Seventeenth Vision

[hasavision]

[Action for the Goldenrod Inn]

[It's late at night, an hour most people wouldn't be expected to be conscious for. It's also at this time that Wataru awakens once again from his week-long slumber, his eyes opening to a dark but familiar ceiling

Comments

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

[... Oh. 8(]

... Hey, kid.

Trouble sleeping, huh?

[... Heather's own voice sounds a little raspy. It's been a rough few days.]

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

S'the best thing you can do.

[Voice]

[hasavision]

...Hey, Heather? Can I ask you something? Y-you don't have to answer, but...

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

... 'Course you can ask.

I'll answer if I can.

[Voice]

[hasavision]

[He goes quiet for a little bit while he tries to put this into words.]

What would you do if... there was a god who wanted a sacrifice, but the god was actually good? Like, even though they want a sacrifice, it's because of a good reason. Or... something.

[It's hard to make this sound good when he doesn't fully believe it himself. But he gave it a shot.]

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

[... It's a few seconds before he gets his answer.]

... I wouldn't trust a single damn word the god said.

[... She's biased. Just a little.]

Re: [Voice]

[hasavision]

[He smiles a little wryly at that, not that she can see.]

I kind of thought so.

...It's not what the goddess said, really. Mostly my friends, and other people I'd trust with my life.

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

Trust your friends, and your instincts.

Gods are liars. [... Or... well. Not liars so much as just... bad, in Heather's eyes. When you associate them with pain and fear and abuse, it's hard NOT to arrive at that conclusion.] No loving god would ask you to sacrifice yourself for their sake.

[Voice]

[hasavision]

...I don't even know what my friends think of her now. They accepted it when they thought it was just one person, since it's to keep the world going, but when they found out I was probably going to be the second one...

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

That's the other thing.

If a nice, sweet god needed a sacrifice, it would ask somebody to step up to the plate themselves.

Not pick out some person against their will to die.

Your friends're probably right to start doubting it.

[She seems... averse to saying 'her' when referring to the god, for some reason... Even though, given everything she knows... keywords relevant]

[Voice]

[hasavision]

[He sighs.]

I think it's more like that for whoever gets picked from the whole world. The people who get sacrificed both help keep Vision and my world safe, so it'd have to be someone strong and good enough to deal with that.

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

It's the picking that's the problem.

If someone's gonna be sacrificed, it'd better damn well be their own choice.

Otherwise, it's not sacrifice. It's murder.

I have a hard time buying into that kind of sacrifice being necessary to begin with, anyway.

[Voice]

[hasavision]

Yeah. That's why I've been wondering about it.

And... even if it wasn't me, someone else would have to get sacrificed instead. And it's... it's not his fault, either.

He doesn't deserve that.

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

No one does.

[... And she really does mean no one.]

[Even her worst enemies... she wouldn't wish that upon them.]

[Voice]

[hasavision]

[He shakes his head again, not that she can see.]

...We just wanted to make a wish. But then we found out that one of us has to get sacrificed. If I'd known, maybe...

[Voice]

[foolishwren]

... I'm sorry, kiddo.

[A wish... yeah, figures there'd always be a price to pay.]