[Text] [Anon]

[grapeeater]

[He's been thinking over this for days. Is it his duty or not? It's not like he really needs the opinions of other people... but maybe another perspective might not hurt. Not like any of them here are normal, but some... are closer than he was.]

I've got a question. If you don't care, feel free to skip this over - there's no obligation to answer.

Say you're someone powerful, whatever that means to you. You might have money, you might have skills, or you might have whatever else that gives you an advantage over other people.

Now say there's a threat, something that risks destroying you and the people you have an advantage over. If you do nothing, you might be safe but other people would die. But if you give everything, they might be safe but you would die.

How much are you obligated to give? Be selfish and survive? Or sacrifice yourself for people who might not be thankful? And why?

Comments

[grapeeater]

But what if things fell apart anyway?

[anon text]

[whitehairedprettyboy]

[ YOU'RE TELLING HIM. ]

Hardly. Love is a complicated business, and the less I have to do with it, the better.

[ Maybe if he tells himself that enough it will be true. ]

So in the scenario you're proposing, the person you would be saving is someone you love?

[loveisanopendoor]

What do you mean??

[grapeeater]

... People died anyway, in my case. No matter what I did.

[anon text]

[grapeeater]

Exactly.

[anon text]

[whitehairedprettyboy]

There, you see? Your mistake was falling in love in the first place. Remove that factor, and suddenly your problem disappears.

[loveisanopendoor]

I was afraid you would say that...I'm so sorry. But still...you fought for them, didn't you?

[anon text]

[grapeeater]

It's not like it's something you can control.

[anon text]

[whitehairedprettyboy]

[ Doesn't he know it. ]

You can control how much it affects your actions.

[ Liar. ]

[grapeeater]

I did. But she never wanted protection in the first place.

[anon text]

[grapeeater]

Not always. But I suppose you wouldn't know.

[anon text]

[whitehairedprettyboy]

Do enlighten me, then.

[anon text]

[grapeeater]

You can't help but put yourself in danger for their sake. You'd hate it if they got hurt, because you know you can bear it better than they can. You want to protect them entirely, because a single scratch on them is worse than a knife in your own heart.

[anon text]

[whitehairedprettyboy]

Sounds utterly dreadful.

[anon text]

[grapeeater]

That's what happens. Sometimes, at least.

[loveisanopendoor]

I understand. You don't want to go against her wishes, but still, you want to do everything you can to help...I know that feeling way too well.

[anon text]

[whitehairedprettyboy]

So if one falls in love, this is what one has to look forward to? Putting another person before oneself? Disgusting. You can see why I avoid it.

[anon text]

[grapeeater]

No one ever claimed love was logical.

[grapeeater]

I think she hated me by the end. I still tried to do what I could, but...

[loveisanopendoor]

I thought that too, for a very long time. But you...might be surprised.

[grapeeater]

Maybe. It's impossible to tell now.

[loveisanopendoor]

Well, no matter what though, you still have to keep fighting, right...?

[grapeeater]

I'm kind of out of the fight now. At least at home.

[preybeforemeals]

[...And something in that doesn't strike him right.

"...but at least you tried. Really."
"What else am I supposed to do?!"

He doesn't know for sure, but he suspects and he isn't sure what he thinks of that, other than the fact that if he's correct, this is the second damn time he's had a "goddamn it I know it's you" reaction to something someone has said to him 'anonymously' over the last month.

He doesn't know for sure. But he suspects. And he's not going to say anything directly just yet, but...]

It wasn't enough in my case, either.

[grapeeater]

I guess all we can do is try to pick ourselves up and move on.