daemonized | RECOLLE IC CONTACT.

What a coincidence: he's precisely the person I want to annoy.

[A pause before a response comes through. This is unexpected?]

And might I ask why?

[Some sort of joke or bet between them, maybe?]

He bet me I couldn't in a single conversation. I don't take to losing bets.

And what does this have to do with my being unable to heal myself? Or are the two unrelated?

He told me during the same conversation, and it startled me. It's not that I think you're about to die or anything, but I was starting to get used to the thought of you being able to magically heal.

I see. Yes, he had asked if I could heal myself in one of our conversations. I didn't know, so I promptly tested it.

[Seems like Ardyn is more than willing to cut his own finger, but hesitant to allow anyone else to do the same to their own.]

In any case, how annoyed do you want to make Jack? For the sake of your bet.

Let's go with "as angry as possible" and I can scale it down if necessary.

"Angry as possible" is reserved for those who you actually /hate/, Rosalind. Not for friends, out of a jest.

[This is weird???]

That starts to amble into the "I'm purposefully trying to hurt you with my words" territory.

[It's almost like she's lying??? But no, you know what, this is getting stupid. He's not going to approve, but it's not as if he's her keeper.]

We're trying to get him genuinely angry for an experiment. And while I can infuriate people, he's particularly difficult, and I'm not half as good at it as you are.

[This definitely seems like something he's not going to approve of, at all. However, he's going to reserve judgment until he reads the details.

Therefore, his next text is succinct.]

What experiment?

How much did he tell you about his former self?

He's told me plenty.

[That in itself should hint at what Ardyn knows, and already connections are being made at what sort of experiment should relate to the man's former self.]

Ridiculous things, such as diamond ponies and lavish parties. A company called Hyperion.

And disconcerting things. Violence, murder. An enjoyment of it, a happiness in the sociopathy.

[He's trusting that Jack has told Rosalind this much; otherwise, he's not in the habit of spilling his friend's more... serious memories to everyone else.]

Yes.

The general questions are:

1) how far he can be pushed by a generally neutral figure (one he feels generally positive about, with little to no poor memories)
2) if he does snap when infuriated, or if that was related only to certain people,
3) and, if he should regress into that other self, how he reacts to said neutral figure

[Rosalind this is a Bad Idea.]

Well, I imagine quite VIOLENTLY if you hadn't been paying attention. [Caps! From Ardyn!!]

How is this supposed to help him? Did he actually agree to this?

We're going to take precautions, Ardyn. Obviously he agreed to it, and it helps because we'll find out if it's something that might actually pose a threat to civilians or if it's limited to people he already has negative feelings towards.

What precautions do you intend to take?

And you realize if this experiment is meant to enlighten him to what makes him tick and what does not, it's all null and void the next time another memory bombards him? Things may change, and you'll be doing this dangerous experiment all over again.

Besides, do you think that other self of his really cares one way or another if /negative feelings/ have anything to do with how he acts?

I don't know. I don't know how a man who's a hero can have such violent impulses, and how both of those facts can be true. That's the point of experimenting.

I'm not saying this is some foolproof plan to stop him the next time a violent memory occurs. But at the very least, he'll have the knowledge that he won't go off and strangle someone the next time he gets annoyed at work.

As for precautions: we're going to tie him to a chair. I'm going to have a taser and a gun, and I'm going to sit a few feet away.

[Rosalind, that last sentence does not inspire confidence. How is this at all a good idea again?]

Is there no way to talk you out of this?

No.

[A pause, then:]

It's one thing to be concerned for Jack. But he agreed, and he's perfectly free to call this off if he wants to. But I know the risks. And Ardyn, I promise you, I don't have a deathwish. We're going to take every precaution.

And I really do think it will help.

I don't think you have a deathwish. I think you're merely overestimating exactly how helpful this will be.

[And then:]

If I can't change your mind, then I want to be there when this happens.

[Perhaps. She does think it will be helpful, she really does, but . . . she also wants to know for science's sake. She wants to know because it's an unknown factor, and she wants to understand more about how much bleedthrough one might start to experience between one life and the next. She wants to know because she's a little terrified of her friend becoming some kind of psychopath, and she doesn't know just how likely that is, and when she ought to expect it, and how to mitigate it.

Some of those are selfish reasons and some of those aren't. But she isn't inclined to share all of that, and not especially over text.]

That you'll have to take up with Jack.

I assure you that I will. That it would be only the two of you is a reckless endeavor.

And I can spare you the lessons on how to irritate others.

Are you free now?

I am.

Your place or mine?

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