VOICE

[ysobritish]

[Liquid's voice is thoughtful, even pensive. Several days of paranoia, coupled with soul-searching and guilt - though not related to the same issues - will do that to a person. Things have suddenly gotten very complicated. Between Miller and Kadaj, he's pretty on edge lately. And why shouldn't he be? Suddenly finding himself Kadaj's honorary not-

Comments

[dancing_pierrot]

There is no acceptable way to admit to an unacceptable act.

[ysobritish]

I don't need to admit it. He already knows.

[dancing_pierrot]

Then why mention it at all?

[ysobritish]

I'm asking what would be a suitable way to apologise to someone that cared about him. It's a moot point - he's alive here - but it's a troublesome issue.

[voice]

[gaveherwings]

Good questions.

It's...healthy to consider such things.

[voice]

[ysobritish]

Is it? I suppose it must be.

[voice]

[gaveherwings]

Sorting through differences can take some time to process.

But frankly, as the outsider and immigrants, the burden rests on us to assimilate to the ways of these citizens, before trying to show off all our technology onto them. Half of which isn't even applicable here.

voice;

[little_bandages]

The one thing you can really expect people to do - especially in groups - is be idiots and jerks. Even good people do that, so, I don't know why you're going on and on like it's some kind of news.

Anyway, we need to be glad of civilians. The people I know whose lives have never been touched by any kind of violence... they're really special, and they see the world in a really pure way. I would fight to keep their world that simple. I'd kill someone if I needed to... even if it's against my own beliefs.

voice;

[ysobritish]

I'm not "going on and on", as a matter of fact. I didn't normally interact with civilians in the outside world. I never saw the need.

Heh. One moment you call them "idiots and jerks" and the next you refer to them as "pure". Interesting.

voice;

[little_bandages]

Everyone's a mixture of good and bad. On one hand, I see people act in a way that's really disgusting to me all the time. On the other hand... I see good, too.

voice;

[ysobritish]

There is no good in me.

voice

[heavendivided]

I think the only acceptable way to say that is to say it bluntly.

Anyway, I don't think I'm the one you should be apologizing to.

voice

[ysobritish]

Why? It's you that matters. I don't feel the need to apologise to him.

Re: voice

[heavendivided]

Well, I'm not the one you will kill. He was for more upset about it than I was.

voice

[ysobritish]

Quite, that's brother's job.

[Realising he's snapping, he reigns his tone back in.]

If he's upset about it, then that's hardly my problem. People die. I killed a lot more people than just him.

voice

[spawnedbywar]

[he doesn't comment for the longest time, instead choosing to replay the somewhat lengthy audio clip over and over again for what feels like an eternity. he's sure he's hearing all of this correctly but he's having a hard time understanding it. at least of it.

he was an afterthought. was he supposed to be grateful for the attention? was it normal to clench his teeth at that, or should be have been somewhat content at being thought of at all? guilt was funny like that. having hit an impasse, he guessed that was what Liquid was feeling right now; had to be, otherwise he wouldn't have bothered with anything at all.

or maybe he was just worried about saving his own skin and preserving an illusion of peace. wouldn't have surprised Kaz at all. when he finally does reply, it's with as much neutrality as he can manage:]

Have you ever heard of the bystander effect?

voice

[ysobritish]

[In truth, he'd placed it last to lessen the impact of it, the noticeability. Most people would notice the length of the clip and disregard it, not bother to listen to it all. He hadn't expected Miller to reply.]

Unfortunately, no, I have not.

[There was caution in his voice, wariness. Miller was a wild card. In the SIS, he'd have had the ability to learn more about him, but Miller had already retired by the time he came to FOXHOUND. He knew him only by reputation. Exaggerated, probably. He hadn't had time to learn his personality before then, not more than he had been told by the others.]

voice

[spawnedbywar]

It's what you've seen in action today, essentially. It's a phenomenon that psychologists are still trying to explain where an individual or group thereof refuses to offer their help in an emergency situation by remaining remaining emotionally distanced to the victim. The more people there are present, the less likely that any one of them will help.

It happens more often than you'd expect it to, unfortunately, but it only really gained international awareness when a woman in New York named Kitty Genovese was murdered outside her apartment building and thirty of the residents witnessed it--even watched--but did nothing. That's why it's sometimes called Genovese syndrome; at least that's what my professors called it when I still lived in America.

voice

[ysobritish]

...hm. You're pretty knowledgeable, Master.

[For once, the title isn't laced with sarcasm.]

There is, however, an easy way to explain it. That people are goddamn idiots.