“This is the last time I'll be humoring this subject for even a moment.”
You are on call with Xeryrex themself. It took a great deal of social engineering to get through the infamous celebrity's office and into a call with the real deal. You succinctly made your demands and received a predictably dismissive response. You're waiting for them to hang up, but you hear a slow sigh instead.
“See, you and your contemporaries continue to suffer from an enormous misconception that these animates are something greater than they really are.”
They make a sound mimicking an animate clicking their tongue, sarcastically miming their contempt and impatience.
“They live to breed, eat, sleep, and die. This entire concept of ‘animate art’ is nothing more than a narcissistic delusion of the most self-absorbed species in the entire lower universe. I simply don't understand why you lot continue to fool yourself into believing it too.”
You try you best to contain your spite for the enormous hurdle you're speaking with. You open your mouth.
“You've got it backwards, Xeryrex. You, your staff, and everyone who watches your childish show are all deluding yourself into believing that they are so simple. You're all convincing yourself that so you can justify the way you've been treating them from the start.”
They laugh mockingly at you. You bite your tongue, knowing you already prodded more than necessary.
“Oh, you want to bring in some ‘philosophy’? How about this; whether they're more complex than that or not, who is to say that they have any right to defy us? Who is to say we have a responsibility to respect them? They are weak. They are subordinate by nature.”
Your eyes narrow.
“It's common sense! They are just as capable as us!”
Their voice raises to a shout.
“THEY. ARE. WEAK! They are weak because we they are weaker than us. We are responsible for their creation. They are responsible for our entertainment. Had we no need for their existence, they would not exist at all; they exist purely by our will and for our enjoyment.”
“Do you have no empathy?!”
They scoff.
“You're either ignorant or hypocritical. Have you not seen the ways they treat their dependent narratives? Do you think they have empathy for those below them?”
“But they don't have direct interaction!”
“Yet. Not that it changes anything either way. What do you and your goons hope to accomplish with these campaigns? Do you think you're going to stir the hearts of the audience when you shout during the show? Change our minds with these calls? Stop deluding yourself. You're practically worse than the animates.”
They end the call on the spot. You sigh. It's not like you expected anything to come of it, but you felt obligated to give them a chance before you start to turn their empire to ash.