soul_campaign | 005. Voice | April 6, evening

I will.

And also explain what a Wind Ceremony is. [ because there won't be a human funeral, that's dumb. ]

[A funeral would probably be boring anyway. Would it even do him justice?

. . . For someone like Snake, her brother whom she once thought to be dead, it certainly wouldn't. But she probably shouldn't think about that now-- it'd only make her resent being here.]

Yeah . . . that, too.

I kind of just assumed you meant a funeral.

I suppose that's what humans call it. The meaning differs, however.

[. . . Huh. Whatever the meaning behind wind ceremonies, Clover's attention focuses more on her first statement. She sounds intrigued, if nothing else.]

So you're not human?

[It's not like she could tell just from her voice.]

I'm not. [and she is very glad for that]

[Clover can't really tell how glad she is for it. And really, she can't even sense any distaste here for humans, on Demona's part . . .

But maybe she's just distracted by her own curiosity.]

What are you?

I'm a gargoyle. [ she has a feeling she will have to turn the video for this ]

[. . . It would help, since "gargoyle" gives her the mental image of statues, which don't move and definitely can't talk. But in a city where the sun looks like that and some frogs can talk, she has a feeling she can believe her.

Regardless, Clover will take he initiative and turn on her video first, if that helps.]

I've never met a gargoyle before.

[ demona allows the video feed. ]

No surprise. We were nearly exterminated.

[When the video feed appears on her end, she eagerly observes. It's almost hard for her to believe that this isn't a trick or something-- but regardless, she studies her closely.

Definitely doesn't look like any costume she's ever seen.]

By who?

[She tilts her head. And then amends:]

Or what?

[If that's more applicable.]

Humans. [ though Demona is playing nice since she arrived, she isn't going to hide her dislike for the species that nearly killed off almost all of her race. It's not like she could. ]

[. . . Awkward. But the video feed is on now, so she can't let it show. She can't show weakness.

Her face falters only a little bit, with a barely audible "Tch" sound-- as if to say "of course, who else?"]

I'm not surprised.

Aha? It's rare for a human to admit something like that. [ they usually play the whole "humans aren't bad!" thing over and over again ]

. . . Well, I can't exactly take the blame for it. I don't know anything about you or the humans who decided you didn't have a right to exist.

But I know what they can be like.

[She knows all too well how humans can betray and kill and take advantage of each other. It made her sick, which is why she had taken matters into her own hands back at home; and even though there seems to be evidence that she made a huge mistake, she can't bring herself to regret any of it.]

They often forget the things they constantly do.

It makes it awfully hard to learn from the past, doesn't it? Not that it's an excuse.

At this point, I no longer expect them to.

What do you expect?

From the humans?

Nothing.

[That tone is pretty cold. Clover's beginning to realize how lucky she is that she bothered contacting the network at all about Londo's death, considering how many humans like herself there were in the city.

. . . But she already thanked her earlier. So she simply continues, her curiosity unending.]

What about revenge . . . ?

[ eh. ] Against the whole race? [ well. Yes. And it's what she wants. But Demona really can't say it, can she? ]

No. Not revenge. The ones who killed my kind died long ago, anyway. All I want is to live and not be bothered by humans.

And, actually, the humans are quite capable of killing themselves without having one of the very few last gargoyles risking her life in a pointless revenge. First World War, the Second, all of the wars going on; it's like they crave for their own destruction.

[. . . Why not? Clover certainly wouldn't hold it against her. She'd fight everyone on the entire stupid planet if it meant getting to see her brother again-- and she's gone through extraordinary lengths to get revenge on those who killed him.

At least, those who she believed killed him, at the time.

She still has no idea quite what to think about that, but either way, Demona brings up a good point-- even if those wars did happen so long ago. She laughs.]

You're right. I guess you don't really need to.

[They do enough damage to themselves. She pauses a bit, taking a breath before continuing:]

Though if we were all like that, we would've died out right along with you.

[Probably.]

[ it's taking too long. Demona wants to give them a hand. Still. ]

Who knows what the future will bring? I suppose we will wait and see.

[Clover easily nods at that. There isn't much else to do, is there? Except wait.]

Yeah . . . we will.

[Even here in Death City. She doesn't really have much else to say, though, so-- she stays silent for a moment. And unless Demona suddenly remembered something she neglected to mention, Clover won't keep her.]

Thanks again.

[For the information about Londo, his "wind ceremony"-- for the conversation.]

005. Voice | April 6, evening

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