[It will be of little use. He won't hear them. He won't hear a word. He won't know they ever said anything, and he won't ever hear the message. It will bounce harmlessly back onto their TAB, and nothing will be lost or gained. Not very efficient, wasting time on -
This.
I wouldn't give up. I wouldn't have left if I had the choice, and I wouldn't have stopped trying.
But he did. Didn't he.
He'll never have to worry about it again. He'll never have to worry about playing their stupid mind games, about the minefields of conversation, about any of it. How nice for him, right? How nice for everyone!
A hero doesn't give up. Not willingly. But sometimes there are sacrifices that heroes make, and due to their sacrifice, things can progress in some fashion. People can survive, and cheer, and breathe a sigh of relief because the sacrifice achieves some manner of happy ending for everyone. The hero, however, gets something of the short end of the stick, do they not? They never get to know if it meant anything. They never get to know if their sacrifice mattered. They are reduced to hurling a knotted-up tangle of words, of sentiment, of ideals, into a future in which they no longer exist and hoping that something will stick.
"I wouldn't give up. I wouldn't have left if I had the choice, and I wouldn't have stopped trying."
[A pause.]
Funny. Woulds and coulds never get anyone anywhere, do they? Perhaps you wouldn't have. But you did.
I will not claim to be surprised, Mr. Lúcio. I did say this would happen. One way or another. How courteous of you to prove me right; regardless of whether this was your choice or not, I find that intent seldom has anything to do with it.
You are, without question, one of the most persistent individuals I've ever had the misfortune of encountering. Do not take it personally. Most humans are. You lack any sense of self-preservation, it seems, as well as any sort of awareness as to when it is best for one to QUIT.
If I were a sentimental person, I would doubtless thank you for that. Fortunately for all parties involved, I am not overly attached to the idea of sentiment. [Liar.] I do not treasure keepsakes, I do not place stock in naive hopes, and I do not deal in fond memories. [Liar.]
As you will never hear this, as I will never have to watch you smugly pronounce that I am some sort of demon transcendent, a far better person than I give myself credit for - do not fool yourself, sir. I am nothing of the sort - I suppose I am doing little more than what you have done now.
There is no guarantee this message will come through. In fact, it is entirely too likely that it won't.
One simply has to have faith. One simply has to trust that it will mean something. One has to hope - [And they scoff] - that some part of it will matter. As I am the most faithless being in existence, I find this rather difficult. So.
You will have to have that faith in my stead. Given the message you left behind, I trust that will not be difficult. In fact, I am rather certain of it. You trust far, far too easily.
[A moment. The quiet rustle of a page turning. They're reading from a book, though he would probably not recognize which one.]
"But I'm not free, I realized; I've been touched by Yuichi's soul. How much easier it would be to stay away forever."
[Another brief period of silence, and the book closes.]
How much easier indeed.
If the Ingress is kind, you will not remember me, and you will never hear any of this.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
audio message, post ingress. 1/3
This.
I wouldn't give up. I wouldn't have left if I had the choice, and I wouldn't have stopped trying.
But he did. Didn't he.
He'll never have to worry about it again. He'll never have to worry about playing their stupid mind games, about the minefields of conversation, about any of it. How nice for him, right? How nice for everyone!
A hero doesn't give up. Not willingly. But sometimes there are sacrifices that heroes make, and due to their sacrifice, things can progress in some fashion. People can survive, and cheer, and breathe a sigh of relief because the sacrifice achieves some manner of happy ending for everyone. The hero, however, gets something of the short end of the stick, do they not? They never get to know if it meant anything. They never get to know if their sacrifice mattered. They are reduced to hurling a knotted-up tangle of words, of sentiment, of ideals, into a future in which they no longer exist and hoping that something will stick.
But he isn't the hero.
And they'll never be something worth SAVING.]
no subject
Message begins.]
"I wouldn't give up. I wouldn't have left if I had the choice, and I wouldn't have stopped trying."
[A pause.]
Funny. Woulds and coulds never get anyone anywhere, do they? Perhaps you wouldn't have. But you did.
I will not claim to be surprised, Mr. Lúcio. I did say this would happen. One way or another. How courteous of you to prove me right; regardless of whether this was your choice or not, I find that intent seldom has anything to do with it.
You are, without question, one of the most persistent individuals I've ever had the misfortune of encountering. Do not take it personally. Most humans are. You lack any sense of self-preservation, it seems, as well as any sort of awareness as to when it is best for one to QUIT.
You should have QUIT.
END RECORDING.
[...
But he didn't.]
If I were a sentimental person, I would doubtless thank you for that. Fortunately for all parties involved, I am not overly attached to the idea of sentiment. [Liar.] I do not treasure keepsakes, I do not place stock in naive hopes, and I do not deal in fond memories. [Liar.]
As you will never hear this, as I will never have to watch you smugly pronounce that I am some sort of demon transcendent, a far better person than I give myself credit for - do not fool yourself, sir. I am nothing of the sort - I suppose I am doing little more than what you have done now.
There is no guarantee this message will come through. In fact, it is entirely too likely that it won't.
One simply has to have faith. One simply has to trust that it will mean something. One has to hope - [And they scoff] - that some part of it will matter. As I am the most faithless being in existence, I find this rather difficult. So.
You will have to have that faith in my stead. Given the message you left behind, I trust that will not be difficult. In fact, I am rather certain of it. You trust far, far too easily.
[A moment. The quiet rustle of a page turning. They're reading from a book, though he would probably not recognize which one.]
"But I'm not free, I realized; I've been touched by Yuichi's soul. How much easier it would be to stay away forever."
[Another brief period of silence, and the book closes.]
How much easier indeed.
If the Ingress is kind, you will not remember me, and you will never hear any of this.
Pray that the Ingress is kind.
[Message ends.]