003 ☾ video | 100% encrypted to Catty, Annabeth, Percy, and Leo

[fatedchaos]

[Vanessa has literally been sitting on this information for months, letting it turn over and over in her head, as if she could make sense of it. It's not like it doesn't make sense. Being told that you're straight up a clone makes it a little hard to dispute, all things considered.

That makes it even worse, she supposes. And she's not told anyone about it, so any crisis she's had have been dealt with alone.

But she has friends now, people she absolutely trusts, and she's not really ready to tell the entire population that their bodies aren't technically their own.

So here she sits, biting her lip as she stares at the camera.]

Um, okay. So, after Percy made his post about the discovery of the cloning facility, I needed to know... more. [A beat.] I mean, hey. Sorry to dump this on you suddenly and out of nowhere, guys.

[A nod.] I went to the Emperor. She was surprised that I was asking about it, like a good sort of surprised. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, I asked her what that facility was all about. Like, why do we even have clones? [She has no idea how to get straight to the point, which is why she fidgets a bit, her upper arms going translucent.] She told me that organic matter can't be brought through to this place. That our bodies are clones. It's our souls in here. [She presses a hand to her chest.] But these aren't our original bodies, and there are more. There have to be more bodies, because I think that means she can just bring us back when we're going up against, you know. And there have to be more facilities, right? Because more people show up all the time!

[Vanessa pauses, takes a breath, and tucks a curl behind her ear.] What do we do?

Comments

[fatedchaos]

It could change a lot. I mean, it's entirely possible that being clones is part of this whole 'bigger things to worry about' problem here. [She's not arguing against Catty, but it's something to consider.]

[traitorously]

I mean the thing we're not supposed to talk about. Unless you think the Emperor is secretly on the thing's side and made us clones as a part of its nefarious plan?

[fatedchaos]

No. [She shakes her head at that.] I don't think the Emperor has clean hands, but I don't believe she's in on this. She's just willing to do whatever it takes to stop this thing. [There's a pause, and Vanessa gives Catty a look, something along the lines of 'just like you'.] What I meant was what I said. Us being clones could mean a continuous army.

[traitorously]

Right, so what is telling people about it going to do? It's just going to divide them. Some people are going to think we need to stop the cloning thing because they have issues with immortality or something, while the rest of us try to focus on ending the big bad that's killing the turtle. It's better if everyone just focusses one thing, and then the other, instead of of complicating the whole issue.

[fatedchaos]

[She sighs. Catty's right. Catty could also be wrong.] Not everyone knows the particulars of our new big bad, either. [She fidgets again.] It's not that simple, and we both know that. Nobody in the history of ever has focused on just one problem and then the other.

[traitorously]

No one in the history of ever, huh? [Catty's smirking a little right now, because that's cute. Vanessa is cute.]

[fatedchaos]

[:|] I get the feeling that you're laughing at me.

[traitorously]

I don't know what possibly could have given you that impression.

[fatedchaos]

I was being serious.

[traitorously]

All things considered, I don't think either of us are qualified to comment on the history of ever. But you're right, people are crappy at compartmentalising like that. When they know there are two things. If they only know about one...

[fatedchaos]

Well, I'm going to comment on it anyway. [She nods. Yeah. YEAH. No, really, she has no idea what she's doing.] They focus on just one. Yeah, I know. But, okay, say you couldn't do what you do and you didn't have me around, wouldn't you want to know?

[traitorously]

I wouldn't want to know if I didn't know there was something to know. [wait]

[fatedchaos]

[what] But it's not like there isn't any information at all. The cloning facility was kind of a public declaration. [Thanks, Percy.]

[traitorously]

You can always tell people if it comes up later, though. You can't take it back once it's said.

[fatedchaos]

You can also be a little too late with the information, too, especially when it's needed beforehand.

[traitorously]

[Catty just raises her eyebrows] So you want to tell people, then.

[fatedchaos]

[Vanessa shrugs. Look, she is super unsure.] I don't know. That's why I'm telling you guys.

[traitorously]

I'm pretty sure that you wouldn't be arguing so strongly against what I'm saying if you didn't think that people needed to know.

[fatedchaos]

I just don't think any one decision can be made right now. I don't agree that people need to know, either. It's like I'm balancing in the middle of a teeter-totter.

[traitorously]

[Catty just eyes her for a moment] What if it wasn't you telling people?

[fatedchaos]

I'm not going to let someone else take that sort of burden.

[traitorously]

[She waves her hand] Don't be stupid, it's no big deal for me to do it if that's what we decide.

[fatedchaos]

[Rolling her eyes.] What, no, I'm not going to let you do that.

[traitorously]

What are they going to do, kill me?

[fatedchaos]

[o_o] What? No! Why is that where you go first?