri was harder to read.

[abhero]

Geoff, really? I thought he was the best one.

[nowi_wins]

Ugh, that is totally creepy.


[And Geoff was so nice, what gives?]


....Was he actually giving out free ice cream?

[abhero]

[Way to focus on what's really important here, Nora.]

.......







Yes. Yes he was.

[Video]

[onecream_fivesugar]

Y-you've gotta be kidding me.

He really did that to a little bird?

[Video]

[abhero]

Yeah, he did. It was creepy.

video;

[alilyinthemoonslight]

[ Lily furrows her brow. What the... ]

Well. That's... that's more than a little bit disturbing...

[ She rubs the side of her head. ] With a power like that, it sort of begs the question of what Benwick would want with any of us helping...

video;

[abhero]

--huh. Didn't think of that.

Badri said it was his only power. Makes you wonder about the other two.

Text

[sjokolade]

Well, that's just simple!

He's a jerk! No, not even a jerk! He's more than that! What's that word you call people when they enjoy hurting people and other things? Whatever it's called, he's that!

Text

[abhero]

sadist?
i'm not sure he is he didn't enjoy its pain as much as he enjoyed showing off his powers and he didn't even realize it was wrong to torture a bird
which isn't any better

[voice]

[ruleorserve]

I suppose it's possible that was the least detrimental thing he could have done, but I agree that it's certainly not anything a normal person would do, for the sake of a simple demonstration. And to not at least show some manner of remorse... that is more than a little disturbing.

[voice]

[abhero]

The least detrimental he could've done is saying "kid, take your ice cream and stop bothering me". [Which Emil would've whined about for a few hours straight, but it's better than casual animal cruelty.] Even if it's an alien culture thing, it just means their culture is fucked up.

Voice

[icy_heavens]

... There's nothing about this that isn't screwed up as hell. [Geez, he just thought the constant smiling was kinda off. They never got to the point of torturing animals with your mind.]

Voice

[abhero]

There really isn't. [And it ruined the ice cream for him, which is really a disaster.]

[Audio]

[professorwolf]

[Lyall sounds both a little alarmed and a little tired when he speaks, but he does speak up.]

I'm-- I'm concerned about them. I know they seem trustworthy, or Geoff does, but Badri... bothers me. He seems to exude obliviousness as if he's trying very hard to seem harmless, and yet he then does things like this.

And the mafia, at least some of them, have been altered-- most likely after Tiny's death. So either someone on Earth has learned how to manage it, or at least one of the aliens is helping them.

[Audio]

[abhero]

...shit, I didn't even think about the mafia thing.

[Voice]

[gobybessie]

[ UHM. ]

Someone I think should probably worry us.

[Voice]

[abhero]

Oh, I'm worried. Like really fucking worried.