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

[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.

[ossifragant]

What the hell kind of world is that?

[It's a good thing this is text, because he wouldn't want the face he just made getting out.]

It's hard for me to mind someone prone to heresy when I get called an abomination on the regular. People are funny about things like that.

[explosivecombat]

You sound rather like a set of people I knew, a while back. They would have enjoyed you, I think.

[ahahahahahahahahaha oh god]

[ossifragant]

Really?

Might be better than the crowd I knew back home. We didn't see eye-to-eye on a few important details.

Oh, we saw eye-to-eye on a lot of things. But some of their rules were too stupid for me.

[explosivecombat]

[...Oh. Well. That's interesting. He's actually had this conversation before, though it was months ago; it...hm.]

What they want and what you want are a bit too different to coincide, I'm assuming.

[ossifragant]

If the important ones started seeing things my way, maybe something would work out.

But as it is I don't think I'll be working with them again.

[explosivecombat]

And seeing things their way is completely out of the question, is it?

[ossifragant]

I take it you know who I'm talking about?

[explosivecombat]

I'm not assuming I know anything, at this point; it's just very familiar to something I've heard before.

[ossifragant]

It's interesting that we both know such similar groups.

I'd call it a coincidence if I believed in such a thing.

[explosivecombat]

I spent quite some time under the employ of a large family. While I knew the head of the household, so to speak, I was most familiar with the others that made up the set. Seven siblings in total; I knew six of them personally, and worked closely with two.

I never met the seventh, because apparently he'd had a falling out with his family years before.

Coincidence or not: you tell me.

[ossifragant]

[Well that's interesting. Way, way, way too close to be a coincidence. Some of the details are off in a strange way, but it's very close.]

Can't say I'd call any of them "siblings" but when you get right down to it that's not an incorrect assumption.

I was a bit, ah, preoccupied for quite a while. I know there's seven now, but there wasn't always that many.

The only problem with this story is that the head of the household I know is pretty damn paranoid and only associates with the most naive and foolish.

I'm also going to go out on a limb here and say you're not an 18 year old girl.

[Something is off here. He's damn sure that Dante wouldn't let a human who craves genocide anywhere near her plans.]

[explosivecombat]

[Well. Nothing about that is actually contradicting anything Kimblee knows about this situation; it's...odd in terms of phrasing, but not completely off the mark, either. To say nothing that any oddities can easily be explained by the fact that he doesn't know Greed any...hm.]

Well, I wasn't as of the last time I checked.

You know, this is easily resolved by simply asking one another what country we're from. Care to volunteer?

[ossifragant]

My facts might be a bit off but I believe it's still called Amestris.

[text - locked/private from here on]

[explosivecombat]

Greed, I'm assuming.

It's a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance.

[ossifragant]

The pleasure's all mine.

And you would be?

[explosivecombat]

Answer something for me, first.

Have you spoken to Envy yet?

[ossifragant]

I have.

[explosivecombat]

Does he remember things happening the same way you do?

[Because we have had some weird as hell misunderstandings involving the Homunculi before.]

[ossifragant]

He does.

That answers the questions I had, if we're different for you.

[explosivecombat]

You are, and I've had enough experiences here to know that you don't know me - or if you do know me in some capacity, the person you're thinking of is different enough that it doesn't matter

So it's a bit of a moot point, really.