expiationnet | o1; audio

—ere we go. Hello? If anyone can hear this I've got a question that's been rolling around in the ol' noggin for the last week or so if you don't mind humoring an old man, uh. I know this might be a sensitive topic to some people and I don't intend to pry if it is, but I'm curious...

_{[ There's a brief pause as if the speaker is hesitating out of nerves, but he's taking a moment or three to put the right words together. ]}

These crimes that we've all — I'm assuming it's all of us — have been accused of. Is... anyone actually guilty of them? I can't exactly argue 'bout mine when it's true on my end, but we can't all be "criminals" here, can we? What even determines that? 'Cause I promise you that where I'm from, something like... I dunno, stealing food for example is a matter of survival versus an actual crime but the more I listen to the folks who live here...

_{[ A shuffle, followed by a slow exhale. It's still so weird after the life he's lived. Eventually he'll Get It, but not today. Nope. Stars. Can't do it. ]}

Sorry. I'm, eh... I was raised in a world completely different than this one. Having the freedom to actually talk about this sort of thing is pretty new, 'specially in a place that looks like this. Speaking of, I've got one more question for whoever might be listening:

What does it mean to you? Freedom. There's no wrong answer so don't worry 'bout that.

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[ oh look, it's the Bad Subject. FIRMLY: ]

I'm not guilty.

[ partly for Zephyr, since he asked, but he mostly just wants Those Who Are Obviously Listening to hear him. ]

...But yeah. You're right, and we should talk about it. Even if someone were guilty, what right do they have to accuse us?

[ let's just... leave the freedom question, for now. ]

You haven't done anything to be guilty of, kid.

_{[ At least, he's assuming as much. Being the Bad Subject it's something that Zephyr hasn't quite been able to bring himself to actually ask about, especially because he knows that particular ball would be thrown back into his hands and he'd be unable to answer. He doesn't want people trying to say it wasn't his fault when, no, it absolutely was. That little roll of paper had grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and branded him with the shameful truth and though it's not easy, he'll carry it for the rest of his life.

Just like he's done for the past five or six years already. ]}

I don't have the answer for that either, but it's something I wanna find out. The bigger thing that's been bugging me — for those of us who are — is how do they know what we've done?

I dunno about that, but I know I didn't do what they say I did.

[ He's done more than enough to be guilty about, honestly; that's on his paper, too, printed matter-of-factly beside his height and weight and whatever else. He might be Protesting Too Much, but he'd rather that than the alternative. Than admitting fault for his alleged crime. ]

I'm still not totally convinced this isn't Rena. I mean, I guess we've kinda ruled it out, but there's no proof it isn't, either. If it is, that'd explain everything.

[ ...or would it. Also— ]

"Those of us who are"? Are you saying yours is true?

[ Not with any shock and amazement just yet, because like, yeah, everybody he cares about are criminals. Big deal. ]

You haven't. Not from my point of view.

_{[ What has Law ever done to him? Absolutely nothing, smile.

Rena's mention pulls a thoughtful hum out of him and the sound of shuffling, followed by the tell-tale creak of a window opening. Then after a moment— ]}

If we were on Rena wouldn't that mean we could see Dahna from here? Given that we could see Rena from the ground and all... Plus the technology seems a little strange. I'm no expert with Renan tech but these charms aren't like anything I've ever seen before.

_{[ As for everything else? ]}

'n yeah, it's true. Just about everything they could've accused me with would be now that I think about it, but I've got no excuse for this one. I can't argue against it even if I wanted to.

[ Dude......... fine, you weren't there for either situation where he would argue with that, so there's nothing he can say here. He just grunts uncertainly. ]

I dunno, maybe we're on the other side of it? I mean, on the side of Rena where you can't see Dahna. The back?

[ the back is he a flat earther no he's just stupid ]

Don't say that. We still don't know what they're gonna do when we gotta answer for these. You can't just hand yourself over and cop to it.

I never said I was gonna hand myself over, only that I'm not gonna fight their accusations. If whatever they decide seems fitting, then... I don't know. If it's not, I'm fighting.

_{[ Especially if it concerns Law. Would they try to split them up now that they were together again? Would they think Zephyr would abandon him a second time regardless of his "punishment"? He's not so sure but he already made a promise to himself to not push his family away again. He'd fight to keep what he'd once lost, all the way to the bitter end. ]}

Especially if we're on Rena, but don't you think it's odd that in the weeks we've been here we haven't seen a single Renan beyond the ones who're already here?

_{[ Unless there were Renans who were somehow completely unaware of what their military and government was doing, not to mention all the fanfare surrounding the Crown Contest every decade or so. He may understand some of the language, but that doesn't mean Zephyr understands the people. ]}

What would "fitting" be to you, dad?

[ The accusation in his voice is rife with bitterness, and he doesn't give one single fuck about it. In his opinion, Zephyr's already paid his price, maybe even a few dozen times over by now, but he also, heh, doesn't know what he's been accused of yet, either.

And don't bother him with logic, either. If he doesn't have his Rena theory, then he has to go back to the sorry state of never knowing what the hell is going on ever, and he's so tired of that. ]

This is just one town. We don't know what else is out there. Or who.

I don't know.

_{[ It's quiet, almost resigned. He doesn't know because he'd never dealt with it like that, and because they never had any "rules" for those who committed what Zephyr had done. To most Dahnans it was just life, and to Renans... Like they'd care? Hells, he's fairly certain they'd have laughed about it or worse, feigned sympathy before leaving the poor bastard in a ditch somewhere to rot.

With prospects like that anything would surely be better. ]}

What reason would they have to bring us to their world? I don't understand.

[ He makes a noise, somewhere between a scoff and a little... grunt of consternation, but doesn't argue with him more than that, if he was ever even "arguing" to begin with. Eventually, he sighs hard through his nose. ]

When have we ever understood why they do what they do to us? Why the Crown Contest exists, or why they have to be as twisted about it as possible? This is obviously just... one more way of screwing around with our lives. I'm not gonna stand for it, and nobody else should, either. Least of all you, so don't be stupid and go around handing them reasons to—do whatever they think they're gonna do.

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