poly_chromatic | 2 [video/text]

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murder by numbers - justin pendleton

2 [video/text]

[The video opens to show an exceedingly nice terrarium sitting on a desk, which is located in the room Justin is borrowing from Neil and Todd. A copy of "The Importance of Being Earnest" is lined up neatly to the left. Aaand zoom in.]

From the Diapheromeridae family. [The view shifts to show this beauty.] And this one's from the Phylliidae family.

[Justin, clearly behind the camera, sounds even quieter and less enthusiastic about life than usual, which is an accomplishment.]

I plan on naming one Gregor and one Mendel, but I'm not sure which should be which. I'm open to suggestions.

[The video switches off.]

[Text]
I've never been interested in entomology, but this combination--plant and animal--is interesting. Worth buying on impulse, now that I'm financially secure for the moment. The bank had an account for me. I made decent money before I left.

The network is a good place to ask open-ended questions. I'd like to ask this: What do you do when you feel as though you're missing something? Not that you've misplaced something, but that there's something fundamentally important to you as a human missing. Drink? Are there any more creative answers?

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[He sits as well, but with the look of a skittish creature that might bolt.] I--I have, but the situation was... different. We didn't visit so much as coexist. And I did some tutoring, but that was different, too.

Coexist? Did you not have much in common?

It's-- [how to describe anything related to Richard?] --complicated. We were both bored, rich, avoiding our families... clever, but not as clever as we thought we were.

[Actually, Justin foresees this particular thread of conversation going poorly. He'll have to tell Euphie what he did eventually, but not now.]

What kind of people did you visit? You could have spent an eternity just visiting family...

[She is listening, interested, but not wanting to push him. She might have had a follow up question, but she answers his instead.]

Oh, yes, until I came here I didn't have visitors or visit anyone unless it was my brothers and sisters. [And that actually could be a lot like visiting a friend since it wasn't as if they shared rooms together.]

Here I've been fortunate to have many friends over to be invited to their homes. It's one of the things I like best about living here.

You didn't talk to anyone outside of your family? [This is utterly incomprehensible to someone who didn't talk to anyone in his family regularly.]

There is a certain amount of... freedom, here. And openness. As if almost anyone would be willing to let someone they barely know into their homes.

I spoke to servants and guards and later I did have some classmates, but I didn't have friends I could invite to stay with me.

[She nods.] It's very different here. At least for me I know it is.

No wonder you prefer the City. I do, too.

[In part because there is a Euphie here and friends who don't think that bullying is a sign of affection, but there are other reasons.]

It's one of the reasons, yes. Though I do miss my family.

[She smiles lightly.] Sometimes they come here though.

Why do you prefer it, Justin?

They might show up again, then.

[There's a question he doesn't want to answer out loud. Or ever. He goes with Neil's general assessment of the City.]

It's a second chance.

Yes. It's very possible.

[She smiles.] I do like to think of it that way. As a second chance I mean. I'm not sure if the deities mean to be so gracious, but it can feel like a blessing even with all these curses.

I imagine the deities would be disappointed if they thought anyone considered the City a good thing.

[In all honesty, however...] I don't know why you would need a second chance.

[She looks down at her hands for a moment.] It must be a curious thing to hear.

Is there anything you'd like to talk about, Justin?

Any--no. I don't know. What about you?

[Mostly she'd wanted to turn away from anything leading her closer to needing to explain why she needed a second chance.]

Your question made it sound like you had a lot on your mind. Sometimes talking things through helps.

[Oddly enough, that was just was Justin was attempting to do.]

It's nothing. I'm not sure if I believe in second chances--not for everyone--but it's a comforting idea.

I don't think everyone gets one, but I don't think that means they shouldn't.

...I hope.

But we only get one life, and what we do with ours...

[Actually, not finishing that thought seems like a wise course of action.]

I hope so, too. Whatever you think you need a second chance for, I'm sure you deserve it.

Second life, second chance?

I'd like to do something good with it. For others.

That sounds reasonable, although it's impossible to change the past--who you've been.

You do.

No... You can never change the things that have been done. You can never bring back what's been lost...

Thank you. [It's not enough.]

What have you lost? [It's not a question that demands an answer, just one asked out of curiosity.]

[She's quiet for a long moment before replying.] Lives.

...Lives I took.

[He looks thoroughly perplexed.]

Why? You must have had a reason...

[Her eyes close. It doesn't seem to matter how many times she explains this. It hurts to think about that day. Maybe it needs to hurt.]

In my world... There is an ability called geass. There was a person with this geass who could make anyone follow any order he gave them. He...

He wasn't trying to give me a command. He was just explaining it to me. He gave me an example. He said I would do anything no matter how much I wouldn't want to even if... [Her voice falls quieter. As if afraid to say it herself lest it happen again.] Even if he told me to kill all the Japanese.

[She opens her eyes again. This isn't something she can hide from.] After that it was like a curse can be here.

[This requires some thinking and processing time.]

This... it's like hypnotism? The power of suggestion? That's manipulation of the mind, not--not you being a killer.

[He chances taking one of Euphie's hands and squeezing it.]

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