there's a moment of pause, as he watches mineo slump over. it gives him a sense of deja vu that's inexplicable, familiarity in a fondness.
gu yun takes a long drink of his wine. ]
Do keep this quiet, but ...he saved himself. That's why we'd regret it. It was either an ability or an item. [ tch. ] When I questioned him on Saturday night, I bluffed that I knew something about the execution, and I caught him off guard. I didn't think anything of it, and even if I had, it wouldn't have stopped the inevitable. I went to go chat with an Avatar a little earlier today, to get some information about it, and they were willing to share a little, because of what I had done.
[ it irritates him, personally, that childe of all people had such a powerful item, because he was just able to kill without consequence. him and mahito both, skipping off merrily hand in hand. at least he was able to eliminate mahito from the picture because of his overconfidence. fuckin flea. ]
...With that in mind. In situations like this, I always weigh the costs and benefits. When we look at the type of person Childe is, and the type of place that we are in, I think that the costs to keeping him alive will severely outweigh the benefits. I also think that all we've done by keeping him alive is either prolong the inevitable [ his death ] or have someone else innocent die because we made that decision.
In terms of morality and action, of course it's shitty. Killing people always is, no matter what, even in wartime, and we've been put in a terrifically shitty situation because of his selfishness. If given the choice, you and I both agreed he'd just be tossed in a jail cell, but here, we don't have that choice.
As you've said, however, the rules here are different, and I think that is important to keep in mind. People here have many reasons for killing others - my own was self defense. Others have done so in the name of love. Others, because they were bored and wanted to see what would happen. [ childe, ]
So, with the rules of this game being the way that they are, is "protecting the greater good" -- and in this case, truly, I do think the greater good - worth the feeling of taking a life to you? Is protecting yourself worth it? Protecting Harrow? Some other unknown victim we don't even know?
[ he reaches over and puts his hand on top of mineo's head, then ruffles his hair. ]
It sounds to me as though you already have made your decision. Whatever you choose, there will be consequences - some that affect others more, and some that will affect you. I have no doubt you're already aware.
[ . . . . oh. the intensity of mineo's similar tch feelings are intense, even though it's sunday so gu yun can't feel it. he listens quietly, and he deals with the hair ruffle. he doesn't lean into the touch or reject it, instead just closing his eyes and seeming like he's thinking very deeply.]
.... I used to be an officer, but I left because I wasn't sure what justice was anymore. The person who was most important to me - you saw what happened to him. They abandoned him to die, even though we could've saved him. I... found him myself after, when it was already too late. I worked myself to my limit, didn't eat or sleep, but I thought that it wasn't just right to give up on him.
At first it was because I thought he was wrongly accused - a dirty cop? That guy? No way. But then the more I looked into it.... I realized that he was chasing a promotion. He was desperate. He saw me get promoted ahead of him, and racked up a surge of arrests afterward.... even though he would greet me with a smile and ruffle my hair, and tell me I was doing good.
[mineo doesn't trust. not really. he's guarded, and it is because he knows how much people can say sweet words to his face while carrying jealousy in their heart.]
.... but I just wanted him to be honest with me - so I could tell him, before he went too far, that he was doing the wrong thing.
[ . . . . he opens his eyes then and quietly looks to gu yun.]
But I don't know what the right thing is anymore. I think.... I don't want to risk Harrow-san. I don't want to risk anyone. It was an officer's job to stop criminals before they could act, and everything here has been messing things up so I can't even do that. For weeks, we couldn't even catch anybody.
I'm not someone who has any right to judge others, and I can't decide who lives or dies in normal situations. I barely even vote. But... if it means protecting other people, I know what I have to do. It's not about right or wrong anymore - it's just necessity.
[ this little story explains quite a bit about mineo, actually. gu yun listens, remembers the context of that memory that they shared all those weeks ago. there's a secret buried deep in the corners of his conscience that he's held onto for years now that makes the words resonate in ways that he won't ever admit to, the feeling of loss that comes from people revealing their true cards - and perhaps worse, with people trying to protect you from it, out of some misguided sense of kindness.
when mineo looks at him, gu yun meets his gaze. his eyes haven't been sharp lately, but it's sunday evening, and right now, even without his glass, they carry a determined, fierce steadiness, something befitting of someone known as the leader of a camp of black iron. ]
So do it then.
[ not a command, not a challenge. just matching resolve for resolve. ] If those remaining here decide to punish you for walking a path of protecting others, then you have at least chosen to walk that path on your own, for a cause that is important to you. That person chose what he valued - in that case, a promotion, over anything else. [ in his case - that person chose the love of a barbarian woman, who wanted to sell the secrets of his beloved homeland away, planned a civil war with the death of an eight year old boy who just couldn't seem to die. that person, who raised him out of guilt when his actions didn't go as planned and lied to his face for all of his life.
what a terrible feeling to understand.] Right, wrong, good, bad - everyone has their own perceptions of those concepts. The only actions you can control are your own.
If you hesitate, he may harm someone else. If you don't act, then someone else certainly will - perhaps in a way that is crueler or kinder than you feel that you would. If you value the lives of the people here, then a chance to protect them is being placed in front of you.
The conviction to act to protect others is something no one can take from you, no matter what judgements are placed upon you because of it.
So take it as a necessity. Act swiftly, and without hesitation. There are plenty here that will have your back - myself included. You certainly had mine.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
idk ill find something
no subject
there's a moment of pause, as he watches mineo slump over. it gives him a sense of deja vu that's inexplicable, familiarity in a fondness.
gu yun takes a long drink of his wine. ]
Do keep this quiet, but ...he saved himself. That's why we'd regret it. It was either an ability or an item. [ tch. ] When I questioned him on Saturday night, I bluffed that I knew something about the execution, and I caught him off guard. I didn't think anything of it, and even if I had, it wouldn't have stopped the inevitable. I went to go chat with an Avatar a little earlier today, to get some information about it, and they were willing to share a little, because of what I had done.
[ it irritates him, personally, that childe of all people had such a powerful item, because he was just able to kill without consequence. him and mahito both, skipping off merrily hand in hand. at least he was able to eliminate mahito from the picture because of his overconfidence. fuckin flea. ]
...With that in mind. In situations like this, I always weigh the costs and benefits. When we look at the type of person Childe is, and the type of place that we are in, I think that the costs to keeping him alive will severely outweigh the benefits. I also think that all we've done by keeping him alive is either prolong the inevitable [ his death ] or have someone else innocent die because we made that decision.
In terms of morality and action, of course it's shitty. Killing people always is, no matter what, even in wartime, and we've been put in a terrifically shitty situation because of his selfishness. If given the choice, you and I both agreed he'd just be tossed in a jail cell, but here, we don't have that choice.
As you've said, however, the rules here are different, and I think that is important to keep in mind. People here have many reasons for killing others - my own was self defense. Others have done so in the name of love. Others, because they were bored and wanted to see what would happen. [ childe, ]
So, with the rules of this game being the way that they are, is "protecting the greater good" -- and in this case, truly, I do think the greater good - worth the feeling of taking a life to you? Is protecting yourself worth it? Protecting Harrow? Some other unknown victim we don't even know?
[ he reaches over and puts his hand on top of mineo's head, then ruffles his hair. ]
It sounds to me as though you already have made your decision. Whatever you choose, there will be consequences - some that affect others more, and some that will affect you. I have no doubt you're already aware.
no subject
.... I used to be an officer, but I left because I wasn't sure what justice was anymore. The person who was most important to me - you saw what happened to him. They abandoned him to die, even though we could've saved him. I... found him myself after, when it was already too late. I worked myself to my limit, didn't eat or sleep, but I thought that it wasn't just right to give up on him.
At first it was because I thought he was wrongly accused - a dirty cop? That guy? No way. But then the more I looked into it.... I realized that he was chasing a promotion. He was desperate. He saw me get promoted ahead of him, and racked up a surge of arrests afterward.... even though he would greet me with a smile and ruffle my hair, and tell me I was doing good.
[mineo doesn't trust. not really. he's guarded, and it is because he knows how much people can say sweet words to his face while carrying jealousy in their heart.]
.... but I just wanted him to be honest with me - so I could tell him, before he went too far, that he was doing the wrong thing.
[ . . . . he opens his eyes then and quietly looks to gu yun.]
But I don't know what the right thing is anymore. I think.... I don't want to risk Harrow-san. I don't want to risk anyone. It was an officer's job to stop criminals before they could act, and everything here has been messing things up so I can't even do that. For weeks, we couldn't even catch anybody.
I'm not someone who has any right to judge others, and I can't decide who lives or dies in normal situations. I barely even vote. But... if it means protecting other people, I know what I have to do. It's not about right or wrong anymore - it's just necessity.
no subject
when mineo looks at him, gu yun meets his gaze. his eyes haven't been sharp lately, but it's sunday evening, and right now, even without his glass, they carry a determined, fierce steadiness, something befitting of someone known as the leader of a camp of black iron. ]
So do it then.
[ not a command, not a challenge. just matching resolve for resolve. ] If those remaining here decide to punish you for walking a path of protecting others, then you have at least chosen to walk that path on your own, for a cause that is important to you. That person chose what he valued - in that case, a promotion, over anything else. [ in his case - that person chose the love of a barbarian woman, who wanted to sell the secrets of his beloved homeland away, planned a civil war with the death of an eight year old boy who just couldn't seem to die. that person, who raised him out of guilt when his actions didn't go as planned and lied to his face for all of his life.
what a terrible feeling to understand.] Right, wrong, good, bad - everyone has their own perceptions of those concepts. The only actions you can control are your own.
If you hesitate, he may harm someone else. If you don't act, then someone else certainly will - perhaps in a way that is crueler or kinder than you feel that you would. If you value the lives of the people here, then a chance to protect them is being placed in front of you.
The conviction to act to protect others is something no one can take from you, no matter what judgements are placed upon you because of it.
So take it as a necessity. Act swiftly, and without hesitation. There are plenty here that will have your back - myself included. You certainly had mine.