maskormenace | [ video ]

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[ The video shows a man with brown hair, blue eyes, and a light blue button-up shirt sitting at a table. ]

Hello again. [ A Scottish accent, tempered by living in London. ] It's really been a while since I've been around, or on the network or anything. I think I've been a little pre-occupied by, um, some things. Yeah.

Anyway. [ He clears his throat and sits up taller in his seat, three fingers on each hand wrapped in white bandages. ] I've been thinking about looking into some supplementary work. Or then again, I might just need a new job proper, a fresh start. If anyone has suggestions or knows someone who's hiring—or, if you are hiring, for that matter—I'm quite interested in scoping out other potential employment opportunities and things.

[ Then it seems he's just had an idea or remembered something. ]

Oh, and. I remember having a little problem with... an old habit. I'd asked for help, gotten a little bit, and I guess I'd forgotten to really follow up on it, you know? So I'm just a little unsure of where to really go from here.

[ Feigning relief with marginal success, he exhales audibly. ]

I suppose that's all for now. Cheers.

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[ Simon starts to register the strange bitterness in Harvey's voice; something about it is at odds with his words. There's the sense that something is off, but he cannot seem to pinpoint it.

He decides to proceed, and hopefully is doing so carefully. ] I see. Hm, automatic and indiscriminate.

[ A beat. ]

Someone had told me the government sometimes requests imPort assistance in obtaining a material used in the resurrection process. If memory serves me right— [ And he can't always be sure it does, after all. ] —he's also been here for quite some time. Have you heard of those sorts of... requests or missions? assignments? whatever they are?

As far as I can tell, anyway -- bear in mind, I'm not an expert.

[ He exhales slowly, pausing for a moment himself. ]

Yeah. They've done those a few times, usually asking for different things. With all that's been going on with the government lately, though... changeovers and whatever else, I'm guessing they've probably been a little sidetracked. Hopefully they've got enough of that stuff stored up.

[ Now Simon wonders if he's perhaps reading too deeply into things like that slow but audible exhale. He feels a wave of paranoia creeping through him but tries to suppress it. ]

That's what I was just wondering about. [ Maybe that's why Kitty was wondering if he was having any problems with his registration status in their last volley of messages. ] Not that I'd know the frequency of imPort deaths, but. If they run out of it, then maybe the process won't be so automatic or indiscriminate. Or if it still is, then it might be that imPorts will just stop coming back.

[ Which sounds troublesome for any of them who would rather not die before returning to their home worlds. ]

[ It's never reading too deeply when Harvey Dent is concerned; he inflects with purpose, whatever that means. ]

On the one hand, that would probably solve a lot of their problems. On the other hand, why bother mining it in the first place if they want some of us -- any of us -- to stay dead? We don't know how potent a small amount is. Maybe [ "hopefully" ] there's been no further need yet.

[ As a master of pathetically poor life choices and being incredibly susceptible to those sorts of things, Simon really can't be too careful. But he also can't tell what seems to be off here. ]

Considering we're such a strain to their resources, and that includes whatever that particular material is, it's small wonder—but also quite the relief, for imPorts at least—they hadn't abandoned stocking it earlier.

Let's hope it's only precautionary, and not that they expect to need all that.

[ This conversation got paranoid in a hurry. ]

Right.

[ He pauses again, but the gears in his head are turning. ]

Interesting how there's a way for imPorts to come back to life, while there's no way for the people here to resurrect their own. Though it's probably got something to do with the whole business of being ported in—maybe in our blood or caused by Lachesis or the Porter technology minus the mythological aspects...

It's something to do with that, all right -- at least, I think that's the running theory. But it makes sense to me. If we're ported in rather than being born here, our presence of existence is probably less... stable in comparison.

That does make sense, and maybe also explains why being here is a little more than arbitrary. For us.

[ It's all tied to whatever reasons the imPorts are brought here, and why they can't simply go back. The whims of Lachesis, the way the Porter works. Their lack of control over these things bothers Simon; it probably bothers all the imPorts, really.

It's terrifying to think that one day, he might have to go back to his world, to the troubles he's left behind. Why can't he just stay here, in this world where he's got a second chance, a fresh new start? ]

Both arbitrary and not at the same time -- sort of funny how that is, isn't it? Sometimes I wonder how it all works. Why us -- why you or me -- in particular.

[ Harvey sees this as something of a second chance himself, or he wants to; truthfully, he doesn't expect it to last. No one he knows thinks he can do it, and even his own track record tells him to quit, to live like he had before... but it's so tempting to be hopeful. Tempting to think he might, at least temporarily, find peace.

This world is lacking certain people that he thinks would make it easier on him to try, but he's doing the best he can. So should they all. ]

Maybe there's no method there to be found.

Yeah, it could be that there isn't. It could be that they got the means, and that was all that mattered. No rhyme, no reason. Simply chaos. And we just happened to get caught up in it.

[ Hervey's hit it right on the head, and it's all Simon could hope that he won't be returned to his world so soon. ]

Could be. Maybe something backfired. Or maybe they do want someone, but we're not who they needed.

[ He pauses, and exhales slowly. ]

No way to know for sure, I'd bet. No way they'd give it to us straight, either way.

[ It's things like this that remind Simon how he's wanted to dig around for things like this. He's wanted to help out, and he's really dropped the ball in the past few weeks.

Well, maybe he'll shape up soon. At least, he's going to try. ]

Yeah, but. Surely some are working their way around it. And it would be a matter of finding those people. If one were so inclined, of course.

[ He sighs, though it's more feigned this time. ] Maybe we'll never know.

Maybe we won't.

And maybe we'll have to live with that, if the answers aren't here to be found.

[ Harvey has complicated feelings about that; some truths he's determined to track down and expose. Others, he's fully capable of accepting some things shouldn't be known. ]

[ Simon is quiet. He isn't really good at not asking questions; maybe he used to be, if he trusted whoever gave him the answers. And that would namely be his hypnotherapist—she had a way of making everything be all right. But he's discovered that as much as he still ~~obsesses over her loves her, it's not so easy to trust her. Not anymore.~~ ]

Yeah. I guess that's true, too.

[ Because there really wouldn't be anything to do other than live with it if they never found the answers to their questions. They really have no control of it, and Simon is afraid of losing control of everything. ]

Even if they were, it doesn't mean there's anything we can do with them.

[ He can't help but attempt to be pragmatic in that regard; Harvey's optimism in the world, in justice and truth, was corrupted the day acid ruined his face, and try as he might the pessimism that replaced it isn't easily shunted aside. ]

You going to be all right?

Uhhhh, yeah. [ His mouth feels dry; he swallows and licks his lips. ] Yeah, I think so. But you're right that whether or not we get the answers, we'll just have to live things out... for as long as we can. Or will.

[ Until they just aren't here anymore. Simon's sad to think about that, to think he could learn so much here and then be ported back and not remember a damn thing.

Though he still thinks that it really would be nice if they found some answers and were able to choose for themselves rather than coming or going be an arbitrary or completely random process. If only. ]

Actually, I meant... [ A pause, and he chuckles a little uneasily before clearing his throat. ] About your gambling problem.

[ Because it's easier to focus on what can be controlled, right? ]

Oh! [ Simon hadn't even been aware they'd backtracked; he feels a little silly. ] Um, yes. Yeah, I—I think I'll find someone who I might be able to talk to about that. Get a friend I can check in with and... things.

[ He licks his lips and hopes he sounds somewhat persuasive. ]

But I'm looking into other help as well. [ Actually, has been; Yuri Petrov had also tried to help him out sometime before this. ] Been looking into anything I can to get it taken care of.

All right. It must really be serious if you're asking the advice of this group of characters.

[ He's somewhat kidding, although not entirely. Harvey just doesn't know what else he has to say about... well, their situation further, not without going down a dangerous road of discussion.

He pauses. ]

You don't mean like therapy, do you?

Well, actually... [ He licks his lips, then takes a deep breath and exhales audibly. ] Yeah—I mean, if anyone has any suggestions. I'm not going to run straight into them, and I'll have to do my homework first before visiting anyone.

[ This time around, at least, he will. ]

Because I can look into things first, I think. Probably.

I can't say I do, sorry. I'm not exactly... one for therapy.

[ To put it mildly. Very, very mildly. ]

You should definitely try everything else first.

[ There's something ominous about the way Harvey says it, something that Simon can't really shake. But he has a point—look what choosing a therapist online did for him last time. Not that he really had a choice at the time, but—he really can't remember having met his therapist before the heist and the amnesia.

He swallows audibly. ] Yeah, that... actually sounds like a good idea this time.

[ Harvey exhales, combining both a breath and a weighted chuckle. He has no emotional connection to this guy or anything, no reason to get bent out of shape over his hypothetical psychiatric treatment. But Harvey is just not about that life. ]

You know, if you can't find anyone else for your sponsor, I'm... available. To talk.

[ Simon can't really help his surprise. ]

Are you sure that—I mean, I'm sure you're quite busy, Mister Dent, and at the same time, I... really do appreciate the offer.

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