markofthebrave | [ Action, Written ] .052

[Filtered 100 percent AWAY from: Sokka, Toph, Zuko, Yue, Suki, Shikamaru, Chouji, Ino, Shino, Naruto, Sasuke, Itachi, Trafalgar, Nami, Sanji, Luffy, Chopper, and anyone else she thinks might recognize her handwriting, despite the pains she's going to in order to disguise it, or show the journal to people she really doesn't want to see this - Raine and Temari and Iroh.

All replies will be written unless stated otherwise. The camera is obscured by a wrapped around piece of brown cloth.]

Do you think that there's such a thing as a power that is wrong, not because of how it's used, but just because of what it does?

[After staying holed up in her room with the door shut - quite an unusual break of habit for her - Katara decides to head into town. She wants to check out that night club that she'd heard about - she heard there would be music!

From there it's the usual errands, like the grocery store and the Item Shop. Dinner tonight will be Something Spicy, but she hasn't figured out what yet. Maybe it'll help get Sokka out of his funk.]

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What about power that overrides free will?

[She likes Rydia's turn of phrase, because it says exactly what she means to ask about in a way that she wouldn't say it.]

[There is a noticeable pause for thought there.]

Doesn't all power?

What do you mean?

Whenever you take power into your own hands, you are altering the choices that others can make. Even when what you are doing is good, and helpful.

[That's a really good point. Then why does she internally rebel at it? It takes a moment to identify the reason.]

But there's a give and take to most normal uses of power. There are some things that people can fight against. And then there are some things that take away choice and the ability to fight against them completely.

Is there no way those things could be used to good purpose, though?

And even with the greatest of powers, I believe there is always a choice.

Do we have any choice about what happens to us when the Malnosso take us and turn us into someone or something else? There are some powers which [force your mind into the back of your head and let someone take over your body; which take control of every vein and muscle inside of you and leave you horribly conscious of the prison your body can become the whole time-] can get inside of you just like that.

And maybe they can be used for good. But that doesn't change what they are, does it?

No, but we have choices about what we do when it happens.

[whoever you are, you are so obviously thinking of something specific.]

It doesn't change "what they are", because they are like any other power - present, usable, and in most cases subject to the designs of whoever uses them.

No we don't. Whoever it is they made us to be does. Who we are isn't there anymore.

[And more of this 'power is just power' talk. She is viscerally opposed to it.] Even if a certain kind of power is subject to the designs of whoever uses it, that doesn't change the nature of the power itself. It doesn't make sense that all powers are the same.

[But she can't talk about specifics because of secrets, but...] What about the kind of power to draw someone completely into an illusion and make them think that it's real? That's completely different than the kind of power that enables someone to be superstrong.

But in order for that to be true, you must believe that power has either a good or bad nature. ...And so in that example of course there is power that is innately not good.

I think that depends on the illusion you choose, doesn't it?

[That first thing, though, was the most interesting to Mia.]

Do you really believe that if the Malnosso change you there is nothing left of you inside? It...it hasn't happened to me, so...

...yes, I do think so. Or if you are there, you're so twisted that you wouldn't recognize yourself. [She's thinking of the AUs specifically here - of Avatar Sokka, of the child that she was who was burned. She's thinking of Nami and Zoro.]

And no, I don't think that it depends on the illusion. Any attempt to make people live a lie would be wrong, but especially if it's something that's used in combat.

And maybe calling it 'power' is too vague - it's more the kinds of ways that power manifests.

Maybe I would understand what you mean better if you tell me what specific power you have in mind.

That really isn't up for me to tell. Although the ability to make someone live in an illusion is pretty close to it. I think that would be a horrible thing to do to someone - to make them believe that something was real when it isn't. Even if it was a pleasant illusion, it's still a lie.

[ Action, Written ] .052

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