entranceway | [VIDEO] Wonderland Death Watch ☠

[Replies to this are CLOSED, please see OOC note at the bottom of the post!]

In the wake of our most recent event and regarding the fate of those who lose their fifth life, I would like to propose a new series of data collection on mansion residents. It is my opinion that the instatement of a “death watch” - that is, an archival record of extant resident deaths that have occurred - should be created and maintained, and would serve as a valuable resource for the protection of those who are at risk.

[This is the difficult part: persuading people to share this sort of thing about themselves, knowing what it does to others and how it can hurt, is no easy task. She believed as much when she first spoke with Shepard on the subject, and believes the same now. Evelyn herself does not like to offer personal information unless asked, but knows the burden of carrying that suffering on one's own and how easily an environment can fall to fear.]

I understand that this is very private, very personal information. I understand it is traumatic, and not something that many people want to share. Therefore it is incumbent upon me to stress the critical severity of this situation, and assure you that you are not alone.

I myself have lost four lives here.

In disclosing as much, I hope that others can be swayed to believe in the efficacy of this database, and would urge residents to volunteer their respective death tolls to build the record. Residents who submit information to the watch on their numbers may do so to me privately, if there is concern about embarrassment or persecution from peers.

[It is a valid concern, and one which she has agonised over.]

Commander Shepard’s confirmation from the Queen of Hearts that those who are remade after their last demise are conscripted as spies is extremely troubling. Regardless of the veracity of the information given its source, we as unwilling residents do not have the luxury of allowing for that liability. For those concerned about their safety, I will be actively working with the commander, who is well-equipped to establish and manage security procedures once the record has been transcribed and analysed. This is a living document, and is expected to require additions over time.

I am aware that this is a drastic measure, but a measure worth taking. Please feel free to direct all responses and queries to myself and Commander Shepard.

[OOC NOTE: I realize this is a hot button issue as has generated a lot of replies, which is great! In order to keep myself sane, I'm going to have to cut it off here and request that no one else respond in this post. Messaging Evelyn's inbox is cool if you want to drop a line there instead, but replies will be slower there.

Anyone who did not get to respond in here before the cut-off, I'd really like you to at least drop a comment HERE if you believe your character would still share their information with her. Thank you for understanding!]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I appreciate your eagerness to volunteer, but please understand that anonymity does not lend itself well to trust. Neither can I take down your name for Commander Shepard if I do not know it.

I am aware of your reticence. Please know that your information will not be shared.

[ She's probably right. He could barely get his own father to trust him without his face to validate him. He can count on emergencies making people more likely to accept help, but this is too organized. It's practically beaurocratic. He needs to find a midpoint to work with. How does Peter manage this part?

Maybe a visual will suffice. He'll morph and switch on a video feed, hesitation tangible despite the impassive (and garish) armor. This is already too close to breaking the big taboo. Kim would probably smack him. ]

This is probably as much as I can give you. I've got -- there are rules I've got to follow. But -- I can help. I've got powers. And one of my teammates is here, so there's two of us. We can take a bullet if someone needs us to. We can take a lot more than that.

[ if only they could get past the bame issue.

[The visual doesn't help. In fact, all it serves to do is make her more concerned. For a long moment she blinks at the image in her device, taking a deep breath.]

...this is all very admirable, but I still don't know who you are. Presumably you are some sort of heroic figure in your own world, and one who relies on great secrecy to maintain a particular image for your safety and the safety of those you care about, but that fits you neatly into a category that many others in residence also occupy.

[Evelyn does not want to turn away help, but she doesn't even know who this young man is.]

I don't know your name. I don't know your teammate's name. Barring the obvious reasons why that is problematic, I cannot contact you if your help was ever needed, because again, I don't know who you are.

It's not that simple. I can't just--!

[His hands ball into fists. It's all excuses. There's no room for those. Not here. Not when people are dying and all the other rules are getting thrown out. He hesitates for a long moment (too long. She's got other people to take care of. Reaction's too slow, Scott).

He checks the privacy settings and makes sure this won't go out to anyone but her. He takes a deep breath, and releases the armor into -- well. Wherever it goes when he's not wearing it. He's got so many questions and so few answers. And then there's just a teenager, redfaced with shame. It was a mistake. It feels like it was a mistake.]

Not my secret to share, Ma'am. But saving lives is more important right now. What do we have to do to earn your trust?

[He relinquishes, and for that she is grateful. Evelyn has neither the time nor the energy to fight much more today, because she feels as though she's been doing so all morning and it is, frankly, exhausting. When the armour moves away, she isn't entirely surprised to see that it's just a boy.

A very embarrassed, very ashamed, teenaged boy.]

Distrust and secrets are the arbiters of chaos. [Spoken gently, so as to not be accusatory.] What we need is transparency. Honesty.

It's not chaos to respect someone important. [It's close enough to an accusation even if she's not using the tone. And while Jason has his own share of problems with their alien benefactor, it's his job to point out the flaws in the system, not anyone else's. They present a united front and bicker behind closed doors, like people ought to do. He won't question Zordon's authority in front of his own team, let alone an outsider.] And I get that people are scared right now. But I want to help keep people safe, not to get started in a regime.

You wanted a face, so I gave you a face. I can hit hard and I can take a lot of punishment. And all I want is to help people who can't help themselves. Does it need to be more complicated than that?

[A regime makes it sound a great deal more serious than Evelyn thinks is warranted, given the situation. A regime is the opposite of what they need - don't they already have a monarchy no one wants to listen to?]

I would very much like to tell you that it doesn't.

[Something is keeping him from sharing. She won't press further, but he needs to understand why secret identities do not work well here.]

You want to help. That's valiant, and necessary. And I understand that you are intent on maintaining anonymity. But if you are to work in a small team with Commander Shepard for the reasons I listed, she'll want to vet you, and I can guarantee that her bedside manner is far less polite than my own.

[It's not what he wanted to hear. It's starting to sound like some kind of army talk, the kinds of conversations that happen with recruiters selling free college. He'd done what he could, moved beyond his comfort zone. And it wasn't enough. He can't ask Kimberly to subject herself to this. If he keeps letting them push boundaries, when how much are they going to be asked to give?

This feels wrong. ]

Then it sounds like my people are going to keep working solo.

[ People who want to pry this much probably shouldn't be trusted with the info they crack open. ]

I'm sorry to hear that.

[Evelyn used to take people at their immediate word. There was never a concern about the potential for deception, or manipulation. Six years ago she would have happily accepted this young man's offer of assistance and permitted him to maintain the anonymity he so desires, but six years ago she hadn't died five times at the hands of various murderers in her world and this one. Six years ago she was considerably more trusting even while shrewd, six years ago Evelyn did not have a wealth of personal experience at her disposal. She still takes risks, yes, in some form or another, but safety is one she no longer has the luxury of waffling around.

The military doesn't ask questions when it conscripts its citizens. Wanting to screen candidates for a critical security measure is both practical and responsible, not unreasonable. Anyone who cannot agree to those terms and intends to work as a free agent has the potential to do more harm than good, even if she does genuinely want to accept his help.

Once bitten, twice shy, and all that.]

If you change your mind, please feel free to contact me or Commander Shepard.

[He sees it differently. Jason sees a world of people who've laosed into their habits and their routines and balk at the first sign of anything deviating from that. He sees a rejection of his offered aid, and even a blindness to what a big step it was to show his face. Boundaries exist for reasons, and this lady isn't any different than the sleepy-eyed adults at home who think they know the way everything is supposed to be just because they've been alive longer.

He needs to talk to Kimberly about this.]

And if you change yours, I'll be around.

[VIDEO] Wonderland Death Watch ☠

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