un: q.103

[monostich]

Ah, hello.

[The video opens to Kaede - pale and thin as ever - in a room that's recognizable as one of the inn rooms. He looks nervous, but to anyone who's seen him before that's... That's about how he always looks.

After a moment, he sighs.]

I've been wondering this for a while - sometimes there are requests to kill someone, but some people seem opposed to doing things like that, and I just... Don't understand why? Is it really so wrong to end someone's life if that's what you're told to do?

[What do you mean people have moral codes????]

I'm sure this is obvious to most people, but it's been... Bothering me. Is killing such a bad thing? Are there really people here who haven't done that before?

[...]

A-anyways, that's all I was wondering but, ah, you don't have to feel obligated to answer! I'm sure I'll figure it out.

Comments

voice; un: birdofprey

[notquitetamed]

I know a few back home. Would lecture me to no end about it and how I should be less reckless too. Where's the fun in that?

[monostich]

So it's... Fun to kill people?

[This is said with the sort of energy that implies that he's taking notes and taking this very seriously.]

video; t.maruki

[snaccs]

( this sure is a post he just had to see with his own two eyes, isn't it? but, well... if this young man answered in video, Maruki supposes it's only correct to do the same thing.

after a brief minute to contain the worst of his surprise to his own inn room. )

Hello. It's nice to meet you.

( yep. that sure is a greeting because manners may as well be adhered to in this situation, right? )

I'm Dr. Takuto Maruki, and I'll do my best to explain.

( oh man. he knew such people existed but casually scrolling across them in Avalon is another thing entirely. )

A conflict between orders and morals is something that's very common for a lot of people. Our societies often tell us that we don't have the right to exercise our will over other people in ways that can harm them, such as killing them. Many consider killing people a last resort, something that should only be done if the person poses a serious threat to society at large.

( does he think there are times killing someone is justified? honestly, that's something he's still conflicted over. violence isn't something Maruki wants to have to dole out himself, but...

well. maybe if he was more willing to fight, less spineless, Rumi wouldn't have had to suffer the way she did. )

A-anyway, that's why those kinds of requests trouble people. Allowing everyone to kill whoever and whenever they want means that society wouldn't be able to function in the way it does. Imagine if anyone who disagreed with you had the right to kill you. There would be very little progress made in society.

[monostich]

[There's a very long pause, as he considers what Maruki says.

After a moment, he cocks his head, looking a bit like a confused puppy.]

If these rules only apply to people, wouldn't they still have the right to kill me?

[KAEDE??? HEY??? Is that really the takeaway here?]

text; un: didnot.

[morns]

think that's just something people complain about because they haven't been there.

( it's a shit job, often carried out by the expendable ones, and the people who get up in arms about it tend to be the kind of people who've had the luxury to never be expendable. )

[monostich]

[Oh, if this is going to be in text, he... guesses he'll respond in kind??]

Do you mean they've never been asked to kill?

un: dragonfish

[victorytune]

You can't just kill people, man. Nobody deserves that.

[monostich]

What about things that aren't people? Is there the same issue killing animals and the like?

video; UN: firstfallen

[corruptedsave]

[It's a kid answering, they honestly look surprised by one thing about this post and well...]

People actually pay you to kill here?

[Not exactly the thing one would expect.]

[monostich]

[What is this small human?]

Y-yes? I mean, I was certainly offered money to kill a man, though I was told we wouldn't be doing that...?

video; un: akashicknight

[morganknight]

Killing is always a bad option. Sometimes, it's the least bad option. If that's the case, then it indicates you need to improve in some way, to make it no longer the least bad option.

[monostich]

How would you improve things when those are the orders given to you?

[But why tho, he asks, like a child,]

voice | un: octavinelle

[dottedline]

Most people have something called "morals", and killing for any reason is generally against those morals. A vast majority of people will have never killed and will never kill.

[Even Azul is against out and out homicide, okay.]

[monostich]

Morals... But what makes it against those morals in the first place? What informs them?

[Not everyone Lives In A Society.]

Audio | un: greywords

[heartlessswordsman]

For me, it's all about context. I'm not about to stab some innocent guy on the street for money, but if someone wants to pay me to assassinate a murderer or something, I wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

...Actually, if the first guy's paying really well... No, never mind.

[Sorry bud, this guy is no help at all.]

[monostich]

So it's all about... The amount of money you're making? There's an acceptable threshold there?

[He doesn't understand and at this rate he never will.]

video; un: haru

[baristabassist]

I haven't done that before and I don't really plan on doing it. Well, I feel like I'm not capable of making that kind of choice in ending someone's life just because someone asked me to. Their life is important too! I suppose self defense is different, but no I wouldn't kill someone.

[What a question.]

[monostich]

Even if it was incredibly profitable?

[Sorry, Zelgadis is right above you-]

What makes self defense different?

un: fuckyou

[awooligan]

What the fuck? What is wrong with you?!

[Reading this made him feel like he was going insane, frankly, even more turned upside down than being brought to some other world where magic was just a given and turning into a wolf wasn't even something to bat an eye over.]

How the fuck would that not be a bad thing?!

[monostich]

I don't know! That's why I'm asking!

[Don't BULLY HIM, child!!!]

Being killed is always on the table, so why do people think killing is such a bad thing?!

text; un: mcmm

[groundzeroes]

[Well what do you know, it’s little clone boy! Showing his ass in public, no less. Cute. Real cute.

He sure is naive, though. What the hell did those scientists or whatever teach him?! He fresh off the assembly line or something? Guess he and Ramuda had real different jobs, huh. ]

Death’s a real permanent solution, you know. Generally frowned upon in polite society. Better to problem solve some other way if you wanna blend in.

[monostich]

[it's a good thing he doesn't put the username to the man or else he'd be real knife emoji right now.]

Isn't it sometimes better to take the permanent option?

Also, no offense, but society seems terrible.

text; un: stranger

[eightfoldfiend]

th

[monostich]

???

voice | un: USERNAME

[saxum]

[ This is probably not something he can lend advice on, being: 1) The former God of War, 2) Not human, and 3) Immortal. But he's curious about something. Usually humans place a lot of weight on the subject of death, especially killing, when it comes to other humans. ]

You ask these things seeking answers of others, however, what has brought you to question the validity of taking life whether by demand or of personal choice?

[monostich]

[There's a brief pause, as Kaede thinks over how to answer.

In the end, he settles for the truth.]

Where I'm from, death was the only punishment we would receive. Failure to perform, misbehavior, a few other things... Any of that and you would be culled to make room so someone who wouldn't disappoint could be made.

[Another pause.]

Now, though, I'm here, and people act like such a thing would be wrong, unless it was somehow deserved, and I don't know what makes death deserved or not.

un: mando; voice

[friendsallover]

I'm guessing it's common where you're from? Killing, that is.

[monostich]

[Ah, this is actually a question that's easy to answer!]

Ah, yes. Failure to perform or misbehavior were the most common reason for it, but about five of us would be culled each week on average, so it seems... Strange, that it's something people would disagree with.

text; un: adler

[disasdeer]

Sometimes it's necessary. That's all there is to it.

You need to decide for yourself when it's necessary, and when it's not. And when you
are okay with it, and when you aren't. Everyone's threshold is different.

[ Not the most helpful answer. ]

[monostich]

[he doesn't WANT to make decisions for himself!!]

Well, I've certainly gotten the impression everyone has their own idea of when killing someone is or isn't acceptable. Money, self-defense, never... It doesn't add up.

video; un: crimsonflame

[crimsongirl]

I used to think this way for a while while at Hebijo. Before I answer, what exactly was your life like?

[She didn't want to make assumptions; she was getting into too many fights and too tired to start something. One could easily see Homura looked a bit pale as she recovered from blood magic use.]

[monostich]

[Uhhhhhhhhh. That's sure a question!

That he doesn't want to answer completely honestly!]

I would have said it was nothing out of the ordinary, but I've gotten the impression that's not the case. It was very... Strict.

[To say the least.]

video; un: poison

[writtendestiny]

[She's looking at this person curiously. The question doesn't disturb her, but she has to wonder just what he has been through in order to be asking it.]

Killing people just because you're told to and for no other reason than that is the questionable part. I think you already know it's wrong, or you wouldn't be asking.

[monostich]

But if it's wrong, why is it something people are asking for others to do? That's what I don't understand.

[Humanity is actually the worst and he wants to go back home.]

text, un: selcouth

[sulit]

[Oh. This guy again... Hmm. She could just avoid him, but at the same time... If she answers with text, then he won't know who she is, right? They never exchanged phone information, so that's probably fine.]

It's not obvious at all. There are certain people who think it's a bad thing and certain people who think it's a good thing.

At the end of the day, it only depends which people you want to like you. How you feel about it actually matters very little.

[monostich]

Why would I care about who likes me or not? That seems even more pointless than if it’s “right” or “wrong” to kill people.