Flash Freeze

[James Turner]

“So what you wish for can’t exist, that you believe to be an illusion. So you joined the winter court to cast aside illusion? Is that right?”

He put his fingers to his lips as he tried to piece together the answer hidden behind her words. He still felt like he was being kept at a distance but they were talking and that was as good a place to start as any.

“It’s the only thing that made sense. When a god comes for you what hope do you have? Do you simply ignore that the god is there? Do you try and understand the god in hoping that there’s a weakness? Do you fight the god? Or do you hide and pray that the god doesn’t notice you? The last one seems only logical given the other options. Before you say it, I know they aren’t gods but there’s as close as I’ve ever seen to one.

“If what you desire isn’t possible what do you seek to make of your future then?”

He reached toward the center of the table grabbing the bottle of wine and refilling his glass offering to refill her glass at the same time.

[Angel]

Angel waves the refill off. "The only way to defeat a god is to become one. What is a man to a bug, but a god? But a bug can never be a man. A man can never be a god, but we're no longer part of mankind. We're more a distant cousin. Evolved. I do no wish to be a piece of art on display, but how does one truly escape the past they've always known? How can one evolve again? The world is a cold and vile place John. I will find a way to survive it and remain free."

[James Turner]

“When God is that? Why bother at all.”

He took a sip of his wine and shook his head. Going to have to keep an eye on this one. A sigh passing his lips as he pulled the glass away masking the behavior.

“Power is an interesting thing. Absolute power, etcetera. But it can be harder in someone who’s been made small. Getting a chance to feel big, to make others pay, to not feel small again. It’s a problem. It tends to lead toward the same behavior that made them small. One bully becoming another and thus continues the cycle.

“I refuse to play their game, I refuse to play by their rules. I will break the wheel.” Another shake of his head and another sip of his wine, hand coming up to pinch the bridge of his nose. Why can’t things ever be easy. “So what was your next question?”

[Angel]

Angel smiles at John's break the wheel comment, "The game is the already broken, and the rules do not favor us. How will you break the wheel to benefit you? What is you strategy?"

[James Turner]

“Not becoming them, trying my best to stay what I was and not what they made me. Sometimes the only winning move is not to play. I wonder if we escaped or were allowed to escape…” He shrugged, “I try not to think about their mindset, might as well be unknowable. There’s only one way to stop a cycle.” That’s to accept the horror done to you and not continue it yourself.

"Anything else you'd like to cover as our evening winds to a close?"