reconnective | CLEMENTINE ✬

Good luck getting anything useful out of him.

It's worth a try. That's why I didn't want to talk to him when everybody else was around. We're kind of friends, so...maybe I can help him somehow before tomorrow.

I...

[ her only impression of kano was him telling her she only cares about herself. then sabotaging a murder trial and taking up time, refusing to comply with checks.

so her expectations of him are low. but it's not like she wants to drag down other people and demand they feel the same way. ]

Hope that you can.

I'll let you know if I do. [he's not even sure it'll help, but he's going to do it anyway.]

...how are you though?

Promise?

[ as for how she's doing. god she barely knows. ]

I'm just... Mad. Mostly at this place for making it matter that he was an idiot today.

Of course. I try to tell you everything that's important here. [but he nods at that anyhow.]

Time was always against us and we let ourselves get distracted. Kano shouldn't have been so stubborn, but Elsa said something today that I think is true. Our culprit really, really wanted to make sure we'd tie ourselves into a knot. I'm just mad it worked.

Heh. [ she doesn't understand why he would make that decision, but she still offers a small smile at it. ]

Yeah. Whoever the real culprit is just watched it all happen.

... How are you doing? [ probably she should ask back. ]

That's the worst part, isn't it? That they just sat there and watched us tear ourselves apart. But it just means we have to get better for next time.

[he should not be sure there's a next time, but hm. ...that question also makes him pause.]

...okay, I guess. Not great, but there isn't really much we can do now. And I think my hearing's getting a little better so...that's a relief.

Wish I could hear their excuse. It's not like you can't come back from that. Everyone - where I'm from, everyone has done awful things. Killed people.

[ ... normal things to say. anyway. what. ]

I... Didn't know you were having trouble with your hearing.

It's possible there's maybe something in the Realm that stops them from telling us. Like a different kind of defense mechanism. But I don't know. It'd be nicer if people still tried. [also he just. stares at her for a sec.] ...I should be more surprised about that, I think.

[but he's not. instead he turns to look at the sky.]

I thought it would go away on its own, but I don't think it will. At least not totally. [a pause.] Following space sirens was actually a terrible idea.

No, you shouldn't be.

[ it's not surprising. clementine talks tough; that's how you keep someone from fucking with you - but she's pretty rarely lying. and, hm. what to even say to that? ]

... That sucks. At least it's a little better. Louis - the kid I told you about? He had his tongue cut out. No healing from that. So... Could be worse?

I shouldn't be. [an agreement, if anything.]

It could definitely be worse. It's part of why nobody else really knows. Just...the people that have to. [he still looks a little bummed though.] But after what happened on Wednesday night, now we have to wonder if that's gonna happen to anybody else, too. Getting taken somewhere and thrown into a memory of a place we don't know about.

Safer not to tell people. That kind of thing might make it easier to target you.

[ she frowns... ]

It'll probably happen again. This place seems to work on a schedule.

Yeah, I...already heard. [somebody already laid into him pretty hard about being at a disadvantage.]

If it does happen again, how do we make sure people are ready to disappear at any time?

[ good. ]

Mm, don't know. Teaching everyone to carry a weapon and some basic self defense is risky, all things considered. It's... Probably a good thing that some people are already trying to learn.

We don't know if we're teaching someone how to fight and hurt someone better by teaching them to defend themselves, but...it's a risk worth taking. Right? It's better that they can than not being able to before it's too late.

Chiron and Hansa had that demonstration last week. And I want to try to teach a few people to fight. There's gotta be others learning without saying so, too.

[ even if she's hesitant, she nods. ]

Yeah. I think it's better to risk it. Maybe it'll even change an outcome somewhere along the way.

It'd be nice to change something around here. [...] You think we'd still have to vote for somebody if they were just defending themselves?

That brat's gonna get removed even though he didn't do it.

I don't think this place cares about the details. Just enforcing its rules.

You're probably right. [which doesn't make him feel better, but it's a thought.] Still...there has to be a way to change its rules. They changed once, maybe they'll change again.