#but your survival is genuinely predicated on the other NOT surviving

[cacklefrendly]

actually no, im not gonna restrain myself to the tags. I've never played ANY final fantasy game but i think Emet-Selch is a very cool take on a villain who isn't evil n i have a lot of emotions about him

i initially compared FF14 to a zombie apocalypse, which i don't think is WRONG (Humanity being mutilated imitations of Ascians ≈ Zombies being mutilated imitations of Humanity) but being able to say that AND still appreciate that Emet-Selch is A Villian(tm) depends on some prerequisite over-thinking on the nature of Existence As You and how one would apply that to eldritch beings and as much as i love talking those are some difficult words :/

so instead of zombies — let's go with dogs.

let's sayyy that reports come in, tomorrow, that a horrible Thing will obliterate the world. let's say it's a plague, or a super-parasite. it is On Its Way, and it Will Kill Everything. this is a 100% guarantee.

you're part of a group of the world's greatest minds. this group steps forward and says "hey, we think we can stop this, but we need to test it on human subjects and it will probably kill them." they open to volunteers. millions of people apply. they die, but because of their sacrifices, a solution is found — let's say it's a super-strong pesticide. everyone else survives, but the planet is left a complete wreck.

the world's greatest minds come back again. "we're pretty sure we can adapt our solution to fix the planet, but we need to test it on humans again." again, millions volunteer, and again, millions die, and again, their sacrifices save everyone else. the former pesticide rejuvenates the planet. it might even be better than before.

a third time, the greatest minds speak. "hey, a lot of the people who've volunteered aren't actually dead. they're in comas because of our solution and we've been keeping them alive. we think we can adapt the solution to save them, but we need more test subjects. we won't ask the people to go through this again — we'll use plants and animals instead. it'll put a dent in the ecosystem, but it's the only way."

In response, a new group of people speaks up. "no, we should just stay as it is, the solution has caused us enough pain as it is. we should just move forward and let those people stay gone."

the two groups argue. they fight. a second 'solution' is made, in secret, to kill the first. it's released.

this new solution kills the first and, for the sake of our comparison, turns the entire population into dogs. several dogs, actually. each person becomes several dogs.

only, like, 3 people aren't dog-ed. you're one of them. you're one of the people who saved your species, and now you're looking at the end of it.

what would you do?

would you hate the dogs? i mean, i love dogs. i don't think i could hate them for existing. they didn't ask to exist, after all. maybe you could try living with them? make a fancy snouted mask to fit in? learn to bark and growl like them? maybe you could adopt a puppy, or try to direct a pack. maybe if you get bored you could try making packs fight.

actually, i think you would hate them. just not immediately.

it might take looking into a husky's face and see your best friend's eyes looking through you. maybe it takes being bitten for how loudly you grieve. maybe it takes you seeing them not for what they Are, but for every conversation you'll Never Have Ever Again. every joke and love and loss and petty workplace grudge that they've replaced with bark whine bark bark woof. they're not people. they could never BE people. no matter how much they howl and snap and war and tear into each other's mangy fuckin throats over rotten trash and you cry and sob and plea they're. just. dogs.

i think you'd try to bring humanity back. no matter how many dogs die in the process, i think you'd try. it would be worth a thousand dogs, if you could bring back ten people.

you'd work with the other survivors. you'd plan, and experiment, and lead the dogs in circles, and you'd try and try and try but the mutts keep WHINING and BITING and KILLING and on one hand you can understand the need for survival but this is for THEM this is for US why don't they get that WHY, WHY WON'T THEY JUST LET YOU SAVE THEM?

imagine the joy you'd feel when one day, a dog that's been a little too smart, a little too capable, finally stands up.

it says your name, it looks you in the eyes, and you can tell that it finally sees you.

and then it rips your throat out.