But there is a difference between continuing an acquaintance or…friendship, as the case may be…and being…responsible.
I knew the last person I was paired with fairly well even before the Admiral made things official - and I was already doing what I thought I could to help him.
But a permanent pairing involves a different sort of…obligation. It means you have been entrusted with the soul of another person, and that is no small thing. And with the stakes being as such…failure is not an option.
Other Wardens may take a different view - but that is how I think of it.
[Entrusted with the soul of another person. Cloud's never really thought about it that way before, but then, he's not a warden - he's never had to.]
Hm. Sounds right to me. But what would failure even look like? Zhao Yunlan once told me that as long as I don't disappear, I will graduate, even if it takes a long time. He said anyone can graduate. And I think...that sounds right, too.
Failure can take many forms. Not being able to meet the need of the person you've been assigned to... Seeing them disappear before they've reached the goal.
The second one hasn't happened to me personally, but I know others it has happened to.
Logically, perhaps, one should attribute something like that to the Admiral - but that doesn't lessen the impact of losing someone who was entrusted to you.
[ Both of the Inmates he was paired with ultimately graduated. So in that sense, he hasn’t failed. That doesn’t mean the idea of it didn’t haunt him. ]
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But there is a difference between continuing an acquaintance or…friendship, as the case may be…and being…responsible.
I knew the last person I was paired with fairly well even before the Admiral made things official - and I was already doing what I thought I could to help him.
But a permanent pairing involves a different sort of…obligation. It means you have been entrusted with the soul of another person, and that is no small thing. And with the stakes being as such…failure is not an option.
Other Wardens may take a different view - but that is how I think of it.
no subject
Hm. Sounds right to me. But what would failure even look like? Zhao Yunlan once told me that as long as I don't disappear, I will graduate, even if it takes a long time. He said anyone can graduate. And I think...that sounds right, too.
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The second one hasn't happened to me personally, but I know others it has happened to.
Logically, perhaps, one should attribute something like that to the Admiral - but that doesn't lessen the impact of losing someone who was entrusted to you.
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…it is always something I am concerned about.
Mostly because I am aware that I have…certain deficits. In terms of how I interact with people.
Both Inmates I was paired with permanently ultimately graduated - but there were certainly times where I felt…out of my depth.
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[Archer didn't really answer the question, but that's fine. Cloud's hardly going to push.]
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It is.
[ Archer drains the rest of his glass, then- ]
Was there anything else you wanted to know?
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[Cloud's still sipping at his drink, and makes no move to indicate he's leaving just yet.]
Think I'm gonna stay here for a little while. [A pause.] If...that's okay.
[Sometimes he forgets that he needs permission for existing in certain places.]