explosivecombat | 041. [Text]

Entry tags:

041. [Text]

It's been a little while since I last spoke to the lot of you; a fair amount has happened since then, hasn't it? I'm not just referring to the local conquests – both for the better and for the worse, merely attempted or otherwise – nor am I referring to anything that may have been cast down to us from on high, simply because this place believes that we deserve a bit of kindness from time to time. I refer instead to personal achievements we may have made in the last few months – things that may seem insignificant in the scheme of things, but regardless are all the better simply because they were achieved.

Where I'm from, some of us were granted acknowledgement of our power to change the world; I say everyone holds this power for themselves. Perhaps not everyone realizes it; perhaps not everyone understands exactly how little it takes to influence fate in such a way. I've spoken on this sort of topic before, with emphasis on how this place has changed you; I'm curious to know what the rest of you have done to ensure that Equivalent Exchange is adhered to. You can't exist in this world without leaving some sort of mark on it, because that's the way of things; regardless of how important you believe the mark you've left to be, I'd like to hear about it.

It can be something simple; perhaps you won a badge recently, perhaps you encouraged some sort of creation you're particularly proud of with regards to breeding and egg moves. Small achievements are so often overlooked in this world that it's difficult to recall sometimes that they're achievements at all. Perhaps you've had a personal revelation; perhaps you've improved yourself recently in a way that isn't obvious to anyone but you. That counts as well.

On the other hand, perhaps you've managed something far larger for yourself; I'm curious to hear about how that's going, too, should you be willing to tell me. (In other words – yes, Lieutenant Blake and the leader of the future Cobra Empire, you're both welcome to boast in my direction should you desire to; I won't be offended if you don't.)

Now is normally when I offer some sort of thought experiment, and apologize for how morbid I'm choosing to be; none of that is forthcoming today. We're leading into a season filled with great significance for me – one that centers around changing the world and changing oneself, in recognizing challenges and yet cleaving to our ability as people to adapt and overcome. It's a very positive time, one in which our personal glory should be celebrated. As such, I'll leave you with another quote instead that I believes sums up my mood today far better:

"You have overcome yourself, so why do you show yourself to me as the one who has been overcome? I want to see the victorious – cast roses into the abyss, and say: 'Here is my thanks to the monster who didn't succeed in swallowing me alive.'"

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

I admit, I was expecting a morbid question to come out of that somehow, right up until you said it wouldn't.

I've joined the circus, I guess that counts as something.

...Speaking of mild surprises, I have to admit that's not quite what I would have expected from you, either.

I wouldn't have either, but it's a hell of a lot of fun.

[Where else would he get paid to do nothing but show off dangerous stunts to a crowd?]

And I wasn't doing a whole lot for a while, so I guess finding something is my accomplishment. That and learning how to do backflips off a trapeze.

I'd certainly say they both count, at any rate.

It sounds as though you've been doing fairly well for yourself, then.

[Now would normally be the time to switch to anonymous text. He doesn't know this person, and he doesn't owe him any explanations. ... But on the other hand if he says something like this publicly, it's something that he can be held accountable to, and in this case... he wants to be.]

I've come to some realizations about past behavior that... wasn't in the best interests for me or others, though I thought it was at the time. I can't change the past, but I can use it to keep from falling in the future. I'm trying to carve my own path here, which... really is all I ever wanted.

[Oh, what's this now...]

I'll admit that this is the sort of thing I like hearing about; consider it appreciated, that you would tell me something like that in the first place.

Did you come to these realizations on your own - were they something you were seeking out, however indirectly? Or were they something that someone else influenced?

... I admit that they're answers that I was looking for when I came here. 'Why did this happen?' 'How could things have gone so wrong?' But some distance from the situation and I could look at it more objectively.

I didn't really realize that I could move on, though. Not without help from others. But I found that help here. And I think I'm ready to start moving on. That's not to say that I don't still carry the burden for what I've done, but it does mean that my past isn't my future.

You're better off than several people I knew back home, then, and several others here.

I've never really been one for dwelling on the past, myself. What's done is done, and no amount of wishing otherwise will change what's already come to pass; as such, I've never really seen much point in it, I suppose.

It's easy enough to say, but harder to do. I tried not to do it, but it hit me once I was out of the situation and got a chance to look back at it. It took a while to break out of it.

[text]

[text]

[text]

no subject

[Text]

no subject

no subject

no subject

no subject

[text]

no subject

no subject

no subject

[TEXT - LOCKED]

no subject

no subject

no subject

[text]

no subject

no subject

no subject

holy shit this is late | Voice

[text] | I'm still here!

no subject

no subject