#where is your basic empathy towards civilians now

[werewolves-are-real]

Go fuck yourself anon

This morning I received an extremely condescending ask, where an anonymous person said they were heartbroken by my recent 'pro-Israel' posts and could not in good conscience engage with my works until I learned to have 'empathy.'

I immediately deleted it, because it was idiotic. But here's the thing: I don't usually post about the war. So then I started thinking about what I posted recently that might be viewed as pro-Israel. And now I'm mad.

Here is a list of posts that might be CONSTRUED as pro-Israel (by this person) starting from most recent back to Oct. 7th:

-A post joking about a misspelled 'happy Hanukkah' greeting

-A post about different types of menorahs

-A post talking about a Philedelphia-based Jewish man who was targeted by violent rioters for the crime of.... donating to a civilian-led non-profit that provides free medical services to Israel.

-A post about misconceptions over the names of places in Israel, and how the Hebrew words are fucking old and basically have nothing to do with colonialism regardless of what you think about the war.

-A post condemning the denial of Hamas rape victims, because Hamas are terrorists, regardless of anything else you might believe about the war,

-A post talking about what zionism actually means, historically, since it's kinda a relevant issue and some people use it improperly.

-A post also talking about the definition of genocide.

-A silly posts about Jewish prayer emojis

-A post which I will quote here, actually:

-A post about biased media coverage.

-A post about a Jewish journalist who feels unsafe.

-A post calling out people for only caring NOW, and only getting angry at Israel, rather than – for example – neighboring Egypt refusing to open the border. Because people love hating Israel without figuring out why.

-Another post by Jewish people alarmed by how VIOLENT people are getting toward them.

-A post again pointing out that you can think both Israel and Hamas are doing bad things, actually.

-A post where I lament that I can't post the next chapter of Without Reason because it included a scene with a synagogue and there's no way I can post it without people assuming it's some sort of commentary on the war.

-A post I can't rapidly summarize but that basically criticizes people being callous and, again, anti-semitic while pretending anti-semitism doesn't exist.

That's it, that's all I can find in a quick search since Oct. 7th. You might notice that none of these are really explicitly pro-Israel. In fact, most of them aren't about Israel at all, and they certainly don't demonize Palestine. So what I'm gathering is that this anon is deeply hurt by my posts about *checks notes* – Jewish holidays, Jewish terminology, and rising anti-semitism.

And a desire for people to calm down and use nuance in their discussions, which I guess is scary to some folks.

My most recent posts are about the holidays. If you cannot read a 'happy hanukkah' message without conflating your political anger – about a war on the other side of the world - with anger toward all Jewish people, I am asking you to examine YOUR lack of empathy, and particularly why it does not extend toward Jews.

And if you don't want to 'engage with my work,' great! I don't write to entertain anti-semites :) So get the fuck away from me.

[voxofthevoid]

Hey, Ukrainian follower here. Big fan of your goyuu works, they are delightful 😊. A bit weird to introduce myself like that especially with such sensitive topic I'd like to bring on here, but I couldn't help myself when I stumbled upon this weird interaction between you and the anonymous person, who wrote that hell of a text about being against Russians on ao3 and you being anti-censorship regardless of what is discussed (at least that what I've got from it, correct me If, I'm wrong), then scrolled to the post about Ficbook just to understand the context. While both of you went really harsh on each other, I think it does bring an interesting perspective on that matter in general. See, I'm a little bit torn between "ban privileged russians from everywhere" and "no content should be banned, if we want to live in a democratic world". I try to be open-minded towards civilians in Russia, even if sometimes it's a very hard thing to do, because I can speak Russian and I see pro-war channels on Telegram cheering on bombing children cancer hospital with thousands of comments supporting that, even among younger generations (and no, those are NOT bots unfortunately and it's honestly heartbreaking). I kinda see what that person tried to convey in your anon requests - that basically every Russian content creator is essentially a thief (?) or pro-war supporter, thus should not be allowed to have a platform, which is a big stretch in my opinion. On the other hand, I fail to understand and completely agree with your anti-censorship point, too, because Russia is a country that build itself historically on a imperialistic basis, culturally appropriate and conquer indigenous peoples culture and traditions of Central Asia and Far-East. So, essentially, it's not really Russians, who are silenced, nor their culture, but people who are still fighting for their independence: Crimean Tatars, Chechens, Belarussians, Ukrainians included. We should not support a state, that basically has the permission from the whole world to do such awful things and I personally think it's okay to separate yourself from it by any means necessary. Another problem with censorship is that by now even the most liberal anti-war Russians are no longer active, oppression got to the point where the entire topic about Russian invasion in multiple countries is no longer discussed and now it's just silence. My Russian moots are no longer in contact with me or acting like nothing is happening anymore. They chose to keep on living their ordinary life, while soldiers of their country bombing my hometown every day, but I am not allowed to mute/block/censor it, because any form of censorship is bad? It's really hard to judge from far away, and I get it, but the nuisances in such matters are really important. It's a shame, really, that we live in such times, where authoritarian states are now more common and have more support each day, but it's important to not lose our heads and empathy towards struggles of the real people. I have no ill-feelings towards Russian civilians, who just want to share their art and fanfiction on whatever existing platform, but for me it got to the point of no return I'm afraid, and I don't feel anything towards those people at all. Russian language with each passing day associates with more violence and misery and it's really frustrating or more like a reality check, when not all people think that way. Honestly, I experienced a catharsis while writing this, so If you're still reading it, I just want to thank you for your time and patience to read another monstrosity of a text from your random reader. Regardless of your stance, I respect your work and admiration for art and creativity. I hope your inner kindness towards people will last much longer, than mine, unfortunately, did. Have a great day!

Yo 👋

Honestly, I have no idea where that other anon came from or how they found me. They're 100% certainly not one of my followers, and the post they were talking about is a reblog essentially informing people that Ficbook has been banned in Russia and that Wattpad has been banned in Turkey. The other anon apparently took issue with the final reblog encouraging Russians to migrate to Ao3. They also helpfully came back and showed that it's not that they care about queer people or the sanctity of Ao3 or whatever.

My personal feelings toward Russia as a state is the same as yours, though I'm geographically and culturally too removed from the situation to be affected the way you are. And I am genuinely sorry about the horrific things you're going through, for what it's worth.

You're allowed to mute or block or entirely avoid anything you don't want to see; that's not censorship in any sense. A person enforcing their personal boundaries and ensuring their comfort does not amount to censorship in any way. Similarly, if you were to create a fanfiction archive and disallow Russians or Russian-language works, that would also be well within your rights.

State censorship is a different beast, regardless of who's the target. I live in a country where that's rampant, and while it's not to the extent of, say, China, it's still pretty bad and getting worse, so I have been seeing my entire life what happens when the government is allowed to censor things for the apparent moral good. It's not the privileged majority that gets fucked over, it's the marginalized, always: women, queer people, racial minorities, etc.

I will always be staunchly against state censorship regardless of the country and the target. That's all.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts on this, and I'm glad getting it out could be a form of catharsis for you.

Take care ❤️

[the-sprog]

@descriptivepessimism-daa tagging you because I'm using your comment to elaborate because I've been enabled and you don't understand how many ideas I have about these people.

YEs and it's not even that Conan is like ninja-level stealth or something. It's more that he mastered the art of being an annoying child. The issue is that he overshoots and everything is based on his perception of what a 6yo is like. And he is... so wrong XD not only based on what we see of the Junior Detectives, but also because of what we're shown in childhood flashbacks.

Actually 6yo Shinichi is... basically the same as teenager Shinichi. He just has less knowledge (duh he's got 10 less years of real life experience living in the world) and hasn't started masking yet. So his vision of what a 6yo acts like are most likely based on his memories as a "you're so mature for your age!" autistic kid with low empathy watching NT kids cry when their parents aren't there to pick them up (Yusako father of the year award, never won. Never even nominated).

So it's more that he becomes a wiggly worm and starts screeching as high pitched as he can until whoever is holding him -in this case Damian- relents and puts him down. Damian doesn't want to hurt a civilian child, but he's also confused by the switch in actiong. This kid is not a good spy sob. First, he's squirming, looks on the verge of tears because Damian brought him aways from a corpse, whining, and walking all "cutsy". And immediately as he's let go he's standing still, following proper crime scene etiquette (I'm pretty sure crime scene procejures in Japan and in the US are different, so even if Damian might not know, if Bruce only went over the US kind, he'd get the gist), and his voice is a normal timber, if not a little lower than avarage.

Damian knows masking, more in the sense that there's no way Bruce Wayne is NT, and neither is Damian. So he's seen people mask and he probably masks himself, but I don't believe hs'd know that's what he'd doing. I do not think any of those people are diagnosed. Although I can 100% believe Harley has yelled at them to get an autism (and OCD for Bruce and Tim) diagnosis assessment during a fight once.

So he sees Conan being really bad at it and his immediate thought is "wow this kid is so bad at undercover work" and starts investigating who he's working for.

Bruce: "Damian, have you gathered any intel about the murder?"

Damian, staring at Conan crouched in front of a dead body: "What murder?"

Conan, now dribbling with a soccer ball:

Bruce, looking towards him for the first time: "Where- Where did he get that?"

Damian, hasn't taken his eyes off from the kid: "He's got gadgets."

Bruce: "What"

Damian: "His shoes are weapons"

This turned into autism headcanonc, but tbf it's Batman and Conan.

I think a Batman/DetCo crossover would be perfect especially in the context of how fucking insane Shinichi's parents are.

I was thinking and I realized they're a mix of the Drakes (neglectful in the "never being home" kinda way, rich but it doesn't seem like their child sees a lot of that money) and Bruce ("how'd you learn how to shoot a gun" "my father spent a summer with me in Hawaii to teach me" what an insane scene that was. Not to mention the "yeah. It's a good idea to traumatize our child via fake kidnapping to teach him a lesson about stranger danger :)" and "Shinichi, dear, I know you're 6yo but come investigate this suicide with me sweetie") but they're also above worse (willing to falsify police and government documents for son).

Would Bruce love the Kudos or hate them? On one hand, Yusako definitely has them figured out. He's kinda like Alfred that way.

The Kudos get invited to an event, something like an award ceremony or some kind of cinema festival. They decide to bring Conan as a decoy for Shinichi related questions (usually they'd just use school as an examination why he wasn't there but they've been saying Shinichi is traveling for a case nowadays and it wouldn't do well to contradict that).

Bruce is the one that organized whatever event this is. I wanted the Drakes alive but I also want Damien to meet Conan. So. Sorry Janet and Jack. I'm going full Batfam for this.

Clark Kent is there, though he's technically a plus one. Cat is doing a piece for the event, specifically she wants to interview the Kudos, which is a feat as of late, and needed a last minute plus one (the Kudos are volatile and no one knew if they'd actually show up. When they did, Cat had to rush to get to Gotham before they decide they got bored and fucked off).

Of course, Cat immediately latches onto Conan's existence and assumes that he is why the Kudos have been out of the public eye. But not in the actual real way. She starts by asking general questions about them, their careers, and the event they're at at the moment.

And then she hits them with: "so. I see you've expanded the family. How does Shinichi feel about having a little brother?"

Which breaks just about everyone involved in the conversation.

Immediately Yukiko goes into actress gear. "Oh no he's- this is Conan, Conan Edogawa. He's our nephew. He's been staying with a friend of ours in Japan, but we thought he'd like coming back to the States for a bit!" All while smiling. Meanwhile Conan goes through all the stages of grief and is already building up the script for when he's gonna have to kiss ass to Ai for ending up in the Daily Planet.

Yusako senses this and tries to mitigate the situation a bit. "I'd appreciate if you didn't put him in your article. He's just a kid. And the focus is supposed to be on the event and our achievements, not a gossip piece about our private life"

But then Clark speaks up. Unfortunately he's been listening to the conversation and keeping track of everyone's reactions to everything. And he has a good memory. He has also listened to enough rants from Batman about the KID Thief to know more details than the average person.

"Aren't you the KID killer?" Everyone blanches. "I mean, that child from the KID Thief heists?"

"Uhm..." Conan is stumped. He's really bad at this. Of all the things his parents did, they never left him to deal with the vultures alone. But that also means that in his entire High School Detective career he had more of a "avoid at all costs" kinda mentality when it came to talking to the press directly. Sure they've made articles about him, but he's never met anyone interview him directly.

But again, Yukiko to the rescue. "I think that's enough. I hope you can respect our wishes." She puts her hands on Conan's shoulders as she redirects him away from them.

Clark is a little worried, a little suspicious. But he stops Cat from following them by reiterating that he's a kid and the Planet is not a tabloid newspaper.

Of course pt2, things go as things go when Conan is around a respectable amount of people and someone dies. Immediately Conan is on high alert, but so is Bruce who's worried about how someone could've managed to successfully commit a murder under his nose.

So, the investigation begins. On technically 4 sides. Yusako is doing his own detective work, but he's staying on the sidelines and letting the others be at the center of it all. Conan's special interest has been activated so he's in full inspection mode and putting himself in everyone's business. Bruce immediately contacts Commissioner Gordon, and starts distracting the people at the event while sussing out anyone who might have had a motive and/or opportunity. Clark has engaged his investigative journalism side and is already gathering evidence.

Meanwhile Damien is trying to convince Bruce to let him threaten people with unimaginable violence to make them comply and confess. But then he gets distracted by Conan and starts trying to babysit him but in a "I'm better than you tsk you're so immature" kinda way. Keeping him out of the way by yelling at him and dragging him away physically. Conan is not deterred.

All in all, it's a regular day for Conan, a particularly interesting day for the Kudos, a surprisingly weird day for Bruce, and a very annoying day for Damien.

[pfreadsandwrites]

Congrats on gaining 100 followers🎉🎉You deserve all of them and more! 🥳 I'm looking forward to everything you're planning to write in the future❤️ As for the prompts, would you please do #160 with Kakashi? Go wild with it 👁👁 Thank you and I wish the best for your blog❤️

100 follower celebration

Okay, here it is! I want to thank you specifically @madaras-housewife because you have been so amazing and supportive from the first fic I posted here and your encouragement has really helped this blog grow and made me write more. So thank you so much, and I’m sorry this took me forever to get out!! This was a bit of an unusual one so it took me a while to think about, and apologies if it’s not wild enough heh but I tried my best to develop it into something. But thank you for everything and I really hope you enjoy this :) I tried my best to go ‘out there’ and wild with it lol.  Also can I just say this mangacap is perfect for the last part of this one-shot lol. 

warnings/notes: third person, Kakashi pov, female civilian reader (she works at the hospital but plz don’t ask for details beyond that lol), pining Kakashi, kinda fluffy, then kinda sad, then kinda hopeful, marking this as 18+ since there is a paragraph that is brief NSFW mentions, in my mind this takes place between the time skip between part 1 and part 2 but it doesn’t really matter. Told in 4 small vignettes/parts essentially. 2.7k words.

taglist: @allthingskakashi @datblobbyfish @enchantedpendant @madaras-housewife @ibukiirisha @praisingkuroosbedhead @cinam00n @feelingsandemotionsnotexplored

160. “Do you think you could teach me that?”

i.

It’s a simple question.

Of course, it’s also a pointless question, one that Kakashi’s sure she’ll see through, one that he shouldn’t even think about asking.

Of course, he’s in the hospital again. Of course, she’s the one with the misfortune of tending to him again. Of course, he’s mesmerised while her hands dutifully wrap the tourniquet around his arm, like she’s cutting off the blood to his brain.

So, of course, he asks it without thinking.

The self-admonishment starts before the words finish leaving his mouth.

Do you think you could teach me that?

His cheeks heat up as the words catch up with him. They echo again and again, serving only to jeer at him further. What the hell is he thinking, making a request like that? A request that’s so nonsensical, so outlandish, so flimsily shrouding its true intent that she’d be justified in ridiculing him right there.

But it’s done now. Here he is, asking a bizarre favour of a civilian woman already doing him a favour.

Kakashi’d be content if the ground gives away underneath him, snatching him from this damn hospital bed. When he ponders the situation further, and he finds himself contemplating her reaction - no doubt a bewildered, adorable expression would grace her beautiful features (God, how much deeper could he get?) - he almost wants to slap himself. How did he go from the Copy Ninja, Konoha’s best jounin, to an awkward dork so swiftly and smoothly? Not only that, but she hadn’t even said anything yet. Kakashi wanted to die.

Fortunately, she only pauses. Unfortunately, her delicate fingers still against his skin, and the sensation flusters and soothes him simultaneously. But it’s only for a moment, before she diligently returns to the task at hand. Even if she’s surprised, or worse, amused, she knows to conceal it. Taking his question seriously in that earnest way that only she can. It should have eased his mind, but instead there’s only guilt at having perplexed her.

“…You want to learn this? Don’t you have enough on your plate?” She asks, bereft of judgement or ridicule.

He shouldn’t have expected any less, he knows that, and yet he still finds himself on the edge. On that precipice between anxiety and comfort, where he’s always standing around her. He can’t even formulate a response to her simple question. Yes - he probably did have enough to do. And yes, he wouldn’t have got this far without some knowledge of first aid and basic medical ninjutsu - and she probably knew that too.

“I could probably manage. It’s not a problem if you don’t have the time.” As typical as it is for him to answer a question without explaining himself further, he berates himself for it this time. Why had he made this so convoluted? And why does she let him?

“I could probably make time,” she retorts, though her voice remains gentle. “I just didn’t think there’d be anything useful you could learn from me, or that you didn’t already know.”

Nothing useful you could learn from me, or that you didn’t already know.

This time, her words echo in his mind. They’re just as kind and nudging as he thought they would be. But that didn’t mean they were any less ridiculous.

Apparently, there’s nothing he can learn from her. Nothing she can teach him.

Nothing he can learn from the woman who always smiles so brightly and indiscriminately at anyone who graced her that it renders them all equal - turning everyone from the grumpy old curmudgeon to the innocent newborn to cheerful, optimistic entities at her mercy. Nothing he can learn from her inability to use her mysterious power for anything but good, to see the value in everyone, in him, against all better judgement.

Nothing he can learn from her selflessness, and her weird knack for chiding herself for her momentary lapses in kindness, for things others don’t think twice about. Nothing he can learn from her patience and empathy in the most ridiculous situations, and her faltering in it when she draws the attention inwards.

Nothing he could learn from the woman who’s determination to revel in life, even as the opposite surrounded her, surrounded him, surrounded everyone in this cursed village, managed to bring even the heavy weight of death to its knees. Nothing he could learn from the woman who didn’t even seem fazed by it, as she tended to the hospital’s neonates with a giggle and a zest for life that he barely comprehends, much less hopes to emulate.

If - he surprises himself at his optimism, but he owes it to her - he’s incapable of learning nothing from all that, then there isn’t much hope for him at all. And if there’s one thing she inspires, if he can even pick one, it’s hope.

Kakashi eventually stops ruminating. And of course, she lets him. A wry smile forms on his lips. “I wouldn’t say that.”

She glances back at him expectantly. Curiously.

“I think there’s a lot you could teach me, you know.”

She’s already taught him without intending to, he remembers, when she doesn’t press him for an explanation. She only smiles that shy, powerful smile.

But they both know it’s acknowledgement. Of what he’s trying to say, of what he’s asking her in his awkward, haphazard way. Kind as she is, even if she shouldn’t be, she agrees.

***

ii.

And so, ever the one to keep her promise, she sets about teaching him. And Kakashi, ever the one to falter, but never one to abandon, keeps coming back. He’s a quick learner in more ways he thought.

She teaches him that finding something to smile about in the day is easier than it seems.

She teaches him to laugh when he drops by the hospital to see her and a very small patient points at his hair and berates him from escaping from the geriatric ward.

She teaches him allowance for his mistakes, and respite for his suffering.

She teaches him what a fool he’s been for denying himself an embrace all these years.

She teaches him that a kiss might be more eternal, more damning, more fate-consigning that it has any right to be.

She doesn’t have to teach him just how intoxicating, addictive it is to kiss her between the legs. She doesn’t have to teach him just where and how to move his tongue before she’s tugging at that wild silver hair of his. And when he moves in her, when she clutches onto him for dear life, whispering his name in that weak, but lingering whimper, when their breaths mingle together and she manages to exalt everything from him - his love, his strength, his seed - she doesn’t have to teach him that though the price of vulnerability is high, the reward is even higher.

She teaches him, when he dares ask what he sees in a man like her, that there’s an answer to that question that satisfies him.

She teaches him that whilst leaving for a mission used to be easy, it might one day become difficult - even for him, the one who has over a thousand under his belt, the one who only has that many because he wished one would kill him. She teaches him to admit that, too.

And when it does become difficult, just as she taught, he learns that a person waiting back home is much more motivating than a death wish could ever be.

She teaches him to forgive himself, as she begins to accompany him on his graveside visits. She teaches him that there’s a chance - a small chance, Kakashi admits, but a chance nonetheless - that there’s more for his life than living it as a penance to ghosts.

She teaches him that dreaming isn’t just for the young, the idealistic, the good. It’s for the hurt, tired veteran too.

She teaches him that hearing those three words aren’t as terrifying as he’d convinced himself all these years.

He learns, when he finally returns them, that he should have said it back long ago. Because it was all worth it just for that look on her face.

***

iii.

Their time together, dreamlike as it is, is always interrupted.

She’s used to it, calmly nodding in his direction at the summoning bird that’s taken to pecking at her window now too. He nods in kind, and with a quick kiss, he’s off on his next mission. She’s always accepting, always understanding, but the patient stare that bores into his back as he leaps off towards the gravestone (an eternal part of the farewell ritual) belies her anxiety.

Still, Kakashi does make it back. And he does again and again. Sometimes his returns are at the hospital - and that expression of hers, where she doesn’t know whether to chide him for his injury or cry that he’s still in one piece - fills him with equal parts guilt and encouragement.

She still never loses that smile, though. The smile that everyone knows.

He has to leave it behind again.

He makes it back. Without a scratch, for once, but figures he might surprise her at the hospital anyway. Strange. He used to be so good at avoiding this place, and now it’s the first place he comes to of his own accord. It’s just another way he’s lost against her, but he doesn’t begrudge it. Maybe he wants some praise for being more careful, but he won’t admit that outright. Maybe he’s getting worse and worse at waiting for that smile, too.

His optimism is never rewarded. He’s been through enough to remember that, but he’s still foolish enough to forget.

It feels different, today, walking through the corridors that she’s made so inexplicably light, so jovial. She easily leaves her mark without trying, to the awe of shinobi and civilians alike.

So when the atmosphere is dense, experience teaches him to dread it. He asks at the front desk, forgetting his tendency to hide all he can about his personal life. The woman stares up at him with wide eyes, hesitating before regaining her composure.

“(Name) isn’t working at the moment. She’s in room 175.”

She doesn’t say anything else, but it wouldn’t matter if she had. The familiar dread creeps up through his bones.

He’s prepared himself for the worst by the time he’s at her room, but it’s moot when he sees her lying there. She’s lost all her colour, she’s thinner - everything about her that’d remembered these few weeks had become so weak. Her vivacity, her will to endure, had even fooled him. But she was just as fragile as anyone else. Except for him. Why the fuck couldn’t he break, instead of someone else, instead of something that meant anything just this one fucking time?

He sits at her bedside, his calloused fingers touching her dainty ones. She’s only sleeping, at least. Purple and blue spread like constellations over her skin, bandages on her arms and cheeks - the kind of injuries he’d expect on a ninja. Of a ninja too. Thoughts upon thoughts flood his mind - how the hell did this happen? Who did this to her? If she’s not safe in the damn village that he fought to protect, where the hell could she be safe?

And, of course, the curse that he’s done so well to forget he has. Did this happen, somehow, because against all judgement, he had let himself become close to her? It makes sense that he’d only be able to fool himself to a point.

And, of course, as if to shush his self-loathing and anxiety, in that fucking selfless way she always did, that broke his heart even more - her fingers move against his.

She blinks her eyes open slowly and turns her gaze to him. She doesn’t have the energy to smile, but she tries to mimic it in the look in her eyes.

“I wasn’t expecting you back so soon.”

He clasps her hand tight - and lets go just as quickly when she winces. “What the hell happened, (Name)?”

She softens her gaze. “It’s funny that I’m the one that ended up like this, when you’re the one that went out on a mission.” Her tone is light, but somehow the hum of her voice brings gravity, whether she wants it to or not.

She won’t answer his question. As if she feels guilty that she’s putting him through something, which only hurts all the more. And Kakashi knows that insisting too strongly is too unfair, too cruel when she seems so tired, no matter how much his blood boils.

There was an attack, he figures that much, and he overhears more from a nurse. A drunk jounin who’d come across her on his way home.

It’s dealt with swiftly, with the speed and efficiency Kakashi prides himself on, but it isn’t enough. He can’t forgive himself, even if she does.

She recovers soon enough, but only to a point.

Her smile is gone. The openness she’d inspire in everyone around her, the joy she’d invite - it dwindles down to nothing. It’s all too much, too familiar, a sad story he’s seen up and close too many times.

Any smile she makes now is a facsimile, a ghost of anything she could have offered previously. But her kindness still forces her to attempt it, no matter how much it hurts, when Kakashi looks at her.

As impressive as her will is, it’s only finite. He berates himself as she breaks one night, and sobs into his chest.

But she doesn’t do it again.

She doesn’t seem to do much of anything anymore.

He has another mission.

***

iv.

Kakashi’s at the training grounds again. He’s here a lot these days. When there isn’t a mission, he’s got into the habit of putting his body through the wringer. It’s what he deserves, at the very least. Besides, he has a lot more free time than he used to. As the raindrops mix with his sweat, his lightning style blends just as seamlessly with the sky.

“Do you think you could teach me that?”

The voice is familiar. Gentle, just like it used to be. Shakier than it used to be, but there’s a faint hint of the quiet resolve he used to hear, that he was foolish enough to take for granted.

He pauses. The chakra he’d gathered in his hands dissipates, and he turns around. He’s no amateur, he knew he wasn’t alone. But he could tell his little observer wasn’t there to pose a threat, either. She watches him with her wide eyes, the wide eyes that historically and even now freeze him in place. She was never one to marvel at his ninjutsu before, only acquiescing or being impressed where appropriate, - and that’s not quite what she’s doing now, either.

“Well -,” she holds her right arm with her left. It’s a normal gesture. One that would have endeared him, but only makes his heart sink now. Suddenly it’s difficult to watch her doubt herself. “Not that exactly. I don’t even want to do that even if I could. But anything you can teach me. It doesn’t have to be a lot. I think I’d be fine with a little. It’d be enough to feel better. If you don’t have too much on your plate.”

He’s watching her now, studying that expression in her eyes. Where she’s determined and defiant, even in that modest way. He believes her - she doesn’t want to learn a lot. She doesn’t want to be too much like him. But she’s allowing herself to learn from him. She’s letting herself take, not just give.

“Alright. Tomorrow, then. But let’s get you home first. It’s late, raining…,” his voice trails off, brushing off the rain from his hair sheepishly. “And I could use a break.”

She begins to smile that shy, powerful smile again. It’s sincere, and her ability to infect others with it seems to have returned. “That’s fine by me. I hear you’ve been overdoing it lately."

Kakashi finds himself grinning back.

Do you think you could teach me that?

It’s a simple question.

[shellofaretard]

This video (and game) gets me like few things do. This is autism, this is how we live and see things. It’s all here.

There is a number of ways used to “dehumanize” characters getting killed in video games, but none so coarse and rawly autistic as what you can see here.

These gangsters are not only identical, not only do they instaneously evaporate after being shot, not only do they behave in a completely non-human way, they don’t even make basic spatial sense. Like five of them will spawn from behind the same two-person subway seat or something. No visible hand or gun of the player character is also worth noting.

This is not a real world, this definitely could not actually happen. These are just mannequins in a mathematical simulation. This is communicated so intensely that it fills us with a longing for this world to be real. The crude maneuvres of ontological distancing and uncanniness are ramped up to a degree that is, in my experience, unsurpassed. 

The “civilian” characters in particular fuck with our understanding of humanness. Screaming DONT SHOOT while deliberately jumping in the way of your bullets is something that could not possibly be explained in any diegetic way. In this sense, the civilians are even more dehumanized than the bad guys due to the less “human” logic of their behavior.

Now this is where empathy actually kicks in for someone like me. A schematic victim in a simulation with no story (that still looks like a human) is something I can very much see myself in. I feel for those businessmen screaming DONT SHOOT while throwing themselves in my way more than I ever will for any actual human being. But the idea that the “innocent” are just as disposable and interchangeable except even less logical than the evil ones is also something that is hard to shake off. 

The massive monochromatic rectangles that make up everything (a SEGA trademark?) are also intensely autistic ASMR and basically an exact analogue to the way we process information.

With the gaming industry’s recent pivot towards feminism, “empathy”, emotional storytelling, cooperation etc., many young autistic men may end up feeling increasingly left out due to their patterns of processing information not being catered to, and we can expect more of these men to resort to real life mass shootings as a less forcefully empathy-based alternative.

[kannra21]

Monoma loving hours and I'm actually very tired by now

*I know many of you have already discussed similar things so I decided to add my own opinion as well. Hope you enjoy!*

Still announcing my general disappointed with ch215. Whatever, I'm glad to know Monoma's Quirk better and that the clocks he's working with are more than just some accessories on his belt.

I think they're really cool and help him overcome his small disadvantages a whole lots *well, not in the circumstances he was currently in but I'd like to see him more in action and actually using them*.

So basically he snaches them from his belt. Destroys them and-

Voilà, the Quirk is out.🎊

5min limit doesn't mean anything to him if he can use 4 different Quirks in 20min. However, he needs to use them very wisely because every Quirk doesn't work the same way and they also have to be suitable for the problem he's facing at that moment. That's where his ability to adapt and manage new situations comes in.

I don't want to exaggerate or anything but I think in terms of intelligence, he comes right after Yaoyoroz because damn, you need to have a top-notch brain for such tricky things.

Too sad that strength plays the leading role in their hero world. If you have power, it doesn't matter how or why you're doing the things you do. As long as you can destroy everything that comes in your way, there's nothing that can stop you from getting what you want which sounds... kinda villainous in a way, don't you think?

Shigaraki is right. The main difference between a hero and a villain is that heroes are fighting for the good and villains for the evil. But the main question remains- are the heroes really good and are the villains really evil? First of all, heroes and villains both came from the same type of society- people, normal civilians.

Becoming a hero or a villain is a choice, not a lifestyle. Heroes are there to protect people and villains are there to harm them. Why? Heroes want to make them feel happy and safe while villains want the opposite. What's the matter with the villains? This-

People are constantly judging and not thinking about the consequences they're causing to others. They always ended up comparing themselves to those who are much more superior and successful, making them building a sense of insecurity and fear.

They were forced to push themselves beyond their limits in order to prove themselves and show how far they can possibly go. They had to let them know that their criticism didn't reach them as they were facing their challenges with anticipation.

They could easily turn villainous but no, they choose to protect those same judging idiots who repeatedly let them down/hurt them/accused them/ignored their efforts, all for the sake of becoming their better selves. By choosing the right path, they already confirmed how strong and capable they are and they'll make exceptional heroes one day. In conclusion, there is no way Monoma will become a villain because he already reached this far and gained other's trust. He made friends who are looking after him. He's already a part of something big which he can't abandon this easily.

BTW

This is the ultimate proof that Monoma isn't entirely obsessed with class a as many think he is. He's simply mad at anyone who's trying to show off class b by stealing their spotlight. His class is the best, try to prove him wrong and he won't give you any piece of mind.

He's so dedicated to his rambling that he doesn't mind Kirishima's friendly exchange with Tetsutetsu in the background. It's clear that the hatred he feels is directed towards Bakugou for obvious reasons. While Monoma is the group's person, Bakugou does everything on his own and hates when someone interfers with his business to the point where he becomes arrogant and rude. I can't recall Monoma being any of it because he only uses people's failures as an example to make them feel bad about themselves and we all know that the truth hurts the most.

I'm not defending him or anything, what he does is certainly not nice, but I want to say that his way of expressing bitterness is much more effective than Bakugou's because he makes sense at some point. Bakugou just acts like a thug.

And while he certainly does behave like an absolute madman, I'll still love Bakugou and Monoma equally because there's that one thing Monoma doesn't really understand about Bakugou's personality and that's his undying wish of becoming no.1 world's greatest hero. It's his ambition from an young age which pushed him further into accomplishing his goals. Yes it sounds selfish and yes it seems like he doesn't give a damn about others, but that's his lifelong dream which he can't give up to a friend just for the sake of being nice to each other.

From the flashbacks of the kindergarten we could see how many expectations and how much pressure people were putting on him because of his talent. His mom accused him of being weak and causing trouble for the entire U. A. when in fact, the school was guilty of his kidnapping and took responsibility for it's mistakes. He was raised to solve his problems through violence, he doesn't know for any other way. So it's not arrogance, he's just ambitious but shows it in a rearher inappropriate manner.

Monoma doesn't like that and I can understand why. Unlike Bakugou, Monoma is an underdog. No one ever cheered for him or supported his goals. When he saw Bakugou and his indifference or rather ignorance towards his audience, he thought he was acting ungrateful and that pissed him off. Especially because Monoma is the most grateful out of all the characters.

He wants to be recognized among the crowd and accepted by his peers by means of finding a place where he truly belongs, something he couldn't achieve when he was little. Bakugou doesn't yearn for fame or money. He wants to prove himself and push his limits because winning is what heroes do. Their life goals are different but their ways of dealing with things are surprisingly similar. They're throwing shade wherever they go and they're incredibly noisy, with Bakugou spreading insults and Monoma mocking every living soul but that's the way they are and people grew accustomed to it.

I mean look at this-

Similarities:

blond

smart

rude

sad

sarcastic

uncomfortable

embarrassed

In conclusion:

They share the same level of bitterness + their friends(Tetsu and Kiri) are also very good friends which indicates their similar tastes in people they appreciate.

Also something from Noragami:

"YOU HATE THOSE THE MOST LIKE YOURSELF"

Tbh if bnha was all about class 1b, Monoma would be, in fact, favorable because everyone would have a bad impression of class 1a for being rude and arrogant thanks to Bakugo since we'd only see 1b's side of the story. And although everyone made friends with each other and now are staying on good terms, they're still having this sort of rivalry between them which is completely normal considering the fact that 1a still precedes in particular aspects.

Despite this friendship, Monoma does not believe them in a slightest. He looks at their relationship in a way that class 1a uses their friendship to distract them from trying to be better than them. If you are in good relations with someone, it is natural that you will go easy on them because of the empathy we feel towards others. He thinks they're playing them in order to get what they want. It affects their reputation as a hero and class 1a represents their concurrency so it isn't all about some friendship between kids, it's their future and their careers that get affected as well.

But then again, Monoma isn't fighting for his own selfish purposes, he's doing it for his class. He loves his class from the bottom of his heart and he wants them to succeed, that's why he's so annoying. Class 1a represents their concurrency, they're taking away their spotlight. They're limiting their chances of becoming pro heroes while class 1b is so much better than them and that's what actually bugs Monoma.

They’ve worked just as hard as class 1a, they’ve overcome all the same scholastic obstacles and yet it’s always 1a on the news, 1a in the papers, 1a surviving yet another dramatic and utterly glamorous supervillain encounter. See, 1a gets all the luck.

If he was selfish, narcissistic and egoistic, he'd constantly complain about deserving his place among the best in class 1a but no, he's proud to be with his friends because b class is all about solidarity and teamwork. His class loves him and he's getting along with everyone just fine. His cooperation stats are 4/5, he's a very friendly person.

His intelligence and tactics stats are 5/5, he's a smart person and he obviously doesn't do shit without a reason. His power and speed stats are 1/5, he's weak and very insecure in himself. Naturally he would develop a inferiority complex to protect himself but at the same time trash talks himself to talk up his class which I find very funny and kinda sympathetic in a way.

I bet everyone's just seeing this annoying side of him but there's so much more to his character and Kendou understands that all too well. That's why they're never arguing or fighting for their own beliefs because she knows how much he's hurting. And it's not just him, most of his classmates are also having a sort of rivalry with class 1a but they're being less obvious about it.

Seing this side of him made me start to really like him. He's a sad character with a great desire to belong somewhere and that's probably the reason why I can't possibly hate him. That's just my opinion but I hope others can relate as well. ❤️❤️❤️

[jules85]

John's role

I feel like John's issue with Felicity this season is the same one he had with Oliver last season; he doesn't know what his role is anymore.

The writers made a mess of it last season, but my interpretation was that Oliver had evolved past the need of John's guidance. He still needed his advice, but he now has the tools to be able to a be a fully functional person/superhero. John then didn't know where he fit in to the team. He was always the wise, yoda-like figure, but in season 6, we saw him screwing up. We saw him having to be guided by Oliver. I don't think he knew how to deal with it.

This season, I see the same thing with Felicity.

Diggle has always respected and admired Felicity for her intellect, her pure heart, her bravery. But the soldier in him has always seen her as an innocent. A civilian that must be protected.

In the early days, that was true. However, just like Oliver, she has evolved past that and John doesn't know how to deal with her.

Back in season 5, we saw John question her choices when she was using the info from Pandora to blackmail the politician. He told her that her superpower was empathy.

Later, 5x19, when Felicity is determined to free Cayden James to help find Adrian Chase, Diggle is against it. He is against her involvement with Helix. Felicity throws the line 'Don't tell me that you make morally wrong choices so I don't have to. I have to.'

Diggle's response is that SHE doesn't have to. Either meaning in general people don't have to, or that Felicity, in particular, is above that.

He's stuffed her in a box, and now when she breaks out of the box, he doesn't know how to handle her.

John's draw towards ARGUS and the newbies is that one gives him order, structure, a mission. The others need his guidance.

John's line about Felicity having pushed him out spoke to me as being slightly misogynistic. He's basically saying that he told her to do something, she refused and did her own thing, so the typical male response is that it's her fault. He's not to blame if she went against his wishes. It's all on her. She went against him. You and I know that this is bull crap. This is on John. And I need for there to be a point where John finally loses the blinkers and can follow in his teammates footsteps and evolve with them.

I think one of the greatest lessons in life is to be self sufficient. To know that you don't need others to be okay, but you choose to have them in your life. That can then free you to be the best version of yourself.

My biggest hope for this storyline is that we will see OTA come back together, not because they need each other. But because they choose each other.

By each others side is where they are supposed to be.

[skull001]

About Amy in the IDW comics...

Something that I really, really like about the IDW Sonic comics is the way they have used the cast of characters, often doing a much better work and displaying a better understanding than the current writers for the games. In particular, I like what they have done with Amy ever since her debut in issue #2 (though being fair, this improvement can be traced back to the post-reboot Archie comics before the publication was cancelled). I really enjoy how she has in a way matured, no longer being a gag character like in some of the games where her characterization suffered from being flanderized to a single trait at the expense of the rest of her character.

Something that comes a a welcome addition is her being the one character that does the duties of a leader in the Resistance, despite Knuckles still being referred as the commander... Something I never agreed with for reasons that have to do with his particular character/personality.

However, although many fans received Amy's characterization with a positive reception, there are also people who waste no opportunity to question Amy's role, even going as far as calling her a "Sally clone".

I personally think that Amy growing into a leader is a development that comes much more naturally to her than it ever did to Knuckles: When Amy was introduced in Sonic CD, she began her journey as being no different from the civilians who suffer the consequences of Eggman's plans and who need to be rescued by Sonic. This is very important IMO since later it will play a part in Amy's development and interaction with other characters.

Next in Sonic Adventure, Amy was, for the first time, placed in a situation where she had to take action on her own without depending on Sonic to come save her. As her story advanced, we could see Amy starting to display a heroic side of her, one that drive her into overcoming her own fears and limitations to help those that were in need like the little bird... Hey, much like how Amy was also a victim in CD that needed to be rescued.

In Sonic Heroes, Amy is now in charge of leading two characters (Cream and Big) on a mission to rescue their friends. I think this game did a neat job at showing how Amy's personality and charisma offered someone whom Cream and Big could depend on to lead them to a successful rescue. Through their quest, Amy cheers them up and maintains the morale of the team, once more showcasing her aptitudes as a natural leader.

I think that what makes Amy a leader character for the resistance is that because of her humble origin, the civilians can relate to her just as how Amy can also feel empathy for them and the hardships that the fillain Eggman makes them go through. You could say that Amy is living testament of how anyone can be a hero if they listen to their heart and have the courage to do something about it... To do the right thing.

When Amy leads, it's not all about just giving orders. She also look after the well being of those who follow her, providing them with understanding and moral support, like when Knuckkes starts blaming himself for Eggman's forces having taken over Angel Island, helping him see that it wasn't his fault... Something that reminds me also of one of the last Sonic Universe story arcs where Knuckles is starting to have doubts about whether he is a good guardian, his mind drifting towards the negative like the times it has been taken away, to which Amy reminds him of the positives, like how he never gives up and always recovers and brings back the ME to safety. I think Amy is the kind of leader that will do everything in her power to make sure that everyone reaches the goal, together as a team, never leaving anyone behind.

I think it's fair to recognize that Amy is a different kind of leader than Sally. She may not be the most brilliant tactician since she is still a kid who is learning as she goes, but she knows how to keep the team united, since her strength as a leader resides in her ability to bring out the best in everyone, from your everyday civvies, helping them realize that they are stronger and more brave than they ever thought (since Amy went through the same trials and can talk from her personal experience) by believing in them to boosting the morale in stronger heroes like Knuckles who may start doubting themselves.

Tl;dr version: Amy is basically a kid friendly version of John Connor in the form of a pink, cartoony gerbil. XP

[psyga315]

On Character Empathy (Or Why I View Atlas As An Icy Dorne)

So, I figured I’d do an essay on character empathy. RWBY has created dozens of characters that are all awesome, cool, cute, and very, very empathic. People literally cried in Volume 3 and the finale was filled with nothing but rage and grief towards the writers. It was perhaps the highest point RWBY has ever reached. But that’s what happens when you make a character likeable and then kill them off. What happens when you make a character unlikeable, but eventually have them try to be on the right side of a conflict? Well, you get the scene that this essay is based around: Jacques’ final scene in Volume 4 when he tries to tell Ironwood that locking up Atlas is a bad idea. To briefly recap, Ironwood gets a memo from Winter that shit might get real in Mistral. Because of what happened to Vale and Beacon, Ironwood had every right to try and prevent that from happening again. So, he does what anyone with a huge military authority would do: lock up the Kingdom of Atlas. From his standpoint, this makes sense. He’s worried that Atlas might be next (Sadly, it isn’t, but that’s dramatic irony for ya) so he decided to defend it before people sneak across disguised as students like what happened last time. Now, this definitely reeks of current time politics and I certainly agree that James is going about this the wrong way. It’s just too bad that, as far as we’re concerned, he’s in the right. I’m not saying in this current situation. No. I’m saying in the entire time we saw him in RWBY. Yes, he seems like a dick at times, but from all the moments we do see of him, he’s doing his best. Even CRWBY said that they wanted to make him look like a prick, but ultimately have him be this reasonable authority figure, which we do see in Volume 4. His opponent… not so lucky. And this is where character empathy comes into play. Jacques Schnee, for as much as we heard and seen of him, is literally the polar opposite of Ironwood. Whereas Ironwood comes off as a good character despite his shortcomings, Jacques is established to be a bad character despite his moments of clarity. Case in point: when we first see him talking Weiss into singing for the charity ball, it’s very clear that he’s manipulating her into singing to make him look good, even when the song she sings paints him in a negative light. Despite this, though, he had some method to the madness. Jacques wanted to hold a charity ball to help show Remnant that Atlas cared for when Vale was attacked… But I’ll get to how they really cared later. This could have been another Ironwood situation where, we’re meant to hate this man, but his reasoning is so sound that we can’t help but to like him. The problem is that the framing of the scene makes it so that we’re meant to feel threatened by Jacques. Especially since we’re going through the eyes of Weiss. Which is why most people outright voiced hatred for Jacques when he slaps her and then stripped her of her heritage, effectively making her a prisoner. Yes, Ironwood sold out Ozpin and moved so much military forces into Vale that it almost seemed like an occupation rather than a guard, but he never slapped someone and dragged them through the dirt because they spoke back to him, and when he did the latter in Volume 3 when telling RWBY they got disqualified, he made it clear that he wasn’t actually the one making the call. Jacques, however, was the one making the call. He was the one who slapped Weiss. And like that, our empathy for him went down the drain while empathy for Ironwood didn’t waver. Which brings me to the crux of why I made this essay: Forgive me when I side with the apparently crazy guy who, based off his past experiences, is locking up Atlas to better protect them from a possible threat over the blatant child abuser whose every line of dialogue has been nothing but trying to save his own skin. And the problem is that this falls entirely on character empathy. We’re told from the very first time we’re heard of him that Jacques is a jackass. Even the World of Remnant episode on the SDC paints him in a negative light, though that’s thanks in part to the narrator. When we see him in a talking role for the first time, he’s as much of a prick as we heard him to be. So thus, our empathy for him is already meant to be low, and after the charity ball, it only dropped from there. At his final appearance, all he has to offer to the debate is the long list of emotional baggage he left on Weiss and a clear message that he’s only in it for himself and that his children are just property to him. If CRWBY meant to have Jacques be concerned for Atlas’ well-being, they sadly screwed the pooch so hard, that the scene is actually karmic comeuppance for him. See, in-between the aforementioned slapping and disinheriting of Weiss, Jacques grounded Weiss for talking back to him and would only end up going anywhere if she kisses up to him. Ironwood practically did the same thing to him. He grounded him and the entirety of Atlas and people can only get out with the Council’s approval, which, considering how he has two seats, means his approval. In short: Jacques has to kiss up to Ironwood. Sweet, sweet karma. The problem is that, in this scene, it seems that people believe Ironwood to be going off the deep end. That this is a scene where we should be concerned for his sanity. It’s where people say that the child abuser is in the right for once in his selfish life. And to that, I can see their point. Ironwood is essentially locking everyone up. There’s no beating around the bush. This is a man who is clearly abusing his authority for “the greater good”, even when he believes this is what’s right. The overall gist is that “when Jacques is telling you this is a bad move, it’s a bad move”. The problem I see, however, is that he’s had a scene prior to this where he tells Ironwood that what he’s doing is a bad move, and his dialogue and the conversation afterwards point out that it’s only a bad move because it affects him negatively. And now we get to the charity ball scene where CRWBY pretty much paints Atlas as a whole in a negative light. During this scene, Weiss encounters a guy who pretty much established that he had no idea why the charity’s even happening in the first place, even when the painting he’s looking at and hitting on Weiss over has the purpose stated right there. The camera even focuses on it right after to show just how easily he could have seen it and saved himself some face. It doesn’t help that, when he guesses what the charity is for, he asks if it’s for Mantle, Atlas’ former name before it became… well… Atlas. Showing that he only cares about what happens in Atlas. Then a trophy wife speaks up and says how Beacon deserved what it got. This, right here, is the clincher and shows us just how unsympathetic the people of Atlas are. Volume 3 showed us a lot of shit happening. To quote Blake: “People are dead.” And these are people we knew and cared for. Penny, Pyrrha, even Roman. People have died to this incident. And here’s this bitch saying how they “deserved it” for the lack of “proper defenses”. That comment would be such a slap in the face to anyone who has personally lost a loved one to such an incident only to hear someone in passing say “they deserved it for lacking the proper defenses”. It’s an even huger slap in the face if you tried to be that defense, only to fail and then hear this bitch laugh at your misfortune. Thanks to these two characters, CRWBY established what the civilians of Atlas are. Imagine for a moment, a man dying from his wounds. People all over are trying to help him, calling an ambulance, patching his wounds… and yet there’s this one woman passing by, just looking at her phone. Atlas is that one woman. Only caring for themselves when others are hurt, wounded, or dead. And this is probably a problem in of itself. Basing an entire kingdom off the behaviours of two minor characters, but the problem is that, with the dialogue made afterwards, it’s made very clear that two characters are meant to represent the civilians of Atlas as a whole. And thus, paints the entire kingdom as an unsympathetic lot. It doesn’t help that Atlas, or back then, Mantle, was said to be on a villainous side during the Great War. And while you can point out FNKI or Penny as the exceptions of this, they’re Huntsmen. They are not regular civilians. It would be like judging America as a whole based off the celebrities who were born there rather than the actual people who live in it. Thus, we have two unsympathetic characters (Jacques and Atlas as a whole) getting karmic retribution. This essay was made to prove why I view Ironwood’s decision to lock up Atlas as an awesome moment instead of a moment where I should be concerned. Actually, scratch that. I was concerned when Ironwood declared he’d lock up Atlas. Not because he was going off the deep end, but because I thought Weiss would never leave her abusive father’s prison because of it. And that’s basically what it boils down to. Jacques and Atlas get sweet karma dealt to them and I had to ask “and what Ironwood is doing is a bad thing why?” Because, as much as I see it, Jacques is going into the same situation he put Weiss in and Atlas’ social bubble is being a gilded cage. The problem lies in character empathy. CRWBY devoted so much of Weiss’ limited time to show us how evil Jacques and Atlas that when it came time to show that Ironwood is going off the deep end, I ended up scratching my head at why people are so concerned. Klein is their one exception, but he’s more or less tied to Weiss and is not some random civilian like Henry or the Trophy Wife were. So don’t be surprised when I say I cheered when Ironwood decided to lock up Atlas, because the person arguing against him spent all is screen time being a selfish irredeemable douchbag.