[Audio]

[neverfeltthatway]

Hello, everyone. I... I have the list of those who have vanished. [For once, Armin doesn't use his image when making a broadcast, and he's definitely shorter and more terse than normal. It's definitely unusual, for him - but anyone who knows him well enough to notice might figure out why as soon as he starts reading off the names.]

Ivan. Levi. Joscelin. Yua. S-sansa. Adachi. Neeshka. Hitsugaya. Sera - umm, the unfriendly one. And Xaldin.


[Locked to former Illuminated]

I heard some of what happened during the walkabout. If you don't mind, I'd like to hear more about it from each of you in person. When you're feeling up for it.

Comments

[comebewe]

Yes, well, people don't like to hear a lot of things. We would prefer not to delude ourselves into thinking they are all nice and safe and happy, when they are not.

[neverfeltthatway]

I don't disagree with you.

[comebewe]

Just one other question - you said you have a list? How exactly do you know when people on it are gone?

[neverfeltthatway]

That - it's one of the things you can learn to do with the psychic network. Sensing when a Traveler is near you, and where they are. Liminal space is usually small enough that if I position myself right, I have the range to sense everyone who's still around.

[He hopes Matthew doesn't get weird about that. Some people have disliked the thought of Armin being able to detect them that way - disliked it emphatically. But the man has already shown that he appreciates candor, even if the topic isn't pleasant.]

[comebewe]

...So all sorts of random people can learn to stalk me. Wonderful.

[No, he's not happy about it. But he's more resigned at this point than pissed off. And Armin's right - he'd rather know about this than not]

[neverfeltthatway]

Can learn to, yes. But only at close range. And it's not a skill very many of us have. Maybe five or six.

[comebewe]

How close is close range? And who are those five or six?

[Because he definitely wants to know who he might need to worry about. Other than Armin, that is]

[neverfeltthatway]

Maybe... half a mile? A third?

[There's a long pause at the next question.]

...Sorry, but I'm not sure I'm comfortable naming people like that.

[comebewe]

And I'm supposed to be comfortable with six people I don't know being able to find me whenever they like, am I?

[neverfeltthatway]

Whenever they're not infiltrating and already within a third of a mile of you. That's not a terribly large window.

And no, I'm not expecting you to be comfortable with it. But like you just said, I don't know you. I'm not painting a target on their backs for just anyone.

[comebewe]

It's large enough, if we don't have any way to shield ourselves from it.

[neverfeltthatway]

I didn't choose these abilities. I'd be happy to wake up tomorrow and find out the network no longer exists, that nobody's exerting that kind of psychic influence over us. But that's not going to happen, and as long as it's here I'd be a fool not to use it, especially when I can use it to help.

[comebewe]

I know all the reasonings. Power is power, and in the end it's really just a tool.

But if you expect me to happy that there are people out there who can track me down whenever they want? Sorry, but I can't do that.