TShara

The Rebel Vampire

Well... I had to go to class for my final exam. But while I was driving, I thought more about it. Im going to try and make myself stop trying to figure out and - or change your plan ooc. Even if in the end it makes mu characters look stupid or needlessly stubborn or too angry and emotional when they don't perfectly follow it. From an IC perspective, they might still work against you due to Alexi not communicating. Just don't get mad at me if I act true to them with what they know and don't know. As it is, I guess I personally know that Alexi is trustworthy, so I actually feel guilty for Erik being mean to him. Thats what sparked my misgivings last night.

The Rebel Vampire

There's a difference between suffering and suffering because of a stupid and easily avoided misunderstanding...

No, I don't really "want" that. I'm just pointing out that there might have been less painful and more logical ways for Alexi to execute his plan, and still have Alexi gain everything he wanted.

Suffice it to say that Erik will probably be pretty furious (again) when he realizes the whole thing probably could have been avoided if Alexi had just been totally upfront with him and given him some form of proof. And he'll probably be pretty rude pointing it out.

Fair enough?

The Rebel Vampire

I don't know... if there was some proof, he might accept it after that impassioned speech. It was impressive. And believe it or not, Erik wants an end to this too. He would be willing to risk himself, even his own freedom, if he truly thought it could mean the end of slavery. He would just need something concrete, something more than the word of his kidnapper.

Then, he could agree to take the first two doses, to demonstrate that it is not destroying him. Alexi could tell him that if he still didn't believe him at that point, he could be allowed to leave. That's still early enough to detox from the potion.

For his own good enough to outweigh over a week's worth of agony and several days worth of near-insanity?

The Rebel Vampire

I didn't say that...

But in a way, yes. Both to Erik and to himself.

Just tell me one thing, is there any reason for making Erik suffer like this apart from Alexi's own ... quirks? Something about the plan that is more potent by not telling him?

I guess what it comes down to is that I almost feel bad for not following along... especially with some of the stuff I have planned later... All of my little twists and angst I have planned are predicated on Erik and Joseph just not understanding.

The Rebel Vampire

Well, I'll try and accommodate you on it when the time comes.

It's just so tragically pointless to me. I know I've said this before, but ultimately, this is about him putting himself through pain and suffering for nothing (except essentially proving that he can do it.) Both Alexi and Erik would suffer a lot less if Alexi would just tell him what he's up to, and prove to him that he is trustworthy. It's all so easily preventable, and that's really sad.

The Rebel Vampire

The black hole needs some pseudo-science in order to be contained. If it were a microscopic black hole in some kind of containment field, I could deal with it I guess...

Magic has rules all the time... I was going to use FMA's Alchemy as an example, but that's a science (that totally looks like magic), so I guess that won't count. But even Skyrim has magical rules.

Either way the history happened, the result is a level of technology that roughly corresponds with the modern world, right? What needs to exist or not exist? Unless you basically tell me, I don't know what you need or don't need.

Well, I feel like a jerk doing it, because I really did love your post, but I think Erik is going to become pretty agitated and upset, and will decide that he needs two things. A full explanation of this damned "plan" and some kind of actual evidence that anything Alexi is saying is true. He doesn't believe in faith, and he still thinks it could all be some sick game, some trick. From his perspective, that's totally plausible. If Alexi can't give him those things, then he will have to continue resisting. As far as he's concerned, he's being asked to become a complete slave to a man who wants to end slavery. It's totally out of his scope to think that the potion does anything else. So the whole thing is just... illogical.

The Rebel Vampire

The problem is... that my brain has to make things make logical sense. I think that fantasy worlds have to have a set of rules (outlandish as they may be), have reasons for them, and stick to them. If it doesn't make sense in my head, I can't deal with it. I'm not the most knowledgeable person on a lot of things, but the rules have to make sense with what I know... I just, can't deal with it otherwise.

So yes, I'm fine with having a raygun that can level the city, but I'd rather have a semi-logical way that it works and a story for how the character got it. For me, the sky is purple because on the planet in the setting, there are different concentrations of chemical compounds in the atmosphere than on RL Earth, so the light reflects into visible purple...

Will you really hate me for letting me win on this one? In the longterm, it still doesn't even really affect the story. I mean, your characters can still basically have whatever they want. Alexi's master plan will probably still go off without a hitch. Is it too big of a deal that things came about differently?

~*~*~

On an unrelated note, I'm genuinely ... stumped on what to do with Erik.

The Rebel Vampire

Yeah, I'm very tempted to let him give in. Especially since his sacrifice and suffering just seems totally useless apart from proving his inner strength, when I know parts of the secret of what Alexi is trying to do. Why can't he just freaking tell him again? It would save them both a lot of trouble.

No, that doesn't make any sense, because what kind of magic would do that? Technological advancements are related to both each other and society, so if you destroy say, all computing technology, then you HAVE destroyed the majority of modern day infrastructure... or even all of 80s level infrastructure, at least in banks, businesses, and governments. And what the hell kind of magical weapon could even do that? I mean, if the magicals essentially had an EMP that was that freaking powerful, they sure as hell shouldn't have lost. Wherever you pull the thread, there would be insane collateral damage. Furthermore, to destroy all the knowledge of how to rebuild, you would have to destroy every place it's written down, and all the people with the knowledge to rebuild it. That makes the weapon in question even MORE powerful, which makes it even more unlikely that the magicals would have lost.

Fine, there's no robotics then... at least not much in the private sector, because "justifiable" slavery replaced the need for it. But that doesn't solve ... well, basically everything I just said above.

The Rebel Vampire

Oh my god... that was so beautiful. A part of me wants to just have him give in now. But that would severely shorten the story.

Robots are totally superior to slaves though. :-P

I... just can't think of a way for it to work. I'm trying, but I can't think of a good solution. Everything I come up with is flawed. For instance, if we say the war threw them into a semi-apocalyptic dark age, then what stopped the magicals from escaping and roaming free, with the lack of infrastructure and all?

If we say that most of the world has better tech, then why does Alexi practically still live on practically a early 1900s level of technology? Furthermore, slavery would be less necessary, again, because of robotics.

The Rebel Vampire

Joseph calmly continued the massage, mildly lamenting that he could really only work on his master's neck and shoulders at the moment. His eyes widened only slightly in surprise before he remembered just how eccentric Master Alexi could be at times.

“I understand, Master Mois, though I think our rebel leader doesn't realize that. He, quite logically I might add, assumes that anyone who put this amount of planning into his capture would obviously know his name. Even with my limited knowledge, I recognized it from the news after he informed me of what it was. He is a relatively famous rebel after all.”

~*~*~

At Alexi's words, a moment of genuine fear crossed the vampire's visage. Not a single story of someone refusing the treatment until their death was true? Not a single one? He must be lying, he must be. That was... my only hope. I am not sure that I have the courage to take my own life, and even if I do, these chains will prevent it? I can't... I can't fail. I must find a way out of this. If I cannot find an escape within a few days, I will have to kill myself. There is no other option. I said I would die before I took that potion, and I meant it. But don't say that aloud. You will lose the relative autonomy you have gained.

“I will ask him about it if and when I see him again, then,” Erik finally replied. How dare he refuse something that so many I know have died fighting for, for the sake of people like him! He's not happy here, but he doesn't want to leave? That makes no fucking sense! I … I just don't get it. On the other hand, how can I possibly deal with that when I have my own issues at the moment?

“But Alexi, it's pretty rich of you to talk about Joseph's freedom, or the freedom of the magicals, when you have me here trapped. It simply doesn't fit, and it's incredibly insulting. Stop with the charade of being a kind master and all. No one who is kind would do this to another sentient. And you claim to want to end slavery, but there you sit, calmly telling me that I have no recourse against turning into one of your minions. You may treat your slaves kindly compared to other owners, and maybe one could argue that you are protecting the servants of this household from owners who would be far worse to them. But you still run a corporation that specializes in control and torture devices for us. It's not like you've ever used your influence to help end this oppression, or even helped support the rebellion clandestinely. How can I believe that someone like you actually wants to end this? You're a fraud, and I don't know why you are playing this ridiculous head game with me, but it needs to end now. Either that, or you need to explain exactly what is going on in that insane head of yours.”

[Yeah, that is odd... hopefully it will work out though.]