genessia | 003: Hope, Despair, Emptiness [Anon Text]

[ Chiyo may still be rather new to Genessia, but that doesn't mean that she can't answer the questions that people ask, especially if it's something like this. ] ]

true love! ♡

i don't think all of humanity needs their gods, but i think it's nice that they're watching over us. ﾟ･✿ヾ╲(｡◕‿◕｡)╱✿･ﾟ

oh, but to your last question... i think it would be best to see the truth, no matter how harsh it is. (‘﹏*๑) it would be more sad to live a lie!!

[She takes a few moments to respond - it takes her a little while to get her head around the gratuitous smily abuse. Either way, hopefully Chiyo is prepared to have more questions thrown her way.]

Do you honestly believe that love has that sort of potential? What makes love 'true'? Can you tell when love is false, then?

[Izanami did not have the...kindest of experiences as far as love was concerned.]

Hm. I suppose some find the thought comforting, even if our intervention is no longer needed to guide them.

Strange...when I investigated this subject the first time, they chose 'truth', as well. Why do you think living in a lie is so sad, if that lie is a comforting one?

...Thank you, for taking the time to answer me.

Edited 2015-02-17 00:19 (UTC)

Of course!! And, well, love is false if it's a fake love. If they're trying to use you or hurt you... then it's not true love!

And I think living in a lie is sad because you won't get to know the truth :( Lies are bad after all, and it only ends up in pain!

...I have found that telling the two apart can be difficult.

Are all lies truly bad? Have you never lied in order to avoid hurting someone else?

It is, sometimes!

I wouldn't say all lies are bad, but it's better to tell the truth so they won't get hurt later on than earlier... I guess?

Hmm...A desire to get out of things what they have to give. And, of course, to serve the two great commandments, and work out my salvation with fear and trembling. Running a good race, and all that.

Humanity, at least mine, most definitely can do without its gods, save the very God of very God. Him we need dearly.

That God is a god of truth; indeed, one of His chief enemies was a liar from the beginning. Thus, it falls to us to be perfect, even as He is perfect. Though, like Job, sometimes we do not understand. Not all truths are open to us now, for we see through a glass darkly. One day, hopefully, that will change.

[Well aren't you a ray of religious sunshine. She recognised this man as one who had irritated her previously, but she had no intention of revealing herself.

He sounded like one of the overly zealous Catholics Dracula had mentioned - prepared to discount and erase all other Gods but their own. It didn't help that it was hard to read his meanings behind the metaphor. Still, he humoured her, so she would do the same in kind.]

So a desire to take things from others, and to live by the laws your God has laid down. What do you believe will be your salvation, in the end? Paradise?

You see the other Gods as lesser than your own, then. Why is your God greater, higher than all the others?

Do you believe you can become 'perfect'? Interesting. Are you waiting, then, for your God to reveal the truth onto you? You would not seek to find it with your own eyes?

Thank you for your time.

Edited 2015-02-16 21:52 (UTC)

[Interesting. Ted sensed a darker spiritual impression with that second round. And then the courteous close; he laughed at the contrast.]

Hah, I don't quite favor that phrasing. There is a way to enjoy without anyone's loss; hardly a zero-sum game. A flower does not lose its fragrance at the sniffing, nor its beauty lost with the gazing. That's the sort of thing I mean.

As for the exact nature of heaven, it is fruitless to guess. I know it will be terribly good, and that is enough. Otherwise we should be as children on Christmas Eve, robbing ourselves of sleep as we agonize over the exact nature of the gifts to come. Worse, because the gift of salvation may be lost. One will find better employment of one's faculties if they think of its attainment rather than its nature. The latter is known well enough.

Still, some writers have made that attempt at fancy, and I dare say their guesses are getting nearer.

Yes, the other gods are lesser, for we must worship the One and not the others. As for why he is greater, I hardly know how to answer. One may as well ask why the sun is brighter than the moon. It becomes blindingly obvious should one just look. But as always, His answers are best, and He has said it Himself. "There are none like me." I cannot make comparisons; to do so might be what the apologists call a "category error".

Yes, I believe perfection is attainable. Yes, I am waiting. Doubtless there are some truths that can be grasped; the common combination of the Catholic scientist is no coincidence. But those eternal mysteries...one gets the impression that they had better not be strained for. We'd be getting into the same pickle as those Babylon builders, striving for heaven before being struck down. But our own brains would do the striking; it's no use trying to fit heaven into your head. Those who do wind up in the asylum, for their heads predictably split.

The upshot is that it's not a question of effort, as if humanity lacked the work ethic of Sherlock Holmes. It's a matter of comprehension; of having places in our head for those answers to reside. As it is futile to explain the complexities of life to a babe, so God's mysteries must remain mysteries for us. But there is one difference, and it is that God's mysteries are a queer comfort. When one is told "You do not understand", there resides a quiet, if stubborn, contentment, that the thing is really worth understanding.

[Even if she did not like his answer, he still took the time to give her one. Hence, the thank you. Her true nature, however, came through more clearly as she argued her point.]

Ah. So what drives you is to enjoy the world around you, the world that the Gods created.

Heaven and the afterlife are not one and the same, at least, that is not the case where I am from. Do you honestly think a God would rob you of your salvation if you chose to question it's nature? How do you think you may obtain it, then? By obeying the laws laid out by your God?

It is not obvious to me. The Gods created their worlds. Within the worlds they birthed, they are the greater Gods. There is none who rules above us all, and you would do well to remember that, human.

I imagine you will fair better finding the truth yourself, if you seek it. If your God stands against that, then prove your conviction in learning the truth to said God.

Yes, you have it right. And well, one other thing. We've been speaking of mysteries, and I admit to a desire to see and understand the god of this world, too. This world is full of questions, and the answers are being coy. That the seeking may be pleasurable is a welcome bonus.

Ha, what animus you paint God with! No, I don't believe God would come to that; perhaps chide one that it was really very unpractical to guess at the specifics of a cake one didn't have. That it's a prize is sure. That we shall have it may be in doubt. And yes, to follow the law, that holy narrow path is a sure way to have our names recorded in that book of life. Easier said than done, sadly.

[And here she claimed to be a god...dess, which made Ted smile. True, it was as likely as anything else. But then, he had mentioned asylums and the mad, and god was a favorite character of theirs to play.]

Mm, that's unfortunate that you don't recognize Him. Still, I mean what I say. He is the Alpha and the Omega; the Beginning and the End. What relation he has to Genessia remains to be seen, though I have a sneaking suspicion there will not be much variation.

Hah, that kind of truth you seem so eager for me to suicidally seek is no more attainable than adulthood to a childhood, if you'll forgive the repetition of metaphor. One imagines a boy stretching and standing on his tip-toes, eagerly awaiting his annual height marks against a kitchen wall. If a boy wishes to become a man, there are many things he can do to arrest it, and only one thing he can do to help it along: receive it when it comes. God no more stands against our understanding than a dutiful parent stands against natural maturation.

But for all that, I must say you've aroused such a strange sentiment. For a god you display such peculiar faith in man. I'd almost figure you to be an eastern god, for all their religious topsy-turvydom.

Edited 2015-02-17 01:23 (UTC)

I can only speak for myself, and the other Gods in my world. I, too, would like to know the force that had the power to bring me here. A powerful one, that is certain.

Would a God leave a book of life incomplete, then, if he refused to record those he saw as having wronged his will? In the end, everything rots. Every being turns to the same dust, and all are equal in death. It seems foolish to differentiate people when they finally come to the afterlife.

[This was her domain, after all. Even the Gods could be killed like mortal men, just as she had been. But she was not mad - Izanami was the Goddess of Death.]

I have heard of the Christian God, some faith in him is present in my lands. Yet, I still do not see his power as a greater force than my own. I created people just as he had.

Seeing the truth requires facing threats, of course, yet not a task doomed to end in death. It seems selfish, to wait for a God to give you all the answers, rather than take the time to seek them yourself.

[Curious. He suspected her identity then? Although she was keeping who she was hidden behind anonymous text, she switched the feed to a private one. It would be interesting to see him make his guesses.]

An eastern God, hm? Tell me then, son of man. Who do you think I am?

Edited 2015-02-17 16:16 (UTC)

You don't understand. God's will can be..."disobeyed" is a better word. And when that is done, one makes the conscious decision to choose death over life. Thus, the blotting out of their names. It's a horrible thing to contemplate, especially when nature has blessed man with such an addiction to life.

And with your error, you rather answer that previous riddle. What makes God so special? I'm delighted He's recognized by you, by the way. He most emphatically does not hold that everything rots. Perhaps you're a German god, for all your pessimism. He does not maintain that all are equal in death, for death is not equal to Him. He is a God of the living, not of the dead. Thus, those who embrace death have no business with Him or His books, and especially not His books of life.

It's funny, so many gods presiding over this or that domain. All natural enough. Gods of war, gods of nature, gods of death. The Christian God may be said to be a God of Unnature; or perhaps Supernature? For beyond those, He is a revolutionary. He has said that even death will die; hoist upon its own petard. He has won a great battle against death already; even now, death is reeling, and soon it will taste the coup de grace from its own weapon.[He was starting to see why Vyers liked quoting French. A very poignant language, in the right times. No wonder English stole from it.]

Live by the sword, die by the sword. One might almost say live by the death, die by the death.

"Selfish"...what an odd choice of words. If the waiting was in error, slothful. If it was not, prudent. But selfish? Please explain yourself.

As for whom you are...[Ted was siding towards "lunatic", and might've said so much were it not for his love of playing along]

Forgive me, I am not well-versed in the oriental pantheon. You claim to speak for the other gods of your world; that must mean you're the head of them. The only name I know of is...Brahma? Is he one of yours?

Edited 2015-02-17 19:21 (UTC)

How can you really 'choose' death over life? It in inevitable, regardless of the way a being's life is recorded. In the end, all will meet the same fate and return to the same place.

Well then...is there no God of Death where you are from? Who is it that guards the souls of all those people once they have left the mortal plane?

"Death will die"... how ironic, considering I have died already, but I am in no way 'reeling'. I have not lost any battle against your God, and I will not be harmed by my own wrath. Still, yes, all of us Gods have our domains in which we reside. That is the natural way of things.

It is selfish, because it is expected that a God will simply give you their answers. That if you wait patiently, they will grant you everything, when you have not taken any effort yourself. If you take the time to search yourself, even if that search is fruitless, at least the Gods will see your willingness to learn.

...I am by no means head of them, but I am one of the Creators. A Goddess of Creation and Death. And no, he is not.

But that is where we part ways; God is more exciting than the east, and has promised that it does really matter what you do. Even the Calvinists believe in multiple destinations, if not in power to choose them. Indeed, he is almost paradoxical; that life sometimes can be gotten to only through the threshold of death. But peace; I wonder whether these words will tire of their overuse.

What a mischievous place you hail from, if there are goblins or whatever else always after souls! Ours, reportedly, are made of sterner stuff. Indeed, the immortality of them is an almost unbearable weight to live under, knowing that they must be eternally enjoyed or endured. Good of you to watch for them freely; I remember one god whose employ is similar to yours: Charon. He, however, requires currency for ferrying them wherever they will go. Why, without you, I suppose men may have had to hide their souls under mattresses, instead of banking them with the goddess.

So you've had a taste of your own medicine, eh? I'm curious. Will you stand by your brand? That is, now that you've experienced both life and death, which do you prefer? Would you choose that always, if you could?

I confess it is difficult for me to understand your words. Perhaps that is the nature of the orient. Perhaps you mean "selfish" as a preoccupation with self over and above answers. I can only answer that, as might be expected of a god, you have a comical abhorrence of agnosticism. I wonder, if someone were to tell you they had a surprise planned, could you enjoy it? Or would you ruthlessly inquire of him until he were on the verge of tears, regretting that he had ever made plans for fun?

In truth I'm jealous of your view of man. To me, he had always seemed like a fuzzy, almost faceless kind of thing. In nature, everything is always so consistent. A dog will not lie to you, and will persist in its doggishness forever. But men are always shifting into and out of manhood; slippery and not quite sure of himself. He could no more hold the answers I speak of than a wet person can hold a bar of soap. You must have enjoyed some very solid people.

Ah, my answer was off the mark! Still, I wager that I could figure you out had I a book of gods with me. You've likely given enough hints.

I'll be more than happy to answer your questions.

I guess what drives me are my friends. They are really the reason I am able to do a lot of things. I would do anything for them, just like they would for me and that makes me happy.

The second one I'm not actually sure how to answer. I mean people do worship Gods and that won't change, but it all depends on the individual.

[The last question he has to pause on. This is something that was actually a very good question in his mind.]

Deep down in my own thoughts, I would like to be comforted in lies. But I know truthfully that no matter how painful the truth is it's better to know than to be lost and not know he truth, especially if it is about yourself. I'd rather be selfless than selfish.

Thank you... I appreciate your insight.

So your friends give you strength. You must trust them greatly... how friendship can grant power enough to overwhelm the will of death itself, that always puzzled me.

What do you think? Would you wish for a world watched over by a God, or would you sooner choose one where the Gods are absent?

That would seem the most logical answer, in my mind. To avoid the pain brought about by truth, and instead remain comforted in lies. Do you think seeking the truth is the selfless option, then?

I trust them with my life, just like they trust me with there own lives. Though I can't really explain how one can gain power from friendship, but I guess that has to do with will power or something.

I guess when you put it that way I'd rather choose things for myself than have someone watch over me and tell me what to do. [Although his other half is a different matter altogether.]

It depends, really. For me it is for a friend of mine.

It must be comforting to feel you can put your faith in others to that extent. Willpower may be part of it. It was the most stubborn of those I observed who came through, in the end.

Do you think that an observer is always someone who will give instructions, then? You do not think it's possible for a God to watch without intervention?

...You would expose yourself to a painful truth for their sake?

It is really comforting to me anyway. Though you mention the word observed, I assume you mean you have been watching people for some reason?

Maybe, but I don't really know. If they can I guess that isn't so much a problem.

I would, as much as I would hate it I know it would help them.

Yes, I have. I want to learn more about what people truly desire. Someone from my world recommended I that I might get more answers this way.

The Gods are not dictators, regardless.

Strange, you would sacrifice your own happiness for theirs. A kind choice.

And how is that helping you right now? Are you leaning about what people desire?

Is it strange? I mean if you remember nothing about yourself wouldn't you want to know? It's the kindest choice and a logical one.

I think so...it's surprising, really, how many of you insist you would rather see the truth, no matter what. I thought those of my world who desired truth were the anomalies, but perhaps I was wrong about that.

...The feeling of knowing nothing about myself is difficult to imagine. I suppose I can understand your reasons.

While there may be those who would rather live in ignorance there are those who do prefer the truth... I guess they are just rarer.

These are certainly interesting questions. But I am more than willing to help by answering them.

What drives me... I guess back home it was different than what it was here. Here it's my want to protect people. I've seen what can happen here and well... I don't want to see people hurt. Back home however my drive was something very different.

I found that we don't need religion to be able to move forward. I guess in a sense I'm saying we don't need Gods, we can move forward on our own two feet. So guess in a sense if God existed in my world I would say that there role probably would have been complete.

Finally I guess facing the painful truth, while painful sometimes can help one move on from things. Like ending a chapter of there life.

I appreciate it, thank you.

That is simple enough. A selfless cause, to give yourself to help those you do not know, or is it that you seek gratitude from them for your work?

As for your home... What sort of different, if I may ask?

...I believe the same may be true in my world. The people seem content to walk forward without their Gods, that they are no longer needed. I suppose the same could be said for yours?

What...role is a God to play, once their people can stand alone?

[There's a pause, before she continues her reply.]

You believe lies are stagnant, then?

I never seek gratitude. Never have and probably never will. Unless I guess if people were to smile because of what I have done that is considered such a thing.

We had religion, but it was a different kind than the one I've heard about here. Also we don't so much have gods than Sin, something I would never want to see again for as long as I lived.

I guess that might be the case. I mean I hope that people are able to do that. I wouldn't really know at this point since I'm not there. Though, I wouldn't knew how to answer that question for I do not know what role a god could play.

I believe that there is no reason to lie.

Does it make you happy, then, to help others rather than yourself? Does their happiness fuel your own?

[She's still scrabbling around trying to find some answer for what makes people happy. Selflessness was something she'd not thought of yet.]

Sin? Did that God not act for the good of their people? I cannot understand why a creator would want to see their people suffer, if they have the power to prevent it.

Perhaps the role I am to play now is a question I must answer for myself. I want to watch over them, even if they do not need my guidance or power.

Not even to protect others?

I do have my moments when I am doing something for myself, but I'm always happy to leave that alone for a moment to help those that need help.

It wasn't a god, more something that came about because of a terrible war.

That would depend on what you mean. I mean I've never lied, not telling someone something is something else altogether. I mean if they don't ask it's not lying.

If you expect nothing in return, would you even help those who were selfish? Who only sought to take help from others, with no intent to return it?

I suppose that is a different force altogether, then. The Gods are creators, guardians. Humanity came from us, not the other way around.

Concealing the truth from people may certainly be a kindness, yes.

Edited 2015-03-07 15:38 (UTC)

I don't know. I mean in a sense they still need help, but I don't like it if someone uses me. It's not that I want anything in return but if they in turn help out others... But in that case I don't know really.

That;s why Sin isn't that. They destroy not create.

It is... It was at the time since the reality was harsh.

Courage.

If I cower from the truth instead of going forward, that's not going to help anything or anyone--not the people I care about, not the people of the world. Courage is what drives me even when I'm doubtful.

Boring answer, probably, but that's my truth.

[There's specific people she cherishes, of course, but telling...somebody that seems like a good way of getting them hurt, so she avoids it for the moment.]

Edited (be less bland mozart) 2015-02-13 18:26 (UTC)

And if those people, those you care about and of the world, would be happier living a comfortable lie... do you not think it is unfair to force them to confront the truth? What gives you the right to make that choice for them? They may not be as strong as you claim to be.

I appreciate your insight. Thank you.

Edited 2015-02-16 22:56 (UTC)

Strength isn't just measured in how physically strong you are, and courage isn't a total absence of fear. People can still be scared of the truth, but it's knowing that it's more important than a comfortable lie is what counts.

And I'd never force anyone to do that. Manipulating anyone's will is disgusting. If I continue forward with courage, I can only hope that people I care about and people of the world can be shown that fear of the unknown doesn't have power over them after all.

Yes. There are few who have the strength to face the truth, despite the fear and pain it brings. What makes the truth so important, in your mind? Is the happiness of those who do not hold the same strength more important, than the, than the curiosity of those who seek the truth?

So you would confront the truth alone, and just hope that they will follow you?

Why are you asking? Are you trying to prove something?

[It's very strange.]

"Truth" is an awfully broad concept, isn't it? It means different things to different people. The truth is important to me because I know what it's like to be deceived. It may be comfortable at first, but it ends up being all the more painful than what the truth would bring. Why would I ask anyone to follow me on my own path for truth? That's what I hope my courage can bring, strength to follow their own pursuit of truth.

Humans aren't weak, they just need a reminder sometimes.

Yes, I am.

I never claimed humans were weak. Their strength has surprised me, more than once. In my world, a small group stood against every wrath I could throw at them, the will of the rest of their people, in order to grasp the truth in their own hands and see it for themselves. The truth of their world, and the second world I created.

...I still cannot understand their actions. Even after how long I watched the humans of my world, I do not know what it is people desire. That is the purpose of my questions.

Well...you can't ask just a small sample of humans and expect a concrete answer, you know? All humans are different, and we change our minds pretty quickly depending on the situation or how we are. It's not that easy to understand, yeah, but I don't think you're supposed to completely understand other people.

That's what makes life an adventure, you know?

Perhaps not. People may come together to agree on some matters, but all people will come up with a unique answer on their own... Does that mean there will never be a solution or answer that will fulfil all of their desires? That nothing will give all of them happiness?

No, most likely not, but it's up to them to find their happiness on their journey. Life would be boring if there was one universal answer to everything.

I don't know if it's something people that aren't human can quite understand, I only know of one that could and that's because he was raised with us.

I'm looking for my younger sister, who I was separated from as a child. My other drive, so to speak, would be my friends - the rest of the Strahl candidates, as well as Augusta. Although only Augusta is here at the moment, I would do anything for my friends and my sisters.

Personally, I'm not religious, but I guess most people like to have some kind of bigger force to believe in, or to at least think that someone is watching over them. It's like a reassurance, I guess. I'm not very good with theology, though, it's not my strongest subject.

I'm not sure about the last one. While knowing might be a good and educational and eye-opening thing, some can't handle the truth of whatever painful truth it is that is hidden. I'd like to know, I think, because staying ignorant isn't my style, even if the truth hurts at times.

[She's almost jealous that he's still looking out for his sister, whilst her brother abandoned her.]

Your sister's lucky. Keep looking for her. I imagine she appreciates the thought that her brother has not forgotten her.

The Strahl candidates are the others you work with, I assume? It amazes me, how much friendship can influence people... can grant the power to overcome death.

I suppose one can never expect the entirety of humanity to hold the same beliefs. There will always be exceptions. Is it reassuring to know a God is watching, even if they do not act to help their people, I wonder?

So you would rather suffer pain than to be ignorant of the truth... I would have thought most would be happy, satisfied by the lies around them, and never have to suffer that hurt.

Of course, I will never stop looking. I just hope she has not forgotten me.

Sort of. We're students at a school candidates to become Strahl - the advisers of the King of Kuchen. I'm not sure if I want to actually become a Strahl, but it is a great honor. Friendship is a great thing, but I know not everyone thinks that. Which is a bit sad, since friends can be such a great help and encouragement in ones life.

That's what comes with different cultures and languages. I think that to some people it's reassuring. I think that, at the same time, there are people who thinks that is mean. I haven't really put too much thought into it. I think my friend Naoji might be better with the subject - if he shows up here, I could ask him to contact you to discuss the subject, perhaps?

That depends, I'm sure. Happiness is something most people strive for, but if it's a happiness built on lies or something like that, might not be a completely good happiness.

Edited 2015-03-07 02:04 (UTC)

...Whatever has happened between you both, I am sure she remembers you. It is not so easy to simply forget one's brothers.

What would you do if you chose to reject that honour, then? Do you have a greater calling you would rather turn toward? I dismissed friendship as an insignificant force in the past, but I believe I was mistaken in that.

Curious how people would disagree so strongly. Yes, if he arrives, I would appreciate that.

Do you think happiness can be good or bad, then? Surely if someone is happy, that is not a bad feeling.

It's been several years though. That's the part that I'm worried about.

Even if it's an honor, I don't want to be held down by things like politics. I want to see the world and want to meet people and I want to see everything there is to see. I know that my step-mother would be happy if I didn't take over the family, anyway, and I do want her to be happy, even though she hates me. If I left, she would be. Friendship might be easy to overlook, unless one decides to let oneself see how good it can be. Having at least one friend is very nice thing to have.

Isn't it? It's something worth thinking about. I will, then. I don't know who to direct him to though. Should he ask for someone specific?

It might not be as good if it is on someone elses expense, at the very least.

[So there are more aliens here, too. He briefly considers that it could be Bridget, but it doesn't sound like her at all.]

My best friends give me happiness. But though I don't know if I would say it gives me happiness, what I really fought for - back home, at least - was the continued survival of humanity.

As for gods... I don't really know anything about that. [After all, there was only one religion back home - and they were dangerous because they got in the way of the military.] There's definitely no sort of divine 'guidance' where I'm from. [Though on the brink of extinction, maybe that means it's something they need? Armin doesn't believe that, though.

And then the text asks the third question, and his expression hardens. He's much more certain about this, even if the question causes him pain.] I would choose the truth.

You will never gain anything through ignorance. That's done enough harm already. To move forward, you need to pursue the truth, no matter how painful it is. I believe that those who are truly able to change things are, without exception, those willing to sacrifice what is important to them.

[Yeah, Aliens, Gods, more non-humans. There's a fair few of them around.

Armin's answers certainly give her pause for thought, all the same.]

Many people here seem to cite their friends and companions as reasons for their happiness. I wonder, then, if people are together with those they care for...is human happiness as simple as that?

The survival of humanity, though? It sounds as if your world is a harsh place if that is something you had to fight for.

[True, she threatened to turn humanity into Shadows in her own world, but other than the Gods, she could not think of a force powerful enough to write them off in entirely. It was definitely not something she liked, the idea of her people being killed off be someone else.]

... I doubt the Gods have abandoned your people entirely. Even if they chose not to act, I believe most Gods care for their people.

[That last answer surprised her, though. He sounded so much like Souji. The one who confronted her with that very logic, and defeated her, even when she tried to pull his allies into the darkness of death.]

You sound like someone I know. You would seek the truth, then, at any cost to yourself and those around you? Is that 'change' you seek really worth the pain that might accompany it?

For a lot of people, it is. Not everything needs to be complicated.

...It is a harsh place. Humanity is near extinction, where I come from, and there's very little chance of changing that outcome.

[Not that that will stop him from trying. If she wants more details, though, she'll have to ask more specifically - he tries to avoid talking about the titans to people unfamiliar with them. For their own sakes.]

Well, I'd never really heard much about 'gods' before, except for the wall cultists. What good are gods to me, if I don't know that they exist, and they sit by and watch while we're wiped out?

[Religions might exist in his world, but they're not very vocal - and he has other things to worry about. Praying wouldn't help them defeat the titans.]

And what other choice do we have? [Sit back and embrace their deaths? In his world, that would include he and everyone he knows being eaten by titans.] Yes. That change is worth the pain and the death that will accompany it. [None of this 'might'. That passed when they sacrificed a fifth of the remaining population to the titans - including all that was left of Armin's family - so that the rest had enough to survive. More lives would be sacrificed before they reached their goal.] Even if it's only a small chance... If we win, we get to live. We can't win if we don't fight.

003: Hope, Despair, Emptiness [Anon Text]

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anon text;

Re: anon text;

anon text;

Re: anon text;

anon text; --> anon text; private

Re: anon text; --> anon text; private

anon text; private

Re: anon text; private

text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

anon text;

no subject

anon text;

no subject

anon text

text

anon text

text

anon text

text

no subject

anon text;

permanently not anon

sticking to anon text unless said otherwise

no subject

text;

anon text;

text; locked