3793/Time For A Rivavention

Time For A Rivavention
Date of Scene:	11 February 2016
Location:	Boston-666
Synopsis:	Riva finally pins down Psyber for an intensive talk about things.
Cast of Characters:	253, Riva Banari

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Riva Banari has posed:
Riva's been trying to arrange this series of events for a while. Getting her personal calendar synced to Psyber's planner without him (or Laine) noticing was a feat in itself. However, she's managed to make it work out, and picked a time she KNOWS he doesn't have anything. And he knows she knows, so she knew he wouldn't be able to make something up to cover it.

Thankfully, he isn't desperate enough to manufacture something, and so it is that they meet... But even the location of the meet is a little obscured to people from out of town, since she said they would meet at '6, Eastern Standard'.

To people who don't know the area, they would think she meant time.

To Bostonians and people who have access to Yelp, the Eastern Standard is a well-regarded bar and restaurant, serving fine meat, poultry, and seafood dishes along with an excellent selection of beer, wine, and liquor.

Riva's got a table for two tonight, and he finds her already there, sitting at their table, a white-clothed affair with a small lamp and place settings.

Riva herself is dressed in a possibly familiar-looking suit, leaning back almost casually in her chair as she surveys the area. "Psyber." She says, waving to him as he arrives, and lets him sit down. "Glad you could make it. Get whatever you want, it's on me... Well, I guess on you because you cut me paychecks, but I'm still covering the bill." There's a smile, and she sighs. "Glad I could catch you at a slower time." She comments.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    To say Psyber is 'on-guard' about this meeting is a minor understatement. Riva had sent him an unmistakable threat in the form of her Christmas Present and Psyber had been expecting her to make her move upon him just as soon as she was able to pry herself from the myriad of more imminent distractions.

    There's a brief pause outside at 5:55 for him to take five minutes to smoke a cigarette and re-center himself so he could face her down in this semi-formal setting. He's dressed about how one would expect a college professor to be having just got done teaching: A peacoat, a sky blue shirt, blue-grey tie, navy slacks and a pair of oxfords. He steps in and smiles to Riva once he located their table.

    "Ah, it's no trouble. I apologize that my schedule is naturally so busy that it makes it hard to reserve these meetings with me. It tends to be that most private rendevous in my schedule are reserved for Union Moles, ongoing projects, and cross-factional diplomacy," He muses as he pulls out the chair and sits down.

    "What can I do for you? I assume by the timing, this is related to Kyra Hyral and her rather recent change in aggression?"

Riva Banari has posed:
The fact that it took this long is a testament to Psyber's fantastic ability to avoid exactly this happening. And Riva's distractability, which Psyber used to his advantage by getting her to focus on Nathan Hall. But eventually everyone slips up. You can't block out your entire life forever, no one would believe that.

And so now they're here. Riva shrugs for a moment at the attempt to distract her with her Basically Little Sister, and replies. "Moles in the Union, or working for the Union, I wonder?" She chuckles glibly. "But that doesn't matter... And I trust Kyra to know what she's doing. She's better at keeping secrets than Terry is, at least."

She leans forward, and folds her hands, watching Psyber intently. "No, Psyber, today's subject is you! You're the guest of honor. It's you."

She rests her head on those folded hands, and flutters the eyelids nonchalantly. "Don't worry, it's not a date, though there was a time back earlier in my career with the Union that I would have loved to call it that. No, you're married to your work. Mostly." She signals for a waiter, and gestures to Psyber. "It's more of a business meeting. Ish. Thing. Go ahead and relax. Get something to drink. I promise, I'm not going to bite."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Bit of both. The former tend to be handled by much more efficient people than I, though. Mostly the latter," He admits to her, adjusting himself in his seat, "And Kyra seems to have control of the matter, for now, but things can slip easily in these sorts of situations. A great deal of pressure has been on her for over a year now," He muses. But Riva tends to push through the topic and so he sighs.

    "The topic of me is a boring one. I'm a teacher and an investigator. A small business owner, as well, and I suppose a father," He smiles to her widely, as if to wave off her concern with a grin, "Unless you are working on a liberal arts piece about a single father trying to raise a daughter, I will be immensely boring to discuss. My life is hardly so tumultuous right now as to override more pressing Unionites like Mister Kawasaki's sustained problems."

    "Don't feel too bad about that, though," He notes in reference to the dating, "Many Elites have had and lost crushes over me due to my idealized nature. It's true I'm married to my work and have been since Annu. There aren't many people compatible with an individual who undertook an act such as that in the realistic sense, though many idolize me for the abstract act. The truth is there is very little that could steal my focus away from my ongoing work."

    He does order a drink and food, though. Showing off his more rustic, dad-like and classic tastes, his order is a single-malt scotch served neat and a plate of prime rib with mashed potatos and corn.

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva, on the other hand, orders up a seared salmon filet. Living in Boston means seafood is always nice. She picks up a cocktail as well. As the waiter heads out, Riva sits back, her expression smiling and warm, but Psyber can see that her eyes are quickly evaluating everything he's trying to throw at her to put her off track. "She'll be fine. If something happens, we'll find a way to support her like we always have in the past. She's accomplished at getting into trouble."

Drinks arrive, and Riva sips at hers for a moment before continuing. "I've done one of those pieces. It was pretty fun, actually, but it's one thing to do it for a grade, another because it's your job." She arches an eyebrow at that. "And you're someone who's got a lot of jobs, Psyber. A lot of burdens that they're holding up. Sure, it might have been an idle crush before, but I think I really respect you for the way you manage to juggle so much... And your focus is the stuff of legends around the office."

She takes another sip. "... As well as the nightmares of some Confederates, I hear." She tips her head, gesturing. "But you're more than a father, and more than just a Union Colonel. You and I are pretty alike in a lot of ways. We both try to be accessible, taking on the problems of others while still worrying about our own. You reminded me of that yesterday. We also hate inflicting out problems on others." She rolls the cocktail around in her glass. "So sometimes we have to take our own initative when we see a problem. Makes sense, right?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber watches her carefully over the rim of his drink, red eyes affixed to the Templar, "I suppose she will. She needs to grow up at some point, after all," He concludes as he sets down his drink again and listens to Riva.

    "I suppose I have a lot of jobs," He agrees with her, fingers tapping at the edge of the table, "I appreciate the request, but it's not as hard as you make it out. Most of my plates spin fine on their own and only need the occasional push to keep going. It's nothing of great talent, I hardly consider it so impressive as your ability to in-depth involve yourself with people like Arthur so immediately. How is he, by the way?"

    "I would hardly call myself a nightmare of the Confederacy. I hardly operate in any substantial conflicting stance to theirs lately. Much of the past two years has seen me involved in joint operations more often than not." He laughs in a way that seems almost said as he says, "And the last Confederate I was substantially personally involved in wound up dead due to my attempts to convince her of the need for redemption. I guess that makes me a well-intentioned assassin, if that's what they fear."

    "I do agree, though, with your assessment that we should be taking our intitiative as we see problems," He remarks to Riva, considering her statement carefully, "As both a factional Colonel and as a father, and even to add on as the owner of a business, I think I know where you're going. We have to figure out what had Theo Morrison so upset the other day."

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva's eyebrow arches, letting the comment about Kyra pass. It doesn't need further deliberation at this point. "It's not just the amount of effort you need to keep them on track, Psyber. It's admirable at both how many you have, and how you keep just adding more all the time." She smiles at the mention of Arthur, though, looking away for a moment. "Oh, he's doing great. Still a rocket-powered jerk after all." There is a blink, though, and she looks back to Psyber, her eyes narrowing with a 'I see what you did there' look. "But he's been around for like seven billion years, he doesn't need me nagging at him all the time."

When the subject turns back to the Confederacy, the Templar sighs, looking a bit awkward for a moment as the subject of Elliana is brought up. "That was a bad situation. I'm sorry it ended up that way, though I'm surprised you can look at those events like that. You're a lot of things, but you're no assassin, Psyber."

It's the last, however, that culmination of his efforts that manages to get Riva's facade to crack slightly as an incredulous look crosses her face for a moment. "Nnn... Not really. Theo's having superpowered teenager issues, Psyber. I can empathize with that, but it's hardly so critical that I would have called you out here for it." She looks up, then, watching him. "But you /do/ have a lot of plates, Psyber. You just got back to them yourself. Father, Colonel, business owner, helping the local police force, teaching. You're doing a lot for so many people, but who's watching the watcher, Psyber? Nathan can't throw stones, but there's a reason why I got you the present I did."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber shakes his head at Riva, "I do disagree. Arthur may be as old as he is, but he spent much of that time in an environment of isolation that fostered and grew his existing flaws. If not persistently addressed, he will likely continue his current trend of unchecked martyrism and self-destruction. That is almost certain."

    "I look at those situations very clinically," Psyber says with a flat tone, "If I had not involved myself with Elliana Fairchild after her initial Union betrayal, her emotional growth would have been different and she would have been a successful Confederate and strategist. If I had involved myself more pre-emptively, I could have re-routed and spotted the signs of her betrayal coming before it was executed some years ago and perhaps prevented this entire situation once more. From the objective standpoint, my simultaneous under-involvement and over-involvement are the chief factors in the fact that Elliana Fairchild no longer exists." He states this with an almost cold and clinical analysis. He's not at a Nathan monotone, but it's definitely something he's thought on a great deal over the years.

    "I manage just fine, Riva," Psyber says warmly, giving her another smile as she watches him and remarks about how much he juggles, "While last year was very worrying for me, there was nothing so daunting as to force me to fully lose balance. And I don't forsee anything quite on the scale as last year occuring again for obvious reasons. It's moot now to worry about me, isn't it?"

Riva Banari has posed:
His analysis of Arthur does manage to cause Riva to pause for a moment, nodding. "I won't say you're wrong. I've thought the same thing. but again, there's something else that's been a priority on my mind, even more than attempting to establish a positive and healthy relationship with an emotionally crippled god." Riva's response doesn't match that cold clinical tone Psyber uses next, but it's certainly not the bouncy hapless young woman that she usually is. "I care very deeply about his state of being, for reasons you can fathom fairly easily. But even so, it would be a bad idea to focus my attention on that right now."

She leans back, then, and folds her hands. "You would certainly know best about that situation, Psyber. But you can play the hindsight and what-if game forever and never reach a satisfactory conclusion other than cutting another scar into yourself. Or more than one. Reflection is important, but..."

She looks away as Psyber tries to assure her he's fine, and she shakes her head. "It's things like that which are the very reason why I /can't/ ignore it any longer." There is a low sigh, and she picks up her drink, downing the remains in a long gulp before she sets down the empty glass, one arm up over the back of her chair as she looks up straight at him. she rolls the stem of her cocktail glass in her fingers as she look Psyber right in the eye. "You've been trying to shake me this entire conversation, Psyber. How much longer are you going to try to throw me off? You know I see what you're doing to yourself, and that's why you've been trying to keep me focused on everything /but/ you. Nathan worked, but only because he was critical to the point of /temporal fracturing/. What about you?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber sighs as she comes at him more directly, removing his ability to deflect by calling attention to it, "I have been offering suggestions that I think were better uses of your time and energy, yes. Kyra, Kenji, Arthur, Theo. People whom you can immediately and non-controversially address."

    He watches her carefully, staring her squarely in the eye, "This is because you do not wish to solicit the opinion or answer you are driving at by asking me this. I don't mean it in an insulting way, but rather that my answer for how long I will do this, or why I spin so many plates, is an unpleasant one, so I do not express it. It is one that I do not bring up, because it would upset nearly everyone I spend time around."

    "So I do not give it. No one has asked after it, as a result," He tells her honestly. He sips from his own glass briefly and finishes it off, taking a few moments to look at it, "My office is in order once again. My stress is reduced for it. I am content with the current status and am in no imminent 'temporal fracture' as you put it." He looks genuinely confused as he asks, "So why does this matter interest you so?"

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva sets down the glass she's holding, tapping the table a few times as she absorbs what Psyber is saying. Finally, she nods. "Here There Be Dragons, eh." She says, smirking a little at that. "Unfortunately, sometimes a little controversy is needed to handle things. Do I think you're really being consumed by some horrible thing from outside space and time? No. But I do think you have your own burdens to bear, Psyber. I wasn't there for Annu, but that's certainly not it. Not all of it, anyway." She's seen the look on the faces of people who bear those scars.

Finally, she spreads her hands. "Your office is in order and you're content with the status quo. Sure. But as much as you try to hide it Psyber, I can practically hear you creaking when you walk by in the office. If you break, a whole lot goes down with you. There's no way of telling what the next year might bring. I know there's some unpleasant truths there. I know it's not something you want to discuss in public."

She sighs and rubs a temple at that. "Trying to help someone over the radio is the worst plan, anyway. Half the time, most of the people on the channel are completely messing up what you're trying to do. Regardless, there's a reason why we're here, and it's just you and me."

She leans forward again, folding her hands and putting them down on the table before her as she watches Psyber. "This is basically the optimal time and place, Psyber. You need to discuss this with someone. Laine's not around, Elliana's gone, and God help us if you try to work this out with Nathan." She spreads her hands, just wordlessly letting it hang there.

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber looks her square in the eyes, "Very well. If it is the truth that you wish to here, I will explain it to you in full detail that you can understand its scope."

    "I was one of the Unionites whom helped the Emperor betray the Union. After this, I ceased my involvement with him despite my nature being that of one who should have hunted him relentlessly to prevent his future actions," Psyber tells her in a simple tone, "Because of this, he was able to accrue enough power to become a Multiverse-scale threat that required numerous Elites to permanently scar themselves to address. This was a failing of myself in that I did not properly address a threat I could have, believing it would be worked out in the future."

    "Then there is Elliana Fairchild. While many Unionites helped her over her time in the Union, I did not personally intervene until the end because it seemed to be mostly handled. Unfortunately, this culminated in her betrayal which would create two sub-scenarios." Psyber holds up both his hand, "In the first scenario, Elliana was a Confederate which I decided to eventually directly involve myself in. Nathan, on the other hand, was also left damaged by this series of events. I did not address this betrayal appropriately, believing myself a combat-centered Elite and that more competant people than myself would resolve the issue. This split scenario would eventually intertwine into the issue I address exacerbating the issue I did not, eventually culminating in a situation in which both parties independently reached a situation of no return. Elliana was forced to die to redeem herself. Nathan nearly compromised his entire belief system, then later almost brought a demon into existence."

    "I did not personally involve myself in the D situation initially, when he was taken by the Confederates. I did not personally involve myself until later, when he had directly attacked someone important to me," He flatly stares at Riva, continuing to go on, "When I directly devoted my attention to it, even my minimal involvement produced results that allowed for his redemption."

    "There is also Mizuki. During that affair regarding Shiori, I involved my attention directly and allowed it to distract me from Arthur, resulting in him almost becoming lost due to my inattention and the belief that external parties would resolve his problems optimally." He takes a faint pause to breath, "My initial intervention in his dilemma was partially necessary to free him from that trap."

    He takes a deep breath, "Stepping back on Arthur Lowell, there is also the whole incident of his origin. It was my direct involvement and focus on investigation that allowed the situation to resolve with a created Universe. It was through my holistic intervention with Sburb that it succeeded into the Arthur Lowell and related friends that you see, however I rarely talk about this out of humility."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "There is also Homura Akemi, whom I am close to. I was deeply involved in her world, but not with her personally at first. Nor with any of her friends. Because of this, despite my best efforts to resolve its situations optimally, repeated interpersonal failure culminating in murder was present," He half-lids his eyes, "It was after a full retool was suggested by myself to focus on the individuals over the larger world mechanic that the world resolved itself appropriately."

    "Which is not to mention Laine's world, which was facing an apocalypse that I directly intervened in," Psyber adds calmly, "My coordination and multi-faceted focus allowed for a proper diversion of attention to resolve the world fully, properly address all inhabitants, and secure both the perpetuation and rebirth of the world as well as the continued existence of Laine."

    "And finally Priscilla, whom I have been involved in since the beginning. Through directed intervention and aid in her world, I was able to guide it towards an optimal outcome despite ongoing strife and philosophical disagreements," Psyber states with an honest tone, "And its conclusion was the best it could have been given all variables."

    "These are major incidents, not speaking to minor incidents that have occurred which have escaped my memory. They establish a pattern, however," Psyber tells her in conclusion to his entire statement, "That pattern being that I cannot trust people to create optimal resolutions infallibly for incidents that I personally require to resolve optimally. While almost all incidents can resolve adequately without my intervention, pattern has established that if I wish for a wholly optimal conclusion to be more reliably achieved, I must personally involve myself in all issues which I wish to reach an optimal conclusion."

    "This does not preclude optimal resolution on the part of others," Psyber clarifies, "Many issues resolve optimally without my intervention. I have simply learned that all incidents with which I want to guarantee an optimal resolution will require my persistent presence and guidance."

    "Does this explanation of my mentality satisfy your curiosity?" He stares at her flatly, almost emotionless, "And do you see why I do not make this stance or belief public for fear it will generate controversy?"

Riva Banari has posed:
Riva's leans back, listening patiently as Psyber goes through his litany of evidence, the pieces mounting upong themselves as he builds to his final conclusions. She doesn't break her gaze from her boss, her expression shifting multiple times as he goes through the entire speech, like he knew one day someone would finally call him on it.

She called down the thunder. Now she has to deal with the whirlwind. The expression on her face says it all, a mixture of disbelief and respect edged with light touches of pain... And anger. For a little while, she's quiet... And she nods. "I can see why you don't express this opinion publically. There are a number of people who would disagree."

She sighs, and shakes her head. "I can't deny that you have an impressive resume, Psyber. It would be perfectly logical to come to that conclusion that you've come to with that evidence. But..." Riva shakes her head. "There's so much I want to say. I'm not... /really/ angry about that. You have a lot of good points, especially when I listen to the Union channels lately."

But then she leans back, tapping a finger on the table. "But I notice another pattern. Every time you've had a failure, it's one of inaction. You're telling me you've never made a mistake when the chips are down? You think your direct intervention has always allowed for an optimal resolution... but optimal for whom?" Riva shrugs. "It's not that I don't appreciate and respect your accomplishments, but I can't help but question that premise because... Everyone fails, especially when all you want to do is help."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "Yes. I do not express it publically because it is controversial by nature and easily misunderstood," He replies, a tone of formality to his voice as he watches her with a neutral expression. Whether poker face or pure indifference is hard to read, though he tilts his head to the side slightly.

    "I do not believe that my actions have never failed. Repeatedly after attempting to correct my inaction with relation to Nathan Hall, my failures to properly do so worsened the situation at regular intervals due to being unprepared to handle it," He admits to Riva, not disputing her own point, but folding it in and accounting for it in the mental math he does, "I am not omni-capable no flawless, and I do not believe as such. I simply believe that the outcomes of my actions provide a more reliable positive result than the outcomes of my inaction. Or rather, while I may occasionally move to act and fail, it still resolves positively more than it does when I do not act on situations I should have to begin with."

    "I'm unsure how to explain this more fully," He admits to her, voice still kept neutral as he ponders how else to explain it, "As with anyone, I make mistakes. My mistakes have never been so severe that they led to a Multiversal Scale threat. In two separate instances, my inaction led to such outcomes. I cannot risk a third to establish pattern on that alone, much less with individuals whom are important to me personally."

Riva Banari has posed:
"Yeah, I remember some of that." Riva agrees. She was privy to a lot of those attempts Psyber made, and it sure didn't keep Nathan from almost trying to murder Elliana and burning down her treehouse. "Those were a Thing." The Templaress spreads her hands, shrugging once more. "Arguing the fact that your involvement is a powerful way to increase the success of almost any given endeavor is pointless. You can and should involve yourself when it is proper to do so. But at the same time, there's a lot of arguments that can be made for not trying to take so much onto yourself."

Riva gestures, then. "The first one that comes to mind is: If you're handling these problems... How are people going to learn how to deal with them when you're not around? Even immortals can die, Psyber, under the right conditions. What are people going to do to learn if they can't make their own mistakes?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "I have set up a failsafe which will activate in the event of my death, incapacitation, or removal from active duty," Psyber tells Riva with an even tone, as if he expected her to ask that question, "I have collected a diversified group of individuals in a structured, if freeform, environment in which they can socialize and understand eachother's powers as well as synergistically apply them for the purposes of problem solution. While catalyzed by my presence, it can also occur independantly. In the event of my removal from the Multiversal Scope of events, the bulk of my work would continue largely unimpeded."

    "I am training people to learn how to problem solve of their own volition. I am simply no longer allowing them to problem solve in ways which detriment the things I care about in a lasting or significant way," He tells her simply, tilting his head as if having to explain this is somewhat confusing for him, "Or more simply I refuse to allow my social landscape and personal life to be the training ground by which Union Elites learn not to fail. If you believe that this is an unreasonable stance for me to have despite my only-recently-stabilized social life, forcibly-non-existant love life, and the unhealable scar across my soul which have all resulted from the Union's failure to problem solve, you are free to say so."

    "I did not choose to be this way. I am what the Union, or the Multiverse, has forced me to become to fix its problems. I have merely accepted it."

Riva Banari has posed:
"Heaven or Hell." Riva replies with a sigh, her expression indicating that she never thought of it that way. "So that's it. I guess that's one way to look at it."

The counterstatement causes Riva to wince visibly, however, as if Psyber just struck her with a physical blow. She fidgets for a moment, her expression faltering in the face of his words for several moments. "No one ever chooses this, Psyber." She finally replies. "It's just up to us to find the best way to cope with it."

She leans forward, though. "But you still have choices. You aren't /forced/ to fix anything. That's your desire talking. You've internalized this course of action as necessary." She blinks for a moment, then. "How much farther are you going to change? How far are you willing to go? What are you willing to become to fix a problem?"

She falls back in her chair again, and getstures. "You're right. I can't tell you that you're wrong, Psyber. Your method is keeping things together and forcing a massive multiversal organization to push in a prosocial direction despite the rampant behavior of some of our people. But the cost is not something I am willing to accept, Psyber."

Again, she spreads her hands, as if beseeching the man across from her. "I care about you, Psyber. I see what you're going through and the way you're just taking everything on yourself. But you're going to eventually break under that strain. I don't want to accept that as a cost of keeping the peace. It's not /necessary/. There are people who are capable of taking up some of the projects you have. A lot of them are in Heaven or Hell. Figure out what you can let go, let people run with them and do their best. Don't hang over their shoulder. Give them the ball and see how far they can run it down the field."

Psyber (253) has posed:
    Psyber stares at Riva for a very long moment, "Heaven or Hell is many things. It is what will replace me in the event of my death. It is also what will cause my death if my current course of action forces me to compromise my ideals such that I become indistinguishable from the evil which I am tempting to thwart. I have placed skilled individuals, but also individuals with defiant and observant moral compasses whom I believe will be able to sufficiently organize and neutralize me as a threat should my chosen path arrive at such an outcome," He states reassuringly, adding, "This is not a plan or arrangement of human resources which I have done on a whim. This is the culmination of nearly a half-decade of careful deliberation and organization on my part. I have been assembling this failsafe since August of 2012, shortly after my return from Annu. It has evolved since then, but the purpose is analogous."

    "I care about you as well, Riva Banari. You are, among many people, more reliable than most. You have yet to betray me as nearly most others have, though I don't blame those people because it's human nature. And it is the nature of redemption for me to forgive them. Still, your track record has only ever been mirrored by Laine." He says to her with a serious look on his face, "That is why it pains me to have to say what I am about to say to you, because I believe you will find it more malicious than I mean it to be." He furrows his brow for a moment.

    "Your belief is that you have a choice in this matter, or that your acceptance of it is salient to my actions. This is erroneous." He tells her point blank, staring her right in the eyes, "You are only aware of my philosophy and of my actions because you explicitly requested, despite my repeated warnings that it may emotionally damage you or prove divisive in nature, that I share this with you. I did not seek you out for consultation nor guidance. I will continue to act as I have chosen, which is why I also choose not to voice my philosophies publically. I am not the Cat, I do not wish to proselytize my life." He gives her a soft, genuine smile. One that mixes sadness with friendship and honesty, "This is why it would have been easier had you let it lie and simply enjoyed the times I was able to relax with everyone at face value."

    "Acts 20 says, 'And now, Compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to be there. I only know that in every city the Holy Spirit warns me that trials and hardship await. And yet I consider my life to be worth nothing; my aim is only to finish this journey and complete the task my Lord has given me.'" Psyber finishes it all off with a softly spoken Bible Verse.

Riva Banari has posed:
"You see it, then. You know it could happen, and you're trying to set it up so we can stop you if it happens." Riva sighs, closing her eyes and rubbing a temple, like the subject lies on her with a heavy, yet indistinct shadow. "It's so... grim."

She looks back to Psyber. "It would have been easier if I just left you alone, Psyber. It's true. But I'm a meddler, and like you, I care more about the long-term health of people than my personal comfort. I guess in that we're pretty similar."

She looks down and away for a moment. "... It's true. You don't need my acceptance to keep doing what you're doing. But now you know I'm conscious of what you're doing. But I think you also know, somewhere in there, that I'm not entirely wrong. The Multiverse does not, and should not need a good person to sacrifice themselves to hold it up like this. You shouldn't be Atlas. No one should."

She freezes when Psyber begins quoting from the Bible, a flicker of genuine fear running across her face. Every time she's heard him do this before, someone's had a /very bad day/. But there is no horror. It is just a capstone on top of his belief, a way to punctuate.

But Riva has her own response to that. Quietly, she replies, "Ecclesiastes 8. To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted. A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up. A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance. A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together. a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing. A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace."

She looks back to Psyber and simply asks, "When will be the time where you will start to let go, Psyber?"

Psyber (253) has posed:
    "The Multiverse has always required sacrifice to continue to function," Psyber tells Riva as he leans back in his chair a bit, "The frustration has always been those who do not understand the necessity of sacrifice, who cannot interpret the scales and accept the system. Do you see how much Staren is forced to struggle to avoid the realization that necessary sacrifice, that a cruel universe, is required for people to appreciate existence?" He shakes his head, "All things require a sacrifice, Riva. You cannot take without giving something, that is not the way of things."

    "I do not know when I will let go. Perhaps when I've fully repented for Annu, and I'm no longer scarred in body and soul. For now, this mission is what I have to calm that damage. I am not so lucky as to be like Amalthea and find a wife and child to salve what damage has been done." He tells to Riva blandly, pushing back his chair and standing up slowly, "Perhaps my time to let go will be when the job is done. It's not clear."

Riva Banari has posed:
"I've never denied that." Riva is looking a little tired and worn by now, clearly getting emotionally weathered by dealing with the bear she poked. "But that doesn't mean you have to be the one doing all the sacrificing, Psyber. That's been my entire point from the beginning."

Annu is brought up again, and Riva shakes her head. "I can't imagine what it's like to go through that. to have that weighing on your soul. but even if you don't have a wife and child, you can still share with people you can trust. I know you know a few of those." Riva shrugs. "But that's all I'm leaving on the table for now. I can't make you do anything. But I will say that we're here for you if you want to start to try sharing the load."