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And our tale adds another chapter
                              Chapter 6

I placed the remote down... the VCR spinning the tape to the end...
where it would then auto rewind.


/ What does it mean to exist?/


The question prodded my mind... it wouldn't be ignored.

My thoughts shifted into my own mind... 

[Do you have a reason to exist?]

I don't understand the question.

[Shinji has his... but do you have a reason to exist?]

No...

[So then you don't exist?]

I exist... but I don't matter.

[Why don't you matter?]

It's not important.

[Why?]

Because I'm not important.

[Circular logic. "I don't matter because I am not important."]

Maybe it is because of circular logic that I exist?

[You doubt your words]

Because they are my words and I am nothing.

[Your words are nothing?]

Because I am nothing.

[If you are nothing then how are we talking?

I don't know.

[Doubt

So what?

[Evasion

I'm not evading

[Deceit

Yes... I am misleading you... I am awful.

[For your words?

No... simply because I am awful.

[Why?

Because I hate myself.

[Why?

Because I have no purpose.

[Everyone has a purpose.

Not me. I'm nothing. I'm awful. I hate myself.

[Why?

Because I have no purpose

[Deceit.

No it isn't... I'm not lying. I hate myself. No one loves me.

[Does it matter?

Yes it does. It does to me.

[How can something matter to nothing?

It just does.

[If something matters to nothing then nothing must be something.

I guess.

[Why does it matter to you

I don't know.

[Why?

I don't know.

[Evasion.

I want to be loved.

[But to be loved must you not hate yourself first?

Why should I?

[Because how can one love one who hates themselves?

I don't know.

[Doubt.

Of course I doubt. I doubt why I exist. I doubt the ability of me to like
myself. I doubt the ability for others to like me.

[Your mother liked you.

She was forced to. She was my mother after all... it is hard for a parent to
hate their child overlong.

[You doubt a mother's love?

I doubt any love for me.

[But yet you hope for love... how?

I hope there is someone who can love me for who I am.

[Faults and all?

Yes.

[Contradiction.

I know.

[Why is it you want love, but cannot accept it?

I don't know...

[ You don't know or you can't say?

I can't say...


{Blackness}

{Light... Sound a place above the session.

Ego: You think he'll be better because of this?

Ami: Oh Ego he has to be... he just has to... if he goes on living like this...
then...

Hope: How is he doing... and don't turn around.

Ego *halting*: A bit better we hope... but we just don't know Hope.

Ami: All we have is hope.

Hope: That's why I'm here. I'll be near... don't look for me.

{Later... Below}

[Why do you think you exist?

To exist.

[Insufficient.

To hate myself.

[That is not a purpose.

It is mine.

[By hating yourself you have a purpose... therefore you have a reason to exist... therefore you
exist to hate yourself.

Yes... you are correct.

[No I am quite wrong. How do you expect someone to love you?

I don't know.

[Why?

Because I don't

[Why?

I already said why.

[Deceit. Why?

I am afraid.

[Of What?

Knowing why.

[You are afraid of knowing why you hate yourself?

Yes.

[Why?

Because I fear it is baseless.

[So you hope you are not here to just hate yourself?

Yes... I hope that is so.

[Why?

Like you said... no one can love someone who only hates.

[You hate?

Yes... I hate myself, Because I exist without purpose.

[What do you wish your purpose was?

To be loved.

[And it is not already?

I'm too full of hate.

[At?

Myself... the world... everything.

[Why?

Because I can't fulfill the purpose I desire.

[Greed

Is it so wrong?

[Vanity.

I just want to be happy!

[Then be happy.

I can't

[Why?

Because I am unhappy.

[Your unhappiness is all in your mind.

I know that.

[Then change.

I can't

[Why?

The world won't let me.

[Why?

It likes me as I am.

[And that is not enough?

No... because I cannot love... or be loved.

[Ami loves you.

Because I created her to.

[But she loves you.

She doesn't exist!

[She exists in your mind.

That doesn't matter.

[You love her.

That matters less.

[Because she doesn't exist?

Yes... no.

[Evasion.

Yes because it is that I love another, and no because the fact remains she is
immaterial.

[But if she were material you could love her?

I don't know

[Why?

How could she love me if I'd yet to stop hating myself?

[If you stopped could you love her?

Yes...

[But could she still love you?

I don't know.

[Why?

Because I made her when I hated myself. The spark may be gone.

[You like to torture yourself this way?

It is one of the ways I prove I exist... even without a purpose.

[Abuse of yourself gains nothing. It is not a purpose.

It's something to do.

[There are other things to do.

Like what.

[You could try to like yourself.

Improbable.

[Why?

I do not like myself.

[People change.

Improbable

[Ami likes you... she is a part of you. Therefore some part of you wants to stop
the hate.

It's in the minority

[Why?

Because it almost doesn't exist. And even if it did... it would just be another
thing in existence for me to ignore.

[You ignore those who exist?

I ignore myself.

[You ignore those who exist?

I exist with them... and they are happy that I too exist. They like me as I am
but I do not like me as I am. I want to change.

[Then change.

I can't.

[Nothing is set in stone.

No?

[No... Everything changes... people change... you can change.

Because it is not written in stone?

[Correct.

But you said you are always wrong.

[On this I am correct.

Why?

[Because you accepted it... therefore what was wrong becomes what is right. It
is now accepted... it therefore can't be wrong... Can it?

Why are you asking me?!

[Because you are the one who questions the self, and I am the one who questions
why you question the self. And So I question you. So if something is accepted it
can't be wrong. . . Can it?

I don't know.

[Why do you doubt?

Cause I do not trust my answer to be correct.

[If you accept it, it is correct.

I can't accept it.

[Then it is wrong.

Maybe.

[Doubt.

Of course I doubt.

[Why do you doubt this time?

I do not trust my answer. I can't trust it.

[Why can't you trust it?

Because it is my answer.

[Could you agree if someone else agreed to it?

Maybe...

[Doubt. Why do you trust so little?

I do not trust myself.

[Why do you not trust yourself?

Because I can be wrong.

[Is it because you hate yourself?

Yes... I can't trust what I hate.

[But you don't trust others... and so you hate everyone. Hmm... you are
repeating yourself. If someone were right would you trust them?

Maybe... maybe I could trust them on the thing they were right about.

[I say you that you hate yourself, and do not know truly why. Am I correct?

Yes.

[But I am wrong.

How?

[I do not accept that I am right about you. Therefore on that I am wrong.

I don't understand.

[What is right and wrong... truth or falsehood... is based on the individual.
You believe that I am right about you hating yourself because you agree with
that... but I do not agree. One of us has to be right... and I am wrong. You are
agreeing to a Falsehood... so you too are wrong.

But I hate myself!

[That is wrong as I have already proven.

But it's right to me!

[But I am a Part of you... Ami is a Part of you... and we disagree. Therefore
you are wrong to think you hate yourself because you do not entirely agree with
yourself.

You are manipulating me.

[Correct. I am manipulating you. I am now more trustworthy...

No... manipulating people is wrong.

[Morality. That is not the issue here. I am more trustworthy because I am right
on 2 things. I manipulate you, and you do not hate yourself entirely.

You are confusing me.

[Is it not man's existence to be confused? What makes up a quark? What makes up
those? Infinite Regression. A thing which is confusing.

You are right.

[Another feather in my cap. Am I right in saying you'd LIKE to be able to like
yourself?

Yes.

[You are headed down the right path now.

Because if I don't hate myself, and I might be able to like myself... I may be
able to love, and therefore by that I may have a purpose, and that I may exist?

[If you did not exist... we wouldn't be talking... like I said before.

Yes, you did.

[So you Exist?

Yes.

[So you have a purpose in that you are trying to be loved?

Yes.

[So you would like to like yourself?

Yes.

[Then you must change.

I must?

[You must accept that you must change for this to be. Hate... to Love. Fear to
Trust. Nothing to Something.

And since I'm not nothing I'm on my way!

[Yes.

I exist. I can like myself. I can like me the way I am. I can accept that I am
who I am. I can accept the world, for it accepts me.

{Above}

Ego: *hanging jaw* I almost don't believe it.

Ami: We must hope that he is sincere.

Hope: Hope survives... I must go now... I'm needed elsewhere.

Ami: You sound tired Hope... does your day off approach?

Hope: I... um... spent it already Ami.

Ami: Did you have a good time.

Hope: *quavering* Um... ah... yes Ami... I did. *quieter* A wonderful time.

Hope: I must go now...

Ego: Good luck.

Hope: I hope I'll not need that... but thanks anyway. If I need it I hope it
helps.

Ami: Fight on, Hope.

Hope: Be good to each other.

{Below... Jason ejects the tape and puts it away. He considers smiling}


                                                                   The End.

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