#[ and learn to accept not everyone can will or should ]

[midnightactual]

PSA: Respect is Minding Your Own Damn Business

Let's have a little chat about what basic respect actually is. Now, this isn't contemporarily political, so don't run away screaming into the night just yet. Stick with me. I know it's hard in the age of TikTok and doomscrolling, but stick with me. Tim Walz articulated a pretty good idea of respect not even a year ago:

[...] because in Minnesota, we respect our neighbors and the personal choices they make. And even if we wouldn't make those same choices for ourselves, we've got a golden rule: mind your own damn business.

This applies anywhere and everywhere in this world you happen to find yourself. I know, I know, it's the zeitgeist to look at this or that and say it's problematic, that it's triggering, that it's whatever. I'm not going to lecture you about the abject failure of purity culture to do anything besides divide people, make the perfect the enemy of the good, and give those who actually are the devout enemies of inclusivity and cosmopolitanism all the ammunition they could ever dream of. I'd be here all day if I was going to do that, and it still wouldn't be enough.

Instead, I want to ignore the forest for the dirt, and focus on some basic concepts that seem to have been forgotten both here and more generally in society:

Just because you like something doesn't make it good.

Just because you don't like something doesn't make it bad.

Liking good things doesn't make you a good person.

Liking bad things doesn't make you a bad person.

Being nice does not mean being kind.

Being kind does not mean being nice.

Someone engaging with problematic material does not mean they are problematic.

Someone not engaging with problematic material does not mean they aren't problematic.

Unless something actually presents a real, tangible physical, emotional, or psychological danger to others with intent to harm or exploit, it is not your business to point it out or "warn" others. It is also not your personal decision as to what constitutes real, tangible danger. You are not an authority. You do not have credentials. You are not held accountable by the public. You were not voted for by the public or appointed by representatives. It's not your business.

I could go on. I think you ought to begin to understand: respect is leaving people well enough alone if they're not hurtin' nobody, and "hurtin' nobody" doesn't include things like "they said a thing I disagree with" or "they said something that was true but it hurt my feelings". That's free speech. Now, I could have a whole entire diversion here about how free speech cannot survive including hate speech—and how hate speech can be much more than advocating for harm, and can include the normalization of hateful actors—but we're not talking about that because we're taking baby steps here.

It is okay for you (or someone else!) to like bad things, even openly, and doing so doesn't make you (or them!) a bad person. Now, hold on, I'm not defending pedophiles or rapists or racists or misogynists or whatever else here, let alone saying they have a right to promote their viewpoints. Don't get it twisted. Those are not simply bad things, and you know I'm not talking about those kinds of matters when I talk about it being okay to like bad things. You know exactly what I'm actually talking about.

You know what I'm talking about includes acknowledging those listed things actually do exist and happen, and that censoring ourselves about their existence or happening doesn't make them go away. You know that what I am advocating for includes being able to discuss the existence of such things (and much more) in a mature, adult way, that is respectful and sophisticated, especially within art. I am not talking about fetishizing it, glorifying it, or whatever else.

You know that in an age where people are self-censoring and saying "unalived" instead of "killed" and "unalived themselves" instead of "committed suicide", and it's considered "cringe", that all this has gone too far. You know that in an age of book bans and government censorship, all this has gone too far and been weaponized by the worst people you know of.

So, let's do something about it. But first, let's go over some examples, because this has been highly theoretical so far.

A piece of fiction that includes infidelity as part of its structure is not in fact promoting or glamorizing or normalizing infidelity. Even if it was, with characters openly saying things like, "Infidelity is amazing!" protesting that particular piece of fiction would not change the rate of infidelity in the real world. To complain about the media would, in fact, be avoidant of the issue—pretending one is doing something while actually doing nothing. This is usually called "ragebait" these days.

I think guns are fascinating machines, even if they are only machines made to put holes in things (usually people). I sometimes watch videos about guns. I sometimes talk about guns. I sometimes think about guns. I have never owned a gun in my life. I have never even handled a real gun—the closest I've gotten was an airsoft M4. Do you see the separation between thinking about a subject, engaging with a subject, supporting a subject, promoting a subject, and actively utilizing a subject? Even someone who owns guns and promotes gun ownership is probably not regularly shooting people with them.

My main muse, Yoruichi, is the tropenamer for the TVTropes entry "Ambiguously Brown". She's right there on the page. I have seen people in the wild make statements like, "If you think Yoruichi is brown and not black, you're a racist." We could argue back and forth all day on her ethnicity, but the truth is it doesn't matter. If it mattered it would've been stated. Some possibilities are perhaps more likely than others, but she can be whatever you want to imagine her to be. Likewise, some people think she was in the form of a cat for a century; some dubiously canon sources promote that idea, and some people run with it. I'm not one of them. I've stated my opposition to that take here, in my own personal space, but do you know what I've never done? Gone and jumped down the throat of someone who took up and propagated that idea with a public callout wherein I trash them as a racist and a misogynist who actually secretly hates Yoruichi and wants to tear her down and dehumanize her. I haven't done that because that would be insane to do in like 99.99% of cases, and the remaining 0.01% would almost certainly be "ragebait".

Now that I'm finally talking about muses, let's really dial in on roleplaying.

I don't go police what other people do with Yoruichi because even if I do style myself an expert on her (let's be real: the expert on her) I don't have any authority to tell other people what to think about her. I can present my ideas and other people can take them or leave them, but that's on them, not on me. It's not my business to tell others what to think, how, why, when, where, or to whom. It's only my business to state my opinion in my space. My opinion might be informed by facts and evidence, or it might simply be my opinion. My opinion might be as close to factually correct as could be, or it might be as far away as could be—and even if I had all the facts on my side, roleplaying is a transformative activity where people can do what they want.

It would be wrong of me to go out and hit other people with my opinions like a cudgel. It would also be equally wrong of other people to come here and attack me for my opinions. This is why being a hater or an anti is stupid: content doesn't just flash into your mind unbidden. You usually have to go out and look for it, and even if it comes to you, you have to choose to look at it or read it, and then you almost always have the option to block, unfollow, say you don't want to see the post, or simply exercise some self-control and choose to ignore it.

The only time you reasonably ought to say something if you see content you don't care to see is if something has been said which is factually untrue, and even then you're not Snopes: it's not your job to be public fact-checker. In the case of roleplaying, this occurring is even less likely.

So, your opinions! It's okay if you don't like something! You can make your dislike known in your space. You should, in fact. It's your responsibility to establish your boundaries and to curate the content that you see. That's entirely on you. Whatever you have to do to make your space comfortable for you? Go right ahead! No one can complain.

The moment you step outside your space though, all bets are off. If you put one toe over the threshold in order to tell someone else to not make certain kinds of content, not do certain things, not talk about certain things? You're in the wrong. You're the problematic one. You're the bad guy—yes, the bad guy—because what you are trying to do is censor other people for the sake of your own comfort.

What gives you the right? What could ever give you the right? Nothing. You're not entitled to be the Thoughtpolice for any reason whatsoever, unless as long-ago specified there is some real, tangible danger occurring.

When you act like you're the one who gets to decide what is and isn't acceptable for people to put forward, you're fundamentally being a disrespectful asshole. You're inherently acting like you're the adult, and the stupid children over there need to be yelled at to stop doing whatever—or else.

When this happens in real life, we call it "being a Karen". Well, don't be a Karen here either. Nobody wants it. If you can't articulate a real, tangible danger, keep your mouth shut and stay in your lane, because that's the fundamental basis of respect. You know as much too, which is why everybody and their mother writes some variant on "muse does not equal mun" in their rules.

If you can't adhere to that most basic definition of respect, you don't belong here.

[dragonmasterhiccup]

Part of him did want to show Astrid his world. The other part of him was scared to. At least, scared to show her his pod. They didn't exactly like him all that much.

But, if they could find a way to get her there without them knowing she was human...it could work, at least long enough for her to get to see it. Then, he'd bring her home, back to the surface.

There was however the issue of the water pressure...

"I'll see what I can do. You've shown me so much here, I'd like to return the favor."

He leaned in again, closing his eyes, when a sudden shout caused him to pull away. His eyes widened at the old man's accusations, the merman at a loss for words as Astrid helped him get to his crutch.

Evil. Sea-devil. Creature.

It echoed in his mind, bringing back bad memories from his pod. His heart was racing, and he felt as though he couldn't get enough air.

Outside. He needed to get outside...

Using the crutch, he hurried out as fast as he could, with only Phlegma seeing him escape.

The door was left ajar as he continued on down the massive stairwell.

A spell. He'd never put a spell on Astrid, let alone drag her to the depths. That wasn't who he is! Even then, that wasn't how his magic worked. He knew he'd have to go back eventually, but that was to be temporary. Hiccup wanted to live among the humans, but if they would only see him as some trickster creature, could they ever truly accept him?

The sun was low, lower than he thought it would be. He had to get to water before moonrise, he knew that. But where? He still had to keep the end of his tail dry.

🐟

He didn't make it.

Hiccup had gotten the human clothes off, and just as he was about to climb into the wash basin, his tail returned, leaving him stuck in the grass.

Flopping over to his back, he let out a frustrated groan. "Why can't things ever be simple," he wondered aloud, hands in his hair and his eyes closed, "she's a human, and I'm a merman. I should have expected that it wouldn't be received all that well..."

Astrid, the best warrior on Berk. And Hiccup...the cowardly merman who ran at the first sign of trouble.

His hands lowered to cover his face. "She deserves better..."

"I'm not so sure about that," said a voice from above. Startled, Hiccup opened his eyes to find Phlegma standing above him. Her arms were crossed, a basket of banging on her arm. "Aye, you shouldn't have left. You missed quite the spectacle. But, Hiccup?"

She knelt down, looking him in the eye. "What my daughter deserves is someone who loves her, cherishes her. You may be part fish, but you fit that bill."

Hiccup shook his head, "She's a warrior. She shouldn't be with a coward."

Phlegma paused before motioning for him to give her his tail. He curled the end of it towards her, and she began to change the wrappings, "Hiccup. I get the feeling that something caused that reaction of yours. It wasn't just Mildew, but something else."

Hiccup didn't respond, averting his gaze.

"Hm. I thought so. Something also tells me that you can be quite brave when the situation calls for it. I don't know how you did it, but you befriended a dragon. That takes bravery, lad."

"You're both young. You both have a lot to learn. But don't be so hard on yourself, Hiccup. Even mermen deserve love, you know," she gave him a soft smile, tying the new wrappings after applying some salve.

"Astrid is inside, worried about you. I told her to let me speak with you first," she rested a hand on his shoulder, and he finally met her gaze. "You did nothing wrong, Hiccup. Mildew, he's just looking to cause trouble. He always has been that way. If you had stayed, you would have seen just about everyone come to your defense. Axel and Astrid were the most vocal."

Gathering the supplies, she got to her feet. "I'll send Astrid out to you. I'll see you in the morning, dear."

Without another word, she left, leaving Hiccup a bit speechless as he stretched his fins out.

A moment later, he heard hurried footsteps approaching. Looking over at his girlfriend, he said, "I, I'm so sorry I ran off like that, I can explain..."

After a long training session, all Astrid wanted to do was cool off on the beach. Maybe a tiny swim, even though the ocean was so cold at this time of year. She pushed through the brush and staggered down to the shore.

Only to find a boy lounging in the shallows.

“Oh!” She dropped her axe in the sand. From his bare torso, she assumed he was naked. “Sorry! I didn’t know someone else would be…here…” as the apologies flowed, she realized from the waist down, he had green scales and a pair of fins.

No wonder she hadn’t recognized him.

“No way…” she inched closer. “A real mermaid! In the flesh! Are the stories true?” She stamped down her overwhelming curiosity for a moment to give him a stern point. “Don’t try anything fishy, mermaid. I’m very capable of protecting myself, got it?”

((I saw the prompt and went feral, hope you don’t mind))

[X]

Hiccup started, the water around him splashing as he sat up straight in surprise, before he moved a little further back, his cheeks flushed.

"No, sorry, I, I shouldn't--" Ducking his head, the merman awkwardly held up a hand, "Usually no one comes here..."

But his movements only caused his tail to briefly break the surface, emerald scales glittering in the sun for a moment before dipping below the water again.

Firmly, he responded, "Merman. I am a merman. And no, don't worry, I, I wasn't going to try anything...I know you'd probably kill me if I did..."

Clearing his throat, he ran a hand through his hair, which had partially dried in his time sitting in the shallow water. "What, what stories are you referring to?"

He knew, or at least had a gut feeling about what she was asking, but he wanted to hear it from her. She appeared wary, but not fearful. Maybe these humans didn't have the same fears of his kind like the others?

[voidmetal-alloy]

This is gonna be pretty long but I realised a while ago that Bass and Zero both kinda have the traits that Wily wanted the other to have and I need to ramble about it for a while

Zero was designed to be an unstoppable war machine, meant to awaken when Wily would no longer be around to deal with the consequences of whatever kind of monster he turned out to be : Bass is aggressive, ruthless and will stop at nothing to get what he wants, willing to harm anyone who gets in his way be it through backstabbing or brute force. But we also know that Bass canonically does have a good heart and deep down he does enjoy being appreciated for who he is, and his cruel and selfish personality is more than likely a result of Wily’s influence on him in his early development, passing down his inflated ego and stubbornness, meaning that he still has the potential for good if he can finally accept that he’s still worth something even if he’s not the best, the lesson that Wily never learned and never taught.

Bass was designed to be Wily’s right hand man and follow his every word, built strong enough to make it through any failed world domination attempt : Zero is loyal, strategic and very capable, he’s more than willing to lay down his life for the people he cares for and to make hard decisions that will work out better for them in the long run, even if it means that he has to suffer, and Wily’s shortsightedness is exactly what made him this way. He foolishly assumed that giving Zero instructions and encouraging his violent tendencies through his subconscious would be enough, failing once again to recognise the pattern of rebellion that shows up time and time again in his robots. When Zero awakens from what has no doubt been a hundred years of being told he’s made for nothing but death, he’s shown kindness and compassion and, most importantly, understanding, allowing him to find a place where his battle skills are not only needed but appreciated. It’s because of this that he develops a hesitation to listen to what his original instructions were, and then he’s forced to endure the pain and consequences of the monster he was supposed to be when Sigma succumbs to the Maverick virus, and Wily’s plans for him become just another nightmare that his loved ones can comfort him through.

If Wily had been kinder to Bass and more encouraging of who he is outside his strength, he could’ve been that loyal soldier, and if he had been more observant with his faults he could’ve foreseen that pushing Zero with flashbacks and nightmares and forcing a purpose on him would drive him away and make him question himself. But the Wily that loves Bass for who he is isn’t the Wily that builds Zero for destruction.

A final note; I think that one of the main things stopping Bass from following the same path of redemption as Zero is that everyone trying to redeem him makes him feel that his love for battle is something he should be ashamed of, even if they aren’t trying to: Rock tells him he “doesn’t have to fight” never considering that he might want to regardless of his morals, Proto is too vague about his advice (which is typically just that he should reconsider his reasons for fighting, not that he should stop outright.) and usually ends up frustrating him, etc. the only character who hasn’t accidentally shamed Bass for enjoying fighting is Duo, who just tells him he’s a little weird but still a cool guy which Bass seems to like hearing.

[mysteryshoptls]

SSR Kalim Al-Asim - Room Relaxation Voice Lines

It's gonna be my birthday, so I wanna learn to be able to do more things. Let me think... Like maybe waking up by myself?

Summon: A pajama party sounds awesome! We can play games, and eat snacks... Let's try it sometime!

Groovification: Getting ready in the morning is so fun when I get to do it with everyone! Today feels like it'll be a great day!

Home:Okay, time to put on my makeup!

Swap Looks: Ahahah, that's some bedhead!

Home Transition 1: Silk loungewear is so smooth and comfy～ Even on hot days they're nice to wear, since it breathes well.

Home Transition 2: My dad sent me a bunch of accessories all adorned with huge gemstones. I think I'll wear them for the next banquet!

Home Transition 3: I was just dancing in my room and almost tripped! Thankfully, the magic carpet flew in and saved me.

Home Transition - Login: I love birthdays. I get tons of people reaching out to me, so I look forward to it every year.

Home Transition - Groovy:  We're gonna be throwing a bash this evening at the dorm. You wanna come? Oh yeah, I should invite Sebek too!

Home Tap 1: Look at this! This pearl Floyd gave me has a funny shape, don'tcha think? He said he found it while preparing some oysters.

Home Tap 2: I ran into Ace out front the Mystery Shop, and he bought me some juice since it was my birthday! I gotta return the favor sometime!

Home Tap 3: Sometimes my siblings like to sleepover with me. Whenever they do, Jamil'd always read a book to them.

Home Tap 4: Oh, hey, one of my dormmates left this board game here when he came to hang out yesterday. I should challenge him one more time when I bring it back to him!

Home Tap 5: I forgot something? Oh, this hairband is mine? It's newly-bought, so I didn't even recognize it. I just thought it was someone else's!

Home Tap - Groovy: Thanks for coming to my birthday party. We're gonna hold another banquet soon, so you should definitely come with Grim!

Duo: [KALIM]: Let's eat some cake, Sebek! [SEBEK]: Kalim-senpai, I accept your offering!

Birthday Login Message: Thanks for celebrating my birthday! Oh, hear me out a sec. Cater and Lilia are gonna throw me a party in my room, so I was wanting to give those two a surprise, too. But I can't really think of a good idea to surprise them back... What do you think I should do? I should give each of them a letter with my heartfelt feelings? That's perfect! I'll try that, they're both bound to love it! Oh yeah, I'll write you a letter too. 'Specially since you're always looking out for me!

Requested by Anonymous.

[caitchercatlady]

Sleeping Over at Ramshackle w/Kalim

Though you don’t remember much of parties from your world, Kalim’s parties at Scarabia do help you in coming out of your shell. Despite his extroverted nature, Kalim always makes sure that everyone, including you, is having the time of their life. You’re so appreciative that you wish you can do the same for Kalim.

Then, the idea hits you.

Over the course of the school week, you organize the spare bedroom with spare sheets that you have and do some cleaning. On that Friday, you are nervous out of your wits, but you finally gather the courage to ask him to have a sleepover at Ramshackle Dorm. In his chipper and excitable way, Kalim is very honored to accept your invitation. He will see you after club activities that night.

Hearing Kalim accept your offer should help tame your nerves, but it only makes them more rattled. Maybe Kalim has high expectations of you. Oh, you feel sick to the stomach.

Thanks to Jamil being able to keep secrets, he offers you some recipes that remind Kalim of home. They’re basic, but they won’t break your bank either.

At least it will give Kalim something to be impressed by.

You are finishing the cooking, which makes Grim droll like crazy, when you get the anticipated knock at the door. You cover the pots and pans to keep the heat of the dishes (and to ensure that if Grim tries anything funny, he’ll get a warning burn touch). You take deep breaths before you answer the door, and when you do, you catch Kalim with beaming eyes and a full luggage trailing behind him.

He greets you with a hug. “Hi, Prefect! Thank you for inviting me over to your dorm. The place looks great! Wait…You’re cooking something? It smells wonderful in there! May I come in?”

“Yes, yes, you may,” you reply, stuttering and moving away to give your guest room to enter.

Yanking his luggage behind him, Kalim makes his way to the living room. He asks if he can sit his things by the couch. When you answer his questions with permission, Kalim leans his things against the couch and immediately wants to know where your kitchen is. You guide him over there and handle the freshly made meal, thanks to Jamil’s instruction. Kalim’s eyes sparkle at your hard work.

“Prefect! These are my favorites! How did you know?”

“Oh, uh.” Your cheeks flush, and you scratch the back of your head. “A little bird told me,” you reply metaphorically.

“Well, please give that bird friend of yours my thanks. This will go great with the snacks I brought over. Oh! I’ll be right back!”

Before you can respond to his sentences, Kalim makes a mad dash back into the hall. You can Grim side-eye each other, not because of what Kalim has brought, but with how much. He doesn’t return just as swiftly, which makes you concerned but Grim drool. Kalim does come back with an arm’s hold worth of sweets, much to your dismay. When he reaches the kitchen counter, he lets the bags and boxes fall onto it like an avalanche.

Kalim wipes his brow and sighs heavily. “Gee! I kinda forgot how much I brought over until I opened my suitcase. No wonder it looks so much emptier now.” He lets out his cheeky laugh.

“If you think about apologizin’, don’t,” says Grim. “This is the buffet of my dreams.”

You grab Grim by his collar before he’d dive into the pile. “Grim, don’t be such a hog. Kalim put so much thought an effort for us. This is sharable.”

“Oh, don’t worry about me,” Kalim replies. “I wanna try your cooking since you worked so hard on it.”

“As you are the guest, Kalim, you can pick first.”

“Oh boy! I can’t wait!”

The dinner may not be the Scarabia usual way of sitting and eating, but Kalim is very respectful towards your dorm and  your things (Much more than Grim is on a typical day). Along with that respect, he is incredibly pleased with the cooking, praising your gifted talent.

“I always wanted to learn how to cook, but everyone says it’s too dangerous for me.”

“Not if you know how to do it right,” you encourage. “If you’d like, I still have some spare ingredients for bread.”

“You want me to make bread with you?”

“It’s quite easy…if you want to, of course.”

Kalim giggles and latches onto you like a baby monkey to its mama. “Prefect, you’re the best. I promise I’ll be a good pupil. Where do we start?”

To say that baking the bread is quite the adventure is an understatement. Yes, Kalim is the Deuce of food instructions, but all ends well when the delicious bread comes out of the oven. Though Grim confirms how scrumptious the bread is, he pretty much eats anything. Kalim’s and your opinions matter the most, and you both concur with smiles and piece swallows.

The clock is striking late, and you figure that you need to get ready for bed. If not for sleep, at least to get comfy. You are heading from your bedroom to the washrooms to wash up and change, only to be intercepted by Kalim on his way from getting himself clean.

“Prefect! Glad, I caught ya!” He latches onto your hands and pulls you towards the guest room, where he will be sleeping for the night. As you enter, your let out a heavy sigh to the mess that Kalim’s already made with his belongings. He sees your face and his eyes widen. “Oh, I’m sorry! This will be clean by the time I leave, I promise.”

You smirk. “Thank you, Kalim.”

He quickly hugs you before he makes a swift walk to his luggage, retrieving a bow-wrapped-only present. Kalim shoves the gift into your arms excitedly. “I figured you’d like a new set of pajamas to where. Something for when it gets hotter here on campus…Not that I think you didn’t have any, but you never know.”

(Describe the pajamas after Kalim’s card drop)

Kalim swallows nervously. “Do you like them?”

Your face is washed of color as you admire Kalim’s present, gracing your fingers across the fabric. “Kalim…I love them. No one has ever given me anything like this before.”

Kalim’s starry eyes beam at your compliment. “Really? I’m glad to hear it, Prefect. Let’s go and have you try them on! What do ya say?”

You don’t get time to respond as Kalim pushes out of the guest room and down to the washroom. He fortunately leaves you to do that by your lonesome while he waits out in the hall. These pajamas act like outerwear with how many straps you have to tie to look appealing and practical. Nevertheless, you manage through it, impressing Kalim once you model your new night clothes to him.

He wastes no time in dragging you back to his room. It astonishes you still how Kalim can make a conversation out of anything. You let him speak his piece, but his sunshine energy doesn’t help your eyes stay perched open as they should. It’s nearly midnight by now.

Kalim notices this (how can he not?). His smile still plastered, he says, “Prefect, thank you for hosting your sleepover and thank you for inviting me.”

Your cheeks flush. “It’s nothing really.”

“Nothing? It’s not nothing. I’ve been having a great time.”

“Though I don’t have all of the animals and a buffet for a sultan?”

“You think those are the most important things about a sleepover party, Prefect?”

“Well, I…”

Kalim snickers. “Prefect, I know my own parties are unlike others, but a party is not all about how many things you can make or get. Parties are for having your friends to hang and have fun together. They’re about seeing people smile, cheer, and laugh. Does that make sense?”

You blush again. “You’re so kind, Kalim. I don’t know what to say.”

“Hey, it’s what friends do for each other, am I right?”

You nudge his arm. “I suppose you’re right.”

“And friends know when it’s time to get some sleep.” He yanks on the sheets and burritos you in them like the topping stuffings.

You attempt to protest about sleeping in the guest’s bed with him only for Kalim to massage your temple with his pointer finger. He’s not going to let you stress out over the little things. Well, for him, it may not be the little things.

Does he have any idea? you ask yourself.

The answer arrives swiftly when Kalim snuggles against you and yawns, “We should do this every week,” grinning against your cheek.

[antianakin]

See, the other thing to keep in mind is that attachment doesn't mean love at all, not in a positive way, at least.

The word attachment, as it is used in Star Wars, means a greedy, toxic obsession with something. It doesn't actually have to be a person, either, it can be a place, an object, or even just an idea. Attachment is an unwillingness to accept CHANGE. It's a desire to hold on to something exactly as it is because you believe it will make you feel good. It's also in some ways a fear of loss, as well, a fear that that loss will cause you pain and a belief that holding onto the thing as hard as you can will keep you from feeling that pain.

Letting go of attachments isn't a good thing because the Jedi happen to be psychic space wizards with abilities that have the potential to be dangerous and so they have to limit the things they do in order to avoid being dangerous as much as possible. Letting go of attachments is a good thing for LITERALLY EVERYBODY because it is, quite simply, the healthy way to have relationships with anything in your life. People leave, homes get destroyed, objects can be lost, and ideas can be changed as you grow and learn more about the world. The only guarantee that anybody has in this world is that things change, and that can be scary, for sure, but you have to be able to accept that or you'll always be miserable.

A lot of people find ways to explain away the Jedi's rules by saying "well they're Jedi, so things are just different for them" without realizing that the whole point of the Jedi is that they're intended to be examples of the best possible way to live your life, both in universe and out of it. The Jedi's entire culture is based on good mental health practices, things that they do try to help teach everyone they meet if they can, but it's also things that you as the viewer are perfectly able to learn from them, too. Anakin is a cautionary tale of someone who chooses selfish greed over selfless compassion, someone who can't let go and accept change. And so it stands to reason then that if Anakin is the cautionary tale, then the Jedi are the opposite. They are what Anakin was MEANT to be, which means you as the viewer should be able to look at them as an example of what YOU can be, too.

The rule about attachment isn't just about keeping your powers in check. The Jedi have years of specialized training to keep their powers in check. The rule about attachment is there because literally EVERYBODY should be doing this as a general rule of thumb. Anybody can cause someone harm by being too attached to something. Anakin's attachments destroy an entire galaxy in order to make a really obvious point, but there are plenty of other ways your own attachments to people, places, things, or ideas might be causing you or someone else harm.

It's not "great power comes with great responsibility," it's "being a person living in the world automatically comes with a responsibility to yourself and the people around you." If you try to look at this as just a thing the Jedi have to do because they have magical powers, then you've kind-of missed the whole message behind Anakin's fall and the Jedi's destruction. You can look at Anakin and go "Well, but that wouldn't happen to ME because I don't have magic powers" as opposed to recognizing that this can still absolutely happen to you even if the consequences are smaller and so you still need to learn the lesson that Anakin couldn't in order to live a happier, healthier life.

The attachment rule arguably has nothing to do with relationships specifically, it's just the place where Anakin tends to struggle the most (although I'd argue he also struggles with attachments to his own IDEAS of how the world works, as well, but that one's a little less obvious) and so that's what people tend to focus on.

The Jedi do also seem to have rules about their members getting married and having kids, but that's more of an issue with COMMITMENT to the work the Jedi do and not an issue of attachment, so that's a completely separate conversation.

I was listening to a star wars podcast that mentioned the no attachments rule and I was once again reminded that people have a very odd interpretation of that rule. that interpretation being that jedi condemned love as something bad that should be avoided at all costs. whereas I've always understood it as a kind of 'necessary evil' precaution.

let's look at a more mundane analogy like speed limits. I know this sounds ridiculous right off the bat but bear with me here. does driving inherently mean you have the potential to be dangerous to those around you? yes, it does. if you hit someone with a car, you're more likely to hurt or kill them. it's a privilege that should be used with caution. okay are there people out there who drive responsibly and aren't likely to hurt anyone even at high speeds? sure, tons of them. probably even the majority because they learn all these rules and pass a driving test and all that. does that mean that we should allow everyone to drive as fast as they want? no, it doesn't. because there are people that are irresponsible or don't exercise enough caution and even one of them can deal severe irreparable damage if they're allowed to drive at high speeds. so can people exist normally without driving above the speed limit? sure, they can still get to their destination just fine.

are we sensing the pattern here? high speed driving itself isn't the villain, it's not inherently bad. but knowing there are people out there who might do it irresponsibly and will deal real bad damage when they do and the fact that we can't predict who these people are and apply the rules to them selectively means that it's safer for everyone if there's one universal rule which doesn't ban driving altogether but just limits it for the sake of avoiding future accidents.

okay, now let's apply that to the Force, only we multiply everything thousandfold.

does being Force-sensitive inherently mean you have the potential to be dangerous to those around you? yes, it does. a person with a car can do a lot of damage but nowhere near what we've seen a single dark side user like Palpatine or Vader do. same thing here, being able to use the Force is a privilege that should be used with caution. are there people out there who use the Force responsibly and aren't likely to hurt anyone even when they allow themselves to have specific relationships (like spouses, children, etc.)? sure. probbaly the majority of the Jedi order because they're taught all this philosophy about how they should use their power, it's this really nice set of teachings about love, selflessness and managing your emotions.

now...

does that mean that we should allow every force user to have specific relationships? no, it doesn't. because there are people that are irresponsible or don't exercise enough caution and even one of them can deal severe irreparable damage if they're allowed to be reckless with their relationships (I didn't even need to reword this part). so can people exist normally without specific relationships? sure, they can still form deep loving connections and have their emotional needs met, in fact the jedi are explicitly shown to encourage community and cooperation, their whole social structure is very akin to one big family. masters and padawans being clear examples of the order's version of parent child relationships, your crechemates being like siblings to you, etc.

so no, the no attachments rule isn't implying that all forms of love are inherently bad or dangerous. what it is, in my mind, is just the result of a long history where the jedi realized that some behaviors can lead to disastrous consequences if left unchecked. my guess is that there must have been many jedi who fell to the dark side because of attachment i.e. obsession so the most natural thing to do if you're an institution tasked with the responsibility of teaching Force users how to use their power responsibly is to make a rule for these behaviors and I don't understand why this is so offensive to people.

it's not that different from analyzing a bunch of car accidents, identifying a pattern (high speed), deciding that you can do away with that without seriously harming anyone and establishing a rule to minimize the chance of future accidents.

and yes, these kinds of rules require some sacrifice. taking longer to get to your destination sucks but you make that sacrifice to keep the people around you safe. and of course having to be careful about your relationships and avoiding some types of relationships is a much bigger sacrifice but as we already said, so is the danger that one dark side user poses in comparison to one reckless driver.

great power comes with great responsibility and this applies to Force users to an extreme extent. yes, personal sacrifice and selflessness at that scale are extremely difficult to comprehend for most of us but so is the power that comes with being able to wield the Force. it's much easier to 'deconstruct' that idea and say it was wrong and corrupted to begin with without bothering to try and imagine what the implications of such a power are and it's sad to see that this is the route most people take when looking at the jedi.

[salt-clangen]

Meet Saltclan’s first (and only) Patron, Fennelheart!

We haven’t seen this lil man is quite awhile, but I promise he’s hanging out. So originally Fennel went to the ‘unknown residence’ (in the clans it’s called the Unknown) after he died bc he didn’t believe in Starclan. His beliefs were more akin to that of kittypets and loners, many non clan cats believe that when you die you spend eternity reliving the best moments of your life. Now for kittypets and loners that’s a very simple concept, they relive nursing at their parents bellies or being petted or sharing tongues in the sun. And it was the same for Fennel for several moons, but a lot of his best memories involve Saltclan and his friends there, slowly he began to want for more than just reliving the moment no matter how nice.

Starclan is capable of both great simplicity and complexity, changing between the two within seconds, so no one is sure how Fennel ended up in a trial before Starclan to see if he could join. Even starclan’s oldest members can’t fully comprehend the forces that lay beyond and bellow the stars, so everyone just goes with it as if this was a normal trial. Now not every clan cat that dies gets a trial to enter Starclan, but it’s more common than not, after all mortals of all species are inherently flawed. Fennel though was deemed a good boy and allowed in.

Fennel himself honestly didn’t even believe it was Starclan until he was shown proof and by the time he accepted it, they’d already accepted him. Soon he was walking amongst the stars like a true warrior, he could even walk the territory or visit cats dreams. After visiting Lynxdawn and Mallowstripe’s dreams and confirmed his new residence, Wolfstar decided since he had made it to Starclan he should get to be a patron spirit. So Lynx declared him the Patron of Shifting & Former Outsiders

Outsiders attempting to join the clan can pray to him to ease their transition into clan life. Speaking of transitions, trans cats can pray to him to help present as their desired gender. It can be something as simple as ‘Oh please, Fennelheart let them assume I’m a tom’ before going to a gathering, more commonly he’ll get a ‘Fennelheart please let these herbs not taste like ass’. While Saltclan is still in its infancy, it’ll be much more common to pray to Saltclan specific patrons. Other clans are pretty open to praying to patrons not originally from their clan, Scorchstar is a popular choice for fire starting assistance.

As a patron Fennel has more responsibility, which he loves, he doesn’t get prayed to often, especially in the early days but he answers every prayer sent his way no matter how silly. He uses his spiritual energy to make bitter hrt herbs taste sweet or to make someone’s scent a little more gender affirming or to soothe a cat who is frazzled about learning new clan customs. It’s not much, but it’s honest work.

I plan to post more patrons, previous leaders, and notable cats of clan history as time goes on, but I figured we should start with our boy Fennelheart💕

Also yes every early/founding member of Saltclan will be a patron after they die, some ill reveal some I won’t due to spoilers.

As always I’m inspired by Bonefall’s Patrons and Rippleclan’s Celestials writings (tho I call them patron or patron spirits)

[mishy-mashy]

Shinomori is actually the weird one

Horikoshi said he had detailed backstories for all the OFA users. He just wanted to hint and imply at what he already had, in a way you could breeze over it, and draw the connections yourself.

Examples include little hints like how Bruce mentions being with Kudo from the very start of their opposition. Or how Kudo hints at heartless decisions they made, or how many lives they took in a straight goal, where survival became victory. (Another parallel with Bakugo, where Bakugo wanted to be someone who always wins—and on Kudo's side, that means survival, but THIS ISN'T ABOUT KUDO)

Or the small corner of a panel where Banjo's arm breaking like Midoriya's, showing that Shinomori made OFA too strong. Or how Garaki saved AFO from never being able to find Yoichi again, on Shinomori's turn. Shinomori's turn should've been the end of AFO's chase, if not near it, since AFO was starting to grow old until Garaki appeared.

Little hints to whole backstories.

Shinomori only has one scene in the whole animal where we actually see him talk more than a line or a glance. And that's his self-introduction.

I want to talk about his line, [Mine was a terrible era. Everyone was a weirdo, except me.]

During his introduction, Shinomori says that One For All can't be passed on to a normal person anymore.

Since we, as the viewer, are watching from a time where Quirks are the norm, what Shinomori said doesn't stand out at all. Even Midoriya doesn't get confused.

The normal person to Midoriya is a Quirked person. That's what the viewer thinks too; Quirks are normal.

But consider that Shinomori is talking about - and from - the past as he explains who he is and what he did. Put your perspective in that time period.

Quirks were not normal. Metas were not normal. The norm was to have no Meta, even if more and more Meta Humans are popping up.

Shinomori actually thinks that Meta Humans were normal, and that non-Meta Humans were weirdos. This was during a time where everyone thought the opposite, and that Meta Humans were monsters.

"One For All cannot be wielded by a normal person." meaning normal, Quirked people. He thought Quirked people were normal from the start

"I was the only normal one. Everyone else were weirdos." and it's because everyone else was weird, and in a terrible time, that Shinomori went into hiding

Shinomori is actually self-centered in a way; he views himself as normal, and can't understand the perspective of other weirdos (non-Metas)

By self-centered, I mean like kids do developmentally-wise.

Kids first learn about the world only from their own perspective. They don't comprehend that others can have their own feelings, opinions, or feel pain.

Kids are self-centered because they only know their own perspective, and can't understand anyone else's. It doesn't occur to them to view the world any other way.

Shinomori is like that. Metapowers are normal to him. To him, the others who view Meta Humans as wrong, and the people who aren't Meta, they're the weirdos.

He can't understand them.

Shinomori blatantly referring to Quirked people as "normal" even catches Midoriya off-guard. Because for a minute, Midoriya doesn't know what concept of "normal" that Shinomori is using.

Japan was imploding on itself and in a Depression, and Shinomori's only takeaway during his era is who's weird and who's not.

"Mine was a terrible era. Everyone was a weirdo except me."

This is his only takeaway. Or, the only thing he focused on during this time.

And at first glance, that's shallow. Until you realize that Shinomori's main takeaway was that he couldn't conform.

But to him, it's that the others couldn't conform to Metapowers. He couldn't understand the people around him, and saw them as strange for that.

Since he's his own idea of the norm, he doesn't view himself - an Ability wielder - as an outlier.

His only solution to the society that was at ends, even with AFO's presence reigning, was to seclude himself.

That way, he'd be the only person in his own world—a world of only Meta Humans.

Shinomori was a hermit, not because of AFO, but because he didn't like society

To bring back this panel,

And bring up this, too,

Shinomori doesn't say he went into hiding for OFA. He agrees with Banjo's statement that he just didn't like society, and went to live off-radar. He cites the reason he did that: people were strange to him.

A time where people protested Meta Humans, at that. Non-Metas were scared of Metas, and those Metas didn't even want to be Metas. Those were the people back then.

He only says he evaded AFO, which would be easier to do with Danger Sense. And AFO didn't need many sensory Abilities back then, because he wasn't blind

So Shinomori didn't like society, and left it. Then he had OFA, and while still a hermit, starts building up that power while avoiding people even more.

Since Banjo managed to find Shinomori when these were the conditions, that means Banjo had no ill intent, and posed no danger or threat. That allowed Banjo to find Shinomori, without either intending to meet.

Must've been a jumpscare, actually. I like thinking Banjo's face just erupted from foliage, and Shinomori let out a bitch-on-falsetto shriek.

The fact Shinomori was already a hermit before OFA, also confirms that Bruce found him in the forest.

My theory is that Bruce and Shinomori knew each other beforehand. That's why Bruce could find him. Bruce, who spent time in cities, managed to find a single man who hides in forests.

(These posts (1) (2) speculate about Bruce and Shinomori's relationship, and Bruce choosing his successor)

Shinomori thought the world couldn't keep up with Metahumans (his normal), and still thinks that way in death. When he explains OFA, he refers to "normal people", that Midoriya has to piece together he means Quirked people.

Midoriya, who grew up where Quirks are normal, easily adopts the way Shinomori thinks of it, but on the surface level of only knowing what Shinomori was saying about the now.

Summary: Shinomori is the weird one, for viewing Metas as normal when everyone else believed differently. His belief of Abilities being normal endures from the Advent of the Paranormal, up to his afterlife as a vestige.

When Metas were abnormal, he saw it differently: Metas are normal, and those who can't accept Metas, or aren't Metas themselves, are outliers.

"They were the weirdos. Not me."

-

Side note, about the above panel

Notably, when talking about what a "normal person" is, we're looking at Nana, Yoichi, and All Might.

Nana, who looked at the strange, funny teenager Toshinori, and decided to give the Quirkless boy a Quirk; "normal", as a Quirked person in her time. She made All Might "normal" (though fitting in wasn't her intent, because they both knew All Might always intended to stand at the top), because he was a strange boy, and she liked that.

Yoichi, who grew up believing he was Meta-less, and had stockpiling forced by AFO to conform to his beliefs. An original Meta-less person, who was "normal" in his time.

And All Might, who was Quirkless, but with OFA, became "normal".

[trans-estinien]

i love being autistic cause sometimes i get a glimpse into how regular people perceive things and its like. what the fuck. what the fuck is that? you live like this? and its normal?? i think YOURE the weird one actually. im fine. thanks though.

[lpsgirl109]

I know very little about the murder drones panic au but I do think you guys are slowly turning it into the underlust of the murder drones fandom the way yall don't know how to go "gross! Anyway not my business"

[nuppu-nuppu]

We totally get how ur feeling about your art. We also only ever do finished pieces too. But your art is amazing and you still have all the time in the world to improve. You don’t have to be perfect ever or right now. Its okay to not be in the creative spirit 24/7. We always enjoy whatever you post and we see so many other people who love your art as well. But under no circumstances does that mean you have to pump it out constantly. 💗💗💗 you deserve good things and rest. ☺️

Thank you <333333333

Your kind words are making my heart do backflips

[lovely-malice]

Maybe I'm just a bad person for it. But, I can't really find it in myself to be "proud" of my identity

The gender identity? Not talking about that, I'm a proud tranny through and through. I'm glad I'm a feminine trans guy, I'll rep that any day

But, I'm just. not happy about being aro, and probably demiplatonic. I don't know how I can bring myself to feel proud of a part of my identity that only serves as a reminder that my greatest dream will probably never come true.

[blakelywintersfield]

Passive aggressive messages that boil down to "I'm being a snarky, chronically online asshole that has lost all ability to socialize with people offline and I think I'm so clever by being unnecessarily rude about something that's already been resolved, because I have nothing better to do with my time" are just gonna get deleted, especially if they're anonymous.

Hope that helps! 😉

[queenlybeastly]

.

[isekyaaa]

If you don't know me well and you've heard my opinions abt people talking shit, I probably seem like the person that enjoys talking shit about others. To which the truth of the matter is that I don't. Tbh, I feel I do something worse. When I talk about a person to someone else, I break them down from the bottom up by analyzing what makes them so irritating, but also what makes them so great, and I share that analysis with the person I'm talking to. It quickly escalates to bringing up a person's personal issues, traumas, insecurities, etc, and analyzing them under a lens.

[lesbian-steppenwolf]

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