handwritten

[wastingtime]

[the number here may or may not be familiar to some, but its pen taps the paper for some time, as if trying to decide how to start. finally;]

How best do you convince the taximan (and whatever police he threatens to summon) that you did not, in fact, pack a greatsword with your luggage and the fact that there is one in there now is completely out of your hands?

And for that matter, am I allowed to keep said greatsword if I insist it was some sort of prank? It was my luggage, and if something saw fit to give it back to me I believe I should very well keep the damn thing. (Especially after it ruined my best shirts.)

Lyall, I hope you'll read this before you reach our meeting place. I believe I may be delayed for some time.

To the rest of you- if we've already met, I do apologize for these months of forgetfulness but I consider this headache my due punishment. If we haven't - my name is Elian, and I will be pleased to meet you once I am done convincing this poor man I'm as much a victim in this little debacle as he.

Comments

[ursoreckless]

I think it might be part of me being hungry too. [people are food, okay?]

[wastingtime]

For people?

[ursoreckless]

It sorta comes with the whole 'vampire' package.

[wastingtime]

[oh dear.]

And here I thought the possibility of becoming some sort of robot was worrying.

[ursoreckless]

That depends... are you gonna be a people-eating robot or just a robot robot? 'Cuz if you're gonna be a robot, eating people would be off the menu but you might actually need to eat like cars or something.

[wastingtime]

Some sort of old soldier robot, I fear. But more than that I cannot guess.

[ursoreckless]

Old soldiers are something we might need around here. As in people that can figure out how to take down other people without having to turn the streets into a river of blood or something.

[wastingtime]

[...he hadn't really thought about it like that. could his experience be used for that sort of thing?]

A refreshing perspective. I already am an old (former) soldier, but if their experience was more informative than mine, perhaps it's worth exploration.

[ursoreckless]

[ shou had been wondering about it in his own way, especially since it was apparent that his knowledge of how a gang should work is a bit helpful when dealing with the mafia. ]

I think it would be worth it. We've got a lot of fighters and people who want to kill in one form or another, but we don't seem to have a lot of people who understand tactics and planning. My other was a street punk that made it big so his idea of tactics has a lot of gang stuff to it. It's a different kind of fighting, but if we can get all these different ideas together, it might mean we can make things better.

[wastingtime]

Both of those I only have so much experience with, I'm afraid. If they have more, then I have no doubt it'll be more useful.

It is somewhat difficult, though, because one of my memories of them is [beat] distressingly violent.

[ursoreckless]

Same here. I understand how some things work, but mebbe having two viewpoints from different angles will help fill in the blanks?

...Yah, I know about those violent memories too.

[wastingtime]

Maybe.

Would you think it cowardly if I was reluctant to revisit them?

[ursoreckless]

No.

I think that there are always gonna be parts of us and our other lives that we aren't willing to face. I mean, I know that I'm gonna have to eat something sooner or later, that blood bags won't keep me forever, but it's still something I don't wanna face until I can't any more.

[wastingtime]

[that actually makes him feel a whole of a lot better. it's nice to know there's others who are reluctant to be...well. whatever they are, were, or however it is]

Thank you.

[not that he'll elaborate on why he's writing it]

I suppose this means I'll have to pick up the sword, sooner or later, but I'm glad to know I'm not the only one with reservations.

[ursoreckless]

You're welcome.

[ practicing with the gun is fine, he can do it all day long if he felt like it. taking that gun and using it another person? that was hard. and now, he was going to have to kill people just to live. he knew exactly who he was going after, but it still doesn't make it any easier. they were still people, even if they were hurting other Numbered. it will still be tough. ]

We'll find a balance. That's all we need to do. Find a balance between us of the now and us of these past lives.

[wastingtime]

I'm amazed some can do it so easily. Whether that be because they throw away their identity to embrace this other, or because they are so similar, it utterly astounds me.

[ursoreckless]

It is pretty weird at how they just accept it, isn't it? I'm still trying to get over the fact mine actually managed to get married.

[wastingtime]

[he wants to be pleased for that, but he hesitates...because maybe it wasn't. maybe he should ask?]

Was it a happy one?

[ursoreckless]

He loved her. I think he loved her more than he loved anyone but his one friend. [ dragging the conversation away from one uncomfortable subject into another one was just hard. at least it's not all about death and dismemberment, right? ]

Funny thing is that I've never met anyone I could be that way towards.

[wastingtime]

[ah. that...he can understand. a bit.]

You may. And at least you seem to have some happy memories, even if all of this is rather confusing.

I don't know if there was a love, for me, but I do remember something (someone?) very important. And someone trying to take it from me. Hopefully you don't have the same sort.

[ursoreckless]

They were kinda happy. I know that he was at his happiest when he had all his friends together.

[ it didn't last. he knew that as well, especially now with some of the pieces falling in place. ]

I had someone important to me too. There was a guy that was here for a short while that remembered things from his angle. He left though, and I haven't seen anything from him since.

[wastingtime]

Aren't we all?

My grandniece used to be here. We shared some memories, names, figures - and sometimes, different memories of those. She's since left us, though I hope it stays that way. She was somewhat reckless.

[ursoreckless]

I remember her. I think I still got a couple of her machines sitting around, doing nothing and I know I've kept the Darknet up for my own notes in case something goes wrong.

Reckless is kinda part of my middle name.

[wastingtime]

I'm sure she'd be pleased.



Is it really?

[ursoreckless]

If I remember, she also said that if I broke them, she was going to show up and kick my ass too.

Yah. It's right next to 'trouble' and 'what is he on?'. [ excuse him, he is sort of trying to make jokes right now. ]