[ Natasha debates about whether or not she should just ask who it is; in fact, she could easily offer to get Sephiroth the information herself, and she could probably do it, too. But... she's not sure that's the best course of action. There are clear complications here, and she needs to be careful.
But she hasn't seen any history of violent action committed by this fourteen-year-old boy in all of her scourings of the network, and whoever this assassin was went after a kid, no matter how highly trained or altered. That... deserves a question, at the very least. She's not going to be able to let that go.
And it's better not to make assurances when her hope is to continue to cultivate some kind of trust with this boy in order to better understand what's been done to him and maybe, maybe, be able to give him the tools to break free from it. He deserves to be able to make his own choices and deal with those consequences. ]
It's never a good idea to become so focused on an aspect of your plan that you forget your primary goals. [ This is possibly the last bit of strategic advice she's going to give him until she knows more about the situation. ] You don't want to be so focused on finding out why he is going to kill you that you encourage him to try to do it again. You have a life here to keep living.
I'm hoping explaining it won't last will prevent that. But if he tries again, I'm not going to stand by and do nothing this time. A Turk isn't a good matchup against a SOLDIER unless they can prepare ahead of time, and if I do the ambushing it'll eliminate that advantage.
[ ...she should probably just stay out of this. Death isn't permanent here. And he's right - against a super soldier, an unprepared assassin is in trouble. (If they are truly unprepared, that's on them.)
...she's not going to be able to stay out of this. ]
Be careful. I understand that this is not something that you're starting, and that you have the training and the capacity to pull off a successful ambush. But conflicts like these can tend to escalate, and death is only the last thing that can happen to someone, not the worst.
I also want you to recognize that by asking me these questions, you've involved me. I am not going to try to stop you, but I am going to look for more information. If you'd like to make that job easier on me, the name of the Turk would be helpful.
[The response is delayed. No typing dots, just a Read notification.
She's right, he's once again involved an outsider in his problems, whether or not he intended to. And if she went investigating and got hurt doing it, it would be squarely on his shoulders.
If that's the price of reaching out, then that was unacceptable.]
I understand.
Please allow me a day or two, and then I will do as you ask.
[ Natasha worries in that time that she came off a little harshly - that wasn't what she meant to do. But she wanted him to understand that he opened the door she's going to have to walk through. ]
It's not wrong to involve others when you are looking for a different set of expertise. But this is your life and your call, and I will respect your choice. Even if, as I said, it goes against a strong cultural and genetic imperative.
[ A beat. ]
You didn't ask me what I became once I stopped actively assassinating. I told you I was involved in crisis management, but on my world it has a more specific name.
Just as I am not responsible for your choices, even though I am concerned about your safety as you carry out your plan, you are not responsible for mine.
What people do with the information they are given is on them, even though it does not feel clear cut. I've found the best thing to do in those circumstances where I still feel responsibility is to attempt to find a way to work together.
[But that isn't something he'll win her over on, he suspects. There is likely something he can do to make sure nothing happens, it'll have to be considered for a while. He can be reckless with his own safety, but someone else's?
Even someone who specialized in 'crisis management'. An Avenger, by her world's terms, apparently.]
Yes. I prefer it if we can prevent the harm from happening. But if we can't, we can at least discourage it from happening again through the same individual. That's why we took on the name. And the responsibility that comes with it.
In the context of, if you were to tell me something and my actions were based on that information, yes. However you have not, therefore you are not. My plans haven't changed any.
There's nothing that requires avenging here. If there seems to be, then I have failed to adequately explain.
[ Natasha abruptly finds this whole thing very, very ironic and therefore just shy of hilarious. ]
Empathy and responsibility are important, powerful traits. Maybe now you see why it would be so difficult to tell someone that you are looking to avoid assassination without engendering concern. I've already told you I'll let you choose your course of action and wait to hear from you before furthering involving myself; I am a essentially a stranger, an adult, and highly skilled in assassination protocols, and you are concerned for me. I'd tell you not to be, but I don't think that would be effective.
Instead I'll tell you that I don't mind being involved. I may not be able to help very much since you've asked me to wait, but if the situation changes to something that does need avenging, I hope you'll let me know. No one's managed to assassinate me yet, and many have tried.
[Sephiroth is obviously very used to rules applying to him and not to other people, even ones that are just self-imposed. He knew exactly how durable he was. She ... as far as he knew, was perhaps very skilled, but only human.
Maybe he should ask. She might not be. Either way, he had to work on his impulsiveness before it got someone killed.]
And what if the situation needs avenging, but it is me who must be stopped, and not him?
I don't like hypotheticals, especially ones without details. But if you feel you need to be stopped from doing something, I hope you'll talk to me before you do it. And if you feel you need to be punished for doing something, or kept from doing something you've done again, then you can speak to me about that too. My answer may not be one that you like, but it will be truthful.
[ SO much advise and also why that she would like to say right now, but... she decided to let him make his choice, and turnabout is certainly fair play. So. ]
Thank you. I'll be waiting to hear from you. Take care.
It's also obnoxious, I can see why it was left out of my education at home. My instructors here reassure me that I'm only having problems because it's new, not because it's difficult.
If it wouldn't make doing the work harder I'd burn the textbook.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
getscooperation) wrote2024-04-01 07:14 pm
whoops~
I'm beginning to think investing in one of those one time spell scrolls might be a good idea. Sleep is a great equalizer..
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I'm not familiar with time spell scrolls.
[ Natasha debates about whether or not she should just ask who it is; in fact, she could easily offer to get Sephiroth the information herself, and she could probably do it, too. But... she's not sure that's the best course of action. There are clear complications here, and she needs to be careful.
But she hasn't seen any history of violent action committed by this fourteen-year-old boy in all of her scourings of the network, and whoever this assassin was went after a kid, no matter how highly trained or altered. That... deserves a question, at the very least. She's not going to be able to let that go.
And it's better not to make assurances when her hope is to continue to cultivate some kind of trust with this boy in order to better understand what's been done to him and maybe, maybe, be able to give him the tools to break free from it. He deserves to be able to make his own choices and deal with those consequences. ]
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Maybe I'm overthinking it. There's preparedness and then there's doing things that might make it worse.
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...she's not going to be able to stay out of this. ]
Be careful. I understand that this is not something that you're starting, and that you have the training and the capacity to pull off a successful ambush. But conflicts like these can tend to escalate, and death is only the last thing that can happen to someone, not the worst.
I also want you to recognize that by asking me these questions, you've involved me. I am not going to try to stop you, but I am going to look for more information. If you'd like to make that job easier on me, the name of the Turk would be helpful.
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She's right, he's once again involved an outsider in his problems, whether or not he intended to. And if she went investigating and got hurt doing it, it would be squarely on his shoulders.
If that's the price of reaching out, then that was unacceptable.]
I understand.
Please allow me a day or two, and then I will do as you ask.
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It's not wrong to involve others when you are looking for a different set of expertise. But this is your life and your call, and I will respect your choice. Even if, as I said, it goes against a strong cultural and genetic imperative.
[ A beat. ]
You didn't ask me what I became once I stopped actively assassinating. I told you I was involved in crisis management, but on my world it has a more specific name.
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That she herself is a trained killer is largely irrelevant.]
You are very kind to say so, but if others get hurt because of my questions then it is indeed wrong. I won't shirk that responsibility.
Crisis management seemed concise enough of an answer. Is there another term?
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What people do with the information they are given is on them, even though it does not feel clear cut. I've found the best thing to do in those circumstances where I still feel responsibility is to attempt to find a way to work together.
Yes. I am an Avenger.
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[But that isn't something he'll win her over on, he suspects. There is likely something he can do to make sure nothing happens, it'll have to be considered for a while. He can be reckless with his own safety, but someone else's?
Even someone who specialized in 'crisis management'. An Avenger, by her world's terms, apparently.]
Do you?
Take vengeance, I mean.
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Yes. I prefer it if we can prevent the harm from happening. But if we can't, we can at least discourage it from happening again through the same individual. That's why we took on the name. And the responsibility that comes with it.
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There's nothing that requires avenging here. If there seems to be, then I have failed to adequately explain.
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Empathy and responsibility are important, powerful traits. Maybe now you see why it would be so difficult to tell someone that you are looking to avoid assassination without engendering concern. I've already told you I'll let you choose your course of action and wait to hear from you before furthering involving myself; I am a essentially a stranger, an adult, and highly skilled in assassination protocols, and you are concerned for me. I'd tell you not to be, but I don't think that would be effective.
Instead I'll tell you that I don't mind being involved. I may not be able to help very much since you've asked me to wait, but if the situation changes to something that does need avenging, I hope you'll let me know. No one's managed to assassinate me yet, and many have tried.
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Maybe he should ask. She might not be. Either way, he had to work on his impulsiveness before it got someone killed.]
And what if the situation needs avenging, but it is me who must be stopped, and not him?
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I'll try to get back to you quickly. It will be alright, one way or another, I'm not very fragile.
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Thank you. I'll be waiting to hear from you. Take care.
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His name is Vincent Valentine. He wears predominantly black and red. Red eyes, black hair, brass boots and one brass gauntlet.
He is no threat to you or anyone else unless attacked first.
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Noted. Thank you for telling me. Let's talk later?
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[Clearly it's just school, and not his entire reality crumbling.]
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I might even be able to help with your homework.
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What do you know about Algebra?
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I remember the formulas and I know a few of their practical applications. It's mostly practical applications of order and patterns.
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If it wouldn't make doing the work harder I'd burn the textbook.
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