[Video]

[bakegarasu]

[Yeah, it's dark and late. So what? Otoha is standing on top of a roof, letting the camera pan around to take in the city.]

[He doesn't turn the camera towards himself, just faces it towards the coral, glowing softly, before he speaks.]

People can get brought back here. Death doesn't really mean anything, then.

Even at home, though… death wasn't really something that people like me were supposed to fear. Killing didn't really mean anything but the removal of a problem.

[He's quiet for a moment.]

Why do people get so upset about killing or murder? I've never understood it.

[There's another pause, like he's going to say something else, before he shuts off the feed.]

Comments

[closedcircuit]

Partly. But I still want to do more, of course. And there's currently no reason I couldn't.

[bakegarasu]

Mm. I guess you have a point there.

[closedcircuit]

Do you really believe that life isn't innately meaningful?

[bakegarasu]

Yeah.

[He's quiet for a moment.]

Finding meaning in life wasn't exactly something I was encouraged to do or anything. It was all about power and money with the people I grew up with.

[closedcircuit]

Those things are only transient...

Well, you have the opportunity now to look for that meaning.

[bakegarasu]

[Give him a second to remember what that word means.]

[... Oh, right.]

Sure, but so are people. And I don't even know where to start with that.

[closedcircuit]

Our physical existence may be temporary, but our souls are not.

Is there anyone here that means something in particular to you? Sometimes it's easiest to start with a person you trust.

[bakegarasu]

I don't know what happens to souls that aren't the souls of Karas.

[... He just laughs quietly.]

Yeah. There is. But I've already talked to him about not getting himself killed.

[closedcircuit]

Karas? Is that...the religion where you come from? [Despite the doubtful tone this is him trying to be respectful.]

That's good, but I mean more like...what is his understanding of these things? Could he encourage you to find meaning in life?

[bakegarasu]

No, not really. They're protectors of their cities - one for each.

[Remember the whole concern over if he'd made a deal with a demon? That thing.]

I don't know. I'm not sure that he's found meaning in his own life, or knows how to find it, either.

[closedcircuit]

Oh.

Then if I could suggest -- for me, the importance comes first in recognizing the importance of other people's lives, and then devoting my own life to helping them. To the point where I can hope I'm making a positive difference.

[bakegarasu]

... I don't know that I can be that devoted to a person.

[closedcircuit]

Well, it's not just one person at that point. It's all of them.

[bakegarasu]

How do you even trust people that much?

[closedcircuit]

I don't know. I just do. I can't imagine doing otherwise, although it's more than possible that my religion helps with that.

[bakegarasu]

Probably, yeah. I just... got too used to seeing people betray others.

[closedcircuit]

The person who can break that cycle is you.

[bakegarasu]

... I'm working on that.

[He doesn't betray other people, but... breaking away from how he was raised is hard.]

[closedcircuit]

It can be hard to trust people --

[Ky supposes, although it's always seemed rather easy to him.]

-- but it's harder still to go through life not letting yourself believe in anyone else.

[bakegarasu]

... You might have a point there.

[Dammit Ky why are you depressing him. :T]

[closedcircuit]

[No, no, this is optimism!]

You wouldn't go through a battle with no one to protect your back -- maybe an individual fight, but not a battle -- and with life it's even more important.

[bakegarasu]

[Well. He would, but.]

It's the problem of trusting someone enough to not backstab you that's the issue here, though.

[... He does trust Johnny that much, though. Otoha looks away.]

[closedcircuit]

It's not that hard. Better to give them the benefit of the doubt than not to let them help.

[bakegarasu]

... I guess.

[This is confusing and difficult. Hnngh... he's not used to thinking this much or dealing with feelings.]

[closedcircuit]

[You don't need to deal with feelings to trust people.]

It doesn't matter if it's weird or hard in the beginning, as long as it works out in the end.