Okay. [ in a tone that says they are not surprised at... All. ] Say someone else had been the one attacked, and Adolphe had been the one here instead. Would you have been fine if he'd offered himself the way you did?
Let's say it was the same as yours, then. [ they shrug ] Let's even go all the way and say people agreed and they voted for him. Are you still fine after all of that?
I'm not asking about if you'd deny him or not. I was asking you to think about how you'd feel. [ they can only deal with one issue at a time here, ] Because every person who was objecting to your offer was feeling that way.
[ they pull away a little ]
And besides that, I don't even think it would have made Anders feel better.
... well, he did think about it. [ anders said so himself and it's so funny ] I think... if I could give him even a glimmer of another option, that's enough for me. Even if he didn't choose it.
I'm not saying I'll do it again but... I do think I'm more twisted than people think.
I didn't say he didn't think about it. I said I don't think it would have helped him.
[ very different things (?). they squeeze yves' hand at that ]
You're not twisted. I don't think anything you're doing is that surprising either. [ they don't say it like it's a bad thing, but they do say it like it's tiring ] But love isn't... it's not as simple as acting on someone's else benefit no matter what.
[ well. he can agree to that. anders is the type of person with a strong will, after all. yves just smiles faintly at the explanation ]
Then... what would you call love, Gamaliel?
[ because to yves, acting for the sake of others is most of what he's known. once, ages ago, before he started losing everyone... he could've known when he was going too far. it's less easy now, after he's made the ultimate sacrifice without looking back. ]
But love isn't just about giving everything you are for others. It's about learning to receive and share it, too. If it's too much of one or the other, it's selfish.
You are. And you aren't. It's not as simple as deserving, or earning, or lucking into--love's something you have to choose to actively give. It's something you have to choose to actively accept and recognize, too.
[ pauses, looking away ]
And I think it's easier to accept giving or receiving without realizing what it means to love someone. You're not just giving yourself to them. You're giving yourself the power to hurt them too.
Of course you do. This isn't the kind of thing where you ever stop learning. [ she laces their fingers together ] I just want you to keep it in mind. You're important to people, which means you can hurt them even when you don't mean to. Just like they can hurt you.
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
no subject
no subject
[ but he doesn't inherently reject the idea ]
no subject
no subject
I'd be sad... if Adolphe had a reason like mine.
... but if that's what makes him satisfied... I don't know that I have it in me to deny him.
[ yves changed his vote to jiaoqiu in real time last week, after all ]
no subject
[ they pull away a little ]
And besides that, I don't even think it would have made Anders feel better.
no subject
I'm not saying I'll do it again but... I do think I'm more twisted than people think.
To want to help people with what I call love.
no subject
[ very different things (?). they squeeze yves' hand at that ]
You're not twisted. I don't think anything you're doing is that surprising either. [ they don't say it like it's a bad thing, but they do say it like it's tiring ] But love isn't... it's not as simple as acting on someone's else benefit no matter what.
no subject
[ well. he can agree to that. anders is the type of person with a strong will, after all. yves just smiles faintly at the explanation ]
Then... what would you call love, Gamaliel?
[ because to yves, acting for the sake of others is most of what he's known. once, ages ago, before he started losing everyone... he could've known when he was going too far. it's less easy now, after he's made the ultimate sacrifice without looking back. ]
no subject
[ she says this lightly, despite the subject ]
But love isn't just about giving everything you are for others. It's about learning to receive and share it, too. If it's too much of one or the other, it's selfish.
no subject
[ he just
often gives in even higher quantities ]
no subject
[ pauses, looking away ]
And I think it's easier to accept giving or receiving without realizing what it means to love someone. You're not just giving yourself to them. You're giving yourself the power to hurt them too.
no subject
... I guess I still have a lot to learn.
no subject