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Who: Robin!
Broadcast: Video!
Action: Not unless it gets weird!
When: About a day after his supposed murder.

[the feed crackles on to show Robin, looking very much alive and in a shirt that doesn't have a big hole in it, thank you. he's crouched somewhere on one of those Floot Loop stations, probably. he's got his back to one of those big LED displays, which means... unless you want to check every single bright, animated ad in every station within range, he's going to be kind of tricky to find.

he... waves, though he doesn't look like he's very happy to see you either, to be honest.]

Hello. I'm not dead, since I assume that rumor has spread far and wide by now.

And I would love to have a calm, rational conversation about all of this before someone tries to kill me again. What have I missed? Catch me up.

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[He nods at what Varric says. Yep. ^^^^^ this comment]

Yeah. There's no guarantee you'll be here forever. What'll happen to him if you leave? [Or Fenris finds a more permanent way to off you- whatever]

[yeah, that is the problem. he's been thinking about this since the day he started that contract. he knows he's just prolonging the problem. but they also don't know Nel. they haven't been inside his heart, like Robin has, very literally.]

You're both right. I don't disagree at all. My fix is just a... [he gestures uselessly, looking for a way to explain it.] Just a bandage on a much bigger wound. I know that. But he can't just be taught how to live on his own, either.

Nel's belonged to other people since he was very young. Him and hundreds of others like him. They're entertainment for whoever will pay their keepers. It's inhumane, but they're taken care of just enough that it seems better to him than a lot of alternatives.

He's been in it for over a decade, most of his life. It's... He's never not had someone in control of his world. He doesn't know how to take care of himself, and he doesn't care for himself enough to learn. He has no other skills, no other aspirations. His worth as someone's property is the only worth he has. Without someone to follow, he has no meaning, no... reason to go on living.

[he pauses, anxious... he's trying not to get upset about this, but... Nel is his friend, no matter how fucked up he is. this whole thing is a mess.]

My answer was not a good one, but I don't have a better one yet. If this really is for Nel's benefit, he needs... Lots of people around to restructure his whole life, his whole way of thinking. He needs a whole new purpose, and a reason to change. I'm not stupid enough to think I could do that for Nel on my own.

[Varric has been civil up until now, but Robin has disappointed him deeply. Watching all of this go down has stirred some... unfortunate memories, and he misses Hawke suddenly, and he is absolutely fucking tired of seeing other people being jerked around.

He raises his voice.]

Come on, Robin! That's a weak-ass argument and you know it. 'Can't be taught'-- so, what, it's okay to just continue blithely taking advantage of someone? To excuse whole generations of slavery, because they were unfortunate enough to be born into it? You can't just hide your head in the sand! Grow a pair, you piece of shit!

If you care for him half as much as you say you do, then you'll devote the rest of your miserable life into making his remotely better. And I don't mean... whatever your little agreement is. Help build him a support system. Teach him how to spend money, how to save it, how to exist in the real world. Even if he's terrible at half the shit he does, at least give him a choice.

If you don't want to do it, there's at least a dozen other people here who will.

Edited 2015-02-01 09:07 (UTC)

[Kaneis too seems annoyed by the answer. He is, possibly even more so than when he first learned Robin was keeping a slave. Largely because this is starting to cross into something he TRULY hates: bad parenting]

That's bullshit, Robin. Would a life like that screw someone up? Sure. Maybe he'll carry those scars from that forever. Does that mean things are gonna be a lot harder for him to deal with? Sure. But that doesn't mean he can't change at all. He's a person just like anyone else.

It sounds like more you tried a couple times, he didn't like it, so you gave up because it was hard and you didn't want to be the bad guy to him. You like being his little savior. I've seen you chatting people up- you like being liked. Who doesn't?

But that's not how taking responsibility for someone works, Robin. Taking responsibility for someone means doing things that's truly in their best interest- even if they don't like you for it! Think of parents - do you think they like the tantrums that get thrown when they make a kid go to bed at their bedtime? Hell no! [Sophie's tantrums were AWFUL] But they do it because it's better for the kid in the long run- so they'll be better off in the future. If you claim to be looking out Nel- then you can't always be the good guy in his eyes. You have to be the adult.

Because believe me Robin, you're not doing him any saving by leaving him this way. He might be happy now, but one of these days it'll come crashing down and he won't know how to handle it- then he'll really be in trouble.

[you've got to give him some credit... he could be taking this much worse than tensely keeping his mouth shut. it's all... true. he could debate how true it is. he wants to fight to keep his ground. it's not all his fault. it's much worse than they know. he tried more than that, honest.

but he also killed him once. because he thought it would be easier than leaving him to overdose and freeze and starve, because that's all Nel was destined to do. he wasn't supposed to get a second chance. when it comes down to it, he really doesn't trust himself to make Nel better. he doesn't trust himself to make anyone better.]

I don't want to excuse myself. I just know that if I take this away from him, he is going to crash right now instead of later. I already know that I am not fit to take care of him when he does.

[THIS WHOLE THING... has kind of been proof of that.]

I want to try to help him but I'm scared for him and I can't do it alone.

[what a miserable sentence. what a straight-faced truth. what a weak thing to admit.]

Kaneis is right, too.

[Kaneis just earned some major points with Varric. It's hard to judge that, exactly, but he might talk to him later. About stuff.

But back to Robin. Varric's expression softens a little; he knows he flew off the handle there and it's not entirely Robin's fault, but damn it, the guy needs someone to tell it to his face.

He's giving in, though. Varric can see that much.]

I think that much is pretty obvious.

[He rubs a hand over his face.]

The overwhelming majority wants to help Nel. So... let them. Set him free. It's gonna be hard, it's probably gonna be hard to watch-- but it's important.

Part of being an adult is screwing up and moving on. It's time to get out there and make mistakes. Make your own stories.

That goes for both you and the kid.

[it's the "and moving on" part that he's never been very good at. he is frequently paralized by the fear of fucking up. he cares too much, probably. things were easier when he didn't care about anything at all. he hasn't wanted to go back to that for a long time. but he is still here, still listening, running his fingers over his mouth while the idea runs likewise through his mind.]

...Okay. I'll do it. Tega. [the thought of it finally gets him to pinch the bridge of his nose, irritated.] Whenever, just... not today.

Seriously? This isn't something you can just put off. Was all of that you just said a bunch of hot air or what? You know everyone can see this, but you're still acting like a kid getting his toy taken away.

[Varric's eyes narrow, and he leans into the feed a bit. If he lets Robin walk away now, there's no guarantee Nel will be free. And there's no guarantee Fenris won't just kill Robin again.]

We can send someone to get Nel right now. We have protective magic and weapons, and people who actually give a damn about his well-being. We can make sure you're in pieces before you even think about setting foot on the same ship again. Of course, I'd rather not put the boy through any more than you already have by getting yourself killed... but it's up to you.

Edited 2015-02-02 10:07 (UTC)

Oh yes. "Whenever, just not today". I've never heard that one before.

[He gives a glance at Varric's feed before his eyes return to Robin. He'll actually be less threatening than the other guy.]

You have to understand, we don't have much reason to take you on good faith. Hell, only reason I'm willing to believe anything you've said so far is because Riku was good enough to vouch for you. Damn good kid, that one is.

[Fuck up that kid's trust in you and we're gonna have problems mister]

[he glares at him over his hand. "kid getting his toy taken away" is not a strong enough description. but is fades a little as the seconds pass, and he looks back down.]

Not today. Tomorrow.

[Not sure if backpedaling or if he just resisted that. Either way, Varric is kind of amused that the only reason anyone is tolerating Robin's bullshit is because of someone else.]

I'll hold you to that. I can't say for sure if you'll be around to procrastinate on it a second time.

[He gives a simple nod along with Varric's vague threat. He is rather curious if what they say would happen if you shove something out an airlock actually would...]

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