#The book lead should step up and explain the situation themself instead

[vivalgi]

The writing team of Best Served Haute:

Meanwhile the poor social media manager:

[naruto-6-3]

Obito vs Itachi

There is a lot of debait who is stronger and i dont want to continue with the same Power scaling. Instead i will explain their dynamic and my Interpretation of the character changes depanding on who is stronger.

I see them as a Snape and Voldemort Comby. Not entirely because of personality but because of their stand to each other.

One is a spy and the other is the master and teacher. The teacher is the one who is able to manipulate an army and the servant is not great with people but is more book smart and able to archive things the master cant, so he is valueble for the master. Even though the leader knows the servant is untrust worthy he still ends up relying more on the spy than he should. This works and is impressiv because the master is smart enough not to be fooled by everyone. Meaning the student is even better in terms of intelligence than them. The student has good enough inside into the Situation to fool the big bad which makes him ecential for the good side. This includes the knowledge that he cant win the fight and his dead at the master Hand would lead to no good outcome. So he has to Plan around an all out confrontation. This means setting Others up to fight the big bad with tools their hid and didnt use themselfs. This is also the reason why they never fought, even if they could do some damage. Because it would never last and make no difference for the defeat of the bad guy. Only hit them off and lead to the villain looking into what the spy did exactly and destroy the plans they set up.

Snape was never able to defeat Voldemort in an all out battle and he knows it. What makes his spying so great is that he spent time with someone more evil and powerful than him and still management to fool Voldemort into trusting him enough so he could plan his downfall.

That is Itachi for me. He knows he cant win against Obito so he plans his steps around him. During this he made such a great job that even Obito didnt know about Amaterasu or Shisui eye, even though he know itachi was a spy and he should have keept a close eye on him. Itachi never even tryed to fight because he know that even if defeating Obito would stop the greatest danger to Konoha, it would just end in his dead instead so it would be pointless to try.

Itachi had great inside into his own and Obitos cababilitys and made a move with put him into the smarter spy Situation. This is what i like about Itachi. A good hearth who did what was smart in a dangerous Situation.

If Itachi was stronger than Obito it would change my perspective on him. Itachi would have been not smart enough to see that he could have gotten rid of Konohas biggest enemy and than fight sasuke later. since Obito loses some danger if Itachi could just get rid of him the information stealing and ahead planning becomes less impressiv. Both Obito as the Main villain until the war arc and Itachi as the smart double agent would lose some respect if they fail in their roles. Even if Itachi is now stronger and Obito now smarter it is not part of the character role their should play.

This would be like if Snape could have killed Voldemort permanently and never did it because even if his Main role was spying, he never found out he could do it. So he died instead and if Voldemort was a worse actor snape would have found out and just killed the Main villain before harry potter could.

Even though i think Obito is stronger than Itachi and Itachi is smarter based on facts. This is irrelevant because for the story and for how i like the characters ( a smart spy and charasmartic strong villain ) it is necessary that Obito is stronger. Otherwise the dynamic has to change and Obito is the smarter and Itachi the stronger character. No character can be smarter and stronger than the other At the same time or one of them would be dead already. Like i showed above the first dynamic makes more sence simply on the role they play. It could work the other way around, but i would hate it for Obito to be weaker than his own members and Itachi dumber than Obito. It is simply not the way they are written and as i see them. As a fan of both, i see if i hold Itachi into to high of a regard in strenght, he loses some of his intelligence, with made me a fan of him to begin with.

So short Obito is stronger than Itachi for story and character sake.

[peppermintbee]

OMORI’s poor writing (Part 2)

Once again, if you are a big fan of OMORI, this review is not for you. Treasure this game, love it, recommend it, make fan art, buy the merch, do what you will with it. I am not here to take OMORI away from anyone. Based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews on Steam, I know that my opinion is in the minority.

However, just as the fans have the right to praise the game, I have the right to examine it, criticize it, and explain why it failed to provide a compelling experience. This is second part of my review where I will tackle OMORI’s problematic themes and disrespectful appropriation of mental health.

[ See Part 1: Plot Writing Lies ]

(Note: I use “OMORI” in all-caps for the game title, and “Omori” in title case for the character name.)

Spoilers and criticism below.

Part 2: OMORI’s message is mishandled and distasteful

OMORI provides a warning that it depicts scenes of depression, anxiety, and suicide. Because the game includes these scenes, I assumed these mental health issues are presented in a way that is meaningful and respectful.

However, that is not the case. 

Despite having depictions of such, this game is not really about depression, anxiety, or even suicide. It’s about committing a horrible crime, lying about it, and getting over the guilt.

1. Suicide as a game mechanic

Suicidal thoughts are intrusive, terrifying, and painful. As well as ending the victim's life, suicide wreaks havoc on the lives of those who once knew them. It is often a taboo topic, but discussing such matters is an important step to understanding and preventing it. Video games are a medium well suited to approaching such dark topics.

Unfortunately, OMORI does not handle the topic of suicide well at all.

First, suicide is written as a unavoidable game mechanic that seems to have been included for shallow reasons such as aesthetic and shock value. To leave Sunny’s headspace and wake up, you--as a player--must direct him to stab himself in the stomach. 

But why? It’s not like waking up involves some sort of major sacrifice. In fact, waking up is something that is more or less unavoidable. Reality should be something that snatches Sunny away from his headspace against his will, perhaps as an encroaching darkness that Sunny can run from, but never truly escape. But instead, facing reality is something you are forced to opt into in the most needlessly violent way possible.

Forcing you--as a player--to literally commit suicide just to wake up from a dream is a pointless, distasteful, and disrespectful action that sets a precedent for suicide not being taken seriously in this game. (And it isn’t.)

In the black space, Omori is pressured to kill a cat. In that scene, regardless of your choice, you are forced to kill yourself. However, the act of stabbing yourself has been seen so many times at that point that it has completely lost any impact. Who cares about suicide when it’s been reduced to just a means of travel?

Lastly, if you fail to defeat the final boss, Sunny commits suicide in the real world. However, this is not a cutscene, it is once again something that you--as a player--are forced to do to progress. Putting these actions in the hands of a player is not as meaningful as the writer seems to believe, because there are no other options to progress. Any weight in making that decision is lost to resignation; a frustrated sigh of “Well, okay, fine. I guess I have to click Z here.” You are then rewarded with a SLAPPING pop song and a psychedelic cutscene of Sunny falling to his death. It’s tasteless to its core and appropriates the deaths of every suicidal person as a quirky, shallow “bad end.”

(Seriously, this is how the writer decided to depict a child taking his own life.)

2. Sunny/Omori is a poor presentation of depression

Sunny/Omori does not smile. Even in past photographs before The Incident, he still is not smiling. The contrast between Sunny and his friends stands out like a sore thumb, so I assumed this was the writer’s attempt to show that Sunny is dealing with depression, where he can’t be happy even in happy situations.

Of course, if that were the case it would be inaccurate since depressed people do smile and do hide their true feelings. They are often dismissed with, “You can’t be depressed, I saw you smiling once.” However, I was willing to let Sunny’s chronic frown slide because sometimes you have to oversimplify an idea to get your point across.

Much to my surprise, there is NO evidence of Sunny having depression before The Incident and there is very little indication of him having depression throughout the game either. The evidence of this is that while looking at a family portrait, Sunny comments that he's never liked to smile. Since he's a a baby in this portrait, this goes to show that his not smiling is simply a preference -- a quirky character trait that makes him stand out so that you feel an emotion during the true ending when he finally smiles. 

Everything in the game seems to point to him being pretty happy and well adjusted up until he killed Mari. Then, even after he killed Mari, he pretty much looks and behaves the same way. Wouldn’t it be more jarring and tragic if you saw Sunny was happy in the past, but depressed now?

Which leads me to my next point...

3. Sunny and Basil are not depressed, they’re guilty (and for good reason)

In the book I Thought It Was Just Me (But It Isn’t), Brené Brown explains the difference between feeling guilt and shame.

Guilt means: “I did something bad.” Shame means: “I am something bad.”

Guilt, when attributed to bad behavior, is actually a healthy emotion. It means that you have a sense of right and wrong, that you empathize with those you’ve hurt, and it motivates you to make things right.

Shame is an unhealthy emotion. It arrests growth, destroys self-esteem, causes poor decision making, isolates you from your loved ones, and is directly correlated with anxiety and depression.

OMORI should be a game about overcoming shame. All the right set pieces are there. Sunny’s walled himself off, his sister (allegedly) committed suicide, and he seems to be struggling with lifelong depression. However, this all falls apart, when it’s revealed that he killed his sister and staged her death as a suicide to escape blame (with Basil’s help). He DID do something bad. It’s not shame, it’s literally guilt.

All at once, OMORI stops being a game about recovering from grief and depression and becomes a game that demands the player to sympathize with a killer and liar who is hiding from his crimes. Because he and Basil feel bad about what they did, Sunny and Basil are presented as greater victims than their actual victim.

4. OMORI asks you empathize with villains (with ZERO self awareness)

Games where you are playing a character with a guilty conscience has been told before, but where OMORI really fails is that Sunny is not truly held accountable for what he did to others. Instead, the game focuses on HIS pain: since killing his sister he’s been isolated, he’s having nightmares, and he’s suicidal. 

The plot of the game is focused on helping Sunny forgive himself for ruining other people’s lives. The writing barely acknowledges how his friends/family feel about what he did. When his victims’ pain IS addressed, it’s either used to further victimize Sunny (ie: isn’t it sad for him that he made his friends so sad?) or it’s used to reassure the player that Sunny’s victims have forgiven him (or will forgive him). 

In fact, the game holds Mari responsible for her own death, citing that her "perfectionism" must have been what pushed Sunny to attack her. OMORI presents Mari, through headspace, as someone who accepted death gracefully and wants Sunny to live a happy life. She is never given her own voice and nothing in the game suggests she is capable of feeling bitter over her death and postmortem desecration. She plays the role of the Madonna archetype--and the perfect victim--allowing the player to empathize entirely with Sunny while accepting that Mari brought everything on herself.

[Mari suggesting that Sunny acting out his aggression on her was her fault.]

The climax of this game is NOT Sunny telling the truth to his friends. The climax is Sunny defeating his guilt and forgiving himself. We know this because the story does not even show how his friends respond to his confession, because-- once again-- what’s most important thing is resolving Sunny’s pain, not the pain he has caused others. (Though the game does heavily imply that his friends will forgive him.)

[Pictured: the boys shedding their guilt is the true happy ending ]

Imagine, for a moment, if this game was about an abuser, who caused immense pain to someone and got away with it. Then, the whole game was about how they felt bad for the abuse they caused, and-- as a player-- you help them forgive THEMSELF for their past abuse. Then, in the last few seconds of the game, they either apologize to their victim or kill themself. The victim’s response is not shown because it is not important.

This is the plot of OMORI, except with a bunch of excuses thrown on top to make it more palatable. Sunny and Basil are just soooo cute and sad. Killing Mari was an accident. Stringing her body up like a piñata was a juvenile mistake. The boys feel SO BAD that they want to kill themselves. And because suicide is so tragic, you-- as an audience-- are manipulated into empathizing them.

5. In OMORI, suicide is used as a cheap ploy for sympathy

As I mentioned before, suicide is horrible and tragic. People struggling with suicidal ideation need help, support, and respect. That said, let’s make one thing clear: being suicidal does not automatically make someone a good person. There are plenty of examples of criminals who kill themselves to escape the penalty or guilt for something they did. It is so common in the news that I don’t think I have to list out examples.

In bad endings, Sunny and Basil’s suicides are 100% motivated by guilt for their very real crimes. Now, it should be stated, Sunny and Basil do not deserve to die. And because suicide is such an extreme, permanent end for those two boys, we-- as players-- are invested in preventing that tragic end at all costs.

However, the looming threat of suicide is used as leverage to force the audience to dismiss the severity of what Sunny and Basil did. As I’ve said before, the plot of the game is about soothing and alleviating Sunny’s guilt and stopping him from killing himself as opposed to making things right. 

The worst thing is, this tactic actually works. The threat of suicide is so strong, it has distracted many players from the truth that this story is about sympathizing with a boy who has killed his sister, with little regard for those his actions have affected (see point #4).

It’s terrible because suicide is such a serious topic worthy of discussion, but when used as little more than pity-bait, it twists your perception of what the characters did and silences those who try to criticize how this game handles such topics.

6. Mari's suicide being fake is a terrible twist

Lastly, by revealing Mari’s “suicide” as an accidental death, OMORI misses an opportunity to tell a much more powerful story. In the first half of this game, when Mari is thought to have committed suicide at the young age of 15, is a sobering moment. That tragedy is something very real.

If Mari had killed herself as opposed to being killed, Sunny isolating himself after his sister takes her own life is realistic. Mari’s death coming as a surprise is also realistic; how often have we heard people saying that they never knew someone was suffering? That they seemed like such a happy person?

Losing a loved one to suicide does not just cause horrible grief, but crippling shame as well. Those left behind will blame themselves, tormented by thoughts of how they could have saved them, how they would do anything to get them back. That shame can follow you forever, haunting you like a ghost, threatening you with the same fate. Overcoming that grief and shame is no simple task, and I truly thought OMORI was going to be about grappling with grief and letting go of survivor guilt.

Instead, Mari didn’t commit suicide, her life was cut short by her brother. Then, her body was staged as a suicide, forever changing how her family and friends perceived her. Her hanging body did not represent a devastating loss of life and horror of teen depression, but instead is a cheap twist that represents Sunny’s guilt for killing her and tampering with her corpse.

Conclusion:

As I’ve mentioned before OMORI has a lot of potential. The set pieces of a depressed kid who escapes to a dream world to cope with his unresolved trauma is one that had the makings to be very meaningful. However, it fumbles these issues, creating a sloppy plot that results in a problematic message. It’s baffling that this even happened, especially considering the length of time this was in development.

[four-loose-screws]

FE8 Novelization Translation - Chapter 3, Section 1

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I call this a “section” because it is not a separate part of the chapter in the book, but divided from the rest of the chapter by a scene break.

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Chapter 3: The Stolen Bracelet

The Grado Army did not attack for a significant period of time, allowing Eirika and her army’s mountain journey to progress smoothly.

Whenever the soldiers began to look tired, they stopped to take a break. Eirika was impatient and, if it was possible, did not want to do so until they arrived at Renvall Castle, but she knew that would have an effect on the soldiers' morale. Though it frustrated her to stop, they really needed to rest. 

Two days after leaving Ide Village, while taking their evening break, Eirika stepped away from Seth, Garcia, and the others, who were all chatting, and went on a walk by herself.

The white moon was just starting to rise from behind the mountaintops. Talking with her allies was fun, but the moonrise was so beautiful that it made her want to get some fresh air.

Once she was all alone, she was unsurprised to find herself thinking about her brother. 'What is he doing now? Is he looking up at the white moon, just as I am?'

She knew well just how strong her brother was. She didn't think he could be captured or injured, but… considering the situation he was in, she was very nervous.

'Please let him be safe until we catch up to him…' She said to herself as if praying to the moon, while she continued walking along.

Suddenly, something bumped into her from behind.

"Eeek…!" The force of the impact almost made her trip.

"Whoops, sorry 'bout that!"

She heard a voice say with a laugh. It came from a man of small stature wearing a cape…  no, after getting a second glance at him, she realized that he must still be a teenager. The next thing she heard were his footsteps as he quickly ran away from her.

He was probably a traveler, and likely didn't notice her and bumped into her because it was starting to get dark.

"Are you alright, Lady Eirika!?" Seth rushed up to her. It seemed he'd worried when she vanished without a word, and came looking for her. 

"Yes, someone just bumped into me, is all."

Seth furrowed his brow and looked at her. "What happened to your bracelet?"

"My bracelet…?"

'It’s right here,' she raised her arm to say, but was instead surprised. The bracelet she should have been wearing was gone.

Eirika was at a loss. She had no idea when she might have lost it. Her father had given it to her when she was young and told her to treasure it, but because she was always wearing it, on the contrary, she was always unaware that it was there.

"Oh… maybe that man I bumped into earlier stole it? Everything happened so quickly…"

"We will chase after him." Seth said in a panic so very rare of him that Eirika held him back. "Wait! My bracelet certainly is precious to me, but we don't have the time right now. We should put saving Brother over thieves, shouldn’t we? Let's hurry!"

"No, that bracelet is…" Seth looked like he was going to say something, but they didn't have time for that, either. He looked in the direction the thief had run off in and said, "Either way, we must get it back. We will chase after him, Lady Eirika!"

He did not wait for her answer, instead returning to where the army was resting. He cut their break time short, and seemed determined to put all their efforts into chasing after the thief.

Eirika didn't understand how Seth could be acting this way. It wasn't like him at all.

The bracelet was certainly a valuable gift from her father, but their goal was to find Ephraim, and they likely had no time to waste. He was even cutting their break time short despite stressing how important it was...

Eirika didn’t know anything about the history of the bracelet. Since her Father worried about it so much, she figured it must be important to the royal family, and never asked about where it had come from.

But Seth might know. He was the man her father trusted most, so there was a chance her father would tell him something even she did not know.

'I'll ask him after we get it back, and he calms down.' Eirika decided, then chose to first chase after the thief.

-

"What dummy has a bracelet stolen right off their arm!? You must have totally spaced out!” Ross said in complete astonishment when he heard the news.

Franz came up from behind him and whacked him upside the head.

Eirika's face turned red with embarrassment as she tried to explain herself. "He bumped into me so suddenly that I couldn’t think… U-um, I certainly was careless, but…"

 "It's not your fault, Lady Eirika! That thief was just really good!" Franz angrily covered for Eirika.

Ross decided it was best to stop teasing her. "So it was a really good thief, huh? Then he musta been one of Bazba's men."

"Bazba…?"

They're a group of really violent bandits that causes a lot of trouble around here. I think they're the ones that attacked my village, too." Ross' face clouded over with regret. 

Garcia, who was beside him, continued the explanation. "Bazba's Bandits aren't just any old group of bandits. The guys that attacked Ide Village weren't very strong, but we can't underestimate them. Their numbers at the base will be great, so they will be a difficult foe to face."

"Then let's brace ourselves for a difficult fight." They decided that they would leave quickly while it was still night.

Along the way, they noticed a person standing by themself in front of their path.

They went on guard, in case this person was another member of the bandits, though they did not appear to be one. 

As they approached the person, they saw the face of a timid girl looking at them helplessly.

She carried a big bag on her back. To be traveling alone at this time, and in the middle of the mountains, was far too dangerous. 

Just as Eirika was about to call out to her, she timidly approached them, and looked up at Seth and Eirika, both atop his horse.

"Um… excuse me… would you happen to be… a mercenary group?" 

Her straight pink hair fell just below her ears. She was trembling with fear, so it was difficult to tell, but she seemed to have very cute features.

Eirika instinctively turned her attention towards the girl and asked, “Who are you?”

The girl looked at Eirika with pleading eyes, then suddenly screamed, "Please help me, I beg of you! I… I tried to stop Colm… but he wouldn't listen…! At this rate, Colm's gonna… Colm's gonna…!" Tears slowly welled up in her large eyes, making Eirika panic.

"Uh, um, please, calm down. I don't really know what you’re talking about… ‘Colm?’”

"Oh, ah, I-I'm sorry!" The girl wiped away her tears and began to explain.

"My name is Neimi. I lived in Lark Village near here."

"You lived there… what do you mean by that?"

"The village is gone. A group of bandits burned it down… and killed all of the other villagers… only two people made it out alive… me, and my childhood friend, Colm…"

"So Lark Village was destroyed too? Dammit…!" Ross had been listening in, and was enraged by what he heard.

Neimi wiped away more tears, signaling that she had been hit by another wave of sadness as she talked.

"My village was burned down, too. It was Bazba's bandits that did it."

"Oh… th-that's terrible. They're the ones who attacked my village, too. I heard their hideout is inside this mountain. So Colm… he said he was gonna take back the treasure the bandits stole, then went all by himself… E-Even though I tried to stop him! I told him it's dangerous! That his life is more important than treasure…!"

She seemed to be the type of person who cried easily, even under normal circumstances. And once she started crying, she almost couldn’t stop. Eirika felt lost, but wanted to do something to cheer the girl up. "The bandits stole something important from us, too, and we were just pursuing them. Surely we can help each other out!"

"R-Really!? Thank you! I can't save Colm all on my own… so I was waiting for someone who looked strong to pass by. Thank goodness… Oh, but, um, I don't have very much money, so I can't pay you and all your mercenaries enough…"

Ross answered faster than Eirika could. "We don't need anythin' like that! And we ain't really a mercenary group! This person is actually…"

"Anyway, let's go! Can you lead us there, Neimi?" Eirika frowned and glared at Ross.

Neimi was nothing more a random girl they'd crossed paths with, but Eirika still thought it best not to reveal her identity. She knew that if Neimi became associated with her, the princess, and Grado found out, Neimi would be in danger.

"Over here!" Securing help seemed to have calmed Niemi, as she continued down the mountain road with light footsteps.

‐

When Eirika's army heard the words "bandit hideout," they imagined something like a run-down shack, but it was actually a very impressive building.

It was a mansion made of stone built into the mountain. The bandits must have collected a large sum of money from their constant pillaging, as the hideout was so big and lavish that it could compare to the homes belonging to wealthy merchants that one might find in the middle of a town. 

"Neimi, please hide somewhere safe. We're going to break in and fight now." Eirika said.

Neimi began to fidget and answered, "Um… Actually, I was wondering if you guys would take me with you."

"What? But it's dangerous! This is going to be a very difficult fight!"

"I'm really good with a bow! Grandfather taught me how to use one when I was a child."

"Really?" Seth replied. 

Neimi continued to fidget, but nodded her head deeply.

"What do you think, Lady Eirika? Our army is lacking in archers. If she fights with us, then we'll have the abilities we need to win."

"That is a good point…" But Eirika was still nervous.

No matter how you looked at her, Neimi did not seem like she could handle combat. Would such a pitiful girl who cried so easily really be able to fight against bandits?

“Please let me come! I want to do something to help you!"

But when Neimi looked up at her with determination on her face, Eirika couldn't say no. She nodded and said, "Then please provide support from the rear line. Do not go anywhere near the front. You wouldn’t stand a chance in direct combat.”

"I-I understand! I'll do my best!" Neimi excitedly pulled something out from the bag she was carrying on her back.

"Whoa, that’s so cool!" Ross, who'd been peeking in on the conversation, whistled.

Neimi had grabbed a small bow and a quiver. They looked handmade, but seemed sturdy and well crafted. It was clear just by the sight of both items that they were well used and had been mended many times. "This is a momento from my grandfather. He was a very good shot." Neimi said while putting the quiver on her back, then readying her bow.

She was so energetic now that she seemed like a different person from the crybaby they'd met. She looked as ready for battle as any trained soldier would be.

Eirika was impressed, and was now sorry for underestimating her. If her grandfather had been such a good archer, then he’d probably taught her everything from the basics onwards, giving them more than enough reason to believe that she’d be a valuable addition to their army.

First, Gilliam led his unit of armored knights as the front line. They used their weapons to break down the front door in the blink of an eye.

The enemy had not thought in the slightest that they might be attacked by such a large group. The guards rushed towards them, but were immediately eliminated by the knights.

Eirika and the others flooded in through the doorway. The battle immediately turned intense.

Neimi's performance far exceeded Eirika's expectations. She shot arrows in rapid succession from behind the main army, wounding their enemies. 

The main army then rushed in and finished off their weakened foes.

"You're the real deal!" Neimi cheeks flushed red from Ross' praise.

When they had just about eliminated the first wave of enemies, Neimi suddenly gasped.

Eirika panicked and whirled around, thinking Neimi might have gotten hurt, but instead saw her rushing inside of a room. "N-Neimi!?"

There would likely be enemies inside. It was reckless for an archer, who couldn't fight in close combat, to go ahead all on their own.

Ross and Franz panicked and followed after her. Eirika defeated the last enemy in front of her and rushed ahead as well.

"Colm! You're safe, Colm!" Neimi shouted, then hugged someone rummaging around inside the room.

"Ack! Neimi!!" A young man with a stern face wearing a cape yelled out, sounding flustered. 

The sight of him made Eirika freeze in her tracks. 

She couldn't say it for sure, but… she had a feeling that he resembled the thief that stole her bracelet. It had been dark, and everything happened so quickly, but she remembered the silhouette of the thief's cape.

The man paid no attention to her, and started talking to Neimi. "What are you doing here!? Why would you just waltz into a place like this?"

"B-Because… I was worried about you…"

"You should worry more about yourself than me! Do you really think a group of bandits would do me in!?"

"B-But…  I met this group of mercenaries, and asked them to help. So we came here together…"

"Mercenaries? You're being dumb again…" The young man said in a sulking tone, then looked at Eirika and the others. The color drained from his face, and he leapt up a foot into the air. "Uwahhhhhh! Why did you bring them here!?"

"Like I said, they're a mercenary group! …I brought them here to save you…"

"I-I don't know! I don't know anything! ...A-Anyway, we can talk later. I’ve already taken back all the stolen treasure, so let’s get out of here!” His shivering was undoubtedly suspicious. 

"Are you…" Eirika walked up to him to confirm that he was indeed the thief.

However, the door opened right at that moment, and the bandits all rushed in to attack at once.

Eirika drew her sword and began to fight. The questioning would have to come later.

‐

The enemy's numbers were great, making for a tough fight, but Eirika’s army managed to win.

The room they’d fought in was now a mess of toppled chairs and crumbling walls, making for an unfortunate sight. In the corner was Neimi, who’d just caught Colm.

"Colm… I'm so happy you're safe… I… was so scared that I… couldn't stop imagining all the scary things that might happen…"

"Hey, you don't have to cry anymore. Look at this!" Colm pulled out something from within his cape and handed it to Neimi. 

She wiped her tears and gasped. "This is… my mother's mirror…"

"It's an important keepsake, isn't it? And it isn't broken! Lucky, huh?"

"Even though I'd already given up on it… you came all the way here just to get it back, didn’t you? You didn’t tell me the details why you left… s-so I didn’t know anything at all, and…”

"Hey, I told you to stop crying!"

From what bits and pieces everyone else heard, Colm and Neimi’s conversation seemed to be a happy one.

However, Seth came up to them and said in a stern voice, "There's something I must discuss with you. I want you to give Lady Eirika back her bracelet."

Colm shivered and looked up at Seth.

Neimi also looked up at him, curious. 

He seemed afraid to make eye contact with her, as he stood between them as he spoke. "Um, what are you talking about? Stop making stuff up… Whoa, hey, what are you doing!?" Colm saw Seth grab the handle of his sword, and jumped back. "Whoa! You’re messed up, man! I get it, I get it, I should give it back, right!?"

Seth lowered his hand.

Colm took the bracelet out from under his cape and reluctantly handed it over. "Look, I’m giving it back. Sorry, it was my bad."

"Why did you do something like that?"

"No reason… It's a pretty bracelet, and that girl wasn't paying attention to where she was going, so I couldn't help myself! That's all it was, I swear!"

"Colm! I can't believe you…!" Neimi covered her mouth with her hands, and her eyes widened. "You… you stole it? That bracelet? Colm, you've always stolen things, but at least the worst you did was take persimmons from my family's garden! Or so I thought! I never imagined you would do something this terrible…!"

"I-I just felt like it! I said I was sorry! I said it was wrong!"

With the bracelet back in the hands of its rightful owner, they no longer had any reason to stay at the hideout. Seth started to walk away from the two, but Colm called out to him from behind.

"W-Wait up! Hey, would you let Neimi and I go with you?"

"...What?"

"Our village burned down, so we’ve got nowhere else to go. Even if we try to work, there’s fighting goin' on everywhere. We'll become mercenaries, too, so please, take us with you!"

"Colm…" Neimi was shocked by Colm's sudden words, but she made eye contact with Seth and nodded forcefully. "I feel the same way! We don't have anywhere to go home to anymore. If we continue on this path and become nomads, Colm is sure to become a horrible villain that none can save!"

"...Hey!"

"Please! Please take us with you! We'll do anything!"

The two clung to Seth, and it was of course too much for him to handle. He looked up at the ceiling and sighed lightly. “Then you should try asking Lady Eirika directly. She’s the one you stole the bracelet from.”

“Lady Eirika? Whoa, that’s a really polite thing to call her.” A smirk spread across Colm’s face. “That girl is a higher rank than you? You guys are one weird group of mercenaries, to have a girl like that on top!”

“We are not mercenaries. I cannot tell you the details. You should hear them from Lady Eirika.”

“Yeah yeah, whatever you say…” Seth led Colm and Neimi to find Eirika.

‐

Eirika exited the dusty fort and took a deep breath of fresh air.

Seth had also left the fort, and came up to her with Colm and Neimi following behind him.

“Lady Eirika, I safely retrieved your bracelet.” Seth politely returned itto her, and she put it back on her wrist.

With her bracelet back in its rightful place, Eirika’s worries finally subsided with a sigh.

“Please be careful not to let it leave your possession ever again.”

Eirika could feel the extra weight Seth put into his tone. She stared at the bracelet and patted it gently. “Seth, what do you know about this bracelet? Maybe something my father told you?”

“About that… I guarantee that I will tell you when the time is right. It is still too early right now…” Seth’s words escaped his mouth hesitantly. He surely wouldn’t hide such information from her without reason.

Eirika concluded that the bracelet likely had a very deep meaning locked away within it, and nodded.

“I understand. But more importantly right now, Seth, is what those two are doing behind you?”

“They said they want to join us. What do you think?”

Colm and Neimi had listened to Seth and Eirika’s entire exchange with confusion on their faces. 

Colm picked up on the hint that it was their turn to speak, and said, “Hey, sorry about your bracelet. But you were in the wrong too! You spaced out while wearing such a valuable piece of jewelry!”

“Colm!” Neimi hissed, but Colm just shrugged his shoulders.

“You’re right, I do regret letting my guard down. I’ll be more careful from now on. The more important issue right now is, are you two serious about wanting to join our army?” Eirika asked.

“Yeah we are! You can’t argue against how useful my skills are, and Neimi may be a crybaby, but her archery abilities are the real deal. We’re sure to help you out!” Colm puffed up his chest and beat his fist against it.

This young man was an impulsive thief, and looked like he was a bit of a rascal, but didn’t seem to be a bad person. And Neimi had already proven her skills with a bow to them. Eirika didn’t have any objections to them joining her army.

“I’d be very happy to have you with us. But you still seem to misunderstand… that we are not mercenaries.”

“Huh? Oh yeah, that messed up guy said the same thing. So if you ain’t mercenaries, then what are you? Considering the circumstances, I wouldn’t care what you are, even if you're pirates or a traveling circus!”

“No, neither of those are it, either. I am the princess of Renais, Eirika. And this is my trusted retainer, General Seth. The soldiers serving me are members of the Frelian Army that the king lent to me.”

Colm and Neimi both stared at Eirika with their mouths wide open.

Eirika felt embarrassed, but didn’t really fully understand why, and started laughing awkwardly.

“The… princess?”

“Seriously…?” Neimi stumbled back a few steps and placed her hands on her cheeks. 

Tears welled up in her eyes, which once again flustered Eirika. She’d already gotten used to seeing Neimi cry, but still, she couldn’t help but feel as if she was the one who’d caused it this time. “Uh, um, there’s no reason for you to cry! Why are you…?”

“Colm stole the princess’ bracelet!? Are you going to execute him? Are you going to execute Colm!?”

“C’mon Neimi, don’t start worrying about things if you don’t know they’re gonna happen!” Colm yelled at the panicking and flailing Neimi, but he too seemed nervous, and looked at Eirika with trembling eyes.

Eirika couldn’t help but laugh. Her shoulders moved up and down as she shook her head. “No, you don’t have to worry about that! My bracelet was safely returned to me, so that’s all water under the bridge now. What I wanted to say is that, despite how we look, we’re an army, and we’re marching towards Grado territory. We’ll have to fight powerful enemies that bandits cannot compare to in strength. Are you ready to throw yourselves into such danger?”

Colm and Neimi looked straight at each other.

As one would expect from childhood friends, they could communicate their feelings to each other as if they were telepathic, and didn’t need to exchange words. They nodded in unison.

“Of course! The ones who originally ruined everything around here and caused the bandits to start attacking were the Grado Army’s soldiers, so…”

Colm nodded. “Yeah, I don’t like their way of doing things either! We’ll go with you!”

“Then let’s fight together!”

Afterwards, Eirika introduced them to the rest of the group.

The serious Franz, and others like him, could not accept the rude and thieving Colm at first, but changed their minds as they talked to him. Neimi was very shy, so she hid behind Colm in the beginning, but after Ross complimented her archery skills, she slowly became able to talk to everyone.

As Eirika was watching them from afar, Seth said to her, “People seem to gather around you, Lady Eirika.”

“...Huh?” She looked up at Seth in surprise. He looked upon Colm and the others, all laughing and chatting in high spirits, with kindness in his eyes.

“Both Garcia, who’d sworn off fighting forever, and Ross, and now these two new recruits… Everyone seems to be drawn to gather around you.”

"Surely they're not… We were just lucky and met them by chance…"

"Is that really the reason? You could also consider it to be not by chance, but by fate."

"Fate?"

"Lady Eirika, you have the power to attract and move people. It is different from both authority and military strength, and is a power all rulers should be born with, don’t you think?”

"I have no such power. Brother is the one who inherited it…" Eirika was completely taken aback.

When they were young, the one to attract people to them was her brother. Everyone naturally gathered around him and talked to him. On the other hand, she was quiet and always in his shadow when they were growing up. 

"You understand now, yes? That you, Lady Eirika, have strength that is as great as even Lord Ephraim’s... I have a feeling that in the future, many more people will appear before you time and time again, and lend you their strength."

"That's great and all, but… my power alone is so small. If I wasn't being saved by those around me, I wouldn't be able to fight…"

But though she said that, Seth's words were more reassuring to her than anyone else's would be.

That was what she truly felt in her heart, but could not bring herself to say. Instead, she blushed and looked away.

[bananachistudy]

Plato’s Allegory of Cave

Plato (429-347 B.C.E) is an Athenian philosopher who wrote several books of Socrates' dialogue, claiming Socrates as his teacher in philosophy. Among his writing is the popular Allegory of Cave in which he covers in his book, The Republic. A free English translated version of The Allegory of Cave can be found in standford.edu website.

The Allegory of Cave

 The allegory tells a story about prisoned mankind in a cave. They have been in the cave since forever, since their childhood. They don't even understand what outside of the cave means. They are shackled by their neck and legs, unable to move and see anything but what is in front of them, several shadows of several images presented. There is no light source in the cave but light reflected from a fire far behind them that they don't even know to exist.

Unknown to them, there are several puppeteers who run the shadows behind them. They were covered in high walls that make the prisoners cannot see them puppeteering the shadow. They carried many things to cast the shadow, made by carving statues made of stone or wood or any artifacts.

Prisoners would mistake those shadows as reality. They would not know the real cause of shadow because they are shackled. Every time they are talking towards each other, they talked about the shadow. When they see a horse, they would say that "I see a horse" without knowing what a horse truly is but from the shadow that they saw.

One day a man broke free from his chain. They walked back and encounter the fire as the source of the light. They were in pain for how bright the fire was in reality compared to the light reflection they have seen before. The pain started to question whether they should continue going forward or not. They realized that the fire is the cause of the shadow they have seen. But the pain kept them from going forward until they used to the light intensity that they never got before.

 After getting used to the light, they force themself to go forward to the entrance of the cave. They saw the sun for the first time and the light was blinded. The pain stroke him again and they would feel rage because they were unable to see things for a while. Then after getting used to the light, they would take some time getting accustomed to their new surroundings. They would see a real horse and start comparing it to the shadow they have seen before. Then they would start comparing more shadows to the real things that now they can see for real. At this point, they can see things by themselves rather than from the dim of reflections and start to understand the true meaning of things that they experience outside of the cave.

 They would start thinking about nature and its functions by collecting information and stored it as a knowledge. They then would start to contemplate about those people they know in the cave. Is it okay to let them prisoned in the cave while in reality there is so much going on outside the cave? They should know the truth!

 The man got back to the cave. But because of how the dark it was in the cave and that they have accustomed to the sunlight, they were completely blind in the cave. While still have to readjusting his eyesight, they started to tell about their findings outside the cave to the people that not even understand the concept of "outside the cave". The prisoners have accepted the cave and shadow as their reality and then this one man who has been missing suddenly came back like a crazy person they are explaining about unrealistic things! Not to mention that they are also now blind in the cave and no one is believing them.

Since no one was believing him, the prisoners consider the man as a crazy person and because the man didn't stop rambling about the outside, they killed him.

Meaning of The Story

This is an allegory about reflective understanding of human knowledge and the learning process. Many people are set bound into certain beliefs that they have been taught since childhood and hard to disbelief. Even though once someone has encountered the truthfulness, they might just simply reject the truth and keep shackled in the false belief.

It also talks about how reality is often just a shadow cast by some powerful people on the background. We tend to believe on what media tells us. We believe on what society wanted us to believe. We pursue money, love, fame, things that seem to value a person based on the media and society's depiction. But is it always true for everyone? Or is it just something that some people wanted us to believe?

Some people who are successful in escaping "the cave" are those who stepped out from the comfort reality zone of their life. They seek truthfulness and uncover their own life. They keep questioning everything to the point that it leads them to another path of life, to the entrance of the cave. When they saw the fire and the sun for the first time, it would be blinded. It the same feeling as when we encounter a bitter truth in real life that we need to face. It hurts us. But we need it to uncover the truth that we actually need even though we don't want to.

But encountering the truth doesn't always mean good things. Because the man who came outside are only a minority, they would feel alienated. Even when they came back to the cave and told them the truth, the prisoners ended up killing them. Why does it happen? It is because they have different "reality" in life. Both of them consider each reality as the true one. The prisoners talk about the shadow enthusiastically as their reality that they perceive. And the fact that the man was blind inside the cave also didn't help to convince the prisoners. It is an allegory that most of the time people who already found the truth, cannot relate to the people who haven't. And when they cannot relate, it's harder for them to communicate things that they are trying to tell.

 The lesson according to the story is that we need to step out of our current reality comfort and question everything. The more we question, the more truthfulness we might encounter. It the same as making a back up plan according to "what might happen if" when we are planning something. Sometimes it would hurt us in the process of encountering the truth, but it is needed and we need to readjust to the truthfulness every time we encountered one.

It also teaches that sometimes it is not worth it to try to help others that don't resonate well with us. The circumstances and the method of the communication attempt is also a big key in trying to convey a message. Most of the time when we are trying to change other's different mindsets it would hurt us instead. Though it is needed for us to spread the truth. The question is are we willing to take the risk? And is it the real truth that we are believing right now?

There might be some faults in this allegory lesson as to how far this "comfort zone" is and that the main reason for the freeman being killed is because of how wrong he communicated the truth. In real life, there are many people who successfully changed the "trapped mindset" into discovering the truth in the best communication skill they have. This "escape from comfort zone" is also cannot be applied to everyone just like that because some of us are in dire situations that need comfort zones. We have seen enough motivator who overuse this "comfort zone" term with this allegory that leads people into doing risky things without considering the aftermath. But nevertheless, the allegory is still a good Socratic philosophy that we can learn and take a thing or two from it.