24 ⚜ Anonymous Text / CW: abuse mentions

[restingstitchface]

Whether a man is a criminal or a hero is a matter of perspective.

But if you don't want to play your role anymore, and are removed from your motivation for being who you are, what do you do? Do you seek redemption and rehabilitation and transform as an individual, or do you repeat negative behavior? How much do you believe people change only because they are imPorted? In short, do you believe people can change?

If I had anybody willing to discuss this in private with me, I assure you, I'd not be raising the issue publically.

Thank you in advance.

Comments

[restingstitchface]

I have been bashing my head against the wall, haven't I? Do you need stability, security and control in your own line of work?

[devoutish]

At home, yes. Here, I have decided to have very low expectations, and to not invest myself much in any of it.

[restingstitchface]

A wise strategy, that.

[devoutish]

But not something you could do?

[restingstitchface]

No. Not when I believed there was potential. Now? With the quality of people lacking, and how, when we return home, lose our progress? I believe so.

[devoutish]

Then you've got your answer. If you've done truly bad things, I'm sure you'll stay a controversial figure, new leaf or no. That should be exciting for you.

[restingstitchface]

Should be, but we'll see.

Thank you for your time.

[private; audio]

[devoutish]

Will you share who you are if this is private, mate?

ditto that

[restingstitchface]

[He considers a longer conversation. Smiles to himself thinly and steeples his fingers. The risk isn't as great as it would have been, all those years ago when he'd had to hide his identity from the masses. People are selfish. They pay attention more to themselves and they forget. He switches over to audio and speaks in a rather bored voice.]

Not very surprising, I hope.

It's good to speak to you again, Mr. Solomons.

[devoutish]

[Oh wow, this guy.]

Not surprising, but not what I would have guessed. That swear-in a summer or two ago, yeah?

[Alfie hadn't been here at the time, but he's heard things.]

[restingstitchface]

[Good. It's nice when people acknowledge his work. Polite.]

2015, yes. You're unsurprisingly well-informed.

[devoutish]

Yeah, well, it's good to keep yourself informed, innit.

You'd like to stop inventing fear gasses, then?

[restingstitchface]

[Gas? Bless this man and his simple choice of words.]

Good question. Would you like me to?

[devoutish]

You're interested in my opinion? I'm flattered.

[restingstitchface]

[There's no answer for a while. If Alfie won't answer the question, he'll just go and talk to someone else.]

Thank you. But I have no need for platitudes, Mr. Solomons. Just answers.

[devoutish]

I'd rather not have any of your inventions thrown at me, yes. But I don't really believe that what I want is gonna make a difference, so surely that wasn't an important question, was it.

[restingstitchface]

It was, actually.

You're a businessman. Don't you value creativity?

[Ok. No, Alfie probably isn't interested, he thinks. But it's banter.]

[devoutish]

I do, yeah. Yeah, I can appreciate a good creative venture.

[restingstitchface]

Yes, well, I am scientist.

Like some businessmen, I value creativity and appreciate a good, creative angle to my work. I suppose that's what this is, essentially.

[devoutish]

You're a head doctor, aren't you?

[restingstitchface]

Yes, but I further humanity's understanding of the mind. And, unlike many of my associates, develop my own tools to do so. Chemistry! Medicine is an applied science, that is true, but we do use pharmaceuticals.

[Yes he is. No he isn't. He likes to think so.]

[devoutish]

Mm, yeah.

And what do these pharmaceuticals do?

[restingstitchface]

They take you places.

[They also calm your thoughts, help your speech and induce drowziness. But who's counting that?]

[devoutish]

Hallucinations, then? And what's the usefulness of that?