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[deputychief]

You've reached Itsuki Koizumi; I will be sure to return messages as promptly as possible.

Comments

[deputychief]

I mean I haven't had enough contact with them to judge them. But some of them certainly seem to deserve some sympathy. As we know, Freyr and Freya are, technically, hostages themselves.

[He says it matter-of-factly but as gently as he can, too.]

But really, in general, the impressions we have had are fleeting, and they are by no means unified.

[integrous]

[ Just because it's gently makes her a little less likely to immediately yell back (and the fact that it's him and this situation helps that, too) so instead she almost awkwardly twirls a lock of hair around a finger. ]

But the gods in general did a lot of awful things to the people here, right? If they were good people, then there's no way any of that would've happened! Even kidnapping people is already bad, but.. if this war is really what they say, then maybe I could find that okay, but some of the other stuff is just inexcusable..!

[deputychief]

Well, think of it at home... A country in general can do deplorable things to other people as well. It doesn't mean we condemn everyone from that country. In a wartime, often no side comes off having done the ethical thing at every time. Perhaps it's not possible sometimes. If someone picks the least bad option, and falls in with their fellow gods, what else is there to do?

We can only accept the world that we're given... [...he says, almost wistfully.]

[integrous]

.. I.. can't agree with that. Practically all the gods I've seen or talked to [ not that it's all of them, but.. ] were-- well, generally unpleasant, and that's still using a way too nice word for it! [ her hands form fists, even if it's obvious that she's trying so hard for once to keep herself in control. ] How can it be good in any way to kill people over something as petty as proving a point..?!

[deputychief]

[He sees her sense of outrage clearly, and it gives him pause for a second. His voice gets almost quieter as she gets more strident.]

Are they all implicated in that? They are all associated, but only the people who did such a thing should be considered guilty of it, isn't it so? What they did, if I recall correctly, was to restore powers from our original universes to the affected ones, after they were asked or at least provoked to do so, in full knowledge that this would cause a gruesome fate, though they had not convinced those people that this would happen.

... It's a lonely road we travel if we go condemning everyone who's ever brought another harm, even if we say only those who did so intentionally.

[integrous]

[ .. She slowly glances sideways at him, her look a frown but.. not necessarily an angry one, maybe almost more worried. ]

You don't think it's okay that people got hurt, do you..?

[deputychief]

[Again, he pauses before he answers.]

No. But I think we have to accept that it happened and think about what is best now to prevent more people from being hurt in the future. Practically, I think that's what's most important.

Do you disagree?

[integrous]

Of course I don't disagree with something like that. I don't want anyone to be hurt..

[ And there's nothing she can do to change the past, she knows, while the future is something that can still be influenced, but it's just that the idea of that already having happened is so hard to swallow. ]

[deputychief]

{He recognizes that expression well enough already, so his voice is calm and his grip reassuring -- or at least it attempts to be -- as he goes on:]

It's not easy to accept that and simply move on. And I don't think we can forget it. In fact, we have to remember that some of them are capable of such things, but -- it's about patience and improving the situation where we are. That's my opinion, anyway.

[integrous]

.. Yeah. [ At least this time the agreement is just that, rather than being something that's just defeatist. There's no way anyone wouldn't agree with what he's saying now, right? Patience isn't something she's good at, but of course it's all about improving the situation, about making sure that people won't get hurt in the future. If she can help it at all, but Asahi knows she can try, at least. She leans a little more into the hold again compared to before. ]

Even if it's something that wouldn't be easy for just one or a couple of people together to do.

[deputychief]

It might not be easy, but it's not impossible. And there's more of us than just a few, anyway. There will be. In the meantime, though, even just you and me - that's an important thing to have to start.

[integrous]

[ There's a nod, and slowly a smile creeps back onto her face. ]

At least we can work together no matter what.

[deputychief]

Right. I'll be counting on you.

[He smiles back, with a little less ease than usual, in fact -- a little shyly.]