Entry #B-9: "Brutalize" [Video, Violet City]

[dead_black_eyes]

[The camera flicks on midway through a battle. It appears to be held at about Gengar-height. A frozen-solid Honchkrow crashes to the ground, and Gengar cackles and raises the feed to L and his Froslass. They both look stricken, and maybe a little guilty

Comments

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[miniworth]

[ ... Ouch. ]

"Close fight"?

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[dead_black_eyes]

I have a friend who believes that the gym leaders are "npcs", and that their reactions and conversations are prescribed. I'm inclined to think that there may be something to that.

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[miniworth]

I'm afraid I'm not sure what you're talking about. "NPC"s...?

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[dead_black_eyes]

I apologize. I wasn't aware of its meaning until recently. My friend... this person, he greatly enjoys a certain type of game that is similar to the one Johto seems to be modeled after. An "NPC" is a "non-player character", someone who exists solely to further a "main character's" progress in the story.

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[miniworth]

The idea that this world is a video game. I've those games.

...non-player, huh.

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[dead_black_eyes]

The implication is that they're not really people. I'm not sure how I feel about that.

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[miniworth]

If they aren't people, what would they be? Computer data?

... What would that make us?

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[dead_black_eyes]

My friend is very interested in character roles and archetypes. He thinks that we're "main characters". Our fates and consciousnesses matter. The NPCs' do not.

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[miniworth]

... But are we still human?

[ Curiosity's peaked. It's time for questions. ]

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[dead_black_eyes]

[Sadly, they're questions that L isn't certain he's well-equipped to answer.]

Er. I don't know. I think that if you were human to start with, you might as well still be one, but...

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[miniworth]

You just said the gym leader might not really be people. I said they might be computer data, and you didn't deny my guess.

But he isn't a hologram. What if we're all just data, and we think we have control over our choices?

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[dead_black_eyes]

You're getting into some pretty heavy existential stuff. My childhood shrink advised me to stay away from discussions of this nature.

[He's amused, though, and maybe teasing the boy just a little.]

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[miniworth]

[ He's amused, as well. ] I'm afraid I don't have a doctor to advise me that, but if you insist.

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[dead_black_eyes]

I must insist. I don't want to fall apart at the seams and become an insane, babbling mess.

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[miniworth]

That would be an interesting sight.

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[dead_black_eyes]

You think so? Have you witnessed it in someone else before? Because I assure you, people go crackers in a multitude of different ways. Some are more interesting than others.