Day 151 | Open

[amnesiadragon]

Who: Ryu and anyone who will humor him with questions.
Open: Open
When: Day 151
Where: All around the Bastion.
What: Ryu has some difficult questions for people.
Format: Either
Warnings: Possible mention of death/war/other upsetting topics. His questions today are running on the existential side.

After all the excitement of the day, Ryu is still left with questions. He just doesn't understand why people hurt each other, or go to war. He doesn't understand why people have to fight. None of this makes sense. And his heart hurts at thinking about all of these things, so there's really only one thing to do.

In the evening, Ryu approaches people, gently clearing his throat or tugging their sleeve if it doesn't look like that will provoke violence. It doesn't really matter the age - he knows he's one of the youngest in the Bastion anyway, even if he doesn't look it. Still, the worry in his eyes is evident as he speaks softly.

"... Do you mind answering some questions?"

Comments

[superdrowningskills]

It's not terribly often that others approach him with questions, so Alucard is a little surprised that the young dragon would come to him with his worries. Still, he has no reason to refuse.

"...I will answer as best I am able. What do you wish to know?"

[amnesiadragon]

He looks down for a moment, trying to decide how to ask, before he looks up again.

"This... this might not be the best time to ask, but... why do humans hurt each other?"

[superdrowningskills]

"..."

He regards Ryu for a moment, his expression taking on a tinge of sadness.

"...Mostly, I believe it is fear that drives them. The fear of the unknown is perhaps the most powerful. It... causes some to strike out at that which they do not understand because they fear it may be a threat.

"...In my time, those who were considered other than human or simply possessed the gift of magic always had the threat of being killed for it. To even be suspected as such could be a death sentence..."

[coolerthansora]

Roxas is still trying to work through some of it himself, and at Ryu's question he offers a wry smile, expecting those questions to be a little more specific than maybe they are.

"I'm not sure I'd know any better than you." They've probably been hearing mostly the same things, after all.

[amnesiadragon]

Unfortunately even Roxas is older than Ryu - not that he knows Roxas' age - and so is a fully valid target for his questions.

"... I just want to know... why do humans hurt each other?"

[coolerthansora]

"Oh..."

Roxas falters for a moment. "There's not- one answer for that. But I think a lot of the time, it's because they don't understand each other very well."

[blackblooded]

[A startled glance, the shift of weight from one foot to the other, nervous.]

Me?

[amnesiadragon]

[Ryu nods.]

I... I want to know. Why do humans hurt each other?

[blackblooded]

[What an odd question. Crona considers it for a long moment, then decides on a good answer.]

Did you know that if a bee goes into the wrong hive, the other bees will rip it apart until it's dead?

[freedom_engineer]

"I'm always happy to answer questions," Colin replies, sitting back at one of the workbenches in his workshop.

"Though, my answers aren't always the most helpful," he adds after a second.

[amnesiadragon]

"Yeah, but you know humans better than I do." Almost everyone knows humans better than he does.

"I just... want to know. Why do humans hurt each other? It doesn't... it doesn't make sense."

[freedom_engineer]

"Not as well as you might think," Colin grins. "But well enough of give it the old college try. Why do humans hurt each other? That is a good question, not easily answered. Lots of religions will typically blame cruelty on one or two poor souls who went against their gods' wishes, thus opening their decendents up to all sorts of cruelty."

A pause.

"That's not worth an engine's exhaust, but it's usually a good story. I, personally, believe that it comes down to a combination of pride, fear, and greed. People are too proud to believe that any way but their way is best, and they're all too willing to hurt other people to impose their will on others. Likewise, when people don't know what they're facing, their thoughts will run wild, usually ending in some process that can be summed up as 'Oh no, it's going to hurt me, unless I hurt it first!'"

Another pause.

"Which never works out as well as people would like. But I suspect that's not answering the heart and soul of your question... Why are you wondering about this?"

[amphibian]

[After everything that's happened today, Aoi's not in the best of moods. She's cheerful, if not as endlessly enthusiastic as usual, when she turns and recognizes Ryu, but worry etches into her features as soon as he speaks.]

I don't mind. What's up?

[amnesiadragon]

I... just wanted to ask... why do humans hurt each other?

[It's a very confusing thing. :<]

[amphibian]

[...She doesn't know if she even wants to touch this one.]

Ummm...

I mean, humans aren't the only creatures that hurt each other, right? Even animals fight...

[Way to not answer the question, Aoi!!!]

[croceamors]

As Ryu approaches, Saix is in the middle of staring very intently at his Berserker Nobody. It's a bit of an odd scene, but Saix seems as if he's listening... He looks away from the large Lesser when Ryu is close enough, however.

"It depends on what those questions are."

[amnesiadragon]

"I um... I wanted to ask. Why do humans hurt each other?"

As far as he knows Saix is human, anyway.

[croceamors]

Well... It depends on what you define as 'human'. At that question, Saix just raises an eyebrow. That's certainly something to ask although after the recent revelation, well, he can guess the reason.

"To put it into simple terms? They either care too much, or don't care at all."

[followsthevoice]

[The reveal had gone...much smoother than The Kid had been expecting; at least the only thing he'd gotten was his ear talked off by Zulf and Zia, but that was to be expected. Right now he'd set his bedroll up near a tree and was sitting on it looking up at the sky when he was approached by someone he hadn't seen yet who was looking to have some questions answered...fair enough, he did open that can of worms after all.]

Sure, whatcha wanna know?

[amnesiadragon]

[Ryu had mostly stayed away from the group. He'd heard what had happened, but he was more concerned with managing the fallout than the big revelations. Wars and weapons, while things he understood on a basic survival level, weren't really things he understood on a more complicated political level.]

I... I just wanted to know. Why do people have wars? Why do they hurt each other?

[followsthevoice]

[The question caused a pause in The Kid; not out of any sense of shock or guilt, but simply because it was a good question, and good questions deserved good answers. He took the time to ponder it, let it roll around in his mind until he finally composed a series of thoughts cohesive enough to begin speaking.]

'S a good question, people've been hurtin' and warrin' with each other since time started. I s'pose there's no one answer t'that though; every incident and war has it's own reason; sometimes it's t'protect someone, sometimes it's outta fear, sometimes it's outta hate, but in the end we all find ways o'justifyin' what we do.

[He sighed, leaning his back against the tree he was resting under and rolled his shoulders a bit as he tried to undo the tension that had been knotting up in them.]

[fuckthemancers]

It's been a very very tiring day and Zulf shows every bit of it. Having to deal with the interrogation of the early morning, then Kid telling everyone without Zia and Zulf knowing, then having to hunt down the Kid and Zia on their own... Right now, he just wants to smoke his pipe, staring off into the distance away from the Bastion. The smoke curls about him in thick tendrils as he breathes it out. He actually seems surprised that someone is approaching him after all this.

"Ah... I'll do what I can to answer."

[amnesiadragon]

"Sorry... I know you've had a tough day. I just thought you might be a good person to ask."

He'll try to keep it as short as he can, but he knows that this isn't an easy question.

"I just want to know... why do humans hurt each other? Why do they have wars?"

If you don't mind late responses

[earthandpine]

Rosethorn doesn't look intimidating when she's checking on a plant she just passed by. Her attention is on that rather than on Ryu, and she doesn't bite when he tugs on her sleeve.

"No, I don't mind, but I don't think we've met before. I'm Rosethorn. Your name?"

NO GET OUT - I mean <3

[amnesiadragon]

"Ryu. I um. I just wanted to know. Why do humans fight? Why do they have wars?"

It's really frustrating and terrifying.