I'm not entirely sure where to begin, so I suppose I'll preface this simply: I condone nothing my other self has done, I loathe him for it, but I also can't help but feel some amount of pity for his situation as well. What he did was wrong and I am more than able to recognize that, though I will always look to society to see what fault lies there as well.
For two and a half years of his life, from the ages of approximately 14-15 to 17, he played the part of hitman for his father in order to bring that man to the top of the political sphere and then tear him down by revealing his identity as his bastard son. I... can't rightly explain the methods he used, but he was able to take down opposition in both a lethal and non-lethal way; it would seem he primarily did the latter, but he certainly wasn't against getting his hands dirty if necessary.
The plan failed, by the way. His father already knew of his eventual betrayal. By other circumstances, and through more noble means, that Goro Akechi died... or at least, had a probable death. I can't see how he may have survived.
While I had suspicions regarding one, I learned recently that two of the people I've come to know lost parents by his hand, one of whom is a dear friend of mine and the other something like a sister to another. So I feel some level of obligation to both to atone for that, along with the wrong he did to the others that I know, and, frankly speaking, though it is childish, it isn't fair that things in that life matter in this. I've heard plenty of people have the opinion that they don't, and I would even like to share that myself, but
well, murder is a little harder to dismiss, even in a different life.
To start with, I do understand - completely and utterly, really. My own memories aren't the same as yours, but I've committed various atrocities myself that are incredibly difficult to reconcile with my life now, and even more difficult to dismiss.
If you had to decide for yourself, in terms of fair judgement - what would you consider proper atonement for what happened? Do you believe such a thing is possible in this life, or is it more a matter of directionless guilt without any potential resolution?
I'd like it if he'd managed it himself, of course, but he didn't live long enough to do so, and I'd hardly count sacrificing himself proper atonement considering he had no other choice; it was that or return with them and go to jail for various charges even outside of murder, life ruined with little hope of reconciliation...
I don't know. It feels more like the latter, since even if there was a proper atonement for what happened I don't really want to deal with it, but I will. I don't know if I deserve to have the chance at redemption for his life either, or if others expect it of me, but I can't just pretend that it has nothing to do with me. It's not right.
Others will likely try to argue that those actions weren't carried out by you - that they aren't yours to atone for in the first place. They mean well when they say things like that.
It never does help. But they mean well.
My first memory after I was brought onto the network involved murdering someone. An old man in a wheelchair; he had several IVs in place, among other things. There was no way he could have possibly fought back against me; I grabbed him and I killed him. Severe trauma to the chest. I found out later that he deserved it, but that doesn't change the knowledge that I murdered someone; I could have left him to his death of natural causes, which wasn't long off from the look of it, but I chose to kill him instead.
Things actually escalated from there, in terms of the severity of my actions. I believe I died eventually, but it's likely I died unrepentant, trying to bring at least two other people down with me.
I don't believe it's fair for me to have to answer for what I did in that past life, because my circumstances were so different then. But the fact remains that people died because of me, and other lives were ruined because of me, and it doesn't seem right to disregard all of that simply because I don't think it's fair that I need to answer for my own actions.
It's never as simple as "But it wasn't you who did those things," not when the actions in question were so severe.
[Elizabeth doesn't think it matters. There's so many others think it doesn't matter, past lives and this life, but those people don't know of the whole murder thing. Goro knows Wesker's right. Reading over the other's own memories and thoughts about it, he's certainly right about it, and he doesn't reply for a while. Working out what he should do with that in mind.
Eventually, though. Eventually.]
Thank you.
I don't think the people in question have realized my actions just yet -- they all talk so nicely to me, they say that things in that life don't matter in this -- but I do intend to tell them. As hard as it is. They can make their own decisions after they've heard me out, though I... don't think I'll accept their niceties about what matters and what matters not.
Because you're right. They mean well, but it doesn't help. It only feels worse.
Some of them will continue to offer things like that to you anyway. Make it plain that you don't agree, but if they matter deeply to you don't push the matter. They tend to be more concerned with your suffering than properly acknowledging what you've done; let them have their delusions about what you do and don't deserve. Again, they do mean well.
Telling people is difficult, but that's as it should be. Things like that shouldn't be easy; bluntly put, it would likely be more of a concern if it were.
no subject
I'm not entirely sure where to begin, so I suppose I'll preface this simply: I condone nothing my other self has done, I loathe him for it, but I also can't help but feel some amount of pity for his situation as well. What he did was wrong and I am more than able to recognize that, though I will always look to society to see what fault lies there as well.
For two and a half years of his life, from the ages of approximately 14-15 to 17, he played the part of hitman for his father in order to bring that man to the top of the political sphere and then tear him down by revealing his identity as his bastard son. I... can't rightly explain the methods he used, but he was able to take down opposition in both a lethal and non-lethal way; it would seem he primarily did the latter, but he certainly wasn't against getting his hands dirty if necessary.
The plan failed, by the way. His father already knew of his eventual betrayal. By other circumstances, and through more noble means, that Goro Akechi died... or at least, had a probable death. I can't see how he may have survived.
While I had suspicions regarding one, I learned recently that two of the people I've come to know lost parents by his hand, one of whom is a dear friend of mine and the other something like a sister to another. So I feel some level of obligation to both to atone for that, along with the wrong he did to the others that I know, and, frankly speaking, though it is childish, it isn't fair that things in that life matter in this. I've heard plenty of people have the opinion that they don't, and I would even like to share that myself, but
well, murder is a little harder to dismiss, even in a different life.
no subject
If you had to decide for yourself, in terms of fair judgement - what would you consider proper atonement for what happened? Do you believe such a thing is possible in this life, or is it more a matter of directionless guilt without any potential resolution?
no subject
I'd like it if he'd managed it himself, of course, but he didn't live long enough to do so, and I'd hardly count sacrificing himself proper atonement considering he had no other choice; it was that or return with them and go to jail for various charges even outside of murder, life ruined with little hope of reconciliation...
I don't know. It feels more like the latter, since even if there was a proper atonement for what happened I don't really want to deal with it, but I will. I don't know if I deserve to have the chance at redemption for his life either, or if others expect it of me, but I can't just pretend that it has nothing to do with me. It's not right.
So more of the latter, yes.
no subject
It never does help. But they mean well.
My first memory after I was brought onto the network involved murdering someone. An old man in a wheelchair; he had several IVs in place, among other things. There was no way he could have possibly fought back against me; I grabbed him and I killed him. Severe trauma to the chest. I found out later that he deserved it, but that doesn't change the knowledge that I murdered someone; I could have left him to his death of natural causes, which wasn't long off from the look of it, but I chose to kill him instead.
Things actually escalated from there, in terms of the severity of my actions. I believe I died eventually, but it's likely I died unrepentant, trying to bring at least two other people down with me.
I don't believe it's fair for me to have to answer for what I did in that past life, because my circumstances were so different then. But the fact remains that people died because of me, and other lives were ruined because of me, and it doesn't seem right to disregard all of that simply because I don't think it's fair that I need to answer for my own actions.
It's never as simple as "But it wasn't you who did those things," not when the actions in question were so severe.
no subject
Eventually, though. Eventually.]
Thank you.
I don't think the people in question have realized my actions just yet -- they all talk so nicely to me, they say that things in that life don't matter in this -- but I do intend to tell them. As hard as it is. They can make their own decisions after they've heard me out, though I... don't think I'll accept their niceties about what matters and what matters not.
Because you're right. They mean well, but it doesn't help. It only feels worse.
no subject
Telling people is difficult, but that's as it should be. Things like that shouldn't be easy; bluntly put, it would likely be more of a concern if it were.