2nd fire = i'll leave you choking on every word you left unspoken

[hellorhighwater]

[VIDEO;public]

[When the feed goes live, Neil's face is front and center, but he's not looking at the camera. He's somewhere in Fayren, based on the decor--at the Drunken Monkey, for those familiar with the establishment. It's not terribly noisy at the moment, and from the looks of things Neil has shoved himself into a far corner, back to the wall. He's hunched over the table, hand hovering after turning on his smart phone while he appears to finish writing something down on a piece of paper in front of him.

A few long seconds passes, then he finally sets his pen down and looks up.]

Hey--sorry 'bout that, didn't wanna lose a thought. Just kinda curious about something--stuff...my brain's just workin' overtime, so call it a poll. In the worlds you all come from, what's the general consensus on revenge? Culturally, spiritually, philosophically...is it a good or a bad thing? And if it's anything you'd actively do, what's your favorite way? I mean...

[He trails off, huffing in a moment of mild frustration as he starts to talk with his hands.]

Like me. I come from two worlds--one, revenge isn't something that's encouraged. If you do it, though, there's an expression--'revenge is a dish best served cold.' The other, the whole things a little gray. Avenging your honor, or that of family, friends, lovers--it's done, even if it's not totally okay, but for personal slights or harm? Spirituality preaches that forgiveness is wisdom...and culturally, you're seen as a stronger person for finding justice if the law brings you none. There's an old saying there, too--'wield the sword of vengeance not with the hand, but with the heart.' Don't go after someone just 'cause you feel you have to, in other words. Do it because you absolutely believe you have to.

So...what's your take? Or your world's take, I mean. Gimme your thoughts.

[VIDEO;private to Regina Mills]

Hey, how do you spell your mother's name? With a 'C' or a 'K?'

[He's asking for a friend. Honest.]

Comments

video;

[swiftasadeer]

[ Arya is a little hesitant to talk about this because, well. She isn't sure how Regina will feel about her List and what she plans to do to the people on it. But at the same time, as the kids say, this is her jam. ]

My father used to say that the man who passes the sentence swings the sword. That's why any time a man from the Wall abandoned his post, father would execute them himself instead of letting a headsman do it. Because that was the way of the North. The old ways.

So that's why I'm going to kill everyone who hurt my family myself, with my own sword.

Re: video;

[hellorhighwater]

[...oh no, she's cute.

Neil has a problem: he really likes Arya, and for that same reason she breaks his heart. She reminds him a lot of himself, and under all that pain he sees something really good in her.

He agrees with her philosophy, and that of her people. It's a good code to follow...but that goodness he sees in her, all fire and faith and power, could easily get crushed by the shadow of death.

He doesn't want to see her heart go dark, doesn't want to see that fire snuffed out the way it was snuffed out in him.

So he sucks on his teeth silently for a second, mulls that over, and nods...then answers carefully.]

Your old ways sound like a good path. And I think you're right to want the blood of those who hurt your family--but before you swing your sword, I hope you make sure that you wield it with your heart, and not your hand. If you know you're swinging with your heart...well, if you ever want a few pointers, I'd be happy to work with ya.

Re: video;

[swiftasadeer]

What does that mean?

Re: video; [ Private to Neil and Arya ]

[fondofapples]

[ She appears on the screen, not thunderous as either of them might have feared, only slightly sad and very knowing. ]

Revenge can claw the heart out of a person. Turn her cold and poisonous. What Neil means, I think, is not to let it consume you and be your entire reason for living. Remember compassion and mercy and have things that make you smile.

Video;

[stormcalling]

My people tend to believe in righteousness vengeance. Strike down those who go against law and order in the name of the Light. A sort of holy vengeance.

Personally, I would have taken the many more lives in the name of revenge if I had the power.

Re: Video;

[hellorhighwater]

[Neil frowns at that--nothing judgmental, more he's just rolling that over in his head.]

Sounds to me like your people would be real fond of the Sky Maker--one of the gods worshiped in the Five Realms. He's all about that holy vengeance stuff, y'know?

[stormcalling]

Not a clue, sounds like something a race I ran into during my younger days believed in.

[ Or her current days. Who knew? Being old and exposed to so many aliens it all get muddled. ]

You know the problem with holy vengeance or at least the kind I wish we could take up is that it ultimately wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't give us back everything we lost.

[hellorhighwater]

[...okay, that sounded more like someone else he knew--someone far more vicious and calculating, and in the moments he forgot that Neil was listening, spoke in tones that echoed those three terrible words.

Everything we lost.]

My king speaks the same way--and he's a man well accustomed to taking his vengeance on all who oppose him. I know, 'cause I usually do it for him.

video; after a ten minute delay.

[thefirething]

[ Charlie's outside of work on a break, eating a burger she had someone get for her, one leg crossed over the other. This is not a comfortable subject for her, but it's Neil and she cares about him and his opinions. So she's going to answer. ]

It's not worth it's weight in gold.

[ This girl was responsible for the death of so many after one asshole shot her father in the throat. While she agrees with Neil's sentiment that they all deserved their fiery demise, she still wakes up at night, wondering if there'd been a different choice that she just didn't see. Despite everything she's been through, everything she's had no choice but to do, she's still a good person deep down. ]

Re: video; after a ten minute delay.

[hellorhighwater]

[She's a girl of few words, but Neil listens to each one like the fate of the world depends on it.

And knowing what he does of her past, hearing her say that breaks his heart a little--but in the best way possible. She's done some shit, seen even more, and Neil thinks if Regina ever pulled Charlie's heart out, it would be glowing like the fucking sun. She's stronger, purer than Neil has ever been, and he's pretty sure he loves her in that moment.

He's quiet for a second after she speaks, then points at he through the feed with a soft smile, that unabashed pride and affection glowing in his features.]

And that is why you're a goddamn genius, kiddo. A lot fuckin' smarter than I could ever hope to be, that's for sure.

Re: video; after a ten minute delay.

[thefirething]

[ Eyebrows furrow at what he says, face showing confusion as she works on a bite of her food. His comment made no sense, so after swallowing, she asks; ]

How am I a genius?

Re: video; after a ten minute delay.

[hellorhighwater]

'Cause what you just said is something most adults go their whole damn lives without figuring out. And I'm talkin' about adults that have gotten a taste of blood the way you have.

There's book smarts, street smarts, and...I dunno. I guess you might call it being an old soul or something--being smart down in your gut or your heart. I already knew you were brainy, but you've got that last kind of smart nailed down.

Video

[shirtlesspersona]

Absolutely depends on how ya go about it.

It's all good and fine if you wanna get back at those who got you or yours. But if that's all you're living for, then that's no good.

Re: Video

[hellorhighwater]

Yeah, that's the general consensus in the Five Realms--revenge is either social business or an interpersonal issue. It's not a way of life. In the world I was born in? Not so much, I've seen people hold some serious fuckin' grudges.

Re: Video

[shirtlesspersona]

I guess it depends on how you handle that serious grudge. I've waited 800 years to kill a guy for killing someone close to me. [ Casually dropping that he is much less human than he looks, and casually leaving out that he told the other guy he was gunna do this and it's a consenting sort of revenge - ]

But it wasn't like I was living for it every day, it was just gunna happen sometime.

[ Text ] Private to Neil

[fondofapples]

C. Why?

Re: [ Text ] Private to Neil

[hellorhighwater]

thanks beloved

no reason just something im working on

the will of the gods upon my tongue no magic or bloodshed

Re: [ Text ] Private to Neil

[fondofapples]

I'm not reassured.

I believe you, but I'm not reassured.

Video

[youfool]

A very prominent book on Earth had this to say:

"Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord."

[Quoting Romans 12:19 word for word. What a guy.]

Patience is urged, along with the knowledge that here should not be spoiled, as the hereafter will administer a more complete and less costly justice. Of course, patience is a hard virtue.

[To him, anyway.]

Re: Video

[hellorhighwater]

Sounds a lot like the Catholic bible. Which I never really liked--got forced to sit through Mass on Sundays when I was a kid, and it was all bullshit.

The faith I follow now makes way more sense. The gods of my world demand responsibility from us--virtue is found in strength of self. Divine justice will come, sure, but only to those with strength enough to fight.

...actually, I think there was a saying in the world I was born in. 'God helps those who help themselves.' That's how my gods work.

Re: Video

[youfool]

Yes, very like. Good ear. Well, I'm as glad for parental piety as I'm sad about divine neglect.

[Filthy pagan! Somehow he keeps good cheer.]

Aheh, and here I thought religion was more about another than the self. Makes one wonder what they do if they delegate quite so much.

[frankensteinian]

[If revenge were a place, and it had a king, this man right here would be the King of Revenge. As it is, he's just a master of it.

Or at least that's the story he'd tell.]

Take it when you can get it. It's better when the person in question knows exactly why it's happening, too.

[hellorhighwater]

Dunno if I'd go that far? But I agree with the last part. It's not justice served if the person being punished has no idea why. Every time I take a life, I make sure they understand why it's happening, and who sent me for their head.

[frankensteinian]

How far would you go? It's only worth it sometimes?

What is it, some sort of revenge-for-hire system?

[video]

[fadedscarlet]

[sighs, tired from the day but curious]

My world was very hypocritical on this subject. From what I remember of that world, they preached how you shouldn't take revenge at all, especially taking a life.

But it happened everywhere, left and right, everyone fended for themselves despite the mixed messages from "society".

[Kii smirked a little bit at what they were going to say]