Jasper's eyes snapped over to Walker as he laughed, a soulless stare intended to grace the man with the attention he appeared to crave with his uncouth mirth. Unblinking, not even a twitch of the brow to denote a modicom of reaction beyond simply watching him. They remained statuesque even as he continued into his second irrelevant and wholly unhelpful spat of edgy defeatism. 'Shock' and 'disbelief' were too human of terms to explain the construct's fixation on Walker. Maybe it was a curiosity? Such an assumption was based on the thought that Jasper had never met anyone like Walker, before.

Frankly, Jasper was secure in his knowledge that there were, in fact, [i]many[/i] like Walker, and [i]all[/i] of them were disappointments, in the end. There were no words Jasper could offer that could satisfy Walker, the construct concluded. However...

Kite's ears perked up as Violet coldly addressed him as if this had just become business. They turned to look at Violet with a confused expression of alarm before Jasper finally said, [color=00746b]"I think I may know a way to answer your question, Miss V, that may ease both of your dispositions."[/color] The smoother tone that the words came from held an almost condescending bite to it. Turning to the group, Jasper broke the lace of his fingers to offer an 'oh well' of a shrug with a playful tilt of their head as they simply said, [color=00746b]"Give up,"[/color] he casually chirped in a 'matter of fact' way before continuing, [color=00746b]"Kedvin's people are not in the same position as you, No. They were either born here from those who gave up, or gave up, themselves. Given their unknown odds, they [i]chose[/i] to die [i]here[/i]...'safely'. They abandoned their strings or were associates of those who did, their Kites withered, and they were free to sell their lives to the library, to research, to the woods, or to Kedvin Buncha."[/color]
Jasper didn't articulate or gesture as he spoke, this was a raw addressal intended to focus the two out of their state...like a scolding, but with a smile. [color=00746b]"I will elucidate you to their fates; that every last one of them will expire in this space between, trying to help whoever holds the string, next, on their way." [/color]

Kite's fluff stood up, eyes blinking from looking between Jasper and Violet.

[color=00746b]"Their deaths will be slow, uncomfortable, and undignified. All you have to do is admit their efforts are in vain, and you can be free to join them. They will not hold it against you. There will be others to hold the string...there [i]always[/i] is."[/color]

[color=f6989d]"Vh...vee..."[/color] Kite softly spoke, ears folding back as he hesitantly took a step closer, a desperate look of frustration behind how he seemed to be trying to sound out words to speak for himself.

Jasper's smile creaked into a subtle wry smirk, [color=00746b]"I am [i]confident[/i] the next ones will not be quite as disappointing as [color=598527]'a pair of humans--next in line for this grand ol' endeavor'[/color], as you would put it, [i]Captain[/i] Walker,"[/color] they mused, shifting to a cut version of Walker's own words. They turned to address Violet, [color=00a99d]"Your associate can be replaced, many in town would be honored to take his place. I do, however, insist you consider these options, carefully."[/color]