nos_servabit

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unus

[The camera starts recording, showing the interior of what looks to be a cabin, only illuminated by the glow of an oil lamp standing on the table. A (currently hatless) man is sitting in front of a large loom where part of a large tapestry hangs, using his knife to spread the threads so he can use them to weave them into knots and such.]

[He finally turns to the camera, calm blue eyes creased in a benevolent expression.]

You know, it's rather interesting. Some people believe their lives are governed by fate, and others say that they're free to do what they want. Some say it's futile to do anything, and others disagree, saying your can change your future as much as you want to.

[He turns towards his loom again, cutting out a troublesome thread, before speaking again.]

But what most everyone agrees on is that life is made of choices. You are where you are now because you decided to go a certain way, talk to a certain person, see a certain thing...

I believe everyone has a choice. It just depends on how you use it.

[And he smiles at the camera.] So, I'm curious, people of Vatheon...what sort of choices have you experienced in your lives?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I DON'T UNTIL THEY ACTUALLY HAPPEN.
ARADIA'S THE ONE WHO HANDLED TIMELINES IN OUR SESSION, NOT ME.
AND TEREZI CAN SORT OF FIGURE SHIT OUT SOMETIMES BUT DON'T ASK ME HOW THAT WORKS.
BASICALLY I JUST HOPE TO WHATEVER POWER IT IS THAT MAKES MY LIFE SUCH A TORTURE RIDE THAT IT HASN'T GOTTEN BORED ENOUGH TO LET ME MAKE THE DECISION THAT ENDS WITH US ALL DYING.
EVEN IF IT MEANS LIFE STILL SUCKS HUGE GLOBES.

It's complicated. And you're lucky- not people have others who can help them look into the future and help you decide what is the best choice for a situation.

Usually, in most cases, people just go ahead and make it. But I understand that looking into the future is necessary if you want all your friends to survive.

THE THING IS, THEY DON'T ALL SURVIVE.
HAD I TRIED TO STOP CERTAIN EVENTS THAT END IN THOSE DEATHS BEFORE THEY HAPPEN,
WE *ALL* WOULD DIE ANYWAY.
THAT IS THE NATURE OF PARADOX SPACE.

Paradox space? If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were talking about life.

Because the unfortunate truth is, people die whether we like it or not. We can't always have the perfect outcome.

NO FUCKING SHIT, JACOB.
I'M A TROLL.
DEATH IS KIND OF A FACT OF LIFE FOR US.
NOT TO MENTION I'VE SEEN TOO FUCKING MANY OF MY FRIENDS DIE ALREADY.

You say it like it's not a fact of life for everyone else. There hasn't been one single person in existence who hasn't experienced death in some way. You're not alone, Karkat. Everyone has had someone close to them die. Even me.

[Karkat pauses, sighing at the screen, then filters his response. Funny thing about Jacob knowing so much about him: it makes him less inclined to worry about hiding stuff.]

YOU SAY IT LIKE EVERYONE'S SEEN THEM DIE IN FRONT OF THEIR FACE WITH NOTHING TO DO ABOUT IT.
LIKE EVERYONE'S HAD TO CONFRONT A KILLER AFTER A MURDER SPREE.
LIKE EVERYONE'S KILLED THEIR OWN FUCKING

[Short pause.]

BEST FRIEND.
JUST BECAUSE YOU'VE HAD PEOPLE CLOSE TO YOU DIE IT DOES NOT FUCKING EQUATE TO THAT.

It's more common than you think.

[He smiles again, but this time it's a rather odd one- it's not a happy one at all.]

I'm the guardian of an island. On that island, many people died. A man in love with a woman killed her lover. A son killed the man who had killed his parents. A man shoots and kills two innocent people and then is later killed himself in an effort to help everyone else. So, don't say it like you're the only one in the world who's ever killed anyone with their bare hands. Because, most likely, almost everyone around you already has.

[There's a long pause before Karkat's answer comes through.]

FINE.

Good to know you understand.

Everyone has done something wrong in their lives, Karkat. You can't escape that fact. But what really matters is what you do afterwards to try to redeem yourself- if you, in fact, want to be redeemed.

...
THAT I AM TRYING TO DO.
I SOLVED THINGS A DIFFERENT WAY IN THE VEIL THAN I DID HERE
WHICH CAUSED ITS OWN PROBLEMS BUT THAT'S A LOT DIFFERENT THAN THIS.

That's good. You have the time here to think everything out before you're taken back. Use it wisely.

I'M NOT SURE I WANT TO BE TAKEN BACK AGAIN.
AND THAT'S THE THING
WHEN I DID GO BACK, I DIDN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING FROM THIS PLACE WHATSOEVER.
I SURE AS HELL WOULD HAVE DONE DIFFERENT STUFF IF I HAD.

You don't remember anything when you leave?

[He thinks about that for a moment.]

...Would things change too much if you stayed here? Or do you think nothing would change at all?

WHAT HAPPENS HERE HAS ZERO IMPACT ON EVENTS THERE.
THERE'S TIME SHENANIGANS AT WORK
THINGS CONTINUE FROM VARIOUS POINTS REGARDLESS OF WHO IS HERE AND WHO ISN'T.
YOU JUST GO BACK
AND STUFF GOES ON JUST THE WAY IT WAS BEFORE YOU LEFT
NO SIGN WHATSOEVER THAT YOU EVER WENT ANYWHERE ELSE
OR THAT ANYONE ELSE DID, EITHER.
NOT IN THIS SENSE, ANYWAY.
BUT THE THING IS
EVEN THOUGH STUFF IS LOOKING UP THERE COMPARED TO HOW IT WAS BEFORE
I'D LOSE A LOT OF THE STUFF I HAVE HERE. THINGS I CAN'T ACTUALLY HAVE THERE.

Hmmm. So, staying here for as long as you can would be the best choice, seeing as no one is not in any real danger of dying, and if they do die, they always come back after a few days.

And you don't have to worry about what's going on back where you are coming from.

I'LL STILL WORRY, BECAUSE I'M THE LEADER AND THERE ARE PEOPLE I FUCKING CARE ABOUT BACK THERE.
THINGS ARE ON THE WAY TO BEING BETTER BUT THAT'S ONLY IF SOME PLANS GO OFF RIGHT.
AND BEFORE YOU SAY ANYTHING, YES, I REALIZE I CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT FROM HERE.
BUT IN VATHEON
WHILE THIS PLACE SUCKS REEKING HOOFBEAST NOOK
IT DOES HAVE WHAT YOU SAID ABOUT PEOPLE COMING BACK, AND IT HAS PEOPLE ALIVE HERE WHO DIE BACK IN THE VEIL.
AND IT PROBABLY MAKES ME SOUND LIKE A SAPPY DIPSHIT BUT I'VE GOT FRIENDS HERE I WOULDN'T HAVE MET OTHERWISE.

...I'm glad to hear that. Sometimes the true value of a place isn't something you realize until you truly think about it.

Let's hope you and your friends stay here for a very long time.

IT'S NOT ANYTHING NEW.
I HAD ALREADY BEEN DECIDED FOR SOME TIME THAT I WANTED TO STAY HERE INSTEAD OF GOING BACK.
THE ONLY THING THAT'S CHANGED IS HOW OKAY I WOULD BE WITH THE SITUATION IF I DID GET STUCK THERE AGAIN
WHICH IS TO SAY A CHUNK MORE THAN I WAS
BUT STILL NOT SO MUCH THAT I WOULD PREFER IT TO THIS PLACE.

So, if the time came and the Lamufao decided to send everyone away, you would stay here no matter what, right?

WHAT? NO.
READ WHAT I FUCKING SAY, JACOB.
I ONLY WANT TO STICK WITH THIS PLACE BECAUSE 1) SOME PEOPLE ARE ALIVE HERE WHO DIE BACK IN THE VEIL, 2) IF THEY DO DIE THEY CAN COME BACK, AND 3) I'VE GOT FRIENDS AND RELATIONSHIPS I'D MISS OUT ON BACK THERE.
IF PEOPLE WERE ALL SENT BACK TO THEIR RESPECTIVE WORLDS, I WOULD HAVE ZERO FUCKING REASON TO STAY HERE.
SERIOUSLY, WHO THE FUCK WOULD WANT TO STAY IN SOME EMPTY BUBBLE WITHOUT ANYONE THERE?
I SWEAR YOU SOUND LIKE YOU SMACK YOUR HEAD AGAINST THE NEAREST WALL EVERY FEW MINUTES.

...

[He nods.] I think I understand now. I'm sorry, I'm just trying to understand all the angles here.

TOOK YOU LONG ENOUGH.

I like to make sure I completely understand something before assuming anything. That's just the way I am.

YOU ASSUMED I WANTED TO STAY HERE EVEN WITH NO ONE ELSE AROUND, WHICH MADE NO SENSE AT ALL.

unus

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[TEXT, filtered] damnit Rose get out

[Video, filtered] going to get passive agressive on me, Karkat? :Ic

[TEXT, filtered] nope - also get out Rose

[Video, filtered] we mean it Rose.

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[TEXT, filtered] whoops, should have said text in the subject of the last one too.

[Video, filtered] No problem, I didn't even notice. XD

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