> Paloma: Get a pep talk from Flynnt.

-- doubleGunslinger [DG] began trolling absoluteAltitude [AA] at 13:04 --

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  enters the room silently, closing the door behind him --

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  is sitting at her desk. She looks up when she sees Flynnt. --

AA: <\ Hello... />

DG: Howdy there, pardner.

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  pulls up a chair, sitting down --

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  has her handstump in the pocket of a jacket she's wearing; no need to wave it around everywhere. Her good hand rests on the desk. --

AA: <\ How, how's it going? />

DG: Same old song an' dance.

DG: If y'don't count this mess, that is.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  sighs, looking away. --

AA: <\ Yeah... />

DG: Really, what the hell went on here?

AA: <\ I... />

AA: <\ ... I screwed up. />

DG: I blinked, and a troll is hornless, another lost her hand, an' the third one's dead.

AA: <\ ... I won't say it isn't my fault. Even though everyone says it isn't... />

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  smiles, sadly. --

AA: <\ I'm still guilty. />

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  decaptchalogues his gun, casually looking at it --

DG: Y'really think that?

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  sounds pretty calm as she asks: --

AA: <\ Do you want to get rid of me? />

DG: I don't want t'get rid o' you.

DG: But I want t'get rid o' the problem.

AA: <\ ... sorry, but I still have trolls to live for. And I promised I wouldn't be hurt. But... but that's not the main reason why you shouldn't. />

AA: <\ ... I don't want you to get dragged into my spiral, Flynnt. You, you're a good friend of mine... />

AA: <\ There'll certainly be someone who wants you dead if you fire that gun. And I, I don't want that to happen to you. />

AA: <\ I won't say I don't deserve it, but I... />

DG: Y'know how a cyclone works, right?

DG: A hurricane?

DG: If y'take out it's eye, the whole thing stops.

DG: Sure, everythin' will break up above ya. Yer' as good as gone.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  sighs. --

AA: <\ ... you really think so? />

AA: <\ If, if you're willing to take the risk... />

DG: But after that, the hurricane's gone.

AA: <\ ... I don't want to leave everyone behind, but I don't want to cause any more pain either. />

DG: An' y'know what?

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  aims at Paloma's head, pulls the trigger. A click is heard. --

DG: That's exactly what y'shouldn't be doin'.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  freezes up, staring at the gun, but - nothing. --

DG: The eye o' the hurricane ain't you. It's what y'doin'.

DG: It ain't wrong t'care for others.

DG: But y'gotta remember the priorities.

DG: The priority is you.

DG: Then the others come.

AA: <\ But... />

DG: If y'don't take care o' yerself, y'won't be able t'do anythin' right.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks away. --

AA: <\ ... if I did that... would everything be better? />

DG: Hell yeah it would.

DG: If y'decided t'solve things with Cirrin right away, without lettin' 'im messs with ya, he'd still have his tongue.

AA: <\ I... />

AA: <\ ... I didn't even know he was messing with me. />

DG: Well, lickin' tears is a pretty good sign of messin' with.

DG: Sure, y'didn't know. That was understandable.

DG: But when y'found out, y'stood aside, didn't ya?

DG: Y'felt sorry for yerself instead o' takin' care o' you.

DG: Y'cried an' let 'im enjoy that.

DG: Also, Ranigi.

DG: Y'should never have done that.

AA: <\ ... />

DG: Y'gotta face yer' problems head-on. Face the consequences of yer' actions.

DG: But that don't mean y'should seek punishment.

AA: <\ It... doesn't? />

DG: It's the goddamn opposite.

DG: Look, y'lost yer' hand, right?

DG: What did that change?

AA: <\ ... it... />

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  bites her lip and shakes her head. --

DG: Maybe y'felt good.

DG: Maybe y'told yerself, "I deserved this, now I got the punishment I deserved".

DG: But that's it.

DG: Did that fix anythin'?

AA: <\ ... no. />

DG: Did that help fix the problem in any way?

DG: Maybe it helped y'feel less guilty 'bout it all.

AA: <\ At that point... I was just... />

DG: But it didn't lower yer' guilt even a little.

DG: Because things stayed th'same way.

DG: Actually, they got worse.

AA: <\ ... and that, that was my fault! />

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  sounds a little desperate. --

DG: Even if Ranigi was still alive an' well, this'd mean y'd have a hand less.

DG: An' that'd probably mess up yer' capacity o' lookin' after yerself an' fixin' yer own mistakes.

DG: Not completely yer' fault.

DG: An' stop sayin' that.

AA: <\ I... />

DG: Even if it is, yer' fault, what difference does it make?

AA: <\ It, it must make a difference! />

DG: "Oh, it's all yer' fault." "Oh, it's all Ranigi's fault." "Oh, it's all goddamn Will Smith's fault."

DG: Does that change anythin'?

AA: <\ I... I don't know... />

DG: Take this example.

DG: Y'could punch me, take my gun, leave this room, kill Elizan an' run away.

DG: Or I could give y'my gun an' manipulate ya somehow t'leave this room, kill Elizan an' run away.

DG: In both cases, the result would be th'same.

DG: I'd be weapon-less, y'd be somewhere far away, an' Elizan'd be dead.

DG: Wether it's my fault or yours, does that change anythin'?

AA: <\ I... I guess not, but... />

DG: Other scenario.

DG: There's cake in th'nutritionblock.

DG: Somebody ate it.

DG: Could be me, you, Amaloc, Elizan, Yunato...

DG: Does that make any difference?

AA: <\ ... the cake's still gone, either way. I, I understand what you're saying. />

DG: So say it was you th'one who ate the cake.

DG: There's two options here.

DG: Y'could say "oh, I ate the whole cake, I'm a horrible troll an' I deserve t'be punished".

DG: Then, y'd hit yer' head against the wall 'til y'were bleedin'.

DG: Or, y'could say "well, I messed up".

DG: An' then, make everyone another cake.

DG: What's th' right thing t'do?

AA: <\ ... the right thing is to atone. />

AA: <\ To, to set things right. />

DG: An' yer' doin' the opposite.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  bites at her lip. --

AA: <\ ... hey, Flynnt. />

DG: Hm?

AA: <\ I... there's something I meant to do, to make up for what I did. />

DG: An' what's that?

AA: <\ It's gonna sound a little crazy, but... I'd like for you to know about it too, just in case something happens to me. />

AA: <\ This game we're gonna play. It... it's gonna take us to new lands, apparently. And if we don't play it, we'll die... but we're apparently bound to die while playing it too. I want to stop that. I want to fight that. />

DG: ...Th'way y'say it, th'game'll be our lifeline, right?

AA: <\ Yeah... />

AA: <\ It, apparently it's all tied up in fate. />

DG: So let's do it.

DG: An't trust me, nobody here wants t'die.

DG: So lemme tell y'somethin'.

AA: <\ Y, yes? />

DG: Make sure that nobody'll die in this game.

DG: But above that, make sure YOU don't die.

DG: Remember, sacrificin' yerself for no reason won't do shit.

DG: An' y'can't help anyone if yer' dead.

AA: <\ ... I, I guess you're right. />

DG: An' I'll once again make a point here.

DG: Don't feel guilty fer' what you've done.

DG: Maybe y'messed up, maybe y'didn't.

DG: But what y'did ain't important.

DG: What's important is what resulted of it, an' how you'll work t'make these results better.

AA: <\ I... I don't think I can get rid of this guilt. Or the blood on my hands. But, but I promise you I'll be working towards a better result. />

AA: <\ I have to. It, it's all I can do now. />

DG: I ain't askin' ya t'get rid o' th'guilt.

DG: Guilt ain't that bad. It's good t'remind y'not to make th'same mistakes.

DG: Y'just can't let it hold y'back.

AA: <\ I... I know what I have to do. />

DG: Remember, there's a great difference between doin' the right thing an' doin' the stupid thing.

DG: Bakin' another cake's the right thing.

DG: Bangin' yer' head on the wall's the stupid thing.

AA: <\ ... okay. />

DG: Aight, then.

AA: <\ Um... one last thing. />

DG: Hm?

AA: <\ Did, did you know there were two Watchers? />

AA: <\ ... I met a black one. />

DG: ...There's another one?

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  nods. --

DG: Aight, then.

DG: That's great t'know.

DG: Wonder if there are any more.

AA: <\ And, it... it's very dangerous. It... uses the truth against you. So, please be careful. />

DG: The truth?

DG: Whaddaya mean?

-- absoluteAltitude's [AA'S]  voice grows quieter. --

AA: <\ ... it told me what I was doing to everyone. Told me what I was. />

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  gets closer so he can listen --

DG: That don't mean it's the truth.

DG: It could be, but it couldn't.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  shakes her head, sadly. --

DG: A troll once told that a truth ain't nothin' more than a well-crafted lie.

DG: So well-crafted that nobody ever even imagined it might be false.

DG: Y'thought what he said was true. Maybe y'still do.

AA: <\ I... still... I'm not a very good Lovers. />

DG: I don't blame ya. But just have in mind, y'also thought cuttin' off yer' hand was gonna help anythin'.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  chuffs out something which might have been a laugh if it were nicer. --

AA: <\ That's their name for me. Lovers. Funny, isn't it? />

DG: Yeah, funny.

DG: Y'got a matesprit, a moirail, a kismesis...

DG: With all my zero quadrants full, I'd make such a better Lovers.

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  laughs a hearty laugh --

AA: <\ I... you know about Cucali? />

DG: Sure I do.

DG: An' even if I didn't, y'd still be ahead by two.

AA: <\ I... I guess you have a point. />

DG: But if yer' worried 'bout information leakin', relax. I never told anyone 'bout it.

DG: Don't plan on doin' it, too. Other troll's quadrants ain't none o' my business.

AA: <\ Th, thank you. />

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  smiles a little. --

AA: <\ ... you're a good friend, Flynnt. />

DG: So are you.

AA: <\ Heh... thanks. />

AA: <\ I don't know if I really am, but... but I'm going to do my best. />

DG: If y'think y'aren't, then start workin' on it.

DG: But remember, that don't mean sacrificin'.

DG: Or doin' everythin' the other person wants, fer' that matter.

DG: If y'want an example, take me.

DG: Yer' sayin' I'm a great friend, but I ain't sayin' y'did anythin' right or solvin' yer' problems fer' ya.

AA: <\ But you still... you're still helping. />

DG: Furthers my point.

DG: Helpin' doesn't mean bein' enslaved.

AA: <\ I, I'm not like that... />

DG: Didn't say y'were.

DG: Just tellin' ya not to be.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  nods. --

AA: <\ Okay... />

DG: So, up fer' some cake?

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  looks a little surprised. --

AA: <\ There, there's cake? />

DG: Well, I thought I should bring somethin' if I were to visit.

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  decaptchalogues a big cake. --

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  grins. --

AA: <\ Let, let's take it down to the others. />

DG: Yeah.

DG: Don't want nobody bangin' their heads on th'wall out of guilt.

-- doubleGunslinger [DG]  laughs once again --

AA: <\ Heehee... />

DG: So yeah!

DG: Time t'share the cake.

-- absoluteAltitude [AA]  smiles. --

AA: <\ Great. />

-- doubleGunslinger [DG] gave up trolling absoluteAltitude [AA] at 14:29 --