Live!!

[windsofwar]

Who: resident dragon man and you
Where: Lobby
When: 184 morning

Good morning, everyone! I've decided now is the best time for us all to have another debate, now that our guests have been excused.

As many of you know, most of those guests were like me. Damned from other shows, instructed to take part in the show to make it more entertaining. During the week, we all saw and did many things, and hopefully, no one is holding much of a grudge.

Especially toward Future is Now, because I offered to murder, but they refused, and tried to protect as many people as possible, and we still were victorious, some how. So they should be applauded!

That aside, there was also that. . .live. As someone who has also stabbed a child, it made me think. How exactly do I want to reach my goals, and what should I sacrifice to get there? Personally, I don't think my stance has changed much, but we definitely shouldn't stab children. Only deimos! So I apologize for my brash actions from before.

So my question for the rest of you, even though violence can't be completely avoided here, when is it an appropriate first choice of action? I imagine many of you may have had to make extremely hard calls this week, so I have to wonder. Please discuss.

Comments

[worthathousand]

[ flatly ]

You are lucky to have been revived, from what I have heard. I cannot say I would have been so merciful.

[windsofwar]

I didn't die, a deimos simply ate my arm, and sorcery was used to turn me into a duck.

[worthathousand]

....A great deal more mercy than I would have given, then.

Why, in the name of every god, did you try to kill Talon?
After our past conversation, I thought that perhaps I was getting through to you that this is no war like you have known.

[windsofwar]

No place is like my war back home, I'm finding.

He was in the wrong place at the wrong time, a convenient target. He has plenty of skill as well! And reminds me of someone I know, in retrospect. But regardless, I'll accept that it was a poor decision.

[worthathousand]

A... convenient... target.

[ a deep breath, steadying herself ]
You were looking for a sparring partner, however involuntary? No malice, just... sport? The rest of this speech made it sound as though you fought with some specific purpose in mind.

[ having a hard time deciding whether she's more disappointed, baffled, or So Tired ]

...Could you explain what you hoped would happen?

[windsofwar]

[taken back, looking offended at the word sport]

I don't fight for enjoyment. I'm not some sort of feral monster.

I did it because that's. . .what I thought was my purpose. Why I was brought here. To hurt others, inspire conflict, all for the amusement of our captors. I'm not proud of it, but I didn't want to jeopardize getting my wish.

Now though, I'm rethinking it all.

[worthathousand]

[ crisp ] Good.

[ another sigh, eyes closed a moment; then, a bit gentler- ]
You have seen what these captors would have us do. You want to fight monsters, but the more you act on their behalf, the more you serve them.

...And even if you would discard even your own honor for your wish, I have seen graduations in my time here. They did not require such things.

[windsofwar]

So I've been told, but how many of those people were fighting to save an entire world?

[worthathousand]

[ a brief pause, considering him ]

Truly, I do not know what those who chose Hell wished. I could not even begin to tell you what meant they were deemed ready to graduate.

But I have been told that the only time those here were deemed to truly be failing in our "duty," if you can call it that, was when they were insufficiently loyal to their units. Suffering for its own sake had nothing to do with it.

[windsofwar]

Perhaps it's different for us damned then. I suppose I won't truly ever know until they grant me my wish.

Still, I have no intention of betraying my unit, that much is certain.

[worthathousand]

Then perhaps this sort of advice will be valuable to you:

Like you, I am a warlike person on a comparatively gentle unit. I have found that the best way to show my devotion to them is to try to protect their gentleness—which means defending them when necessary, yes. But mostly it has meant trying to ensure they never feel like they're forced to be violent.

My understanding of your unit is that they are efficient, results-oriented people, who care a great deal about the community as a whole. The best show of loyalty to them is... well, I cannot tell you how to live your life. But in your place, I would try to protect those ideals.

[windsofwar]

[crosses his arms, letting out a sigh]

That's the second time someone's said something similar. . .maybe it's time to give it a try.

[worthathousand]

I think that you will find it more rewarding than your current course of action by far.

If you feel the need to keep your skills honed, there are others here who enjoy a good fight on fair terms.
[ wry ] There is more than one way to put on a good show of combat, after all.

[rollplayinghouse]

[that gets a very cold look from Maki]

[worthathousand]

[ She meets her eyes a moment, coolly acknowledging that stare, before continuing her conversation with Kharg.

Maki can confront her if she likes, but she's not about to justify herself to her unprompted. ]

[rollplayinghouse]

You're really that self-righteous, huh?

[worthathousand]

Is that what it is to you? [ neither particularly surprised or particularly irritated ]
Taking death seriously is self-righteousness?

[rollplayinghouse]

You can take it seriously without wanting to inflict a punishment worse than the crime.

[worthathousand]

...You mean what I asked Requiem to discuss with all of you.
There's no sense pretending that isn't part of this.

I am willing to explain my perspective, though perhaps in the middle of the lobby isn't the best place for it.

[rollplayinghouse]

I don't know what you could possibly explain that could justify it.

[worthathousand]

[ silent a moment, considering her ]

You are an assassin. When you kill someone, do you mean it?

[rollplayinghouse]

Mean what?

[worthathousand]

When you kill someone, is it your intention that they die? That they go on to the next life, never to take any action in this one again.

[rollplayinghouse]

Of course. That's the point.

But I don't do it because they deserve it. I'm an assassin. Killing people is my job.

[worthathousand]

You still chose to do the work, just as I chose to go to war. The point is that it is a serious act—probably none more so.

I don't like killing in games if there is any possible alternative. We are all victims there, and, were things just, no one would die.

If I have chosen to kill someone, it is not for the sake of hurting them, or teaching them a lesson, or any of that kind of satisfaction. It is because they are too dangerous to be allowed to live.