032. [Text]

[explosivecombat]

[...and it seems it's time for another round of Horribly Inappropriate Questions, with your host: This Asshole.]

You know, a while ago I posited to the network that this world is based around battle culture – admittedly a softer, watered-down version of it, but battle culture nonetheless. One's power is assumed based on the strength of their personal army; one's social status is determined by how many gym leaders they've managed to defeat, or how easily they can crush those who stand in the way of what they want. It's interesting to me that such a society should likewise be based around a message of love, peace and tolerance; one would think that for the sheer amount of destruction that everyone's carrying around within arm's distance, this place would have dissolved into anarchy long ago.

Equally interesting is the stance on war that most seem to have taken here; even the locals seem opposed to it, overall. I have to wonder why – what it is about this place in particular that makes the idea of war and conflict so abhorrent to all within it.

Ah, but it's entirely likely that it's a matter of points of view, isn't it? I'm from a militaristic society, personally, so war and conflict seem to be the natural state of things – are most nations generally pacifistic like this? Or is this abnormal even by your standards as one of the..."foreigners", I believe they like to call us?

I'm interested in answers, though I can take or leave identities; answer anonymously if you wish, but even if you don't, you know what they say about glass houses.

[...You know, there are some things that never change. Yes, Kimblee, everyone here probably does get mad about genocide; either way, happy birthday, you crazy son of a bitch. If this is how you're going to spend this evening, you are more than welcome to do so.]

Comments

[dead philosophers, what else]

[doitrockapella]

Alles gute zum geburtstag.

[explosivecombat]

Consider it appreciated.

And you don't have to worry for now; despite the topic I've given the rest to work out for me, it's not a declaration of anything.

[doitrockapella]

I don't think you're the type to declare war on your birthday, anyway. Especially not on a day when the weather's this bad. It's certainly dramatic enough, but thunderbolts and lightning aside, the rain wreaks havoc on white suits.

[explosivecombat]

You know that I'm not exactly fond of doing battle in less-than-ideal weather anyway.

I can't say that I can complain about the weather too much, however; some days it's definitely not appreciated, but today I'm enjoying it.

[doitrockapella]

It's pairing well with whatever's playing on the radio?

[explosivecombat]

Quite well indeed.

[doitrockapella]

I'm envisioning cymbals and a magnificent countermelody led by the low brass. ...And Queen, actually, but that's a little outside your scope of reference — I hope.

[...Look if Amestris has Bohemian Rhapsody she's actually not sure if she wants to know about it or not.]

Did you open your present?

text;

[ossifragant]

In my experience, people who object to such things tend to be rather weak willed. What's a couple of lives here and there? Or hundreds? Or thousands? If they're fated to die, they're going to die and nothing is going to stop that.

People die or vanish all the time and the world doesn't stop moving. No one actually cares.

Humans like to tell pretty stories about how they're all good on the inside but in reality all they need is a little push and their neighbors stop looking like friends and start looking like enemies.

For all of the "good" said to be in them, I haven't actually ever seen it. If anything, it's an act built around an ego trip.

A pacifist nation is a great big target that screams "plunder my resources and kill my people" and frankly I don't give a damn if it happens. They deserve it for being naive.

[explosivecombat]

[...Don't hold back any on his behalf, there; tell him how you really feel.

Granted, it's not that he doesn't agree with it, but if that's the tenor for the conversation, may Leto be a fence around us.]

It's rare that I find anyone with such candor in this place, and rarer still that said candor involves opinions like that. Keep this up and I'll start thinking you're trying to impress me.

You speak of humans as though you aren't one; am I to assume that this is the case?

[ossifragant]

[Don't stroke his ego now.

Dante has probably influenced him more than he's realized.]

I don't see the reason to pretend that I am, even if this place has made me one.

[explosivecombat]

You'll find yourself in good company, then; there are many here who feel the same way. It gets a bit surreal sometimes, but it's proven interesting so far.

[ossifragant]

Pleasantly surprised to hear that, really.

I've found like-minded people before, before I arrived here. You just have to know where to find them.

[And then break them out of prison, naturally.]

[explosivecombat]

Well, the non-humans in general are pleasant until you run into those claiming to be horses from what amounts to some sort of land of happiness, friendship and smiles. That's when it ceases being interesting and becomes more than slightly disturbing.

But other than that, I've found them to be rather like-minded indeed. I'm in a similar situation to you, really; I'm still human, mind, but one that's rather prone to heresy. I've had better luck here than I did back where I came from.

[text]

[beholdmydemons]

[wow hi kimblee how you doin!!!]

No part of the world I'm from is anything like this. It's so different I can't even begin to count the ways. Where there's peace it's a peace that's rotten at the core and where there's war it's too chained down to move anything in the world. I think that might change soon enough but I won't see it happen.

[explosivecombat]

[fan-fucking-tastic, thank you for asking!]

Implying you're either deceased (or about to be), or it's something that seems so unattainable that there's no sense in even considering.

Something I'm familiar with either way, most likely.

[beholdmydemons]

Exactly that. First one. And if it were the second I'd still rather have died seeking it than live to no end.

[explosivecombat]

You have my condolences, should you want them.

[...it's probably sad that that sounds more sincere over text than it would if he were saying the words, because as far as he's concerned that's all they are - words. Something he's expected to say in situations like this, and so he says them, and that's the end of it.]

Is that how it happened, then? You died fighting for whatever it is you're seeking?

[beholdmydemons]

That I did. And I'm glad for it, so there's no need for condolences. If what I worked to enact happens as I thought it would, then some of that rot will be burned away.

[explosivecombat]

Well done, then.

It also seems that we're in much the same situation overall - but really, it can't be said to be a bad one if there are no regrets.

text;

[bertall]

_{[oh boy.]}

This is the first time I've actually enxperienced anything close to 'peace', so yeah, it's...

It's really weird. Even if things seem peaceful back home, it's anything but. ...It's an awful thing to say, but sometimes I'm surprised humans still exist.

[explosivecombat]

Ah, I remember you - your world is the one with the Titans, if I recall correctly.

Peace isn't something we're familiar with either, where I'm from, though that's more due to humanity rather liking to kill each other than any outside threat.

[bertall]

Yeah.

Humans do that too. A few years ago we lost... twenty percent of the population because the central government sent two hundred and fifty thousand people out to "reclaim" the territory we lost.

They weren't soldiers either, just... normal people.

[explosivecombat]

And I assume the central government was fully aware that it was going to be a massacre, but simply did it anyway?

[bertall]

Well, yeah.

[explosivecombat]

...Are they intentionally impeding humanity's survival for some reason?