video/optional action

[dontthinkaboutelephants]

Who: Arthur
Broadcast: Video, fleetwide
Action: Optional; Red fish
When: Now is good

Hey! [Arthur waves at the camera, he's wearing some of his new clothes that are more utilitarian than his usual style (Yes, he keeps blowing his money on clothes. Hush.)] So I have all the preliminary sketches done. If you asked me to draw you something, you should come on over to the Red Fish to see them and tell me if I need to change anything.

I'm also working on a research project with Ms. Carter. If you could answer with some of these preliminary questions I threw together, I'd be most appreciative. Keep in mind that you don't have to answer all of them, especially if they make you uncomfortable, and that these results may be available to anyone on the ship.

attachement: surveypt1.docx

We may have some more questions in the future.

[He picks up and fiddles with a pencil, needing to do something with his hands.]

Has anyone here... lost someone close to them? How do you deal with that, especially if you maybe could have stopped them dying, if you had known something was wrong?

Comments

[child_of_bhaal]

[She folds her hands behind her head, settling in for the story.]

Three years ago, I lost my foster father, Gorion. We were running, to protect me, but we were caught on the road in the middle of the night. Gorion told me to run and hide. I did. I ran and hid in the trees, and I watched as my brother murdered my father.

If I had stayed, instead of running, we might have stood a chance. He might still be alive. I'll have to live with that regret the rest of my life, and I've never run from a fight since.

[It didn't stop her from losing people. But she doesn't go on. That's enough for now, she thinks.]

[dontthinkaboutelephants]

[He reaches out, brushing a hand along her arm, his voice soft.] I'm sorry.

[He's not sure what else to say, so he decides to ask a question.] Do you know what happened to your birth parents?

[child_of_bhaal]

Well you know what happened to Bhaal.

[She taps her temple.]

And my mother...

[She hesitates, thinking over what Robin had showed her. She's still not sure what she feels about it. When she finishes, she sounds flat and empty.]

She's dead.

[dontthinkaboutelephants]

I'm sorry for that, too. [He pauses, looking down.] I can see why you want to protect people. You're so... You don't deserve to lose so many people.

[child_of_bhaal]

Don't be sorry about her.

[She's serious as he's ever heard her. She thinks about her mother and feels...

Empty.

She thinks about Gorion's lies about her, and feels betrayed. Again.]

I never had her to lose.

[dontthinkaboutelephants]

[He looks back up.] That's just not fair. At least mine was there for me.

[He pauses.] How do you deal with death? Or have you?

[child_of_bhaal]

Life isn't fair, Arthur.

[She sounds resigned, but deep down, she's angry. So angry.]

Death is a part of me. It walks with me wherever I go. I've just gotten use to it.