expiationnet | audio; un: spartan

[ It has been a couple of weeks now since the successful reset of the terminals. Now, the same voice that was heard trying to rally them all to that task, tired and thick with a Slavic accent, has come to speak over the network once again. ]

Greetings, my friends. Miller here. First of all, I wanted to thank everyone who assisted in our efforts to restore this place to its former self. If it was not for all your cooperation, I am certain things would have gone very differently. It is thanks to all of you that we are still alive.

[ He's proud, really. The change from when he first arrived in this place has been immense. ]

Which is why it is my hope that we can keep this spirit of camaraderie going. There has already been a lively discussion of the visions we encountered at the terminals. Now that it has become clear that there is truly no safe space to hide from the prying eyes of the "Council," I wish to propose a forum for us all to continue sharing information.

[ The creation of the Dark Web was an innovation, to say the least... but can one even really call that secure when the entire world they live in is simulated? Where he's concerned, it's time to be forthright. ]

Allow me to begin with this. I was summoned to the courtroom. Yes – the courtroom. I only recall the inside of the building, but I presume it's one and the same as the new structure in the city center. I have been part of this experiment for eight months now and it is my first time seeing this Jerry face to face. But I can't be the only one who, up until now, seemed to have forgotten that he even existed? So, please... I would like to hear all of your thoughts.

I don't know about all of you, but I didn't try to save that artificial intelligence because I wanted to go back to putting my head in the sand!

( ooc: so long as it's cool with both parties, feel free to threadjack to discuss amongst yourselves! )

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[ Right, it figures that Toph would jump straight ahead to that. Not that he can blame her. After all of this time wondering what happened in that City Hall from the outside, he'd be intent to ask the same. ]

I'm fine, I'm fine. It's just a big joke! What kind of courtroom passes out a sentencing without even hearing the defense? And after everything we've just been through!

To be honest, it's hard to remember all of the details. I'm sure that was intended. The whole experience came to me almost like it was a dream... [ and this part he sounds particularly disgusted by ] but I was told I need to find "peace." Pick up a hobby.

[ There's a pause and then Toph bursts into short, raucous laughter, taken completely off-guard by how innocuous a sentencing he'd gotten. With the way things have been going lately, she was expecting something terrible. ]

Seriously? You need to drink some tea and play some pai sho, old man? Or I guess it'd be chess, here.

[ She'll get back to the serious bits in a moment, but first she has to tease him ruthlessly. ]

Hey, I know a guy you can play chess with! Two, actually.

[ Oh, come on! She's really going to laugh at him?

...OK, he admits it's not the most difficult sentencing. Instead of getting angry, he just sounds sarcastic. ]

What, and they're looking for one more geezer to add to their retirement community? Shit. I don't have time for these mind games of theirs. If it gets the off of my back, it may be easier to simply play along for now... but I am still not so inclined to do it.

[ Toph will laugh but she does also take the situation seriously, which is why she sounds annoyed at his attitude. He has a chance to game the system and get away with it! ]

Really? You get an easy assignment and think you're gonna make a stand by refusing? Aren't we in some computer box -- who do you think is listening?

[ She's always thought they were being governed by incompetent people, so learning they aren't really people at all kind of tracks, even if she doesn't totally understand what that means. She does get that there is no one about to show up and shake their finger at them or give them a reward for playing along. ]

Just get it over with. Joining a retirement community for a week won't kill you.

It's got nothing to do with making a stand! Seriously! The accusation is completely baseless! I'd feel like I was admitting my guilt by following along with their stupid punishment!

[ Look, he's been aware of the supposed crime from the day he first woke up here, but it was easy enough to ignore until he heard the words come directly out of Jerry's mouth. It's like he can't escape it. He'd have been taken into the tribunal for what he did if he ever made it back to Moscow, and as if to add insult to injury, the same bullshit is being flung at him in this virtual reality as well!

That being said, even though he can't help himself from firing back at her, Miller also realizes this venting is really being presented to the wrong audience... and his vehemence quickly dies down to an admission. ]

But fine. I get it. It doesn't mean a damn thing in the end, so I should just save myself the headache. Right?

[ Toph actually has no idea why Miller suddenly cuts himself off and changes tone. It's not like she has no sense of what is an appropriate time or place to have a conversation, but the network itself is some mysterious vortex to her that voices go in and out of. This being the equivalent of the town square does not occur to her.

She's just glad he relents. She's not even interested in whatever his crime is supposed to be, especially if he's saying he's not going to admit guilt to it. ]

You got that right. You're basically playing the system, who cares what they think? [ Toph scoffs outright. Whoever 'they' even are. ]

Actually, I have a new project I was thinking of taking on... [ Suddenly she sounds just a bit uncertain. She hadn't been planning to talk to Miller about it -- not that it's a secret, she's just a little self-conscious and it doesn't seem like his thing -- but if it'll help fulfill his sentencing... ] I need a seeing person to help me get started. It's definitely something that would fit right in at a retirement community.

[ It's easier that way. Not that having this conversation is necessarily going to let him just cast aside his personal hang-ups about it, but at least in this moment, he realizes there is no point in arguing it. Even if he still needs some time to mull it over, at the very least, he'll take her perspective into account.

In the meantime, as he notices the shift in her tone, he's increasingly attentive to what she has to say. ]

Sure, I could lend you a hand. What kind of project?

Well -- [ She hesitates. ]

I have this friend that's lost a lot of people, so I wanted her to have something from me if I ever left. I made her some jewelry. And it occurred to me--

I don't know. It would be a good exercise in control to make more, right? But I don't know what any of the metals or gemstones look like together.

[ While normally Toph might laugh off any visual mismatches resulting from her blindness, she's conscientious that jewelry is girly and supposed to be pretty and everything about that makes her uncomfortable. It's testament to her trust in Miller that she brings it up at all. ]

[ Considering her typical self-reliance, he certainly does see the admission as personal. It's endearing, actually, but the only inclination that he feels this way is the loss of tension in his voice. ]

So, you need someone to appraise your work? I don't know that I'm really qualified for the job, but sure, I could look them over.

[ And well, considering he would have helped her anyway, it may soften the blow somewhat. ]

Maybe it will help in this sentencing ordeal.

More like tell me what kinds of things go together. I've always been blind, so I know what colors are but it doesn't really mean anything to me. I don't need everything to "look right" to seeing people but I want to know what I'm doing, you know?

[ Toph is highly likely to make some pieces that feel right to her earthbending senses more than anything else, but she wants that to be deliberate and not just haphazard slipshod guesswork. She's never approached a new bending skill with lax standards before and she's not going to now.

She brightens a bit at the reminder that this will help Miller, too. ] Yeah! That's what I was thinking. Helping a little blind girl with arts and crafts is practically charity.

[ He was being a bit tongue in cheek by calling it appraisal, anyway, so that's what he figured. ]

I think I can handle that. If it gets them out of my hair, then we're killing two birds with one stone.

Let me know when you find the time to work on it. It's unbelievable how many hours of the day feel wasted now that we've returned to cluelessly waiting for some hint of what to do next.

Sweet. You can be my jewelry critic. Thanks, Miller.

[ and thus we can probably handwave that a whole bunch of this actually happened and it was very wholesome and silly ]

Tell me about it -- if I didn't keep busy I'd go insane around here.

My pleasure.

[ Handwave is a go! Anyway, it seems there is one benefit to swallowing his pride in this instance. ]

But yes, you're right. At least complying with this "sentencing" will use some time up.

audio; un: spartan

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