I am listening.

Actions speak louder than words, but your words do not fall on deaf ears. Who am I to add yet another voice to the dissonance? The one who listens, however, comes to understand the music.

You got your wish. I am listening.

It is time to declare your expertise and awe these attentive ears. Decades of study, experience, and belief I shall not challenge. Bring about the crescendo, remembering the recapitulation.

Proclaim your virtuosity and dissipate the dissonance. Select the instruments to guide towards consonance. You are the conductor.

You captivate me. I am listening.

Eagerly awaiting the resolution, I enjoy the suspense. The payoff will not be far off now. I trust you understand the needs of your audience.

Another iteration of the theme? Perhaps this was always meant to be. My recollection of this piece is clouded, perhaps my memory is weak.

You intrique me. I am listening.

The dissonance has not been resolved yet. You know I have anxiety about these things. Exploring the experimental? Fine, take me back to Cage, Glass, and Riley.

I am agitated. I am listening.

Why are we back to the recapitulation? It is the meaning of the word, but five times is quite enough. Do you know what you are doing? What is going on?

This piece is certainly not what I expected from you. Maybe I don’t know your works after all. I guess I need to study more. Where did I go wrong?

I am confused. I am listening.

Let’s get back to basics, I must be wrong about something. Another five years of introspection should do the trick. Actions speak louder than words, let’s start there.

Wait, this isn’t what I remember. The decades of study and experience was born not out of love, but of obligation? Hmm.

I am agitated, I am listening.

You proclaim that you take care of your people, yet in a crisis, they are the ones left to starve? Surely this is not the case. Let’s get to the bottom of this.

I am intrigued. I am listening.

For ol’ time’s sake, let’s run a test. Will you do what you say you will do? Only the scientific method is worthy of the matter. Let me do what you say you will do, just for good measure.

What’s that? No one to help in a time of need? Honestly, all I asked for was a simple errand. Surely you can’t do that?

I am captivated. I am listening.

You do not know what you are doing? In fact, you will not even do what you say you will do? This is the twist I was not expecting. A conductor who can’t conduct?

Here I thought I was the issue. Perhaps still, but maybe less so that I thought. Walking through the Valley of Death, resurrecting my father from hell, and searching for the answer to an eternal struggle may have been worth it after all.

You got your wish. I am listening.

You have taught me well. I have listened to your expertise, experience, and belief. I thank you for providing this wisdom to my ignorant soul.

I pray that one day we can come together again as comrades against the enemy. However, I fear the friendly fire that will ensue if we continue like we are.

Well, you got your wish and I got mine.

I am listening.