ic inbox

[lingeringhope]

[Hope's voice is clear and clipped.]

If you would like to leave a message, you may do so here. I can't promise to respond. I have many demands on my time, and this sort of thing is far down the list. Still, if you would like to, you may.

Comments

voice;

[lingeringhope]

You need it that often? Very well. Come here when you are in need and I will provide it.

Re: voice;

[braveoff]

We can push it longer if we have to, but by a week it's not safe for anybody.

...thank you. Is there anything we need to do for you?

text

[lingeringhope]

I have no intention of sacrificing anyone.

[lingeringhope]

We don't bother watching everything you do, if that's what you're asking.

[That sounds both boring and time-consuming.]

In this case, they were able to break into our network without our knowledge.

[sonofacesius]

[See, that would be where Will might suggest reworking the network so they had a little clue if someone broke in. Not that it was his specialty, he knew that Olympus had things like that, but he assumed a lot of it was Hephestus' work. Maybe these guys didn't have an equivalent.

He smiled, since he liked Hope, and didn't want to offend him.]

Could I make a suggestion maybe? I don't know if it's possible, I don't know how your network works here or really anything about networks. But would it be possible to rig some kind of alarm system, so that if it happens again, you guys would know and be able to monitor what's going on?

voice;

[lingeringhope]

Try to hope as often and as much as you can. That will help me.

[lingeringhope]

Since we do not know how they managed to break onto the network, that would be impossible. Normally we are capable of easily monitoring everything on it. Our first goal is to discover how they were able to.

text

[skycall]

Do the others, though? I truly mean no offense in my asking but I find that it's important to understand where we stand with you as we're already well aware of where we stand with them.

Or so they've said.

Re: voice;

[braveoff]

I already do. This helps a lot, too.

[sonofacesius]

[Well there went that idea. Oh well.]

Understandable. Can I ask one last question? You guys, the gods here, are all embodiments of emotion right? That's why you get power from it, like we eat food.

Where I'm from, gods can be killed when what they stand for no longer exists or their seats of power are destroyed. In my world, Pan faded, when there were no longer enough Wild places in the world. But you guys, are emotion incarnate. So, you can't really die, right? Or fade?

Not that I'm planning on killing you guys.
[Will added hastily, because killing Gods is really, really bad. Unless they were like Kronos or Gaea or something. Unless he had Reasons. Like mass murder.]

I'm just trying to figure out how you differ from what I'm familiar with.

text

[lingeringhope]

We have different opinions. However, you can speak to those who have been here for some time - when the others wished to sacrifice some of you, I refused to allow it. I will continue to do so, should another such situation arise.

voice;

[lingeringhope]

Good. Then we have a deal.

Re: voice;

[braveoff]

Thanks again, Hope. I'll come by soon.

text

[skycall]

It is a difficult and painful position to be put in and I would like to personally thank you for your refusal. Death is never the answer, as easy a route it can offer.

[lingeringhope]

We're not embodiments of emotion. Emotion is what powers us, but we are not representations of it. Without emotion to power us, we are far weaker and can be more easily killed.

[But you're dreaming if you're hoping for clues to how gods are actually killed, Will. Hope has had enough people threaten him to know better.]

[sonofacesius]

[Huh. That was interesting. Will didn't want to press his luck, but he was curious.]

If you're not emobidments of emotion, why are you named after them?

text

[lingeringhope]

You do not need to thank me. I'll never support sacrificing any of you. I cannot control what the others do, but I can ensure that you'll come back regardless.

text

[skycall]

I do appreciate your unwillingness to sacrifice us but I must admit that you should not bring back the dead so hastily, no matter how they died. Death is meant to matter.

[lingeringhope]

Because you cannot communicate the way we do and would not be able to say our names. These are names that you understand.

[sonofacesius]

Oh

[Will shifted. That was a pretty good reason and explanation.]

Thank you for your time Hope, and for answering my questions.

And for not killing me.

text

[lingeringhope]

You would prefer to stay dead?

text

[skycall]

I... I don't want to say I would prefer to stay dead because that would be a lie but I don't want to take the meaning of death away. Do you understand? We humans live our lives once and when death is taken away from us so, too, is the meaning of life.

[lingeringhope]

I do not kill.

video

[notimpervious]

[In light of Sharon's most recent network post as of the 27th, Brennan has decided to do some research on the subject of death and resurrection in Hadriel. To that end, the best first step is to speak with the person in charge of resurrecting the deceased.

So she has set up her phone on her desk and made ready with a glass of water for herself, plus pencil and paper to take notes with. After debating with herself for a few seconds on whether or not she should address Hope with a title (he's just "Hope" on the phones but surely he and his brethren have some sort of hierarchy?), she just... goes for it, relaxed but professional, like talking to a subject matter expert.]

Hope? My name is Temperance Brennan. I would like to ask you some questions regarding your responsibilitiws, namely, with resurrecting the dead.

[It goes against everything she knows to be true back home, but evidently the same rules do not apply here.]

I am able to schedule another time to talk if that would be preferable.

[sonofacesius]

Well, thanks. I appreciate it. Or not being turned into a bottle of merlot or a swan or something.