WK 20 themes: schwarz

16. Crime and punishment

Schuldich stares out at the road, idly wondering how things will end. He is tired of waiting for divine justice to catch up with him; if he had ever taken his name seriously, he has by now ceased to do so. Farfarello believed in sin but received his own happy ending, which for Schuldich is proof enough of guilt’s irrelevance.

There is nothing to be read in Crawford’s expression; Nagi’s face, glimpsed in the rear-view mirror, is just as impassive. The boy, Schuldich thinks, has learnt something from their leader. Schuldich doubts that Nagi still believes in anything but himself.




8. Colours

The difference between Schwarz and Weiss, Nagi thought, was how seriously they took their names. Schwarz was a throwaway name, less identity and more identification. Weiss dealt out what they believed to be justice only so they could think of themselves as fighting to protect something pure.

The aptness of how easily white stains was too obvious for Nagi to find any interest in it, so he did not bother.

He thought it made sense for Takatori Mamoru to have left both Weiss and the moral high ground the name afforded, before he realised that the latter had not happened.




15. Mutation

"Our talents are genetic, technically speaking." Crawford's voice is neutral, indifferent, as though this conversation is merely a way to kill time. It is, in a sense. The blood loss is increasing and Crawford cannot see a way out. ( He has not Seen one, either. ) "If the clones have proven anything, it'd be just that. A convenient mutation in our DNA code - and instead of some fatal disease, we receive a gift."

He pauses, though since the conversation is in his head it makes little difference. "You, of course, don't believe that."

Farfarello smiles, and lets the dying man continue.




12. Binary

On the most basic level, everything in computing reduces itself to a series of binary switches, the eternal yes/no question repeated as required. Nagi likes the clean simplicity of the idea, even if only in theory. He is comfortable with it, the same way he feels at home in the room of stars, familiar keyboard beneath his fingers.

Months after he has left the room behind, he still operates by logic states. So it is hardly a question of right or wrong, when he joins Takatori Mamoru. The choice is there; it is a matter of choosing to take it.