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[droppedstitch]

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[droppedstitch]

Ah yes, here we go on this again. The death of one to save many is a necessary thing.

[love_and_peace]

And you know you'll never change my mind on this topic!

[ Ever. ]

But that's not what we're talking about right now, right? No animal needs to die for me to live. It's not a noble sacrifice on the part of the chicken to ensure my nutrition for the day. It's simply unnecessary!

[droppedstitch]

And what makes a fish different? Or the seaweed?

[love_and_peace]

Huh? A fish is also an animal, so I think I shouldn't eat those either anymore.

[ Oh, but that means he'll never have a salmon sandwich again. That's terrible! He's really working through his thoughts on the matter of vegetarianism right now in this conversation, and he's grateful to Istradez for being such a good foil to help him figure out how he feels about all this! But he hadn't realized until right this moment that not eating animals means that he won't get to have his favorite sandwich again.

His face falls. That sucks. ]

...Unless somebody can make them out from component elements, I guess.

[droppedstitch]

That sounds complicated.

And again, why are fish more important than plants?

[love_and_peace]

Plants aren't...

[ Oops. Got to be careful with his terminology there, huh? ]

Vegetables aren't alive the same way animals are. ...At least, I don't think they are? The ones in the greenhouse aren't, except for the big guy!

[droppedstitch]

And what makes him different than any others?

[love_and_peace]

Have you met him?

[droppedstitch]

Danny?

Of course.

[love_and_peace]

So then what was your question again?

[droppedstitch]

Do you only see worth in his life, value in his life, because you understand the way he communicates?

[love_and_peace]

No!

[ He doesn't! ...Does he?

No! No, he doesn't! Plants aren't alive the same way animals are, it's different! ]

Growing things like that, they're... it's just different! They're not animals, it's different!

[ Somewhere, he swears he can hear his brother laughing. ]

[droppedstitch]

But you don't know how?

[love_and_peace]

I last studied botany a hundred and fifty years ago, cut me some slack! Vegatables are alive, sure, but they don't feel pain like animals do! They're not aware.

[ But he's not as sure anymore. He's starting to doubt what he's assumed to be true, because he doesn't know. Nearly everything he ate back on his world was created in a kind of matter replicator, so he never had to think too much about the origins of his food.

He started this conversation to try and get Istradez to think about the fact that he's still got free will, even if he's in prison, and boy did that good intention backfire! ]

[droppedstitch]

A hundred and fifty years ago?

How old are you?

[love_and_peace]

Older than that.

[droppedstitch]

And you still act like this?

[love_and_peace]

Like a responsible grown-up with compassion for all living things? I sure do.

[droppedstitch]

Like an idealistic child who takes every death to heart.

[love_and_peace]

...Yes. Yes, I suppose I do.

But my heart's big enough to bear all that loss. Yours could be too, with a little effort.

[droppedstitch]

There's no point in caring about it, my friend.

[love_and_peace]

Because people are going to die, and you don't want to feel their loss when it happens?

[droppedstitch]

That's hardly my responsibility.

[love_and_peace]

Who said anything about responsibility? You don't care for others because somebody told you it's your job. If you care about others it should be because you see them as people, alive and breathing and worthy of your compassion.

[droppedstitch]

How noble of you. But it still seems exhausting.