Nebula 16

[zombiemessiah]

VIDEO|CW: ZOMBIE RELATED STUFF

Alright. Alright. One of those opinion posts.

[For those that don't know Murphy, the man on the screen outright just looks likes Voltaire wet dream, complete with red skin, Satan aesthetic, black suit with a red shirt and he's got the voice of a story-telling podcaster.]

Moral Quandary Time! Where do you draw the line in killing people? Are you a 'no, never' person? A 'only in self-defense person'? A 'the world'd be better without this person' person? Maybe even a 'You killed my father, prepare to die!' type. Or, maybe? All it would take is something that'll line your pockets.

Maybe the setting counts. Somewhere like my world, where billions of undead roam hungry and the living trample each other to survive. Definitely one where even the softest heart would be hard-pressed to stay their hand. Or you go to one of those colorful, magical places where the grass looks like astroturf and there are rainbows with no clouds. But you found out all the cute, adorable fuzzy things there were slowly going to cause the extinction of five other species.

This isn't just a question about murder philosophy. Missions are tough and some just want to help and some of us are desensitized. You might need someone who can easily do what you'd struggle with. Then again, you might need someone with a little more patience so you don't snap someone's neck.

[Murphy withholds the question about whether someone would rather him get information one way or the other if it came down to a choice. He'll wait on that one 'cause he's sure the initial answer would be, 'I would rather you do neither.]

Also hello to the new people! Hiiii. Yeah. You might get mindfucked. There's a lot of that recently. I'm sure someone else with a healthy dose of PTSD can fill you in on how that went.

Comments

[its_dad_sanzo]

[ Here's our one and only priest on the train, and-- ]

I protect something a lot of people would want to use for themselves... two somethings, back on my world. Those in my position typically don't know how many we've killed, and I'm no exception.

[ He's a very special priest. ]

I don't like to give someone the chance to limp off and figure out a smarter angle of attack, you know? I consider it pragmatic to just take care of it the first time someone tries.

[zombiemessiah]

Okay, question one, what if there's an illusion or mind-control involved and slash or it's a kid. Would you downgrade from death to a thorough ass-beating?

[its_dad_sanzo]

In mind control or illusion use, one must kill the caster. I suppose if I knew someone attacking me was under that influence, I would just restrain them and track down the culprit.

[ The kid question makes him pause to think about it, though. ]

I don't think I've ever had a kid try to take the sutra from me. It's understood on my world to be a death sentence if you fail. I...

[ Huh. ]

...I suppose that may be the one instance I'd let someone walk away and rethink their choices.

[zombiemessiah]

And what if you could use that mind-control the other way. What if you could make it so that person never touched your special whatever again, in a way you'd be pretty certain about.

Would you be inclined to kill them still? Or would you think death would be preferable to messing with them like that? Or would you figure out a way to ask them first?

[This is another one closer in relevance to things he could do.]

[its_dad_sanzo]

If you are prepared to kill, you must also be prepared to be killed.

[ That's said with the ease of a well-worn philosophy. ]

I think if they're going to try to kill me to claim what I protect, it's only right that I kill them instead. If it was their choice to try me, anyway.

[ Kids, he'd expect were coerced. And there's the whole mind control and illusion factor brought up here. Those are more complicated. ]

I wouldn't want to control someone. That would mean being responsible for what they do in the future, and I have more than enough karma to shoulder without adding to it.

[ And, because he's Koumyou Sanzo... ]

And it sounds like too much of a hassle for me. I'm very lazy!

[zombiemessiah]

Okay, laziness? That I can feel. That's a lot of trouble to go through.

[Look, he knows the value of sitting around doing very little and how sometimes those moments should be valued most of all, because god do frantic times suck.]

How old is the whole 'defend it with everything you have' tradition. Like is it something you were raised with or a recent thing that you walked into out of an everyday life? Or 'everyday' in your world's standards. "Now you are the keeper of the enigmatic bullshit, young one," mystical master nonsense. Assigned to defend your important thingy?

[Yes, thingy will be the word we use to refer to the sutra with today.]

[its_dad_sanzo]

Pretty much the latter.

[ Koumyou clears his throat in the universal 'I'm about to quote something long' signal, then says, ]

Long ago, Shakyamuni Tathagata spread forth a sutra across the heavens, from which was born existence and void, light and dark. The earth was created thence, where life and death came to be. Shakyamuni tore apart the sutra into five pieces and entrusted its fate into the hands of the people Below.

[ It's a very important thingy! ]

I used to protect two of the pieces, so attacking me was twice the potential reward for the same risk. Can only kill someone once, after all.

[ A beat. ]

At least, on my world. I died there and yet here I am! And still with one of my charges to look after.

[ But, back on topic... ]

So killing is just sort of, part of life! Ironically. I'm sure there's some great Buddhist teaching that touches on the parallels and balance of that whole concept... that I slept through the lecture on.

[zombiemessiah]

Okay, did someone kill you or did you get sick and die of some sort of random body malfunction or something?

Because I can't think which would be worst, having someone kill you after a lifetime of training or having the damn flu stop you in your holy task. [Murphy gloriously missed the Covid pandemic but instead he had the Red Death virus and that was a lot worse.]

[It sounds like it's that he just lost a fight, though.]

Did you have a back-up plan?

[its_dad_sanzo]

Someone tried to murder my son. I took the hit instead.

[ So neither, really. And he's very casual about how he says it. ]

My son inherited the title and duties upon my death. Not because he was my son, but because I named him as my successor.

[ It's not a bloodline thing. ]

There is no retiring from being a Sanzo priest. Everyone who inherits the title does so over the dead body of their predecessor.

[zombiemessiah]

Oh.

[There's a pause, mostly in the idea of successors. Lucy was supposed to be his successor. She was meant to save the world, not him. Then Lucy gave her life for his, which he hates that he can't take that back.]

Well sounds like there was no chance for a good introduction to the job. [With him being his son and all.]

So, with the sutra not being an issue in a fight, what is your typical preference in dealing with people.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Oh, I still have a sutra. It turns out death doesn't automatically let me off the hook!

[ Since he's here now, and so is the Seiten sutra. ]

You mean like... if I'm attacked? Or in general? I can't say I've always had a good reason for everyone I've ever killed, but I really don't make a habit of it unless pressed. It's a lot of hassle, you know?

[ Oh, how different things may have been if Koumyou had killed Ukoku when asked to... ]

[zombiemessiah]

So you're in the "can kill, would prefer not to but can deal with it" camp? Sweet. Good to know.

And luckily I think that enough people have their own big magic thingies that I don't think anyone will want to steal yours. It's pretty great. It's like buyer's fatigue for psychopaths. Too many over-powered and destructive options.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Oh, yeah. I mean when I first got here, I totally wanted anyone to try. All these high-powered people from all these other worlds, it could have been really interesting! But it's okay that no one tried, since we don't stay dead anyway. Could have turned into a really long, drawn-out thing, you know?

[ Close-quarters war without the result of a permanent death... even at his most cheerfully nihilistic, that would have eventually become a bad time. ]

Plus, since no one here really cares much about it, I get to use it a lot more casually. It's kind of neat.

[zombiemessiah]

Yeah, I don't know if I could do the long-term rivalry thing either. I've got commitment issues. Can't be tied down by one hater for the rest of my life.

[Because why not bitch about it.]

How often did you get to use it before?

[its_dad_sanzo]

[ That earns a laugh out of Koumyou, bubbly and bright despite the topic at hand. ]

Exactly so! You get it!

[ How refreshing. ]

Not very often, and not very casually like I do now. I haven't fired it off at full power since the first mission I was on, but doing that on my world attracted everyone and everything that could feel power.

And casual use, like this?

[ On the video, a tendril of the green and white paper always draped over his shoulders appears behind him and 'waves' at the camera before vanishing again. ]

It just wasn't... done? I never even considered it. But six months away from everything normal makes for some strange new habits.

[zombiemessiah]

Oh, believe me, pre-apocalypse I had some things I never would have done before I became-

[He gestures over himself. Redness, suit, everything.]

Massive world changes do that to someone. Buuuut I think my old life was a little more 'normal' than yours. Even the orange jumpsuit years were low key.

Before the labrat stuff started happening, anyway. I miss low key.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Oh, so you weren't always red?

[ Look, he's friends with a blue guy who is naturally blue. He doesn't assume. ]

...Was it because of the labrat stuff?

[zombiemessiah]

Nope. I was once normal human. And then I was blue. And then I was white. [Mostly, his evolution was stopped before it could finalize.] And then I fought off a flesh-eating bacteria and now I'm red.

So yeah, labrat stuff... ongoing. I live in fear of having to change my whole wardrobe again.

[its_dad_sanzo]

If you're lucky, maybe you'll turn green next and then all your red clothing will be festive!

[zombiemessiah]

Oh hell no. I've already thought about this. I go green? And depending on the shade I'm either doing purple or military chic. I'm not gonna go Christmas Elf unless Santa himself shows up to make the request, and then it'd be one night only.

[its_dad_sanzo]

Hmmm... but what if you go purple?

Or pink!

[zombiemessiah]

Purple? I'd just go back to black and gold tones, they worked with the blue so why not. Pink? All black, baby.

[He may have thought this through because it's a strangely legit concern for him.]

[its_dad_sanzo]

You've definitely given this some thought, huh? Is it always a solid color, other than when it didn't finish?

Maybe you'll turn plaid!