[ anonymous. ]

[loyalbound]

You seem to do well with hypothetical questions, community. I have one for you, if I may.

For the purpose of this post, let's say you've suddenly been thrust into a situation in which someone has plans to harm an entire world. You can't hope to convince or overpower this person on your own. You have an ally who has helped you in the past, but they've already lost everything to this kind of struggle and are currently trying to rebuild their life.

It seems as though the sole options you have are either to submit or die, but someone else unexpectedly offers you a third route. One in which both of you would share the results. It would certainly provide you with a way to stop your opponent's plans, but it carries... certain risks. Both to yourself, and potentially to the thing you're trying to protect. While known for holding up their end of a bargain, it wouldn't be wise to entrust the person wishing to deal with you with even half of what they're hoping to share with you. Moreover, buying time to pursue this course would amount to starting a war.

What would you consider the right thing to do in this situation? Would it be best to work with the one who offered you that option in order to keep an eye on them and buy time to search for an alternative way? Or is there another road you would take in this instance?

Comments

[Video]

[glidingwind]

Can't you just ask your friends to help you?

[ perma-anon text ]

[loyalbound]

In this situation, they've already given up too much. If they were to get involved, it's likely they'd lose even more.

[Video]

[glidingwind]

[Ven nodded, understanding.] You don't want them to get hurt so you're trying to protect them on your own.

[ anon ]

[loyalbound]

That's... astonishingly succinct, actually.

Though I did say this was hypothetical. [ cas who r u trying to fool really ]

[anonymous]

[treatinferiors]

Is overpower the only way to stop him?

[Video]

[glidingwind]

Hypothetical. Right. [Yeah, he knows it's not but since he's done it before he's not going to try and talk him out of it.]

I guess I'd do whatever protected my friends the most. I don't really understand the choices much but whichever one makes them okay in the end is the one I'd pick.

[anonymous]

[loyalbound]

It's the most direct way.

What else would you suggest?

[ anon ]

[loyalbound]

Ideally, the world would also come out in one piece.

It would be easier to protect them if they knew as little as possible. Otherwise they'd be liable to try and help, regardless of what it would do to them.

[Video]

[glidingwind]

Can't you just go to another world?

Yeah. I understand that. [Ignorance is bliss. Or so he's been led to believe.]

[anonymous]

[treatinferiors]

What else have you tried?

[anonymous]

[loyalbound]

[ ... yeah, okay. dropping all pretence of this being hypothetical, here. ]

As of yet, nothing. Trying to reason with him only led to getting beat into next week and a 24-hour ultimatum. I have to at least buy more time somehow.

[ anon ]

[loyalbound]

What good would that do? It's this one he wants to destroy.

[anonymous]

[treatinferiors]

If you can't fight him head on, try going behind his back?

[Video]

[glidingwind]

If it doesn't work out, you can just leave with your friends. Or take them somewhere where they'll be safe and come and get them when it's over.

[anonymous]

[loyalbound]

How?

[ anon ]

[loyalbound]

I don't think either of those suggestions are possible.

[anonymous]

[treatinferiors]

Maybe you don't need power to stop him. What else might work? Besides this plan.

[Video]

[glidingwind]

Oh. [Well that puts a dent in his helpfulness.] I suppose nowhere is truly safe.

[anonymous text]

[nofarplaneyet]

How long do you have to make a decision?

[anonymous]

[loyalbound]

I don't know. If it were possible to outwit him somehow... but he plans to lay waste to my world by force, and he has more than enough power to do it easily. I'm not sure if there is a way to outwit that kind of strategy fast enough. Not without finding a way to delay it first.

[ which brings him back to using Crowley's float to start a war. ]

[anonymous text]

[loyalbound]

Less than 24 hours.

[ anon ]

[loyalbound]

Sadly, that's often proven to be the case.

[anonymous]

[treatinferiors]

What's his most likely strategy? Would you know or be able to guess?

[docfoul]

Is this a decision you should be trusting the internet with?

[makewayforroze]

Even if you're keeping everything a secret to protect your friends, I think it would be best to tell them. This sounds like something they should be able to decide for themselves.