I am back!

[vaznetti]

...From my conference -- which was all very nice. Apparently I have missed some television? Have I missed anything else? I glanced through a few pages of friends list, but can't quite manage to go all the way back to Sunday morning.

I am surprisingly tired, although hiking up a big hill for some quick sightseeing this morning might have something to do with that.

ETA that I've had to turn off anonymous posting, because I was getting some porno spam. I'm sorry about that, and may change it back in a week or so to see if it's stopped.

Comments

[rhi]

Yes, I did, and I owe you a reply, but er, so far it's all "Squeeeeeeeee!" followed by "Fuck if I know how to get them back out, I'm thinking, I'm thinking, don't you smell the smoke?" ;->

[vaznetti]

Well, I managed to get Duncan out of the chair, at least. I'm not sure that it comes across, in the scene I've written, just how smart Duncan is being here, but he is -- I find Duncan's intelligence fascinating, because it's not manipulative at all, but he does see other people very clearly and -- despite that? -- sympathetically. Which is an enormous advantage here.

I'm not sure what happens after that, of course, but I'm picking away at it.

[rhi]

Well, actually, sometimes Duncan's intelligence *is* manipulative (Gina de Valicourt and Amanda come to mind immediately), but you're right. He's being damn smart and sympathetic here. Because yeah, he's going to have to get peaceful relations established or he's just going to get shot again!

::thoughtful:: Knowing Duncan... offer to help John check to make sure this one's dead? And then offer any tips he's picked up? And then *not* go along on anything else, because it would make John paranoid, although that'll drive Duncan nuts since he likes fixing problems....

(And if none of this is any help, delete it, of course!)

[vaznetti]

Yes, I see what you mean. And of course, Duncan is kind of playing John here, in the sense that he's getting him to do what Duncan wants (and needs!) him to do -- but it is nonetheless sympathetic and self-aware.

The problem, as you say, is that Duncan will want to involve himself, and John won't like that -- but Duncan's main concern here isn't John's, exactly. Duncan wants to know what Meg is (did she survive the fall because she was possessed, or because she was immortal? the second would require Duncan to get involved) -- whereas I think John assumes that the demon possessing Meg will ditch the body and move on. So he might be willing to let Duncan persuade him to let him clean that up (from John's perspective!).

[rhi]

I hadn't even thought of Meg being a possible immortal; no wonder Duncan's concerned! Whee! Lovely tangle you're unraveling!

[vaznetti]

Of course she isn't, really, but Duncan can't afford to rule that possibility out. It's not like demonic forces haven't targeted immortals before this, in his experience. But I have to make it clear that he's thinking that, even though John doesn't know it. Ah, point of view -- I love it and I hate it!