tushanshu | 13D11 [VIDEO]

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13D11 [VIDEO]

[When Costigan clicks on the video, he's looking a little bit sickly. It's not terrible, just as if he hasn't been sleeping well or caught a spot of food poisoning. He takes a sip of what seems to be alcohol before he speaks.]

I bought a couple things I could use help deciphering, if anyone's able.

There are some maps.. [He lifts a couple pages to display some metatemporal maps.] I don't understand them. They aren't like any maps I've ever seen.

[He shuffles some pages, setting the maps down and displaying an ancient scroll next.]

Then there's this scroll. If anyone speaks whatever this is. I want to- it needs to be translated. It's important.

[He pauses and sets the scroll down.]

Thanks.

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[She smiles, although it's more understanding than anything else. She doesn't appear to have any problem with being told he'll try to kill her] It's good that you care about protecting people. That's all I've ever wanted to do. If you give me the Scroll, I'm going to destroy it. Then it won't be able to hurt anyone.

Edited 2013-12-22 08:43 (UTC)

[Costigan looks at her for another moment before he gives a nod, accepting that she's telling him the truth. He straightens, his movements stiff with his anger, and reaches back to slide the scroll from his back. Holding it in his hands, he turns it over a few times to look at it and, just as he considers offering it to her, he stops and looks up to meet her gaze again.]

Is it going to hurt you, now or destroying it?

[Her control of her emotions isn't as good as it was under the Atrox, where survival meant lying constantly. He pulls out the Scroll, and an old pain flickers across her face. She blows out a sigh]

Not physically. I'm immune to its effects. It just has - a lot of memories.

[He holds the scroll in one hand and brandishes the other at her in stern gesturing. Part of him knows he's stalling for more time, but the truth is that he really does care about the girl too. Somehow, obnoxiously, she and Vanessa have wormed their way into his circle of people to look out for.] Don't lie to me. Swear to me this won't hurt anyone, including you.

[Chris, she thinks. But Chris is already dead, from the last time she destroyed this. And if he's not, if he's somehow found his way to the turtle the same as she has...

He'd asked her to do it. He'd said he was tired. And she knows he'd do the same now. Knowing she'd killed him against would hurt her, but at the end of the day, it doesn't matter. She has to put the world before everything else.

Catty meets his gaze head on, and there's no trace of a lie in her demeanour when she replies. If she can lie to the most evil creature in existence, she can fudge the truth to Costigan] I swear to you on my Goddess that it won't hurt anyone, including me. You might not believe in her, but I do. That's the most powerful promise I can make.

[She's already done damage to Selene's name. A little more won't hurt]

[He knows that such elaboration is a sign of lying, knows that leaping to extremes means there's likely an omission present, if not an outright lie. He meets her gaze head on and, at the end of it, he believes her. The undercover hesitates only a moment more before finally leaning forward and holding out the scroll towards her. He doesn't let go at first, not without a few more words of warning.]

Next time, don't lie to me. [He releases it. Because his request is not meant to be a bribe or condition to its surrender.] I know I don't do too well with magic, but you can talk to me, alright? I'll listen.

Edited (tweaking) 2013-12-22 09:04 (UTC)

[Her lips twitch up a little] I really, really hope there's not going to be a next time. [She sags visibly as he releases the Scroll into her hands, glad that it won't be able to hurt him anymore, and glad that she didn't have to take it.

She ducks her head, hair falling forward. There's a moment of silence, before she decides to take him up on that.] I told you that I died, right? This is how. I followed the steps on the Scroll, I - well, you wouldn't like the details of what happened, I'm pretty sure. But it consumed the Atrox, and it consumed me. [She sighs] If only things were that easy here, right?

[Costigan feels a short-lived sense of loss upon releasing it. Then comes the relief of having it gone and a subtle sense of vitality previously lost to him. He ignores the sudden change, still not entirely convinced he has made the right decision, and watches her. Listens.]

Easy? You would rather the foreigners all die to kill Him and let the kedan live, than to find another way?

[Catty blinks] What? Not, not all of them. [She laughs] Just me, I mean. You know, sacrifice the one to save the many? It's a pretty good plan, when it works out that way.

[Just...casually talking about dying oops]

Bullshit. We shouldn't be sacrificing anybody.

[Even if they're all clones anyway.]

Besides, you're young.

[Her expression turns pensive] It's not a bad thing, you know. When you do it for the right thing, the right reasons, when you know it's necessary and there's no other option...if you can accept that? It's easy, in the end.

I don't think that really means anything to me, anymore. Some things age you faster than time.

I believe it's easy, sure. You get the easy way out. Death.. Death is easy. Living is what's hard.

[Costigan straightens, his muscles stiffening with his downturn in mood. He shifts a little and then moves to stand, subtly suggesting that it might be about time for Catty to leave.]

I didn't say you aren't experienced. But, like it or not, you should have more years ahead of you than I do if things weren't fucked and I'm not even old.

Tell me about it. [Wait] Um. I'm not suicidal or anything, in case that's how it seems. It's just that, in the past few months before I died, everything became about making that sacrifice. Everything I did, every thought I had, every thought I hid - I had one goal. I guess it's hard getting out of that mindset.

[She makes a face] Yeah, trust me. I have more than enough years stretching out ahead of me, now that I'm back. At least, I'm pretty sure I do. [wanna help her test immortality]

You don't sound suicidal, kid. You sound stupid. [Sugar coating. Costigan doesn't do it.] I get it. I get what you mean about the habit and how hard it is to get past it, but you need to get past it. Put in the work and make it happen.

[He gives a nod to the latter, oblivious to her ~~gross~~ magical insinuations and hoping she's actually expecting a normal life.]

[She just eyes him, and he might notice the way her eyes seem to glow a little, like a cat's in the dark] Yeah? What would you suggest, then? The work I should put in?

[Costigan's just ignoring that trick of the light. He shrugs a little, trying to keep it light in spite of the weight of the topic.]

Find something to live for.

[It's pretty much always there Costigan ok]

Is that it? Should be simple, then. [The way she smiles says it's not, though. But she's pretty much done here, so she stands, keeping a careful hold on the Scroll. Looking down at it, an old, intense sort of pain seems to enter her gaze, and it takes her a moment to speak again]

Anyway, I'm going to get this away from you before you keel over. You should start feeling better in a day or two. It'll be destroyed by tonight, don't worry about that.

[Costigan stands with her, more a gesture of politeness than having to do with his urge to reclaim the scroll, though it's still there. He gives a nod at her words, then walks with her towards the door, drawing it open for her.

Very seriously, before she can wander off, he adds:] It's hard work to find something to live for, Catty, but it might be worth it if you can.

[There's something about his tone that suggests that he understands, that maybe he's searching for that something as well.]

[She leans up and kisses him on the cheek as she goes by, because she can. She understands that tone entirely too well] Good luck, Grumpy.

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13D11 [VIDEO]

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