impede | IC CONTACT

Of course I can see the difference. What I don't see is how it's serving anyone other than yourself when you're clearly passionate about our place in this world and are trying to be vocal about things that will help us all.

You need them to listen to you if your words are going to make a difference. If they don't, saying them amounts to self-gratification, and serves no purpose other than to waste time and burn bridges.

[ The rest goes uncommented on. No confirmation or denial, just an easy breezing over of things that aren't convenient to discuss. ]

You're misunderstanding two things.

1. I won't whimper to you like Damian once did, so giving me advice as if I'm him will only hurt you and irritate me.

2. I don't expect them to listen to me.

Then what are you aiming to achieve?

You recall that I was a celebrity.

With that status, I knew how to change the minds of masses with a few casual mentions here and there.

It ultimately showed how flimsy people's mindsets are. They don't commit. Especially if they're tied up in being right.

Perhaps I'm tired of trying to be plaintive to others. Perhaps it's simply satisfying for myself.

Short term self-gratification it is then. That's a shame.

If you feel I have a point, you can do the work of getting it across.

After eight months, I see no point in trying to persuade them. They do the same thing every time.

Can I? Thanks. You and Damian aren't totally without your commonalities.

All I'm saying is you don't have to be an asshole 100% of the time just because you're convinced that everyone else is, or because it's easier or more enjoyable in the moment, or because you've got a bigger ego and smaller self-esteem than everyone else in the room. You can hit an easy 50% without compromising yourself or your opinions and get a lot further with whatever you're trying to achieve.

If I could learn that lesson, I truly believe anyone can.

I see. Repetition is necessary:

I know precisely how I sound.

I'm not out of touch.

This is something I am choosing to be.

Unlike the morons on that post, I'm not doing this to feel better. I'm not doing this because I think screaming at someone will make them understand it. I'm not doing it because I think modulating myself won't do a single thing. I know it won't, but that's not it, either.

Don't speak to me as if I have a lesson to learn. I don't. I'm simply disregarding it because that serves me better now.

And if I change in the future, I will do it on my terms.

[ He'd ignored it the first time but there comes a point when this is none of your business is a firm and irrefutable fact. Akechi isn't interested in changing and has made it profoundly clear that Stephen has no place telling him to. He's right. ]

OK.

I was beginning to doubt your reading comprehension.

Fortunately that's never been a problem of mine.

[ Selective attention, on the other hand ]

Are you not exhausted?

[ Just a question this time, not as loaded. Is it just youthful stamina that's allowing him to fling all these messages around despite little to no profit? ]