Intermission 10 Page 7
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“Really?”
“You’d go back even after everything you’ve seen and heard since you’ve been with us?”
“I’m not an idiot, Ricki.”
“I know that some people have been having a hard time.”
“But overall, the Empire is good for us.”
“Look at how we live! Fixing up this old building comes at the cost of constantly risking our lives.”
“Illegally, I might add!”
“Before we found Botanya we were on the brink of starvation.”
“And speaking of Botanya… some of the people we keep finding ourselves working with…”
“Some of them are nice, like you, but… I don’t know.”
“I feel terrible for Lara, for what she turned into.”
“But… when I saw her, all I could think was…”
“Oh, it finally happened.”
“This is just… how it is when you live like we do.”
“That’s not because of going to dungeons, or living outside the Empire.”
“Lara got mixed up with some bad people before we even—”
“Exactly! And what have we been doing, if not exactly that?!”
“I know you didn’t live quite like I did back in the capital, but was it really worse than THIS?”
“This uncertainty?”
“This… inevitability?”
Not gonna lie, there’s not an easy answer here.
On the one hand, it’s natural to want that stability, even if it’s not the ideal way of life, because it seems better than the alternative of no idea of what may come tomorrow, never mind anything longer term.
On the other hand, from everything we’ve seen about the Empire, that stability is looking more and more fragile for anyone that they don’t directly approve of. Kobolds like Macadamia may be tolerated when they’re useful, but the moment they decided you’re not as useful, your life means nothing to them.
If we see a way to clear Macadamia’s name in the Empire with risking the lives of everyone here, maybe we can take a shot at it (though there’s slim odds of that). In the meantime, perhaps taking him to see his family might help him with his feelings? If he’d prefer to stay with them, at least that’d be his decision.
Ah, but there is an easy answer. Macadamia is just a coward.
This is pretty simple. He lived a fairly privileged life due to his abilities. Clearly other kobolds did not share in that. And clearly other races don’t even get that much. But what does it matter if other people suffer? HE was comfortable.
I get what you’re saying, but to my understanding even the disadvantaged people in the empire seemed to be surviving day to day, without needing to risk their lives in dungeons on a daily basis. Mac absolutely had it better than most (especially most non-humans), but I don’t think it’s crazy to want some stability even in a relatively rough situation, than facing risk of death to sharp implements on a daily basis. Do i think Mac is right? No. But not everyone has the stomach for being a revolutionary.
We see kobolds get killed with ease in past dungeons, we see Ricki having to steal to survive. This isn’t comfortable living scraping by, this is ‘Mac specifically had a better situation than others’.
I’m not saying what you’re saying is incorrect (entirely, I disagree on specifics), and broadly speaking Mac’s emotional response is a natural one. But giving into it is the reason why so many countries very currently suffer beneath a status quo that they needn’t bear, simply because they live comfortably enough and aren’t in the worst position that their society has to offer.
Yeah, honestly I agree with your take as well. I wasn’t saying Macadamia is admirable or right to feel the way he does, just that it’s not at all surprising that an upper middle class guy used to keeping his head down and going with the flow isn’t happy losing everything and having to risk his life in combat (which he has no training or experience with) on a day to day basis. That kind of complacency is definitely involved in how dictatorships take over and perpetuate, but it’s also a very “human” thing to do. TL;DR: Mack isn’t a hero, but this kind of worry/whining is not at all surprising and doesn’t make him evil. Before you judge him too harshly, try losing everything you care about in one night, followed by constant fear of death from all sides.
I think you have a fair and valid point and I want to say this was a fun discussion!
Oh, so you prefer certain death and/or torture at the hand of people you know, over certain death and/or torture at the hand of people you don’t know. Gotcha.
I’m sure a lot of people are going to hate Mac for this, but really and truly put yourself in his position. Is it cowardice to be homesick? Is it cowardice to hate the situation you’re in, or to wish things could go back to the way they were?
Mac probably hasn’t felt safe voicing these thoughts to anyone because he KNOWS how much the Empire has hurt them. He won’t deny it. But the Empire was good for him and the people he knew. He wants to go back, and can you really blame him? The alternatives must seem so much worse.
I’m not saying Mac is right, because he’s not. Totalitarian regimes are bad; who’da thunk? What I am saying is that Mac represents how most of us would probably react in a similar situation. It’s easier to accept things as they are than to fight for change, especially when you’re comfortable as it is. It’s difficult to side with people you’ve been raised to fear.
Mac isn’t a coward. He’s just human. (I mean, he’s a kobold, but you get the point.)
As much as I want to just let Mac and let him go to become an NPC on the promises as long; he doesn’t rat us out? My main concern is the mysterious stranger that’s living in the house if he’ll even allow Mac to leave or ‘silently’ dispose of him.
Aha, time for some Ricki backstory! Tell him, Ricki, exactly how much worse it was for you in the city. And while you’re at it, you might also point out that he’s become a much better ringsmif since he joined up with us (2 level-ups, 2 new abilities). That’s also part of “how it is when you live like we do.”