Accept that you are killing people. Don't forget them.

31 May 2015 @ 02:40 am

04X. [Action/Fourth Wall.]

[A.]

[They say that time heals all wounds, and most everyone who's had any sort of serious wound can tell you that "they" are full of absolute shit; the fact that this guy's shown up with the front of his jacket ripped open and covered in blood is probably enough to say that that he totally agrees on the "absolute shit" front.

That isn't to say that he's alone, though; Kimblee remembers him (partially because Kimblee remembers everyone but mostly because it's sort of hard to forget an alternate-universe version of yourself that's so different you're absolutely certain the world made some sort of fundamental error when it spat the guy out and called him you), and he'd managed to catch his attention in an entirely reasonable, perfectly affable way when he'd seen him - ...or, well, okay, he'd caught his attention via an explosion across the way that may or may not have been very well-controlled, because he imagined the mulleted moron would like that.

But! Either way, they seem to have made nice and now they're out in the open messing with something, and whatever it is it's probably nothing good because Kimblee's actually deigning to kneel on the ground in that white suit of his, sitting back on his heels and trying to disregard how dirty he's going to be when he stands up again, but for the time being he seems more interested in whatever his counterpart's got going on in his hands. That particular "whatever" seems to be a mason jar, presumably full of water from the lake they're hanging out next to.

And it looks like the mulleted one is explaining something, and his eyes slide closed while he's talking and he's smiling in a vague, pleased sort of way, and there's a brief flash from his hands and when he tips the jar and pours the water out the grass fucking corrodes.

Ask him to do water into wine and he'll laugh it off; water into hydrochloric acid, however, is apparently entirely doable.

Kimblee just kind of stares at him, before he smiles and asks him to demonstrate again; the guy he's with shrugs and says he can do one better.

...We might not want to let him do one better. Just saying.]

[B.]

[Of course, when he's not participating in the chem lab from hell, Kimblee can be found elsewhere; it's been a good long time since he's had his alchemy back, and like hell if he's not going to actually use it. He seems agitated this time around, though, as though he's not entirely sure what he's doing with it; it's far less elegant than it usually is, more explosions for explosions' sake.

It's not good enough, for whatever reason; after a moment of deliberating following a rather hard aftershock, he brings his hands together again and the energy he's using shifts from blue to red.

The Stone he's using isn't visible, but it doesn't really need to be for it to be obvious that he's using it; the sheer destructive power of it is going to absolutely destroy the shit out of a large distance down the route.

He laughs a bit once he has, the sound strange and breathless; that's better.]

[OOC: The idiot in question in scenario A is Kimblee's 2003 counterpart, who's sort of a hot mess; if you want to yell at one of them in particular, specify which and the mulleted wonder will be replying from

alchemicals.

Otherwise...welcome to the semiannual KIMBLEE SIT THE FUCK DOWN party.]

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15 April 2015 @ 05:09 pm

042. [Text, and one other thing.]

[TEXT]

I've noticed that when people are asked the question of whether they would change any major events in their past, a prevalent answer seems to be "No, because everything that's happened to me and everything I've chosen to do have made me who I am today." Sometimes I find that position unbearably arrogant; who's to say that the person you could have been – as terrifying though that notion seems to be for most – wouldn't be an improvement on you are now?

Not all changes are for the better, but there's no reason to assume they'll be for the worse, either.

I hold to a general principle of not regretting anything I've done; that hasn't changed, even now. Just the same, that doesn't mean that sometimes I don't wonder what would have happened if I've chosen to do something different at critical junctures of my life, regardless of how pointless that practice actually is in reality.

The idea of seeking solidarity in such notions is also pointless, but I suppose today is good for indulging in things like that. If I have any questions to pose to the rest of you today – and I admit I didn't start this with that sort of thing in mind for once – I suppose what I want to know is whether you would change anything or not. What it is doesn't matter; I just want to know whether such doubts have crossed your mind before, whether you find it plausible or not.

At the very least those feathers from on high are good for one thing, and that's ensuring that such insipid thoughts aren't keeping me up at night; I've been sleeping surprisingly well since picking one up.

( Private message to Archer. )

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24 March 2015 @ 08:09 am

041. [Text]

It's been a little while since I last spoke to the lot of you; a fair amount has happened since then, hasn't it? I'm not just referring to the local conquests – both for the better and for the worse, merely attempted or otherwise – nor am I referring to anything that may have been cast down to us from on high, simply because this place believes that we deserve a bit of kindness from time to time. I refer instead to personal achievements we may have made in the last few months – things that may seem insignificant in the scheme of things, but regardless are all the better simply because they were achieved.

Where I'm from, some of us were granted acknowledgement of our power to change the world; I say everyone holds this power for themselves. Perhaps not everyone realizes it; perhaps not everyone understands exactly how little it takes to influence fate in such a way. I've spoken on this sort of topic before, with emphasis on how this place has changed you; I'm curious to know what the rest of you have done to ensure that Equivalent Exchange is adhered to. You can't exist in this world without leaving some sort of mark on it, because that's the way of things; regardless of how important you believe the mark you've left to be, I'd like to hear about it.

It can be something simple; perhaps you won a badge recently, perhaps you encouraged some sort of creation you're particularly proud of with regards to breeding and egg moves. Small achievements are so often overlooked in this world that it's difficult to recall sometimes that they're achievements at all. Perhaps you've had a personal revelation; perhaps you've improved yourself recently in a way that isn't obvious to anyone but you. That counts as well.

On the other hand, perhaps you've managed something far larger for yourself; I'm curious to hear about how that's going, too, should you be willing to tell me. (In other words – yes, Lieutenant Blake and the leader of the future Cobra Empire, you're both welcome to boast in my direction should you desire to; I won't be offended if you don't.)

Now is normally when I offer some sort of thought experiment, and apologize for how morbid I'm choosing to be; none of that is forthcoming today. We're leading into a season filled with great significance for me – one that centers around changing the world and changing oneself, in recognizing challenges and yet cleaving to our ability as people to adapt and overcome. It's a very positive time, one in which our personal glory should be celebrated. As such, I'll leave you with another quote instead that I believes sums up my mood today far better:

"You have overcome yourself, so why do you show yourself to me as the one who has been overcome? I want to see the victorious – cast roses into the abyss, and say: 'Here is my thanks to the monster who didn't succeed in swallowing me alive.'"

Tags: !ic, *text, being you guys is suffering, come at me bro, god is dead and my tl;dr has killed him, just thought he'd ask, like a brick to the face, my social skills are flawless, professor of fauxlosophy, slacking off like hell, surprisingly not plotting anyone's death, ten points to ego, texting into the void, today we are tranquil for once

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19 January 2015 @ 07:16 pm

040. [Text/Action for Route 34]

[TEXT]

As a former soldier, I've had to consider and handle the question of when it's considered acceptable to take another life. It's hardly a question here, since in this world life is incredibly well-protected and death is incredibly cheap; however, seeing as this place hasn't just dissolved into an anarchic killing spree, it seems that most of us still have a basic grasp on morality as we understand it and are of the basic consensus that "murder is bad."

I suppose my question then is where the line is, for most of the people here, and where the difference lies between murder and self-defense. There's the obvious understanding that if someone is trying to kill you, you likely won't just stand there and let them do it; you're probably going to defend yourself or even fight back, no matter how much of a pacifist you are.

But surely there are places where the criteria becomes a bit more difficult to discern...? Say that you have two people drowning in the ocean; there's a plank nearby that will support the weight of one of them. Without use of the plank, both people will surely die. Person A gets there first, but Person B shoves them off, saving themselves but causing Person A to drown in the process.

Was what Person B did murder? Probably. But they were also going to die if they didn't do it – isn't that just another form of self-defense?

What if Person A fought back and was able to hold their position? That's self-defense, in all probability – but they're also deliberately ensuring the death of another person. Is Person A a murderer for doing so?

Does it matter? Either way, a person is dead because someone else valued their own life more. A life is over and somehow I doubt whatever words the living use to make themselves feel better matter much to the deceased.

...I suppose now is when I apologize for the morbidity of the subject matter, although honestly it seems I can't let a year pass in which I don't ask some sort of horribly inappropriate question about murder. I suppose I'm just getting it out of the way early this year.

[ACTION]

[...And in contrast to that self-admitted horribly inappropriate question about murder, Kimblee actually is doing rather well today; if anything, he seems pleased that the weather has broken and it was above freezing for a few blessed moments today, since that means he can actually go outside and not spend most of his time shut in the base. It's large enough to keep him from getting too worked up, but it's still windowless and claustrophobic and if he can be outside, then dammit, he will be outside.

He's just outside Goldenrod today; he's up on Acasta.

It's been a while since he's done anything from up on top of the Steelix – travel is one thing, but battle is another entirely, and he's got some of his other high-leveled Pokémon out with him for the sake of satisfying that latter desire; Acasta's up against Carlisle right now, and from the look of it, it's not so much Kimblee's job to command as it is to not fall right the hell off. But his balance is good and his gaze is incredibly focused, and from the sound of it, he's having a grand time – he's laughing quite a bit, and it's cold and there's entirely too much ice around and he's done this before and it was a good time then, too.

He manages to jump down when a well-timed Earthquake finally takes Acasta out, ensuring that he's well clear of the steelsnake when it falls; apparently he's not having fun unless everyone stands a great chance of dying, and today isn't much of an exception. At least he'll be unoccupied with battle for a while as he spends a while seeking out a Revive that he has somewhere on his person; whether he's going back up later or just doesn't want to leave Acasta unconscious is a bit hard to say, but either way he's around for conversation.]

Tags: !ic, *action, *text, @armin arlert, @frank archer's utter lack of subtlety, @kaine, @ken kaneki, @rideaux, @schuldig, admittedly kind of asking for it, also acasta, also carlisle, archer's gonna kill him, because awesome that's why, being you guys is suffering, but is everyone mad about genocide, engaging in heresy, god is dead and my tl;dr has killed him, good ideas are clearly relative concepts, hell are you even, how edgy of you, itp: we discuss zombies, like a brick to the face, my social skills are flawless, my spinal cord is totally dancing rn, no sense of self-preservation, pokespe tactics (don't work well here), professor of fauxlosophy, sanity is so passé, stupidly dangerous battling tactics, surprisingly not plotting anyone's death, texting into the void, that may have been a bit insensitive, that wasn't morbid at all, this is gonna suck, this is really stupid, this skill is never going to be useful, tonight we're going hard, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things, with apologies to carmen sandiego

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22 December 2014 @ 03:12 pm

039. [Text]

One of the things I've always found admirable about humanity is their power to initiate change. Not just within themselves, either; that particular power includes the unique ability to instill change in other people – and for some, the world. It's always been rather appalling to me, that so many people would fail to understand how rare a gift that actually is: the actions of a single person have the potential to affect all of human society and leave their mark on the world, affecting and changing the course of the future itself.

It's a good amount of power that most people choose to do nothing with; it's a bit of a shame, really.

But whether we do anything with that power or not, we're all affected by it in some way; after all, the reason it exists at all is because people as individuals are volatile. We can change the world, and so it follows that the act of being in the world can also change us – whether through the actions of others who do choose to utilize that particular power, or just through the inconsistent nature of our surroundings. It follows the law of Equivalent Exchange rather well, I think.

Normally now is when I would suggest some sort of thought experiment to the network at large, probably morbid or inflammatory in nature, but I did promise someone that I would try not to be pointlessly negative for the sake of the holiday. Instead, my interest is elsewhere today – I want to know how this place has changed you. Positively or negatively, it matters very little to me; I'm just curious about what this place has given you, or perhaps what it's taken away.

Be as literal as you like, and as anonymous as you like; as usual with these sorts of things, your name interests me less than your answer.

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07 November 2014 @ 04:34 pm

038. [ANON TEXT + IMAGES]

[Good afternoon, network! It's a surprisingly nice day today; the sun is out, and while it's not warm per se, it's warm enough to be pleasant.

The last time "Seth"'s device had shown up on the device with this particular sort of message, it'd looked about to snow; he's finding the weather far more favorable this time around.

The first image to hit the network is a view of the streets of Ecruteak, as shot out what looks like a window of some sort; there doesn't seem to be anything on the walls of wherever this was shot from, though the curtains are light and filmy-looking as they billow inward with a light breeze, a bit more elegant than the normal hotel fare. Possibly a private residence of some sort. The leaves are in their full fall colors outside; it's a pretty shot, if not particularly interesting.

The next image is panned down a little – you can still see the window, the curtains having fluttered to a bit more of a standstill, and there's still some of the view of the outdoors; what's new is the table beneath the window, covered in black cases and wires and triggers.

Bombs. Plenty of them.]

I'm not the first one to note that this world isn't safe.

[And there's the text, moments later.]

Aqua and Magma tried to save the world by destroying each other. Some of you try to save the world by destroying me.

Will you succeed this time?

[The next shot is a bit more casual than most of this nature, though as usual, it seems to be set up across a table of some sort. It's his stance that's different; "Seth" has one forearm braced against the wood, and he's leaning forward heavily enough for his stance to look idle, almost bored. As usual, his face isn't in the shot, but if you look you can see the usual Team Rocket insignia emblazoned across his chest; his free hand is holding one of those white cards that he uses to communicate sometimes, pinning it between gloved fingers; the words written out in thick, blocky writing, traced over multiple times to obscure any sort of distinctive handwriting.

LET'S HAVE A WAR.

The second shot is almost identical to the first; only the writing on the card has changed.

ECRUTEAK CITY.

ONE WEEK.

[OOC]

[While the IC timing of this is going to be as he said – the attack will be taking place on the 14th of the month – the log itself will go up on the 10th and will be forward-dated, to circumvent possible continuity issues.

More details about how we're going to run this thing will be forthcoming!]

Tags: !ic, **anonymous, *text, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @carter blake: bff 5ever, @cecil palmer, @cynthia (fe:a), @envy, @frank archer's utter lack of subtlety, @greed's poor life choices, @harime nui, @mimi tachikawa, @miss altava, @nagi naoe, @our future cobra commander overlord, @sion astal, @veronica madaraki, @yusuke urameshi, archer's gonna kill him, being you guys is suffering, come at me bro, engaging in heresy, everything's exploding and nothing hurts, good ideas are clearly relative concepts, he's come undone, hell are you even, how edgy of you, just thought he'd warn you, kimblee is overstimulated, like a brick to the face, my spinal cord is totally dancing rn, no kill like overkill, no sense of self-preservation, not slacking off for once, one-man army, raid on the city knock out evil tusks, sanity is so passé, ten points to ego, texting into the void, the greater internet fuckwad theory, this is gonna suck, tonight we're going hard, took a level in exploding things, two-person assault team, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things, with apologies to carmen sandiego

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20 October 2014 @ 03:32 pm

037. [Text]

I come seeking discussion again today, which to most of you should probably be nothing new; if anything, I ought to apologize for it, but I suspect that will ring about as true as my usual apologies for the subject matter. For what it's worth, the subject is better than it usually is; take that as you will.

I'd like to discuss dreams today; I'm sure those that were here about a year ago know exactly why, but in the end that is neither here nor there, and you don't have to have experienced it to discuss this with me.

I'm sure we're all no strangers to very vivid dreams...? The sort that immerse you so entirely that they almost seem real...surely there are a few qualities here and there that mark them as dreams, but they're disregarded in favor of whatever is actually happening right in front of you. Dreams like that can hardly be said to be different from reality, can they? They invoke feelings within you; they encourage you to continue thinking about them long after you've awakened. You could even say that dreams like that have given you experiences that you might never have had, were you awake – you've gone on adventures and met people and done things that affected you, all while physically being asleep.

Say that there was a way to live like that forever.

Suppose that there's a machine that will put you under, rendering you solidly asleep and allowing you to experience whatever you want. The machine can simulate any pleasurable experience that you choose, instilling all the thoughts and feelings that would come with actually going out and doing those things for yourself in your waking life. There would be no pain or suffering; it would be an experience in pure bliss for as long as you were plugged into the machine.

Again, you could stay that way forever, if you so chose, living out the rest of your life in dreams, and it would be a pleasant experience that's custom-tailored to you. The only tradeoff is that you would be unconscious the entire time; the experience would be entirely in your mind, rather than anything you actually did.

Would you choose to go under and live the rest of your life happy but effectively comatose, or would you prefer to experience life for yourself, entirely awake, with all the imperfections and strife that may come with it?

You can answer me anonymously if you wish, because as usual, your identity doesn't interest me as much as your response does; if you really want to impress me, you'll tell me why you would answer as you did.

Tags: !ic, *text, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @carter blake: bff 5ever, @greed's poor life choices, @henry (fe:a), @isaac mcdougal: non-fail junior, @lancer (fsn), @micchy kureshima, @mimi tachikawa, @miss altava, @our future cobra commander overlord, @rideaux, @riku, @ryner lute, @snake (black butler), @tobias, being you guys is suffering, but is everyone mad about genocide, come at me bro, engaging in heresy, god is dead and my tl;dr has killed him, hell are you even, just thought he'd ask, like a brick to the face, look at your life; look at your choices, my social skills are flawless, professor of fauxlosophy, slacking off like hell, surprisingly not plotting anyone's death, texting into the void, that wasn't morbid at all, this is gonna suck, this is really stupid, today we are tranquil for once, why we can't have nice things, with apologies to carmen sandiego

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09 July 2014 @ 07:37 pm

035. [ANON TEXT]

[Well, good evening, network - it seems Seth's device is active again, though at the very least he's not inviting everyone to war like he's throwing the world's most unasked-for party this time around.]

You know, one of the things I've always found most fascinating about human morality is the idea that we're higher beings due to our natural inclination to put others before ourselves. It's generally accepted in society that we should be willing to sacrifice ourselves before harming another; I've always found adhering to that sort of notion to both vaguely admirable and sickeningly saccharine. If you must kill one to save another, that's still a life that's lost; why shouldn't the reward go to the one who's willing to fight for it, rather than the one who did nothing to earn it but sit there in pious devotion to doing nothing wrong?

We claim superiority for suppressing our instincts to survive; if anything, I think that would put us lower than dogs, not above them. All this intelligence and no will to live; it's pitiful.

But then, I suppose my lack of understanding of these things is why I can't be considered one of you.

For the time being, however, say I were to humor you in discussion for a while. Do you think your will to fight to ensure your survival actually needs to be tested? Since I suspect the answer will overwhelmingly be "No," I have another pre-emptive question for the heroic types.

Is there anything outside of arrogance and so-called moral superiority that makes you say so?

[...O...kay that's really not any better but apparently, it's just that kind of night.

You know, full of misanthropy.

Because some nights are like that.]

Tags: !ic, **anonymous, *text, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @flynn, @greed's poor life choices, @hiccup haddock, @royce, @walter, admittedly kind of asking for it, being you guys is suffering, but is everyone mad about genocide, come at me bro, engaging in heresy, good ideas are clearly relative concepts, hell are you even, how edgy of you, i used to be hardcore, just thought he'd ask, kimblee is overstimulated, like a brick to the face, my logic is flawless, my social skills are flawless, no sense of self-preservation, professor of fauxlosophy, raid on the city knock out evil tusks, sanity is so passé, slacking off like hell, so fucking flawless, surprisingly not plotting anyone's death, texting into the void, that may have been a bit insensitive, that wasn't morbid at all, the greater internet fuckwad theory, this is really stupid, tonight we're going hard, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things, with apologies to carmen sandiego

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13 May 2014 @ 09:23 am

033. [Text]

The standard example of existential anguish is said to be standing on the edge of a cliff or other high place; there inevitably comes a moment in most self-aware individuals where they experience the realization that not only do they fear falling to their death, but there's nothing stopping them from throwing themselves off. I've always found it strange that a moment of experiencing true freedom like that would be considered distressing rather than a relief; knowing that there's nothing holding me back - that I am in full control of my own choices, whether it's to stand perfectly still or throw myself off - and there is nothing pre-written into whatever it is that I am that will dictate what I do either way is something I've always found calming.

It begs the question, however - do we choose our fears, and more importantly, do we choose how we respond to them?

If nothing is predetermined and everything about our lives comes down to choice, it makes sense to me that our fears also have to come down to choice, whether consciously or not. The part I'm not entirely sure of is the response.

For example, if one is attacked by some sort of animal, it makes sense that one would fear that animal. However, the response to animal attacks tend to vary - some will try to minimize their contact with that sort of animal as much as they can, while others will immerse themselves in it and attempt to desensitize themselves. Is there a particular thing that predetermines what choice a person is going to make?

I'm curious about your thoughts on it; you don't have to detail what fears you have and how you handle them, though if you would like to that might be helpful. I'm more interested in whether you think this sort of thing comes down to ingrained personality - something more inherent, I suppose - or personal choice, and whether such a thing can be changed.

Answer me anonymously if you wish; as always, your response is of more interest to me than your identity, and quite frankly I'm not in the mood to judge either way.

(As for the existential anguish, I've found over the years that I get the greatest satisfaction from neither the thought of staying put, nor the thought of throwing myself off - I've always enjoyed the notion that if I stand on the edge long enough, perhaps someone will act on their compulsion to put their hands against my back and shove.)

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08 April 2014 @ 08:35 pm

032. [Text]

[...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.]

Tags: !ic, *text, @bertholdt fubar: sweet summer child, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @greed's poor life choices, @walter, admittedly kind of asking for it, being you guys is suffering, but is everyone mad about genocide, engaging in heresy, god is dead and my tl;dr has killed him, hell are you even, how edgy of you, i used to be hardcore, just thought he'd ask, kimblee please stop helping, like a brick to the face, look at your life; look at your choices, my social skills are flawless, professor of fauxlosophy, slacking off like hell, surprisingly not plotting anyone's death, texting into the void, that may have been a bit insensitive, that wasn't morbid at all, this is gonna suck, this is really stupid, today we are tranquil for once, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things, with apologies to carmen sandiego

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03 March 2014 @ 03:21 pm

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.

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03 February 2014 @ 10:58 am

030. [Anon Text + Images.]

[Well, good afternoon, network - it's been a few months since this particular device has been active. There's an ID assigned to it, of course; those familiar with Team Rocket's activities in the past may recognize it as belonging to the individual calling himself Seth.

He's been inactive lately, as far as crime goes; that doesn't mean he hasn't been busy.

Today's message comes with a few lines of text and an attachment; the text is definitely deliberate, to say the least.]

What does this world mean to you? Do you think it's something worth protecting, or would you rather sit on the sidelines and watch it burn? This place is more than sunshine and Pokémon battles. If given the choice to make a difference, would you take it?

[As usual, there's a set of photos attached to the message; the first few show a desk in a nondescript room, covered in various mechanical things - those who are familiar with incendiary devices and triggers in your world will likely recognize them. The rest?

Those are bombs. A lot of bombs.

The last two are the usual shot of the Rocket member in question, in full Team uniform and shot from about chest-level, keeping his face and other defining features out of the shot. He's not holding anything stolen this time around; rather, it's one of those white cards that he's used to deliver messages before, the words written on it scrawled out in thick, blocky lettering as though someone had gone over the words repeatedly, obscuring any sort of distinctive handwriting for the sake of making it far less identifiable.

LET'S HAVE A WAR.

The final shot is similar to the first; only the card has changed.

OLIVINE CITY.

YOU HAVE THREE DAYS.]

Tags: !ic, **anonymous, *text, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @carter blake: bff 5ever, @envy, @geddoe, @jade harley, @jinguji ren, @joker (black butler), @kayneth archibald e-rank luck, @madoka kaname, @our future cobra commander overlord, @riku, @roxy lalonde, @ryner lute, @snake (metal gear), @tenten, being you guys is suffering, come at me bro, engaging in heresy, everything's exploding and nothing hurts, good ideas are clearly relative concepts, he's come undone, how edgy of you, just thought he'd warn you, kimblee is overstimulated, like a brick to the face, look at your life; look at your choices, my tiny violin tho, no kill like overkill, no sense of self-preservation, one-man army, raid on the city knock out evil tusks, sanity is so passé, the greater internet fuckwad theory, this is gonna suck, this is really stupid, tonight we're going hard, took a level in exploding things, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things, with apologies to carmen sandiego

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12 December 2013 @ 11:56 pm

029. [Text]

Memory seems to be something of an elusive thing for some people, from what I've heard; I've never really considered it to be much of a problem myself, for various reasons both personal and not. But since we're all in this more or less together, and we have no obvious indication of if - or when, depending on your level of optimism - we'll be returned to our worlds of origin, I have to admit curiosity regarding the experiences of others.

Memories being the finicky things that they are, I'm sure we all have things we remember vividly about home - people, places, various other whatnot that I'm sure mattered to you at the time. I'm mostly curious about the people; you don't have to give me specifics if you choose not to, but I want to know -

What sort of things do you remember most vividly about the people that were important to you, and what sort of things do you not remember but wish you could? I'm sure we've all had that jarring moment when we realize that we don't remember what someone's voice sounded like, for example; I want to hear about things like that, if you don't mind. As always, do it anonymously, if you wish; I have less interest in your name than I do your answer.

Perhaps someday I'll learn to ask questions that are more seasonally-appropriate for any oncoming holidays; unfortunately, I've never really been one to adhere to the spirit of a season that I have no real understanding of in the first place.

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27 July 2013 @ 01:57 am

026. [Audio/Action for Route 35, just outside Goldenrod City]

[AUDIO]

Goodness, it's only getting worse out there...

[Audio posts from Kimblee are reasonably rare, unless he's on...ah, "official business"; however, tonight he clearly feels like addressing the network as a whole for once. His voice is tight, though it's remaining controlled; there's a sort of quietness to the feed, as though he's indoors for the time being - god only knows exactly where, though, because judging by the BGM, he could be anywhere in Goldenrod.]

I've seen a few swarms in my time here, but I don't recall them being this bad in quite a while, much less this angry...perhaps this place is finally starting to strike back. I can't imagine the world being terribly pleased with how frequently the "foreigners" find their way here, after all; upset the balance too far in one way or another and the world will take notice, I've found, and if you think that will result in anything but a battlefield in one way or another, you're either idealistic or very, very sheltered.

[There's a clatter of movement in the background, a vague quickening of his breath as he speaks - heading down stairs, maybe?]

I've always enjoyed the notion that this world is built around conflict and the culture bred by the battleground; perhaps it's finally living up to its potential. Time will tell, I'm sure; while I suppose now is when it would be relevant to ask what sort of thing you're fighting for back home, I'll spare you the tedium - after all, the answer to that, when such times are upon us, is always obvious.

[A heavier thud then, and quickly-paced steps on even ground; whatever stairwell he's on, he seems to have seen fit to jump the last few steps, and his words are picking up speed a bit as he continues.

Those that are familiar with the way he is when he speaks will likely recognize overstimulation when they hear it; those who aren't...well, he sounds excited, at any rate. Excitement is good, isn't it?]

But for now, the hour grows late, and there's a battle to be had; perhaps I'd like to hear about some of your battles, myself. Not the reasons behind them - again, those are usually obvious and boring, really. But what victories you've won, if any. What victories you're seeking.

I'd prefer they be true, but you're more than welcome to make something up if you'd like. After all, it's not like I'll know the difference, right?

[ACTION]

[So. It's hideous o'clock at night, it's raining, and things are getting loud just past the northern borders of Goldenrod tonight. And not, like rampaging-Pokémon loud, though that's likely also pretty loud.

More like "shit blowing up" loud.

It seems Kimblee's finally taking the time to properly, uh. Bond. With his murderball of an Electrode. After all, if there's one thing they both can agree upon, it's that destroying things is ridiculously fun if you do it properly. Right now he's enjoying terrorizing the living hell out of the newly-local population of Anorith; this likely isn't going to make them any less mad about the state of the world, just saying.]

Tags: !ic, *action, *audio, @domri rade, @envy, @france, @frank archer's utter lack of subtlety, @jinguji ren, @karkat vantas' impressive profanity, @kayneth archibald e-rank luck, @miss sniper, @ryuunosuke uryuu's sense of cool, @temeraire, @tsunade, also ayanami, because awesome that's why, being you guys is suffering, clearly i have become meguca, come at me bro, electrodes are decidedly less useless, engaging in heresy, everything's exploding and nothing hurts, good ideas are clearly relative concepts, he's come undone, hell are you even, how edgy of you, kimblee is overstimulated, like a brick to the face, look at your life; look at your choices, my spinal cord is totally dancing rn, no kill like overkill, no sense of self-preservation, not slacking off for once, one-man army, professor of fauxlosophy, really damn awful noises, sanity is so passé, stupidly dangerous tactics, that wasn't morbid at all, this calls for a tag party, this is gonna suck, tonight we're going hard, took a level in exploding things, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things

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19 June 2013 @ 12:42 pm

025. [Text/Action for the Rocket base in Goldenrod City]

[TEXT]

[It's been something of a long day, really, though Kimblee really can't say why - there have been frustrations, surely, but nothing more than what he's accustomed to dealing with on a daily basis.

That said, however, there have still been frustrations. Whether he wants to deal with them or not. Right now there's currently a very large frustration that's been locked up in his closet again, just because the damn thing has neither psychic powers nor hands and it's taken to zapping the Pokéballs out of his grasp when he tries to recall it. Hopefully neither he nor Archer will need anything in that closet anytime soon, because this is just getting ridiculous...]

For those of you who have experience dealing with more...ah, difficult companions, how would you recommend dealing with them? Mind you, I'm not talking finicky, I'm talking about nigh-on homicidal; is there a way to repair one's relationship with them when it's that far gone, or should I just not even bother?

[Not that he knows what to do if the answer is "don't bother" because he suspects releasing a microchipped starter will go over like complete and utter hell, but that is beside the point.]

[ACTION]

[Kimblee isn't straying far from the base today; if anything, he's taken to holing himself up harder into it when he's not dealing with his psychopath of an Electrode. Letting the damn thing evolve had been a mistake; between that and all the other issues that he's very decidedly not wanting to discuss with anyone, he's more than happy to just shut himself in one of the training rooms and set it up to his liking.

Admittedly, the thing looks less like a proper training facility and more like the world's most suicidal parkour-based obstacle course; anyone who comes in to see what on earth's going on in here today may take a moment to find him, but that's likely because they just aren't looking high enough - he's settled on one of the world's most precariously-positioned ledges near the damn ceiling, legs crossed at the knee, and he's taking a moment to get his breath from whatever it was he was just doing.

Yes, he's still wearing the three-piece suit, complete with gloves, though his tie has come undone somewhat and his collar is slipping open; if you can get him to come the hell down from his position (and he'll be easily convinced, if he notices you) it'll become plain quickly enough that there are bandages wrapped around his throat, though there isn't any blood on them.

He seems pretty keyed-up there, though; outside of the vaguely unkempt appearance of his clothing, he's shaking somewhat and those two loose strands of hair at the front have been joined by a few others that have slipped loose from that long ponytail. His gaze is pretty manic-looking, though not to the point of looking like he'll bite anyone's face off just yet; at least there's that to be thankful for.]

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22 January 2013 @ 09:57 pm

021. [Anonymous Text + Images/Locked Audio - Rocket Frequency]

[ANONYMOUS TEXT + IMAGES]

[Kimblee hasn't been back in Goldenrod City for very long; he's well aware of the attack on the Tower, however - his contacts here have made him very aware of that.

He's well aware that he shouldn't do anything rash; however, his pride does have quite the tendency to get involved in decisions where it really has no goddamn business being, and as such, an anonymous text goes out over the network.

Seth's clearly making a reappearance tonight.]

It seems some of you have been enjoying yourselves lately.

[There's no clarification regarding exactly what he's talking about; however, there are, as usual, pictures accompanying the text.

The first is par for the course, as Seth goes; a set of six Pokéballs held in gloved hands, on chest-level with the person holding them - his face isn't visible, but the red R insignia on his uniform clearly is, even in the dim light of the room.

The next three photographs are decidedly more straightforward, in terms of what he's trying to get across; each image contains two Pokémon in heavy, reinforced cages set up in front of a black backdrop of some sort - birds, all of them. They seem alive, though "unharmed" is a bit of a stretch; they seem to have been roughed up quite a bit.

More text, clearly continuing on from the first line.]

So have I.

[One more image follows, similar to the first - though instead of Pokéballs clasped in his hands, he has a white card pinned between his index and middle fingers, the words written on it scrawled out in thick, blocky lettering as though someone had gone over the words repeatedly, obscuring any sort of distinctive handwriting for the sake of making them far less identifiable.

TELL FALKNER THAT SETH SAYS HELLO.]

( Locked to the Team Rocket frequency. )

Tags: !ic, **anonymous, *audio, *text, @apollo: a father to his mon, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @chase young, @crow hogan, @demon sisters, @dimitri allen, @dist the rose (take him seriously), @dr kato (hopefully not in a dress), @ilya: partner in kittyface, @jinguji ren, @kayneth archibald e-rank luck, @king logan's ttly awesome people skills, @lightning farron, @lust, @momo hinamori, @obito uchiha's therapy no jutsu, @our future cobra commander overlord, @philip, @raven, @raz, @rommy, @saber the blue, @tsukiyomi ikuto, @wreck-it ralph: real johtan hero, all the juniors. all of them, because awesome that's why, being you guys is suffering, come at me bro, engaging in heresy, good ideas are clearly relative concepts, how edgy of you, i am superior, kimblee please stop helping, like a brick to the face, my social skills are flawless, no one in tr can communicate for shit, no sense of self-preservation, raid on the city knock out evil tusks, the greater internet fuckwad theory, this is gonna suck, this is really stupid, two-person assault team, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things

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27 September 2012 @ 10:44 pm

017. [Locked Audio/Rocket Frequency]

[AUDIO / PRIVATE - TEAM ROCKET FREQUENCY]

Good evening.

[The voice that comes over the 'Gear tonight is calm, at least; soft and open, a bit high-pitched perhaps, but generally not unpleasant to listen to. Confident, in a bit of a self-satisfied way. So it goes.]

My name is Solf J Kimblee; I hold the rank of Beta within this organization. I suppose I owe you all an apology for being away from the organization itself for so long.

I think it's time to remedy that a bit.

As one of the field agents in charge of assisting with the training of the new recruits, I would like to extend an invitation to all of you - particularly the new ones that I have yet to meet, although I would like to see those I'm already acquainted with as well. It isn't an order; again, it's just an invitation to talk. I would like to get to know all of you, and to have a fuller understanding of your talents. Should you require orders or simply want something to do, I may have a proposal for you; we'll see.

I would prefer meeting you in person; I'm in the Goldenrod base for the time being, but if you're currently elsewhere, neither time nor money is a problem for me. Let me know where you are; I'll meet up with you.

I must say that I'm pleased with the work I've seen so far, however. Do keep it up, hm?

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27 May 2012 @ 11:06 pm

0??. [Action / Fourth Wall event]

[It's been seven and a half months since Kimblee has arrived in Johto; seven and a half months since he's felt whatever restrictions that are on his alchemy here loosen and fall away, leaving him with sheer destructive power flowing through his body.

But today, he can feel it. Oh, can he feel it.

Today he's out on one of the routes, training. That isn't anything new.

What is new is the way the route has been ripped up, large swaths cut through it; Kimblee is standing somewhere among all of the destruction, his breathing jagged. Those 'fortunate' enough to see what he's doing will get a glimpse of dark red energy flickering between his palms, sharp and crackling like some sort of demonic lightning storm in miniature, before he drops down and forces the energy from his body, chaining together a series of explosive reactions that detonate somewhere deep within the ground, ripping up fiery trails of destruction that rip through the earth, destroying everything in its path. The explosion chains doesn't seem to be hindered at all by obstacles in their path; rather, they seem only to be spurred on, ripping up anything in its path as fuel for another detonation.

The sound is immense, as are the shockwaves in the trail of those explosions; they don't carry on forever, but they're certainly not caused by any sort of natural phenomena.

Needless to say, Kimblee isn't training his Pokemon today...

Though he's certainly in one piece after the explosions stop, Kimblee doesn't seem to be all right, exactly; he seems to be having huge amounts of difficulty controlling himself, shrieking and shaking with laughter, to the point that he looks damn near about to fall over. If one didn't know any better, they'd likely think he was intoxicated; however...]

This sound...the power...! It's truly been too long!

[Another burst of laughter rips out of him.]

After all this time...I still...

[...oh boy.]

I love this!

[...Kimblee, please...]

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27 March 2012 @ 05:50 pm

010. [Anonymous Images + Text/Possible Action for Ecruteak City]

[ANONYMOUS IMAGES/TEXT]

[It's been a while since the last anonymously-sent post like this hit the network - images sent from an individual obviously from Team Rocket, depicting seemingly random attacks on NPC trainers and showing proof of the Pokémon that had been stolen from them.

Three weeks later, there's another set; judging by the content, your anonymous friend seems to be getting a bit bolder, given that these pictures aren't showing completely random NPCs anymore.

Those who have been to Ecruteak City have surely heard of the theatre near the middle of town, where the Kimono Girls put on quite the lovely show; from the look of it, it may be a while until they do another one. Two of them are depicted in the first image, lying unconscious, facedown on the floor; what's visible of the ground around them - and there isn't much - indicates that a battle had happened there minutes before the picture was taken. Obviously, it didn't end too well for the girls.

The following pictures are individual close shots of their faces, verifying that all five of them were "dealt with" (read: roughed up greatly); the angles are strangely aggressive, as though taken from directly over their unconscious bodies. The next is a shot not unlike one from the first set - a set of several Pokeballs in gloved hands, that familiar red R visible on the clothing of the person holding them; otherwise, any actual defining features on the individual holding them can't be seen in the image. The second-to-last picture is along the lines of the previous one, only decidedly more direct; the person is again holding things they've stolen, but this time the Pokémon have been released. Not all of them, as there are only two of them this time, as opposed to the several Pokéballs - but they're a pair of Eevees, obviously very young; they look...incredibly confused and kind of dazed, but generally unhurt. Anyone who knows what the Kimono Girls specialize in will likely get the idea behind this one being included - more proof of theft, really. And once more, no glimpses of the face of the person doing the stealing.

The last image is taken from further back, clearly from one of the seats in the audience; the stage is clearly visible, making it immediately obvious that whomever's sending the images wants to leave an impression.

There's a large, dark R singed into the stage. The flames were apparently quickly put out, as they're no longer smoldering; however, the damage to the stage is clear. The Kimono Girls have been arranged such that they're lying beneath the insignia; again, the last image is sent with a line of text accompanying it.]

We've been watching.

( Explanations (Or, How We Learned to Stop Worrying and Love This Shit) )

[OOC:]

[You are more than welcome to do action/mingling replies re: the theatre, though Kimblee and Archer are long gone; the doors have been frozen shut from the inside, so it may take a while to break in - at the same time, it was intended more as a warning for them while they worked (they would hear the cracking) and a temporary deterrent, not a permanent sealing-off, so the ice isn't particularly strong and can be broken/melted from the outside.

Responses to text will come from either or both of them; one of them is minding the Gear at all times, so somebody will respond.

...also yes, assault on the Kimono Girls is mod-approved!]

Tags: !ic, **anonymous, **doublepost: also archer, *action, *text, @carmen sandiego (here she is), @crow hogan, @dale cooper, @danny fenton, @gorthan and his biology, @hayate ayasaki, @isaac mcdougal: non-fail junior, @ivan braginsky (soviet union), @lightning farron, @luke triton (...luke triton), @miss altava, @nobita nobi, @ouka sakaki, @our future cobra commander overlord, @vanitas, @ventus, @vincent, admittedly kind of asking for it, being you guys is suffering, come at me bro, engaging in heresy, god is dead and my tl;dr has killed him, how edgy of you, just thought he'd warn you, kimblee is overstimulated, like a brick to the face, my spinal cord is totally dancing rn, no kill like overkill, not slacking off for once, raid on the city knock out evil tusks, sanity is so passé, so fucking flawless, texting into the void, that wasn't morbid at all, the greater internet fuckwad theory, this calls for a tag party, this is gonna suck, tonight we're going hard, two-person assault team, well that's needlessly sinister, why we can't have nice things

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16 March 2012 @ 10:05 pm

009. [Video/Action for Mahogany Town]

[VIDEO]

[Aaaaaand when Kimblee's feed comes alive this evening, there are a few things that are immediately obvious over the video.

The first is the Pokémon curled up in the background; they're outside, and it's rather obvious that the poor bb is worn out from a recent training session, seeing as it's...completely and utterly asleep despite the reasonably early hour. It would be almost cute, were the Pokémon in question not a gigantic demon mammoth, but to each their own, really.

The second is that Kimblee is looking ridiculously smug today.]

You know, I'd been wondering if there would come a point when these creatures would stop gaining levels; it was logical to assume that point would come, of course, given that they stop learning new skills eventually, but at the same time, I'd almost feared that reaching it would be disappointing.

Believe me, it isn't.

[Seriously. Given that Kimblee's ego is usually strong enough to strike with roughly the force of a million gods, at this point you cannot grasp the true form. It's an Eldritch abomination that would make Pride flinch, and that's saying something on so many levels.]

I believe that means I'll be awaiting an eventual challenge from at least one of you, hm?

[That last part is actually aimed at Isaac, but if people want to take a shot at him for something...well. He's hit level 100 with two of them, not just Carlisle, this week; he'll be decidedly less inclined to tell them no.]

[ACTION]

[Anyone on the outskirts of Mahogany Town will likely come across Kimblee this evening; he doesn't mind the cooler temperatures up north and as such he'll be outside, alternating between chilling next to his sleeping murdermammoth and...playing with a rather adorable baby deer with flowers on its head.

You know. As you do.

Lizaveta will likely get all up in his business during video feeds, because he has yet to teach her the meaning of "being rude" and why we don't do it; he'll have to...work on that eventually, won't he.]

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