wasteyard | yES HELLO: ruth, 2

WHO: ruth aldine + YOU
WHAT: talking about BOLD PLANS for the FUTURE
WHERE: the ruins, specifically near the river
WHEN: june 30th onwards
NOTES: this is step one of the player quest happening on july 5! please zoom over there if you have questions, want to make plans, &cet. NB: potential for discussions of suicide, state-sponsored murder, etc. more specific notes tbd.

[The warm hiss of white noise is just part of being in the ruins--but at some point, when it's getting a little darker, a voice comes through.]

Yes. Pardon. This is Ruth.

[You know, if the stuttery little words at the start didn't clue you in.]

We had thank you an idea--see if we can reason yes, reason with this place. That... [A crackle of static.] Sorry. You saw the empty spot, didn't you? Sorry. Yes. I think...I think it's something.

But going...yes. I'm, uh. I'm not gonna pardon, won't be in my body. And after all the other stuff yes, pardon I tried to do here...it might not agree with me. Sorry. Might need people to keep an eye out. No.

Sorry. No. So if anyone's interested...

[And, you know. If they understood any of this.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[ There's a bit of a squeal of static that eats the first part of his response, like the setting is reacting to a spike in emotion. ]

-- o you're not, kid. I'm not lettin' you throw yourself into that black hole.

Yes. Thank you. I'm the only one who can.

[Steady, almost painfully reasonable.]

You're -- do you even know how dangerous that might be, without any telepaths around to dig you out again if you get into trouble? Whaddya expect me to do to help, scratch the sky with my claws? No, Ruth. You can't do this.

I can. Thank you. I have to.

Pardon. We have to do something.

Kid, you almost died just arrivin' here. I smelled that blood all over you. What do you think's gonna happen if you try and push it?

Doesn't matter. Sorry. I yes, I have to try.

[ He lets out a breath, trying to keep his temper under control. ]

Ruth. You don't have to do anythin'. You're not my student any more, fine, but I can't let you risk yourself on some goddamn goose chase!

It's not a goose chase. Pardon. This is what we do. This, pardon, this is what I have to do.

[Still calm, but there's a sort of force underpinning her.]

You don't think I have to. No. But I do. I can do this, Logan.

[ Well, it's kind of hard to argue with that. Is this how Cyclops feels all the time? ]

You're gonna do it no matter what I say, aren't you?

Yes.

[This is how Cyclops feels. All the time. #askanempath]

[ Goddamnit. ]

Goddamnit.

You could help. Please. Keep everything else away from me.

Yeah? And just stand there and watch you dyin', stuck outside your head?

No. Pardon. Stop me dying.

[Keep the blood on the inside of her body, please. There's a pause.]

No, sorry, no, no-- If something's wrong, I'll come back.

[ The edge of a growl of frustration. ] You're sure you can do that? What if it pulls you in, pulls you under? Ain't nobody here that can help you, kid. No Cuckoos, no Emma Frost.

I know.

[She doesn't have the heart to tell him she doesn't really care.]

...Couldn't trust Ms. Frost anyway. Pardon. If she was here.

[ Oh don't worry, he's well aware of that. That's what he's afraid of. Her comment earns her a grunt of amusement, though. ]

She has her uses. Saved my ass a few times when I didn't deserve it.

No. Pardon. Not--no.

[Ms. Frost was generally kind to her, even if the Cuckoos weren't. There's a long pause--it doesn't matter now, does it? They're far from home, and for Logan, everything's already happened.]

She was the gun dog. We were the prey. Sorry.

[ A beat or two of silence. Wait, what -- ]

The prey? What do you mean? The prey for what?

They needed someone. Yes. Wanted to know the future, how to round us all up.

[There is a long pause, Ruth's voice coming out faint when she does speak again.]

Thank you. Pardon. It begins with finding me. It always ends with death.

This is.. this is what you saw, ain't it? What you were tryin' to warn us about? Fuck! [ A smashing noise. A certain someone just kicked something over. ]

I'm sorry, kid. I shoulda listened to you, I always knew that. And she was -- who is roundin' us up, Ruth?

[She's silent for a moment, knowing the confirmation will only make him more furious. He shouldn't have to bear the ugly reality of it: burning, shooting, stabbing, beating, they'd drown me if it was convenient. It was bad enough that she had to, that it intruded at nearly every turn.]

The same people who always want us. Thank you. Men in suits, and uniforms. Mostly uniforms.

[ Of course. Of course it is. It always is. No matter how much they run or how well they hide, it's never enough. And now they're stuck here, doing nothing, while maybe back in their universe people are dying -- or worse.

For a long moment there's only the sound of Logan breathing, trying to keep himself under control. ]

I can't -- we need to get out of here, Ruth, we need to go back. Back to.. whatever's goin' on. And.. if that means lettin' you try this goddamn fool plan -- [ and watching you die again ] -- maybe that's.. that's what we need to try. [ And, in a lower voice: ] God knows you've got every right to want to leave.

Edited 2019-07-04 12:00 (UTC)

You yes, you need to go back.

[At least they agree on that. She can hide in this wasteland, with the shadows rising at evening to meet her, she can die, and he'll still go on. The dream will go on. Logan's shadow is one mutants are safe in.

There's a moment when it feels like there's an empty space in her mind, a set of quotation marks waiting for some kind of stupid, hardheaded quip full of Scottish slang. David might not know what to do--frankly, Ruth doubts any of their number would--but he certainly wouldn't be quiet right now.

(Better that he's gone. Better that he's not trapped here, that they didn't get to her and find him, that she didn't have to argue the merits of razor blades--)

Her words are murmurs--not like the stammer, mostly, just soft. Affection runs through them, and rue.]

I promise-- Pardon. If it happens, it won't be because I was tryin' to die.

[ Logan makes a noise that might be a wry laugh or just letting out a pent up breath, like something has loosened, a little.

But not enough. ]

I know, kid. I know. I believe you. [ And he's telling the truth. ] But I can't leave you behind again. I left people behind before, in Utopia, and I can't -- I'm not gonna do that again. I'm done makin' those choices.

Either we all get out, or we stay all here and face whatever the hell this is.

yES HELLO: ruth, 2

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject