30. Level Four

[alexanderofny]

[Phone]

[Veidt sounds tired, bitter.]

Oh, what fun this little game might have been a few months ago.

If I hadn't already spilled my own beans about my activities back home in an attempt at keeping the lot of you from stooping to my wretched level, I'm sure the town would be making me talk all about that right now.

So, what else can I possibly regale

Comments

[dancingribbons]

One who does not respect himself will not command respect from others. As long as you assume such things you will of course be those assumptions. In that case you are completely correct, you do not deserve to be happy or request such from anyone. Only those who fight for their place and hold themselves together deserve the respect and happy moments others may give them.

[alexanderofny]

You don't know how much blood is on my hands-

[dancingribbons]

I do not care. If you are unworthy of others than do not complain and accept your position in life. If you are then give a reason to accept you. What you are doing now is a waste of breath though. No one will pity a person who demands it.

[alexanderofny]

[starts laughing, compelled to admit the truth]

Your pity? I don't want your Gottverdammt pity-

Also level 4.

[walking_nuke]

Psh. Mayfield dragged my ass here back on Monday, so 'least I didn't hear it.

[A beat.]

Seriously, though, you beatin' yourself up for killin' your father? From'a shit you said he did, I wouldn't blame ya at all. There's no other way you coulda stopped 'em otherwise, yeah?

... Though I'm prolly underestimatin' how much it hurts to've killed your own dad.

Re: Also level 4.

[alexanderofny]

Oh, you don't know?

[dull, compelled voice]

Fifteen million people are dead back home because of me.

Re: Also level 4.

[walking_nuke]

[For a few moments there's stunned silence.]

What?! Why?!

Re: Also level 4.

[alexanderofny]

...to not do so would have ensured the deaths of billions more. I had to.

[perfektsymmetry]

[Oh god he can't handle this, why is everyone he knows admitting such terrible things]

M-Mr. Veidt, you should... please just put the phone down.

[alexanderofny]

...I'm so sorry, Crowe.

[perfektsymmetry]

[Crowe makes a frustrated, helpless noise before speaking again.] I-I hate Mayfield! F-Forcing people to admit all these things... Wh-what do they want from this? How can we just go on a-after saying and hearing a-all these things?!

[alexanderofny]

Try doing them and living with it-

[pause]

I'm sorry, that was... unkind of me. Miserable as I am, I forget sometimes that others suffer more.

[tender_crook]

[Kurt is officially tired of this shit.]

I'm pretty sure nobody's going to judge you too hard for killing him, sir.

[alexanderofny]

And the others?

[tender_crook]

Have you paid any kind of attention to the kind of people who live here?

[alexanderofny]

Being surrounded by monsters does not give license to become one-