[Video]

[uncalled_for]

[There's a bitter 'tch' as she turns the tablet on. Her eyes hold an underlying, anger that just seems to be slowly seeping outward. But beyond the look of her eyes, her face seems mockingly relaxed. This is all some horrible sour joke. Every word is laced with venom and sarcasm. Tread lightly.]

Obviously, no one here likes this Maker forsaken rock we've found ourselves on. I wasn't present while the chaos was occurring, but I understand getting us here came at a great cost. I won't even say it could or couldn't have been prevented. At least we're here, aren't we?

But does everyone truly think we're safe simply by running and hiding? If those Initiative bastards can send us here then what is stopping any other force from trying? We're safe, for now. But then what? We simply wait and send all our hopes to those bastards who dragged us here in the first place?

Oh, I'm sure the Initiative is just full of what they believe to be brilliant schemes of how to fix this. But I doubt I need to remind anyone how beneficial relying on their genius has been in the past.

So. Anyone here actually capable of thinking on their own or shall we simply wait and see?

Comments

[Audio]

[strategic_guile]

[wryly] Still just as acerbic as when you left, I see, but there are no poor bastards for us to send out hopes back to so if there's any wait and see it's us waiting on one another, not the Initiative.

[uncalled_for]

[She grumbles that her point was missed, but lets be honest. She didn't exactly explain it well. As always.]

And you don't think they'll ever be back? That this is just it for them?

[strategic_guile]

No, it's not it for them unless we decide not to go back in time and try to prevent it from happening.

[uncalled_for]

And then from there on?

[For a moment that's all she plans to say and then she picks up again with more determination.]

Don't you see? We bring them back, and we will, what happens then? We allow this to go over looked, fall back in line until another catastrophe occurs?

[strategic_guile]

The months of silence and then suddenly shit hitting the fan got old after the first time.

[Filtered to Fiona.]

This is a conversation for off the network.

[Not that there's much privacy anywhere else.]

[Filtered nyahnyahnyahbooboo] /I'mMature

[uncalled_for]

[Hah. Privacy is a figment of the imagination around this place. She'll give him a wary look. Those weren't words she expected from him. Wasn't he that mellow guy that just sorta tagged along because he was bored. He's never cared. Or so she assumed.]

And why is that?

[Filtered] The most mature. /bunnyears

[strategic_guile]

[He is tempted to make a joke out of it, but doesn't.]

Because I want to talk to you face-to-face. Some things should be said in person.

[Filtered] Bunny ears why bunny ears

[uncalled_for]

[Well, isn't this an odd tune for him. The wariness doesn't budge as she considers what on earth he may be intending to say.]

Fine. Where?

[Filtered] Cute little rabid bunny!elf

[strategic_guile]

[It's only odd for her because she's been gone for months and months.

He gives her directions to a place. Not totally secluded because he's aware of her suspicious stare. When she arrives, he's already there, perched on a crate of boxes. She does receive his customary lip quirk though.]

[Filtered -> Action] Oh, she's rabid now, is she

[uncalled_for]

[She keeps her distance, though mostly to be alert of passersby or wandering eyes. Folding her arms, she tilts her head to the side, eyebrows raised impatiently.]

So are you going to give me a reason for this cause of secrecy?

[Action] I plead the fifth

[strategic_guile]

Yes.

[But first his question.]

What's the last thing that happened here before you went home?

[Action] HEEEEY you can't do that

[uncalled_for]

[She shifts her weight, clearly not comfortable with trying to think about the past occurrences. She'll settle for something easier to explain.]

We had settled the leadership for the Meetings. [She snorts.] But I see how well that went.

Too late! Did and done.

[strategic_guile]

Lots of people went home and it was on shaky ground to begin with. It went downhill pretty fast.

[He shifts his weight so he can face her more from the boxes. At least he's shorter when sitting on them. What passed for a smile slipped off his face as the topic turned to why he wanted it offline.]

There's a new organization, but I don't know quite what to make of it. They were in the meeting when it was decided that all of us would go to the moon base. I can't say it wasn't the right choice, but now that we're here, we're trying to bring that half-million people back, but should we?

[He watched Fiona's face.]

Should we be trying to bring them back or should we be trying to go back home?

Jerky jerk.

[uncalled_for]

[Any light hearted expression she has turns to a glare.]

What are you saying.

YEP /pimp

[strategic_guile]

I'm asking you a question.

[He is unaffected by her glare.]

Rude.

[uncalled_for]

And I'm refusing to answer until you clarify. What are you saying.

*sparkles*

[strategic_guile]

Alright. Let me ask you this instead.

[He thinks his question was pretty damn obvious, but he will attack another problem instead.]

We bring them back and we're on Earth again. How do you think we should proceed with the Initiative and other natives? None of them remember what happened. They never do when time has been changed. The Initiative may believe us when we explain what we had to do to bring their sorry asses back, but the rest? They won't remember shit. Before all of this, they were threatening and beating up Transports because they blamed their woes on us. How are we going to do anything but what we had been doing without coming off like the bunch of high and mighty assholes causing problems that they already thought we were?

That's not a comeback for 'rude'

[uncalled_for]

[She gets it, she just doesn't want to believe it. Somewhere she thought better of you. Or perhaps that's just her mind being foggy with the return.]

But we do have the proof. It's their own close-minded idiocy if they choose not to believe us but the truth remains on those blasted devices no matter what changes we make otherwise, doesn't it?

[Her arms unfold and her fists clench at her sides, she points a finger accusingly. There's her usual anger in her town but now rather than any bitter venom it tingles with disappointment and disgust.]

What you're suggesting is cowardice. To leave this world to rot to save your own damn selfish skin. I don't like this place and those bastards any more than you do but the truth is how it stands. That calamity could have occurred much sooner if we hadn't been fighting them every step of the way.

Our mistake has been allowing them to control us, to make the decisions we should have been making from the start. Leaving them in the graves they've dug themselves helps no one. You want to leave thousands upon thousands to remain dead when we could have done something simply because it conveniently helps yourself, then you are no better than those twisted and heartless bastards we hate.

It goes with my pimp shirt flick

[strategic_guile]

You've dealt with people who are terrified before right? How much logic gets through to them when they're running scared? Facing emotion with logic makes people absolutely furious.

[He's used that lizard brained response to trip people up many a time, but he hadn't ever wished anything bad on the Exiles. They got dealt a shit hand and their ace in the hole was in the hands of a bunch of inept asshats. Fiona's disgust only reminded Blaine of his own disgust at doing nothing before now to help. There was nothing like being a useless waste to either prod you into action or send you spiraling down. There was a flicker of anger in his eyes, but he didn't explode.]

Save your accusations for someone else. Why do you get to ask your hypothetical questions about the future when you haven't done anything to solve the problem we have now? Have you gone for supplies? Have you done anything but question everything that's happened while you weren't here when what little you did before you left has nothing to show for it?

[He's getting a bit pissed, because he's mostly mad at himself.]

You're fucking right leaving them in their own graves does nothing. But you know who else has fucking done nothing?

[Oh he's off the boxes now. And he is nearly shouting.]

ME!

[He is so furious and it's like everything is bubbling up suddenly and he turns around and kicks that box he was sitting on that was full of something or other and it jumps violently. For a second it looks like once might not have been enough, but he stands still, eyes closed, hands clenched at his sides, back to Fiona as he breathes in, trying to calm himself from an emotional outburst he totally wasn't expecting and hadn't had happen in years.]

Pop yo' colla'

[uncalled_for]

[Fiona doesn't even bat an eyelash when he jumps off the box, nor when he decides the box needs to be attacked for allowing him to sit on it. Maybe the next thing he sits on we'll magically give him splinters. At the least, her tone will soften away from the earlier accusations. She keeps her distance.]

Then do tell me, Blaine, what you plan to do about this? I've made my decisions on where I'll stand this time. You're the only one who seems confused with the matter.

Blaine's too uncool for collar popping now .__.

[strategic_guile]

[He doesn't say anything until he has cooled his tits. His fingers unclench and flex until they hang loosely at his sides. One final, deep, calming breath in through the nose and out through the mouth. Blaine's less impressed with his outburst than Fiona is, but when he turns around he doesn't bother to look anything other than irritated.]

You really know how to piss people the fuck off.

[He is sure she has heard that before, but not from him, so he says it even though it doesn't wipe what happened clean.]

I'm not confused and I haven't been confused in weeks. I'm tired of people asking questions but when you ask them for answers they wiggle out of saying anything definite. You know where you stand, but what are you going to do? We've obviously done plenty of standing.

Then a pop collar IOU

[uncalled_for]

[Oh has she ever heard that before. Yet honestly, it's not always intentionally done. Clearly a gift.

Standing though, standing would be nice. She's been running and fighting all her life, from one cage to another, banging on the bars and snarling at those passing by. The cages have gotten bigger over the years but the bars are still visible. None of that she'll say aloud. Instead she snorts and shrugs to his question. Fine, if he wants straight answers, he'll have them. But that won't change a damn thing for him.]

I'm going to help where I can. In the Infirmary, on these ridiculous missions, even bringing those sorry bastards back from the dead.

It's when they come back that things will need to change. They'll want their control back and we won't give it to them. That's where things will change, that's where I'll be standing. So again I'll ask you, what do you plan to do?

They give IOUs for that wow /hands you one

[strategic_guile]

[Blaine's expression is smoothing out towards impartiality aside from the crease still in his brow. That little tick shows he's still less than pleased about this current conversation, but he invited it. Not saying that he couldn't and wouldn't walk away if it suited him, but Blaine had said little about his own plans going forward.]

Instead of reacting to whatever the UE throws our way, I want to make plans to cut them off before they can get started. If something like this happens again, I want an actual plan, not something they half-assed.

I think you gonna need that one bro :c

[uncalled_for]

[Her mouth twists to the side and an eyebrow rises. Congratulations, you've grabbed her interest. Her words, aren't malicious or sarcastic. If Blaine actually has a plan to back this up, then color her impressed.]

And just how do you intend to do that?

Nah, he will come back with his pimp collar strong and starched

[strategic_guile]

They already have an organization set up to work with the Initiative. If they don't work out, there are plenty of people here with the skills and ability to try out our own ideas. We have strategists and engineers. When everything is 'fixed'-

[and he said that with a bit of sarcasm]

-if we go from one project to the next, there shouldn't be a problem. If we stay in motion and don't let ourselves rest on our laurels, we can get shit done. There are too many people jumping in and out of time, people who enjoy the freedom, to take back that freedom without using force. Unrestricted time travel will be a no, but putting all of our eggs into the one Initiative basket is a hell no.