Ah, yeah, I haven't been around there for very long. It'll gimme a chance to check it out more thoroughly.
[and there's the impromptu hang-up.
of course, he'll arrive after twenty minutes or so, having been out but nowhere near close to that area—doesn't bother him any, though, and soon hiruma's nudging open the doors with a curious look around. looks nice, what they did with the place. after the sinkhole mishap, he thought it'd be far more decrepit. those are benders, for you.]
Well--it's true Yao's probably still listening to us on the phones, but... Geming's probably not there anymore. They've probably fired him... or killed him.
Oh--yeah. [Korra's hand plays around with the battered-looking pillow that's on the bed next to her.]
It's...about what we were talking about with Nagachika last time. The Revival Machine. [She exhales, long and quiet.] I...wasn't being honest when I said I didn't know anything about it.
[The guilt that had surfaced when he pressed her about it then hadn't exactly gone away, especially not with the added disappointment of friends who had realized she knew about Storage beforehand.]
he doesn't feel disappointment, no, no irritation either. information can be dangerous, he understands that much—nagachika's fumble letting details about storage out on the open network was a good move, but there are risks that go hand in hand with that.
as long as the information is shared. in that instance, hiruma will respect anyone who comes forward, even a little late.]
Yeah, something like that. The important part is, Yao Corp took an interest in it, and it's what powered the Revival Machine.
[There's a flatness to her voice that makes her feelings on the stone known.]
When I said the Machine shouldn't be fixed, it's because of the Philosopher's Stone. It's made with human souls. Even if we knew how to make a stone like that, it's not something I want to be dealing with.
[Most likely killing a whole lot of people just so they could fix the Machine? No, thank you.]
what is there to say to something like that, really, when there aren't any words to describe a situation like the one they're all in? hiruma tries his best to wrap his head around this melting pot of science and magic, both of which he has never been adept in, outside of college advanced-placement classes. the unknown has always driven him to succeed, to learn, but in this instance it's intimidating.
that is a very steep list of ingredients, unobtainable ingredients no one would be willing to share. something curls in the centre of his chest, making his breaths just an inkling more shallow—hiruma only hides it well behind a quiet stare, unfaltering. will it ever be fixed?]
No...I don't think so. [She pauses, then admits: ] I don't know.
I just sort of assumed the souls they took belonged to the people who were stuck here before us. You know, the groups that they've killed off already.
They don't need souls if they're dead. The people in Storage...they should be safe for now. Yao won't touch their souls if they might be dropped back in here again.
a heavy silence pervades their sobering conversation and, for once, hiruma doesn't know how to reply. he trusts korra, but it's too open-ended for him, there are too many what-ifs. there's a possibility that they'll simply become another group to kill off, a failure-labelled test run like rats who can't find their cheese.
"they should be safe for now"? when no one is ever safe in this place?]
Souls were torn away from their hosts to keep us alive...
[isn't that the time people need their souls the most? when they die, some people believe the soul has a crucial job to do. what should he believe? sure, he felt sick after they began speaking, but hiruma only—just now—gets the feeling that he's going to throw up. concentration shifts to keeping his jaw shut tight, shoulders rising as he takes deeper breaths.
eyes cast down; he waits.
calm down. don't panic. this is important news; this is an important moment. every little thing helps.]
[Korra presses her hands together in her lap to keep from fidgeting too much. She's already dropped a lot of information, but there's more to be said, fortunately or unfortunately--however you want to look at it.]
After people stopped reviving, a couple of us got in contact with Stefan. He said the only reason Kite stayed dead this time was because the machine had been broken. He was tied to it, just like we were.
[Though Stefan had sounded so pleased and congratulated them for it, Korra knows not everyone would see it as a good thing, despite Kite's death. They've all gotten so used to relying on the machine, it's still a shock to not have that safety net anymore.]
I'm sorry. [Korra says after a beat.] I know this is a lot to take in.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
audio; backdated 2/28
Got time to talk?
no subject
I suppose I can clear my schedule. Where to?
no subject
[There's nobody else around right now, which makes it ideal.]
no subject
[and there's the impromptu hang-up.
of course, he'll arrive after twenty minutes or so, having been out but nowhere near close to that area—doesn't bother him any, though, and soon hiruma's nudging open the doors with a curious look around. looks nice, what they did with the place. after the sinkhole mishap, he thought it'd be far more decrepit. those are benders, for you.]
Teacher?
no subject
Hey. Sorry about calling you out like this.
no subject
hiruma makes his leisurely way over in her direction, shoving his hands into his pockets with a shrug.]
Better than fuckin' around with the phones. Geming "listens to everything", after all.
[a beat.]
What's up?
no subject
Wait...Geming? You mean Su Geming?
no subject
[he adopts his most sebastian-like smile, straightens up, and mimics the demon's voice—it's spookily accurate.
hiruma even raises a finger, like he's teaching a very stuffy lesson.]
"Also of note, death only doesn't stick when they don't want it to and Su Geming listens to everything."
[somebody has a photographic memory.]
no subject
Well--it's true Yao's probably still listening to us on the phones, but... Geming's probably not there anymore. They've probably fired him... or killed him.
[Because it's Yao Corp.]
no subject
[one less son of a bitch for them to worry about, anyway. and nobody was upset that day.]
What'd he do? Rebel, or something? Fuck up?
no subject
[With her sour expression, it's probably obvious what Korra thinks of that.]
no subject
[spat with some great detachment in his expression, dull.]
We should get back to what you wanted to speak with me about, before I go off on a tangential rant.
no subject
It's...about what we were talking about with Nagachika last time. The Revival Machine. [She exhales, long and quiet.] I...wasn't being honest when I said I didn't know anything about it.
[The guilt that had surfaced when he pressed her about it then hadn't exactly gone away, especially not with the added disappointment of friends who had realized she knew about Storage beforehand.]
no subject
he doesn't feel disappointment, no, no irritation either. information can be dangerous, he understands that much—nagachika's fumble letting details about storage out on the open network was a good move, but there are risks that go hand in hand with that.
as long as the information is shared. in that instance, hiruma will respect anyone who comes forward, even a little late.]
You wanna' tell me what you do know about it?
no subject
[There's no room for argument in her tone. She looks at him, dead-serious.]
Have you heard of something called the Philosopher's Stone?
no subject
[leaning forward onto his knees, hiruma laces his fingers and looks her over.]
It's an alchemical substance, right? Turns worthless metals into gold, works as a disease cure-all, is the possible fucking secret to immortality.
no subject
[There's a flatness to her voice that makes her feelings on the stone known.]
When I said the Machine shouldn't be fixed, it's because of the Philosopher's Stone. It's made with human souls. Even if we knew how to make a stone like that, it's not something I want to be dealing with.
[Most likely killing a whole lot of people just so they could fix the Machine? No, thank you.]
no subject
[he's speechless for thirty seconds.
what is there to say to something like that, really, when there aren't any words to describe a situation like the one they're all in? hiruma tries his best to wrap his head around this melting pot of science and magic, both of which he has never been adept in, outside of college advanced-placement classes. the unknown has always driven him to succeed, to learn, but in this instance it's intimidating.
that is a very steep list of ingredients, unobtainable ingredients no one would be willing to share. something curls in the centre of his chest, making his breaths just an inkling more shallow—hiruma only hides it well behind a quiet stare, unfaltering. will it ever be fixed?]
Is that what they need storage for?
no subject
I just sort of assumed the souls they took belonged to the people who were stuck here before us. You know, the groups that they've killed off already.
They don't need souls if they're dead. The people in Storage...they should be safe for now. Yao won't touch their souls if they might be dropped back in here again.
no subject
a heavy silence pervades their sobering conversation and, for once, hiruma doesn't know how to reply. he trusts korra, but it's too open-ended for him, there are too many what-ifs. there's a possibility that they'll simply become another group to kill off, a failure-labelled test run like rats who can't find their cheese.
"they should be safe for now"? when no one is ever safe in this place?]
Souls were torn away from their hosts to keep us alive...
[isn't that the time people need their souls the most? when they die, some people believe the soul has a crucial job to do. what should he believe? sure, he felt sick after they began speaking, but hiruma only—just now—gets the feeling that he's going to throw up. concentration shifts to keeping his jaw shut tight, shoulders rising as he takes deeper breaths.
eyes cast down; he waits.
calm down. don't panic. this is important news; this is an important moment. every little thing helps.]
I don't know what I expected to hear.
no subject
[Korra presses her hands together in her lap to keep from fidgeting too much. She's already dropped a lot of information, but there's more to be said, fortunately or unfortunately--however you want to look at it.]
After people stopped reviving, a couple of us got in contact with Stefan. He said the only reason Kite stayed dead this time was because the machine had been broken. He was tied to it, just like we were.
[Though Stefan had sounded so pleased and congratulated them for it, Korra knows not everyone would see it as a good thing, despite Kite's death. They've all gotten so used to relying on the machine, it's still a shock to not have that safety net anymore.]
I'm sorry. [Korra says after a beat.] I know this is a lot to take in.