explosivecombat | 031. [Text]

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031. [Text]

You know, I've realized that whenever I address the network nowadays, I always include some sort of apology for the morbidity of the subject matter; the subject matter is never any better the next time around, which I think just draws the validity of the apology into question by now. Ah, but that's neither here nor there - the subject today is still, however, not any better, so consider the apology this afternoon as genuine as it always is.

[In other words, sorry-not-sorry. Kimblee...]

I would like to discuss morality today, actually - perhaps befittingly, since there are so many morally dubious individuals around as of late.

Assume for a moment that you come across someone in peril; you're in a secluded area, and no one else is around to help this individual but you. The specific sort of peril they're in doesn't matter, but for the sake of argument, assume that it's something that you can handle easily - assume that assisting them won't kill you, and even if the situation you envision is dangerous you can call the authorities for help and that would be considered "assisting" for the sake of this experiment. For whatever reason, the person in peril cannot save themselves; if you don't do anything, the situation will prove fatal for the person you've come across.

No one will know if you help the person or not. You won't be punished or penalized in any way for not helping them - in other words, you have no legal obligation to do so - but if you don't, the person in peril is going to die. You've never met the person before this moment; there's nothing about their appearance or situation that implies that you should consider them an enemy, but they aren't explicitly a friend or an ally either. Just a random stranger that you are given the option of rescuing.

Most would probably agree that rescuing a person in peril like that is the "right" thing to do; I'm sure some would disagree, either because their beliefs are a bit unorthodox or because they want to feel edgy. So my question isn't necessarily what you believe - my question is why. Can you justify it, or are you just operating under "what feels right"?

Answer me anonymously if you'd like; as usual, your identity doesn't necessarily interest me, but your answer does.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

[Here's when it would behoove Jimmy to just ignore the Network for a while and actually get moving so he's not stuck on Route 30 for two weeks, but the exhaustion of both walking- but moreso not having anyone at all to talk to- has gotten him to keep a near constant eye on the Network.

...case in point.]

I'd help them. There's no way I could just walk away from someone who needs help, no matter what. I don't think it really matters if someone thinks if it's right or wrong.

[Though, it's interesting Jimmy would say that, considering the fact that if he honestly and truly thinks something is right, then he'll do it. It's more of a subconscious, knee-jerk reaction than anything.
...even if this "right" thing isn't so right in someone else's eyes.]

And what makes you decide that there's no way that you can just walk away from a situation like that, if I may? Is it a matter of being unable to live with yourself otherwise, or is it something else?

Well....that's a part of it, yeah. But from the way you described it, I wouldn't have anything to lose by helping them, either. There's no reason at all for me to be convinced to just walk away without doing anything at all to help.

That may be true, but some would take the stance that there's no reason to help, either.

Some...some might, I guess. But the way I figure, no matter who you are, you'd want someone to help if you were stuck in a situation like that, wouldn't you?

It depends, really. I've been in mortal peril in the company of strangers before, and I wasn't terribly kind to them and told them to ignore the situation, but that was a rather specific set of circumstances.

Your dedication to doing right by people is interesting, however; I'll admit that much.

[There's a short pause between texts before Jimmy responds.]

A lot of the time people aren't very... happy back home. I try to do whatever I can to make every day better, you know?

[It isn't that they're necessarily in danger, since people can't- or rather, don't- die, it's more about making their quality of life better.]

[...SO QUAINT HE'S GONNA DIE, JIMMY, WHAT THE FUCK - ]

You find helping people to be its own reward, in that case?

[QUAINT IS HIS MIDDLE NAME AND NOBODY CAN CONVINCE ME OTHERWISE.]

Yeah, exactly! Helping people, seeing them smile...making them happy or to feel safe? That's prolly the best thing you can do for someone.

[...Why.]

Is this just something you decided to do one day?

Well, no. Not really. It's been that way ever since I can remember, actually.

So everyone is in misery all the time, for no reason other than "because of course they are"; however, you - for some reason - are not, and you are determined to make everyone happy because that's just the way it is. Is that about right?

[...What is this entire situation. What is this entire situation.]

[What is this situation indeed.]

Well, there's a reason! I mean, the ruler of my town comes from a long line of rulers whose job is to make things as miserable as possible. But yeah, that's right!

...Why in the world would anyone allow a ruler like that to continue to reign, knowing that was what he intended to do?

To tell you the truth, I think it's cause everyone's scared of him. I dunno why, though.

[Jimmy, there are many things wrong with what you just said.]

Things have been the way they are for a really really long time, too. If Lucy just wasn't the leader anymore I'm not sure what would happen! 'Sides, the next person to rule is gonna be his son, so it's kinda something that's been passed down from father to son for years and years.

I see...we don't have a bloodline-based monarchy where we're from, it's decided through a military-based hierarchy.

[...Sort of. That's what we tell everyone, anyway; who knows what they're doing now.]

It's nothing I've ever aspired toward, anyway, even though I suppose technically I could have.

You aren't from London, by any chance, are you?

[So he understood, like, a quarter of what you just said, Kimblee. STILL, MOVING ON.

There are more pressing matters to attend to here, such as:]

...London? ...I've never heard of that before.

[What's a London.]

So you're from one of those worlds where it doesn't exist, then.

So am I - don't let it concern you too much.

[Well now Jimmy's going to be forever wondering what the heck a London is.]

Yeah, I guesso. ...but if it's not where you're from either, then how do you know about it?

It's a city that a few people here came from, back in their world. Apparently most people here know about it - most of the "foreigners", anyway.

There's one world in particular that seems to have many variations, and most people are from that place. All of those worlds seem to have cities in common (London, Tokyo, San Francisco, and Philadelphia are the first ones to come to mind), and several countries as well (France, Russia, Germany, England, Japan and several others - London is located in England, for reference).

I'm from somewhere else entirely, however.

Woow....that's pretty cool. Whatever that world is, it must be really big, like this one.

So where are you from, then?

That world is much, much larger than this one, actually - a friend of mine is from there, and she says this world seems confining due to its size. Or lack thereof, I suppose.

I'm from a country called Amestris; I doubt you've heard of it. Most people haven't, unless they're from there.

Wow, seriously? I can't imagine how big it must be, then. This place here is already big on it's own.

Ahh no I'm sorry, can't say that I have.

Don't let it concern you; as I've said, most people haven't.

It's not much like this place, at any rate. We have Central City, which is rather large and where our primary military headquarters is, and it's also where our ruler resides; otherwise it's divided into four regions - North, South, East and West - with a major city in each region containing a secondary headquarters and recruitment building. Otherwise, a fair amount of it is rural; we specialize in farming and coal, basically.

I'm from North City originally, though I've been all over the country on various tours of duty with the military; I've only been outside our borders once - it was for business, not pleasure, and I was there for a very short period of time. Leaving the country isn't something done easily, and I've never been outside of it otherwise.

[Jimmy absorbs all of the information with a will, as if he weren't eager enough to learn about all the people who have been sucked into the Pokemon world like him.]

So I guess suddenly ending up here wasn't exactly on your list of things you wanted to do...

Do you like it here ok, otherwise?

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