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thefallenangelsgang · 15 days

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Fuck it, I'm throwing my hat on the ring about the Emil announcing Nate from Fallout 4 is the bystander Soldier in the Fallout 1 opener.

First and foremost, it was a stupid thing to say. As he backtracks to later, the conceit of Fallout's protags is they are supposed to be anyone (and that issue is precisely why some people hate the extensive prewar character background given to you in Fallout 4). For the lead writer to pull a JK Rowling (why would you do that? None of those went over well) is such a major marketing misstep that it wouldn't surprise me if Emil gets reprimanded for it before we even get into the implication of what he said.

Emil your voice is as good as God when it comes to the canon. You can't just say shit like that and expect it to go well. Especially considering the implications.

Speaking of the implications, I'm not mad about Nate being a war criminal. It's a coloring I actually would welcome if the games discussed concepts like Capitalism, Racism, and War in any meaningful way anymore. And if Emil also didn't say this.

Fallout's canon is rooted in reality. That is part of its whole thing. It's fun to do goofy shit like becoming the Silver Shroud and having a make believe superhero fight with the Mechanist or write a woman obsessed with Nuka Cola so much she traverses two games to basically kidnap the CEO's cryogenically preserved head so she can talk to him for all eternity, but the setting is very much rooted in reality.

You aren't dealing with fictional countries, you aren't dealing with fictional races, you aren't dealing with fictional hypotheticals. That is The Elder Scrolls job. You are dealing with actual countries, actual racism, actual history, and actual fucking politics. You have to be mindful of what you are doing and saying. You can't just do things because it's an interesting plot device without first thinking about the implications.

Fallout's world is a heightened version of our own, a path we seem to stumble towards with ever passing year unless we do something about it. It fucking sucks. I'm sure writing it feels like prophesizing the future and eats your soul a bit. It would mine. But that doesn't mean Fallout can just take a sharp left in terms of story and reality and get away with it.

To have Nate be the bystander Soldier and then meet him when he has a very good thing going for him (an expensive house during an inflation crisis, a robot butler, he gets into a vault for free for fucks sake) very much speaks to life rewarding him for his crimes. There is no hatred in his words when he looks at the flag of the country that made him kill innocents. His speech is speaks of remorse for leaving his family and the cycle of war, it does not speak of the horrors. Of watching you comrades bleed out in the Anchorage snow. Of the scream of shells overhead. Of the fear in civilians eyes as your buddy puts a bullet between them.

You all have to see how it looks like the man is fine with what he had to do during the war, right?

Not interacting with these concepts enough paints a picture of apathy and acceptance. In this day and age where being keeping the government honest and responsible for their actions is so important, that isn't going to slide without it being EXTREMELY purposeful, which it is not. It's tone deaf and lazy.

I respect a lot of what Emil has done in the past, but I am not above keeping him culpable when he has something so delicate in his hands. I hope this situation is what he needed to get his head on straight, or is the light bulb moment where he realizes he needs to pass the torch onwards. There is no shame in subject matter becoming too much as time goes on. There is shame in letting a previously critical series become the very thing it was criticizing.

He is going to keep getting dragged until he realizes that or he manages to convince the fans to be complicit in the degradation of setting. In doing so he is going to lose Bethesda most of its biggest fans who well and truly love the series and what it stands for.

But that's just my take, and I'm just a kid who studies polisci and history and can't shield myself from the inherent horror of nuclear war no matter how much I try.

War really never changes

#fallout #fallout 4 #fo4 #fallout new vegas #fallout 3 #fallout 2 #fallout tv series #fallout tv show #emil pagliarulo #bethesda

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mariacallous · 2 months

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When Russia first invaded Ukraine in 2014, annexing the Crimean Peninsula and bringing turmoil and destruction to Ukraine’s eastern regions, many people—both outside Ukraine and inside it—found it easier to ignore the violence unfolding in the country’s east than admit that war had returned to Europe. This included creative artists, who rarely mentioned the war in their works, not least because they feared scaring off the Russian fans who constituted much of their audience.

As Ukrainians all over the country woke up to explosions on Feb. 24, 2022, the truth could no longer be ignored: The “big war” had truly begun. Today, the country’s art is catching up to the truth of war.

Before 2022, few Ukrainian artists and entertainers openly mentioned the ongoing war in their works. In fact, many pop stars like Ivan Dorn or Luna continued to perform in Russia and created works aimed, first and foremost, at the Russian market and in the Russian language. When criticized for this by their Ukrainian fans, many dodged the subject, claimed to be “apolitical,” or explained their actions as “trying to build a bridge” between Russia and Ukraine.

“My music isn’t about politics, it’s about healing souls,” Luna said in a lengthy interview with Russian opposition journalist Xenia Sobchak in 2021. “That’s why I don’t pay attention to the critics back home trying to make me feel guilty for giving concerts in Russia.” Similarly, Dorn claimed that by interacting with Russian listeners he was “trying to capture as many people as possible with my music so that they would never attack my own country.”

But the main reasons were pragmatic ones: The large and relatively rich Russian market has long been attractive to Ukrainian performers, much like the American market for the English-speaking world. Making films or music built around a Ukrainian context could scare off Russian fans, so the overwhelming majority of content made in the 2000s and 2010s was tailored to sound and look as neutral as possible, devoid of any references to local events or personalities. There were, of course, notable exceptions.

Musicians, such as singer and veteran military paramedic Anastasiia Shevchenko, better known by her pseudonym СТАСІK, wrote songs openly referencing the war in their lyrics and music videos. Indie rapper Stas Koroliov released an entire album in 2021 of tracks inspired by the war and society’s apathy toward it. It contained lyrics like “I now understand that to become a messiah you just need to state the obvious: My homeland is at war with Russia.”

While mainstream comedies that wanted both Ukrainian and Russian box office sales steered clear of any references to recent domestic events, independent movies were more willing to process the violence taking place in Ukraine’s eastern regions and the loss of Crimea. Wartime dramas such as Tymur Yashchenko’s U311 Cherkasy (named after the naval mine sweeper blocked by Russian forces during the capture of Crimea) and Maryna Er Gorbach’s Klondike addressed specific events of the Russo-Ukrainian war, while Nariman Aliev’s 2019 drama Homeward was a meditation on what the loss of Crimea meant for its indigenous Tatar population. Other films, such as Volodymyr Tykhyi’s dramedy Our Kitties, tried to find humor amid the heartbreak and horrors faced by the Ukrainian soldiers stationed on the frontlines.

Everything changed in early 2022, when war—previously treated as a niche subject that was likely to scare off people looking for light entertainment—quickly became the only topic most Ukrainians were interested in. As missiles rained down, entertainers suddenly realized that they could not remain apolitical bystanders any longer.

Almost every popular musician spoke out against the invasion, with several (such as Dasha Astafieva and Vitaly Kozlovskiy) apologizing for performing in Russia and platforming their Russian colleagues in recent years. “I felt like a zombie while performing in Russia. I’d arrive, smile mechanically at everyone, do the set and return home. Russia has a lot of money but it’s a soulless place,” Astafieva wrote in a social media post shortly after the start of the full-scale invasion. Many artists—such as Antytila leader Taras Tolopya, singer Yarmak, and most of the lineup of cult Kharkiv-based hip-hop group TNMK—took up arms and joined the Armed Forces of Ukraine, while others took to volunteering by raising funds and sourcing equipment for Ukrainian soldiers, performing on the frontlines, or training as medics.

Some of their personal stories exemplified Ukraine’s modern civic identity, which has little to do with ethnicity or where you were born. Instead, for many, it’s a choice. Take Yulia Yurina: The Russian-born musician first came to Ukraine as a 18-year-old student in 2012 and soon joined forces with Ukrainian-born Stas Koroliov to form critically acclaimed pop-folk duo Yuko. Today, Yurina—still formally a Russian citizen despite publicly renouncing her citizenship and applying for a Ukrainian passport—is not only a beloved performer, whose recent album encapsulates much of the anger and grief felt by the average Ukrainian, but also a volunteer working tirelessly to provide the Ukrainian Armed Forces with weapons and equipment. “I dance through the bullets as air raid sirens sing to me,” Yurina sings on one of the album’s tracks. “I am disgusted by what you’ve done here, you’re killing souls but you won’t be able to kill our dreams. We are not your friends, your family, or your lovers.”

During the first months of the war, a new subgenre of locally produced music arose. “Bayraktar-core” (the semi-ironic name came from how often these songs mentioned the Turkish drones used to great effect by Ukrainian forces in the early stages of the war) songs were simple, composed over a mere few weeks, catchy, and characterized by their aggressive optimism, constant references to recent events, local politicians, wartime memes, and foreign allies (Boris Johnson, then British prime minister, was mentioned often).

What these songs lacked in lyrical nuance and musical innovation they more than made up for by giving millions of Ukrainians a sense of unity and community amid the chaos and horror. “Occupiers came to Ukraine, wearing new uniforms and driving military vehicles,” go the lyrics of one of the most popular “Bayraktar-core” songs. “But their equipment was soon ruined by the Bayraktar!” Some, such as a viral mashup sampling a folk tune and a phrase spoken by Johnson, made the leap over to English-language social media.

While simple war-themed entertainment (or even anything vaguely patriotic and uplifting) might have been enough for listeners and viewers in the early months of the war, the artistic questions got sharper as the fight went on.

Did performers who left the country soon after the full-scale invasion have a right to make money off of songs mentioning the horrors others faced while staying in Ukraine? Could writers who hadn’t personally experienced life under Russian occupation use the devastation in say, Bucha or Mariupol, in their stories? And what if they conducted interviews with the people who had? Many of these questions lack definite answers, but the public response to various works inspired by the war have been noticeably different.

When writer Daria Gnatko announced in late 2022 that she would be publishing a novel set in Russian-occupied Bucha, many pointed out that not enough time had passed to properly process the events that had transpired in the town, and wondered whether writing a story like this without conducting in-depth interviews with the survivors of the occupation was a form of exploitation. The book, along with another upcoming work by Gnatko, a novel inspired by the destruction and occupation of Mariupol, was postponed indefinitely by the publisher after a wave of public criticism.

Likewise, popular writer Kateryna Babkina’s latest novel Mom, Do You Remember? was met with controversy after the author, who had spent much of the war abroad, announced that the plot would be inspired by the occupation of Bucha. Some reviewers were concerned that not enough time had passed since the liberation of Kyiv Oblast and that the subject was still too triggering for most readers, while others darkly suspected Babkina had only mentioned the tragically famous town when announcing the book to draw more attention to her work.

However, most of this criticism was limited to social media, while the reviews in local publications were much more enthusiastic about the novel—which is told from the perspective of a teenage girl narrowly escaping from Russian occupation with her infant half-sister and trying to build a life for them both abroad—and described it as a touching and delicate work full of compassion.

“If for some Ukrainians the book is therapeutic, for foreigners, in particular for Poles, who can already read Babkina’s story, it gives a more internal context about what war victims experience—who walk the same streets and visit the same shops as they do—actually go through. What challenges and problems they face, what they feel, why some do not learn the language and choose to return home despite the missile attacks, and what is happening in the hearts of millions of children who were forced to grow up one day when their world was destroyed by Russia,” wrote a reviewer for the Polish-Ukrainian outlet Sestry.

The truth is that when it comes to describing experiences as traumatic as an ongoing war, there isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all perspective or approach. Some readers find works written about or vaguely inspired by something they or their loved ones went through therapeutic, while others find them triggering or even offensive.

When it comes to film, meanwhile, the pre-2022 offerings were earnest but often unwatched. Reviewers treated these movies as important pieces of cinema, but ones that described horrors most Ukrainians preferred not to dwell on for too long. After the full-scale invasion, however, a dark realization dawned: The wartime dramas were now reflections of our own collective experience, and no romantic comedy or workplace drama was going to stop you from thinking about shrapnel and blood.

That was supplemented by the belief that Ukrainians had to bear witness. At a time when many civilians felt abandoned by human rights organizations’ failure to document Russian war crimes (Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy personally called out the International Red Cross over its inaction after the destruction of the Nova Kakhovka dam, while Amnesty International found itself in hot water after publishing a much-criticized report accusing Ukraine of endangering its own civilians), filmmakers took this challenge upon themselves. Documentaries shot during the siege of Mariupol, after the liberation of Bucha, and during the near-constant shelling of Kharkiv became a powerful tool for cultural diplomacy, encouraging non-Ukrainians to support Ukraine, and an instrument to counter Russian propaganda and war fatigue in the West. Perhaps the best-known example is the Oscar-nominated documentary film 20 Days in Mariupol, which garnered universally positive reviews at home and abroad and offered viewers a unique glimpse into the horrors faced by the residents and defenders of the besieged city.

One unexpected wartime challenge is creating entertainment aimed at children. How do you keep kids of vastly different ages entertained while sitting in cold, poorly-lit bomb shelters for hours on end? How do you teach them the rules of wartime safety in an accessible and easy-to-remember format? How do you help them process the heartbreak of losing loved ones, having parents on the frontlines, or living in constant fear of missiles and drones? And perhaps most importantly, how do you begin to broach the topic that there are people who want these kids and their entire families dead? This is when Patron—a real-life sapper dog who became an unexpected celebrity among both kids and adults alike—came in handy.

The wildly popular Jack Russell Terrier, who works as a detection dog and mascot for the State Emergency Service of Ukraine first caught the public’s eye in early 2022, when the dog was awarded a medal for locating and helping defuse unexploded mines left behind by Russian forces after they were driven out of Chernihiv. A video of the bulletproof vest-wearing puppy went viral, and the newly famous dog was soon making charity appearances, visiting kids harmed by the war in hospitals across the country, and even got his own animated web show and book series. Content starring Patron is produced in partnership with UNICEF and aims to teach Ukrainian kids the importance of staying away from abandoned landmines, avoiding suspicious objects left behind by the invading army, and staying brave under difficult circumstances.

Undoubtedly, the full-scale invasion of Ukraine has led to a heightened interest toward local art both among Ukrainians and foreigners, as well as provided an entire generation of artists with stories of sacrifice, courage, and defiance—stories that, despite their complexity, simply must be told, and that may well become modern classics at an international scale. When Penguin Press bought the rights to Ukrainian writer and soldier Oleksandr Mykhed’s autobiographical novel The Language of War, publishing director Casiana Ionita described the book as “a war book that will be read 10, 20, 50 years from now.” But it’s unclear if enough foreign publishers are ready to break their long-standing tradition of viewing events in Ukraine solely through the eyes of their Moscow-educated authors and allow Ukrainians on the frontlines to speak for themselves, like Mykhed, before the war claims them too.

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moricodex · 1 month

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Something I noticed about Poison

*These two* This is a free transactional/thankful hand shake between two lovers who are abusers; Val is Overt & Vox is Covert.

(Please read what's above if you do not know what Overt/Covert means.) Note: These terms will be brought up again.

-Vox's face is smug, a sense of accomplishment residing in said smugness. - Additionally, he is gazing away from his lover to look towards Angels Bedroom.

-The, oh shit your up & walking face. (A massive tell tale sign someone feels caught; aka the victim or a bystander has seen the abuser in/after the act.) ^^^The drop of his heads posture/Widening of his eyes, mainly his hypnosis eye/His frown.^^^ (He uses his hypnosis eye for control) -Lil side note: The demon doing repair work, looks very uncomfortable, I think it's the only expression he makes. (This does not remove the fact that he has been drawn with a face of discomfort; engaging with apathy/sloth with a hint of sadness.)

-Vox is giving Val a gaze that speaks "are you going to keep things under control?" aka, Angel, the prized porn star. OR. You got this right? (simplified take) -Vals lip expression shows lack of enthusiasm plus lack of joy.

^^^Val uses this expression to show disapproval while asserting dominance. (A common tactic with abusers; both Overt & Covert abusers do this often as a means of utilizing fear. Because the victim knows they are upset & know what can happen when said abuser is upset.) + (Lowkey difference: Covert abusers are more carful about who is around to see/read that mentally abusive power move/Overt abusers usually thrive with an audience around.)

-This is the face of an abuser who has gotten away with it, through the aid of a lover. (It is not uncommon for SA abusers to share their victims/help other abusers SA individuals.) He knows that he got away with it, of course he did, they are top dog overlords who control minds & bodies through media influence. ^^^Vox gets away with keeping Angels truth a tucked away secret- (Him being raped via means of being drugged up in his own bedroom)-through Val; whom uses overt means of control, while Vox prefers his less tasteful habits be less known. Val makes sure what happened, stays unknown by others. ^^^Something something, birds of a feather or some crap^^^ (Match made in hell dead ass.)

*Reminder that this is Angels bedroom* -He's super disorientated, & has no idea what time it is & is most likely slowly processing what the actual fuck has happened. ^^^Recovering from being high out of his mind on cocaine & Vals Saliva/or the love potion made by Val & Velvet.^^^

-Background noise such as running water can allow some people to focus/calm down from a panic attack or both.

-He looks so hurt yet tired. (He's just sick of being so personally used as an object by genuine rapists.)

-It all comes back to him & hits him like a train. Edit note: I sent this post by mistake when it wasn't finished so I had to rush these last bits. (I can expand more on this in the future maybe) Last note: I wish we got a scene of Vox asking sex from Angel but that request is declined/ or invading Angels space. (Its very impactful but needs genuine breathing room outside of the music video.)

#Please no Anti/Pro shipper drama #for real #fuck off #anyway #attempting media literacy with a sew seconds of a music video *Wheeze*#abuse mention #tw sa mention #please do not drag fandom drama into this/project onto op aka me/use reblog for debating what you think happened #^^^ Please go into my ask box with manners in mind #I can chat & talk in depth about certain scenes or personal character head canons #angel dust #vox #valentino #random ass demon #hazbin angel dust #hazbin vox #hazbin valentino #hazbin hotel #hazbinhotel

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kaitou-kid-my-beloved · 7 months

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A Little Ghost in a Bowtie (@livmadart's Phantump Conan AU)

(Chapter four of four!) (Prev) (Ao3 link)

Ah. So that is why the pidgey thought they’d be able to get more information from Conan. Conan wasn’t just a bystander, an invisible pokemon that happened to witness the crime, he was the victim. Phantump was ghost type, and while ghost types often weren’t actually ghosts… in this case, the old legends proved to be true.

Heiji had run into a few ghost types born of human souls before, but usually those were old ghosts, with decades or longer experience as pokemon under their belts. The one in front of him, just a meter away, in pokemon terms he couldn’t be more than two months old.

Wow. Wow. Heiji could barely imagine.

It didn’t seem like Ran-chan knew- how could she? It’s not something people really think about anymore, and she wouldn’t have introduced him so cheerfully if she’d known… Heiji imagined for a second what it would be like, to die, and come back- only to watch everyone he loved mourn him… he imagined what it would be like to lose Kazuha, only for her to be right next to him and never know…

Well. Since it was him, he’d know, but if he didn’t have his ability…

Darn. He did not envy Kudo- or, Conan? He’d seemed happy with the name when Lucie had called him that- Heiji would have to ask his preference later.

“My memory after that is a little foggy, b’cause, y’know, head trauma, but I remember them mentioning that poison made by their organization, and then they left me there. And now I’m here,” Conan was still talking, and Heiji managed to just barely comprehend his words through his own imaginings.

“...Ah, I… see.” Lucie managed, apparently dealing with her own feelings on the matter. Conan looked at her for a moment, before sighing.

“Pidgey didn’t tell you who I was, did she?”

“No. No she didn't,” Lucie said, short and terse. Heiji wondered if he would have to stop her from finding that Pidgey, and beating her up for not giving them all the vital information.

“Whoops, I guess,” Conan shrugged, unconcerned. Heiji supposed that apathy was a coping mechanism.

“Hattori-kun? Are you alright?” Ran-chan asked, cocking her head in concern.

Heiji looked up- he’d become so focused on the pokemon’s conversation that he’d completely forgotten he’d been talking to someone too- frick. It happened every once in a while, and was always a little embarrassing to explain. Not only that, he supposed his face may have shown a little of the many emotions he was currently feeling.

“Oh, yeah, I’m fine, totally fine,” He forced a smile on his face, mentally shaking himself off, and grounding himself to the moment.

“So, did you get what you needed?” She asked, offering him a wry smile.

“Oh yeah- I mean, yes. Yes I did,” He did his best not to look at the ghost of her best friend sitting in her lap.

“Well that’s good- I want to be of as much help as I can but… Well, Hattori-kun, I’m not going to tell you to stop investigating, because I know Shinichi wouldn’t have listened to me either, but, maybe be careful about all this? Don’t… Don’t bite off more than you can chew. For everyone else’s sake as much as your own.” Ran-chan squeezed her eyes shut, and held Conan closer to her. He was shaking- and he put his head down, curling his tail over his eyes.

Heiji gulped, taking in the weight of her words. Don’t end up like Shinichi. It was the opposite of what everyone had told him for so long, but they hit him right in the heart like no other message like it had. He could see exactly where being a reckless idiot had landed Kudo and for once… Yeah. He didn’t want that.

“Don’t worry, I’ll make sure he won’t get into anything too bad,” Lucie growled, placing a paw on Heiji’s head.

“Well, it looks like your Lucario is on it!” Ran-chan laughed, standing up. “You’ll have to let me battle her sometime!

“Yes please, Heiji, can we do that?” Lucie barked happily, lightly cuffing him over the head as he stood up too.

“Maybe next time we’re in Saffron,” He said, in response to both of them.

“Hey, Conan,” Lucie called to Conan, who was still held firmly in Ran-chan’s grasp. “You’re a wild ‘mon, right? Meet us outside, there’s still some stuff we’d like to discuss with you,”

“Uh, okay?” Conan warbled, confused.

“Well, Hattori-kun, it was nice to meet you- though when we see each other again I’d like it to be under happier circumstances,” Ran-chan said, a light smile on her face.

“Yeah, it was nice to meet you too,” he said, and he really did mean it. She seemed very nice- the sort of person Kazuha would be fast friends with.

He exited the agency with Lucie in tow, letting the afternoon sunlight fall on his face. He took a deep breath, and let it out. That had been… a lot.

“You said there’s more you wanted to talk about?”

Both Heiji and Lucie jumped this time. They leaned against each other to let the adrenaline pass as Conan faded into visibility in front of them.

“Does terrifying people just come naturally to ghost types??” Lucie hissed, taking a few steps back.

“Uh, I guess?” Conan blinked, as though seriously considering her query.

“Nevermind that- do you mind if we walk while we talk? I don’t want Ran-chan to think we’re just loitering outside,” Heiji said, sighing at Lucie’s words.

“I don’t mind- it’s not really like I have anything better to do,” He said, voice dry. “Though I’m mostly going to be talking to Lucie, anyway,” He sighed.

“Not exactly,” Heiji shrugged, starting off down the sidewalk. Conan paused, hesitating before following.

“...What?”

“It’s part of the reason we wanted to leave to talk to you more,” Lucie growled, a toothy grin splitting her muzzle. “Heiji can-”

“I can understand pokemon, yeah,” Heiji cut her off. She took a light hearted swipe at him, but it was worth it.

“You can-” Conan cut himself off, his blue eyes blowing wide. “Oh.”

“Yeah. I don’t really know why, it’s just something I’ve always been able to do,” Heiji shrugged nonchalantly as Conan put a nub of a hand up to his chin, thinking hard.

“It makes sense- since Lucie said that you came to the agency off of a tip that I was there, and that I would be able to tell you more about my case- but you couldn't have known to do that unless you also heard and understood that tip,” Conan mumbled to himself. It sounded… really eerie, with his whole echoing little kid voice thing he had going on. Heiji could say one thing though, he was definitely a detective.

“That’s right,” Lucie cut in. “Usually while Heiji is questioning people, I question local pokemon, and then we share notes!” She grinned. “It’s a system the police wish they could have,”

“The police don’t have my ability- most people don’t have my ability, so technically the things I learn from it I can only use as a framework since they’re not permissible in court,” Heiji sighed, rolling his eyes.

“Skill issue,” Lucie shrugged.

“Not entirely true, pokemon testimonies have been used in court cases before- especially in cases of ghost types like me, testifying at their own cases,” Conan started, “There’s just a lot of hoops you need to jump through in order to make it work, including finding multiple different avenues of determining testimony, and seeing if they all match up to determine what the pokemon is actually saying, so I mean, you could,” He said, flicking his tail absentmindedly.

“Been doing research?” Heiji raised an eyebrow.

“...Yes,” Conan sighed. “Listen, if death can’t stop me, bureaucracy won’t either,”

Heiji found himself laughing, despite the dark nature of the joke. Lucie was also snickering a bit, and Conan was smiling, so he didn’t feel bad about it.

“Speaking of that,” Lucie said, expertly steering conversation both exactly where they needed it to go, and to the most uncomfortable topic. “The men who killed you- you said you saw them again?” Lucie continued onwards, completely ignoring the concept of tact- though, that might be best for everyone for now.

“Oh, right,” Conan nodded. “I saw them on a train- Ran’s dad's friend was getting married, so they were taking a bullet train to Ecruteak. Those two guys just happened to be there- so I listened in on their conversations,” He said, floating a little ahead of Heiji and Lucie so he could face them while they walked.

Man, invisibility must be nice. Not that Heiji was willing to die to get it, just… it would be nice.

“That’s when I heard them mention their codenames,”

“Gin and Vodka, you said?” Lucie confirmed.

“Right- and I also heard them talking about how there was a bomb on the train, which is why I didn't follow them off at their stop,” He said, his eyes going a bit darker there at the end.

“Wow, yeah that’s a good reason,” Heiji nodded.

“Yikes,” Lucie agreed.

“Luckily I was able to cause enough of a ruckus to get the bomb out of the train in time, but it was close there for a second,” He breathed a latent sigh of relief.

“That’s… yeah,” Heiji just nodded. He wasn’t sure how else to respond to that.

Heiji was a good highschool detective, sure, but he was starting to see why Shinichi Kudo was hailed as the best of them. Heiji had dealt with homicide after homicide, theft after theft after assault- but he’d never dealt with terrorists; never dealt with bomb threats, never dealt with syndicates, and never dealt with his own death. Kudo had seen and dealt with all of that, and just got up, and kept going.

He had died, and had still gotten up, and kept at it.

Heiji was a little mad at how much he respected the heck out of him for it. This was supposed to be someone he hated. But, well… It was always the name he’d hated- hated how it loomed over him, it was that reputation and the legend surrounding him that Heiji hated. But the person?

Heiji hated the name Shinichi Kudo, but he didn’t hate the name Conan; and he didn’t think Conan hated it either.

“Hey… Conan?” Heiji asked.

“Yeah?” The little ghost looked up at him, blue eyes shining in the sun.

“Do you… do you want me to tell her?”

Conan froze, staring at him. Slowly, he lowered his eyes down to the pavement. His nubs came to rest on that bowtie of his around his neck- and Heiji didn’t have to wonder who gave it to him.

“...No, I don’t want you to tell her,” He sighed.

“Why not?” Lucie asked, and Heiji elbowed her, just barely missing impaling his arm on her chest spike.

“She’s been through enough- she doesn’t need to go through… this too,” He said, his voice coming out in an echoey, pained keen.

Yeah. He’d been broken down, but he just… kept getting back up. Heiji really did find himself respecting this little, barely two month old pokemon.

“Well then… I guess I won’t,” Heiji sighed, putting his arms behind his head. “She told us to be careful, and we will, but I’m seeing this through to the end. And hey, maybe you will get to testify in court one day,” Conan snorted, but he raised his head, so Heiji counted it as a win.

“If you ever need anything else, you know where to find me. I’m a bit personally invested in this one, if you can imagine,” Conan smirked at him, and Heiji wondered if he’d made this many dark jokes before he’d died, or if this was a recent thing.

“Aaand we’re typically hanging around in Goldenrod if you ever need anything,” Lucie said, patting Conan on the head with a paw. “Just ask any pokemon, and they’ll tell you where to find us!”

“Thanks… I think I’ll take you up on that,” He laughed, and started drifting off back toward the agency.

“See you later, I guess,” Heiji said, sliding his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah, don’t die before I see you next!” Conan laughed, before fading away.

“Yeah, I’ll… Do my best,” Heiji responded, not sure if Conan was still there or not.

“So… feel like heading home and getting a lecture about running off to another city without permission?” Lucie asked.

“... Y’know what? I kinda am, actually,”

#dcmk #pokemon #dcmk x pokemon #phantump conan au #mouri ran #hattori heiji #edogawa conan #rosie writes #thank you all so much for reading!!!

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modernlonging · 4 months

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There is something to be said about the relationship between the aesthetic of rebellion and being apolitical by effect rather than it being a voluntary action. In a capitalistic society "aesthetic" is and will be used by the current class in power.

So it is a bit hypocritical (even though expected) to see a generation who is living through the commodification of punk aesthetic to be silent about Palestine, and be stuck in bystander apathy.

Join protests, boycott and spread the word. Thats it.

#Palestine #palastine will be free #save palastine #gaza genocide #genocide #gaza strip #gaza under attack #free gaza #gazaunderattack #save gaza #gaza #from river to sea palestine will be free #palestine genocide #save palestine #palestine

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radioactive-earthshine · 2 months

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Impulse (1995) #32

Bart blames himself for Preston getting grazed by gunfire in the previous issue. This moment comes after months (at least 6) of Max urging Bart to consider the bystanders and when Bart does in fact consider the bystanders very deeply only to have one get hurt anyway just like Max warned him of the 'rules' suddenly shift on Bart and he's left fumbling.

Max suddenly acts as if nothing went wrong at all, doesn't criticize him, which Bart always expects so when it doesn't happen and Max is 'nice' to him it throws him and he is confused.

Bart's strong autism coding in this issue leans heavily on his brain liking and needing consistency - he thought he knew exactly how Max was going to respond and was prepared for getting a lecture to end all lectures but instead he got a pat on the back. For Bart this is maddening.

Impulse (1995) #32

Another layer to Bart's feelings in this issue also stems from the fact that Preston, one of his best friends was hurt, and no one seems to care except for him and he doesn't know what to do about that and a part of him is now hyper-vigilant so it doesn't happen again.

But no one, not even Preston is concerned that he was shot.

Bart, the person that everyone claims doesn't care about anyone suddenly cares exceedingly so, and everyone else to Bart's perspective flips on him to be the ones to exhibit apathy towards the entire situation.

The whole situation is an autistic nightmare as Bart tries to sort out what the rules are again and where his feelings fit into it. Because he does care, a lot.

#orla reads impulse #bart allen

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a-tiny-voice-against-war-crimes · 3 months

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A note on statistics, global horrors, apathy and empathy

With things like war, genocide, climate change, capitalism and epidemics on a scale so, so much greater than anything we can wrap our heads around, it's easy to just shut down and forget the horror of it all. To read statistics like 1,000,000 or 20,000 and feel nothing.

The death toll for Gaza has reached over 26,000, including over 80 journalists and over 130 UNRWA aid workers. The death toll for Ukraine has reached over 500,000. And that's just humans and deaths- what about just how many animals and pets have died and how many cities, beloved homes and natural areas have been utterly destroyed? The amount of people that have been physically and mentally scarred for life, if they'll even survive, those who have broken bones or lost limbs and are struggling with filth and infections, lack of basic resources and accessible medicine?

Distance and a sense of helplessness are some of the roots of apathy, and big numbers are a third. We humans just aren't wired to be able to picture a million or a billion or even a hundred of anything, to wrap our heads around it.

If you saw a person dying in front of you today, violently or even peacefully, you wouldn't be able to stop thinking about it. You hear that an unnaturally extreme flood caused by climate change has killed thousands on the news, and you go about your day without a second thought.

Maybe this is one of the reasons figures in positions of massive power find it so easy to ruin thousands of lives based on their personal whims and beliefs. To see huge groups of people as faceless, identical, and brand them 'mobs', 'aliens' and fundamentally inhuman for their differences- and when the time comes, to let so many individual, living, feeling fellow humans die.

And along with the seemingly inversely proportional relationship between the scale of a problem and how much empathy we afford it, (i.e the bigger the problem the less time we spend thinking and caring about it) we humans also have a wonderful cognitive bias called the Action-Inaction bias.

Basically, if somebody intentionally does something and it results in a death for instance, we see that as worse than if somebody intentionally doesn't do something and it results in a death, though objectively both have caused the exact same level of harm. Whether you are pulling a lever to kill somebody or not pulling a lever to let them die, in the end somebody is dead and you are the cause of that.

There's also of course the Bystander effect- TLDR; the more people there are witnessing a bad thing happening the less personal responsibility each person feels and the more we think somebody else will do something about it, so the likelihood of any individual person acting decreases- which also comes into play when we're facing big numbers.

So whenever somebody tells you you're being oversensitive for crying over the news or some massive societal issue, tells you it's not your responsibility or to just not worry about it, or worse, that there is nothing you can do about it:

Remember.

Caring less is the first step to watching an atrocity being carried out in front of your very eyes and doing nothing to stop it.

And when what is happening now becomes what people call history, it's the first steps to being what is thought of when the people of the future ask; 'Why didn't any of the average people watching this happen do anything to stop it?'

Look at graphs that show data in a more visual way

Look at photographs and videos

Read individual accounts, talk to people and follow influencers experiencing the effects of these things personally

Remember every single 'thing' making up that hundred or thousand or million is or was a person. A life, a countless number of feelings and opinions and dreams that they have had, and an infinite number they could've had if they had not been killed.

#humanity #humanitarian crisis #gaza #genocide #stop war #war crimes #war in ukraine #world politics #empathy #climate change #human rights #compassion #psychology #Empathy #Apathy #hopelessness #isolation #misanthropy #hope

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kuronekonerochan · 6 months

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I am a mix of incredulous, fucking enraged and also totally unsurprised with how in the last 3 days I finally see ppl on TV calling out genocide, ethnic cleansing and war crimesgaza as an open air prision and about the illegal colonates and invasions of palestinian territory over the years.

Europe finally came out of their cone of silence to ask for IMMEDIATE pause and humanitary aid. Reporters asked what changed. They said they made multiple appeals for pauses and aid before. NOW they call for an IMMEDIATE pause. Reminder that during the cone of silence phase european leaders and foreign affairs ministers, including Ursula Von der Leyen all got together to talk about AI, the most pressing issue to discuss together during an ongoing genocide (unless it's a Terminator franchise situation).

They ask for it, but not even an economic sanction against Israel. Russia is laughing at Europe making fools of themselves and revealed for the hypoccrites they are by having such double standards.

But the crazy thing is, the politics are finally and slowly turning the tie and yet objectively NOTHING changed. War crimes such as attacking hospitals, genocide, collective punishment, ethnic cleansing, all of it was already there 3 weeks ago. They didn't cross any new lines, they had already bulldozed every international law line long ago.

In a post I made still in October (that I mysteriously cannot find anymore, could be tumblr algorythm acting out or me being dumb or the staff took it down idk) I asked if we had to wait for the civillian ldeaths to reach the million mark for politicians to finally count it as genocide.

And lo and behold, the only thing that changed was the number of innocent children and citizens that kept being murdered adding to the death toll for Europe to ever so slightly change their stance by an inch.

Colour me not surprised that they sat on their asses and watched in complicit silence ad waited around for the deaths of thousands more. There is blood on their hands for every second of the past 3 weeks palestinians died. Literally just watching the death toll rise.

If we were talking about individuals instead of governments, this is akin to watching a murder take place in front of them, having the means to stop the assailant with no greater risk to themselves other than some light scratches (trading and commerce bullshit), not call for EMERGENCY services and then wait watching while the victim bleeds out, until the victim is on the brink of death to finally tap the assailant on the shoulder and timidly ask "Hmm, excuse me, if it's not much trouble, could you perhaps....I mean, only if you want to really...just stop stabbing that person for a second for me to check if they still have vitals? Don't worry, I'm not calling the cops on you, and that doesn't mean you have to stop what you were doing, you can go back to it in a minute...I don't really care, really I just wanna check to see if this is over already so I can move on and go to my date tonight. I went on this app that uses AI to match people. Isn't AI amazing?".

This is the horrific level of indifference our politicians have reached. I apologize for the analogy but this level of apathy if it were 1 person instead of goverments and organizations would be manslaughter. Their actions or in this case innactions lead directly to death. First degree murder for the assailant, manslaughter for the bystander.

And the worst is that even this slight change to a more firm tone in asking for a pause took this long so anything that might actually impact the situation is gonna be delayed as innocents die.

#palestine #free palestine #gaza

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genderoutlaws · 2 years

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do you know where I could learn more about kitty genoves?

there’s sadly just not that much out there about her actual life. the best i’ve run into so far is honestly the You’re Wrong About podcast ep about Kitty Genovese and “Bystander Apathy” just because it really breaks down the viral disinformation vs the real dynamics of her murder.. just ignore the section where the male host says some kinda tone deaf shit about lesbians having it easier / not even knowing abt dyke bar raids 😭 otherwise solid tho, very informative + actually takes the time to mention like her girlfriend, her job, her family life, etc etc

#asks #anonymous #i said i was gna do a lil writeup on tht post n totally forgot woops . problem fr future me still #also if i find anything more abt her online i will update ofc

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theyareweird · 3 months

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My Hero Academia: Dabi —Aesthetic

Toya Todoroki's Character & Personality

Due to his abusive upbringing, Toya eventually broke down emotionally and lost control of his flames, which nearly burned him to death. When his psychological state broke, he became Dabi, a murderous and pyromaniacal villain. Now, he's obsessed with ruining his father's reputation as vengeance to get him back for all the suffering he went through. Dabi is a stoic, aloof, confident and focused individual who rarely expresses emotion. While quite violent, he's cautious. Overall, Dabi is a highly enigmatic individual who trusts no one, preferring to do things alone in his way. He enjoys establishing himself as a villain, fighting what he believes to be false heroes. Dabi is dedicated to destroying superhuman society. To him, heroes are hypocritical and unworthy of their title, but he doesn't seek a society with better heroes, believing true heroes don't exist. Despite his devotion to the Hero Killer's creed, Dabi does many things Stain wouldn’t, like attacking innocent bystanders and helping the League get revenge. Thus, he only uses Stain's ideals to cover his motives and justify his crimes against the hero society. Dabi takes pleasure in taunting heroic figures, students and Pro Heroes. He sadistically enjoys inflicting pain on others, including those he murders. Sometimes, Dabi engages in psychological warfare to unnerve whoever his opposition is while allowing himself to cool down from his Quirk's effects. Pragmatic in battle, he's well versed about how heroes operate and will exploit their natural tendency to rescue others. Dabi isn't afraid of causing collateral destruction, rarely holding back, even if it puts his allies at risk. Being intolerant of most people, he can be derisive, rude and condescending to everyone he interacts with. This includes Dabi's enemies and allies as he doesn't care for the League of Villains. Instead, his value on them comes from their ability to bring his ambitions a reality. This selfish way of thinking establishes Dabi as an extreme sociopath. However, he's capable of feeling some remorse. While Dabi had no problem killing a Pro Hero, it's implied he has sympathy for those who have lost family due to villains, including the loved ones of those who he has killed. Yet, this remorse doesn't extend to his family as he has frequently contemplated their deaths for revenge. Dabi also has specific standards. He's disgusted by how the heroes and government are willing to bring young students into war, although he could've been looking down on them for relying on high schoolers. Even though he doesn't care for the other League members, Dabi cares enough about his allies to support their morale when needed for his pragmatic and self-serving purposes. He's also aware of his madness and isn't against the idea of suicide if it can kill his father or hurt him more. Overtime, Dabi expresses how he can't feel anything anymore, further cementing his apathy.

#my hero academia #anime #dabi #supervillain #art #pyromancer #toya todoroki #aesthetic #moodboard #science fiction #comedy

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equalityvoices · 4 months

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Increasing Concerns Over LGBTQ+ Safety on London Public Transport

A recent survey conducted by London TravelWatch has brought to light a disturbing reality for LGBTQ+ individuals using public transport in London. The study, involving 600 participants, revealed that one in five LGBTQ+ people experienced abuse on public transport over the past year. This alarming statistic underscores the persistent threat of violence and harassment faced by this community.

Bystander Apathy Adds to the Trauma

The survey further highlighted a concerning trend of bystander inaction. Ash Morgan, a 28-year-old Londoner, shared a harrowing experience of being physically assaulted on a train at Clapham South. The indifference of fellow passengers, who neither offered help nor showed compassion, exacerbated his trauma. Morgan’s experience reflects a broader pattern of bystander apathy that adds to the distress of victims.

Forced Changes in Behavior and Appearance

A staggering four out of five respondents admitted to altering their behavior or appearance to blend in and avoid conflict. Ash Morgan himself confessed to avoiding bright clothes and refraining from wearing pronoun pins on public transport, as a precaution against potential harassment.

Reporting Incidents: A Path Filled with Disappointment

The reluctance of victims to report incidents is another significant issue. Despite Ash Morgan’s effort to report his assault, including providing the carriage number and time, he was discouraged from doing so and informed that an investigation was unlikely. This experience is not isolated, as many LGBTQ+ people express little confidence in the police, leading to underreporting of incidents.

A Call for Greater Safety and Inclusivity

Michael Roberts, CEO of London TravelWatch, expressed concern over the increasing perception of London as a less safe city, especially for the LGBTQ+ community. This sentiment challenges the notion of London as a tolerant and diverse global city.

Initiatives and Commitments to Counter Hate Crimes

In response to these concerns, Siwan Hayward, Director of Security, Policing, and Enforcement at Transport for London, emphasized their commitment to protecting all passengers from harm. Initiatives include campaigns against hate and abusive behavior and collaboration with LGBTQ+ groups to address these issues.

Similarly, Det Ch Supt Paul Furnell of the British Transport Police assured that preventing and tackling hate crime is a top priority. The force works closely with LGBTQ+ charities and employs visible patrols and dedicated operations, along with extensive CCTV coverage, to ensure safety and swift response to hate crimes.

The findings and responses highlight a critical need for more effective measures to ensure the safety and dignity of LGBTQ+ individuals in public spaces, reinforcing the call for a more inclusive and secure urban environment.

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