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[forgodssake]

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xavier
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CHARLES XAVIER

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[alsohawkeye]

The people you've dug most deeply into: were any of them members of Shepard's second recon mission?

Did you have any sense of whether this presence was within Laurens, or connected to Laurens, or controlling Laurens?

[forgodssake]

I helped Emma Swan with a memory problem once (unrelated) but only tentatively. otherwise not really, the recon team returned when I wasn't at my best.

all of those things. and I believe it exerts control, over the things he can do and say, but I don't have proof of that beyond speculation and Laurens' own description of being "leashed"

[alsohawkeye]

I believe that like Ward and Resnik he is being prevented from discussing certain things with us. I think that's what he means by being leashed.

Is all of this related to his "empathetic connection" to the soldier at all?

Emma's memory problem was not related to recon, you mean?

[forgodssake]

is it?
you went on that recon venture, didn't you?

and yes, that was another and more recent incident related to her magic

[alsohawkeye]

Resnik basically said as much during her last appearance. It might be a convenient excuse for their refusal to ever give a straight answer to a question, but it would also explain why they bother talking around things to us at all. The way she handled it is similar to how Laurens has.

I did.

[forgodssake]

they lead us with questions and evasive implication and seem relieved whenever we come close to an answer they might see as the correct one
loathe as I am to treat any of these people as sympathetic characters in this shit show

[alsohawkeye]

That's my impression also, once I got past the desire to shoot both of them repeatedly and started actually paying attention.

It's not as if the ship playing with minds would be anything new or farfetched.

[forgodssake]

I think it/the ship can exert that control over anyone, whenever it chooses
probably in connection to exposure to its phenomena, and to varying degrees
Arima being such an incident (mind and motive control)
the murals being another (people taking injury upon their likenesses being influenced)
not to mention the foreign emotions we feel when we exit the stasis pods
so there is a precedent

but we aren't all Laurens or Wardnik levels of controlled, clearly

[alsohawkeye]

Agreed, it's part of why I didn't bother saying we should have this conversation off-network. If it wants in our heads it's been made pretty clear it can get there.

Or just not about the same things, in such obvious and incredibly frustrating to everyone around them ways.

[forgodssake]

at least they're attractive

you asked after the recon team. I have friends on the recon team. are we concerned about the recon team?
exposure, like Felix and the soldier?

[alsohawkeye]

If only cheekbones were answers.

I'm not sure what you mean by exposure.

[forgodssake]

I've been thinking of it (influence, what's rooted in Felix, his connection to the soldier) in terms of contamination until better analogies present themselves
but strike that if it doesn't jive with your understanding and why you asked

my icons are taking too long to load sorry

[alsohawkeye]

I guess where I'm confused at the moment is about the soldier's connection to Felix. If you can explain to me your understanding of how that came about/works I think that would help.

wow fine

[forgodssake]

cursory observation would connect together his entering into that non-space you described
if you're not feeling the same effect, then perhaps also the time they have spent together
thus, exposure
I'm not sure otherwise

Re: wow fine

[alsohawkeye]

I don't feel any connection to Laurens that I'm aware of. Whatever is going on with them is probably either all the time they've apparently spent together or something unique to the soldier. Or both?

What does this connection between them do? How does it manifest?

Re: Re: wow fine

[forgodssake]

going off what he told me:
- shared physical pain, on occasion
- waking up and confusion between identities
- nosebleeds/ear bleeds

and that last one I mention because I experienced the same after observing Laurens' mind
he is also far too dismissive of the significance of all this for my liking

the soldier does have a peculiar sort of brain, which could well be a factor

[alsohawkeye]

What the fuck.

Yeah, definitely none of that is happening to me.

Have you looked into the soldier's mind since this started?

[forgodssake]

no
but I can broach the subject

[alsohawkeye]

It seems like it might be a good idea to at least see if the same "crevices"? you detected in Laurens' mind that prompted you to look deeper are found in his.

[forgodssake]

[ ugh ]

and what happens next, if I find that?
beyond being an interesting talking point

the man already has a mind like a bear trap

[alsohawkeye]

Then you check me, and then someone else from recon who hasn't had any contact with Laurens, and we figure out what the exposure is.

Beyond that I don't know yet.

[forgodssake]

yes
alright
so glad we had this conversation

[alsohawkeye]

I don't know, I think I feel better now that I know there's a better than average chance I have something buried in my mind watching and controlling me.

[forgodssake]

promise me something though

[alsohawkeye]

What?