Catch-All for Milla

[specialdog]

Comments

[specialdog]

How interesting.

[ she says, as if this is... Rare? Or like she doesn't entirely believe that sincerity would sway people more than numbers. ]

[tothemaxwell]

Is it? Good.

I find that interesting people attract like company.

[specialdog]

And is that what you want? More and more interesting people?

[tothemaxwell]

I certainly wouldn't say no!

[specialdog]

Sounds exhausting...!

[tothemaxwell]

Ha ha. It certainly can be.

But I think that's what keeps a life interesting.

[specialdog]

I would rather have things go smoothly than be interesting.

[ Like... she'd rather have people just agree with her blindly??? Yeah. ]

[tothemaxwell]

Really? I suppose going smoothly is the ideal course of action—but realistically, I find that things very rarely go as planned!

Perhaps I have begun to cherish the "interesting" moments based on that?

[specialdog]

... You're right. It's not realistic.

[ Which she looks weirdly annoyed by as she averts her eyes? That shouldn't be a big deal. ]

That just makes me want it more.

[tothemaxwell]

I don't think it's terrible to want things to proceed in an event-free manner.

In fact, isn't that what most humans claim to desire? A trouble-free lifestyle?

[specialdog]

But everyone's vision of that is different, so there's always going to be conflict.

So it just becomes about deciding who is worthy of not experiencing that conflict.

[tothemaxwell]

[There's a pause—and she smiles again, roses in her cheeks.]

You're correct.

And what is your vision, Akane?

[specialdog]

[ Akane laughs, which makes it hard to say if she's just kidding or being serious, here. ]

My vision is to be the one who doesn't have to go through any conflict.

[tothemaxwell]

A nice, peaceful life, is it?

I'm not entirely certain how possible that is, here...

[specialdog]

I think the best I can hope for is to survive this, and achieve that peace somewhere else.

[tothemaxwell]

I think "survival" is a good place to start.

[...]

Still, I would not want to live with corruption inside of me.

[specialdog]

Why not?

[ ???? kind of an alarming question but okay ]

[tothemaxwell]

I would not wish to endanger those around me, or risk the spread of corruption.

If it were possible, I'd take my own life.

[specialdog]

What if you could control it or suppress it or something? You never know.

[tothemaxwell]

Suppression? No. I would wish to end it.

Control does not appeal either, unless I could control its destruction. I have no interest in being a vessel of darkness to any degree.

[specialdog]

A bunch of people here keep talking about how everybody has some darkness in them. So how do you know when it's too much, or when it's the corruption?

[tothemaxwell]

Naturally. Everyone has their own darkness within them—what is the saying? "There can be no shadow without light".

In the current climate, I would say it is quite easy. When you begin attempting murder, darkness has overtaken your heart.

[specialdog]

But don't you think it's justified, sometimes? We have to murder that little girl, after all.

[ Maybe she's being a little obtuse about this, but. Whatever. ]

[tothemaxwell]

Ah. An excellent point.

In this case, would you still quantify Mary's imminent passing as a murder? Some might call it an act of mercy.

What would you say is the difference between the two?

[specialdog]

It's both, isn't it?

We're killing her because it's convenient. It's apparently what the universe wants or whatever, but isn't it just an easy solution because we can't problem-solve something better and want a quick fix?