un: eden — ota

[retributes]

Asking for a friend: say you were killed for the wrong reasons, what would you do? What would be your way of coping?

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[assemble_the_lovbacken]

[Not at all far-fetched, he thinks. He remembers how Wanda infiltrated their minds when they'd first encountered her. Seems like a lifetime ago, but the memory is still fresh enough to recall it with ease.]

If I didn't have the chance to fight back, I would seek vengeance if it were possible. Though if I'd already ascended to Valhalla, there would be little I could do from there.

[retributes]

Think of this place then as Valhalla. It might not be as glorious as one would imagine but, this is Valhalla, and you're here with the person who killed you.

Would you still seek vengeance?

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

So, this is Valhalla, and my killer is here.

[Not too long ago, Thor would've answered without hesitation. Of course he'd seek vengeance. Of course he'd seek retribution. But his banishment on Earth as a mortal had taught him to consider other options — that a great king, a great ruler is not one who is ruthless and power-hungry, but rather one who can think with empathy and for the greater good.

His second message comes through a few minutes later.]

Now that I've thought more about it, it would depend on why the other chose to take my life. If it were in self-defense, I would not seek vengeance. It it were to defend family or home or people, I would not seek vengeance then, either. If it were simply because they chose to kill me, for no particular reason, I don't think I'd seek vengeance but I would try to understand their reasoning.

[retributes]

And their reasoning being they believed you were going to betray them?

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

Have I given them reason to believe that I'd do such a thing?

[retributes]

No. You were there for them in every instance. You were friendly, caring, open and accepting.

[ And then things get private from here on out:]

Your true intentions however are revealed to them by whatever is possessing them and that's why the reason they use.

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

And my true intentions are nefarious? Or are they genuine and true?

If I have been bested in cowardly combat for no honest reason, then vengeance stands as a good course of action to take. If I fought as valiantly as I could, but my opponent was simply the better warrior and defeated me, I would accept my fate.

[retributes]

To the other side they're nefarious. To you, they're true and genuine.

It can't be cowardly combat though. You had no way of fighting back. You never knew it was coming, time stood still for you. But now you know, so do you get your revenge? Or do you just move on and live your life because you have some kind of a second chance here?

[assemble_the_lovbacken]

If I have been brought here with no access to my old life, I believe that I would do my best to make use of my time in the village, whatever that means. Perhaps this is, as you say, a second chance at life since my first was stolen from me.

But, if I were to ever return to my previous life, I would most certainly seek vengeance for the wrongs committed against me.

[retributes]

Some say that seeking vengeance isn't healthy. But what other way is there to handle this kind of a situation? I wish I knew.