Death Just Needs A Little Conversation [Open]

[fivemilesdeep]

Who: Ryo and Open (angled towards those with death powers/connections)
Where: ICP/Garden Car
When: Nebula 3
What: Ryo is coming to terms with the fact that he's kept his death-related Diagad powers, so now he's asking for help with them. (They're not what he's afraid they are, but he doesn't know that yet.)
Warnings: Probably a lot of death talk, but we'll go from there.
Notes: It starts as an ICP post, but he won't be replying on the network, only in person. Anyone is welcome to join in; he's just angling for people with Insight Into Death. (I'll also match prose or brackets.)

[Ryo looks...uncertain at best, but much closer to 'worried but trying not to show it' as the ICP flickers on.]

If anyone is connected to death, or has death-related powers, I could use your help.

[-wait that sounds bad-]

It's nothing crazy - I just have...questions.

[He can't quite bring himself to say what he's actually worried about, so instead it's just:]

I'll be in the garden car, if you wouldn't mind coming to see me.

[And the ICP flickers off. He's not planning on having this conversation in front of the train and everyone, so in-person it is. True to his word, he's sitting on one of the benches in the garden car with Lagos in his lap, holding the plush bird and trying not to let his fears run away with him. He may not be entirely succeeding. It may be obvious.]

Comments

[fivemilesdeep]

[She doesn't offer what her power is, and he doesn't ask. Instead, he nods, and tries to keep his voice steady, and-]

I...I could drain life energy on Diagad. I could kill someone by touching them.

[-doesn't succeed. His voice wavers, and he holds Lagos a little tighter and tries to keep himself together. Tries.]

I don't want that.

[acapriciousthing]

I won't try to tell you that's an unhealthy reaction to a power like that.

[Most people would be horrified to realize that they can do something like that]

It's a lot more to wrestle with than just untangling string. Does it happen on its own?

[fivemilesdeep]

It hasn't happened at all yet - not outside of the illusion, at least. It's just-

[He struggles for a moment, tries to center himself, doesn't quite get all of the way there, and continues anyway.]

I'm a healer, and my healing requires touch to connect. I don't- I'm worried that I might try to help someone, and then-

[He falters again, but the rest of the sentence should be obvious enough: he's afraid he'll try to save a life and accidentally end up taking it instead.]

[acapriciousthing]

Yeah.

[He doesn't have to spell it out.]

From what I can tell, none of us have the option to just not have the power. So now it's a case of figuring out how to work with it.

[fivemilesdeep]

[He sighs. He's grateful that he doesn't have to spell out the rest of the sentence; that said, that small relief doesn't fix the issue at hand, and it only gets harder from here.]

How do I work with it if I don't want to use it at all? If it's too dangerous to test?

[He is not putting someone in danger just so he can solve his problems.]

[acapriciousthing]

Is it only humans that are affected?

[Not that she's suggesting testing in on any other intelligent life, of course.]

And does it take time to fully affect them?

[fivemilesdeep]

I think so? It doesn't work on plants, and I don't think I ever tried it on animals - not that I want to try it at all.

[He knows Not Having It isn't an option, but gods, why him?]

And it didn't happen instantaneously, but it didn't take much time either.

I never actually used it while we were on Diagad. I just have...memories. They're mine, but they aren't.

[acapriciousthing]

I can't promise this would work, because it's something I haven't had cause to try here.

But what if I imbued life energy into something else and you used that as your test dummy? So that you're sure you know how to turn it off.

[fivemilesdeep]

[The offer hits him like a truck, and for a few moments, Ryo doesn't move, turning it over and over again in his mind. It's...it's a way out. If it works - if it works - it's a way for him to test his powers without running the risk of hurting or killing anyone.]

[if it works.]

[He's been so steeped in worry that the small bit of hope that comes with the offer is nearly blinding, but- he still needs to think his way through this.]

You can do that? [Wait.] And it won't hurt you.

[That last part is important.]

[acapriciousthing]

I define life as well as death. So in my own universe, I can certainly do it. I'm more limited here, but there hasn't been a reason to try that one out.

[Even at home, she usually oversees the process rather than create out of nowhere. THat's for special occasions.]

You have to remember, I'm not a person, I'm an idea. Ideas are a lot harder to hurt.

[fivemilesdeep]

Still.

[Person, idea, human, demon, god, it doesn't matter - he refuses to hurt his friends.]

But if you're up for it, then yes, I'd like to try.

[acapriciousthing]

A lot of people here have found themselves with powers at a cost. I've been trying to help them when they fall under my domain.

The only real difference is you picked yours up during all this.

[fivemilesdeep]

I still wish I hadn't.

[It's quiet, and honest, and nothing the both of them don't already know.]

But...I'd appreciate the help.

[He's not sure what her giving life to something that wouldn't normally have it will look like, but hopefully it works - at least, well enough for him to test his new power out.]