Liliana Vess (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
deathsmajesty) wrote in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png)
fandomhigh2026-03-05 04:04 am
deathsmajesty) wrote in fandomhigh2026-03-05 04:04 am
Entry tags:
Philosophies of Mana (Extended Edition), Thursday Per 3
Another day, another new topic and new location. This time, the class found themselves sitting amongst the clouds--quite literally. They were perched on a long, arcing skybridge that rose up into the sky past the cloudline. To either side, they could see more bridges making their way through the sky. All the bridges converged at one point: a giant stadium hundreds of stories tall, the two statues that stood outside the entrance visible even from this distance. Closer to their spot, was the omnipresent cushions and blankets to sit on, and the whiteboard showing the five mana symbols. This time, there was a line drawn between blue and white.
"Welcome to Kylem," she said, sounding fond. "That stadium there is Valor's Reach, a gladiatorial arena where individuals travel from all over to test their martial prowess in - usually - non-lethal combat. For wealth, for glory...and, honestly, it's a great deal of fun."
She would know, being a several time Grand Champion. Of course.
"But first, mana pairings. Today we're discussing blue and white; I said two weeks ago that allied color pairs grow their identities from their similarities, and enemy color pairs are defined at their core by their differences. The easiest way to get a grip on the an allied pair's similarities is to look at the enemy they have in common. White's enemies are red and black, while blue's are red and green. So, to best understand the color pairing of blue and white, we should look to why they're both enemies with red. So, what do we know about red? We know it's impulsive, unpredictable, spontaneous. It loves freedom, hates rules and restraint, and is very impatient, focused entirely on the short term. Both blue and white see red's outlook as dangerous. Red is too aggressive and independent for white's emphasis on people acting for the good of society, and it's too impulsive for blue's strategizing, and makes abrupt, foolish choices that interfere with blue's desire to maximize the potential. Both blue and white want to control red, make it calmer, more thoughtful, less rash. And therefore, what we have is what the blue/white pairing is known for best: the concept of restraint.
"Blue and white is not a fast pairing. It is slow, methodical, with a deep emphasis on tactics and maximizing the efficacy of all of its resources. In the beginning, it is often tentative and careful; with feints and bluffs to see how their opponents will respond, evaluating that data, and then making decisions based upon that information. This pairing focused on building the plan with the greatest long-term chance of success, figuring out where they want to end up and then iterating on each step that must be taken to accomplish their chosen task. As I said, this makes white and blue slow, reactive, and very focused on details, but almost unstoppable if their plans are left unchecked.
"Because while the concept of restraint is often taken to mean self-restraint - which, indeed, a blue and white pairing would have in spades - this pairing also excels at restraining others. One of its main weapons is control, taking away the enemies' options before they have a chance to strike. You don't have to worry what your enemy is capable of if you've taken away anything they could possibly do or use against you. In this way, they can slowly work their way to the bright future that both blue and white are constantly striving for: a world of peace and perfection, where everyone is able to maximize their potential while working towards the betterment of society."
Usually through mountains of paperwork.
"However, this does not mean that blue and white are idyllic; both colors believe strongly in rules, and blue/white is especially good at forcing those rules and regulations on everybody around them, regardless of what other people might think about that. It is also slow and ponderous, everything takes forever to happen, because first blue/white must double check each bylaw, then fill out all the forms in triplicate, and then follow the appropriate chain of command upwards. It's strictly hierarchical, which can promote blindness to things outside of one's own specialty, and even foster a sense of enforced helplessness, where people keep pushing decisions onto others because it's out of their wheelhouse. This can be disastrous in a true crisis, where swift and decisive action is required, but everything gets tangled up in bureaucracy.
"And, finally, while it is very easy to see where white and blue are similar, it is important to note their differences as well. This time, the best way to find that is to look to their other allies: black and blue and green and white. So how do green and black differ? Black is all about free will and individualism, while green believes in destiny and interconnectedness. Therefore, we see the differences between blue and white as tension between those ideas. White, like its ally green, believes that everyone has a role to play in society, and, for the good of society, they should remain there selflessly, regardless of their own wants and desires; white's take on destiny and interconnectedness. Blue, on the other hand, believes that every individual has agency and control over their own actions, which they should spend on perfecting themselves, which will, in turn, lead to perfecting their surroundings; their take on black's free will and individuality. So, together, blue/white will struggle to properly define where a person's duty to their society ends and their duty to themself begins, how much control over their own life and future each person should have, versus how they should be bound by the good of the group." Liliana couldn't help but grin. "Blue/white working in harmony is a marvel of peaceful productivity; blue/white at odds with each other gets spicy."
"Welcome to Kylem," she said, sounding fond. "That stadium there is Valor's Reach, a gladiatorial arena where individuals travel from all over to test their martial prowess in - usually - non-lethal combat. For wealth, for glory...and, honestly, it's a great deal of fun."
She would know, being a several time Grand Champion. Of course.
"But first, mana pairings. Today we're discussing blue and white; I said two weeks ago that allied color pairs grow their identities from their similarities, and enemy color pairs are defined at their core by their differences. The easiest way to get a grip on the an allied pair's similarities is to look at the enemy they have in common. White's enemies are red and black, while blue's are red and green. So, to best understand the color pairing of blue and white, we should look to why they're both enemies with red. So, what do we know about red? We know it's impulsive, unpredictable, spontaneous. It loves freedom, hates rules and restraint, and is very impatient, focused entirely on the short term. Both blue and white see red's outlook as dangerous. Red is too aggressive and independent for white's emphasis on people acting for the good of society, and it's too impulsive for blue's strategizing, and makes abrupt, foolish choices that interfere with blue's desire to maximize the potential. Both blue and white want to control red, make it calmer, more thoughtful, less rash. And therefore, what we have is what the blue/white pairing is known for best: the concept of restraint.
"Blue and white is not a fast pairing. It is slow, methodical, with a deep emphasis on tactics and maximizing the efficacy of all of its resources. In the beginning, it is often tentative and careful; with feints and bluffs to see how their opponents will respond, evaluating that data, and then making decisions based upon that information. This pairing focused on building the plan with the greatest long-term chance of success, figuring out where they want to end up and then iterating on each step that must be taken to accomplish their chosen task. As I said, this makes white and blue slow, reactive, and very focused on details, but almost unstoppable if their plans are left unchecked.
"Because while the concept of restraint is often taken to mean self-restraint - which, indeed, a blue and white pairing would have in spades - this pairing also excels at restraining others. One of its main weapons is control, taking away the enemies' options before they have a chance to strike. You don't have to worry what your enemy is capable of if you've taken away anything they could possibly do or use against you. In this way, they can slowly work their way to the bright future that both blue and white are constantly striving for: a world of peace and perfection, where everyone is able to maximize their potential while working towards the betterment of society."
Usually through mountains of paperwork.
"However, this does not mean that blue and white are idyllic; both colors believe strongly in rules, and blue/white is especially good at forcing those rules and regulations on everybody around them, regardless of what other people might think about that. It is also slow and ponderous, everything takes forever to happen, because first blue/white must double check each bylaw, then fill out all the forms in triplicate, and then follow the appropriate chain of command upwards. It's strictly hierarchical, which can promote blindness to things outside of one's own specialty, and even foster a sense of enforced helplessness, where people keep pushing decisions onto others because it's out of their wheelhouse. This can be disastrous in a true crisis, where swift and decisive action is required, but everything gets tangled up in bureaucracy.
"And, finally, while it is very easy to see where white and blue are similar, it is important to note their differences as well. This time, the best way to find that is to look to their other allies: black and blue and green and white. So how do green and black differ? Black is all about free will and individualism, while green believes in destiny and interconnectedness. Therefore, we see the differences between blue and white as tension between those ideas. White, like its ally green, believes that everyone has a role to play in society, and, for the good of society, they should remain there selflessly, regardless of their own wants and desires; white's take on destiny and interconnectedness. Blue, on the other hand, believes that every individual has agency and control over their own actions, which they should spend on perfecting themselves, which will, in turn, lead to perfecting their surroundings; their take on black's free will and individuality. So, together, blue/white will struggle to properly define where a person's duty to their society ends and their duty to themself begins, how much control over their own life and future each person should have, versus how they should be bound by the good of the group." Liliana couldn't help but grin. "Blue/white working in harmony is a marvel of peaceful productivity; blue/white at odds with each other gets spicy."