"No, I don't know what life is like for other people. No one does. That, too, is the nature of life; you only ever get to experience your own. Well, at least when you're not getting thrown into other worlds where you have to live as other people, you don't."

Matthew may sound just a little dry and darkly sarcastic at that. Just a little.

"But my life, our life, we can understand. We are not observing it. We are living it. It is more than just a process, more than just one life stage followed by another. It is...an experience."

He falls silent for a moment.

"Thing is, though, that sometimes that experience fucking sucks. Sometimes it's pain and terror and soul-crushing horror. That's what your...infirmary...is. We love our life, and we do not want to give it up for anything, but while we were there..."

They trail off, not wanting to finish that thought. Not wanting to admit, even out loud, that in those moments they would have gladly accepted oblivion if only it meant that their suffering would end.

He takes a deep breath.

"You can't just protect existence alone. You can't just make sure something's alive, and call it a day. Because...quality of life, or whatever you want to call it, that matters. There's a reason that immortality is, on the whole, a really fucking bad idea."