028 ☣ public post

[fridgetothefire]

[When the view clicks on, Anya is obviously changed. She has the glowing blue eyes, and her skin looks almost grey. She isn't quite light-skinned enough for classic pallor, but the color is leached from her face. She sits still and straight, with a degree of composure that is, in fact, precisely normal for her. She missed breakfast today, and now it's quite clear why.]

I've allowed Arthas to make me into a zombie for a few days. It is entirely temporary, and I am in control of myself and my faculties. There is no need for anyone to be alarmed.

Comments

[surrenders]

[This. Doesn't look all right. But if Anya hadn't planned this out, she'd be hiding and no one would know until it was over, so she at least deserves to have Lua approach this calmly.]

How temporary?

[fridgetothefire]

Just a few days, I promise.

Think of it like a flood, okay? A little weird, maybe uncomfortable, but no real harm done.

[surrenders]

...did he have to kill you?

[fridgetothefire]

Yes.

It was fast. I barely felt anything.

[surrenders]

You knew he'd have to.

[She doesn't understand, more than anything, but the anger that had started to surge at that "yes" washes back down; death means such different things to both of them that she has to stop and look at it like Anya does.]

[fridgetothefire]

[she nods]

He let me pick how.

[This matters, to Anya, more than the fact of dying. That it was her choice; that she was not helpless.]

[surrenders]

That- that's good.

Are you like him now?

[fridgetothefire]

Mostly, yeah. I don't think I'm quite the same thing, but he knows more about the details than I do.

I could ask him if there's something you want to know about in particular. He's been pretty forthcoming with me.

[And Lua, uh, might not want to ask him directly.]

[surrenders]

...he's done this a lot. [You hear things, on the Barge. Especially if you're someone who's better at listening.]

Anyone ever come back to themselves after?

[fridgetothefire]

Yeah.

He showed me the old comm records for someone who did, and I checked them out more by myself, before and during and after the guy was undead. Death toll brought him right back to himself. I wouldn't have done it if I didn't know that, I promise.

[surrenders]

I believe you.

[She does. Anya never takes chances, not unless they're really worth it, and this is either really worth it to her or something she's had to research.]

You can still see people, right?

[fridgetothefire]

Yeah. It's...all in greyscale, actually, but I can see fine other than that.

[surrenders]

I meant you can be around them. You hear those stories about... new vampires and things like that.

[fridgetothefire]

Oh, yeah. That was why he wanted to do the experiment, actually, to raise someone who could stay sane, and control themselves.

My temper's a little worse, but I'm safe.

[surrenders]

[Something Arthas wanted to do. That's what makes her start wondering, instead of panicking, and now she has to ask. What would bring them together?]

He was planning something for you guys, too?

[fridgetothefire]

He wanted a volunteer.

[Which was in itself a decent sign. Hardly a guarantee, but. She'd originally though it was filtered to inmates just to keep it from too many meddlers, but -]

Did he make wardens a different offer?

[surrenders]

Offered to bring back somebody we had a deal for.

...I thought about it, but... I figured there was a catch.

[fridgetothefire]

[She nods.]

I wouldn't want to stay like this. I wouldn't want to bring back someone I loved like this, either, especially not when the Admiral can do it for real.

But for a few days, it's alright.