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[alias_savant]

"You've reached Neal. Big Brother is listening, leave a message at your own risk."


BEEP.

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Comments

[alias_savant]

[He nods, understanding.]

When you go to sleep, coping mechanisms don't really work so well.

[Which really sucks. That's when you need them most.]

Do you think the staff here is trustworthy enough to try the sleeping aids?

[arhivista]

I don't know. The nurses were helpful after the island.

( at least in doing their jobs. and she can't deny that a dreamless night sounded blissful, though would that only be ehilst they were here, whilst the mares were making it worse or would she still need it after? )

But I also feel safer with magic.

( she doesn't rely on it for everything but she's defenseless without it )

[alias_savant]

[Neal nods, because that makes sense. He doesn't blame her for feeling safer with power that she can control.]

This reminds me a lot of prison.

[Have they talked about his going to prison? Well, now is as good a time as any.]

[arhivista]

You went to prison?

( her voice is softer, a gentle probe if he's open to talking about it. though he did bring it up )

[alias_savant]

I did. Four years for bond forgery.

[Which is not the worst of the things he'd done, but what the feds could actually prove.]

Definitely the least favorite place I've ever lived.

[arhivista]

( it's more than one new thing that she's learning about him in this moment, though she doesn't offer comment or judgement on it. zelda certainly seems like she'd be a woman that would have an opinion on going to prison but if she does it isn't given )

I've never been to prison but I've known uncomfortable places before.

( some of her own doing, some of circumstance. and it's an attempt to empathise with him about it )

But... I understand what you mean about the memory. There are parts of being here that remind me of things that I've known even if it isn't entirely the same.

[alias_savant]

I think the thing that gets to you the most is the control they have over your life.

[Which is definitely in play here, given that they're not free to leave.]

You can't go anywhere and your days are so regimented and controlled that you don't even feel like you're making your own choices anymore.

[arhivista]

I suppose you're right.

( she'd never thought of it like that before but he was right, you couldn't go anywhere )

There's a lot of Hell too but... is it that we also wouldn't want to go to the other parts of it or is it solely that we can't.

[alias_savant]

I think it's more about the means than the ability. From what I've been told, people have ventured out of here but it takes time and resources.

[Not just food and supplies, but probably weapons too.]

[arhivista]

I've known people that would have been able to travel there without those hindrances. But they're not here.

( not that she'd wish for it. and those travellers she knows would cause far too much trouble )

Do you ever... fear that this is all that there is?

[alias_savant]

[He shrugs.]

I've seen too much of other worlds to be fully confident that this will be my last stop. And I've never been particularly religious. But I suppose thieves don't necessarily get into the Good Place.

[arhivista]

I think there's more to a person than just actions they've done. You may have stolen something but... have you purposely tried to hurt someone or did you help them?

( because zelda knows that there is a lot of grey area in what people have done, what they're capable of and who they are. there's a lot she's done that she's not really proud of )

I've... stolen things before. The Library I worked for... hurt people. I didn't realise it at first but I was part of that.

[alias_savant]

Well, when I was stealing things it was more for my own benefit.

[His own ego, if he's really being honest.]

But I never targeted anyone who couldn't afford to take the hit.