Voice: UN: brighterdaysforever

[despairing_hope]

Hello?

[Komaeda’s low voice spoke softly, maybe a little unsure. He had sort of left without saying anything. But then, it’s not like anyone would have missed him or even noticed his absence!]

I have to confess I’m at a bit of lost as to what happened. I was just lucky I happened not be far away and could find the crash. But, this is a rather troubling development, isn’t it?

Comments

[despairing_hope]

Komaeda Nagito, former Super High School Level Lucky Student.

And I can see it's pretty disastrous. I can only imagine how terrible it would have been if I had been around.

[eudaimonikos]

Well, we destroyed all magic in Faerun, along with the Relic, and the moon crashed. But no one got eaten by the dragon or fell into the depths of the earth, so overall the whole thing could have been worse.

[Maybe not a LOT worse, but still!]

Oh, and I'm Michael. Former Hell architect.

[despairing_hope]

My that is a lot! I'm glad no one got eaten though, that's very fortunate!

What's a hell architect?

[eudaimonikos]

It's a demon who designs and constructs torture neighborhoods for humans. Fairly high-ranking, as those things go. But like I said, I don't do that anymore.

[despairing_hope]

I'm glad you don't. I think I've had enough of torture set ups.

Did you ever make anyone have to kill each other...?

[eudaimonikos]

Well, they're already dead by the time they get there, so no.

[It's a valid idea, but wouldn't really work out mechanically.]

Why?

[despairing_hope]

You could always kill them again. I know She would have done that if given the chance.

[Junko would definitely be a perfect agent of torture.]

Well, I was thinking a place for people in hell would have to be worse than the Killing Games I've been part of or witnessed.

[eudaimonikos]

I really couldn't. Well, maybe if I programmed in a whole override...but humans don't generally die again in the afterlife no matter what you do. Otherwise, they'd be dying left and right before the torturers could even get started!

[Very fragile, humans. More to the point, that would've been crazy suspicious to just about everyone.]

Anyway, I was trying to prove a point about psychological torture. I can see how your thing involves that, but it leans way too much on murder.

[despairing_hope]

The only important thing is what the mind thinks happened.

[He just assumes there would be some kind of magical way to do that when demons are involved.]

Oh definitely. Though, I would say the true torture in it is forcing people I to a situation they don't want to participate in. Forcing their hands and taking their agency away. Giving a false choice and showing they really did not have one in the end.

What is psychological torture about neighborhoods?

[eudaimonikos]

What?

[...OH! He sees!]

Oh! No, "neighborhoods" are just what we call the pocket dimensions we divide humans up into. Traditional lava torture, newfangled psychological torture, they're all called that.

[despairing_hope]

Ah, so it's just sectioned into different sorts. A bit like the seven levels of hell I suppose.

Does that mean there are also rooms like Jean Paul Sartre wrote? I think that would be the worst. Customized personal halls. It would make sense to do that.

[eudaimonikos]

That's what I wanted to do! Everyone else thought it would be inefficient...

[Which, sure, they've got a lot of humans. But they also have unlimited time and resources!]

[despairing_hope]

Physical pain and suffering only goes so far. There are people who like that too. I think you had a good idea there. Humans are very good at torturing other humans, and psychological lasts a lot longer than physical.

[eudaimonikos]

You know, I've found a lot of humans here to be really weirdly complimentary of that idea lately!

[It was bad! Torture's bad, actually!]

[despairing_hope]

"To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering."

Though, I would like to say I do not enjoy torture. Suffering and Despair are not things I enjoy. But I can tolerate them 8f they bring Hope.

[eudaimonikos]

Boy, you would've loved seeing my whole thing. The entire reason it didn't work out was because the humans kept coming together and supporting each other.

[And also figuring out his lies, but nonetheless.]

[despairing_hope]

Oh! Their hope was strong!

I'm not suprised. My class also came together when it mattered most. But then, I beleive deeply, despite everything, people will be guided by Hope to work together in the end.

How wonderful your project could create something so beautiful.

[eudaimonikos]

Yeah, they're pretty great.

[he sounds sort of smitten, honestly]

A couple of them are here, actually!

[despairing_hope]

How fantastic! I hope I get a chance to meet them.