animus_network | 3. Knowledge [Video]

[[OOC: This is backdated to the 16th, after the Nyx Avatar battle. I meant to make this post earlier, but so it goes. Better late than never!]]

The video opens up on Jade Curtiss, picking up and slipping on his glasses, then looking at the camera while smiling his usual unconcerned smile and wearing his usual military uniform.

"Forgive me my abruptness, but I'd like to conduct a little survey," he says pleasantly. "My name is Jade Curtiss, and I had the fascinating experience of my first death yesterday--at, apparently, the hands of Death itself, no less. When I awoke this morning, I couldn't help but wonder, what sorts of deaths have you all experienced thus far? If you wouldn't mind indulging my curiosity, please leave a response in whatever format you prefer with as much detail as you feel comfortable with giving.

"Please be aware that I will likely ask follow-up questions. This is, of course, completely optional. For those of you who do participate, thank you in advance for your cooperation."

He nods his head politely, then reaches forward for something off-screen. The video cuts there. ...Morbid much?

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

Oh… I-I see.

[Yukiko… she meant well, certainly, but Ryoji wasn’t about to do something as selfish as asking for reprieve. He knows Jade has questions, and if he’s going easy on Ryoji, he may not get all of his answers. Ryoji doesn’t want to leave him confused, so he shakes his head, smiling weakly.]

I’ll be fine without you going easy on me. I’m not afraid to answer whatever questions I can answer, but do understand that some things are beyond me.

[Jade adjusts his glasses.]

That's good to hear, because I had no intentions of doing so. It's much easier to deal with someone willing to accept the consequences of their actions, whether they had been manipulated into it or not.

[He lowers his hand and gives Ryoji a direct, piercing look. He doesn't react to Ryoji's caveat, but he will take it into account.]

Now, what exactly was that entity you became?

[Ryoji swallows down his nerves and nods slowly. He knows he is to blame for what happened. Jade saying that may have hurt slightly, but only because he had been listening to his friends’ opinions for so long. He forgot he was responsible… that was very foolish of him.]

I became the Avatar for a being known as Nyx. She is a being of darkness, powerful enough to be seen as a goddess in some way, but ultimately influenced by human emotion and desire. As the Harbinger, I bring about what she believes all humans desire… the end of everything.

[It's good to have friends to reassure you that you're not the worst forever and to stand by you when you at the heart of something terrible like this--but it's not good to be told that you aren't responsible for any of it, either. It's fine if Ryoji's uncomfortable, so long as he doesn't run away.

Jade thus listens without interrupting at the young man's explanation. His expression, while still stern, turns a bit more thoughtful by the end.]

The Thanatos principle, hm.

Please go on.

[He isn’t about to run away at all. He knows how important it is that he explain what happened, to the best of his ability. It’s a little difficult when he barely knows Jade… he doesn’t want to go into all of the details, since it involves personal information about another person here and he doesn’t want to get into emotional aspects that make him seem like he’s trying to gain sympathy.]

I am a very small part of her, a piece of darkness that was fused with other pieces to trap Death in a physical form. I was eventually sealed inside a young child, and that allowed me to gain a personality and human side that lets me now appear as a regular person to you… That doesn’t change the fact, however, that I am part of Nyx, and that she still has control of me. When the despair and hopelessness of a world’s inhabitants become too much, I lose control to her. I’ve usually been fine here, but Ganondorf concentrated the negative feelings into a few of my close friends, and being around them pushed me to that point.

3. Knowledge [Video]

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