#triangle truth

[theauthorlives]

△ yancy. favourite and least favourite gang member. no mercy.

Triangle Truth

"Two. Or maybe a one? It ain't that bad.

Least favourite's easy. That's Jimmy the Pickle. It ain't no surprise since we's not a pair that get along, see. We can work together for a common goal but we ain't boozing buddies. But the favourite... Shit, that's tough. Everyone got things I likes 'bout 'em."

Slowly, Yancy sunk back into the chair to have a think. "Tiny's good company when youse just want someone there but not much talking. Bam-Bam's always got a story to tell, and Shithole Hank's the best for good advice. Then Magpie - or Sparkles McGee - is just fun to be around. They's got a great interest in music, 'specially percussion, so they's is always up for a bit of music. They's is the reason I wanna get one of them ukuleles.

But... I 'spose for this... I'd say Shithole Hank. He's someone that wasn't ever meant to be here, but it ain't my story to tell. It means that he's not like the rest of us. He's had a good life. Kinda gives the rest of us scumbags something to look up to, yeah? And he's smart too, like I said. He don't care 'bout no reputation. He wants to help keep the likes of me outta trouble... Kinda nice to have someone to look up to that isn't a crock of shit."

[theauthorlives]

△ hey gunther, what’s going on with you and dirk?

Triangle Truth

A shrug.

"One. Your guess is as good as mine. I would have been able to say before that there was an awkwardness in a work-based relationship. I could have easily dismissed it as van der Berg having a stick up his ass that makes it hard for him to properly socialise with anyone and deciding that being an asshole is the way to go. I would have told you that I tend to assign us to different shifts or locations because there's a tension that's about three seconds away from an argument of some sort. He's not a fantastic team player, and it shows.

And then he kissed me.

Which kind of makes everything a lot more complicated. I'm the head of ADS. I don't have time to follow things like that up right now. There are more urgent matters to focus on rather than trying to run after someone and question them about their sexuality, their intentions, or why they allowed a dare of some sort to show up run the chance of them landing in trouble for a lack of professional conduct.

I don't know what his game is, or what sort of act he's trying to pull, but I would hope he gets his act together. I didn't document the incident, and his professional record is still clean, but I'd hope he doesn't think that's the right attitude to handle himself. If he's running around kissing other people, it's going to land him in trouble.

( @invinciblecrew )

[blueheartedmayor]

△- For Damien and Dante: If you could say anything to any person, without having to worry about the consequences, what would it be and who would you say it to?

Triangle Truth

@xshatteredreflectionsx

-

"One!"

"There's this one councillor, and I swear he's the most obnoxious, backward-thinking, immature clod of a man I've ever had the displeasure to work with. He only gets re-elected because he's holding a seat in an area with an older demographic who don't really have better candidate options. It would be a thrill to finally knock him down a peg and make him understand that the real reason he feels so isolated on his quest to 'better the system' is that no one likes him. No one! Some of the councillors are rather unpleasant people, and even they leave this gentleman alone if they are forced to be in his company longer than ten minutes. He's doing no one any favours and, frankly, he's disgracing his constituency.

If I could fire him, I would."

-

"In comparison to that wholesomeness, my answer is a rather obvious one that I'd rate three. I'd tell the Actor to release everyone he's trapped from the story, then encourage him to talk a long walk off a short pier while wearing iron boots.

I should clarify. There are plenty of Actors in this community. I don't mean any of them. In terms of what happened to me, they aren't the cause of it, and for the most part appear to be doing at least the bare minimum to change their course. I refer to the Actor in my specific story - known otherwise as the Playwright. Simply put, he gets far too much enjoyment out of creating the stories he writes and watches things unfold like one might watch paper crumple and burn in a fire.

The only reason I haven't said that to him is because he still holds the puppet strings that are wrapped around me neck. His 'creation' of me as a 'villain' consisted of being able to manipulate the very energy that resides within me. Hence why I have to keep at a distance. Unlike others who share my fate, I don't quite have the luxury of having an equal footing conversation with my so-called counterpart. Fortunately, he's not on this platform, so it's a problem I don't have to deal with here."

[theauthorlives]

△ for yancy. why did you really never go for parole? and why’d you change your mind?

Triangle Truth

"Two."

"I, uh, thought this one was kinda obvious, honestly. Literally made a song and dance 'bout it? Remember? Not wanting to be free 'cause life is fine in here for someone like me who don't got nothing? That is true. I don't got connections on the outside no more. If I got out, I'd be homeless. No money, no chance of a job, nothing. Staying here means that I always gots a roof over my head and a nickel or two to my name.

Then we gots the actual legal side of things. See, when it comes to trying to get in front of the parole board, a murder sentence needs to wait eight years before youse's first hearing. Since there's all th' hoo-ha 'bout extra regulations, making sure youse ain't gonna be a danger to no one while also keeping you outta danger, it's a lotta work. I didn't wanna go through that for no reason, so I never went for it. My particular sentence, ehhh, kinda makes it tough. I never said how long I'm in for, but just take my word that I's gonna be here for a reaal long time. Now if I was to look for parole and get it, there's a whoooole lotta rules I in particular need to follow. I can't leave the state. If I wanna move, there's a bunch of paperwork that needs to be done. Not sure if I need an ankle tracker since another condition is that I don't even move to a state where a sibling might be living; but I'd need to check in regularly with a parole officer to show I ain't misbehaving none.

See, me applying for parole don't mean I'm gonna get it. I could build up a good case and say what I gotta, but if they think there's a chance I could do something else, or could cause fear in a community, then it's a mark against me, and a possible rejection. This, well, it ain't gonna be easy."

But that doesn't fully answer things, does it?

"I thought it's obvious why I'm looking into it. I got one person out there. Not that I expect them to be some sorta support system, but... It's not me out there alone. I dunno, it doesn't seem as daunting when there's someone there."

[theauthorlives]

△ if you could tell your parents one last thing, what would it be?

Triangle Truth

"Ugh, seriously? Fine. Six. Whatever."

"I'd tell 'em both to go fuck themselves. They gave me years of shit. Youse expecting me to be all like 'ohhh, ma an' pa I'm so sorry for what I did' ? Bullshit. They never wanted me around, but they also never wanted no bad reputation. Because of that, they never kicked me out and kept me trapped in the fucking house. Scratch that, they wouldn't even let me move out when I did get my shit together! They was all so damn focused on what the neighbours thought, or trying to prove that this family was pulling itself up from being poor to being something good in life that they didn't want the black sheep to ruin any of the story.

I ain't saying that they deserved what they got, but how is any kid 'sposed to feel like they can do things when they's is being stifled left, right, an' centre? I couldn't do nothing! Even when I got back on track and got back into the mechanic apprenticeship, it wasn't good enough 'cause all the other siblings did soooo much better than me.

Oh, did you know I was the scapegoat of the damn family? All of them, siblings included. They was using me as the 'stay in school of you'll be like him' when talking to my nieces and nephews when I was in earshot. How fucking insane is that?! Neither of them get no sorta respect from me, so I ain't giving them the time of day.

I never asked to be born! It ain't my fault I wasn't as good as everyone else! Why did they feel like they could never be fucking proud of me? Nothing I did was good enough. If I'd died instead of them... That would've been the best thing I ever did in they's eyes."

[theauthorlives]

△ if you could shoot anyone on the ship without any consequences, who would it be and why

Triangle Truth

"I'm gonna take a shot in the dark and assume you're asking this to me. It's a two."

"You'd probably think I'd say someone like Mack, but I don't have a problem with the guy. A bit headstrong, but he's cool. There is a guy I have in mind though. I'm sure you've heard of him if you've been talking to enough of the crew. We've got a pink stowaway on board, but he's slippier than any rat I've laid eyes on. He keeps stealing food, messing with the cryo supplies, has camped in the reactor, and that's just the things that's happened in the last two days. I don't think a nice, friendly chat would go astray, don't you think?"

[blueheartedmayor]

△ What do you even want from me?

Triangle Truth (Accepting)

@frxgments-of-frxgments

-

Four.

"I've already told you. I want nothing from you. I want you out of that god-damned mirror, away from that godforsaken house, and never in contact with that bastard of an actor. I will find a way to swap us, and then you are to leave and never join a damned story again."

Dante was already a ghost. He was more than capable to deal with hauntings if he wasn't allowed to simply fade out of existence.

[blueheartedmayor]

△ just why do you seem to think you don’t deserve rest or happiness? what are you so afraid of?

Triangle Truth (Accepting)

-

Dante is silent for a long moment. It almost seems like he wasn't going to acknowledge the question at all.

"Because I don't." A simple answer, really, but he knows it isn't enough to satisfy anyone. At least he acknowledges this with a sigh. He knows how insistent ghosts can be.

"Let me turn the question back to you. Why are people dissatisfied with the idea of Mark moving on and having a happy life? Why do people try and remind him of the past?" The guilty could never fully wash their hands of their crimes. There was a difference between seeking redemption and doing better, and distracting from the truth and trying to bury it.

"You don't know my story, only what I have chosen to show. Those pieces have made all of you come to the same conclusion: that I am a poor soul who is casting too hard a judgement on himself. Do you think the tales of the adventures with Mark are accurate for the timeline I reside in? There was a long time between me escaping the mirror and trapping my friend's soul; and me regaining my senses."

There's a pause so he can take a breath. "I'm not 'afraid' of anything. I seem to be the only one in these messes of stories who acknowledges that he has done wrong, he has blood on his hands, and he should pay the price for that. Happiness is not the reward. It should not be a reward for being a monster. I'm a lawyer, for God's sake. I have a keen sense of 'right' and 'wrong'." That last sentence makes him hesitate as he realises a crucial point he hasn't considered.

"Ah, but I suppose I'm talking to the wall. You're all rather fond of your murderers in this asylum. I've lost count of how many egos gleefully participate in bloodshed. They are your... how was it I heard it said... Your 'blorbos', and so the reality of who they are doesn't matter to you."

Nine.