[The grief is too great and too new. Armin's smile fades, although it isn't the right time.
[Countless lifetimes; no escape. Some clawed hand, unseen, rips its way through Armin's shoulder blades and wrenches out his heart-- Ah, but, only a dream within a dream. He's still seated on the armchair, alive and well and truly dead. His posture is just fine, too.]
It makes sense.
["Armin. It's just as you said.
["I'm a slave to freedom."]
It makes perfect sense, actually. Our perception being all that we have is, by its nature, something that must be changed externally...
[They could have done more. They should have. Sooner. Better. Something...
[Armin looks up quite abruptly; hadn't noticed his head had dropped until it lifts again.]
I feel terrible for people like you. [Honest.] It must be some unique Hell, being unable to change your own reality, while bearing the weight of so many others'. [Too honest.] I'm sure it's lonely. [Stop talking.] I'm sure you wouldn't be telling me any of this if you didn't think I'd forget it the second you let me go--
[Enough.
[Too great. Too new. Enough. Quiet down. Enough.]
I'm sorry. [Smile.] I got ahead of myself.
[Adapt. Invent.
[He lowers his head again, massaging at his temples with one hand as he shakes his head - a lie.] Everything I've told you...it's still fresh in my mind. [Half a lie.] I'm only trying to understand. [Honest. Honest.]
cw: grief, death, gore, body horror - I'm having a good time over here idk
[Funny loophole, yeah.
[The grief is too great and too new. Armin's smile fades, although it isn't the right time.
[Countless lifetimes; no escape. Some clawed hand, unseen, rips its way through Armin's shoulder blades and wrenches out his heart-- Ah, but, only a dream within a dream. He's still seated on the armchair, alive and well and truly dead. His posture is just fine, too.]
It makes sense.
["Armin. It's just as you said.
["I'm a slave to freedom."]
It makes perfect sense, actually. Our perception being all that we have is, by its nature, something that must be changed externally...
[They could have done more. They should have. Sooner. Better. Something...
[Armin looks up quite abruptly; hadn't noticed his head had dropped until it lifts again.]
I feel terrible for people like you. [Honest.] It must be some unique Hell, being unable to change your own reality, while bearing the weight of so many others'. [Too honest.] I'm sure it's lonely. [Stop talking.] I'm sure you wouldn't be telling me any of this if you didn't think I'd forget it the second you let me go--
[Enough.
[Too great. Too new. Enough. Quiet down. Enough.]
I'm sorry. [Smile.] I got ahead of myself.
[Adapt. Invent.
[He lowers his head again, massaging at his temples with one hand as he shakes his head - a lie.] Everything I've told you...it's still fresh in my mind. [Half a lie.] I'm only trying to understand. [Honest. Honest.]