i am a cage in search of a bird

[crocodiline]

[ The figure inside the frosted glass snaps her fingers, and the glass falls away, sliding into grooves in the ground below. Inside, behind additional bulletproof glass, sits a woman, legs up on a transparent glass desk, absentmindedly petting a... whatever this thing is.

Say hello to your mastermind, everyone! ]

Hey there, everyone. Nice to talk to you in person - my name is Cipher, welcome to my city. Sorry I took so long to show up in person. No need to get up on my account - how about we talk business?

[ Let's drive. ]

Comments

[howveryglib]

Precisely. In a situation such as this, where so many people have died on my watch… well, even though everyone is fine, I cannot help but feel as though I have failed on some level. Even if everyone else has been gracious, I can only judge myself to be wanting.

[timegazer]

[Ohhhh, that. That gets Adaman's expression to steel, but his eyes seem...softened, perhaps a touch. Understanding, really.]

...No, I understand that much. It's hard not to judge one's self when they are watching people die around them, with the knowledge that they could do something--anything, and yet they cannot.

[...]

It's a powerlessness I found myself familiar with, both here and on the other side. It is...difficult, to watch people wind up in a place that was meant to house those who died, but I can only imagine the pain you felt in watching such things unfold in living.

[He thinks for a moment--truly, tempering his impulses, Almighty Sinnoh might actually be proud of him for once.]

But you musn't let yourself dwell upon your failures, if you can help it. It will only put your head in a terrible place that you may not be able to climb out of.

[howveryglib]

…It is very difficult indeed, particularly when it feels as though it is part of a larger pattern.

Regardless, I appreciate the advice. It is always worth hearing another perspective from someone who carries similar burdens, even if they are not quite the same.

[timegazer]

[A larger pattern, huh...Adaman nods his head at that. He's not sure if it his business to pry, so he won't, but...]

I see. And truly, it is no trouble. [...] If it is what you wish, then take the time to reflect on what you could do better and put it into action; your life is yours once again to do so, and you've all the time in the world now.

May the future be guided ever further down a new path for you, Gaius. For it will be your own two feet that take those steps forward, won't it?

[howveryglib]

...I suppose that is true, yes. Perhaps I can... take a vacation of some sort, if I can simply be returned to a time that is convenient to me. Then again, I do not wish to deal with all the... ramifications.