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[methodofmadness]

This is Christopher, leave a message. [He clears his throat and quietly to the side whispers 'how was that Peggy? Yeah...yeah some more oomph. I thought so too']

You've reached Chaos! Leave a message or this answering machine will explode!

[gif by wolfy]

Comments

[atowncalledtreffy]

Yeah. He does that, now. Only about half of us he's kidnapped by force.

The fuck's a 1800 number..

What I'm saying is that sometimes people would rather die than be here, and we don't get to choose that.

[methodofmadness]

Is kidnapping evil? I suppose it should be considered evil, if you'd rather be somewhere else, but how would he know that if he kidnapped you instead of asking?

[Trevor, this child constantly questions whether or not he is evil, so his compass is a little broken. hope you're prepared for his curiosity and odd leaps of logic.]

I think a lot of that other stuff is just normal 'authority' problems. I don't know much about politics but usually people yell about them and nothing gets done unless they yell really loud, and for a really long time. And then who ever is in charge releases a statement about how its fixed when they just put up like, a new stop sign in some neighborhoods instead of do anything about gun violence.

[he chews on some more of the list that Trevor spoke about, making a wide sweeping motion with his hand for purely dramatic reasons.]

If we created a list with a wide range of criteria, I think you will find that within the parameters of DEI, some of the wardens you call uneducated and untrained might shine in other circumstances you would fail at miserably. And if they dont, then we move forward with removal, if efficiency is your goal.

Except you want to kill the Admiral, so I'm thinking that wont actually do anything for you.

I'd like to know though... I like numbers.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Yes, kidnapping is evil.

[good fucking god]

What exactly are you asking, just so I'm clear?

[methodofmadness]

[Chris's expression might give you the impression that he isnt sure he believes that, Trevor. Needs more research.]

Well, you said the Admiral is evil, I dont think I'm really asking anything, just trying to decide if your hypothesis holds water!

I will have to stop you though, even if you are. This place is paradise, out of reach of Helwing and other unaffiliated hunters.

So, when they kill my friends for existing I can just ask the Admiral to save them and we can just live here instead. It's a very good plan, and you'll ruin it if you get what you want.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Right. Good talk, kid.

[methodofmadness]

Was it?

[He smiles, the true meaning of that statement flying over his head completely.]

Great! I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Well, if you are done with what you wanted to say, can I ask some more questions?

[He glances down at his notes and back up.]

To start, what are your weaknesses? Do you have any crippling fears? Do you need to breathe oxygen and can you survive subzero temperatures?

Oh, and... [He taps the paper again. Cant forget this last one.]

If you were a worm, would your loved ones still love you? Viveka told me that ones very important.

[atowncalledtreffy]

[A huff. God damn it. He's regretting agreeing not to curse at this child]

I'm a baseline human, so yes, I breathe and no, I can't survive the cold without a good coat. I don't fear much, except maybe not having the courage to stand up to injustice, inaction or never seeing my family again. It's not that I'm bragging, I really don't have much that cripples me like that.

And knowing my loved ones, probably. But that's a weird question.

[methodofmadness]

[Christopher takes notes with his sparkly gel pen.

This is all good information.]

As for me...

I breathe oxygen, and I get cold too, but I dont know if it would kill me? Maybe I should test that... [Off camera Chris asks 'Peggy, make note of this so we can see if I can experience frost bite and death by exposure.']

I'm not afraid of much either. Well, the lack of knowledge and understanding of my self and what I am, and my role in the universe is terrifying! And that perhaps being myself hurts my mom, she's a nice person but I dont think she wants to raise a monster.

[He thinks for a moment more.] oh! And non-nucleated boiling explosions. Microwaves are always ready to humble us with their majesty.

[atowncalledtreffy]

[God, it’s like a tiny, blue haired Hilbert. Trevor refrains from smiling but only just.]

You didn’t want me to kill myself but you want to test for frost bite and exposure. Where the f-where are you going to test that? The Enclosure can’t kill you.

[methodofmadness]

Well if I do it here, I can conduct endlessly dangerous experiments on myself to learn more about what I am without potentially dying forever and also getting grounded! I'm not escaping anywhere! Well...maybe that isn't true.

They say you can escape in a good book and reading the data would be like reading a book on what makes me, me and I could definitely escape into that! But also not permanently die forever...

[This is all very important.]

And I dont know. Maybe if someone leaves me alone with their fridge for a while I can fix it so that it will become an exposure chamber... do you have a fri- [Wait a minute.]

Who are you again? I forgot to write it down when you said who you were.

[atowncalledtreffy]

[oh god. And he talks endlessly like Sypha. Trevor smiles and lets him go on, content to listen]

Trevor Belmont. The kitchen has a walk-in freezer but you won’t get near it for long enough to freeze to death.

[methodofmadness]

[He remembers to write it down this time.

Turning his notebook around to show the camera, he reveals that while his notes are detailed there are things like stars, hearts and little beakers and other assorted doodles in the margins and all over. It is...chaotic to say the least.

Trevor's name is written out in a neat hand though, a little smiley face and star at the end.]

Like this?

And I dont need a walk-in. Im small enough I can fit in most refrigerators.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Yeah, like that.

You’d suffocate before you froze.

[methodofmadness]

[Christopher frowns.]

What kind of scientist do you take me for? I'm obviously going to add a breathing tube so I don't suffocate.

I already know I need to breathe, that doesnt need further analysis!

[atowncalledtreffy]

Are you the only one of your kind?

[methodofmadness]

I don't know... I think so? Adam told me that I was a unique sort of monster.

Unique how he barely scratched the surface of. Apparently "having a childhood" is more important than knowing what you are.

But I dont need him, I can figure it out myself.

[atowncalledtreffy]

Ignoring that for the moment…

So why are you testing extremes to the point of dying? You’re unique so the knowledge isn’t transferrable, you’d die off the ship, and stretching your limits that way just puts extra strain on you for no reason since you aren’t going to be in a spot where you’d willingly be exposed to the cold like that.

Cw: self-harm

[methodofmadness]

I think I almost died once when I was experimenting on myself at home.

I got a lot of data out of it, but when I felt like I was just moments away from an epiphany, like I could see the truth in the numbers, my mom broke the door down with an axe and destroyed my machine...

But I cant say I might not be exposed to extreme cold. If Helwing gets ahold of me, maybe they'll torture me that way before they kill me? If I know my advantages, I can prepare for the future!

Re: Cw: self-harm

[atowncalledtreffy]

You did that in front of your mother?

Re: Cw: self-harm

[methodofmadness]

I sleep walk, and when I sleep walk I build things. I...wasn't completely conscious until she tore me out of it.

I didn't- [There is some struggle there. Clearly he knows it hurt her, and he doesn't want that, but there is something else that calls him to do what he does and he can't resist it, or maybe he doesn't even try to.]

She wasn't supposed to see. I didn't do it to hurt her.

Re: Cw: self-harm

[atowncalledtreffy]

[Trevor feels torn between saying the obvious and giving the kid a break. He's sixteen. Who hasn't done, stupid, fucked-up shit when they were sixteen? He's planning on doing far worse. He shakes his head, but lets it go]

Warn someone when you start doing shit like that here.

Re: Cw: self-harm

[methodofmadness]

[He considers this before his head cocks to the side.]

Well you know I want to, doesn't that count?

The more people I tell the more likely it is that it will hurt them, and they'll stop me. I dont want them to stop me, and I don't want it to hurt them, I want to learn.

Re: Cw: self-harm

[atowncalledtreffy]

I'm a reckless idiot who's doing his own fucked-up thing and people want to stop me. I don't count.

They're going to learn when you end up on someone's monitor, dead.

Re: Cw: self-harm

[methodofmadness]

People including me! See, this is why no one can know, Trevor! I dont like calling anyone an idiot, but I think maybe I agree with you because you obviously know that, but are doing the opposite. That doesn't make much sense...

[He frowns at the flaw in secret experiments that may end up in his death, nodding seriously.]

If I can figure out how warden items work, maybe I can block the signal. Or, alternatively, campaign for a trusted Warden to be mine, permanently.

If no one revives me after death I can't learn anything, and that doesnt help me either. I should compile a list of Wardens who understand the importance of this research...

Re: Cw: self-harm

[atowncalledtreffy]

If no one revives you after death, I'm pretty sure they get demoted. So you don't have that to worry about, even if you're hated.

Good luck on figuring out warden items. Even the smartest, most tech-advanced people I know haven't done it yet. You're not the first genius the Necromancer has scooped up. A lot of it is probably Barge magic.

Either way, whoever gets you is going to be at least a little hurt and upset you keep fu-...screwing up a chance at their deal. And most wardens get attached to their inmates.