But you're hurting me from inside of my head

[have_your_lives]

[Filtered to the Legion of Doom, Edward Nigma, and pretty much everyone he's contacted in regards to this post]

I think our friend Nigma has, once again, neglected to consider the finer points of telepathy...as, perhaps, all of you may have. Namely, if he's asking you all for ways to defeat a telepath, then he doesn't have any now. So he's blithely led me to being aware of each and every one of you.

I know who you are. I know everything you've cared to pass on to Edward Nigma. For your own sakes, I'd suggest questioning the risks you're taking, aligning yourselves with a self-proclaimed genius who can't even wrap his mind around the basics of mind-reading. Look how badly he's stumbled right out of the gate, exposing every one of his allies. Is this really the horse you want to bet on? Because, if he suddenly becomes more well-equipped or more competent than he is now...

I'll know who to blame.

[OOC: All information Schuldig is working on is courtesy of Edward - with permission - and whether it goes further than that is up to you. :3 ]

Comments

[hungry-monster.livejournal.com]

Mmm. Have you noticed they've started to get more ... automated in the process now?

Large groups seem to come and leave.

[thenorthernwall]

[SHE WILL NOT FLINCH A BIT.

PERVERT.

But she's glad you caught that, because she means it. They're all the same.]

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Well, never let it be said that Schuldig is immune to simple flattery. You can practically hear his grin.] And you sound like you've got good taste. And bad luck, if you've been forced to hang out with Nigma as your best option until now...

I don't honestly know what kind of range he expected. The town isn't all that big, and he all but announced to me that I'd need to keep tabs on him...even if I had a small range, I could just go hang out by his house to keep track of what he's up to.

In short, he's an idiot.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

In cycles. Yes, I've noticed. I'm probably able to keep track better than most, given that I can feel when minds go blank from droning.

I don't like this feeling of increased efficiency on their part.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[He eventually catches his breath.] So what do you intend to do, Armstrong? Help him kill me for the sake of his ego?

[cramschoolgod.livejournal.com]

Ah, I see. Yes, those are rather tedious reasons, aren't they? Only a few of them seem to have a good rational basis behind them, and at any rate, I would expect the proper solution to be developing oneself better, rather than defeating you. [Or stealing your powers away from you via some kind of transplant, she goes on to think. Or simply going into denial about the situation.]

Yes, well, in that case, I understand. [But she also intends to ask him about it, too, of course; not going to just take his word for it.]

[1800deadpoo.livejournal.com]

Hey, gotta make sure you're legit, yanno? Any hack can call themselves a telepath. 'sides, it's always worth a laugh or three whenever someone tries to get into my mind.

[hungry-monster.livejournal.com]

It is troubling. They even seem to have assigned people jobs solely of greeting the new people.

[thenorthernwall]

What good would that do? A cycle of revenge killings is what I would like to avoid, right now--go ahead and use that against me, if you feel like you need to.

I need people unoccupied and intact if I'm going to get us out of here.

[bro-thel-fist.livejournal.com]

So, you're the telepath he's all butthurt about?

Nice to meetcha.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

[Short laughter. Not childish, but sharp, cruel laughter.]

I know right? But hey, beggars can't be choosers. And it helps to have a moron to throw to the wolves sometimes, you know?

[He partially means it and partially doesn't. Oh fuck, please don't be reading his mind right now. He's totally up for throwing Eddie to the wolves to save himself and the others he cares about, but goddamn he hopes that you don't pick up that his malice isn't entirely honest.]

Ain't the brightest bulb, naw. But you sound like you got it together man. Doesn't sound like you'd really have a problem crushing him if you really wanted to.

[greatestmanll40.livejournal.com]

[The second Lex hears Schuldig on the phone, he immediately equips himself with his Anti-Telepathy shield removed from his warsuit, attaching it it the back of his neck.]

Ah... so you're Schuldig.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Oh, that laugh doesn't surprise Schuldig much. Pokey is just about the age where he himself started to sound like that.] Not that you'd throw your meat shield to the wolves unless you had to, hm...? [He drags out the pause a teasingly long moment.] After all, that would be wasteful.

[Did he pick up on that, Pokey, or was it a random statement? Either way, it seems your secret is safe...whether Schuldig is ignorant of it, or he's permitting you to keep it.]

In a heartbeat. But why drop the axe when you can lower the pendulum inch by inch?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

I admit, I'm surprised. I thought you'd jump at the chance to help someone murder me. Is his ego simply not justification enough, or do I warrant that much cautious handling?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Hah. Busywork. Still, if it means less hapless wanderers stumbling around questioning everything for the rest of us to deal with, I could almost thank them.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Then you already know why I'm not even trying. Figure out some other way.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

[Now that gets his attention. He doesn't necessarily focus in on any one person's thoughts until they give him some reason to pay attention, but he caught the tail end of Lex's thoughts before they simply...vanished. He's only experienced that sudden emptiness through the death or, more recently, droning of someone he was listening to...

But the man doesn't sound droned at all. Certainly not dead. What is this?

Aside from legitimately troubling, if this is one of Edward's allies.]

It seems I've gained quite the reputation. So you're one of the people Edward's trying to con into settling his grudges for him?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

An understatement.

Hello, Raquel.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Eh, maybe I would if I was bored enough, I guess. But otherwise yeah, I guess it would be best to keep him.

[It's been so long since he's talked this viciously, but it comes easily to him. He might be changing, but it's not like he can fully get rid of who he was.]

Hey, whatever floats your boat. I'd prefer showing a gnat they're a gnat sooner then later so they get out of my face, though.

[thenorthernwall]

The safety of my men is more important to me than working with idiots who rush in before they're informed. I'd like to make a deal with you, if possible.

[greatestmanll40.livejournal.com]

Nigma is an associate of mine, so I trust to help him with whatever... problems he may face.

I haven't actually heard many good things about you,.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Why? Associating with him doesn't seem all that profitable, from where I'm standing, and he doesn't seem to have a single problem he hasn't single-handedly created for himself. Why anyone would want to help him clean up his own messes, I can't imagine.

Now there's a surprise. What have you heard about me?

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

A deal, hm...? And you don't think this might be the perfect opportunity? Edward seems to be rounding up a posse against me, and my usual backup is...gone.

[have-your-lives.livejournal.com]

Oh, there's nothing quite like giving a gnat full knowledge of its scale and its place in the world, I'll grant you. But it's more enjoyable to reveal it slowly, bit by bit, and watch its mind break down. Drop it on the gnat all at once, and its mind simply won't be able to comprehend.

And then, of course, you let it keep on living, knowing everything. It's exquisite.

[godisachild.livejournal.com]

Can't argue with that, mister.

[Well shit, yeah. You really are just an utter asshole, aren't you? Any remaining thoughts the kid might have had of trying to continue to help Eddie against you are pretty much dashed at that, at least for now.]

Have fun with it I guess chief. I ain't gonna stop you.