shitposting rave 3: Dawn of the third rave

Ford sighs. "In theory, I want to agree with you. In reality, it seems that unless they are being traumatised, they are traumatising everyone else. Also...my wife is the person who freed me from a demon who had made me 'enjoy' being puppeted through a variety of horrific and deeply unwanted experiences."

 

"Yes," says Valiska, "exactly."

 

*grins* That I agree with!

 

Okay. I'm sorry I snapped at you, then. You can see why your wording was a bit upsetting, right?

 

Bianca curls up near the wiggler and the pillow, so that the wiggler can smell her--and notice that she has the same scent, only slightly cleaner, and warm and alive.

 

Things that are morally wrong are still things that exist.

Alright, take the Institute out of the equation, and instead take a fresh-built little Disposable who's never even considered he doesn't actually have to sit quiet while his master uses him to breaking. He still isn't thinking of rebellion, because this life is just how things are. Is he somehow more a slave than the century-old drill falling to pieces because he's not worth the repairs, just because one of them is frustrated with the system and the other isn't?

...Shadowplay can be broken. We have at least one case proving permanent reversion, although he died almost immediately after of unrelated causes. That doesn't lessen its impact on the victim any, and those that display "breakthroughs" of their original personality, however temporary, are often horrified by the things they wanted or did. That doesn't make those wants and actions any less real.

 

I tend to agree, though I've never been one. I know blood magic is employed to make mindless puppets of others, burning out the person within until only a shell of a slave remains, but I think that's rather close to death, isn't it?

[He makes a face.] We're working on the slavery in Tevinter, but it's hard. The vocal contigents of the south tend to make a great deal of noise about not having slaves while keeping them in spirit if not in name, and that needs addressed too. Really, Thedas as a whole ought to be burned to the ground.

...That was a joke.

 

oOOF--

(theres nothing you can do, its not vworth trying.)

 

"I can and I do, and that's why I said I'd apologise if you had really come to believe I meant that." Valiska smiles a little ruefully.

"I thought you might, and that's why I was as surprised to hear you talking about me as if I weren't right here while I was trying to put my response together. It did take more than a moment or two to find the right words, so that I wouldn't further offend you instead of properly explaining."

 

Wait, you guys would work people so hard they'd fail after a century? That's a baby! That's babier than me! I'm a baby!

 

Stepping in here to clarify we are not babies, but, uh. Yeah, that's pretty shocking. But not totally, I mean, you remember that time I got really sick and nobody would help you pay for my care, Lacuna?

 

Yeah, but you weren't worked sick, and... and I got the money!

 

im not traumatized

 

...I'm going to assume you mean "prewar Cybertron as a society" instead of "people I personally was involved with," because my employer wasn't actually involved with the mining system. But yes, expected lifespan for a miner in the worse sectors was... eight decades? Eleven? Some skew for sooner deaths via industrial accents, of course, but... still not good.

 

Valiska makes a face. "Would you mind offering up your arguments one at a time? I hardly know where to start. You can win any debate by overwhelming your opponent with so many responses that they can't answer them all, particularly in concert with others, but that strikes me as more of an exercise in bonding among people who agree with each other than actually changing anyone's mind about anything. I will answer your questions, but not if you and everyone else keep throwing more at me before I can get the first answer out."

 

Sorry. I was just kinda surprised and disturbed by what you originally said, so yeah... I felt like I had to tell her how weird it was to hear you say it. Thought if I didn't, well... she'd think worse of you. That she'd think you always say stuff that sounds like, "slavery isn't real."

 

But that's- but even in terms of viewing people as just things to be used, that makes no sense! Base care can keep people going a lot longer! And you didn't have drones to do mining? They're the easiest things to build, and mining can be so dangerous. And it's not like it's work that you need something clever to do, you can just pilot the drones remotely.

 

Whoops I missed the thing that was bothering me. Sorry. That makes a lot more sense.

Another apology! I'm a little too used to throwing words at Venture 'til something catches his attention, probably. [He laughs and shakes his head, wings canting down in apology.]

Mm... I think the one thing that's still poking at me is the "implanted thoughts aren't real thoughts" bit. Someone's mind can be changed, but it's still them having the idea.

See, that would go against the whole "form dictates function" part. If we don't need drills to mine, why are drills still showing up? If drills don't need to mine, why should anyone stay in their neat little governmentally-sanctioned boxes?

 

"The one thing I keep noticing whenever I'm here is that no matter how different sapient beings appear to be they are all pretty horrible to each other." Ford sighs.

 

So they worked the mining equipment to death because they didn't need the mining equipment but couldn't let them not mine?

-Her face is a picture of horror.-

Please tell me all those assholes got shot.