#amoral compass

[inconspicuoushorn1blog]

The post-game failspawn graveyard scene that lived rent-free in my mind. Then they went to the Elfsong and proceeded to lose ten rounds in a row.

Read more about those guys in here if you may... https://archiveofourown.org/works/52946215/chapters/133933714

[vroomian]

Forever mad that the Anita Blake series wasn’t about the adventures of Edward and Anita, platonic life partners, killing things and being so weird about each other >:/

[welcometogrouchland]

What if I proposed the analysis that Belos actually has very little internal moral compass and that his veneer of righteousness has always been implied by the writers to be complete fabricated bullshit even before watching and dreaming basically confirms it.

[tabathajul]

RED

Today you talked to me while wearing a red T-shirt.

For years I´ve been putting all my hatred on that color.

But today, I remembered the color of my blood. I discovered blood still shows on my brown skin cheeks. I felt my heart pounding and screaming: "IM RED TOO".

Now I can´t stop thinking about this feeling, these red butterflies you gave me.

Whatever happens, happens...

But without a doubt, I will be forever grateful for how you transformed my hatred into hope.

[potatoesandsunshine]

thinking about the lords of the wing at this time

[el-diablo-espacial]

Toda vida es importante...🍃

[futurefind]

//smthsmth and the thematic resonance of rea smiling like the sun but it never truly reaching her eyes like ice

[lexotanconghiaccio]

Empatia.

Da un post su Instagram di una pagina sulle malattie croniche: “Non siamo la nostra malattia, e lo conferma il fatto che sia lì come una gabbia che spesso ci prende, intrappolando ciò che siamo.

Non è qualcosa da cui si può scappare e in alcuni momenti diventa così ingombrante da risultare schiacciante. La soluzione ha comunque un suo peso, e pensare a questo tutto insieme lo fa sembrare insormontabile.”

Il peso di un presente che non sento mio, che sento limitante e frustrante;  il disappunto per il riflesso che vedo allo specchio, un’immagine nella quale non mi riconosco, e per tutte le cose che vorrei fare ma che il mio corpo non regge più; la preoccupazione per il futuro, l’ansia per ogni nuovo sintomo, ogni nuovo esame, ogni nuovo farmaco; il lutto per la vita passata, in salute e senza problemi, che non tornerà mai più, e la stanchezza di tutto questo, da ormai cinque anni, tre di semi-digiuno e mal di stomaco quotidiano. E io non sono neanche un’ammalata grave. Non oso pensare quanto deve sentirsi solo e spaventato chi ha problemi più gravi dei miei.

Una patologia cronica ti logora, anche quando non grave, perché è un problema quotidiano, che non ti lascia rilassarti mai. Ma tutto ciò non è comprensibile a chi non lo prova ogni giorno. Anzi, chi non lo prova ti trova lamentoso e debole. E ti dice pure di non pensarci e andartene un po’ al mare (eh, se ne avessi le forze, e se potessi alimentarmi come le persone normali, non dovresti dirmelo tu! Se recupero un po’ di salute, e chi mi ferma più!). Sapeste quanta forza ci vuole per sopportare di stare male ogni giorno!

I deboli siete voi, che di fronte alla sofferenza minimizzate e guardate altrove. Dispensate consigli inutili, o vi lagnate di qualche piccolo disturbo, e poi tornate felici alle vostre cose. La possibilità della malattia spaventa, meglio non pensarci, tanto a me non può succedere. La pensavo anch’io così. Se c’è una cosa che ho notato da quando ho problemi di salute (e anche quando a stare male era mia mamma), è l’assoluta mancanza di empatia da parte del prossimo, il più totale disinteresse, spesso da parte di chi quando eri in salute diceva di volerti bene. Ho trovato l’indisponibilità emotiva e anche pratica. Ho trovato il giudizio, e tanti consigli poco utili, spesso non richiesti e non graditi. Consigli totalmente senza logica. Sarebbe bastato l’ascolto, e la vicinanza, ma la vicinanza vera, non le domande di cortesia su whatsapp, per poi scomparire o attaccare con le proprie lagne inutili. Ho imparato dalla malattia, dalla mia patologia e anche, mio malgrado, dalla sofferenza di mia mamma. Ho imparato a vedere il prossimo, ancora più di quanto facessi prima (sempre stata crocerossina, io). Vedo la gente soffrire, e mi commuovo, e DEVO fare qualcosa per aiutarla. Sennò sto male. Anche solo con qualche parola di conforto o comprensione, anche se spesso, poi, mi sento inappropriata, oppure temo di ferire la sensibilità della persona, e non mi escono frasi decenti. Ieri, poi, ho ricevuto un grande regalo, ho trovato l’empatia che ho spesso desiderato in persone amiche, ma in una persona totalmente estranea. Una persona che lavora a contatto con la sofferenza, e ha provato sulla propria pelle la paura di non farcela, mi ha guardata e mi ha VISTA. “Non stare rassegnata. Lo vedo che sei rassegnata. Ma dobbiamo combattere. Mai arrendersi, se ci arrendiamo è finita, il nostro corpo non reagisce più. Quindi, sii positiva, è fondamentale.” Me lo ha detto pacata, sorridendo dolcemente, come una carezza. Mi sono commossa, e ho dovuto trattenermi per non piangere. Poi sono tornata a casa, e mi sono sentita grata. Mi sono sentita fortunata, stesa sul divano, nella mia bella casa, col mio meraviglioso compagno, dopo aver (non) cenato con la mia famiglia che mi supporta e SOPPORTA costantemente (e che sta perdendo la salute mentale appresso a me), nonostante qualche incomprensione, nonostante ci manchi sempre un pezzo fondamentale. E mi sono resa conto di quanto quelle parole mi avevano fatto bene, mi avevano un po’ guarita. Mi hanno ridato speranza, mi sono detta che, forse, il genere umano non fa ancora completamente schifo, che qualche esemplare si salva. Ce ne fossero di più! Mi piacerebbe fare del bene al prossimo allo stesso modo. Ogni tanto ho considerato di fare volontariato. Fatelo anche voi, non voltatevi dall’altra parte, ognuno di noi soffre per qualcosa. Non siate ciechi, non siate egoisti, non sapete quanto bene potete fare con un solo attimo di comprensione VERA a qualcuno che da tempo sta male. E potrebbe arricchire anche voi.

[inconspicuoushorn1blog]

never bring a Tav to a Durge party.

[bpdshawtys]

Our love; Inevitably spoiled through the universe, It's given us everything we wanted, love & joy, a son who's brought us togetherness.. "love isnt random we are chosen."

Everything we have is everything we need. It will always be this way my love.

Company is everything, nothing materialistic will ever measure to our love & time spent together.. spent physically together with love, food, music, laughter & joy. All can be bought but not our love, we built this together through our experience & our love for each other.. Your presence has always and will always be all I need want & love baby. If I can express how deep my love goes for you then I'd just have to explain it this way; whenever you're gone I feel less of a whole, although I am still very much a whole person sitting here by myself or with our son, all I can feel is that you are not here, gone somewhere else & I worry, I know you're still here, with us. You, me & everyone under the same sky, under the same moon & sun. It's given me much company in itself because I can feel the presence of the universe, but there's this fear of loss.. if you were actually gone, never coming back, etc, etc. I pray to the Lord, please Lord bring him back safe, Lord don't let anything bad happen to my love, please follow him watch over him and protect him from harms way, protect hin from evil, don't allow him to be decived, don't allow him to fall into trouble, please protect him, bring him home safe and sound. Amen 🙏❤️

This is how I typically pray for my loved ones; if not pryaing I try my best to remind them of my love through direct verbal affirmations towards them..

I'm not sure what to write in the post or how to present it but here it is, a dipictipn of love, a sliver of our experience of love; here he is, mi amor, the best fiance, the best partner & father to our son. You are my everything amazing love. 👏❤️✨️🥰

[herewecanrest]

I love you. I'm sorry if you didn't know that,

but, I love you. You could come and go,

I'll be here, there,

anywhere for you. If this is as close as you need me,

this is as close as I'll be

And when your days feel numbered,

when your hear is in a pit,

I hope that you remember that I LOVE YOU. As long as I stand

and as long as you are you,

you will always have somebody who could say:

I love you.

[many-shades-of-violence]

reacting to their s/o being pregnant I Corazon, Doflamingo, Law, Smoker, Sabo, Ace, Kid

Corazon, the gentle and caring soul he is, would notice subtle changes in your behavior and appearance before you even realized you're pregnant.

He'd probably start by making your favorite meal or fetching things you might need without even asking. Not because he knows exactly what's going on, but because his maternal instincts are subconsciously strong.

One day, he returned from work to find you asleep in his feather coat, nestled on your shared bed with a positive pregnancy test on the sideboard. Shocked, he slipped, inadvertently waking you up. As you opened your eyes, you saw the tall giant on his buttocks in front of the bed, all teary-eyed.

He'd approach you with a sweet smile and a gentle touch, hugging you in a warm embrace and assuring you that he's there for you no matter what.

"Mi amor, you've given me the greatest gift of all. I promise to be by your side every step of this journey, just as you've been by mine."

Doflamingo's reaction might be a bit unexpected. He's not known for his compassion, but the news would still surprise him since he's always keen on protection.

He'd likely raise an eyebrow and give a smirk at the news, questioning you with his signature teasing tone, "Well, well, how unexpected. Don't tell me you forgot your pill on purpose."

Despite his initial demeanor, he'd keep a close eye on you, ensuring your comfort and well-being, even if he doesn't openly express it. Despite trusting Diamante and Trebol with his life, he would keep them at an arm's length away from you.

His soft side might manifest through subtle actions like providing comfort during late-night cravings, secretly getting things you wish for, or wrapping you in his pink feather coat.

"Well, well, well, it seems life has thrown us an interesting curveball. Don't think I'm going soft now, but I'll make sure you're taken care of. After all, I wouldn't want anything to happen to the future ruler of Dressrosa."

Law, with his cool and collected exterior, might take a moment to process the news before his emotions catch up. He had already guessed what was up from your antsy behavior and Bepo telling him about your frequent late-night kitchen visits, but reality hit differently.

He'd likely pause, his gaze softening as he looks at you nervously biting your lip, almost certain he would react with disdain. Instead, a small, genuine smile would grace his lips, before he placed his hat on your head and embraced you in a warm hug, reassuring you of his stance.

Not much phased by obstetrics, he would start researching everything about pregnancy and childbirth, wanting to be as informed as possible to support you. Naturally, he would deliver the baby himself, his Room providing a secure and painless environment for you. He's too protective to let anyone else handle it.

While he might not show it outwardly, he'd be incredibly protective and make sure your needs are met, especially health-wise. Regular check-ups are a must, and if Shachi and Penguin annoy you, they can be sure to experience some rearranged limbs.

"You're amazing, you know that? I'm not sure I'm quite fit to be a father, but if we're going to navigate this together, I promise to do everything in my power to ensure you and the baby are safe and healthy. We've got this."

Smoker would show a mix of surprise and concern upon hearing the news, his gruff exterior cracking just a bit.

He´d ask questions related to your health, ensuring that you're taking proper care of yourselves. He'd be on high alert, especially since he tends to smoke heavily.

As time goes on, he'd soften around the edges, finding himself more attentive and willing to offer help and assistance, even quitting smoking around you.

He might not express his emotions openly, but his actions would speak volumes, like quietly making sure you don't overexert yourselves or subtly rearranging your environment for safety.

"I never planned for something like this, but just know I've got your back. Make sure you're taking care of yourself, and if you need anything, don't hesitate to ask. I'll be keeping a close eye on you."

Sabo's reaction would likely be a mix of joy and a hint of nervousness, as he'd want to ensure the best for you and the baby.

He'd start leaving cute notes or small gifts for you, showing his excitement in his own sweet way.

Sabo would take on the role of an unofficial cheerleader, always ready to provide you encouragement and reassurance.

He'd also engage in deep conversations with you about your future as parents and what you envision for your family. Luffy, Ace, and Koala would often visit and assist you with whatever you need.

"I can't even express how happy and blessed I feel right now. You and our baby mean everything to me. Let's face this adventure together, with all the love and support we need."

Ace would be the embodiment of enthusiasm and excitement, immediately hugging you and spinning you around in a joyful embrace.

He'd become even more attentive than usual, constantly checking in on you and asking if you need anything.

Given his troubled childhood and strained relationship with his own dad, he might face phases of doubt. However, if you have his back as much as he does during his enthusiastic phases, you'll quickly pull him out of it.

You can bet he'd be doing research on how to be the best dad, and he'd share interesting and quirky facts he found on the internet.

He'd proudly proclaim the news to Luffy, Ace, and Garp, and he'd be the one organizing a surprise baby shower with Marco's help.

"I still can't believe all of this. We're going to be parents! I promise to make our family life full of love and appreciation. Just trust me on this."

Kid's reaction might be a mix of surprise and a bit of concern about how this new development might affect his life plans.

However, as time goes on, he'd find himself growing more attached to the idea of becoming a parent.

He'd be the one to plan practical things like ensuring the home is baby-proofed and preparing for the baby's arrival in a pragmatic way.

Slowly, his tough exterior would soften, and he'd become more openly supportive and affectionate towards you, showing that he's fully invested in this new chapter of your lives.

"Honestly, I didn't see that coming, but I'm not one to shy away from challenges. We're in this together, and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure you and the baby are safe. You can count on me."

[intermundia]

"Anakin's relationship with Palpatine eclipses his relationship with Obi-Wan," Christensen remarks. "But he doesn't really have a clear devotion to one or the other. Anakin as he will be played is—I don't want to say naïve, but his belief system is still open. He still isn't exactly set in his devotion to the Jedi or to Palpatine. He is looking to see how he can get more power, but his ideas of good and evil are not black and white."

reading about hayden's understanding of anakin's psychology in revenge of the sith is so illuminating. his fall is not about his moral convictions or about loyalty to a mentor. he's selfishly looking for ways to increase his own power to resist change, without regard for any ethical boundaries, he simply doesn't care about that. he's apolitical, amoral; it's all about what he wants.

anakin just doesn't love obi-wan and the jedi more than he loves being important and having control over the world around him. he doesn't love freedom or justice more than he loves license to do and have whatever he wants. it's really what makes him so dangerous, such a malleable weapon to be wielded. he doesn't have ethical boundaries or convictions to keep him steady.

lacking firm definition of what is good and what is evil allows anakin to redefine those terms to suit his needs. it's what allows him to kill innocents and still not think of himself as evil. it's what allows him to tell obi-wan that the jedi are evil, despite it being an obvious self-delusion. he's lost because his moral compass doesn't point north, but spins freely to face whatever he wants.

[littjara-mirrorlake]

The Color of Hope: Ambition, Necromancy, and Black Mana

Black is one of the most misunderstood colors in Magic: the Gathering, not least because it appears on the surface to be so straightforward. Look at the most iconic black cards of Magic and you'll see deals with demons, necromancy, mass destruction and cruelty and suffering–the trappings of classic fantasy evil. Even the color's symbol itself is a skull, a universal signifier of death and danger.

And in early Magic that seemed to be all it was. White was the color of Fantasy Good, black was the color of Fantasy Evil, and the rest of the colors were... fire magic? Elves? Whatever odd but intriguing skeleton affairs are implied by Time Walk?

Gradually, though, Magic deepened as both a game and a storytelling medium. The color pie grew into itself as a system of complementary philosophies, archetypes whose associated aesthetics were only part of the full picture. Their arrangement around the wheel, below, is highly deliberate; neighboring colors are said to be allies with a high degree of philosophical and mechanical overlap, while colors on opposite sides of the pie are known as enemies, more likely to disagree on fundamental levels.

Black stopped merely representing capital E Evil and became the color of striving for power; unlike its peers, black felt that nothing, least of all morality, could prevent it from seizing what it wanted. Mark Rosewater's 2015 article about black emphasized the color's focus on the self:

"Black's philosophy is very simple: There's no one better suited to look after your own interests than you... Many costs require the sacrifice of others for your own advancement. Because it puts itself first, black is always willing to make this trade. The weak must fall for the strong to thrive." -Mark Rosewater

At its worst, black is an exploitative, amoral color that prioritizes itself at the expense of all others, allowing the "weak" to fall and scorning the very idea of compassion. Rosewater writes that black is "always willing" to trade others for itself. And these can certainly be parts of black's philosophy, when taken to its worst possible extremes, but they're far from the entire story.

Over time, Magic's outlook on black gained nuance. Magic story introduced protagonists like the necromancer Liliana Vess, whose craving for immortality, seemingly exploitative nature, and demonic deals called back to the oldest portrayals of black–and yet she was not one-dimensionally evil. She underwent character development over the years, learning the value of reclaiming herself and standing beside others, and at no point did she become any less mono-black for it. Remember her; we will come back to Liliana and her story later.

In addition to the usual death and decay, black cards began to feature a theme of relentless devotion. On the plane of Eldraine where each color represents a virtue, black's is persistence, explicitly as important as any other color. On the plane of Ikoria, the love between bonder and beast pulls Winota back from the brink of death. Wherever this Oathsworn Vampire printing is set, its flavor text is quintessentially black. It's the same self-driven attitude as before, but cast in a different light: black is nothing if not persistent when it's got its heart set on something (or someone) it cares about. Nothing, least of all the grave, will keep it down. After all, black will always come back for its own.

These newer cards uncovered the true face of black as a color capable of both great love and harm (sometimes even the latter for the sake of the former), and suggested a tantalizing new thread: perhaps putting yourself and yours first isn't all that bad, necessarily. Black is a deeply protective color; it says you don't just have to accept what you're handed, it's okay even to be furious about it (hello, ally color red), but let that galvanize you to do something about it. 

Vraska, a gorgon who faces extreme discrimination on her home plane of Ravnica, triumphs by reclaiming herself, gorgon powers and all–and even more radically, loving herself. She displays traits often considered the purview of white and green, such as a love of home and a drive to elevate the oppressed, but they are all filtered through the lens of her black alignment. Vraska staunchly refuses to deny herself or her people, the Golgari Swarm, of their value. Nor does she allow law or propriety to prevent her from championing them by any means necessary–even if that means cold-blooded murder, or aligning herself with a villain like the Planeswalker Nicol Bolas.

"[Vraska] thought of Mazirek, of the kraul, of the rest of the Ochran assassins and the malignant Jarad who reigned with casual ruin over the most downtrodden of the downtrodden. She remembered her years of isolation, and the heinous cruelty of the Azorius, and how no group deserved to suffer as much as those who would subjugate her own. Eliminating that hell was all she ever wanted." -The Talented Captain Vraska, Alison Luhrs

Like Vraska, black loves fierce and hard, willing to break any taboo for the sake of those it cares about. And it whispers, the entire way through, you are enough. You deserve better. No matter what others may say or do, you are enough.

"If I am to be met with disrespect, then I must first love myself with a fierceness no fool can take away." -Vraska in Pride of the Kraul, Alison Luhrs

Even black's "ruthlessness" isn't as fundamentally cruel as it appears, centering a passion for problem-solving (shared by its other ally blue) instead of a blunt disregard for others.

"People don’t understand the word ruthless. They think it means 'mean.' It’s not about being mean. It’s about seeing the bright, clear line that leads from A to B. The line that goes from motive to means. Beginning to end. It’s about seeing that bright, clear line and not caring about anything but the beautiful fact that you can see the solution. Not caring about anything else but the perfection of it." -K. A. Applegate

All of this comes together to make a black a color not of evil but of strength, integrity, and persistence. And that's all well and good, but I'm going to take it even further and put forward a new proposition: that black is the color of hope.

Of the nine mono-black Magic cards with "hope" in their names, all but Liliana portray black as an instrument of hope's destruction. This is, once again, black's flaw taken to its extreme–crushing others to achieve its own ends–but neglects black's own relationship with hope.

Black, more than any other color, requires hope to stay alive.

For black to persist, it must believe in a light at the end of the tunnel, a future in which its goals are realized. As long as it does, it will endure any hardship, walk through fire, and turn reality itself upside down on its way there. Primal, desperate ambition is the engine of hope that burns at the heart of black, keeping it always one step ahead of stagnation. Bitter and stubborn, black believes tomorrow will come because there is no other choice. After all, for black to relinquish hope is to let itself wither, regress, and die–an unacceptable outcome. 

Thus, it is monumentally difficult to strip black of hope. That only makes it all the more crushing when it happens, when black contends with the idea that there is nothing it can do.

Black's deepest, darkest fear is helplessness.

Like any mono-black character, Liliana Vess is driven at her core by a seething, desperate hope. When Liliana first unlocks her necromantic power, it is out of a sheer refusal to allow her ill brother Josu to die, even when the esis root that would cure him is destroyed by enemy witches in an undead-raising ritual. She defies her previous training as a healer, which taught her only to take the safe path, in favor of a higher-risk and higher-reward approach: stealing life from the witches themselves to restore power to the esis root she needs. It is her knowledge that her brother needs her, and her sheer stubborn will to succeed, which allows her to defeat the witches against steep odds.

"Six foes, and Liliana stood alone. But Josu's life depended on her, and the power blossoming within her was more than enough." -Liliana's Origin: The Fourth Pact, James Wyatt

Tragically, however, Liliana's attempted cure goes horrifically wrong, transforming Josu into an undead being plagued by eternal suffering. In his pain, Josu attacks Liliana. For a while Liliana holds out hope, finding the power to fight back while she determinedly searches for a spell to reverse the harm she's done. It is when she realizes this isn't possible that her strength falters.

"All this time, she had believed… that she could turn the power of death to the service of life and health. That a healer should use every tool at her disposal. But Josu was the result, a horrible fusion of life and death, and all her spells meant to manipulate the life force of the living could do nothing to harm the dead." -The Fourth Pact

Liliana learns that even her own dark magic, fueled by determination, cannot solve the problem she's created. She discovers the hard limit of her willpower, and the despair of this discovery is what causes her Planeswalker spark to ignite.

At this time Planeswalkers are as gods, immortal and near-omnipotent. Liliana spends decades enjoying this affirmation of her capability before the Mending strips her and all her peers of their power, reducing them once again to mortal mages.

"Then the Multiverse reshaped itself, robbing her—and every other Planeswalker—of the godlike power they once had wielded. Some called it the Mending, as if something broken had been repaired, but to Liliana, it seemed the opposite. It broke her beyond any hope of repair." -The Fourth Pact

Once again, it is Liliana's fear of helplessness and her refusal to accept it that drives her to push beyond the bounds of propriety–this time, to make a pact with Nicol Bolas and four demons to maintain her immortality. It is not enough for her merely to delay death; she requires the security of knowing she is fully beyond its reach, that she will never be helpless before it again as she was with Josu.

"Holding death at arm's length for whatever years are left to me? No, that's not enough. I want to be free of its shadow." -Liliana in The Fourth Pact

Black isn't like its enemy colors white and green, which are superficially associated far more often with hope. Unlike white, it doesn't believe that conviction, justice, and community will bring about rightness. Unlike green, it doesn't trust in the wisdom of the world or the natural order. Black believes that nothing will change unless you make it change; ultimately, black's self is the only one it can trust to bring about the world it needs. In addition, black lacks its enemies' idealism. Instead, it strives to be a pragmatic realist, making a final assessment of defeat all the more definite and crushing.

While white and green are more amenable to finding hope and holding it aloft as a banner, black claws hope desperately to its chest with shredded, bloody fingernails. Every ounce of hope black has, it tore by itself from the clutches of an uncaring world.

Ironically for such a self-driven color, black's fierce hope is the greatest asset it can provide to others–on its own terms, of course. It was Liliana who turned the tide of battle against the Eldrazi titan Emrakul, defiant in the face of cosmic despair. And when Nicol Bolas made his bid to return to godhood, using Liliana's necromancy to command his undead hordes, Liliana finally turned against him. In reclaiming her power, so too did she use it to free her fellow Planeswalkers from Bolas' assault. Her fear of helplessness no longer shackled her to him; agency and autonomy were hers at last.

The triumph of black, its moment of ultimate victory, is the hard-won fulfillment of its hope.

"Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." -Dylan Thomas

An aetherborn, railing against the shortness of their natural lifespan, constructs a new body for themself with their own bare hands. An artificer's grief over her lost companion causes her to push invention to its limits. A young girl who loves her brother calls on the darkest of powers to save him. As it turns out, necromancy–that original thematic keystone of black–is only one of black's many, many refusals to let go of love and hope once it has them, even in the face of the ultimate end.

Time and time again, black–in love with life, ablaze with hope–looks the Grim Reaper in the eye and tells it: "Not today."

[nellasbookplanet]

I've been thinking about Mollymauk, as I'm periodically wont to do, and the fandom discussion about him as a moral compass. Because the interesting thing here is, Molly wasn’t a very moral character. He was an unrepentant scammer. He had no respect for interpersonal boundaries and would deliberately push and break them. Generally, he was an asshole. As far as actually having a strong moral stance I would say Fjord was the standout of early m9, and to some extent Beau.

But here’s the thing: almost all of early m9 thought of themselves as horrible people. Fjord had been bullied so bad growing up that he still dealt with self-hate from it, and now suffered from survivor's guilt to boot. Caleb had killed his own parents. Beau, while she hated her dad, also had internalized self-hate and on some level thought she’d been such a shitty daughter she deserved his treatment. Nott was stuck in a body she considered monstrous. Yasha had survivor's guilt and knew she’d done bad things in her blank spots. Even when they did good, they didn’t think of themselves as good. Most of them were suspicious and asocial and faced the world with the same kind of distrust they expected to be (and were experienced in being) met with. (Jester was an exception, an agent of neither good nor bad but of amoral chaos)

But Molly was different. He was outspoken about loving life and people. He wanted to spread joy, even to people he didnt know or had even met: he slipped coin into people's pockets, hid a silver in a tree just so some stranger would one day be happy to find it. He openly cared for the party early on; was one of the first to step in and help Caleb when he went catatonic in battle. Above all, Molly had rules: where everyone else would agonize over what was the right or wrong or smart thing to do, Molly loudly proclaimed we don't leave people behind, and we leave every place better than we found it.

But the thing about Molly’s rules was, they were largely a cover. While the rest of the m9 thought they were bad even as they did good, Molly thought of himself as good even as he did bad. He scammed people, but made it a good and memorable experience, therefore thinking he gave more than he took. He charmed Nott and Fjord without consent, and when confronted would claim it was to help them. Out of the group, Beau saw through this, not because she was a better person but because she was a cynic. She saw that he caused harm, just as she did, and was personally affronted that he still thought of himself as good and tried to leave people happy, whereas she deliberately left every place worse than she found it.

I see Molly as a moral compass of the group not because he was actually any more moral than them, but because they made him their template. He was joy and brightness and he died trying to save them because it was the right thing to do, and they all chose to honor him by emulating his rules more than Molly himself ever did, because to them it was more than just a cover, backed up by genuine moral thought and discussion rather than small gestures. He taught them that it was possible to be kind of a shit person and still be good, to still love yourself and others. The idealized Molly they created never existed, and finally died for good when they resurrected him in the end and were met with a stranger, who they welcomed with the same love and care they would've expected Molly to show them.