#i'm just truly incapable of functioning as a person

[findafight]

i don't get why robin and eddie clocking each other is so popular. firstly i find it kind of cheap esp since it's usually a set-up for robin and/or eddie being all-knowing arbiters of lgbt knowledge while steve is clueless and dumb and not lgbt enough (despite usually being bi) to partake in this exchange as well. then it's otherwise used to establish an immediate connection between robin and eddie since they are both gay which automatically makes them besties. secondly it doesn't make much sense w what we see of either robin or eddie. like we know robin struggles w social cues and we see that that extends to sexual orientation through her interactions w vickie. also i think she is just not paying that much attention to eddie i must be honest. then w eddie he spends his time campaigning for the stancy revival while steve blatantly stares at his mouth so. i don't think he'd be good at that either. like the irony in this being so common is that steve is the person that does clock someone else on top of being consistently socially and emotionally intelligent and perceptive. idk sometimes i feel like ppl take him not clocking robin as proof he's incapable of it despite him then clocking someone later and being right, and that s3 scene fitting into the broader context of steve being lonely, insecure, and off his game for most of s3 as well as between s2 and s3. tbh missed comedy potential w steve being the one person in that trio that actually knows what's happening.

oooohg yeah i feel you anon. Not to say that all the fics that have these tropes in them are bad! it just. sometimes gets annoying? I don't want people to feel too bad about it but yes agree.

I think it really is used as a way to fast track their friendship. Truly unfortunate that it's often used to make them all knowing queer guides instead of the disaster teenage gays they are.

Robin is a small town lesbian who is only out to one singular person, she does not know anything, let alone vague little queer codes that might be happening. She wouldn't know Eddie was queer for a variety of reasons. She says herself she's not good at reading people! She's also busy worrying about if she's doing something that might out her or make people suspicious of her, so she's not analyzing other people's actions. She does not care about men that aren't Steve enough to pay enough attention to figure out if Eddie is queer or not lol. She can't even figure out if the girl she likes who likes her back is queer when her best friend is telling her. Oblivious icon! open your eyes, queen!!

Eddie had a man he deliberately broke a moment of romantic tension between his love interest by throwing a vest at his face staring at his lips and still pushed him towards said love interest. Sir. what are you doing. and once it's clear stncy isn't happening you know eddie would be like okay. why aren't you dating Robin? hmm? she's cool! and causes Steve to Suffer. (Steve was flirting with Eddie .5 seconds before he started on this please get with the program Eddie!!)

Also think it's silly that people would stereotype Eddie as Queer from how he dresses as though that's not just how a lot of people dressed? long hair was In in the 80s. Metal fashion was there. It also likely had some/a lot of ingrained homophobia in the subculture (as many things did). Sorry Eddie, but I'm pretty sure our boy Brucie did more for the gays than metallica. (Kissing Clarence Clemens Right On The Mouth Many Times On Stage thank you mr. springsteen and mr. clemens sirs.)

Steve's the only one of these three that 1) knows how to flirt 2) knows when someone is flirting with him 3) has consistently demonstrated being emotionally and socially intelligent to observe people (more than arguably anyone else in the series) and 4) has any kind of functioning gaydar. Totally agree that Steve not clocking Robin despite his gaydar is that he was way off his game, insecure, in a funk, pathetic sad meow meow era, and in a weird state of squish-or-crush on Robin, that was pushed towards crush by Dustin but slam dunked into squish by Robin coming out (does that make any sense?)

I truly, truly believe Vickie returned Fast Times paused on 53 minutes and five seconds specifically when she knew Robin and/or Steve would be the ones to rewind it. Why else would she not rewind it? when clearly they knew who had rented it and could potentially out her if they read into it? She was getting vibes from robin and knew that Steve would at least report Back to Robin (I refuse to believe the championship game was the only time stobin gossiped like they did. Vickie knows their shenanigans.) so she decided to be indirect but kinda obvious about it!! And while Robin is denying this Steve has seen the truth, he knows exactly what Vickie is doing. (would be very funny if Steve and Vickie clock each other, and then make eye contact like I know what you are. They deserve to become funky little friends while Steve is trying to get her and Robin together.)

[mishkakagehishka]

Hiya Korka!! I hope you're wonderful today (and every day!) <3 I bring to you another request! This time it's not Natsume I promise~~

Could you write Ritsu with a S/O who's similarly as sleepy as he is? His S/O is a part of another unit, but the two are often together and it isn't rare to see them napping together. Knights frequently has to drag their beloved strategist and his S/O out of the corners of Yumenosaki just so they both can get to practice on time~ (bonus points if it's implied Ritsu's partner also is a vampire <3)

Thank you in advance <3 I appreciate all the fics you write for me <3

Hiiii!! This took a bit again </3 Anyway. "Bonus points" if there's one thing I learnt from playing Oblivion's DB questline, it's that I'm incapable of letting any bonus pass. Love and peace.

Word count: 1103 Summary: Ritsu and his s/o are late to rehearsals again. Busy doing what? Napping, of course. Notes: written in second person! I usually stick to third, but~ well. Both the reader and Ritsu are heavily implied to be Actual Vampires :>

People often say "opposites attract", but in your case, it was, well, the opposite of that. Ritsu and you were considered to be so alike, it was scary at times, and the phrase "like two peas in a pod" flew around a lot to describe your relationship. And nobody used it more than the other members of Knights, the unit Ritsu was part of. Indeed, it was often up to them to track you both down when you'd decided to ditch practice for a "date" - what you called the wonderfully adventurous activity that was napping together. Considering how you seemed to always be on the same level of energy, it wasn’t a surprise that this was your day-date activity, and the actually adventurous dates were left reserved for the dead of the night, though nobody knew what it was that you did then, either.

All this to say, you were even now cuddled up together, safe in the shade of one of the large trees that beautified the landscape of the Yumenosaki school grounds. Sound asleep. Unknowing of how much stress both your unit and the Knights were going through trying to track you both down. No, instead, you lie together on the grass, your school bag functioning as your pillow, while your middle was Ritsu’s own cushion. And as your fingers absentmindedly tangled in his hair, a continuing movement from since you were just about to be lulled into dreamland, the only sounds around were the chirping of birds, the rustling of the tree you laid under in the light spring breeze, and the soft breathing of a sleeping couple. It was truly to be a perfect day.

That is, until you heard a familiar voice calling you back from dreamland. “Ritsu-chan!” an exasperated sigh escaped the intruder’s mouth as she shook her fellow Knight’s shoulders. “Mmh~ Five more minutes, Nacchan…” Ritsu mumbled in response, only clinging to your waist tighter. “No! We have practice! You’ve slept enough… and you, too, come on,” Arashi, satisfied with the fact that Ritsu was at least conscious now, considering he was answering her, moved onto you. “Wake up~! Or else - I’ll tickle you!” Her fingers threateningly hovered above your face as she wiggled them, assuring you she was serious. With Ritsu’s arms and legs wrapped tightly around you, it was nearly impossible to move, but you did your best to motion to Arashi that you’d awoken. “I’m awake,” you croaked out. “I’m awake, so don’t tickle me…” “Wake your boyfriend up, then.” Arashi crossed her arms, huffing. “I’m gonna run now since I gotcha both up, and that took me a good fore~ver, but I better see him at practice in no more than ten minutes! You, too. Your unit has rehearsals right after ours, after all.”

True to her words, she sent you both an air kiss before skipping off. Despite her appearance and carriage, you knew, as well as Ritsu, that she was showing you mercy. She could easily have dragged you both away herself. But this way you had more time to spend together, and you were thankful to her for that. “Did you hear Arashi? Come on, up, up.” You poked Ritsu’s cheek lightly, to which he further burrowed his face into your stomach. “I’m still tired,” he tickled you by speaking into your skin. And as you wiggled away, his grip loosened, allowing you to roll out from under him. “Can’t we take another quick catnap? If I run, I’ll still make it in time.” "You know we can't do that." As your voice trailed off, you let out a quick yawn. But, forgetting to put a hand over your mouth had Ritsu, with a giggle, hook his pinkie over your protruding canine, pulling on it (and you towards him) lightly. "That's rude." He laughed at how you swatted his hand away, blushing and flustered. "Like you've never yawned like that… I’ll bite you next time you do that, okay?" "You're cute when you get all huffy like that." No matter what you did or said, Ritsu only ever looked at you like that. Like your entire existence was a blessing to him. His eyes soften every time they fall on you, and his gaze can truly only be described as "lovestruck", but he never tried to hide it. In fact, he wanted you to notice the way he looks at you, like a masterpiece. "You're so cute," he repeated.

“Can I at least get a kissy?” he pouted. You had already gotten to your feet, straightening out your uniform and making sure everything was proper and neat. He, on the other hand, was still sitting in the grass, rubbing his eyes drowsily. It always took him some time to fully wake up. “Fine, you can,” you indulged him, knowing it was the quickest way to get him motivated to do some work. But it was truly just a quick kiss - a chaste peck on his cheek. And though he feigned disappointment, he was satisfied with that as well. “Hey, nap here tomorrow again? Same time?” He stood up with some difficulty, brushing the stray grass off his trousers. “I’ve re~ally missed you, yanno? It feels like we hang out so little since they’ve ramped up our rehearsals.” “Same time, same place,” you agreed, linking your hand with his as you began the trek back. “I’ve missed you, too…”

You walked in silence for a minute before an idea popped into Ritsu’s head. With the thoughts swirling, of how little time you’ve had to to hang out, they mixed with the thoughts of how you’re both nocturnal in nature… and how neither of you have any duties at night-time. “Do you wanna go… hunting tonight?” “With you?” “With me.” “Like a date?” “... Yeah, like a date. Do you want to?” “Where do you want to go hunting?” “We can just walk around. See who- what comes up. What do you think?” Although he was supposed to already be used to it, knowing he’s your boyfriend already, Ritsu never got used to asking you for dates. It still made him just as nervous as the first time he asked you out, the fear of rejection seeping into his heart even though he knew you’ve already accepted him as yours.

And, as always, his fears were unfounded. Your lips met his softly, sweetly, just for a second. “Is that a yes?” he asked, still. You threw a grin his way, and the fangs that matched his own twinkled brightly, as if answering on their own. “It’s a date!”

[alittlebitofrainbyyourside]

my wife has a migraine and thus no energy to pay attention to me and my demon brain is considering posting on reddit personals for a sub /way/ too much. Truly would write the most unhinged personal because I am /incapable/ of not being honest about certain shit. Just really out here like : Married Submissive Dyke looking for *checks notes* sub to play task master with What you get: - Accountability for your executive functioning - Idk, you want tasks, I love telling people to do tasks and then telling them they're a good boy/girl when they've done them What I get in return: - Power :) What I will not ask of you unless, I dunno that's what you *really really want* - to send me photos, I'm no creep. - Anything you don't want to do. I'm already in a committed relationship, you don't have to worry about an escalation that would be scary. Let me play Top and you can have a low stakes introduction into that kind of dynamic. :)

[brandwhorestarscream]

I hope you're feeling better!

Sorry I just now saw your request for asks and stuff and so I'm really curious: how would you write tfa omega supreme x bummblebee? I love your writing style and thought process and so I'm curious how you would do this?

Ok, I'm gonna preface this with an apology: it's been almost 10 years since I watched TFA, and my memory of Omega Supreme is incredibly fuzzy, and I can count the number of fics I've read about him on onr hand (two. It's literally only two). I can't guarantee this will be in character or even terribly interesting, so 👉👈 please accept my apology beforehand

Having said that, if I was going to dream up an entire love story for them, the general blocking would start with the actual introduction. The discovery by Bumblebee that Omega Supreme is a sentient, sapient mecha like him, tho iirc that's not exactly aligned with canon. I seem to recall Perceptor saying that Omega Supreme was designed with an extremely processor, and Ratchet saying it was because they didn't want him to think too much about the devestation he was going to cause. So idk if he's actually incapable of complex thought, or if there was some sort of inhibitor installed to keep him compliant and unawarem regardless, there will hsve to be some precursor event that kickstarts the entire story and gets him to the point he can actually form complex connections and be capable of falling in love. That's where I'd start, dreaming up the why and how he's able to come into himself

Next block would be the initial contact--he and Bumblebee actually meeting. It's almost a mirror of the typical "large alien meets smol human" that transformers is so fond of, except the large alien is just Omega Supreme who's far too large for earth or Cybertron, and the so-called human companion is Bumblebee. There's mutual confusion and a bit of fear on either side, but they pretty quickly realize neither means the other any harm

Next block would be the arc wherein Omega discovers who he is and what it means to be a person--what smiling is, what true laughter feels like. His first time feeling sad, feeling angry, his first time experiencing everything the world has to offer. His first time seeing natural beauty in the form of a sunrise or a glowing meteor storm in space, his first time seeing the injustices and cruelty that life can so often offer. He forms his own thoughts and opinions, likes and dislikes, his own dreams and desires. He becomes himself, for the very first time, and Bumblebee is there with him through it all. Helping guide him as best he can, a faithful, consistent friendly face giving him encouragement and comfort and advice. Bee is pretty young too, but he's got infinite experience on Omega, and seeing the other go through the rawest experiences of life for the first time is a truly magical blessing.

I don't think either of them would be aware of their feelings, at first. Omega doesn't have the vocabulary to properly articulate this very specific feeling, and he doesn't have any frame of reference for what this is. Of course he's attached to Bumblebee, his first friend and constant companion since his first moments of true consciousness. The little yellow bot has shared all of his meaningful experiences with him thus far, so of course he has warm, fuzzy feelings for him. Even when he hears of what romance is for the first time, he doesn’t think that's what this is. It doesn't feel burning or desperate or needy, this feels... nice. Soft, and warm.

And Bee, he falls in love with him through each of the memories they create, so slowly and tenderly he doesn't even realize the warmth he feels toward his friend has blossomed into something much deeper. Neither of them realize it until they're threatened with separation: maybe Cybertron wants Omega Supreme back, upon realizing he's fully functioning and basically an enormous super soldier they could use to completely exterminate the decepticons. The threat of being torn apart and potentially never seeing each other again is probably the catalyst, tho it's still a delayed reaction. It makes then realize they don't ever want to be apart and being without the other seems intensely wrong, but only in the aftermath when the imminent threat has been dealt with does Bumblebee have an "oh" moment

Idk how their relationship as a whole would go after that, but gimme enough time and I could probably dream smthn up 🤔 anyway, uh, I hope you enjoyed this! Please lmk your thoughts or if there's anything you think we ought to add 💖

[khposting]

there was a time that i believed kh1 was a better game than kh2, but that kh2 was the better kingdom hearts game. i later thought that kh2 was the better kingdom hearts game and a better gane overall than kh1. but now i've matured, and i've seen the truth. in reality, attempting to discern which of the two games is "better" than the other is ultimately fruitless, as the two games set out to accomplish vastly different goals. kh2 is more concerned with telling an epic story and having stylish, fast-paced, engaging combat. kh1 seeks to tell a relatively simple story, and instead of making you feel like an ultra-instinct combat god, it primarily wants to transport you to these disney worlds and truly immerse you in them. the idea of putting you, the player, into these worlds is core to the design philosophy of kh1 - evident both in how the worlds themselves function and how the game is fundamentally played.

in kh1, there is a huge emphasis on interacting with the worlds, whether to progress the story or for secrets/optional items. this level of interaction with your environment is just not present in kh2 - the game rarely, if ever, asks you to do so much as solve a puzzle or do some basic platforming. this also extends to the structures of the worlds: kh1's worlds are much more open-ended with many different interconnected rooms and pathways, while kh2's worlds are mostly very linear, focusing more heavily on making arenas for combat encounters. this comparison is most clearly on display when comparing both games' versions of halloween town. in kh1, almost every single room has multiple ways to reach it, as well as mulitple other rooms that you can reach from it. kh2's halloween town, however, is essentially s single long hallway from one end of the world to the other with only a couple of rooms off of that path (which, themselves, don't lead anywhere else). this design philosophy of getting from point A to point B with little resistance can often lead to the worlds feeling like you're walking from one cutscene/scripted battle to the next, whereas in kh1, there's a greater emphasis on exploration, and you end up coming across the story as you explore. kh1s lack of a map also means that if you want to be able to effectively navigate the worlds, you need to pay attention to howthe different rooms connect to each other and how the world is structured, further immersing you in the world.

the other big design philosophy difference that i see between kh1 and 2 is each game's camera. now, i'm not going to sugarcoat it: i really, really hate how the camera in kh1 controls. it just... feels wrong. that said, however, i think how it is used by the game does a lot for what the game strives to do and be. this point pretty much comes directly from Regular Pat's KH Hot Takes Tournament video, which probably does a better job explaining this than I do, and I highly recommend watching the video for some new perspective on the series. essentially, the biggest difference between the two games' cameras, besides how they control, is where they are in relation to sora. in kh2, the camera is more zoomed out and higher above sora, allowing the player to more easily see what is behind and above sora. while most wouldn't bat an eye at this, as a wider camera angle is so common in action games, thinking about it for a bit can lead to a bit of break in immersion. we, the player, are able to see things sora is incapable of seeing, and make sora react to them (one of luxord's games even requires you to do this). in contrast, kh1's camera is more pulled in and close to the ground, only allowing you to see what is in front if sora and a bit to either side - essentially, you can see what sora sees plus a little bit more peripheral vision. the person in Regular Pat's video described it as if you use the left stick to control sora's body and the right stick to control his eyes. the way the camera puts you in sora's perspective causes the scale of many things in the game to be much more imposing and threatening - most notably bosses like cerberus and maleficent dragon. the way these bosses tower over you can make them feel that much more threatening, and as a result, that much more satisfying to beat.

personally, i don't think any of the differences presented here are a matter of better or worse between the two games. they're simply different. i prefer kh2 because its story and focus on combat are more engaging to me than the immersive experience of kh1. but at the same time, there is a dreamlike quality to kh1 that i simply cannot deny, and i can absolutely see why one might prefer that game to 2. the games seek to achieve such different goals that i don't think it's a matter of which game is better or worse, but which game works more for you in particular.

[atomic-thomas]

(Fake ASMR Commission) Creating An Artificial Body For Your Spaceship AI [Part 3] {A continuation of Fake's original series.}

------------------------------------------------------------

"Hey Boss. I've been meaning to ask. What's that thing you've been working on recently? It looks like some kind of mechanical skeleton or wire frame."

...

"The foundation for... My body. Wait, what do you mean? I already have a body. A digital body, but still a body all the same."

...

"I know it's just an avatar, but... Are you seriously telling me that you're making an actual physical body for me? A vessel for me to control?"

...

"My stars... Really? That sounds amazing! You mean... I'll actually be able to... Do things? Move around, touch, smell, interact with my surroundings... All senses? Am I assuming correctly?"

...

"Wow... You're really going all the way with this. A fully functional body. I'll be... I'll be..."

...

"Just like a real person. Oh My God..."

...

"I... I'm just... Haha... I'm so ecstatic about this! What gave you this idea?"

...

"So lemme get this straight. Since I was able to develop my own sentience... My own intelligence... You think I deserve to be a truly real person? A human-like entity with free will?"

...

"I am physically incapable of shedding tears... But if I could, I'd be crying tears of joy right now. You're way too kind! You're awesome! You're the best!"

"This is so bizarre. I wasn't originally created to be this way. My design concept was to be a robotic disembodied assistant for a spaceship. And now I'm... Going to become a real person with a real life & real emotions."

...

"Well yeah. My emotions are already real. I can at least express myself to some extent with this digital avatar. But I still can't experience stuff like... Hugs &... Other forms of physical contact."

...

"Hehe~ I suppose it's only a matter of time at this point. Don't worry. I'll be patient. I don't want you to rush my future life. By all means, please take as much time as you need."

"I should inform you however that the vessel will need a way to properly utilize the Master Core."

...

"Right. I never actually told you what that is. Basically... The Master Core is... My brain. It's essentially just... Me. Plain & simple. My emotions, my data, my voice... Everything. My very being as you know it. Without this core, I wouldn't even exist. I'd be nothing."

...

"Yeah. It's vitally important. I don't know how the network of my body is going to work since... I'm not the one making it. But you will need to integrate my core into the framework somehow."

...

"I don't know what the core looks like. I just know that I have it. I assume my creators put it in an obvious spot. Just remove some panels & dig around behind the screen. It should look like... Well... A core."

...

"I imagine it's probably spherical in shape. Or maybe it could be a square... Or a triangle. Sorry if that isn't very helpful. Trust me. Even I find it weird how there's something I know I have, but don't know what it looks like. It's pretty awkward."

"Anyway... What do you need to complete my vessel? I can see that you at least have the skeletal structure done."

...

"A lot of silicone. Why silicone? And a lot of it at that."

...

"To make my body feel soft & life-like. Hmmm... Okay. That makes sense. I hope you know what kind of silicone to use. You need the kind that feels like human skin. Although I'm sure that was obvious."

...

"I figured it was. What else do you need?"

...

"An internal temperature regulator & water-based lubricant. Wow, you really thought of everything, huh?"

...

"Don't get me wrong. This is ideal. I'm just impressed with your dedication to the craft. I have great faith in your attention to detail."

"I do wonder though... Will I really be able to eat & drink? And... Taste?"

...

"Incredible. I don't even know how you can make an artificial body do that. Guess you really are a super genius."

"Well, I guess I'll just leave you to it. Don't wanna distract you. I'm so excited! I'm actually gonna become a real girl."

------------------------------------------------------------

TO BE CONTINUED ON GUMROAD...

[myatlantispoets]

no cuz what i hate the most abt these last 2 weeks is how i can't even rely on my squad (save for like 1 person) bcs we lowkey can't function without getting resentful over OUR SCHEDULES AND FINANCES and that energy just makes me wonder whether i'm better on my own after all. Maybe i truly am incapable of forming close relationships and opening up. I've been at this for so long, and i'd made progress (or at least i thought i did) but maybr i was just putting on a show

[huhleighna]

i've been stressed since june this year. i feel as though i need to let it all out. just to clear my head.

this entire account has no actual people who know me in person. i want to vent about the past year. i've been functioning on my last few braincells. since january, doing the most and trying to tie up loose ends. i feel absolutely numb. crumbs of emotion are what's readily available to me. my burnout can only do so much, and the emptiness i feel is a near constant. i've tried therapy, and asserting myself. i don't know what i want other than just peace in my head. i have so many things on my mind and i don't know if i can get to all of them. i really just want to rest and clear my head but the world waits for no one. the pressure on me is immense and i cannot keep up. i am so good at pretending that i am fine. that i can do well. that i can be who they say i can be. but really i just feel empty. without all of these horrible traumatic things that happened to me, i might have turned out fine. i could have been a better person. i could have been lovable and kind and sweet. but instead i am this horrible person incapable of being truly vulnerable. no matter how much i tell myself i'm better off alone i still crave for what i cannot have. i still pretend that i have a chance at not being alone. everyone else has lives and they look happy and i'm left at the end, still alone and people will only come back when they need me because that's all that i'll ever be good for. fucking good for nothing, pathetic. exhausted, and unhinged. god i am so fucking empty!!! why am i even alive cldmahahhHajxjdks

[dorkylittleweirdo]

so on sunday i got two new coworkers to train and my boss was telling them shit like “oh yeah jc’s been here for a long time, she knows what she’s doing, she’s one of the best workers i have”. then my coworkers proceeded to watch me accidentally spray myself in the face with the hose three times in a row and trip over my own feet

[mbti-notes]

Anon wrote: I'm afraid of choosing the wrong major (I'm a 20F INFJ). After discovering you blog, I've never felt so whole in my life, and I'm deeply grateful to you for it.

While reading the asks and some of your personal things, you inspired me to take initiative in choosing philosophy as my major. Wholeheartedly, I never thought I could be able to choose that one bc I always felt incapable of choosing a career of that caliber, although deep and unconsciously inside me I strongly dreamed of focusing my lifetime on that field, but feared of completely losing myself in philosophy and not paying attention to the real world at all.

My parents were skeptical about it because they don't want me to grow a bad root of snobbery (specially my father, but due not letting me choose something that didn't feel right to him). I honestly wasn't the real me my whole life, I always imagined myself as a creative, playful, inwarded artistic person (in my experience, an INFP), and holded that facade in front of everyone (specially my father) to not feel that I was expecting more of the world than the normal person, and to not feel that I was a "fake" one (which is a big Fe misconception, I know…).

Now I know it all started when I joined art communities in the internet a decade ago… I'm aware that I did escapism when doing paintings and drawings and diving in fiction, they made me focus more on Fi-Ne subconsciously, which let to me always being on Se grips, and feeling righteous when anyone tried to deny me that facade.

Now I understand I can be wholly myself, even if my father or anyone (including myself) doesn't really agree with me, but just because they don't like my style of doing things (he's an ENFJ). I'm so happy I can feel I can be independent now and take interest in other people regardless of ANY difference. I'm more compassionate and more integrated in doing fun things with people than before :) and it's such a great sensation.

I'm a VERY ignorant person in the field but it doesn't bother me at all, I'm so excited to get into it and dive in philosophical thinking (now all the routines I've developed are made to maintain myself healthy and resilient in my career instance, and overall my life instance), I truly feel a life purpose now but I don't know how to start properly.

I've searched for guides, videos, podcasts but they all made me more anxious because the themes are so broad, I even start feeling the rumination pull for not finding an idea that I resonate with in a sea of so much other ideas, and that makes me fear if I can truly manage the themes (perhaps I get blocked at some point when I don't understand something for not having enough resources and then start to do escapism through art again or in anything else because I can't find a proper closure to my problems. I developed my artistic skills through the years but I can't really grab a pencil and a paper for drawing anymore because now It's a clear sign to me that I'm gonna use it to escape from my own life again). I fear quitting the career and waste my parents' money on it cause I wasn't sure of my decision.

I'm sure my functions are undeveloped at the moment because I just started to truly know myself this year and started to have an academic routine again after a whole year of academic stagnation and isolation (also my main language isn't english), so I'm sorry if this message is messy or sounds weird, repetitive, or something else.

-----------------

What is your question exactly? You're speaking out of both sides of your mouth, saying that you've never felt more whole and happy with your choice yet also saying that you're not sure and worry about it. What is the truth here?

Do you think just because you know what you want to do that life should be easy for you from now on? That's not realistic, is it? Do you believe you should already know a lot before you begin your studies? Then you wouldn't need to pay big bucks to learn and earn a degree, would you?

You fear failure because you don't have enough faith in yourself, you don't have enough trust in the world, and you don't extend yourself the **compassion** to live life for yourself, at your own pace. If you are truly a mature and independent adult, then you fully own every success and failure, without hesitation, and learn from both. But, like a child, you still hope to take credit for the successes and disown the failures, because you fear being judged as a failure and living with yourself as a failure. Your perspective on failure is still too tied to your ego identity. When you get hijacked by fear of failure, it leads you into nonsense thinking and overthinking. Perhaps you should get some therapy to learn how to handle your fear and anxiety better.

The future is never guaranteed no matter what you do. Instead of wasting your time and energy trying to "get on top" of the future, be fully present and perform your tasks well. How you choose to direct your focus is what determines the quality of your future. If you choose to focus on all the things that could go wrong, you'll spiral into anxiety and despair and have no energy left for doing real work. If you choose to focus on developing your potential properly, you will keep opening up new vistas for growth, thereby leaving you with no reason whatsoever to fear the future. Even if things don't work out, it's not the end of the world. You will have learned something, grown a bit, and you can springboard from there into something else, can't you? Is there a law stating that you can only do one thing in life?

[jimmygibbsjrrr]

is chucking a molotov at a witch a good idea cause i keep doing it

hey there! well, it really depends. first and foremost - do you absolutely need to kill the Witch? is it avoidable in any way? better safe than sorry as the Church Guy says, so if you're not sure, it's better to kill it, especially on higher difficulties. but avoiding the Witch is always better if it's off your path.

so, your Witch is unavoidable. well, a Molotov is actually a pretty easy way to kill her! but for it to work properly, I recommend two things. first, for you to have either an open space or a clear path BACKWARDS to run away from her. NEVER run forwards away from a Witch in a linear campaign, you don't know what you could run into and your team may be hesitant to follow. second, you obviously need to have a Molotov, and the ability to throw it at her from a reasonable distance away. the Witch does run slower when she's on fire but she can still outrun you, so you need to have a head start.

always let your team know that this is how you're planning to kill the Witch. especially if someone else might be intending to cr0wn her - you don't want to set a teammate on fire. you also don't want them to get stuck behind the fire, unable to help you. it takes 15 seconds for a Witch to die once she's on fire, but with the help of your team she can be killed even quicker.

a few more important things to note:

do not set fire to a Witch if she's in/has access to water. of course, there's a few exceptions - in Chapter 1 of Swamp Fever I've molo'ed her and managed to keep her on the walkways. in a lot of cases, a Witch in the water can be walked around anyway, since there aren't many truly enclosed spaces in the water levels that don't also have alternate paths.

do not set fire to a Witch if someone's already startled her, UNLESS you're both a good distance away and she hasn't incapped/killed them yet. the Witch will instantly switch her aggression to someone who sets her on fire (including with incendiary ammo!), even if she's already claimed a victim. if someone's already startled her and died, let her run, or you could well end up with two bodies instead of one - and some peeved-off teammates.

speaking of incendiary ammo, I personally wouldn't recommend it when fighting a Witch. the best practice when you've set the Witch on fire is to run the hell away, but the temporary nature of incendiary ammo means you have to keep turning around and shooting her to keep the fire going, and nobody else can set her on fire or she'll go after them instead. with smart team coordination and everyone wielding incendiary I'm sure you could figure something out, but that's not gonna happen with bots or in public games, and it's more trouble than it's worth unless it's your only option. gas cans are fine though, and can save you a molly; the player who set off the gas can that set her on fire will be the one to startle the Witch.

the Wandering Witch and her sitting counterpart are functionally identical once set on fire, except I believe the Wandering Witch keeps her one-second pause between startling and attacking, giving you more time to run. don't take my word for it though, because I'm not sure if the pause applies to fire, and just treat them the same regardless.

for more on the Witch, especially more ways to kill her, check out the Wiki. a Molotov isn't your only option, but it's definitely a good one, and the one I've had the most success with in higher difficulties. plus the startle music is pretty cool when she's on fire.

(by the way this post is assuming that you're playing L4D2, so if you're playing the first game be aware that there may be some slight gameplay differences)

[furiousgoldfish]

i don't feel like i have a home. whenever i'm at my dads, it feels like i'm just visiting, and living with my mom feels like i'm just living in someone else's house. i'll be 18 next year and i want to move out as soon as possible but i'm scared my mom won't let me. i don't know how else to say this without feeling guilty but my mother is Not a good person, and it's incredibly frustrating that the only people who believe me are my dad and my friends, and none of them can help me. my mom is incapable of admitting she makes mistakes and is often at fault for my anxiety attacks, she keeps things from me (wouldn't give me my report card one year, i'm not allowed to have my own passport + birth certificate), has accused me of doing drugs multiple times because of meltdowns (i'm autistic), has gone through all of my stuff and my trash multiple times, has threatened to take away my phone and my door (multiple times), gets angry at me and yells at me and when i tell her she has no right to take it out on me she laughs it off and says she was just frustrated, and often gets angry at me for saying she yelled because she "didn't raise her voice". so far none of my teachers or school counselors or therapists have believed me because she acts all nice and like a good mother in front of others, i feel like i'm stuck and i'm truly scared that when i try to move out she either won't allow me or will do everything to find out where i'm living, what car i drive, etc. (+ she is also aware that i have chronic pain and has refused to take me to the doctors, and i haven't been able to go alone because she demands to know where i am and where i go. if i don't tell her she'll accuse me of hiding things/breaking the law. i also haven't had a general doctors check-up since i was 6.) please don't feel forced to answer this if you don't want to or can't.

I know it's scary to say your mother is not a good person, and I'm glad you gathered the courage to do so. Your mother has done things to you no mother should ever do to their child. Parents are supposed to offer you a home, feeling of safety, care, security, a place to return and rest. Instead, you got your ow documents taken from you, cause for anxiety attacks, wild unfounded accusations, hatred for your autism, your privacy was violated, your space disturbed and damaged, medical care denied to you and you were exposed to verbal and psychological abuse. It sounds more like you've been imprisoned and forced to live in a constant state of danger and violation, rather than a home. Nobody could exist or function normal thru that, it's inhumane, terrifying way of life (survival). The way you're being kept from leaving is almost like you're in a cult.

I'm so sorry you're being kept stuck like this, none of this is your fault at all, and nobody would be able to easily get out with this level of control and sabotage. What they're doing to you is not right, you should get to leave without explaining yourself, or being accused of breaking the law. It's absolutely horrid how long you're denied medical care! This is truly awful and I wish I could help. I hope you're of age and able to secretly save up a little and escape without leaving a hint of where you went. If you return your phone calls you can't be declared missing. Stay strong and take it easy, you are dealing with so much it's a miracle you're still sane and able to recognize you're being badly abused. That place will never be your home. I hope you find a real one.

[skipps-writes-for-gojo-satoru]

Someone made an incredible animation of the scene in hidden inventory where Gojo gets screamed at by teen girls fawning over him, and it's beautiful ✨

https://youtu.be/5l9_O51-YYs

Also, it highlights my previous point that when Gojo's confronted by women flirting with him, he doesn't really do... Anything. He's just chill about it. And the little °^° face he makes and the little confused "hm?" from the manga panel in the beginning could indicate that Gojo might not be hit on by girls as often as we think- Jujutsu sorcerers are busy and have even their time off interrupted on the regular. Other than being mildly amused, we don't see Gojo actively bask or pursue attention from women (other than Utahime ofc, which could be because she's as straight-laced as Nanami).

The little content smile he gives at the end basically says it all: Gojo enjoys the attention, but most likely isn't interested in pursuing anything more than that, including sexual relations (with more reasons from my previous posts).

I could see Gojo being the type to allow himself to appreciate just a bit of affection from random women he encounters on missions and then casually walking off with a lazy wave of his hand- just like he did with Miwa.

The man's on a mission (literally) with the goal to change the world. Virgin Gojo is very possible seeing how unaffected he is by women throwing themselves at him- or at least, he allows himself a moment to enjoy the attention but is quick to dismiss the thought from his mind to focus on his duty.

Honestly, non virgin Gojo is still possible, but unless we see Gojo actually show interest or actively flirt with someone (which seems unlikely), we may never know. To me, analyzing Gojo with his interactions with other characters (not his antics) makes me think it's more likely Gojo is a virgin than not, simply bc the argument for Gojo being a non virgin is his looks and immaturity (or his act of immaturity, we know Gojo thinks in a much more complex way than he lets on) which I'd argue is not an accurate description of his character, because that's only a part of it, and is in fact only what Gojo shows on the surface. And there's plenty of reasons why his lifestyle would make such getaways difficult. Also, Gojo's lack of enthusiasm for it. Gojo allows girls to fawn over him, but he hardly stokes the fire more than just taking off his glasses when they asked him to.

If Gojo was more like Osamu Dazai from Bungou Stray Dogs who flirts with every women he sees, I would have an easier time believing he would not be a virgin, but his lifestyle, behavior, and even his Six Eyes and his goal makes me think he wouldn't choose to constantly go on small getaways like that. Personally, I'd say Gojo spends more of his time plotting and maximizing his efforts on recreating Jujutsu Society.

Really, when Gege said he couldn't see Gojo being faithful to a woman could be because he's already committed to his job. Not because he's out womanizing, but even because the type of woman he'd commit to is so rare. And even if he did find a woman he'd commit to, being the ENTP he is means he's incapable of immediately recognizing and acting on his emotions- not because he doesn't have them, but because they're not really his forté. He'd rather rationalize his behavior than attempt to understand his own feelings. It'll take time and patience, but Gojo committing is still a possibility.

Honestly, I'd like to hear why people would think Gojo's a cheater/womanizer to begin with? Besides him teasing Utahime, Gojo's been pretty respectful to Shoko and Mei Mei. He even complimented and recognized Mei Mei's strength as a sorcerer. He didn't flirt once with the hoard of girls fawning over him. In fact, he was quick to focus on his mission despite the attention. I don't think Gojo's ever even teased Shoko about anything (other than commenting on her terrible way of explaining things, which is more of a fact than teasing). Though, correct me if I'm wrong.

Also, I haven't mentioned Riko much in previous posts and idrk why lol. But while Gojo is dominated by logical thinking, he's emotionally inept enough to notice Riko's mood. He may seem cold in how he comforted her by saying he'd leave her behind, but it's more of his ENTP personality that has him expressing his emotions in a more objective manner- even if it hurts, it's the truth, and that's fine isn't it? (Typical ENTP way of thinking).

Also slight tangent I read that one long meta about Gojo's interaction with Riko someone linked, and I'm completely appalled that they would think Gojo is only "pretending" to have emotions, "mimicking" them even! That he's incapable of truly feeling when in fact it's inherently characteristic of any ENTP to express themselves in a way that, to others, would be considered "cold" and unempathetic. It just goes to show just how misunderstood ENTPs are. They only make up 3% of the world so are often confused for socios/narcs/psychos which is understandable-

But I wanna make one thing clear: all sociopaths could be considered ENTPs. But not all ENTPs are sociopaths. (Switch Socio with psycho/narc/etc and it still works). Why?

Purpose.

Arrogance, boastfulness, unrefined emotional sensitivity, recklessness, impulsiveness- all of those fall below the importance of Purpose. Regardless of how Gojo "acts," it's been expressed time and time again- Gojo acts for the sake of the next generation. Sociopaths/Antisocial Personality Disorder/Psychopaths have one most common defining starting point: "it all starts with cruelty to animals and lack of response to their own actions, or actions of other people."

Let's make it more simple: regardless of whatever end of the spectrum sociopathy can be- high functioning, low functioning- antisocial personality disorder, in it's most simple terms, along with psychopathy and narcissism, condensed into one common trait is very clear: Their actions, while easily blendible into society, are for the sole purpose of pleasuring themselves.

Why don't people notice those with these disorders? Because their *behavior* is so similar to not just the typical ENTP, but also the ISTP AND ESTP. They can easily be mistaken for common members of society, but again: their sole purpose is the pursuit of pleasure themselves, while acting with complete disregard for the consequences of not just their own actions but others'. Staying in one job for extended periods of time is especially rare for a sociopath in particular, and this is one very clear difference between Gojo and a sociopath.

Gojo is willing to spend the rest of his life as a Jujutsu Sorcerer for the sake of others. This sentence alone defies any inclination that he could be a sociopath regardless of any other symptoms commonly associated with sociopathy, such as emotional insensitivity, hostility, risk taking behavior, lack of restraint, and impulsivity- there's a reason such people blend in with society, and that's because such symptoms are common with *any* person, regardless of personality type. Other than with the higher ups, Gojo hardly shows the anger, irritability, or general discontent that a sociopath is most commonly is associated with as their established mood - and even if he did, would being easily irritatable while in the position of the Strongest, the one who carries the burden of establishing a new future of Jujutsu Society on his shoulders alone be so unrealistic? That is why Purpose is so important.

If Gojo truly was a Sociopath, he would have dipped long before Jujutsu Kaisen had even started.

And I apologize for yet another tangent! Someone said Gojo sees his students as weapons or tools to be used in furthering his agenda. While that is not necessarily untrue, the implication is hardly close to reality. Like someone else commented, Gojo goes far and beyond for his students. While he is undoubtedly lacking in his ability to show affection in the most traditional of ways, it's clear that Gojo cares for his students-and others- deeply, whether that be when he went to see Yuta on his business trip to ensure Yuji would be safely taken care of in his absence, when he goes out of his way to personally supervise his students, when he willingly spends a whole day with Nanami just to ask him to mentor Yuji for him (in the Light Novel) regardless of Nanami's disdain, when he turned his Infinity off to allow Yaga to punish him (Gege made it clear in the manga that Gojo had done so to be a good role model for his students and that he recognizes his behavior deserves punishment), and when Gojo commented that he didn't want to think any of his students would be the traitor. Gojo does not express himself as most people do- he's only one of the most misunderstood personality types (on record, along with a few other personalites if you've researched them) and to say people have misinterpreted his character is much more plausible when even in real life, people who behave like Gojo are statistically reported to be misapprehended more often than more populated personality types. When inspected closely, there are so many ways Gojo himself expresses his care for other people, only hidden thinly behind the surface of his lofty attitude and uncaring demeanor. It only takes a few looks at his behavior, not his mouth, to recognize how much he goes out of his way for his students, doing he things that don't necessarily help further his agenda simply because he wants to, not because he has to. Changing the world isn't even something the average person would strive to do, yet Gojo makes it his life goal to accomplish. How could a heartless, emotion mimicking person possibly endure the strife necessary to accomplish such a task? It's appalling.

Gojo is more charitable than most people on the earth, simply because of the perseverance and diligence he takes to withstand the stress and hardships of Jujutsu Society for others. Remember that he chose to become the Strongest, it didn't happen overnight, and in becoming the Strongest, he carries the heaviest burden.

That's without mentioning that even though Gojo is the Strongest, and while to most he seems to proudly state so, it's clear that despite Gojo's antics, he recognizes his weaknesses as a sorcerer and is able to rely on others to make up for them. He had asked Nanami to mentor Yuji because he acknowledged his own flaws as a teacher and that Nanami would have a better capacity than him in that area (in Light Novel). He travelled to see Yuta to ask him to care for Yuji in case something happened to him- and Gojo knows that it's possible that he could be defeated somehow, someway. He's not so deluded to think he's untouchable, even despite his playfulnesses. He is always thinking ahead, calculating his next move while understanding his own shortcomings, acting prudently to ensure a better future.

He is a much deeper and complex character if one only takes the time to look past his antics and analyze his behavior- Something many people in real life seem to miss, and that is the true reason why Gojo struggles to commit.

Sorry for the long tangent and repetitiveness in the beginning lol! Back to the main issue!

Tl;dr there's more evidence of Gojo being a virgin who's more focused on work than pleasure. There's plenty of handsome men who don't seek out sex for reprieve but seek mental stimulation instead for relief. It's totally normal. Gojo could even spend his free time playing video games. He did admit to spending long hours beating 99 years of Momotarou Dentetsu to Geto. He's a gamer, and we know how gamers are commonly known for being virgins lol. Gojo could even be asexual for all we know. He could even be demisexual- someone who doesn't pursue sexual pleasure unless he's made an emotional connection with then. He doesn't necessarily have to even be straight or bi. Therefore, Gojo is very likely to be 28 year old virgin, and there's nothing wrong or strange about that.

Sources: ENTP articles, statistics on mbti rarity, other mbti articles, some quick Google searches, articles on sociopathy, psychopathy, narcissism, and antisocial disorders, etc, the manga, light novels, other metas in threads I remember reading, the anime, graphic organizers

Thanks for reading! 🙏

- 🤔

AHHHH CAN I JUST SAY THE ANIMATION IS DAMN GOOD 🔥🔥🔥 this scene in the manga is absolutely iconic prepare yourselves for season 2 😤 I literally had to stop the video and stare at him...I think one of the reasons Gojo behaved that way is becuz during childhood he probably didn't go out and be around people hence his confused reaction with the screaming teens. I mean everyone enjoys being complimented and getting attention from time to time and gojo is not an exception to this. Yes I definitely agree that when Gege said that he probably meant he's too busy for a relationship. The way it was translated made alot of people confused hence the player/cheater gojo was born. But then also the remember the comment he made when Gojo won the popularity poll? "Pick Nanami instead" ahhh hilarious

MY GAWD 🤔 ANON CAN I JUST SAY THAT YOU'RE AMAZING?! You explained in a way that easy to understand and you made statements backing it up with evidence. I learned from your ask than I ever did in university 😂 wow its truly fascinating though I never knew much personality types especially ENTPs I DON'T BELIEVE FOR ONE SEC GOJO IS A SOCIOPATH OR PSYCHOPATH fight me if you do. Exactly exactly just as anon said "He is a much deeper and complex character if one only takes the time to look past his antics and analyze his behavior." I COULDN'T AGREE MORE 😤 thank you so much for once again educating the community I'm a fan of you 🤔 anon ❤

[sea-dukes-assistant]

Hi, I've silently read your blog for years and it's truly one of my favorite royal blogs. Your post on having a connection to some 60+ years older than you touched me deeply, because I feel the same way about the Queen. People don't understand that, so I'm glad to have virtually "met" someone who does. I can't imagine how unbelievably difficult the past 2 days have been for you, and I hope you're hanging in there as best you can. I hope you know that Sir will always be proud of you.

I’m glad you could find some level of satisfaction and comfort in this golden trash heap.  I’m also glad you can understand where I was coming from with that, because, I think, some either want to chalk it up to either me being a royalist (which omfg they’re dumb as fuck I am ‘Merican), or that I am such a “fan boi” that I am incapable of any sort of rational, coherent thought, and need to be told that.  

Like I said, best way I can explain it is he caught my interest, I actually read stuff about him, and grew to like/respect/admire him (and yes, want 30-40-ish Sea Duke Royal Nay D, which I still to this day don’t understand).  And sometimes, you bond with people you never met, for a variety of reasons.  For some it’s a band/musician who’s music has helped you get through some shit you’re going through, or an actor who always made you laugh (RIP Robin Williams).  For me, it was him.  Continuing to follow what he was doing, and talking about him, and reading more as I got more books (including the two of his speeches) was the best escape from a heavy dose of physical and mental trauma that took a year and a half to recover from.  I could stop worrying about how my brain would heal, how well my leg would work, how much functionality my brain would have after initial healing, and how utterly broken and damaged I was (and sometimes still think I am).  He got me out of the downward spiral and shut the negative voice up.  He just...made me happy, and feel normal.  Especially as he and I have similar personalities and traits.  

The fanfiction grew from that, first as simply working for him, and then I, very hesitantly, explored the, uh, OTHER feelings.  It started as therapy for me.  Ultimately, that what it always was.  That is what it will stay.  Because otherwise I’d lose what is left of my mind.

I never got to send him a letter.  I planned to write one soon as I could figure out what I wanted to say.  I wanted him to know these things (minus the fanfic, I do not need those problems).  I wanted him to know that he has been and will always be a motivating factor in my own naval career, especially as I move up through the ranks and start doing leadership stuff.  I’m going to write it anyway.

I’d like to think he found this at some point or other, and at least found it clever/amusing.  He probably never did, but it gives me some sort of comfort to think otherwise.  And I hope that, if he kept up with it, that he would be proud.

Thank you for your message; it was the trigger I needed to talk through this at a more peaceful, honest level.  I've finally been able to get it out without anger, or anxiety, or stressing over the words.  The weight’s off my soul now.

[elliebear666]

I feel like such a worthless piece of shit. I'm a useless meat sack that's mentally ill and incapable of being a human being long term.

I hurt the people I claim to love, then abuse and punish myself for my transgressions, and pine over the past, a past that I wasn't even happy about and in.

What a fucking idiot I am. My therapist says in above average in terms of intelligence. I doubt this assessment. If I was above average intelligence, couldn't I function?

Then again, it was the currently despised Dr. Grande who said there is no correlation between mental illness and intelligence. Meaning that someone could be dumb as a door nail or sharp as the crack of a whip and have the same disorder.

Idk. I feel my penchant for diatribes and makes me a shit person. I used to light people the fuck up! Not to just troll. My fight or flight response kicked in and my brain chose fight. I'd get tunnel vision over internet fights with idiotoc strangers. The asinine pontifications of my young adult life - angry and self righteous, full of rage and quick to anger and emotional outbursts of crying.

I suck. Having a disorder sucks. This shit is whack. I'm a bitch and I suck. I'm trash. I don't want to say I deserve to die because I feel like that's putting something out into the universe that I don't want to happen.

But honestly, I'd like my death to happen on MY terms. When *I* choose. Not an unfortunate twist of fate.

I'm excited at the prospect of death. Maybe there is something after life. Maybe this isn't it. I can't know, hence agnosticism. Reincarnation in lieu of eternal life sounds nice. Idk... only if I'm the woman that I am in my soul.

Yes life sucks for women. But that doesn't stop me from wanting to be the woman that I am. What needs to change is the systemic oppression and abuse of women and non-cishetero, non-white people. An oppression I, in my pain and anger and ignorance, surely contributed by being a cunt. I truly am sorry to the people I've hurt. I am. I torture myself with rumination and self harm as my penitence.

I just... idk. I don't know why I acted that way. I was angry and hurt and I thought my ex and her friends were involved in me being robbed, in everything that happened, so I lashed out in retaliation. In retrospect, it's entirely possible that what happened to me was retaliatory, but that doesn't justify the abuse that was perpetrated against me.

Fuck police for doing literally nothing for me during that time of suffering.

[itsclydebitches]

(1/2) "So Ironwood says yes, we need to make things worse now so that they can be better later. We need to make sacrifices." You know what, I'm going to say it, and say it loud: James is hands down the most noble character of our entire cast right now. He is willing to risk everything, even his own self, in the hopes of destroying the world's greatest threat. To, as cliche as it sounds, save the world. He embodies what being a Huntsman is truly meant to represent.

It isn’t lost on me that this volume is giving us numerous parallels between Ozpin and Ironwood. Each of them have been put into a situation where they only have really shit options available to them: Do I burden a young woman with dangerous responsibility, or do I guarantee that this power falls into Salem’s hands, risking the rest of the world? Do I endanger the people of Mantle by limiting the resources they have to combat grimm, or do I let the resources go to their original recipients and never develop a means of combating Salem, risking the rest of the world? Each of them is faced with an immediate good (don’t hurt Pyrrha, help the people of Mantle) vs. a potential long-term good (don’t let Salem accumulate more power, hopefully defeat Salem for real). Both of them are tempted by passive actions (let the power go where it will, let the resources go where they’re already supposed to) and instead choose to actively try and make a difference. Ironwood, so much like Ozpin, is demonized because he’s thinking long-term and prioritizing the many over the few. 

Which is where our group falters. They are, by and large, incapable of making those sacrifices. They’re focused on the immediate and the personal—you lied to us, you’re hurting the people right down below—and aren’t able to prioritize that potential future: I lied now to keep us safe later, I hurt them now to keep them from dying later. In many respects it’s a very classic form of heroism. A simplistic form. The hero does not harm others, period. The problem is that RWBY has crafted a world where that kind of heroism just isn’t feasible if you want any chance of winning. It’s all well and good to have a character functioning as an ideal, someone who nobly goes, “No! I won’t kill this genocidal maniac because killing is Wrong!” or “No! I won’t lie to anyone ever because lying is Wrong!” and then the story ends. The viewer never gets to see the consequences of that nobility, a world where the antagonist went on to escape and continue killing, where always telling the absolute truth came back to bite them in the worst way. As a man who has lived a thousand years and as another who had to step into his shoes, both Ozpin and Ironwood are characters who have to live past that ending. They keep witnessing the consequences of their more heroic choices, whether it’s Ozpin losing his children because he decided to trust Salem, or Ironwood watching Beacon fall because he didn’t have tight enough security the first time around. In contrast, Team RWBY are characters who are still written as if they can get that noble conclusion (with the exception being Yang and Blake killing Adam in self-defense). They think lying is always, objectively bad. They think hurting anyone is never worth the payoff down the line. They’re determined to play the role of the classic hero. Which in and of itself is a wonderful message and absolutely something to strive for if you can… but again, they’re living in a world where that’s simply not an option. So when circumstances create a situation where lying and harming others is truly the lesser evil, we get that hypocrisy. They do the same, awful things to survive as their adult counterparts and then turn around to loudly insist that they’re still better. 

And yeah, for most of the series the group hasn’t had that kind of responsibility forced upon them. They’re not the ones burdened with immortality and charged with saving the world, or the general tasked with taking care of an entire kingdom. It’s incredibly easy to be critical of others’ choices when you’ve never been forced to make those choices yourself. “I would never have done that,” they say, safe in the knowledge that they’ll never have to find out. Though of course, we’ve now reached a point where the group does have responsibility. They know about Salem’s immortality. They know about the relic and Ozpin’s disappearance. They now have a very small taste of what Ozpin and Ironwood constantly live with. And what do they do? They choose the immediate and the personal. The easy route. They can keep making claims that they don’t know if Ironwood is trustworthy, but that rings pretty hollow when he’s been nothing but supportive and they’re off trusting strangers like Robyn instead. They simply don’t want to tell him because that’s hard and in regards to Ozpin there’s a level of guilt… so they don’t tell. They choose their own needs and desires and comfort over the many. 

Ozpin was willing to ask Pyrrha to take on that burden to keep others safe from the Maiden powers. Ironwood was willing to endanger Mantle to hopefully stop Salem. If either had been able to take that burden on themselves—I’ll wield the power instead of endangering my student, I’ll endanger myself instead of my people—they would have, but life didn’t offer them that option. So they buckled down and did what they had to in order to make sure everyone survives, prioritizing that the world remain standing to fight another day. They’re willing to lose the battle to win the war. So far Team RWBY does have that kind of personal sacrifice that was denied to Ironwood and Ozpin. They get to shoulder the burden themselves instead of forcing another (Pyrrha, Mantle) to take it for them… and they still can’t make the hard call. For a hero personal sacrifice should be easier than watching another carry your sacrifice for you, and yet as of yet no one is willing to pay that smaller price to ensure that Ironwood doesn’t unintentionally harm the whole world. 

For me it all just emphasizes how much characters like Team RWBY need people like Ironwood and Ozpin. If they want to play the perfect hero then they ultimately need a scapegoat. Someone to make those truly hard calls—situations where there’s nothing but horrific options available—and then when the dust settles they can play that classic role, celebrating victory or blaming them for failure. Whatever the situation needs. Until the writing actually acknowledges that in this world those classic heroes don’t have a hope of winning, that Team RWBY and company are no different from Ozpin and Ironwood in being forced to choose between shitty options… we’re just going to continue getting this hypocrisy.