thebastion | Day 151

Entry tags:

Day 151 | Open

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?"

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"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."

"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?"

Give him a sec to catch up. You talk way too fast, Colin. He's not going to go into the whole question about multiple religions.

"But... why? I mean... if it's something like a monster that's going to eat you first, yeah. But if it's another person... why can't you just talk?"

He shakes his head. "... It's just... with everything going on here lately... people talking about wars. And Nina told me that the Eastern Kingdoms and the Empire are always at war, even when they pretend to be at peace."

"Some people don't want to talk, for a variety of reasons," Colin explains. "Sometimes, they think they're right, regardless of the truth. Sometimes, they think they're better than other people, and that 'fact' gives them the right to hurt other people. It doesn't. And sometimes... they just don't see how talking can give them what they want."

He frowns slightly. "I'm not explaining this well..."

"... But they don't even try?"

To be fair, he's fought people without asking, but that's usually because they're trying to attack him first.

"Why would they?" Colin asks, giving Ryu a sad look. "In their eyes, they're in the right, and talking would just take away something that's rightfully theirs?"

"But..."

He squeezes his eyes shut for a moment, and sighs.

"That doesn't... make sense."

"No, it doesn't," Colin confirms quietly.

"Need a hug?"

"Nn."

Ryu walks forward, reaching out to hug Colin.

Colin gives Ryu a gentle smile, and he reaches out to pull Ryu into a hug.

"It's never easy," he says quietly.

He shakes his head as he closes his eyes.

"I don't want people to fight. I just want people to be able to get along. I was supposed to be used to end a war, but... but I want to end it peacefully, not with violence."

Colin lets relax in the hug, and he nods slightly.

"Most people want peace," he confirms. "Unfortunately... peace means different things to different people."

"But they can't work it out? I mean... I've fought people. But I would never want to get other people involved. That's just stupid."

"It's stupid, right up until you realize that people have friends and family, who have their own opinions," Colin says.

"If anyone back home ever seriously attacked me, my sisters and my wife would get involved. The last war my people were in, we got involved in because someone launched a sneak attack on one of our allies."

He shakes his head.

"It's not a good reason, but people want to protect what's important to them, and that often leads to fights."

"I guess. I mean... I guess I did get involved when that soldier was threatening Nina... and then he tracked me down, and we beat him... and then he..."

The color drains out of his face, and he presses a hand over his eyes.

"... No..."

He would have come after him anyway, but... maybe if he hadn't provoked him, he wouldn't have hurt the villagers...

Ryu lets out a sob and buries his face in Colin's shirt, shaking.

Colin tightens his arms around Ryu, holding him as he cries.

"People do stupid things for stupid reasons. People hurt people for even stupider reasons," he whispers quietly. "All we can do is try to do what's right. Sometimes... we mess up. It's what mortals do. When we mess up, we have to make it right."

He won't push Ryu away. The kid needs someone here for him, and it looks like Colin drew that straw this time. He didn't mind. Fixing things was in his nature.

It takes him a bit to stop crying, and a little after that to get his breath back. His chest is tight, and he feels vaguely sick, but he tries to respond without his voice shaking too much.

"It's not just humans who do. I guess no one's perfect..."

He can't help but wonder if he wouldn't have made the same mistake if he was complete, though.

"Nope, that's everyone for you. Mortals and gods alike," Colin confirms.

He pats Ryu's back reassuringly, looking to keep Ryu in one piece.

"... I want to help make a world where that doesn't have to happen. Where people can be safe and happy."

He knows it's childish, but maybe it's possible. There's a chance, at least.

"Lots of people do," Colin says, nodding slightly. "Heck, that's the kind of world I want. It's a nice goal. Just remember... happiness means different things to different people. All you can do is try to make the world better, and not impose your ideas on anyone else. Let people find their own happiness, help out if you can."

He doesn't see anything wrong with Ryu's statement. A little naive, perhaps, but not wrong. He just knows that the risk lies in people who want to take other peoples' choices away from them in the name of making them happy.

He nods a little, thinking. "It's possible, right? That kind of world."

"Possible, yes," Colin says, nodding. "Easy? No, not easy at all. Lots of work, lots of sacrifices to be made, lots of difficult choices to be made by everyone. Lots that can go wrong, but well worth the effort."

"Nothing's easy, though. Nothing that's worth it." He smiles a little bit.

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Day 151 | Open

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