What if El decides, I don't know, that the only way to make things better for people is to wipe out the UNA and for Morningstar to take over? And what if the way to do that is through a revolution, or potentially even outright war, and the support of the agents and the Displaced are what put Morningstar in the position to be able to do that?
[Putting aside if El might even be correct about that being 'better', the fallout would still be enormous, and would they want to have helped something like that along?]
[It's entirely possible that this is completely out there, and his sense of what's likely versus just possible has been skewed by everything that happened in the last few months of being at home and then the last two years spent in Hadriel. But again, it feels like something where he'd rather be wrong than to have not considered it and been right.]
It's just speculation, and not something I would act on other than just being aware of the possibility. I'm worried that people might be so blindly loyal to the cause and the organization that they'll miss warning signs, especially with how vehemently any suspicion is shot down.
[He sighs quietly, returning the nudge unenthusiastically, but for all the hesitation in his physical expression his tone is very sure when he answers.]
Because I can't just stand back and watch something bad happen to someone, especially if I might've been able to do something to prevent it.
[He'll take it as the compliment it was meant as, because he hasn't felt like an especially good person lately.]
I know, and I don't want to try to control people, but I just wish they'd at least consider the possibilities. Still, I mean, I know that all I can do it mention it.
[And so that's what he's just trying to do, and explain the issue when asked, and then let people make their own decisions. He'd just love not to be insulted in the process, but he's definitely used to that.]
[It'd be super convenient and all, but he's pretty sure she knows first hand that it's impossible not to worry about people if you're the type to do so.]
[Because it's going to be constant. But it's a joke, and there's a faint smile to go with it, and this time he's the one who initiates nudging her gently in the shoulder.]
Any other thoughts you have about all of this? Your post didn't get as um, vitriolic, but there's definitely been a lot of discussion.
[She lets out a breath, tilting her head back and forth as though weighing her options.]
God, I don't fucking know. I'm not into the superhero thing. Like, if other people want to do it, cool, but...
[It's not her bag.]
I just... None of us have any fucking idea how to get home, right? And a lot of the people here are just screwed. So I think we should help. Try to make things better or whatever.
[He nods in understanding at her comments, and were the mood a little lighter he'd make some comment about how shocked he is that she's not super interested in running around in a costume with a codename.
Instead, though, he focuses on her last comment.]
I think we should too. We're here right now, and while we're here, we should do as much good as we can.
[But--]
However I also kind of feel like people are just... Giving up really quickly on the going home thing. Especially since for most people, it's just going to happen at some point, and they'll go right back to where they were.
[And so as long as they stay alive here, there isn't exactly any real pressing need to understand why they're here or, potentially, how to get out and control where they go when they do. But that isn't the case for everyone, and not just Lance.]
I know, but the way it worked in Hadriel was that 'home' was where you go if you disappear in the random way that people did. That's probably the case here too, and the only way to avoid that is to know how coming and going works and how to control it.
[So for people who have nothing to go back to, or know what fate awaits them when they return, the need to solve the mystery is much greater than for people who'll simply go back to a life they want to return to if or when they disappear.]
That's very likely, that people are in survival mode, but we can't get out of that by being so lost and only able to react to what happens. Being able to do something about our situation helps.
[He lets out a short breath of laughter at her comment, because it's such an understatement and he's sure he doesn't need to say so. But as for her last question--]
Right now I think the first step is to try to understand what we do know about the situation we're in. It seems like lots of different individuals know things that they don't realize others aren't aware of, and so there's just a bunch of people holding different puzzle pieces that they don't know to share; if we can centralize information somewhere, then we can all at least be on same page in order to try to move forward.
[He'd begun collecting information as he saw it arise on the network, but hasn't delved into all the previous posts. It's a slightly intimidating prospect so he's been stalling a little, despite knowing it's important.]
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
What do you mean? Like what?
no subject
[Putting aside if El might even be correct about that being 'better', the fallout would still be enormous, and would they want to have helped something like that along?]
no subject
[Hypothetically, sure.]
But, I don't know. That seems like a jump to me.
no subject
[It's entirely possible that this is completely out there, and his sense of what's likely versus just possible has been skewed by everything that happened in the last few months of being at home and then the last two years spent in Hadriel. But again, it feels like something where he'd rather be wrong than to have not considered it and been right.]
It's just speculation, and not something I would act on other than just being aware of the possibility. I'm worried that people might be so blindly loyal to the cause and the organization that they'll miss warning signs, especially with how vehemently any suspicion is shot down.
no subject
I get it, but why's it your job to make sure people don't fuck up?
no subject
Because I can't just stand back and watch something bad happen to someone, especially if I might've been able to do something to prevent it.
no subject
[It's worded flippantly, but she means it.]
But you're gonna drive yourself nuts policing everyone. No pun intended.
no subject
[He'll take it as the compliment it was meant as, because he hasn't felt like an especially good person lately.]
I know, and I don't want to try to control people, but I just wish they'd at least consider the possibilities. Still, I mean, I know that all I can do it mention it.
[And so that's what he's just trying to do, and explain the issue when asked, and then let people make their own decisions. He'd just love not to be insulted in the process, but he's definitely used to that.]
no subject
[She has suspicions.]
no subject
[It'd be super convenient and all, but he's pretty sure she knows first hand that it's impossible not to worry about people if you're the type to do so.]
no subject
[Her brother's like that too, so she's used to it, even if she's still getting to know him.]
I can still give you shit when you get too intense about it.
no subject
[Because it's going to be constant. But it's a joke, and there's a faint smile to go with it, and this time he's the one who initiates nudging her gently in the shoulder.]
Any other thoughts you have about all of this? Your post didn't get as um, vitriolic, but there's definitely been a lot of discussion.
no subject
[She lets out a breath, tilting her head back and forth as though weighing her options.]
God, I don't fucking know. I'm not into the superhero thing. Like, if other people want to do it, cool, but...
[It's not her bag.]
I just... None of us have any fucking idea how to get home, right? And a lot of the people here are just screwed. So I think we should help. Try to make things better or whatever.
no subject
Instead, though, he focuses on her last comment.]
I think we should too. We're here right now, and while we're here, we should do as much good as we can.
[But--]
However I also kind of feel like people are just... Giving up really quickly on the going home thing. Especially since for most people, it's just going to happen at some point, and they'll go right back to where they were.
[And so as long as they stay alive here, there isn't exactly any real pressing need to understand why they're here or, potentially, how to get out and control where they go when they do. But that isn't the case for everyone, and not just Lance.]
no subject
[She's thinking of Ian specifically, but she's not sure how much Lance knows about him, and she doesn't want to risk oversharing.]
And the rest... I don't know. So much shit has been happening so quickly, you know? I think we've been in survival mode.
no subject
[So for people who have nothing to go back to, or know what fate awaits them when they return, the need to solve the mystery is much greater than for people who'll simply go back to a life they want to return to if or when they disappear.]
That's very likely, that people are in survival mode, but we can't get out of that by being so lost and only able to react to what happens. Being able to do something about our situation helps.
no subject
God, is this the kind of shit you analyze all the time? It's stressful.
[She's just teasing a little, and then she tilts her head.]
What do you want to do about our situation?
no subject
Right now I think the first step is to try to understand what we do know about the situation we're in. It seems like lots of different individuals know things that they don't realize others aren't aware of, and so there's just a bunch of people holding different puzzle pieces that they don't know to share; if we can centralize information somewhere, then we can all at least be on same page in order to try to move forward.
no subject
[It sounds like a horrific (and slightly boring) amount of work, though.]
Is that what you're gonna do? Centralize everything?
no subject
[He'd begun collecting information as he saw it arise on the network, but hasn't delved into all the previous posts. It's a slightly intimidating prospect so he's been stalling a little, despite knowing it's important.]