ChunLing wrote:I'll agree with mindstalk that it is to be hoped that most of you never aquire god-like power, given what you seem to think is the perfectly natural response to it.
On the other hand, I'm not big on hoping things.
You're probably including me in this comment, so I just wish to once again express that my observations are primarily Meji-specific, rather than humanity-specific. HER reaction is somewhat natural and we'd see some of this in others as well, but most people would be more respectful of other lifeforms (I'm not sure about Poe himself ^^, on one hand the two are both cynical versions, but there are good specific reasons for it).
The cynical appraisal of me and other readers may not extend to how we would wish to hold (not wield) such power ourselves. Certainly it is true one's view of others is colored by one's own qualities, but I think this is often exaggerated.
At any rate if I was in Meji's position all I would do is try to stop Ian while minimizing collateral then try to understand myself before helping others carefully like the Culture in M. Banks' novels (though personally I'd do more than them eventually, but they've got a good idea with being so off-hands which is well suited for a lack of understanding others perfectly, let alone oneself).
All in all I do believe it'd be best if neither Ian or Meji had god-like power until some time from now when Meji can begin to seed life, but without Meji the elves are dead for sure. Perhaps the cost of saving them will be immense but I believe its better to try at a cost then simply let destruction reign.
ChunLing wrote:I'm not going to suggest that Tsuirakuens generally or this guy particularly have a moral or mental leg up on, say, Patriarch Jeramel and friends.
On the other hand, Meji really doesn't seem to have any reason for doing what she's doing right now other than to bully something that she fully admits should be beneath her contempt.
And what is with the "she has been put down a lot and her life has been harder than most kids in her age/generation" meme? It might just be that I don't understand the sorrows of the economically privileged living in permissive societies, who are totally shocked and horrified by learning (as teens) that there are people who would like to kill them just because of their parentage (and not because they are, say, evil mage types). But I'm almost certain that most people in the Errantverse had things a lot harder growing up than Meji did. Most Tsuirakuens, even, who did not have an uber-wealthy grampa to threaten to cut them off financially.
Yes, she has some innate character defects that have given her life more drama than it otherwise might have had, and not all of those character defects are totally her fault. I wouldn't trade my dad for hers (and that's saying something) and her mom is...just not that wholesome an influence. Maybe not as horrific as Ian's mom, come to think of it, and really nobody we've seen thus far in the story seems to have an ideal parental situation, but...okay, Meji's mom seems about par for the course from what we've seen.
I don't think Meji has been an evil mage. All she's done is kill people who planned to rob, rape and potentially kill her. She's the only one who raised half an objection when they wasted those bandits rather than turn them in. She's shown little inclination towards spontaneous altruism, but neither has she as far as I can remember been actively vicious.
As for her upbringing having been far from ideal. Yes, you are correct that many people have had it worse and that at no rate does such history serve as a moral excuse for any ill actions, but it does help explain why.
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Looking at her family again, not related to the above, but I want to explain why I think she's had such a hard time.
Her dad was never present and wanted to kill her. Her mom was the town's upper-class slut and ignored her (until recently). She was in a unique situation at school that would make friendships (though I admit the curiosity can help) harder to acquire and victim-hood from bullying more likely. She was given an academic curriculum far above the maturity of her age.
On the plus side she was unique and rich, though this also served to set her further apart from others.
I suppose I can't properly relate to most of her difficulties properly (except from being rather different, and witnessing Asian teens being studied to death here in Hong Kong and over in Japan) so maybe I'm assigning too much trauma to her, but I still believe sympathy for her situation is charitable.
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Is her behavior good? No, she's broken into a teacher's office and ruined his stuff while being rather rude.
Do I understand why she does so? Yes. Do I approve of it? No, but I think that unlike Ian she is approachable and should be dealt with through love and understanding rather than condemnation/military action.
What none of us can relate with for sure is being bombarded with millennial if not millions of years of knowledge and power and what-not. I think its fair to give her some time to cool down.
What then, when she is calm?
I do not think she will be actively altruistic for a long while yet, nor that she will ever be so very much (though I do expect those traits to grow stronger). I merely expect her to stop Ian, try not to cause too much damage and carefully bring life where she can.
