[England is too relieved to finally receive a message from Beckett; it's only been a few days, but he's checked every single one of them, hoping that maybe Beckett had messaged him back and he'd just missed the notification.
He gets out his sigh of relief before he turns on his audio feed. There's some delay as he tries to rein in his emotions.]
I assume you mean feelings regarding my state of being rather than anything personal. [Since it would be pretty cruel to just outright ask if England felt any emotion about Beckett's death, and of course England isn't going to assume that Beckett would do that.] If that is the case, then no, I didn't. But I would have under normal circumstances. We can feel it when our people are suffering.
Hm. [For a short while, this monosyllabic is the only response. It's a strange situation. Beckett resents presupposed loyalties more than anything else in the world; no one claims him, and if he'd always resisted the association by blood on which Kindred society hinges, how much lesser in the association by mortal birth? But England puts it in terms he didn't quite expect. There's still resentment there, too deep-rooted to consciously dislodge, but there is also curiosity.]
I have heard of the spiritual embodiment of certain ideas. Not nationhood, but cities, if they have sufficient character... you aren't a spirit. [And after a moment, because that is always on his mind:] and you are now, de facto, as human as anyone else here.
[England doesn't like thinking about the fact that he's been removed from most of the things that make him a nation. It's horribly lonely, to consider that all he has right now are snapshots of his world back home.]
I wouldn't quite say that. Perhaps as far as weaknesses go, yes, but I am the sum of many parts. I can still feel them.
[That's a little obtuse. England clarifies.] Though the connection is static right now, I'm still aware of my citizens. It's a different experience than being human.
[Not that he's ever been human, but humans don't really have fifty million parts that make them who they are.]
[However awkward this exchange is otherwise, Beckett can't deny his curiosity. This isn't the response he'd expected.] So there is still something there? You'll have to elaborate. Do you only feel those of us who are here, or the whole however many millions back home?
[Even as he asks his voice loses the careful neutral tone and eagerness starts rising in it. Congratulations, England, you got him hooked. Leading him by the nose with interesting information is laughably easy.]
[Despite himself, England can't help but be a little excited at Beckett's obvious interest. Though he often goes without the approval of his citizens, it's very nice to have. Especially when his citizens here currently seem to number about three.]
Just the people back home. I imagine because I'm not receiving status updates, as it were, my awareness hasn't expanded to those of you in the town. And I can't expect that I would already be connected to anyone who comes in because we all seem to come from different times and places.
[He would expect there to be some discrepancy in this very odd situation.]
[Expanding awareness, he says. Curiouser and curiouser. Why hasn't he investigated this before? It's getting unnerving. Where on earth was his mind before his death?]
I don't suppose it would be possible for you to describe the experience of the connection - not in terms I would understand. [He still sounds a little hopeful. Who knows?]
If you were a spirit, I'd say it makes perfect sense that you are not "connected" to me, my kind being spiritually dumb. As is... perhaps humans in your world have some capacity that enables the connection, which those from other worlds lack.
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branchandroot
@SceptredIsle, text; night 101, after Beckett's feed concludes
Date: 2016-04-07 11:33 pm (UTC)Day 105; noon; voice
Date: 2016-04-08 07:43 am (UTC)[Beckett's voice is oddly neutral, an unusual reserve. Not cold, but careful.]
No need, per se, but some insight would be appreciated. Did it somehow - affect you, when I -? Did you feel anything?
[He's thinking in the metaphysical level. Whether England had any emotions on the matter is a whole other kettle of fish.]
voice
Date: 2016-04-15 08:49 am (UTC)He gets out his sigh of relief before he turns on his audio feed. There's some delay as he tries to rein in his emotions.]
I assume you mean feelings regarding my state of being rather than anything personal. [Since it would be pretty cruel to just outright ask if England felt any emotion about Beckett's death, and of course England isn't going to assume that Beckett would do that.] If that is the case, then no, I didn't. But I would have under normal circumstances. We can feel it when our people are suffering.
no subject
Date: 2016-04-15 03:05 pm (UTC)I have heard of the spiritual embodiment of certain ideas. Not nationhood, but cities, if they have sufficient character... you aren't a spirit. [And after a moment, because that is always on his mind:] and you are now, de facto, as human as anyone else here.
no subject
Date: 2016-04-23 05:47 pm (UTC)I wouldn't quite say that. Perhaps as far as weaknesses go, yes, but I am the sum of many parts. I can still feel them.
[That's a little obtuse. England clarifies.] Though the connection is static right now, I'm still aware of my citizens. It's a different experience than being human.
[Not that he's ever been human, but humans don't really have fifty million parts that make them who they are.]
no subject
Date: 2016-04-25 02:47 pm (UTC)[Even as he asks his voice loses the careful neutral tone and eagerness starts rising in it. Congratulations, England, you got him hooked. Leading him by the nose with interesting information is laughably easy.]
no subject
Date: 2016-05-03 02:35 am (UTC)Just the people back home. I imagine because I'm not receiving status updates, as it were, my awareness hasn't expanded to those of you in the town. And I can't expect that I would already be connected to anyone who comes in because we all seem to come from different times and places.
[He would expect there to be some discrepancy in this very odd situation.]
no subject
Date: 2016-05-03 10:24 am (UTC)I don't suppose it would be possible for you to describe the experience of the connection - not in terms I would understand. [He still sounds a little hopeful. Who knows?]
If you were a spirit, I'd say it makes perfect sense that you are not "connected" to me, my kind being spiritually dumb. As is... perhaps humans in your world have some capacity that enables the connection, which those from other worlds lack.