[Video]

[la_belle_rogue]

[Rogue doesn't look happen when she turns on the feed. In fact, she seems grim and pensive. She's sitting at the island in her kitchen, arms folded across the counter top, leaning over them heavily. She takes a moment to gather her thoughts before she starts speaking.]

Ah wanna talk about choices for a minute. This place is very unique, in that it offers up an option that should be the hard choice, and makes it look like the easy choice.

Killin' someone should never be considered the right thing to do. Sometimes it's the necessary thing. Sometimes it's the only thing we can do, when faced with an extreme situation. Life or death. Kill or be killed. But the Barge warps that into an easy go to and it shouldn't be. Not every option is life or death, kill or be killed.

Sometimes we find ourselves between rocks and hard places. And in those times our choices are either bad or worse. But just because a choice might not be a good one, doesn't mean that it's not the better one. Just because a choice leaves a mess behind, doesn't mean it's not better than the alternative.

Now before ya'll start in on how death isn't permanent here, let me just say this: Ah. Don't. Care. Wardens are here ta help people get their lives back, and actin' cavalier 'bout takin' someone's life is pretty counter productive ta that, from where Ah'm standin'.

We've got a lot of extraordinary people here, who can do amazin' things, but we have become frighteningly dependent on one lone miracle. We're treatin' death like a time out. Death should be the hardest choice we make, no matter what world we're from, no matter how many reset buttons the Admiral is willin' ta press for us. It never should be treated lightly. Even in a place where it doesn't stick. And we certainly shouldn't get angry at someone when they choose not ta take a life, no matter what mess comes with that choice. Don't ya see how backwards this is? And we've been doin' it for a long time here. Ah imagine a lot longer than Ah've been around, and Ah can honestly say Ah'm ashamed for not payin' attention t'it sooner and speakin' up about it before now.

[She shakes her head, sits back. What else can she say on this?]

That's all Ah've got ta say.

Comments

[to_dust]

No. Even a permanent death is better than what he did.

[private/spam]

[sickjoke]

[ Jack hasn't been ignoring the barge; in fact, he's been glad that there's someone else doing something stupid to draw attention away from his personal boogie man. ]

[ But he started paying attention when something got C'rizz agitated. This? Isn't going to help. ]

[ So for the first time in days, he reaches out, to put a hand on his companion's shoulder. Sure, he hasn't shaved in days and he's got a glorious green beard starting, and looks sort of like a penitent monk himself these days... but he's at least up and moving. ]

C'rizz. It's alright. She can't understand, if she's never been there. Two weeks ago... I might've said the same thing.

[ Little does he know what Rogue's powers do. ]

[la_belle_rogue]

Permanent death is an end of options completely. How is that better, C'rizz?

[She's patient with him, because this is an important conversation, and very close to home for him. He's got a reason for feeling like he does, and so does she.]

[fireincarnate]

...I don't think it is. [Her voice is quiet. Soft.]

Someone did that to me, too. Reached into my mind and twisted it around. Made me something I never - [She shakes her head.]

But I broke free. I fought them, and I won. If I'd just died - then my friends might have, too. Mastermind would be free to manipulate whoever he liked. [Her lips curl around the words.

You made me trust you. Perhaps even love you.]

Dying is easy, C'rizz. But life - hope - is always worth it.

[She remembers telling Scott the opposite, and she realises - fully, truly - that she doesn't believe it any more.]

[surfaceshine]

You keep talking like death is the ultimate price and the shittiest option.

You know it's not, right? Or maybe you don't.

[la_belle_rogue]

[It's...hard to keep her temper when he says it that way, like he's the only one who knows and just because she hasn't lost hope that she's ignorant. It's a razors edge. But she bites down on the impulse to verbally rip his head off, because that wouldn't help either of them.]

Ah'm talkin' about takin' life, not dyin' itself. Killin' someone should mean more than throwin' away a broken glass. But yeah it is the shittiest option, because in most cases, it can't be undone. And for the rare exceptions, well no one actually hands out get outta death free cards before hand any where else but here, far as Ah know.

[routemistress]

I've been guilty of it meself. I'm not a killer by nature. I've killed two people I love 'ere and that's not counting me 'aving rabies or being me evil alter ego at the time.

Not ready to say them two times were wrong choices, mind, not this late in the day. But it doesn't 'urt to say it out loud.

[la_belle_rogue]

Like Ah said, Iris. Sometimes it's a choice between two bad things and we gotta make a call. But when there are actual other options, how can we say it's wrong ta let someone live? Yeah there's mess ta clean up, but ta say just go ahead and kill someone? Ah can't stand by that. We're not objects that can be replaced, and we shouldn't act like it.

[americasdirtiest]

I don't even know what everyone's all worked up about, if the dude's really as bad as it sounds like he is. If it were me with the gun to my head, I'd sure as shit do the same. Boo fuckin' hoo -- psycho acted like a psycho and got zapped in the brain for a minute. At least he's feeling happy.

[la_belle_rogue]

It's isn't just this particular circumstance Ah'm talkin' about but, this isn't a great situation, but it can be fixed. The issue Ah'm talkin' about is how on the Barge, death seems like the go-to choice for too many people.

[codename_duchess]

How about for work? Is it okay then?

[la_belle_rogue]

Ah think Ah made it clear it's never "okay". Necessary sometimes, but never okay.

[youwill]

Is that all you have to say.

[He's furious. What he portrays now is calm anger, civil and careful. That is the veil. The reality is an anger so deep he has to struggle to keep his heart rate even.]

[la_belle_rogue]

[She made that pretty clear. But she'll be polite. This is a touchy subject, and she knows she's on the less screamingly offended side. But she has a unique perspective here as well. Patience, civility, is required if she's to be listened to at all.]

Ah'd like ta think someone as intelligent as you would understand that Ah am, in fact, talkin' about a larger problem than just yer particular example, Doctor.

[godsays]

Maybe it's not about you.

[deshabille]

Have you considered the possibility that someone might prefer death to indignity?

[la_belle_rogue]

If we're gonna discuss death verse indignity, then we'll have ta ask the Admiral ta weigh in. Ah know a lot of Inmates consider this place and indignity.

[video]

[theresalwayshope]

...I'm new here. I don't know if I'm qualified to weigh in on this? But I...died as a result of the breach. Someone killed me, under the influence of that gas on the second level, and someone I love would have been killed if I hadn't stepped in. It was my first time.

...and not knowing what was on the other side...not really, not having died before...it was a very easy decision for me to make. The choice to die.

In my normal life, I'm a hunter. I have to make those choices: to kill or not to kill. I guess I have to make those choices here, too. I do agree that the decision to take a life should never be made lightly...but that doesn't mean it shouldn't be easy.

The man who killed me meant to kill one of my best friends. If I had time? My murderer would be death tolling right now instead of me. And it would have been the easiest thing in the world for me to do.

I can see where the reset button you mentioned might make it easy for some to kill? But...I guess I just wanted to point out that some people here will never take that free pass into consideration. In my case? It's three individuals on this ship I decided to kill for, to die for, long before any of us got here.

If I kill for them? I kill assuming they won't wake up...and when I die to protect them, I do so believing it's the end for me.

And either way, the choice is always easy.

[video]

[la_belle_rogue]

[For this one, she just feels sorrow. Clearly she's seen a lot, done a lot, and there's wisdom that came from it. Finally a warden that isn't harping on the catalyst, but is focusing on the point. But her final statement there is was makes Rogue sad. This girl sounds like an old soldier, and she's so young.]

Ah imagine that ease comes from a long time makin' that choice. Like liftin' a weight, it doesn't stop being heavy, but yer arm gets stronger.

[video]

[notsoneedy]

Do you really think that? About it being the hardest choice?

[Needy doesn't give a damn about what happened to Hannibal, she doesn't have an opinion on it or know any of the people involved. But on killing in general; this she has questions and thoughts.]

[video]

[la_belle_rogue]

Ah do. When ya take a life, that stays with ya. Y'can't wash it away. It follows ya for the rest of yer days. Bringin' an end ta someone else, that should be hard. The day it's not is the day ya've lost somethin' that makes ya...for lack of a better term, human.

[voice]

[hearrrtofgold]

[Duke sits on his response for a long time. Of course they could always debate intricacies and exceptions and each possible manifestation of the situation, but why bother? He sees her point. He's always agreed with that point.

It's just hard to bring himself to say why.]

Where I'm from, families inherit these superpowers called Troubles. They're usually dangerous, deadly, sometimes uncontrollable. Sometimes people use them to harm others, sometimes people can't stop them from harming others. Mine is that... [He hesitates. There's still time to back out of this, but he's gotten this far.] People in my family can kill a Troubled person, and the Trouble stops - forever, for everyone.

My father hunted the Troubled. My grandfather had his doubts, but so did he. So did everyone in my family, for generations. To keep everyone safe, he said. And sometimes they did. Sometimes they saved lives by killing people and ending their Troubles.

I've done it once for those reasons. It's bullshit. It sucks.

There's a woman from Haven, Noel, with a resurrection Trouble. Her sister would murder rich people and have Noel bring them back for cash. Nathan died - got shot - the day they arrested her. He came back, and he couldn't feel any of it. But he still died.

[He pauses pensively. Duke can roll with the punches in any given situation, but Rogue's point can't be ignored.]

My personal experience, observation only? You're right. Death should be a last resort, even if it can be reversed.

[voice ; private]

[notsoneedy]

So...your special secret power is killing other people. Basically.

[She's not judging, she's just very...something. Surprised, she guesses. She knew Duke had to be special in some way but this is a little bit more than that.]

[fridgetothefire]

[She considers, solemn, thoughtful.]

I used death to reset myself, once.

During the rabies. I was losing my mind - gradually, by inches, but I could see where I was going. It was a way to stop myself from killing someone else.

I'm grateful that the price for that was as low as it was. But it started a habit of selling myself cheap that ended up hurting people who cared about me.

[mistconduct]

Yeah, dickheads. Stop killing each other.

God, it's like fucking toddlers and tiaras over here.

[godsays]

No. It can be right. It can be clean, and it can save lives.

Even here, where people come back, it can be right.

[punched_hitler]

I think you're absolutely right. And you said it far better than I ever could have hoped to.

[la_belle_rogue]

[She smiles, because she's so relieved to have Steve back her up. Captain America is obviously a good man, no matter what universe he comes from.]

Thanks, Cap. Ah appreciate the support. Really.

Private

[fireincarnate]

[She talked to C'rizz first, and a desperate ache remains in her chest; she hasn't thought about it, what Mastermind did to her. The violation, the corruption - it was easier not to think about.

But she should. She should face it, and deal with it, and maybe she'll be closer to finding peace.

That's not where her smile comes from, though. It's soft and warm and proud.]

You're doing the X-Men proud, Rogue. Charles couldn't have said it better himself.