PSA from the Attleton office - text

[captain_by_the_book]

[ Oh look Genessia, it's another one of these PSA's from the Attleton Guardian's office, sent over the network and read by Attleton's local radio and TV stations. ]

1. We are aware of the problem of ducks regularly causing traffic jams on Main Street. We are taking it seriously. Nevertheless, I have to ask Attleton's animal lovers to stop calling us with alarmist reports of "There are innocents about to be murdered by death machines right here on Main Street!"

2. Please stop filing charges against the wild Spearows that were stealing food in Attleton during the annual pokemon visit. We issued a bounty on them and the ones who weren't apprehended are long gone. No, we can't bring them back so Judge Judith can put them on trial on court TV.

3. If they wish, Deputies will be given the opportunity to attend classes in Criminal Justice at Attleton University as workload permits.

4. The Attleton Guardian's office is looking to fill a Deputy position.

- Volunteer position: unpaid
- Full-time (with allowances made in scheduling for a second paid job)
- Combat skills necessary, preferably capable fighter even without using magic or supernatural powers
- Experience in law enforcement, military or similar preferred
- Out-of-town candidates welcome but must be willing to move to Attleton
- Must be capable of following orders and working in a team, including work with pokemon
- Not afraid of ducks

Comments

[singinghuntress]

[What could she say? Rip could be remarkably perceptive when she wanted to be.]

Oh? And what if you find that you don't like the story someone else has lived? What if you found someone with a background so atrocious, most would consider them not worth the time for redemption...save for maybe a few stubborn individuals.

Then what would you think?

[captain_by_the_book]

[ That they are a danger and it is always better to know of dangers so you can keep an eye on them, mostly since this place and his own position as Guardian do not permit removing them. ]

I would think that it's not my place nor my intention to redeem anyone. I'm not going to claim that I won't judge and have my personal opinions. [ He would try to claim it but, well, if he's known for anything then for having an opinion on everything. ] But I want to learn.

[singinghuntress]

[Smart man.]

I would be surprised if you didn't have a personal opinion on said individual. But, it is also surprising you would want to learn. Now, why is that? Why would you want to learn about such an individual?

[captain_by_the_book]

It is part of my job to take an interest in other people, especially powerful people. Why would that be surprising?

[ She's not as forthcoming with information as most people here are. That's too bad, he's grown fond of people sharing their stories and powers with no effort on his part. ]

[singinghuntress]

I suppose not. But, what makes you think this person has any form of power? Even a human can have the capacity to be the most atrocious being in the universe and not have an ounce of power to their name.

[Sorry to say, he'd have to work to get that kind of information out of her. Rip only divulges things about herself to people she trusts and that is a very short list here. Needless to say, he's not on that list.]

[captain_by_the_book]

[ Does he want to point out that she had been bragging with her atrocities? In his book, that speaks of power, whether it's magic or mere fighting skill paired with cruelty doesn't make much of a difference if the end result is the same. Or would he rather not remind her that she has reason to be hostile to him? In the end, he decides on the latter, and a demure duck of his head. ]

Simply an assumption. Besides, aren't there many kinds of power? Here we are prone to think of power as something that comes with something the likes of magic or immortality. Where I'm from things aren't so simple.

[singinghuntress]

[Oh, but she wasn't admitting to things she did personally during that amusing conversation. Rip was simply supplying ideas and her thoughts of what might be the most painful ways to kill people. Some of those examples came from her own personal experiences being on the receiving end. For her, power meant strength and skills to do whatever you desired. Nothing more, nothing less.

Besides, it was probably best not to remind her to be hostile. Rip was trying to be on her best behavior after all...]

Where immortality is quite the strength, it always comes with a price. Depending on the price, can it really be considered a kind of power?

Or would it be a curse? Immortality doesn't always mean you are invincible as well after all.

[Speaking from experience on this one...]

Oh? And what are things like from where you come from? In my world, I'm afraid for my kind it is survival of the fittest in a sense.

[captain_by_the_book]

[ He hesitates a little again. No, she isn't the kind of person he wants to share anything with - he barely even likes to share with the people he likes, preferring to have others talk about themselves while he only contributes a few tidbits here and there to keep the conversation from becoming too one-sided. But they've already established that won't work here. It's still annoying. ]

Where I'm from, the greatest threats come from technology. We do have people with... magic, of a sort. But for all the tricks they have up their sleeve it's nothing compared to technology.

[ His face tightens, gaze going distant. It's not like he's going to tell her anything that isn't public knowledge if you care to look - it just feels wrong to talk about it to someone he doesn't trust, doesn't like, doesn't want to open himself up to for gloating. ]

There are weapons which destroy an entire planet with one push of a button. Others which destroy an entire solar system. [ He snorts. ] Maybe the immortals here in Genessia could survive even that. But then they'd spend the rest of eternity floating in empty space, amidst nothing but molten rock. That's power how I know it.

[singinghuntress]

[And yet, if he thought about it, he was actually learning a few things about her without Rip directly talking about herself. More than anything, Rip was more than just a pretty face with brutal tendencies.]

Then your world is much more advanced than my own. Humanity has the capacity to destroy itself, but, the planet would eventually recover.

[She's definitely watching his reactions and filing those away for later.]

As I said, immortality comes with a cost and surviving something like that would be quite the price. To know you survived when no one else you knew could..Imagine what it could do to a person trapped in isolation.

[captain_by_the_book]

[ There's certainly more to her than a rabid beast to be put on a leash, such as it had looked to him on these network posts. Whether that's actually less trouble, that is of course a different matter. ]

I suppose it would drive them mad. Even more mad than immortality is bound to drive them anyway. Humans, at least, are only equipped to deal with so much loss.

[singinghuntress]

[An entirely different matter. Besides, leashing her is not something Rip would ever let happen again. It's been done and the results left her unwilling to repeat the experience.]

Possibly. Though, insanity does have many forms a and if the immortal was previously human, then their reaction to such a loss could be just as varied as any humans.

The real question is then, what happens if they were ever re-introduced back into civilization? I wonder what kind of shock it would have to them..and the people around them.

Tell me, are there any immortal beings in your place of origin?

[captain_by_the_book]

There are extremely long-lived sentient species. A Sarlacc, though that one isn't sentient, doesn't reach its maturity for 30,000 years. As for true immortality, that's something you would be better off asking other people from my galaxy. The Jedi.

[ If there is true immortality it's got to be Force-related in some way. Cassian has always been more concerned with tracking down things that are killable than those which are not. ]

What about your world. Do you have immortals?

[singinghuntress]

Yet, long life doesn't mean immortality, but, it's definitely close.

[Sorry, she has no idea what 'Jedi' is or even how to find one to ask.]

Yes and no. To answer that question, on must think of what qualities an immortal should have. Do we live an extremely long time and can only be killed under circumstances? Of course. But, if one can be killed, is it really immortal?

[captain_by_the_book]

By the definition of the word, no. But by that strict definition, I don't think there are many people or beings at all which would be considered immortal. It may be most practical to see it as a scale, as most things.

[ True immortality is well beyond his comprehension and he figures even well beyond the Jedi's comprehension. ]