Dictation - 6 [Text]

[drabsolutelynot]

[Rosen has now been in the cave going on 7 months. He's marked out the time on his laptop,  little digits scribbled here and there between his thoughts and observations. 7 long months and as he scrolls through his records, inconsistent as they are due to the lapses in his mental capacity over the past few months, he finds certain reoccurring issues. Most are to be expected, issues of loneliness, fear, and an overwhelming sense of uselessness. However, there are others. Ones that keep him awake late into the night. One's that linger in the way he chews at the corner of his mouth or the way he uncomfortably flexes his fingers.

Prominent among those that he can't help but pick at like an annoying scab is the question of killing. A question that has always dogged him in his very specific line of work and now weighs heavily on his thoughts once again. It is not a coincidence that only a few days earlier a certain friend of his appeared in the clinic wounded and that this same friend subsequently posted to the network asking about the procurement of more bullets for his gun, a weapon that had been implicated as part of the problem in the events that lead to his injuries. 

Lee also hasn't forgotten a certain conversation he had with this same friend weeks earlier, a conversation during which Lee had hoped to convince them to use an alternative and less deadly form of self-defense. Rosen's hopes had inevitably been dashed and though he's tried to let that go, the thoughts that had driven him then are still festering now. 

So now he types out a question, having decided to pose it to the cave as a whole.] 

 

Under what circumstances do you think taking a life is justified? 

Comments

[am_i_a_monster]

That's a hard question. Very different from the usual hi, how are you? It makes me think you've taken a life or lives and have guilt.

[drabsolutelynot]

I must point out that that is not an answer to my question, Miss...?

[A beat]

I am a researcher of human behavior by profession so in a cave filled with dangerous situations and equally dangerous residents, I think it only makes sense that I would be curious.

text;

[claritatis]

A person may supply a dozen reasons why the taking of another life was justified in their eyes, but all reasoning in that vein will always be entirely subjective.

[drabsolutelynot]

And what would be your personal reasoning? As that is really what I was trying to get at with my line of questioning.

[text]

[mismanagement]

That is quite a pointed question. Why do you ask?

[drabsolutelynot]

I am assuming 'curiosity' would not be a satisfactory answer

text;

[restinglichface]

some people just need to die, my man. that's that.

[This is all too philosophical for Lup. One would think she'd be a little more desensitized to death as a whole after the last fifty years of her life, but her moral compass is still as finely tuned as ever. No killing, unless it's actually deserved, then up in flames they go.]

Re: text;

[drabsolutelynot]

Well let me say first that your directness is refreshing.

[And now that that has been said]

Would you mind being more specific about these people who just need to die?

[Video]

[lifetothefullest]

I believe you know my stance on the subject, but for the record I believe it's justified in cases of self defense, although preferably as a very last resort.

[There's a range of situations that can be considered self defense, and usually several ways to react to a threat, and in this area he's more lax on judging other people than might be expected. Personally, though, he is only willing to resort to violence at all--let alone killing someone--when given absolutely no other choice.]

Re: [Video]

[drabsolutelynot]

Well...I let us just say I won't pretend to be surprised by your answer Still I appreciate having your official 'on record' response.

[toiletseat_girl]

I don't know. I mean, if someone's trying to kill you, you might have to kill 'em first, but. I've seen murders. I dunno if any of 'em were justified.

[drabsolutelynot]

I apologize if this is none of my business [but as you did just volunteer that information, Rosen can't help but ask] May I ask about the circumstances under which you witnessed more than one murder?

[text]

[hot_mes]

[not to scare off a potential colleague right off the bat but...]

When it's them or you.

When it's them or your most important people.

When it's them or the survival of several thousand innocent citizens.

These are not hypotheticals, by the way. I have been in each and every situation.

Re: [text]

[drabsolutelynot]

I appreciate your thorough answer. Would you be willing to give more context? Given these were lived experiences for you? Of course I would entirely understand if you would prefer not to.

Private video

[tablewithoutpity]

[Isn't this interesting? Hannibal appears calmly concerned.]

Are you thinking of taking a life, Lee?

Re: Private video

[drabsolutelynot]

[Lee has to laugh at the idea, though in all fairness he can't blame Hannibal for asking. Rosen's curiosity on the subject would of course invite the question 'why'.]

No, no. Nothing of the sort. I actually have a personal loathing of the idea but...well, I know some people close to myself feel differently and so often I struggle with the concept. I often try and take my thoughts into review. See if perhaps my opinions have changed at all. But on this matter it seems they have not.

[And it seems they will not]

text

[murderpotato]

probably gonna get a lot of the same kind of answers doc

its easiest to say defense. not a whole lot of people are gonna argue that its wrong to stop somebody if theyre tryin to hurt you or somebody else, even if you gotta kill em to do it.

people kill during war, and you can argue that one wars more moral than another or that all war is immoral but either way soldiers get a pass on it most of the time.

governments get a pass for killing people as punishment. killing can be justified in a lot of ways.

personally, i think that there are some people who fuckin deserve to die and i wouldnt lose any sleep over them gettin what they deserve.

Re: text

[drabsolutelynot]

Self defense was the answer I most expected. But I will say that I have received an interesting variety of experience-based responses so far.

Would you mind if I asked you to clarified about these 'people who fuckin deserve to die'? What are the qualifications for such a category.

text

[knifecollecting]

To protect others. Self-defense. That kinda thing.

Re: text

[drabsolutelynot]

Is this something you have personal experience with?

[He's guessing yes]

[bythewaves]

I have fought in many wars, and although I have killed again and again, the deaths of many still weigh on me, and likely always will. Mind, I have no such issues with killing orcs. So I suppose you could say that I think it might be necessary, at times, but not usually justified.

[drabsolutelynot]

That is a very interesting distinction you have made.

[And it piques Rosen's curiosity, perhaps as it hits very close to his personal hangups over this issue]

Could you elaborate?

text.

[dedikated]

Aside from self-defence?
Can be the only way to bring about change, sometimes.

( There were better ways to deal with The Agency, but Kate feels in her gut that any version of events would need Rosenberg dead. She was too powerful. Too far gone in her hate and thinking. )

Re: text.

[drabsolutelynot]

Change? How so?

[eyeofthetiger]

Well that's a loaded question. Why are you asking?

[ because Dean might have a few answers to that question and none of 'em are easy. ]

[drabsolutelynot]

I am curious by nature and I've always wrestled with the question so I thought perhaps someone here could give me new insight.

[text]

[readytobe]

An interesting question. What creatures do you include in your definition of "a life"?

Re: [text]

[drabsolutelynot]

Well the point of this question was to hear everyone's individual answers, so my response to that would be 'a life is whatever you personally consider a life to be'.

Voice

[ushahin]

[And usually Ushahin's the one to ask thought-provoking questions. This is definitely one that he ponder upon.]

When one has been pushed too far. Many lives I would not have taken if only I had been left alone. But always, people will push until one is force to retaliate.

[But he has not killed since the doppelgangers had been here, and then, it had been a case of defending those he loved.]

Re: Voice

[drabsolutelynot]

If only you had been left alone? Can you clarify?

text;

[hasitsthorns]

Never.

[ Which probably says a lot about our secret murdering murderer who murders. ]

Re: text;

[drabsolutelynot]

[This pings Rosen's attention]

You are the first to give me that answer.

[And the first to give him that same answer as his own]

[wormintheglass]

Oh, I never try to justify anything, dearheart.

[drabsolutelynot]

So I take it you have killed at least once then?

text

[armcollector]

Uh, that's a heavy one. Phew. Well, let's see...
If someone tries to kill you first, or if someone is like, a member of an evil gang and is also in the way of something important you gotta do, that's a good one, uh, if it's to protect someone else, if someone's literally a serial killer, almost forgot that one, if someone killed your loved ones...
The list kinda goes on, but I'm sure you see my point.

[There are lots of reasons to kill someone. Magnus just happens to be very practiced at finding them.]

Re: text

[drabsolutelynot]

I do see your point. And do you think a person should feel guilt over killing in any of these scenarios?

text;

[survivorsguilt]

[Damn, Rosen.]

you or them. survival. the second they shoot first.

[It's still something she struggles with. Some days it feels like the blood on her hands is never washing away.]

Re: text;

[drabsolutelynot]

[It's a concerning answer, no doubt]

Is this commonplace back home? The struggle with others for survival, I mean