I never trusted characters in stories -- and reality, as a result -- that claim to be totally righteous and demand you never listen to or "get corrupted by" some other force.

Was just reading a story recently where someone says this creature someone talked to looked pretty and sounded like she cared, but that just made her more dangerous a demon convincing people away.

If it's so easy to convince people away from "the faith", sometimes makes me question "the faith".

Like, when I talk about fascists, I kinda know their language. I avoid talking when I have no reason to assume good faith. I can at least listen first.

Like with "demons".

If the demons are very intelligent, they might have a reason to be the way they are.

If they can't help being evil, I'd consider them someone with a natural disorder; they can't help being the way they are. Maybe we can't be on friendly terms, but I can at least try to draw some boundaries, and only when those boundaries are continually crossed would I totally distance myself from such a being.

I have some experience with finding demons aren't all they seem, really -- or at least en entity that identifies as a demon. Also many that used to, and then found their true forms outside of their self-hate.

@Ulfra_Wolfe this is much of what I dislike with nu-Star Wars; The whole Light Side / Dark Side manichean divide is even more stark and has even less room for shades of grey than the EU did (the sheer breadth of authors meant there was a lot of room for perspectives).

[This post sponsored by the fact I get a chance to use the word 'manichean' in conversation]

@GlitchyDragon @Ulfra_Wolfe hm, that's not good to hear...I haven't watched anything past "Force Awakens" (which I liked)

@kara_dreamer @GlitchyDragon The prequels were definitely horrid for that, tho. Like how Anakin goes anxiety-filled to killing children as if there was no real divide.

@Ulfra_Wolfe @kara_dreamer I agree! The whole Anakin arc in all the prequel material is gross.

He is taken from his mother to be raised in what is quite definitely a cult with some very destructive/repressive ideas, repeatedly told he's the Chosen One who will bring Great Change & trained in the tools to, but also kept with very little agency.

Ofc he latches onto the first mentor-figure who gives him a chance to get away from that & choose for himself. -.-

@GlitchyDragon @kara_dreamer I'd like a story where it's revealed the Dark Side has a legit viewpoint that isn't just "kill everyone ambitiously" but like, "Look, we have legit grievances, and we can lead you to power that actually can help you" laced with toxic ideas that can then be questioned and resulting in complex feelings between individuals even if the "cult" feels differently.