VIDEO; UN: HAWKEYE

[strictdiscipline]

[Instead of any person, the scene presently on the screen is of a backpack lying in the snow, overflowing with child leashes in a variety of different colors and patterns. The voice that pipes up has about as much warmth as the chill tundra wind and is just loud enough to cut through the continued wailing of infant squidges nearby.]

It appears that some of our superiors question our ability to properly watch over these small creatures.

[Though if the delivery was sent in earnest rather than as a practical joke, she can't say she disagrees with the assessment, at least not with regards to a certain subsection of Team Audentes. (Fortune might favor the bold, but it certainly won't favor anyone lacking basic common sense as far as she's concerned.)

Regardless, she presses on.]

While I should hope that none of you will need one at the moment [judging u if you put a leash on ur infant squidge tbh] some of you may find them necessary at a later point in this mission. There seem to be enough for each recruit to have one.

[Unfortunately.

A brief pause follows, enough time for a resigned sigh.]

With that said, if you are concerned about caring for a living being, I'm sure there are several of us willing to provide advice.

(ooc: i bought a bunch of child leashes as an ac reward as i was completely out of ideas, feel free to handwave your character grabbed one.)

Comments

[strictdiscipline]

I don't know that I care much about what the gods think of me any longer.

[Not after what few brushes she'd had with them, back home and on Nalawi. No offense though, or anything.]

Have you had much babysitting experience before?

[It's not unlikely, given what little facts she recalls of him.]

[dailydouble]

The point was about sentience and how we interpret differences among beings, but take it as you will. If it was meant to insult anyone, it would be those who consider anyone different from them to be lesser.

[ Normally, he wouldn't bother to explain the point. But he's still feeling brittle from the last mission and is tired of what appears to be another thinly veiled insult. ]

I have enough experience with it.

[strictdiscipline]

[That's more of an explanation that she expects to receive in reply to a line that she'd spoken mostly out of weariness. Hard to tell over black words on a screen the reasoning behind it though, or even any emotion associated with it.]

I have little experience with gods outside of Nalanni. [And Loki, she supposed belatedly.] If you would like to convince me otherwise, I'm more than willing to listen.

[dailydouble]

I'm not here to convince anyone of anything. I simply did not want my words to be misinterpreted.

It is remarkably easier, it not care what anyone thinks of you.

augh, i lost this i'm sorry

[strictdiscipline]

Surely you at least care about what your friends think of you?

[dailydouble]

There are not many who would call themselves my friend.

[ In fact, he's often surprised when anyone does. Ahad never quite understands why anyone would want to be friends with him. ]

I assume that any who do have already formed a strong opinion of me.

[strictdiscipline]

[He reminds her of someone else in ALASTAIR; of several someones, actually.]

Do you not wish to have friends?

[dailydouble]

Perhaps, when I was young.

[strictdiscipline]

And now?

[Things change quite a bit over the course of several years, let alone several hundreds of years.]

[dailydouble]

I have not been young for thousands of years. The urge passed, once I had seen enough of the cruelty of men and gods.

[strictdiscipline]

[Gods she's met only one or twice, but she can't deny the truth of the other half of his statement. Still:]

There are some who aren't so cruel left out there.

[Or, there were. Her expression falters upon sending that, and once again she's grateful this conversation is being carried out through text.]

[dailydouble]

I do not doubt it, but is it worth the risk?

[strictdiscipline]

[There's a long moment of silence on the other end with no answer.]

I used to think so. I'm not so sure anymore.

[dailydouble]

Experience has left me cynical. I suppose it has done the same to you.

If you ever resolve the issue, I would be interested in hearing about your conclusions.

[strictdiscipline]

You make this sound like some sort of scientific experiment.

[There doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to human emotion.]

But I'll let you know, if I ever do figure that out.

[dailydouble]

That was not my intent, but thank you.