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Guest Psyber     The day before war is always a strenuous one. Even for someone like Psyber, so well versed in the art of waging it at ground level.

    The half-angel is working on disassembling and cleaning a 1911. The one he usually has with him. Though it's mostly to keep his hands busy, since the gun is almost constantly immaculate anyway. He shuts his eyes slightly and takes a deep breath.

    "Adjudicator, I need to ask you something," He says aloud, looking up to the sword hanging up on the wall. It had been asleep so often lately that he almost felt hesitant to seek its council and risk distracting it from whatever it was busy with on the network.
Abstractum.Net     The blade's eye opens, not particularly urgently. It has that old neutral sort of expression on its 'face' of sorts. "Psyber. I will do my best to give you an answer." It says. Its tone is always a bit mature, but right now, it's particularly solemn, and its posture seems, somehow, straight-backed and professional where it hangs on the wall.
Guest Psyber     "Mn, thanks. Your advice about morality has always been generally good," Psyber muses as he starts gently reassembling the gun, "But it's... a weird topic. An odd topic," He prefaces, frowning a bit, "Do you think people who have done terrible things deserve to find love?" He asks curiously. The question is left vague, meaning he could be referring to anyone. Even himself.
Abstractum.Net     There's a somber noise from the blade, as if it were settling in a chair. "This depends on the paradigm of morality you view it through, Psyber." It says. "As many things do. Two are most relevant here. One says that they do, the other says they do not. I can't say which one fits your situation best. The duty of one who judges is to decide that for themselves."

    "One paradigm says that happiness should only be denied to stop harm to others. And that if someone has done something awful, it does not matter. As long as this love does not increase the harm they do to other people, they may well deserve it even while they do these terrible things. The only priority is preventing harm." There's a heavy, metallic sigh. "Another paradigm says that happiness is earned through being good, and denied through debt. A natural law of humanity says that you have to contribute good to humanity to receive good in return from it. Misery and happiness received as it is inflicted. The only priority is being fair."

    The blade closes its eye for a moment. "Those are the paradigms of morality that apply. So." He looks down to Psyber. "Which do you feel will do what is truly right?"
Guest Psyber     "It's difficult to say. It's possible to do bad things, but for a good end goal. Those things you did were still bad, even if what you accomplished is ultimately good," Psyber muses to the sword as he sets down the pieces of his gun and then looks up, watching the sword as he considers it.

    "There are situations where the love of a person, or a person having love, could inflict harm in greater amounts on many other people," Psyber agrees with Adjudicator, "But, if the situation were changed, the painful conflict resolved, and a status quo reached where the love would no longer do such grievous damage, would it be okay then, I wonder?"

    He shuts his own eyes and sighs a bit, "It vexes me. I'm unsure how to act in this situation." He has yet to tell Adjudicator what he's thinking, yet, but he's at least made it clear that it involves him.
Abstractum.Net     "Then the two paradigms remain in conflict. And your choice is which to apply." Adjudicator says. "The first paradigm says that it would certainly be deserved. The first paradigm assumes that people deserve love by default, and that the only time they shouldn't receive it is if it causes harm. It would be harmless. The second paradigm says that love is earned, and that even if it would be harmless, those debts mean it is not deserved. It would be unfair."

    "How to act depends entirely on one thing. What do you value more? Fairness? Or protection? Which holds greater weight on your scales of justice?"
Guest Psyber     "I don't... know," Psyber admits. Usually, the sword has advice that makes a path clear for him, or helps him reach a decision. Rightnow, it's just making his conflict more acute, more focused. And it puts him in a position to decide to use justice selfishly, if his motivations could be called that much."

    "I think... love, in some form, has always been the key to redeeming people who still have the chance," He eventually says, "Knowing people care, giving them someone to be with. That's vital for those who need a softer sort of justice. The ones that can be saved."

    He sighs a bit, "But this is a selfish belief, since it applies to me as well."
Abstractum.Net     "There are decisions that are not easy to make, Psyber. You choose your judge like you choose your paradigm. I am sure some will judge it with a protective paradigm, and I am sure some will judge it with a fair paradigm. It's your decision, whose judgements you'll truly care about." Adjudicator says. As usual, it tries to guide, more than it decides on its own. If it just told Psyber one way or another, it would not only be wrong, it would simply provide immediate relief, not long-term.

    "Right and wrong are not absolutes. Things are right to some, and wrong to others. These paradigms are how you can view it, from the perspectives of certain groups. The people who care most about stopping harm, who care about the ends and not the means, will think it is right. The people who care most about things being fair, about the balance of the scales at the end of the day, will think it is wrong. But your actions are not the absolute. A judge is not upon his bench at all times. Sometimes you simply decide what is best to do, by your perspective. Consider the input of those around you. And be prepared to be judged for what you do, and face the consequences for either paradigm."

    "But sometimes, you have to simply choose a paradigm I can't give you. You have to go with your gut."
Guest Psyber     If nothing else, from all that advice, Psyber comes to a decision. The half-angel opens his eyes again, ruby gaze looking up at the sword on the wall as he lets out a slow and deliberate breath, "Go with my gut? Be prepared to be judged? Decide from my perspective?" He muses over those words slowly, as it testing the taste of them in his mouth.

    "Fine," He decides, leaning back in the chair a bit and folding his hands behind his head. He takes a long, slow, pondering blink before opening his eyes again to look up at the sword, "I've reached the decision, Adjudicator."

    Psyber's head tilts at the sword a bit, "Sunday, after her world is finally fixed, after she no longer has to play the villain for Terra Majora, and after the years of conflict are finally resolved when she kills the Emperor... I'm going to tell Elliana that I love her."
Abstractum.Net     "Mmmh." Adjudicator says, nodding its eye in an approving sort of way. "Your decisions are your own. As long as you have considered every perspective, you know what priorities and biases might affect the decision, and you are prepared to be judged in turn, then you make a decision that I approve of."

    It seems, in a way, lacking understanding. Obviously, a sword doesn't understand what love is on a more direct level, nor the social weight that resides behind it. It seems like one of the few places where Abstractum psychology doesn't overlap with more human minds. But it does, at least, have the vague posture of understanding that this is a good thing for Psyber to say, at least as far as it's concerned. "You have done as right as anyone can expect you to do. However it ends, that is something nobody can deny."