octo

[corks]

Long time, no see, Asgard. The snow is very nice, isn't it?

[And here's a face which hasn't appeared in a while. Jacob stares at the camera with those bright blue eyes of his, voice ever so calm.]

You know, I know that we're still going over what to do about the Freya situation, and whether Freryr can or cannot be saved. It is a difficult decision, and I'll let that topic rest for now, as I know all of you have differing opinions on what should be done.

No, the topic I want to talk about is sacrifice.

[And he sits a little straighter in his seat- it's been a while since he's made such a post.]

Sacrifice that is instigated by yourself is generally considered a noble thing, for it means giving up something that is dear to you in order to do something or allow something to happen that never would occur before. Of course, sacrifice is not an easy thing to do, in practice. You may say you can sacrifice that precious something when the time occurs, but when it gets down to the wire, not many people have the courage to give it up.

So, when somebody goes and does something like sacrifice their life, well...it's rather tragic, it is. For one wonders if there might have been any possible way to avoid it, or if things had been different in circumstance, the person would still be alive...it's not an easy decision for he person to make, but at the same time it's hard for the people around them to witness such a thing.

But really, what I've always wondered is this- how do they know for sure that their own death will bring an end to the problems plaguing them and their beloved ones? Letting yourself die is effectively putting an end to what you can do, and even if you somehow come back as a ghost or spirit, you can only watch to see if what you did was the correct decision. That is why sacrifice is a very touchy thing, because while noble in nature, it could go very easily wrong if you decide its time to let it happen.

[A pause.]

So, is sacrifice worth it? Would you go and sacrifice your own life for your friends or beloved ones, knowing the risks that come with it? Or is it better left as a method of last resort?

What do you think?

Comments

[audio]

[nukeoleptic]

[ The feed starts, but there's a pause- she doesn't start speaking right away. Oops. Should've waited until she'd found the words that she wanted to use. ]

If I were sure that it was worth it- that it wasn't just some ugly mistake? Yeah, of course.

[video]

[corks]

And would you sacrifice yourself for just anyone, or the people closest to you?

[Video]

[hullo_sweetie]

I would sacrifice myself for my loved ones, without a second thought, if it came down to it.

[Video]

[corks]

Even if you weren't sure that your sacrifice would actually change things afterwards? I mean, there's no going back from that decision.

[video | reaction]

[whatagoodgirl]

[Her face appears on the screen for just a moment, tears welling in her eyes, before she shuts the feed back off. Too many fears, too many thoughts she's had herself - and too much pain in remembering her friends, now that she knows she's been home and yet unable to reach them.

He's free to call her back, if he's concerned. But she's too overwhelmed to speak right away.]

[video | couple hours later]

[corks]

[He sees that face, and his eyes soften in his gaze, but he doesn't call back right away- in fact, he waits a couple hours before calling, for he's seen that expression before, and it doesn't mean anything good.

Are you alright?

[Audio]

[burntviolet]

[ Gosh not-dad, another of those talks... though seemingly uncomfortable, she answers. ]

... I think it depends on the situation. If there's no other choice than that option, I guess it's inevitable that people sacrifice themselves to save their loved ones.

I think Freyr-sama thought that way when he... ended his own life.

[Video]

[corks]

Hmmm, perhaps. Your loved ones are a very important thing to hold in your life...

Ah, but was he doing it for his fellow gods? Or for all of us?

video

[digifan]

It's a hard question to answer when you don't know what the situation is. [And he pauses. He seems to be rather familiar with the idea in spite of his age.] You usually do the first thing that comes into your head when big disasters happen, but sometimes it can make things worse.

video

[corks]

It is a hard question, yes. The answers can only be hypothetical...

Exactly. But sometimes you are forced to do whatever is the best choice at the moment. Time waits for no man to make a decision, after all.

video;

[victoryindeath]

I think this city has a terrible tendency to talk a lot of philosophical crap and act less.

video;

[corks]

[He actually seems amused by that statement.]

Then what are you doing instead of philosophizing?

[seventeenpills]

Jacob! It's really nice to hear from you - How have you been?

I think most people have at least one thing or person they would lay down their lives to protect without much thought or question. I know that's true for me at least. But it's a very circumstantial thing, too - Freyr had the power in his death to do something he couldn't in life and he won us the battle. Someone like me can probably do more in life than they can in death to improve a situation, sure... but then again, if it meant giving certain people an extra few minutes to flee an enemy or it was a bargain situation like in some novel where the villain offers the hero a choice? 'Your life of the life of such-and-such'? Well, it might be different.

But you have to think of the people left behind, too, and that's something I only really came to think about recently. It's definitely a tricky topic.

[corks]

I've been well. I am sorry I haven't kept in touch...it's a bad habit of mine, really.

[He nods.] It is a tricky topic, which is why I was curious to see how people would answer.

And you bring up very good points. Are certain people more valuable in death rather than in life? And it depends on the situation, and how much time you have to make the decision, and numerous factors...it's quite the dilemma.

[Video]

[5thchild]

[ no hesitation ]

It's worth it when there is nothing else you can do.

[Video]

[corks]

And if it turns out to be for naught in the end? Would it still be worth something?

[vigilanteup]

Is there a quota I'm going to have to fill for polling everyone on their morality that I don't know about? I've been seeing a lot of it.

[corks]

[He smiles, as if faintly amused.]

I don't know. Do you think there should be a quota?

[video]

[dreamspinning]

[only half of ushahin's face shows in the video feed, the other half obscured by his hair and the edge of the camera's view]

That does depend on what's at stake, doesn't it?

[video]

[corks]

It does.

For what causes would you consider it necessary?

[video]

[likethelight]

[ Ah... ]

The situation's already tragic for that to have come up, I think.

I'd rather find a way that lets everyone live, but I can understand someone wanting to give their life to protect someone else if there was no other choice.

[video]

[corks]

It is, but nothing is wholly happy, no?

[A slight nod.] I see. But what if it turned out to be for naught? Would you still consider it something that should have been done?

text

[freezerburned]

its stupid to sacrifice yourself. dont ever get into a situation unless you know youre gonna win

[Is what he says anyway.]

video

[corks]

So, sacrifice is not a noble thing, but something "stupid"?

[He doesn't sound at all disapproving, just vaguely curious.]

Would you still feel the same way if one of your loved ones sacrificed themselves for you?

voice;

[entreats]

.. It's not that difficult, is it? I mean, sometimes people can already see that their sacrifice was worth it as they're carrying out said sacrifice. Besides, if it's a matter of them dying or the person they care about dying, it's obvious that a sacrifice like that has worth to them to begin with.

[ her tone is fairly neutral though, as if she's sort of indifferent. ]

video;

[corks]

Perhaps. But one man's perception of the worth of his sacrifice might be flawed. In fact, their sacrifice might even make things worse due to things they could not predict.

video;

[senryaku]

--Um... [She falters for a bit, because this is not the kind of topic she usually participates in, but...]

I think... it would depend on the situation, sir.

video;

[corks]

I see.

In what situations would it be right, then?

video;

[unimpressive]

I guess you can't really blame the people who do it. They do it for a good reason.

But it's kinda hard for the people they do it for, huh? There's always just gotta be another way.

video;

[corks]

Of course. For the person, it makes sense, while for the people closest to them, they may wonder why they considered it in the first place.

And even when they understand why, they more or less don't accept it, most of the time.

[ Video ]

[imhome]

[ "Sacrifice" was one of the many things she's been pondering lately, among other thoughts. ]

Hi, Jacob. Long time, no see.

[ She ignores the questions for now, not wanting to talk about such a depressing topic. ]

[ Video ]

[corks]

Nina.

[He stares at the camera, concern in his eyes.]

How have you been?

( audio. )

[gameplaying]

Oh, I'd be tempted to say that it's selfish.

[video]

[corks]

Even though you are doing it for others? How so?

late late late, feel free to ignore me~

[pratentious]

[ But oh, this is a very important topic, isn't it? For a man, certainly, but for a Knight or a King - Arthur listens closely to every word, feels it like an imprint on his skin. Sacrifice. ]

No sacrifice, whether it be that of something as simple as your belongings or as significant as your life, should ever be taken lightly. [ A pause. ] Perhaps not solely as a last resort, but every option should be weighed with due diligence as well.

/NEVER IGNORES

[corks]

This is very true. Sacrifice is not an easy decision- mostly because one cannot take it back as soon as it is done. It has a certain air of finality about it, doesn't it?