meme #007 | classic word association ( murder: employment )

[the]

Word Association is a common word game involving an exchange of words that are associated together. The game is based on the noun phrase word association, meaning "stimulation of an associative pattern by a word" or "the connection and production of other words in response to a given word, done spontaneously as a game, creative technique, or in a psychiatric evaluation." ~ our lord and saviour wikipedia GUIDELINES ① post with your character's name & series. ② include a word of your choice and optionally the definition in the body of your comment. -- visit the random word generator if you need help! ③ other characters will reply with the first word their character associates with the one you chose. ④ continue back and forth until one of you just has to know the story behind an answer. based on this meme and stripped down yep sorry

Comments

[motherofnemesis]

Evolution.

[glowsferatu]

Paradigm.

[motherofnemesis]

Pinnacle.

[glowsferatu]

Collapse.

[motherofnemesis]

Triage.

[glowsferatu]

That seems to be on your mind often. Do you work in medicine?

[motherofnemesis]

I'm trained in first aid and disaster response.

[glowsferatu]

You're forced to make that sort of decision often then, aren't you? Who to help, who to leave behind.

[motherofnemesis]

I've had to make it more often than I would like, yes. Why?

[glowsferatu]

As I said, you seem to have a preoccupation with it. Feelings of guilt, perhaps? Or justification?

[motherofnemesis]

It's just one of those things you don't really forget easily.

[glowsferatu]

I've killed before, but I bear no regret for doing so. The other party deserved what he was given, it is precisely what he had earned.

Had I done it earlier, I could have prevented other deaths. It is that blood which has a greater tendency to haunt than that of one you've spilled directly.

[motherofnemesis]

Did you know what would happen?

[glowsferatu]

I armed him myself. As a joke. [ to impress a girl, but she doesn't need to mention that. the question should be sufficiently answered already. ]

[motherofnemesis]

If you couldn't know what was coming, the blame's not yours.

[glowsferatu]

It's like a gun that wouldn't have fired had I not loaded it. I do not ignore his blame, but my own culpability cannot be either.

What's your story?

[motherofnemesis]

If you say so.

Me? Not much special. The classic girl meets boy, gets heart broken, winds up fighting an oppressive government. It's not really that interesting.

[glowsferatu]

That doesn't satisfy the exchange, there's more you aren't telling. You mentioned things that aren't easily forgotten.

[motherofnemesis]

What, you want a story? [ A beat, brittle and not particularly thrilled with the concept. ] People died. Others lost their minds. Of course it's not easy to forget.

[glowsferatu]

That could be anyone's story. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that it's everyone's story. But there's some personal resonance for you, an investment that keeps you fighting. That much is vital to one who insists on continuing.

Maybe it's something you're not telling about the boy.

[motherofnemesis]

If I don't keep fighting, I either live the rest of my life in hiding or in prison.

I find either option unacceptable.

[glowsferatu]

But that's logical justification, not emotional investment. Your previous remarks indicated something beyond mere survival, or perhaps only a regret at what price you have paid for that survival.

[motherofnemesis]

A regret, mostly. It's unfortunate what we've had to do just to live. None of us wanted that.

[glowsferatu]

You survived where they hadn't. Regretting that won't change anything.

I would just be glad that you never had to die to ensure your own survival.

[motherofnemesis]

... That sounds complicated. And unpleasant.

Very unpleasant, really. [ It's a question in the edges of it, left just enough of a statement that it doesn't require an answer if she doesn't want to give one. ]