bluescreenwhitedragon | Imeeji: IC Continuations

Fine.

I never blamed myself for your deficiencies.

No, you're just the guy who put humpty dumpty back together again and then lashes out at him when he's a bit too forward for you.

[Pushes himself off the wall to take a step toward Joker]

Put a puzzle in front of me, I'm going to solve it. Not wallow alongside you in your torrent of emotions like everyone else.

You ever think I didn't want people to wallow with me but help me figure out how to get out of the mess I was in?

Like, seriously. I don't know how much more direct I could have been--I guess the heart game helped with being even more blatant but.

[shrugs a bit]

For a supposedly objective thinker, you really do have your own emotional biases, don't you?

I just call them like I see them.

And your way wasn't working, was it? I seem to recall you spiraling out of control into your own insecurities and paranoia.

Obviously it wasn't working. That's what I'm trying to say.

How many times do I have to reach out a hand--for help or otherwise--before you stop slapping it out of the way?

Just what the hell are you freaking out about anyway? After all this, you still think I've got a knife behind my back?

I"m not "freaking out" about anything.

[Do people know when they've been Eris Alerted? Even if that's true, Intensity is still going to deny it]

And if I was--- which I'm not ---it doesn't have anything to do with you.

[Specifically. Anyway]

[uhhhh... unsure if people know if they've been Alerted unless it's used with Machai

and yeah, that's the trouble isn't it... no way would Intensity admit to it.

but he's willing to accept "not directly him" thing.

but also, Intensity did mention the whole Caring Is Manipulation thing in the Secrets Game and Joker's just not entirely sure this doesn't have something to do with that?]

... okay.

So. Walk, resume, or take this elsewhere.

[without cameras, preferably.

YOUR CHOICE, INTENSITY]

[Gonna go with he has no idea then. It isn't like Joker hasn't seen through him a gazillion times before]

. . .

Take it elsewhere.

We've both got our points.

[and to think this is the first time he thought to use it productively.

and he huffs at that.]

Yeah, I'll say.

[rubs at the mark on his neck a bit, not sef-consciously but like. doublechecking or something shut up]

Lab or hideout?

[Raises an eyebrow]

You have a hideout?

You'd be the first to see it. Just got the basic set up.

[extremely basic. like. Bad End basic]

Fine. Let's go there then.

The lab's a bit of a mess right now.

Someone's been busy.

[but okay, sure. let's mosey over to Bad End.]

I'm always busy.

[Since we're heading down nostalgia lane... Has he been here since he got the shit kicked out of him by Oni? Probably not]

[... dude, you were after rainbow spikes.

either way, Bad End has a kitchen now! so that's... new. it looks like a workplace breakroom but whatever.

Joker's room, however, isn't very different. fanmail stuff stashed in a corner somewhere, clothes draped over a chair, bed still on cinderblocks--but Joker's going to open the closet and... pull a ladder down from the ceiling.]

[Point. Thank you for remembering for me.

(Also cinderblock beds will never not be hilarious).

But there is a low whistle when the ladder comes down.]

So you can attach them to your room specifically...

[Why didn't he do that with his lab?! A missed opportunity. Or just turn his bedroom into the lab. Who needs to sleep anyway?]

A workaholic like you doesn't need one in your room.

Anyway, I'll explain why my room when we get up there.

[climbing on up.

and it's.

well.

bare. for now. it's also got metal flooring not unlike what you'd find on an industrial catwalk with metal sheets for walls except for where there's windows which has that usual cityscape that might be fake.

oh. and a big industrial fan which is currently set on low. but like. that's probably still good whitenoise.]

[Tries not to make too much noise as he walks across the floor]

This is going to boil in the summer.

[But whatever, leaning up against one of the metal walls (arms crossed) once he finds a suitable space]

[closing trapdoor]

Soundproof. Like your lab.

But more importantly, only access point currently is by my room with permissions I program in.

... because I can't exactly work to fix demon influence or hell corruption if half my unit is still under influence and the other half is too new to know how much they can be trusted with.

I'll probably get a hidden safe or something to keep any intel on that safe since this is going to also be used for other things, but... for the most part, I plan on my teammates from home who also know how hearts work and a few others in on the work.

[so. there you go. productivity.]

Rebuilding the old crew, I see. Not a bad starting point.

...

Make any progress on that front? The whole---

[Hand gestures]

Hell corruption.

Not a whole lot.

I just know there's two different things we're having to deal with. One: the people still under the influence of the demon princes. We know for sure that influence can be removed and I think it doesn't have to result in permanent memory loss the way mine did. I don't think killing mental aspects is really necessary for it, but it might be dependent on the individual and their cognition.

Two: there's the hell corruption--the thing you and the others who lost out at the Trial have going on. That's the one I'm not as sure about, but if there's a way to do it, I'll be looking for it. Worst case scenario, it's something more involved like with the visits to Lilith. In which case, it's going to need more than just a heart run to sort out.

If Heaven influences are supposed to nullify Hell influences, then that might be something to think about.

There's a distinction between a Lilith hell corruption and the second punishment from the Trial. The latter doesn't permanently mark you for Hell -- it's a loss. Something was taken from everyone who experienced it.

Lilith's hell corruption, on the other hand, is an addition. I could move freely around in the rift while Angel, Hurricane and C were paralyzed.

... makes more sense. So it's still possible.

You say loss, I say theft. So in my mind, it's just a matter of finding a way to steal it back. Like I said before.

[leans against a wall, drumming fingertips against the metal, giving away his thinking.]

Lilith's corruption, we'll have to worry about in a different way, then. I'll put it on the list.

Edited 2019-06-08 06:56 (UTC)

It will probably need an actual purification of some sort. Best lead we have so far is to try to get holy water and see what that does.

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