animus_network | [02] || [Foolishness] || [Video]

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[02] || [Foolishness] || [Video]

It has concerned me greatly of late as to what "Losing your Soul to the Tower of Animus" may mean. And I am afraid we may be witnessing the first symptoms of such a loss...

[ It's to say the ridiculous amounts of sheer foolishness that can be witnessed all around the tower, especially as of late. It is the first time since May that Gandalf posts something on the network- Nothing surprising considering his dislike of such communication means. But here and now, sending this message is absolutely necessary. ]

This tower affects us all deeply. Whether we would like to admit it or not this stands as a reality. What I see is that for many amongst us, what should be horrors become normal. What should be unacceptable becomes acceptable. And what should be evil becomes good... It is when we lose ourselves to such darkness that I believe our very soul may be threatened. But this is not the only reason of my presence here, nay. For those are not the only values I have seen decaying and falling into disarray within this tower.

Great evil surrounds us at all times and I am afraid too many are those who should fight this evil, yet have already have traded their intelligence for sheer stupidity. Blindly running into situations that will ensure you to lose your life is no display of heroism. There is nothing noble in playing pranks to beings that should be left alone and forgotten. Nor is it wise to gather information that can be easilly accessed by all the ill-intentioned beings lurking and waiting for their chance to strike within this tower.

It is foolishness. Blindly running into situations that will bring you or others death only shows you have been deprived of your fear of death. And without fear, there can be no wisdom. With no wisdom, there can be no future for us. If you have surpassed your fear of death, I shall praise you. But this tower does not want you to surpass your fears, it wants to erase your fears. Please, do not throw away your lives so rashly. The energy spent in such trivial tasks would be better directed at cooperative work in the hope to restore our homeworlds.

Finally, I should advice against using the network frequently or for matters as critical as what can be witnessed. Ironical is it not, that I should use this very network to send such a message. Yet, the administrators can see all you post here. Those whose hearts are even darker than that of our administrators can see everything you post as well. Do not believe a mere filter will protect your messages. They have been broken before.

I beg of you to prove me wrong and bring to an end the wave of foolishness that has hit this tower of late. Such madness will not restore any worlds and will only bring more misery.

I believe I have spoken enough for a day, but before I end this, remember this month the administrator known as Ruana is in charge. In spite of the praise given to her by some and what many like to believe, she has proven to be the most cruel and dangerous administrator when in charge of the tower. The cruelty of her so-called "games" has caused unequaled suffering and pain.

Soon she will move against us and you should be prepared for when she'll strike.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[...but agreeing to all that's being said. ~~And nobody was surprised by that.~~]

Edited 2013-02-07 20:34 (UTC)

[ ~~They desperately need that common sense support group.~~ ]

[ he gazes over at this quietly ]

It's been some time since I've seen your temper.

[ it's rueful. he's been on the receiving end, every hobbit gandalf came to love often did.

a pause. ]

I heard. That you believed Arda to be gone.

[ Gandalf tries to smile at Frodo, but this does not last long. Not that any of this anger is directed toward the poor Hobbit. ]

And I dearly hope it will be some times before you see it again, Frodo. But I believe some people here need a reminder of what our current predicament is.

[ He sighs at Frodo's word though- So he knows. Well, it was fated that he would know someday, but this does not make it any easier. ]

I believe Arda to have fallen into disarray is a strong possibility, yes. It is my belief that clouding our eyes to what is the most likely reality would only worsen the situation and delay actions that should be taken now.

[ After all, if everyone had trusted Gandalf much earlier on back on Middle-Earth, the battles to take Sauron down may have been less bloody. ]

I think they'd be insensible if they didn't listen to you now, dear Gandalf.

[ he glanced over at him again, shadows in his eyes. it was obvious he didn't take fondly to this idea, but if it was true, and gandalf said as much -- then there must have been a way. ]

Then He must still be alive.

[ there's a pause. ]
I'm sorry to be here, Gandalf. I would provide much better help if I was on my road again. Yet instead I bring only a burden to you all.

I'm sorry.
[ he had .. wanted to tell gandalf that for some time now. ]

[ He smiled faintly at the "He" must be alive. Yes but... ]

They are all alive dear Frodo. This is our mission here, to save them all.

[ But then sighed and shook his head, speaking with a bit sadness. ]

Frodo, would you be meant to be on your road still you would be, for Arda is not the only world where forces other than evil are at work. We are all here with a purpose.

Where would you be? I would rather discuss these matters elsewhere than on the network.

[ he listens to him. how easy it could be to fall into this despair, into this heavy and painful burden that could not be shared or relieved. but frodo listens to gandalf, as he always has, and he looks so tired, so sorry all around.

a dark head lowers, and he nods slowly. ]

I believe them to be alive. Sam, Bilbo, Merry, Pippin. Our company. They cannot be dead.

[ he catches that sadness and he wonders how many times he has been the source of gandalf's sorrowful expression. ]

Then what must I do?

[ once again he asks. ]

I am in the library, at present.

What must you do, what must we all do Frodo? I wish I had the answer to such a question, alas all I can provide you with is an indication, a light for you to find the answer yourself.

[ He smiled gently, a sad smile. He wishes he would have better answers, but if he did he would not give them. The journey is not only to follow a given path, but to find and follow this path ]

I'll be there soon.

[ And he did not lie, as after only a couple minutes Gandalf stepped into the library. ]

That way of speaking -- in riddles, long has it been since I've heard it.
[ his tone is wry, but when he appears, frodo turns, glances at the sight of white and smiles his standard, tired smile. ]

Hullo, Gandalf.

[ Gandalf puts a reassuring hand on Frodo's should and smile. ]

It has been some time since we spoke face to face. But I cannot let you think that you are a burden. That's not the truth behind your presence.

[ and he eases into that, quietly. he seems a bit more faded each time, but his eyes are strong, just the same. ]

You don't know why, do you, Gandalf?

[ it's not said with pity but..even his dear counselor, a wizard like family to his uncle and himself, one of the wisest..doesn't know. that's frightening, but he's been familiar with it. ]

I've known that for a time. Before I arrived. I think I've known for a while.

Edited 2013-03-02 01:09 (UTC)

I agree with you on a few things. Ruana is a terrible person and trusting her is stupid. Anyone who thinks otherwise is invited to try out what being inside out feels like; she'd be happy to show you if you slight her!

But there's definitely a problem with not using the network for anything:

No records.

Things don't stay here, unless they're posted on this. We wouldn't know anything that people here before us learned, if it didn't keep getting passed along. And word of mouth only goes so far. People leave and we lose important clues.

The real kicker is that the stuff a lot of people are ~so afraid~ to post are things the admins would know anyway, or that they just wouldn't care about. As for people with 'darker hearts' than the admins reading it?

That's not a problem either. Those people don't exist.

Why would we not write books, I ask? Yes they can burn, yes they can be lost but only if not handled with cautions. Books can be kept away from those who should not have access to certain information. Books are an universal mean to transmit knowledge.

If the administrators decided to erase all traces of the past, the network would be the first to fall.

[ Obviously Sayaka never met Morgoth or Sauron. And hopefully never will. ]

As for those with darker hearts, I am afraid they do exist. More powerful than the administrators? I shall agree, no one here hold powers that can rival theirs. But are they evil at the core, aside from maybe Jason?

I would say no. For they are unable to understand us and our morals, this lead to the cruelty we experience. But that is not true evil. There are beings that if they possessed a fraction of this power, would make the administrators appear as benefactors..

[Solas has one hand covering her mouth in a thoughtful manner, her dark eyes looking downward in concentration. She then looks back up, moves her hand away from her mouth, and speaks.]

...What on earth have I missed? That aside, I agree. Rushing into danger... [She shakes her head a little.] But people can get desperate in situations like this. Nobody's patience is eternal, even in a relatively calm place. If left too long without answers....well.

[She knows from experience.]

There is a difference between patience running out and unnecessarily provoking dangerous persons. You have not missed anything important, worry not. But I am deeply worried about what is happening to the people in this tower.

[ He knows from experience as well, just. There still are limits. ]

Mm.... [She looks thoughtful again, thinking about it.]

Perhaps it's because death isn't permanent here, that people see no issues with what they're doing? Much the same thing occurred with a few people in my world, back when an...an associate of mine temporarily lost her wits and went on a rampage. [She shakes her head.] Most had the good sense to stay away, but some...

Unfortunately you are correct m'lady. And this be what worries me most.

[ he sighs and shakes his head. ]

I am sorry to hear events similar in essence were to be had in your homeworld.

Mm. I mean, it's not - it's good that people aren't lost forever, but...there's a reason humans aren't supposed to be immortal.

[Maotegna...]

You are kind. Honestly though, it was mostly because of my own inexperience. I thought to keep some details quiet to avoid upsetting the arrivals, but...well, that wasn't quite the right thing to do. [She smiles sheepishly at this.]

I agree. Mortality more than anything else define immortality.

[ He smiles slightly. ]

Are you blaming yourself? As you say what ever it is that happened was result of inexperience and good intentions. What is the right thing to do, we rarely know it before it's too late.

Unfortunately so. I have to say, thought, that I don't want to experience death again.

...You are wise as well as kind. I've lived a hundred years but, well, most of that was as trees. [She laughs a little at that.] Not much chance to understand humans then.

[He was simply looking through the entries since he last looked through them, and with this month being what it was he couldn't help but be pinged by it. So of course, he was going to respond to it. However painful it may be. Because, wasn't that first paragraph exactly what Jason had...?]

Allow me to just add on to what you've said. Because it is true that this place does seek to erase fears, cause them to become one of the mundane, but there is something that I should bring up.

Fears and weaknesses are never erased. They either grow until the point where the person is overwhelmed and can't find their way, forever lost or even in denial of their fears, or they face them and overcome what they feared--turning their weakness into a strength. Yet they'll always be there, lurking in the back of our minds, waiting for us to slip up.

Just like what Ruana's games always bring out in us, even with the assistance of the other admins like she did last June.

[He already had the pleasure of most of his soul being torn from him because of his refusal to cooperate with their games, only to be restored by toy figurines until he eventually died and thus reset. Don't need to rehash that one. Besides, how many who were taken into those pods were still there?]

The anon brings up a good point, though... Maybe both records in books and on the network? It never hurts to have multiple sources.

[Not to mention... books could also be stolen.]

I agree, this is how things are meant to be. And it would be true, if the object of the fear was not erased as well.

But what when the subject of the fear itself is erased?Let us take the topic at hand, mortality, death. The fear would indeed return if mortality were to return, but as long as the immortality is shown to be eternal, as long as it is believed mortality is gone, the fear is effectively erased because it cannot apply any more to any possible situation.

Which is the subject of my concern as it is my belief death define humanity in many ways-- The fear of death, overcoming it, the consequences of being mortal, all of these are what set humanity apart from other species where I come from.

[ A sigh. Guess nothing will stop youth from using these networks. ]

You can store information here if so you desire. However I shall not support usage of the network, for I have witnessed such devices participating in what could have been the downfall of my homeworld, in strikingly similar situations.

The thing is.... mortality is simply replaced by another fear: Being at the mercy of Jason every time we do "die", and even if we do come back from death's door every time, there is pain, trauma and paralysis.

[He gives a faint hint of a smirk at that, though... Oh, death; something he knows of a little too well.]

It's the same for my world. At least, when concerning death. Technology, not so much.

[He holds up a book; guess who's been copying it all down in his spare time? (just not this notebook; because that would be too revealing)]

There is for some of us, yes. For many though, I am afraid your vision is quite optimistic.

[ However Gandalf would smile, after all being optimistic even in the worse situation was his main attribution. ]

Yet I hope that you be true. It has been long since I found external reason to maintain my hope.

The way I see it, it's better to remain optimistic than to let the horrors jade us completely.

[...Did he just find a kindred spirit? Either way, he does return that smile with a small one of his own.]

Then I hope you find more reasons.

[Even in this place; because it's in the darkest times when they need the aspect of humanity that he once represented the most.]

[A nod.] I could not agree more. As long as hope and optimism do not become a pretext for us to avoid reality, I could think no better state of mind.

[ Numerous were those who avoided reality (especially in this tower), but at least these conversations proved them to be still in minority. ]

I am certain I shall. It is not a matter of if, but of when.

[ And hopefully as soon as possible, but he knew to be patient. ]

Edited 2013-02-13 15:47 (UTC)

Luckily there are a few of us who choose not to turn a blind eye. Don't know how we'd be without that.

[Doesn't want to know, either.]

At least that much is definite.

[~~One protagonist who seeks to face truth instead of turning from it reporting for reason duty even though he dun fucked up once or twice.~~]

And I believe I would rather not imagine.

[ ~~It's okay, first golden rules of protags, you have to fuck up one or two times before becoming the hero. he knows quite a bit about that.~~ ]

With all this being said, I wish you luck in your endeavor.

[ Since it's obvious that one isn't amongst the idiots he mentioned after all. ]

[He nods faintly. ~~Noted. >.>;~~]

Good luck to you as well. [Because they'll need all the luck in the many universes.]

Did I miss something?

[ first access to the network. totally missed out on what's been going about. ]

[ Months of stupidity, but Gandalf will do his best so it does not happen again. ]

Nothing of importance, trust me young man. I simply believe many of our comrades are loosing of sight what is most important to use.

Roxas.

[ young man is kind of weird. 8| ]

What do you mean what's most important?

Roxas then. You can call me gandalf.

[ He smiles warmly before continuing. ]

Saving our worlds, saving those who cannot defend themselves and to whom we are the only hope.

I didn't know you could save worlds once they're gone.

[ no really. he thinks that they're kind of lost forever. ]

How could we do that?

We can, have no doubt of this.

[ He pauses. ]

How. That's a good question, how could we? How could we be alive when all those we knew supposedly died with our worlds? How could we reach this tower when countless worlds die everyday? How could we meet with our loved ones in this place? How I ask?

We have defied the odds on more occasions than I can count. Saving our worlds is simply another occasion for us to defy such odds and make the impossible possible.

What if...

What if you don't think that all of them should be saved?

[ Gandalf sounds slightly concerned. ]

Are you talking about your homeworld?

It's not really a home, but it's where I stayed.

...I just think it's better off if it's gone.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[02] || [Foolishness] || [Video]

Not here...

Re: Not here

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text, anon - aka sayaka has Opinions OTL

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voice; i cannot apologize enough

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