As he sees the change in Matthew's eyes, Mortimer keeps his movements slow and nonthreatening. Even as Matthew takes a step back, Mortimer has his hands behind his back again, unmoving. "I know you have no reason to trust me, but please believe me when I say - you are safe here. You are in no danger here. I can return you to your friends as soon as your questions are answered."
The likely ignored comforting aside, Death frowns at Matthew's words. "I did not set up the scenario; it was already there. Just as all of them have already been there. You can certainly stop this version of me, true, but I wish to work with you to prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future."
Mortimer pauses for a moment, stepping over to where Nancy is poking around, before he carefully draws his hand up and trickles some birdseed into a pile for her. Surely that would catch her interest. "It is the life before it that gives the death any meaning. While I agree death is important, it is life I protect. I will not let you Travelers die permanently in this. That is far too great a sacrifice to ask of any of you. It is my duty to revive you all should your biological functions cease, though the method is grisly. That is... something I wish I could have done for those of us who have died. But wishes rarely solve any problems, do they?"
He looks at Matthew, straight on, adding, "I understand that 'kicking the bucket' death can negatively impact you, but as I said before, such a quick transfer to new ectoplasmic bodies had not ever been tested before in Synodiporia's history. I had also never had someone die in such rapid succession to note any psychological trauma it might have inflicted until the third repeat of Moebius. That is when I knew for certain that it should be stopped... but all parties involved have to agree to a shutdown. MALBOLGE was not going to give you that. So I had to do the best I could, under the circumstances. The only good that came of it was that none of you could remember in much detail the horrors you had just experienced."
no subject
The likely ignored comforting aside, Death frowns at Matthew's words. "I did not set up the scenario; it was already there. Just as all of them have already been there. You can certainly stop this version of me, true, but I wish to work with you to prevent such a tragedy from happening in the future."
Mortimer pauses for a moment, stepping over to where Nancy is poking around, before he carefully draws his hand up and trickles some birdseed into a pile for her. Surely that would catch her interest. "It is the life before it that gives the death any meaning. While I agree death is important, it is life I protect. I will not let you Travelers die permanently in this. That is far too great a sacrifice to ask of any of you. It is my duty to revive you all should your biological functions cease, though the method is grisly. That is... something I wish I could have done for those of us who have died. But wishes rarely solve any problems, do they?"
He looks at Matthew, straight on, adding, "I understand that 'kicking the bucket' death can negatively impact you, but as I said before, such a quick transfer to new ectoplasmic bodies had not ever been tested before in Synodiporia's history. I had also never had someone die in such rapid succession to note any psychological trauma it might have inflicted until the third repeat of Moebius. That is when I knew for certain that it should be stopped... but all parties involved have to agree to a shutdown. MALBOLGE was not going to give you that. So I had to do the best I could, under the circumstances. The only good that came of it was that none of you could remember in much detail the horrors you had just experienced."