007 // blink and you'll miss a revolution

[serpentis]

Who: Dorian!
Broadcast: Fleet-wide!
Action: On the Three Twins
When: 5/26, night

Well, now that we've all gotten our fill of rampant debauchery, I thought I might pose a little question to you, Fleet. A more...somber question.

[Dorian looks considering for a moment, and when he speaks, he talks with his hands as much as his mouth. It seems like a subject he's certainly into, that's for sure.]

What would you do if, for example, you disagreed with the politics of your home? What measures would you go to? At what cost would you ensure that things were righted, were changed for the better?

[He raises a brow.]

Would you kill for it? Would you bring about chaos and disarray because the end would justify those means, as it were? How many deaths can be justified by a revolutionary change? 10? 100? Thousands? If it were for the greater good, how many lives could you sacrifice?

[He brings the hand back to his chin, thinking.]

Color me curious. What are your politics there?

Comments

[blightedson]

Did Fenris tell you what he and I spoke about?

[serpentis]

He did not. Color me curious!

[Not talking was probably their greatest fault but also the secret to their relationship working as it has.]

video.

[dirth]

Isn't this nostalgic.

[ He's very curious to see what people say but, more importantly, to see what Dorian says. ]

video.

[serpentis]

Oh? I take it you'll be watching from the sidelines, then? I was curious to hear your opinions on the matter, Solas.

[Solas was always a bit like that- watching, observing the rest more than he spoke of himself. Even Dorian's gentle teasing could rarely break him out of his shell, in a strange way. Solas was like an enigma, in many ways, but a comfortable one. No one seemed the question him- he simply was.

But more than that, as quiet as Solas was, even Dorian knew that he held a depth of knowledge that many of them could scarcely fathom. To say that Solas intrigued him would be an understatement.]

[slukhtis]

Can't justify death. Better to kill all the old rulers though, letting them live is idiotic. Gives them a chance to revolt, take over again, destroy your changes. Cut down the old so the new can flourish.

[ Flippant shrug. ]

Personally don't care much, political assholes leave me alone. If I'm paid enough I might start caring.

[serpentis]

Well, if you cut off the serpent's head, two grow back in its place, do they not? If the common folk are to revolt, how would they be guided?

[He looks interested, though. And he doesn't entirely disagree.]

[wolfuncaged]

[He knows Dorian's speaking about Tevinter, and Fenris' own views on such a thing are not exactly the most healthy. Felix has at least shown him that all out destruction isn't the best course. He is a destructive being, but this reeks of Anders and it gets his hackles up. More so that he thought about it himself, than Dorian bringing it up. Misplaced anger is Fenris' best friend.]

It depends whom exactly you were planning on killing.

[His tone is quiet, even, but there's an undercurrent lying beneath all that which means nothing good. Answer carefully.]

[serpentis]

I wasn't planning on anything. I was asking for opinions. I do value yours, though...I recall vaguely speaking on it with you several months ago, when we first met.

[He raises a brow. His memories of that night are hazy at best, but...he does recall a bit of it, as much as he could behind the haze of alcohol.]

Who would you kill, Fenris?

Voice

[radiantwingedone]

My answer was to leave. ... Although I did kill a few on the way. [ Because at the time, it was leave or kill all the politicians he could before he was stopped. He had been furious. ]

It would depend, I think. Can these politics be changed without bloodshed? Obviously, that is the quickest option - kill the problematic ones, replace them with those who would not continue the issues. This slow possibility, would many die in the time that it takes to rewrite things? Would that number be acceptable, or is it unacceptable that any die for those in power?

Voice

[serpentis]

Which would be better for lasting change? And change on a large scale, not merely pithy attempts of reform. Real change.

The ideal, I would think, is that as few who are innocent of being complicit in running the machine die as possible.

[unconfines]

[He doesn't make an appearance in questions like these very often. But today he does, his rolling drawl possibly familiar. He's playing with his cat, eyes on her instead of the camera when he answers.]

Are those our only two choices? Nonspecific revolutionary change, or insert-number-of-your-choice-here lives? That's very grim, isn't it.

[serpentis]

[Anders. Dorian smiles to himself a bit.

He's heard of Anders by reputation, written him off as a fool. But he was hoping to flush him out. To speak to him a bit, to learn more about the man who started a war.

It's far easier to speak around things, to distance himself from them, than to confront them. To pull Anders aside and ask to speak with him. They can dance around things all day, it's more comfortable, more familiar.

He looks into the feed, mildly.]

I was thinking most on the situation in Thedas. There are two scenarios, both similar. Perhaps, for example, we're speaking of the corruption and oppression in Tevinter- speaking of the men and women who suffer under the yoke of slavery.

Perhaps I have concerns for the Soporati, for those without magical talent in a land where mages rule with an iron fist. Perhaps, the Laetan mages, who cannot trace their bloodlines back and will forever be caught between true suffering and the power they are only denied by birthright.

[Tevinter was not a nice place. Perhaps, eventually, Anders would see that. But, for now, they can talk.]

Encrypted;

[wilder]

[Ah. This again. Kaneis gives a pause to consider before he answers privately. It's an important topic, but there's no need to advertise to the rest of the fleet he knows what he's talking about.]

The answer is zero. You go in with some expectation of making people into sacrifices, then your home will not be any better than when you started.

Encrypted;

[serpentis]

Even the corrupt, or are they not counted as a sacrifice?

[child_of_bhaal]

You don't ask easy questions, do you?

[serpentis]

Not today. Today, I wished to spark a bit of debate.

video;

[arcanepower]

[Oh. This is relevant. He starts quiet and flat but his passion shows through within seconds.]

You can't gamble with lives so easily, no matter what the oppressive ruling majority might think. Killing for change won't change a single thing. The cycle will continue as it always has, hurt leading to hate and hurt again.

It has to stop.

video;

[serpentis]

So then, how would you propose that we create change that is both lasting and also protects the vulnerable lower classes?

[He asks the question like he might ask it of an adult. Dorian always thought that children rarely learned by being sheltered and babied, and even as a teenager he engaged in debates.

It was part of how he grew up.]

[realhumanbeing]

I don't think killing ever solves anything. But . . . I think change doesn't happen easy. And that sometimes people will-- will try and die for their beliefs, even if they're wrong. So maybe . . . try not to kill, but if you have to-- I guess you have to.

I don't know, I guess. Would you?

[serpentis]

I would do whatever was necessary to overthrow those in power who are exploiting and crushing the lower classes.

video;

[twocomplex]

[Ah, this is an interesting one. He's too curious to avoid this post, himself.]

You'd do well to be careful, my friend. Questions such as these could mean the disapproval and judgment of the entire fleet.

[From experience, a little bit.] I'm much more interested in your answer, actually. Would you tell me?

video;

[serpentis]

[He scoffs.]

I was a pariah, back home. If someone would think poorly of me for this, it's their fucking issue, not mine.

[And then he smiles a bit, inclining his head.]

I will do whatever is necessary to make changes, ones that last and are more than lip service.

audio;

[noctiphile]

[It's difficult to word but not because the words don't come. His voice is soft, encumbered by implication.]

There's no justification for death. [A pause.] But there's no prevention, either. Even the most peaceful revolutions bring unwilling sacrifice. Death does not heed intentions or methods, it only brings consequences. It is a partner to change and it will always come.

[Even softer:] No matter how much we wish to pretend otherwise.

audio;

[serpentis]

Death, I have learned, is the only inevitability of life. Even gods may die.

[Spoken like a true Necromancer.]

[ofbelief]

[ You know what's terrible about being a practical disney princess going to a game that regularly forces you to murder people? It makes you think about these things. And, unfortunately, it's not something she likes and she almost ignores it. But pauses ]

There is no greater good if it means hurting anyone. At all.

[serpentis]

Even the corrupt? Those that hurt others by actions and deeds?

What would you to do remove them from power and make certain that others don't follow in their footsteps?

[survives]

[Wooow, talk about a question. She's not really looking to be a hypocrite, she's not gonna tell him that killing people at all is wrong, but.

Oh boy.]

I didn't really agree with the politics back home, but I don't think... [She huffs out a laugh.] I don't think there'd have been any point in a revolution like that. And I don't know if...

I don't know if I'd wanna do that either, you know? Are you talking about politics so bad that everyone wants to change them?

[serpentis]

Those that don't wish to change them are those that benefit from them. I did, in many ways, but I've seen that things must be changed, in order to fix what is broken.

[forcemageure]

You could've just slapped each Thedosian individually across the face, you know. But I can see how it's a time-saver doing it like this.

[ n o p e ]

[serpentis]

Would it be preferred? I was, for the record, thinking of Tevinter and how best to reform it.

[It just happened that he could phrase it to sound startlingly like what he understood happened in Kirkwall. Not that Dorian was ever a man to double-speak or talk out of both side of his mouth, as it were.]

[paeon]

These are questions that would very well insight wars. Once a flame is fanned, personal intention means little. Politics are not my forte, but even I am aware that acting alone means acting as a spark to a wildfire that one cannot hope to control.

[serpentis]

Even wildfires serve a purpose. New life springs from what has been razed.

Video

[killedwithlove]

I don't know. I don't understand those things. Politics. Grand revolution. I just know individual people and what they do and don't do. Sometimes why.

[He peers at the screen intently.]

But... what do you really want to know?

Video

[serpentis]

And what do you do, then, on a small scale, Cole? When someone is wicked and corrupt, hurting others?

[Dorian asks like he doesn't have an idea.]

I want to know many things. Knowledge is, after all, power.

audio, no video

[tothefly]

That's a complicated question, looking for a more complicated answer. Most people lead with something about the weather.

[Only the faintest hint of dry humor, there; mostly, she sounds thoughtful.]

audio, no video

[serpentis]

[A dry laugh.]

Well, I am Tevene. We are a dreadfully passionate and direct people, when we feel like it.

Video

[cabbagedetective]

[Adachi grins, and cocks an eyebrow. If there's one thing he could count on in this place, it was Dorian being one of the most interesting people in the fleet. The guy always seemed to find a way to catch everyone's attention. He clearly has a talent for it.]

Why the sudden interest in the politics of other worlds? Don't imagine the information would do you much good, seeing as how we're all stuck here.

Video

[serpentis]

Oh? But what is to say I won't be pulled back home at a moment's notice, if even that? Men and women and otherwise disappear from here without so much as a goodbye. I'd rather arm myself with knowledge than be caught unprepared and thrown back to the vipers.

[Dorian has learned that people can come and go without any notice. So he intends to make the post of his time here, however long it is.]

video;

[hymnals]

I wouldn't sacrifice any lives.

[He sighs.]

Ideally.

video;

[serpentis]

Unfortunately, dealings with Magisters are often anything but ideal. Would that I could simply change their hearts with a stirring speech, but I doubt even my silvered tongue can sway some of them.

text

[viran]

[Let's just pretend Mahna hasn't been trying to ignore everyone from home for the past, er, while. He's not up to talking to Dorian face-to-face right now, so he'll stick to text.]

Humans have proved time and time again that killing is their first choice in diplomacy.

[Which suits him fine most of the time. Humans respond best to violent threats, it seems.]

text

[serpentis]

[Mahna. He's not really certain how best to approach him, just yet.]

And the Tevene, especially, have shown they often have a short, bloody existence.

What would you suggest?

audio;

[asinisterkid]

...I had a mentor who was pretty hardcore about how killing criminals makes you no better than they are, how they should be delivered to the proper authorities, because we could trust in the justice system. I tried his way. It didn't work. But he's not completely wrong. We had a philosopher back home, Nietzsche. He said, "He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And when you gaze long into an abyss the abyss also gazes into you."

[ There's a careful, measured quality to his words, a sense that he's trying very hard to find exactly the right words to explain something he passionately believes in. ]

I think that sometimes, the only way to make necessary change happen is to risk becoming the monster you're fighting. And that's a choice you have to make each time: is the suffering you prevent by killing someone greater than the suffering you cause? Is it worth damning yourself a little bit at a time? Sometimes it's a really easy choice: they tried to kill you first, they do horrible things to kids, whatever. Other times, not so much.

[ He speaks from experience on that score: by his own moral standards, he's halfway to being a monster himself. Necessity is not goodness. ]

That said, if I'd done the math and decided things were bad enough that outright revolution was the option that caused the least suffering overall... I'd fight from the shadows, and I'd start with whoever the disenfranchised underclass is. If the government's oppressive enough that kind of large-scale change is needed, there's probably at least one exploited group seething with resentment and pent-up anger. I'd focus on gaining their trust one dead abusive overlord at a time, making them believe change is possible... And then the assholes in charge would have not just the one enemy, but a small army of enemies who cook their food and clean their houses and guard them while they sleep. [ Is he paraphrasing Fight Club? He just might be, but it doesn't make the point any less valid. ] More than that, that gives me a network of informants who know better than anyone else who needs to die, and who can be reasoned with, because in a lot of cases, the person who brings you your food or shines your shoes is practically invisible. I would also do everything in my power to make sure my people's families were safe while we set up to take out the overlords in one fell swoop. One last attempt at negotiation, just to give them the chance to not die horribly, and then a whole lot of corpses in a very short time period. Make it quick and clean, and allow for the bare minimum of opportunities for people to get caught in the crossfire.

Skipping a whole lot of ifs and maybes and variable strategies, and the fact that no plan concocted off the top of your head in response to a random question will actually work in the field without a helluva lot of tweaking, once I'd made room for someone better to take power, I'd have people without blood on their hands waiting to fill the void. Ideally, people who didn't approve of what I'd done to put them there. Otherwise, it's just setting everyone up for more of the same in a few years.

...And that's a lot of ranting, even for me. [ He sounds almost sheepish. ] Sorry.

video;

[peacockherald]

<sub>[ He takes a long time to consider the question. It is not one to answer lightly, after all. And it was not one that had ever come up in his own world, personally. The throne was secure, the people largely content with their rulers. He knew countries that were not, or were otherwise oppressed - Karsite came to mind. But what would he do if Randy had turned wicked? It was the job of the Heralds to defend the Kingdom from evil, both win and without. It had never been brought up what might be done if it was the highest authority in the land that turned out to be the evil. It made him wonder if the King's Own and their Companion had such a discussion, close as they were to the head of state.

But he knew the costs of war too. He had slain his fair share of Karsites, and his sister had seen her share fall upon the borders. Death was not a new concept to him, nor the idea that the innocent suffered when inaction reigned. But could he honestly say he would be all right with innocents dying in the attempt to right the wickedness of a king? Of a faction of lords bent on destroying his home? A Herald's duty was to protect and serve - but how far did his oaths take him? ]</sub>

In a best case scenario? I suppose I would try to end it quietly as I could, involve as few of the masses as we could. My job is to protect those people, and take that burden from them. Though I find it difficult to imagine, I believe if necessary I could end our king if he was truly a threat to the kingdom in a way that could not be borne through his natural life. But it is not my place to ask others to sacrifice themselves for that, or to order them to do so and expect it of them.

_{[ He dislikes the notion, but Heralds had to make these hard choices sometimes. He would try his best to avoid the killing, Heralds were not meant to harm. But sometimes... sometimes the choices life set before you were not so kind. ]}