8th Mistake; video

[moralperil]

[Mahdi is once again in the kitchen, wearing his red apron and looking particularly flour-dusted and frazzled. He seems slightly wobbly - probably hasn't slept.]

Hey everyone! I made a bunch cookies and I'm just about to drop them to the clinic.

[He sweeps the tablet over to look at each plate of cookies as he describes them:]

Lemon shortbread will give you calm, safe feelings.

Chocolate espresso shortbread will make you feel more cheerful and energized - plus there's coffee in it! [tiny cheer:] Yay coffee!

Um, these are semi-magical cookies, I guess you could say. The effects will vary by person but I'd say... hmmm, the effects last a few hours, half a day at most.

If anyone else is feeling bad or weird, this should help. I've made several dozen, so if you're near the clinic please stop by and take some. Also, um, be careful with your soul. It's actually pretty important. If someone tries to talk you into giving it up, don't listen to them. Just sayin'.

[Mahdi turns the tablet back around to record himself, and smiles brightly.]

That's all!

[But the look fades into something more troubled and he seems to be looking at something in the distance. He absently fiddles with a wisp of his hair, pushing it into his mouth briefly as he thinks.] Forgetting something... oh!

Ashraf, I need to talk to you when you have a sec. If you're at the clinic I'll just stop in.

[Someone still doesn't know how privacy filters work.]


[OOC: Mahdi is responding to the shadow demons. His cookies could be a potential way to avoid the feelings of negativity they bring.]

Comments

[moralperil]

If I was, I'd be the worst at it. I've never eaten anyone's soul. [nosecrinkle]

[sweetling]

Well, you gotta crush 'em first. And someone making magic cookies for the benefit of others doesn't seem like the type inclined towards that.

[moralperil]

Crush souls? Is that how they do it where you're from?

I'm kind of the opposite of a demon - a redeemer. I want to help and improve the lives of people's souls, and make sure they don't wish to part with them.

[sweetling]

Eh... metaphorically.

Ah, a hero. I'm surprised to hear things are so black-and-white.

[moralperil]

It's not that the situations are always totally simple, but, that's my take on it, anyway. I know what I think is right and what I need to do, so I do it, y'know?

[sweetling]

I guess. Not everyone's so sure of themselves, is all.

[moralperil]

Right! A lot of people think I'm pretty foolish to make this my mission in life and stick with it. That's why I gotta be so resolved in it.

[sweetling]

[Oh no, you're adorable. Halfpipe has a terrible soft spot for adorable people.]

So exactly how does a demon tempt someone to give up their soul? Standard wish-granting or what?

[moralperil]

Pretty much! They search out people who are miserable and at the end of their rope, and offer them an irresistible wish.

[sweetling]

And then yum, souls.

[moralperil]

[Sadly.] Pretty much! Consuming a soul can make you very powerful, and gives you a major rush of pleasure. There's a whole trade going on in the Below, and many powerful, violent demons have come out of it.

[sweetling]

The Below? Like, as in Hell?

[moralperil]

Something like that, yeah. It's where all the criminals and exiles are sent.

[sweetling]

How do you know it actually exists?

[moralperil]

Um, I've been there.

[sweetling]

Did you come back?

[moralperil]

It's kind of complicated? I got into some trouble with some bad folks there and had to go into hiding. I was living on Earth when I was brought here almost a year ago.

[sweetling]

Isn't it always complicated, though.

Well, free here is better than hiding there... right?

[moralperil]

I don't know if you could really call this being free.

But, I'm not free the way humans are, so it's not really a problem. I don't mind it here, really.

[sweetling]

Well, there are ways to be less free. But what do you mean not in the same way humans are?

[moralperil]

It's kind of hard to explain. It's more like a feeling.

Humans know... when they look up at the sky, it could be a different color than the last time they looked. Their lives have more chaos, but it means they can dream of things my kind can't conceive of.

[sweetling]

So you're basically saying you have no imagination.

[moralperil]

I like to think I have imagination! [A little bit of a self-effacing laugh.]

But yeah. That's basically what it gets down to.

It's not that way for all humans for various reasons, but basically, they can be whatever they want to be, and that's embraced. It's beautiful.

[sweetling]

Having dreams and chasing them is different, though.

[Abruptly somber, voice soft.]

If you think that being what you want to be is beautiful, why not just flip off everybody else and do it? What's stopping you?

[moralperil]

...Well for one thing, flipping people off is pretty rude, right? That's not who I am.

And I'm weak. My dreams revolve around alleviating the pain and suffering of others, but I can't do that on my own. Every gesture I make is small. I'm pathetic.

[He sounds small, tired.]

No matter how hard I try, people still hurt each other and get hurt. I'm useless.