1496/Snakes In A Library

Snakes In A Library
Date of Scene:	05 February 2015
Location:	Terra Majora
Synopsis:	Wrathborn speaks with Nathan Hall about Elliana
Cast of Characters:	92, 168
Tinyplot:	New Blood

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Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    No pirate look or ship this time, nope. When Nathan enters the dream it is... familiar. In more ways than one. For one thing, it is a library, with numerous shelves filled with books. Most of them look handbound, but a few that were obviously made from after the printing press was invented are about here and there. It isn't a LARGE library, but one suitable for a private wealthy individual. The architecture is also very familiar, clearly that of Elliana's childhood manor.

    Wrathborn is sitting at a reading desk, but he isn't reading. He's writing with a feather quill in a large tome, just scrawling out something. He finishes the sentence before setting the feather down. "Good evening, Nathan."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan's always a little unsettled by the drop into a nightmare, and lands a bit flatfooted as usual, stumbling through the library. BUt it is a library, and technically the most comfortable place for him to be, even if it is sort of the belly of the beast. This is exactly the kind of place he likes to be, and so before approaching the reading table, does wander about a bit in the small room before he eventually finds Wrathborn.

    "Wrathborn. Good evening. I was told you wanted to see me." Nathan's inherent caution doesn't show in his face or tone, but it does show in how he stays standing unless offered a seat. "I admit, such a request from you of all entities was entirely unexpected, given the context of most of our interactions." He patiently awaits hearing what the man has to say. He's a little more talky with him than with Elliana, oddly. Probably easy to tell that it's due to his beliefs regarding inhuman god-beings.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The books in the library are... well, a lot of them repeat. That's to be expected, since it can only be stocked by what Elliana has read or heard of. Some of them are modern works of literature, indicating she's apparently been reading some in her spare time. Others have bizarre titles in unknown languages, or nonsensical titles. And some are more interesting, such as what appears to be a set of Wrathborn's memoirs. They're on a very high shelf, though.

    "Why is it so unexpected?" Warthborn asks, gesturing to a chair across from him. "Have a seat. You were a prominent figure in shaping Elliana's current thought processes, and your blood is the key to my seal. You were instrumental in forcing me back and allowing her to regain control, as well. We have quite a history, it's true, and when I list the events that way it does sound like I have every reason to hate you." He rubs his chin. "Maybe you hate me. I'm not good with reading humans, when I'm not directly tapping into Elliana's talents. But in the end, the things you've done have worked out for the better for me, haven't they? I wouldn't be the man I am today if not for you."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    There's a bit of a sigh from Nathan as he takes his seat, not exasperated but a bit embarrassed. "I am sure there is no secret of my hatred for Elliana between you and her." Nathan says, taking a seat. "But I indulge such disgusting failures on my part as little as possible." He tilts his head. "Why I would hate you, I am not sure. When a hurricane devastates a town, one does not blame the weatherman. There are things you do not have a choice in, and just because a threat now has a face does not mean it has and always had the entire suite of choices available to us humans." His monotone and posture don't shift but his words turn more grim. "Of course, that does not mean I am comfortable with my part in this in the least. One begrudges neither storm nor weatherman, but if the levies they build serve only to amplify the coming flood, it is no less distressing."

    "As for why it is unexpected, I thought I had made myself somewhat... Less desirable as a conversational partner. Perhaps even less so as an agent for any particular purpose you may need to request."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    "I'll get straight to the point," Wrathborn states. He folds his hands together. "My initial instinct was to free my brothers and kill my sisters, in no particular order. This is no longer my goal. I wish to keep both my brothers and my sisters imprisoned, at least until Elliana and yourself can determine the nature of the imprisonment of my sisters. As such we are... for the time being, on the same side. However your history with Elliana, and her own inability to trust others, means I cannot rely on either of you to perform the most optimal course. So... this meeting is twofold."

    Wrathborn leans back. "First, I can answer any questions you may feel uncomfortable asking Elliana. Of course, unlike Elliana, I can lie... so keep that in mind." The man smiles. "And the second is to give you something that I think you would like. If I decide you will use it properly."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan's expression remains motionless, except for the fact that one eyebrow goes up. "I see." He says. "I regard your words with a measure of skepticism -- given your own professed capacity for lying -- but I will admit that our goals have allegedly aligned. I make a policy of attempting to allow even my enemies at least one chance to establish mutual assistance. At times it turns out badly, as with Baron, but the majority of the time, it is productive." He gives a firm sort of nod. "As the goals are similar to what Lady Fairchild claims her goals are, I am relatively certain our arrangements in their execution will not be altered, but as long as you are acting productively on those goals, I will do what little I can." He makes a sheepish, almost embarrassed sort of noise. "However, you are correct. My history with Lady Fairchild compromises my ability to act optimally. It is a shameful sort of thing that I endeavor to compensate for and correct, though perhaps ineffectually. I can promise that if you decide I am unworthy or something like that, I will not be throwing a tantrum. I certainly do not think of myself as terribly worthy."

    Then, time to consider various questions. He ponders the things he'd like to ask Elliana, but that also don't fall under the category of things he shoudn't talk about to an ancient evil god. The category is very narrow, and yet perhaps a bit insightful. "Lady Fairchild intends to enact her social change within Terra Majora and resolve the matter of containment of both your brothers and sisters. What is it that she intends afterwards? Her 'end goal' before was very easy to determine, she wanted to be a creator god. But it is difficult to determine what place she intends to have in the world she wishes to build." He leans on one elbow, and makes a worried noise. "Perhaps two answers. What she intends, and what place you think she will have, based on your own understanding and perspective. I know better than to ask for all the details of the world she seeks to make itself, but this is the part that I am most concerned by. As a non-introspective perspective with a high degree of access to the information she has, you are uniquely qualified to render as close to an objective judgement as possible."

    "There is also another question, that of the Gifted. She only began producing them shortly after your... Mental developments. I am beginning to believe this is connected in some way with the Servant you acquired during your period of control. What influence do you have over the Gifting process? How much of it is purely decided by Elliana? What are your intents concerning its potential societal effects in the world as Fairchild enacts her own social upheaval? We should likely set that question to be answered after we have discussed the first, however." Two basic questions, one queued until the other has been discussed. Probably a third forming in Nathan's mind to boot, though.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Wrathborn tsks, then laughs, "You don't hold back, that's for certain!" He muses on the answers. "I am not entirely privy to her plans. We share... sensory input, most of the time, and a good portion of memories. Hers are clearer than mine, I admit. Sapience does that. But her intentions? Going by her own statements, I only know she has no interest in directly ruling anything. Whether that means she has no interest in ruling, or thinks she would be a poor one, or she prefers a puppet ruler... I can't say. On the whole I think you would agree with her ideals, since she does want to make the world a better place. As she is now, though, it's likely she would be an outcast from whatever society she helped to form."

    The second question gets a frown. "Ah... the Gifted." He shakes his head. "Elliana calls them an equivalent to the Blooded, but that isn't quite right. The... method is something she came up with herself, and while I'm not certain how the Blooded work, I do know this is different. It does require us both agreeing to do it, though. She can create the lesser forms of altered beings without my input, but a Gifted requires the two of us together. It is not lightly done, which is why their numbers are so few. We do not directly control them... we can't revoke the Gift, though we can temporarily make it stronger, nor does it give us any control over their thoughts beyond... well, giving them nightmares. We're working on that part."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "It would not be productive to hold back." Nathan says, gesturing a bit vaguely. "As you said, you cannot read humans. I, in turn, cannot read titan devil-snakes. I cannot expect honesty and straightforwardness that can cut through these sorts of limits from you if I do not provide at least some measure of the same to you." And then he leans forward, focusing on these answers. "I believe I understand. Useful insight, I believe. I will not insist on finding out more, this answers my initial concern."

    He then considers. "I see. So you have some level of control over the means of production but Lady Fairchild is the one who conceived of this. For a time, I thought it had something to do with the Servant. Perhaps only indirectly, I see now." Now, Nathan leans back, as if in thought, looking up for a moment but still not shifting his expression. "...Hmmm. My third question is perhaps a bit more focused on you. I am to understand your intentions are meant to be in the best interests of Lady Fairchild herself. As someone who has not... Suffered the wrongs she has, to what degree do you share her inclinations of punishment of the noble class as a necessary evil?" He makes a plaintive gesture. "I have no leg to stand on, making judgements about tendencies to indulge emotions like that. So I will not. But I am curious what your stance is."

    It's obvious that the question isn't the whole question. It's meant just as a polite sample of the whole issue. An invitation for Wrathborn to segue into discussing the whole issue if he likes, and avoid it if he prefers that.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    That's a sticky question, admittedly. Wrathborn places his hands together, knuckles to knuckles, and rubs his thumbs over one another. "Mmm. That's going to be hard to answer. Hate comes easily to me, it is love that is strange. And... there can be no doubt that Elliana was wronged by the nobility. You also bring up punishment, and I point out that their ancestors, if what we have found is true, have done me great wrong as well. Whether or not the current ones have any knowledge of that, I can't say, but it does make me negatively biased."

    It's not quite a dodge of the question, because he realizes it sounds like a dodge. "What I want? I really do want to see them suffer. More pragmatically, if I am keeping Elliana's needs in mind, I think that there should be more investigation done. I was hoping you could look into some of those leads... and I was also going to give you a warning."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan tilts his head, considering the response. "I understand." He says, nodding in a more gentle sort of way. "And I will render no judgement, since as I have said, I am not especially qualified to render one if I wanted to. I was simply curious." He thinks a while. Maybe that's the source of Wrathborn's connection here? The suffering felt at the hans of the nobility? Hmmm. He ponders the implications and uses this connection may have.

    And then, onwards to the next matter. "Investigation, I am sure we can all agree, is best. I had hoped to some degree that hunting and killing your... Erm, unborn brother..." He stops for a moment and rubs the back of his neck sheepishly. "Apologies. I am sure you understand." An awkward throat-clearing cough. "Right, well, in any case, I had hoped that development might be something that could give us leads, as others involved in the potential conspiracies we seek to investigate are no doubt seeking the same objective. There is also the temple that Lady Fairchild drew our attention to. I have had hopes of finding more solid leads on other locations of investigation. I have plans for how to effectively use Father Windson as a route of approach as well, using some creative methods. What particular leads might you offer? I can promise I will give them all due consideration and attempt to investigate them thoroughly."

    Then the warning. He tilts his head curiously, but remains attentive and listening expectantly for the cautions Wrathborn might have.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Wrathborn smiles. "My brothers share a kinship of nature, not affection. If you can safely dispose of them, I will not hate you for it. I prefer to keep them imprisoned because they /are/ family, but..." He spreads his hands. "And the Newborn... yes, that will need taken care of, somehow. Good luck on that. I am giving you options, here."

    When he says options, he slides over two slips of paper. "These are the best guesses I have for the locations of two of the Shajem. The Lord of Famine I have narrowed down enough that it should be relatively easy to find, but not to deal with. He is beneath the farmlands of the Empire. I worry that Elliana, in her obsession, may... ruin the fields in her attempts. It is a matter best left to the Union, though I do not think Elliana would not at least consider the dangers. And the other is... ah... beneath Eveningstar in the Starshine Kingdom. That is possibly where Wightseer was corrupted. Whether that is Cowardice or Bitterness I do not know. Despair you know, in Lastfall."

    He frowns, "But as I said, I should warn you. Do not cross Elliana overmuch. You will need to tread lightly. She has noticed your hatred, and come up with a contingency plan precisely tailored to you. She really would not like to use it, and I'd prefer she avoid any more guilt about you. You'll understand if I can't tell you more than that."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    Nathan nods. "I understand. I had the impression it was something like that. It is just very awkward to talk about." He makes another sort of helplessly plaintive gesture. "Right, well." He gingerly takes the slips of paper, examining both and committing them to memory. Since, you know, they're not real, they're just dreams. There's a glance up. "I see. So we have three options for the Shajem, alongside one for investigating the Amethyne and various other potential vectors."

    Setting the slips of paper aside, he clasps his hands in front of him, gesturing lightly in the air occasionally. "Our interests are in the social progression of Terra Majora, and a famine-inducing change to the ecology will exacerbate the difficulties of any social stratification. Given Lady Fairchild and her past methods of drawing our attention, it is best we handle that proactively. I take more interest in Wightseer and his initial target in Lastfall, as those seem like leads on potential greater influences that had their hand in his corruption."

    That last part gets just the slightest twitch of an eyebrow and a narrowing of eyes, the only expression Nathan's emotions can manage to squeeze out of his mask. "I do not cross. I hold no grudge against her for the contingency, but it is simply something I do not do. I promised to work with her towards the resolution of the social and divine troubles of this world, and I meant it. When this is done and our collaboration concluded, or during times in which she indulges her more directly villainous schemes, she can expect me to endeavor to thwart in as much capacity as I have ever thwarted in the past. But she will have no unexpected turn or sudden, unexpected actions against her from me. It is one of the ways we are very, very different." He grits his teeth just slightly. "If she ever has anything to worry about from me, it will be with no shortage of warning."

    Then, a sigh. "But you are correct. Tension from me has been too high. I will..." He rubs his forehead while sighing with an almost exasperated tone. "I will try to adjust my social posture more than I have. You of all people have the most insight here." He makes a stressed, strained noise, but otherwise his face and the tone of his voice offers nothing.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    The tension there makes Wrathborn frown. "You're getting angry about this? I should point out, it's quite a leap for her to be making plans against your betrayal when she has none of her own." He pauses, then amends softly, "That I am aware of." Sigh. "Well, no matter. You seem to have gotten the gist of my concern. I'm not very good at empathy, but I can do basic pattern recognition."

    He stands up and opens a drawer, taking out a framed picture. "I do have something that may help," he offers. "This is something that she... well, it isn't hidden from me, but it's hidden from most of the Confederacy. You may find it of interest. She's kept it in her room every time she's moved since joining the Confederacy. Took it with her when she bound me to her. I know you can't take it with you, but before you go, you should take a good look at it and think about what it means. Because... well, to be honest, I'm not sure."

    He sets the picture down on the desk and steps back. It is pretty simple, just an impromptu snapshot of a small group. It's the group that went up the mountain to the sealing, all eight people together. An unscarred Elliana, Nathan, Kevin, George, Rampart, Psyber, Amalthea, and Himei. "If you can tell me why it's so important to her, then I would appreciate it. I don't think I want Psyber to know, he... would interpret it only one way."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "I am not angry." Nathan says. Perfect monotone, as always. "I simply find the premise false." He looks down a bit, strained. Yeah, that whole bit at the end was pretty much a lie. But, hey, at least he's not done anything YET. Back on topic, anyway.

    Nathan examines the photograph with a somber look, and sighs. "There are several possibilities. While I believe some more than others, I will tell you what possibilities I perceive. We will start from the most cynical interpretations and ascend to the most optimistic and idealistic." One finger goes up. "The first is what you might be told if you asked Sakura Haruno: It is a matter of keeping your enemies close, a constant reminder that, if her social falsehoods collapse, she may be besieged anew by a vengeful Union. Likely even serving the form of a list, people who need to be neutralized before she can be safe." Another finger up. "The second is what you might be told if you asked Amalthea. That it is a complex emotional connection that cannot be explained in words, that it is an example of a mixed but intense feeling shared between individuals who have experienced the pains of betrayal and near-death. I believe she would call it a form of hope. The most hope that can be summoned by the hopeless."

    The third finger goes up, with a casual gesture. "Were you to ask someone like Himei, I believe you would be told she keeps the picture out of a sense of nostalgia, an old respect and an old fascination with days long past. Lady Fairchild is someone who is defined by their history, even more than most. and so it would not be unexpected for them to have things purely for keepsake value." The fourth goes up and Nathan sets the hand down on the table. "And if you asked someone like Psyber, he would likely say it is a source of regret for her, a means of reminding herself about mistakes she made and failures that require resolution, something she keeps to make sure she never makes the mistake again." Nathan then shrugs. "And who would be right? I can honestly say I do not know. Even if you asked Lady Fairchild, who prides herself no never telling a lie, I doubt even she would know the full, true extent of her own motivation. Perhaps one of these possibilities, several, all, or none. I hope, at least, you can piece together something you feel is accurate from this."

    Conspicuously, his own opinion is absent.

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    Wrathborn doesn't offer his opinion, but he does listen carefully, nodding with every statement. Splaying fingers, he threats them together thoughtfully before he tsks to himself. It takes a few long moments before he makes a statement about that.

    "... if you tell me what you think, I will tell you what I think."

    The smile is light but genuine, the man settling into his chair again. "I've given you what I wanted. A means to... strike. Whether at my brothers, or at Elliana herself... you've gotten both of what you want. Don't try to deny it, I'm well aware that I've quite possibly given Elliana's greatest enemy a weapon against her. I think it is only fair that you be honest and tell me what you think. It's not as if /we/ are rivals."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    There's a very long pause that Nathan goes through, almost motionless. "Correct. I cannot imagine why you would think my opinion, of all things, is near the worth of anything like that, but I will provide it if that is what you ask. Lady Fairchild has gone her entire life being told that she is very important and then being thoroughly abused by the world around her in a way that made her feel marginalized, set to the side." He says. "One moment, to her, shines like a beacon. Important military leaders, political leaders, spiritual authorities, great heroes, they were all poised to do whatever she asked and help her, all regarding her an important individual central to this event and critical to the safety of the entire world. She had trust, esteem, friends, power, control, and was fulfilling the greatest possible expectations her peers and mentors could have ever had for her."

    "The importance of these things -- not just in practical terms, but in emotional terms -- is something she refuses to acknowledge directly, as it is a vulnerability, even something of a childish one. But she is not practically capable of distancing herself from the period of time in which the part of her that she set aside in order to steel herself for killing all her friends was completely validated and fulfilled. I would call this a picture of everything that she desires in the most selfish sense, rather than the moral sense." He makes vague, wide gestures. "These days, she surrounds herself with thieves, vagabonds, warlords, tyrants, ancient titan devil-snakes -- no offense intended -- and suchlike, either as co-workers or as minions." And then an eyebrow rises. "But you already know some of this, right? Her ideal world, her most selfish type of world, was never one where she was a queen, it was one where she was an adventurer, respected and liked and understood and capable, never threatened but never so powerful that she was beyond the sort of personal esteem from that type of peer. Where she had problems featuring clear-cut lines of who is right and wrong, and just enough responsibility to be important and respected but not enough to be hated. The photograph is the last moment she spent in that world, the world of us mere humans, and the peak of her success in it, in that most selfish definition of success."

    "In my humble opinion, anyway."

Elliana Fairchild (92) has posed:
    One eyebrow rises as Wrathborn hears that very thorough and detailed theory. It even makes him smile. "That's a very, very good theory, and something close to what I think. All right. She's waking up soon, so I need to tell you what I think. I'm not sure I'm right, my understanding of human psyche - especially hers - is not the greatest."

    He plucks the picture up again, opening a drawer to place it within once more. "You are right... and you are wrong. It's understandable, you have some gaps in your knowledge that you can't possibly know yet. Or... well, maybe you could, but have not found them yet. You've made what I think is a correct deduction that she appreciated the acceptance there, in a purely selfish sense. In taking me into her, she made herself a pariah from any friends she already had, or at least believes that. Even if she'd succeeded, everyone she'd ever cared about would be unmade or dead. Well... she planned to spare you, but that's beside the point. It's in a way everything you said. A reminder of how one should keep their enemies close, and of the friendships she had and misses. You were good people, and she knows that. A large part of her knows she was wrong to try what she tried. She did it anyway because..."

    He stops and frowns, as if just realizing something, then shakes his head. "It's a reminder of what could have been, to her, and of her sacrifice. It isn't her ideal world, but it's good enough. It is also the last time she was accepted as a person, as you'd guessed... but there's a very crippling flaw in your idea."

    He smiles. "It was the last time, but it wasn't the first. You've seen the reasons why she hates her world and the people in it, but I know you've also seen her struggling to change her ways. What you haven't seen is an important piece of the puzzle, because I can't show you that. Find the gap, Nathan, and I think you could get through to her."

Nathan Hall (168) has posed:
    "There is a reason I do not speak my opinions on these sorts of things with much firmness." Nathan makes a sort of helpless shrugging gesture. "I am a librarian. I am used to whole narratives. With half of one present, I try to abstain from speaking. But I would like to see what was missed, and understand what I do not. It seems these days that I am very often having to make decisions with just that one core piece of information missing. I likely need to get better at this."

    He leans back and rubs his forehead. "I understand our time limit, and thank you for the invitation. It was productive, and I hope that the work I will do soon because of it will bring benefit to us all. I will also look forward to increased understanding. As I am sure you know, I have no desire to hate her. If there is some piece of the puzzle that will improve this situation, I will eagerly see it in our next visit." There's a few polite, bow-like nods. "Until next time, Wrathborn. Thank you for inviting me."