Video (CW for discussing the ethics of hunting);

[truthdecided]

[It's on a chilly morning that Akechi greets the network, bundled up in his sweater and the cloak hiding the last traces of his molt.]

A thought occurred to me. Those of you who hunt... how do you reconcile the act of hunting with the fact that Pokémon are all of relatively similar intelligence?

[His voice is calm, his expression relaxed, as if he's merely entertaining a thought experiment.]

This is not my attempt to shame anyone. I am aware that residents of the world also hunt, yet every Pokémon seems capable of eating alternative forms of food. Berries, poffins, Poképuffs, curry... With the city bringing together such a variety of creatures, it does make hunting all the more perplexing from an ethical and philosophical standpoint.

So, humor me, if you feel so inclined. I'm genuinely curious how one reconciles such an ethical quandary.

Comments

[pyrodulia]

[Wry amusement leaks into the psychic link, along with the mental scent of incense and struck matches.]

I remember you treated me with a sort of respect, at first, out of the fear that I could and would harm you. Are you making this argument to ensure no one wants to target you in the future, too?

Or are you just devoted to calling out what you perceive as hypocrisy, in this case?

[friendlyflower]

Gee! I guess I can't pretend it's NOT at least a little out of self-interest. So far, I think I've only been spared because I'm just a plant and not a delicious source of meat! [Honestly, considering his... everything, from his horrible personality to his general weakness, he's surprised nobody has killed him yet.]

... but, moreso, the latter. It's like I said. The more boundaries you cross, the easier it becomes to justify. The easier it becomes to hurt others. That's NOT a path you want to go down. [There's the sense that he's speaking from experience.]

[pyrodulia]

It's not a path that's possible to un-walk.

[While the words are in agreement with his, there's something hard in the tone of that thought. Not defensive, there's nothing she has to defend about her existence. But...opaque. Hard. Whatever the opposite of apologetic is without going all the way to boastful.]

[friendlyflower]

[Interesting... this is the first time since they've started to get closer (as much as Flowey can get close to anyone, soulless as he is) that she's pulled back the veil a little bit. And even then, it's very minor. He resists the urge to pry.

He can't say he's really repentant, either. He sure felt sorry when he took his 'true' form, and he knows what he did was wrong now, but... he can't really feel bad like a normal person would.]

... Right. It's not.

[pyrodulia]

So. I'll simply admit to being a murderer and worse, and you can either hate me for that, or not. How you feel about me won't change anything meaningful.

[She doesn't carry any weight of self-pity, of trying to appease anyone or make up for her past. But there is some thread of doubt wrapped around the words, like a sock getting snagged by a plant with burrs.]

[friendlyflower]

[He bursts out laughing. Spoken like a true edgelady!]

HATE you? I'm the last person who could hate you over that. I might not look the part, but I've killed so many times that I lost count ages ago. [This is also spoken without self-pity. In fact, there's a suitable hollowness that supports his earlier claim of soullessness.]

[pyrodulia]

It is quite hard to imagine in your current form, sprout.

[She can't help but laugh a little as well, her strange vague fondness for him leaching into her mental voice.]

I bet others will be weird about you, being as young as you are and saying that. [Not that she was any older.]

[friendlyflower]

What do you mean, "will be"? These freaks are weird about me every single day of my life. [He's so tired!!! But he's used to it. (He invites most of it, even. Just look at him starting arguments on the network again.)]

Maybe I'll tell you more about how I did it another time. Story for a story... hee hee. Let's just say I had a certain trick up my sleeve.

cw: brief injury description

[pyrodulia]

Are they really freaks, or are they just locked into the societal norms that created them?

But yes, I'll pester you for storytime in person, rather than subjecting everyone to it. [There's a brief mental flash image of someone suffering from third-degree burns, when she thinks of storytime. So many tales she could tell. Many more than nine-tales.]

[friendlyflower]

Maybe they're worse than freaks. That is to say, normal. Hee hee. [Good thing he didn't hear that ninetales pun.]