Vomica wrote:He takes a moment to sip his tea, and to contemplate. Wow. That was a long sip. It oddly feels like weeks to Caine. He finally replies, "...villainy is subjective. But good and evil are objective, yes? Consider a hungry savage bear in the wild, is it wrong for it to kill and eat a innocent small baby rabbit? Now consider a man on the street. He kills a young boy. Is that not different? I imagine what your thoughts on." He pauses, and starts again "...there will always be a 'bad guy', a 'criminal', a 'villain' within any culture. It's an aspect of civilization. My surface is ensuring that that role is done with class, respect for all involved, and full knowledge of what I do." He grins widely, "A proper villain is a gentlemen. He is an antagonist. Something to prevent stagnation."
After a moment he falls silent. And... Caine might even noticing him blush. He admits after a moment, "...I was under contract to simulate 'distressed damsel' situation for one of their patrons. I was not entitled to commit gross property damage." He almost whispers, and in a sheepish tone, "...I can be overzealous."
Caine considers Og-ra's words for a few moments. "I think it would be more fair to say that good and evil are complex. Many people are inclined to view them as simple absolutes, in a black-and-white sense. But my feelings are that things tend to be far more complex, and highly dependent on context. Take your examples. If a bear kills a young boy, then I cannot really call the bear evil, for it's simply acting on instinct. In fact, while the bear may be the antagonist, I would consider those responsible for putting the boy in harm's way -- whether through his own foolishness, or negligence on the part of his guardians -- as being more evil. On the other hand, a man on the street is a rational being. It can be presumed that he willingly chose to kill the boy, which would make his act evil, unlike the bear, which did not act based on rational thought. On the other hand, if the situation is such that the boy put himself in harm's way, by entering a dangerous area, and is killed by accident, then the man is not evil, even if he killed the boy."
She shrugs. "Your statements have clarified both your personal views on what 'villainy' means, and how you consider your role to be in society. I will admit, I agree to some extent. Conflict can be an engine to drive innovation and change, and your actions may help stave off stagnation. Even the CTC can be considered to have acted in such a fashion, after all. While many will decry our decision to destroy the Sand Academy, it must be admitted that the Sand Academy was a very static institution by its very nature. Whether or not Academy City will turn out the same remains to be seen, but at the very least our actions caused a certain amount of change."
A limo pulls up outside the building and a gynoid dressed like a chauffeur gets out from the front and runs to the back, opening the door. From that door emerges... Fimbulvetr's leg! Followed by the woman herself. Looking upon the building with a tiny smile, she steps inside, standing behind Caine and waiting patiently
Caine provides Og-ra a slight smile at his final comments, before she notices the arrival of the limosuine. Simply enjoying her tea for the moment, she listens to the exchange between the two curiously, although she discretely examines Fimbulvetr, as the CTC currently lacks much information regarding the councillor.