Third Memory|Voice

[cursestained]

'He as a conqueror will call the conquered
Evil, but what will be the Good he gives?
Were I the victor, his works would be deemed
The only evil ones. And you, ye new
And scare-born mortals, what have been his gifts
To you already, in your little world?
But few; and some of those but bitter.'

[Naoya's tone is calm, cool--almost pleasant for once.

Comments

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[zealouspeter]

Which year do you come from? Or planet?

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[cursestained]

Earth, 2009.

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[zealouspeter]

Have you updated yourself with this world's technology?

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[cursestained]

It's hardly far from what I know...not counting anything SERO might keep for themselves, but I'd hardly have access.

voice;

[walkthedawn]

[Hrnnnnnn Byron. Someone else has been quoting him as of late.]

Lucifer's monologue.

I can't say I know anyplace unaffiliated who could use a programmer, but... What sort of things would you prefer to work on?

voice;

[cursestained]

Ah, someone else is familiar.

[Naoya makes a noncommital noise--something akin to the verbal equivalent of a shrug.] I can do just about anything...I'm just not the sort of person who much enjoys entertaining others.

voice;

[walkthedawn]

I did a lot of reading last year.

[There's a pause.]

You could make apps and sell them over the NV to people? I wouldn't call that "entertaining", but I bet several places would pay you a lot for that.

voice;

[cursestained]

True, but that's a business plan that requires a enough money to get it off the ground first. [Still, he sounds thoughtful. Considering. A good way to get unquestioned access to NVs.]

I'll think of something.

video; trolling all the posts, all of them

[topslug]

You like poetry like that, Naoya-san?

video; gdmit yako

[cursestained]

Not always, but at least it's not boring.

[Naoya's in his apartment again, his haori discared and some bandages visible on his arms. Scratches he never bothered to heal. There's no book anywhere near him--he'd recited the passage completely by memory.]

video;

[topslug]

I guess not... but I can't say I recognize where it's from.

Though whoever's saying it seems pretty angry, doesn't he? [ Not that she can tell from how Naoya recites it, but even she-- not someone who reads a lot of poetry, or bothers interpreting it-- can tell. ]

video;

[cursestained]

Lord Byron, and that was Lucifer's monologue. Or, well, part of it. The full thing is much longer.

Voice

[bornfromdeath]

Back with me, then, to thine earth, and try the rest
Of his celestial boons to you and yours.
Evil and Good are things in their own essence,
And not made good or evil by the Giver;
But if he gives you good-so call him; if
Evil springs from him, do not name it mine,
Till ye know better its true fount; and judge
Not by words, though of Spirits, but the fruits
Of your existence, such as it must be.

[Kimihiko, on the other hand, reads it from a book. His voice may be calm, but if anyone were watching him they'd see that he himself was not. How was that possible? It was insane. Unthinkable. And if Naoya hadn't given off other reactions, other hints, then he'd have failed to accept the thought of it as fast as he had.

He was so very glad Shinji wasn't there to see the look on his face.]

Voice|1/2

[cursestained]

[Naoya laughs, and his response is a different monologue--one of Cain's. He still reads it in that dispassionate tone, calm and unaffected.]

What had I done in this? - I was unborn:
I sought not to be born; nor love the state
To which that birth has brought me. Why did he
Yield to the Serpent and the woman? or
Yielding-why suffer? What was there in this?
The tree planted, and why not for him?
If not, why place him near it, where it grew
The fairest in the center? They have but
One answer to all questions, "'Twas his will,
And he is good." How know I that? Because
He is all-powerful, must all-good, too, follow?
I judge but by the fruits-and they are bitter-
Which I must feed on for a fault not mine.

Video

[cursestained]

[And then he switches the feed to video, smirking at his NV. His expression is bladed, and his eyes hold an age in them that really shouldn't be there.

Cain, the first murderer.]

Byron always did have a bad habit of making people seem rather more melodramatic and whiny.

Video

[bornfromdeath]

[There's a moment or two before he switches the feed as well, taking a moment to compose himself. It doesn't quite work so well; how does one recover so fast from a shock like that? Even one that had been coming for a long time. He is not afraid, not quite. More uncertain than anything and that bothers him the most. He is never uncertain.]

A fault of most who relay stories. They prefer to embellish to make the story appeal more to certain types.

voice.

[stabilimentum]

[... hmm, what to do, what to do...

A quotation from Byron is intriguing, as always, but Claude is much busier these days between his chores and hobbies. Just not enough time to reply to everyone who demonstrates an interest in literature. Not to mention, he gets a sense of timelessness from Naoya's voice, and such a thing could lead him to trouble. Sometimes it's good to leave well enough alone.

On the other hand, that offer could be useful for his newest hobby.]

Good day to you, sir. I have one question, if I may.

Might you be willing to tutor a person in the field of programming?

voice. hey bb

[cursestained]

I would be. [Something--prickles on the edge of his senses, but Naoya ignores it. For now, he can't regard anything over long-distance communication as reliable.]

voice. oh hello

[stabilimentum]

How much are you looking to earn for your services?

[Money is hardly a factor for Claude, since he can alchemize most anything.]

voice. come here often?

[cursestained]

I merely need enough to get by on. Enough to live and eat...but I'd ask you finance the parts for a proper system.

[He'll build it from scratch to his exacting specifications. Worth a lot normally on it's own, but Naoya doesn't have much use for money besides a place to live and food.]