Some years ago, I dated a woman that was a marathon runner. It didn’t matter if it was August or January, if there was a local (or even remotely local) marathon happening, she was in it. And these weren’t short little "fun runs", these were marathons that were grueling gauntlets that usually lasted all day. I believe the story was that she got started in track in high school, and then never gave it up. When she wasn’t actually in a marathon, she trained constantly "to relax", and would often come home… broken. It became a point of contention in our relationship, because I was seriously concerned that she was doing lifelong damage to her body. We were both in our 20s, but some intense training sessions would see her practically immobile for the next day. I was concerned, but she kept writing it off as "just part of the hobby". At one point when she was practically incapacitated from a particularly difficult run, I asked her why she kept doing this to herself. Her response, everything about it, is still burned into my mind:
"Sometimes you feel like you’re going to die, like you’re just going to collapse right there. Sometimes it’s like your entire body is going to give out, and that’s it, you’ll never get up again. But then you see that finish line, and you might not be first, you might even be last, but when you see that finish line, nothing else matters, and it all feels completely worth it. I’ve never felt anything else like that, and I wouldn’t give it up for anything."
Anyway, don’t know why I decided to mention that. Probably just wanted to brag about that time I dated a girl that liked going outside.
Previously on Xenosaga: Margulis is dead. Hey, didn’t he kidnap MOMO at some point? Huh, you might think she would have reacted to his death… Or Albedo’s… Or… Never mind. Let’s just move on.
Okay, so we’re following Shion’s pendant, which basically lit up in one general direction like a half hour ago. I think we’re just following the only way forward and hoping for the best.
So you know, this update is rated B for Bonkers for broad religious themes, breasts, violence, and breasts that cause violence. You’ve been warned…
