beholdmydemons | seventh fusion

[Walter starts talking almost immediately after turning on the recording, sounding tired but as though his message was prepared ahead of time.]

You're the king of a country, and you hold a great contest - or a game. One man who comes to participate is very tall, and strong. Would you let him compete as any other, or bar him from the game to even those others' chances?

A man comes to a remote village, one that's remained as it is for a thousand years. He brings with him technology that would change life as the people know it, bringing them comfort and luxury. Should the village send that man away, or accept his gifts?

The person you love is gravely ill, doomed to sleep and never wake...you've tried every remedy you can imagine, and there's nothing left at your disposal. Would you tend to them for the rest of your life, or let them die naturally?

[He goes quiet, not sure what to follow that up with. The radio, playing tinnily in the background, switches to a holiday song that's been on at least five times already today.

...Yeah, that bears asking about. In just as tired a voice, but a much less rehearsed one:]

What the hell is Christmas?

[[ooc: canon update to end of first route split, complete!]]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I would allow the man to compete. It would not be fair to deny him a chance to prove his talents.

Is comfort and luxury all that he offers? It is not wrong for man to seek such things, but they should never be all that man desires. I fear that an indulgence of such earthly pleasures may prove too tempting for one's sinful nature.

I would tend to my love to the day she or I breath my last. She has given her life for my sake; it would be an insult to her if I did nothing less.

[...8|a....]

What do you believe man should desire?

Salvation, redemption, peace and love.

I notice there's nothing of knowledge in there.

All the knowledge in the world would do a man little good if he were to be sent to the Gates of Hell. We should not live our lives as fools, but knowledge alone cannot provide you peace and love.

Doubt peace does you any good in Hell, either. And love's never saved anyone from a cruel fate.

[Someone is bitter.]

Hell is not meant for peace in the first place; it is a place for punishment, not rest. It is only in Heaven that one may find eternal peace.

The Lord's suffering was cruel, but He bore the pain and humiliation for our sake and in doing so saved us all from a fate worse than death.

[ugh] Then your Lord must blind or complacent or both. ["Fate worse than death", his ass.]

Those are grave accusations; what cause do you have to speak such harsh words?

[Oh where does he even start.]

He casts away all that offends His vision, serving nothing but His own lofty ideal. In the world He rules, man suffers without understanding what ails him, stripped of all dignity or potential.

Then we are speaking of different gods; mine is a loving God, who sent His only son to save us from eternal damnation. Mercy, kindness and forgiveness are what he preaches of, not suffering or ailment.

[O...h. Well yeah, there's that - enough of Walter's own demons spoke of being gods of this or that, not to mention the National Defense Divinities. There are/were many gods in the world, so this one might not be the God that the Heralds answer to.

(ahahhaaha)

Walter relaxes a little, still sounding morose but not as openly hostile as before.]

...Still, I wonder at the motive of a God whose ideal human is a tame and unresisting one.

Tame and unresisting, or obedient and yielding? I cannot speak for your god but mine desires obedience from His people, much like how a father desires obedience from His children.

In my experience, fathers prepare their children to succeed them.

Fathers do so because they want their children to have a source of livelihood. It would be an irresponsible parent to leave their child with no skills to provide for an honest living.

But that's the purpose of children obeying their parents, is it not? How is that the same as a god?

[...He's kind of getting the analogy, though, even if he thinks it's bunk and is really bitter about the whole thing.]

"Love your neighbour, as you love yourself."

That is one of the commandments our Lord has given to His people. It is His desire to see a man treat his fellow man as his own brother, not spread suffering and pain. God gives us these rules to obey so that all may lead better lives, away from evil and wrongdoing. Is that not the same as a father who teaches his son to share his bread with those less fortunate than himself? Or who disciplines his child when he catches him stealing a toy from another child?

[nng.] We truly are speaking of different gods altogether. [Gabriel's spiel was about the furthest thing from "sharing with the less fortunate" that he can imagine.] Keep...keep your God, then, and I'll go on bearing no love for mine. A person can only choose for himself on these matters.

I will speak no more on matters of God, for you are correct, in that only man himself can choose to walk down one path or another.

...But you sound far too bitter for one so young. What ails you? Life in these lands are pleasant; our burdens are light, and there is no lack of need or want.

[...Okay, you can have a few points for the free will thing.]

I can't object on that point - this land is a paradise.

[Yay for points! It's a mark of character development for him.]

So what troubles you then? Your words match those of a war-weary knight, rather than a young man as yourself.

...Well, I...am a knight, more or less. [...] Was. In my own world.

[Or so he thinks? He's heard the term crop up here and there in this world, mostly in the context of fairy-stories, and from what he can tell it means about the same thing as the "Samurai" he knows.]

That in itself never gave me much trouble, but...I've seen how people can rob those below them of everything but their lives in the name of "order". Telling them what they should want, what they should know, what their lives are worth...it drives men to madness, and they haven't the freedom to raise a finger to help themselves. [His voice goes strained and angry as he goes on.]

[Walter, you do not know how much your words are stirring up all the guilt that he thought he's managed to put behind him. Dante does look uneasy though; whether it's because he's disturbed by the injustice or because he's feeling the weight of sins past is up to Walter's discretion.]

...and have you seen such injustice here, that it has affected you so?

[Why, how could it not be the former? Shit sucks.

Walter sighs, the tension in his voice easing a little.]

Not here. This is the world I'd make of mine, had I the power. I'd like to know what's made it so different.

[...it might not be a good idea to let Walter know that once upon a time Dante was one of those people who did the robbing.]

Perhaps it is the people.

seventh fusion - audio

no subject

no subject

no subject

[audio]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject