[video - for the good of all of us (except the ones who are dead).]

[purpleknee]

Oh Abeegail, what am I to do? I need to help five people and fill them with hope so I can get something that makes me feel like I have a heart again! Because I don't have a heart inside my body, which apparently means far more to me than it does for most of the people in this stupid cave. Hmn? What's that Beeatrice, this trade is basically impossible for me without the thing I'm trading for? Right you are! How smart, and how quickly you realized it, you smart little bee.

[His faux enthusiasm drops and he glares flatly at the camera.]

Come help a witch help you to help himself help us all. I have healing magic and a temper. If you think this is cheating, I don't want to hear it, and I only want things that will actually help. I'm serious, I'm trying to be good, here.

...Oh, and it goes against everything else I'm trying to do here, but I should let you know that the bees I found can't make honey. Maybe if you tell Delight or someone they can, she'll believe you and the copies will be able to, I don't know. I don't really care.

[He's screwed.]

Comments

[purpleknee]

[He smiles wryly.]

I didn't want to die.

[What a joke, given what he knows now about how it actually worked. Ah, but maybe that's a little too bitter to be considered sadness... Whoops.]

[hasitsthorns]

... I can understand that.

[ After having wanted to die, she understands more than ever the desire to live. ]

Well, I hope you get your heart back. Maybe that'll help your cause? [ She doesn't actually know, but... Hopefully. ]

[purpleknee]

Thanks, I guess.

[For as vague as this hope crap is... Maybe it counts. That'd be alright.]

If you keep me around this stupid orchard, I'm sure I'll think of my family enough that I can generate the sadness you need. That's a fair trade.

[hasitsthorns]

Sorrow said it had to be 'genuine' sadness, so... I'm not actually sure what the entails, but. I appreciate it, dude.

[ He's also instilling hope that he isn't so bad. ]

Which is really kind of messed up, I realize. 'Hey, thanks for making yourself sad for me.' What even is this place?

[purpleknee]

Hm.

[Yeah, that stipulation can be kinda a bitch, huh... He definitely feels like that's some pretty dang bad feelings going on when he dwells on Selva or Chopper family issues too long, but who knows what a god would think of it?]

"Awful", as far as I can tell. But experts have also agreed on "stupid".

[hasitsthorns]

[ It's weird, right? What does genuine sadness even mean? What makes some sadness more 'genuine' than others??? She's not going to try to pretend to understand, but she does want her flowers dangit. ]

Stupid, definitely. Awful... Sometimes. There are worse places though.