10 ⚜ Audio

[restingstitchface]

[Anyone who's familiar with Crane will recognize his compulsive need to study fear. But what's the curious thing, here? His approach. His voice is as soft and calm as it had been upon his arrival. It gives an impression of frailty that's deliberately misleading. There was nothing about him that sounded like the Scarecrow. And that's the frightening thing.]

Machiavelli once said, "And here comes in the question whether it is better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved. It might perhaps be answered that we should wish to be both; but since love and fear can hardly exist together, if we must choose between them, it is far safer to be feared than loved."

I put his question to you all; is it better to be loved rather than feared, or feared rather than loved?

[He likes the idea of letting the piddling powers in this place believe he's behaving himself; listening to that silly therapist he'd encountered recently. Maybe his audience all be dishonest in their answers. Frightened. Scared. He indulges in a smile. He will have to confirm all of their opinions with an experiment, of course.]

Comments

permatext

[restingstitchface]

For you, yes. Why do you believe that?

permatext

[doesntdomuch]

Well it won't do you any good if all your enemies adore you.

Although I guess it would make them easier to beat.

[That's probably not what he meant, actually.]

permatext

[restingstitchface]

Yes it would. Lincoln once said, "Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?"

Wise words, those.

permatext

[doesntdomuch]

You sure do like quoting people, huh?

Still, I'd be lying if I said that quote didn't apply to my life somewhat.

[restingstitchface]

I suppose you would be, yes.

It is good to see that you are capable of confronting yourself.

[doesntdomuch]

My apologizes, but what do you mean by "confronting yourself"?

[restingstitchface]

I was thinking aloud, honestly. Some people are unwilling to acknowledge that there is barely any need for lying. It is harder to be honest to one's self and others. I just thought you willing to admit that, in part.

[doesntdomuch]

Well I like to think that I'm pretty honest about what I think.

[Which technically isn't very truthful, but he didn't want to admit that.]

[restingstitchface]

Yes, well, your words read like those of an honest man. But the question is why do you believe in being honest? Are you frightened by the consequences of being caught lying?

[doesntdomuch]

It's complicated.

And not exactly a story I feel comfortable sharing with stranger, pardon me.

[restingstitchface]

Oh, that's fine. I understand that you're scared to share, especially in public.

But you know where I am should you choose to call.

[doesntdomuch]

[There is a pause before his next text, mostly because he's kind of surprised that this guy thinks that Perry would be more willing to contact this stranger privately about his private life than in public.

And also that this guy is "scared" of anything.]

I'll keep that in mind.