mechanical_dream | Tao Te Ching quote (Reply)

Understanding others is knowledge,

I have known and understood many people, over the years. *smiles distantly* A very many people. Machines, humans, either or both. From the madmen who screamed and clawed at me, to the friends who stand by us even now. There is only one creature in all the universe who I do not fully understand, who surprises me time after time, who does things that make no sense as if they were the most sensible things in the galaxy.

And that creature? Is the man I love.

Understanding oneself is enlightenment,

Sometimes I think I understand myself very well, others I think I don't know myself at all. Those latter times, I blame almost entirely on my beloved, because there are times when I touch his thoughts, times when I see myself through his eyes, and I wonder how I can possibly be who I think I am when this is what he sees in me. *very soft* How can someone feel that much love, do so much, for someone like me? *aches silently*

Conquering others is power,

Then I have never had power on my own merits. Ever. There ... have been times when power was given to me. The asylum, when in truth I could probably have done whatever I pleased with those unfortunate enough to be sent there, and no-one would really have cared. The thought is ... repulsive. Who hands away the power over so many lives like that? Lives they should not even have power over themselves to start with! *shakes head* That place should never have existed, never even been dreamt of.

Conquering oneself is strength,

*curious* How does one go about conquering oneself, do you think? Fight oneself? Because, although I've done that, I honestly could not tell you who won. *smirks* But however one measures strength, and however one achieves it, I have had enough in my life to do what I needed to do, and that is enough for me.

Contentment is wealth,

I am very, very content. A little more light in the northwest corner of the solarium would be nice, a little help from my beloved would be very much appreciated more than once a week, but other than that I have everything I could ever want, and more. So much more. I have my beloved. That makes me richer than kings.

Forceful conduct is willfulness,

*looks as innocent as possible* I'm not willful, Dowling beloved, am I? Darling beloved who knows me better than anyone? I've never been forceful, have I. *grins*

Not losing one's rightful place is to endure,

No. This I disagree with. Losing it, and surviving to gain it again, that is enduring. There have been times, over our three hundred years, when Dowling and I have lost each other a little, lost our place together, and those times have been the most painful in all my life. But we endured them, the pair of us, found each other again at the end of them, and I count that the most strength and endurance I have ever had to show, and the prize most worth all of it.

To die and not be forgotten is longevity,

*smiles deeply, aching inside* This, my beloved has given us. This, he has insured. Breaking his mind to do so, remaking himself as a machine against all my wishes, my fears, and he has given us this. When we die, our names will be written side by side in the Index, for every machine to see and remember until there are no more machines any longer.

Because of him, we will never be forgotten.