[Date: Same day! Time: Some time after last time!] (Yup, just make sure you mention where we ware and all of that!) [Location: At the restaurant. In the middle of eating all the delicious food, the indoorsiness is somewhat claustrophobic for those who've been stuck driving a car and haven't had the sweet taste of fresh nicotine injected into their lungs. Roseli has stepped out for a few moments for a well-needed smoke break. See her assault that clean air with the toxins inhaled into her lungs! Mmm.] [Mini Start] * Roseli does in fact do just that, excusing herself to duck out of the restaurant. She paces a bit away from the door, eventually getting to the side of the restaurant and, not standing in windows or anything, shakes out another one of those precious cigarettes and lights it. * Heinrick heads out quietly, shortly after Rose has, heading in the direction she did. Walking up calmly, he clears his throat and responds. "I'd thought you'd quit." * Roseli takes a drag, savors it, and then lets out a stream of smoke before answering Heinrick. "I did." * Heinrick lets out a sigh. "If anything would cause turning to it again, it would be now. I am surprised you haven't started earlier. It shows vast restraint." * Roseli shrugs slightly, looking out at the parking lot. "Do my best." * Heinrick looks out as well. "Do you know what your plans are after all of this?" * Roseli thinks about that, putting the cigarette back in her mouth, then shakes her head. "Figure I'll keep watching over Jamie, but." Assuming we can break. Figure just do it after we help your 'friend'. But it's just a continuation of what we have been doing, isn't it? * Heinrick snorts at the friend comment. "I believe Togo knows him better than the rest of us. It is as much an entrapment as Blitzkrieg was." * Roseli rolls her eyes and flicks some ash off her cigarette. "Hm." No offense, Heinrick, but I don't have anything else to do. Continuation's better than nothing. * Heinrick shrugs slightly, looking faintly amused. "I apologize. I meant no insult. I have to say I haven't really given it much thought either." His expression changes to more genuine as he gives a long sigh. "To be honest, I am as lost as you are." * Roseli snerks. "Could try to find a way to fix the wards' problem." She blows some smoke into the air. "Partly our fault." * Heinrick snorts at that, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Do you truly believe Keiko would *accept* my help?" If you had answers, yes. Pretty sure she doesn't completely hate you. I suppose anything is possible. But it does make it rather difficult to work with. * Heinrick rubs his forehead a little. "She seems to have a difficult time even entertaining anything I say at this point." * Heinrick looks into his coat and gets out his pipe, starting to tap some leaves into it. He could use a smoke now too, it seems. * Roseli offers her lighter. "Never said she liked you." But I think Keiko respects you. Or she wouldn't be so angry. * Heinrick snorts. "I don't ask her to like me. I only ask her to accept a proposition even if it might be someone she doesn't get along with." * Heinrick takes the lighter greatfully and gives it a few tries before taking a puff and handing it back. "Thank you." * Roseli nods, tucking the lighter back in her pocket as she smokes herself. "Would help if either of you could give a straight answer, without being dismissive." * Heinrick cough-chuckles at that and then gives a smile at Roseli. "Very true." And as the adult, might be up to you to take that first step. * Roseli gives a small smile. "Just some unprofessional advice." I already knew that much. If I waited for Keiko to approach me, the world would have ended long before we even got to this point. * Heinrick shakes his head. "I have been a dead man for so long, Ms. Tavares. The possibility of this ending is...not a prospect I had considered." A dead man? * Heinrick smiles slightly at Roseli. "Walking dead." Why wouldn't it end? If anything, you'll be more dead. * Roseli has another drag. "Change your name, move, start over." * Heinrick snickers. "Already tried that once." He takes another drag. "And from what I recall, so have you, correct?" More or less. For Blitzkrieg, yes. But I would need to know where starting over would start. Otherwise, I'm doomed to repeat old patterns. Hm. Maybe Togo can help. * Roseli sighs, rubbing at her bracelet. "Could contact Estefani, but..." * Heinrick snorts at that. "I am *not* becoming one of the Trenchcoat light brigade." * Heinrick thinks about that for a moment. "...do we know how he got in the state that he did?" Hm? Estefani. The half-living state he is in now... * Roseli sighs. "I know... but you won't be able to use it for anything." * Heinrick glances over at Roseli for a moment. "Hm?" * Roseli flicks some ash off her cigarette. "Davi would be the one to ask about." Estefani was killed and just became a ghost. Probably unfinished business. * Roseli takes a drag. "Violent death. Couldn't help." * Heinrick rubs his chin and then shakes it, sighing. "No. Likely couldn't." * Heinrick takes another puff and looks out at the background again. "The older I get, the more convoluted the answer gets. And the more elusive." Why bother? Inertia? * Heinrick chuckles. "Perhaps. That or closure." * Heinrick shakes his head, again amused. "Science is ever the search for answers. But answers tend to lead to more questions. It is the bane of any scientist." * Roseli shakes her head. "Would think death should be the ultimate closure. When people tamper with that... that's when we end up with what we have now." * Heinrick chuckles. "Perhaps." He sighs. "Perhaps it is the purpose of any scientist to discover the nature of the universe and then work towards breaking it. It would appear Shibamura was of that ilk." * Roseli eyes Heinrick. "And you?" * Heinrick shrugs slightly. "I would like to say that I am not. But truthfully, I cannot say I am certain of anything." * Heinrick takes a smoke. "What are your impressions?" About what, science? I'm no scientist, Heinrick. No. Of me. * Roseli blinks, and she looks at Heinrick again. "Of you." * Heinrick doesn't look at Roseli, but continues smoking, awaiting an answer. * Roseli thinks about that as she smokes the last of her cigarette, then tries to choose her words carefully: "You... were clearly in love with your wife. You wanted her back, and you made it your life's work to bring her back. But now, I'm pretty sure you have seen enough to question it - but what else is there to do? Life's work is life's work." So even as you doubt, you still feel the need to push on. * Roseli takes one final drag and tosses her cigarette on the ground, grinding it out with her boot. "As for science, you hate the unnatural as a general rule." * Heinrick nods in response to Roseli's statement, although he seems to be largely taking it neutrally, without a reaction. "People are motivated by death, as a general rule. Whether it be fighting for our survival, continuing rituals in rememberance of a lost love one, or simply prolonging it by medical procedures. It is as fascinating a subject at it is motivation through fear." * Heinrick takes another smoke. "Where we limit ourselves in our motivation for death is largely arbitrary." Largely? * Heinrick chuckles. "I believe there comes a point in time where death, for better or for worse, has to have meaning." * Roseli snorts a little. "Yeah, when someone's dead." So...I suppose my search now is more focused on that. * Heinrick turns to Roseli. "If someone were set in a coma, would you not do anything in your power to revive them?" * Heinrick takes a puff from his pipe. "What prevents you from just sliding that one step further?" * Roseli smirks. "Depends on the person." She shakes out another cigarette. * Heinrick barks out a laugh. "Fair enough." (Edit to slide that "just" before the "one" instead of before the "sliding") I wouldn't bring back my son, if that's what you're asking. And don't even think that you loved your wife more than I loved him. I was speaking philosophically, but I am sorry for your loss. * Roseli lights her cigarette. "Well," she murmurs, "fixing two or three mistakes with one more doesn't fix anything." * Heinrick nods. "And your son's death, for better or for worse, has meaning in your life now." * Ten has joined #mc4 * Heinrick sighs slightly. "So I believe to bring him back now would cheapen that meaning." * Roseli closes her eyes. "There's meaning. None of it good." Her hand shakes slightly as she puts the new cigarette to her mouth. * Heinrick nods slowly and carefully. "But you are right. Bringing him back would not change the mistake." He looks over at Rose's expression for a moment. "Again, I am sorry." * Roseli looks away, uncomfortably. And smokes, for she conveniently has a cigarette. * Heinrick taps his tobacco out slightly. "Perhaps I should go." Hm. Heinrick... * Heinrick looks at Roseli for a moment. "Hm?" * Roseli looks to Heinrick. "When this is over. I wouldn't mind keeping in touch." She lets out a stream of smoke, then sighs. "We *have* to stay in touch, but beyond that." * Heinrick chuckles slightly. "I believe I would like that." He smiles at Roseli. "Returning from the depths of hell is not an experience you can share with just anyone." Not so much. * Heinrick gives her a brief nod. "Take your time. I am not one to interrupt one of your vices. Especially one as well deserved as this one. I will see you back in the restaurant when you are ready." * Heinrick dumps out the rest of his pipe before returning it to his case and sticking his hands in his coat pockets, making his way back inside. [Mini End]