video

[maskedsmile]

 I'm sorry if this seems like a stupid thing to wonder. Maybe it is, and I'm just being childish..?

Often, I'll see people on the network talking about "heroes" and being heroic... It's strange how it comes up so often, huh? I hope that means there are a lot of heroic people here, who maybe know more than me, uh. Right, my question!

What I'm wondering is, um! If someone doesn't have a useful power... Can they be heroes here? And if their power is sort of, uh. Evil... I guess being heroic would be even more impossible for them, huh? I wonder if maybe we're born with fates we can't resist, like being good or not. 

... I-Iii I'm just wondering! Curious, or something. Nngh... I don't like that I even let those thoughts in my head... Uhhh soo n-never mind um.

Wow, it's March! Yay.

Comments

video;

[demonofbadluck]

You are doomed.

[Baldur is a dick. news at 11]

[maskedsmile]

Ah, auuu..! That can't be true! I'm sure I can do something good!

[demonofbadluck]

There are just some people who are bad. Acceptance is a good thing.

Video;

[innocent_royal]

Short answer? Yes.

Long answer: Being a hero or a villain isn't dependant on whether you have fantastic powers or not. It's doing things people may be too scared to do.

Such as taking on someone clearly stronger than you are, or stopping a disaster that only you know how to do, all to protect someone or many. There are those who think you're foolish, but if doing so sends a positive message, you did a heroic thing that could change a series of events.

[maskedsmile]

[Ah... That's actually quite discouraging.

Shi smiles regardless. He knows Ana was being helpful, so it isn't her fault if her words stung him.]

I guess that does make sense. I hadn't thought of it quite that way.

So does just anyone have the power to make that kind of change..?

[innocent_royal]

[Or maybe he's missing the point.]

Heroes appear and vanish when least expected. Anyone can be a hero in as little as a simple reaction without prior thought during any imaginable sitiation. Let's make a hypothetical scenario;

Imagine there were a group of children who were torturing a poor little animal. You step in and try to get the animal away knowing full well you could be hurt in the process. You changed a series of a events just by doing so, and you didn't have a unique power to do it.

So, again, anyone can be a hero. Powers help, but are not required. If anything, powers are liable to cause more harm than good.

video; are u ready 4 e d g e?

[originbullets]

( Hey Shi, did you know that-- on occasion, Kiritsugu remembers there are functions on his device other than texting or privacy setting? Anyway!! He'll be greeted(?) to the image of a possibly unfamiliar man on the other end, puffing away at a cigarette. )

I wouldn't put too much stock into the ideal of heroism if I were you.

( For as surly as he might appear, his voice is comparatively soft. Nearly inaudible, were it not for the amplifying properties of the microphone. )

slice me some bread with that edge

[maskedsmile]

Eh.

Wh-Why not? Isn't it an ideal for a reason? Being heroic is good, right?

[originbullets]

In theory, there is nothing wrong with wanting to being a hero. I wouldn't want to discourage you from helping others and acting out of good faith. But in practice, it becomes a little more complex than that. Heroes-- I've found, often tend to be self-important, ignoring the needs of those they've sworn to protect, all for the sake of pursuing the honour and glory they all extol.

( There's a gravity to Kiritsugu's words; he certainly doesn't take this subject lightly. But he did wish to acknowledge this boy's innocence, noting that his question came from a place of innocence, but hoped to make him understand the challenges that came with his aspiration.

With that, he withdraws the cigarette from his lips, exhaling the smoke from his lungs. )

Video

[youfool]

One would have to define their terms, eh? For the sake of answer, I'll assume by "hero" you mean one bold and benevolent.

To answer your question: No, one without useful powers cannot be heroic. Fortunately, everyone has, at the very least, the powers of their forms and their intellect. Those aren't to be underestimated.

I'm not sure how a power can be "sort of" evil. That's a rather more binary thing. I'd need more specifics.

[Not that Ted doesn't have a lot of experience with abhorrent powers.]

Everyone must tangle with fate and free will alike, so that they might arrive at their destinies merrily. Goodness is ever a choice and an approach.

[maskedsmile]

[After all the downer talk, Shi is excited to see Ted. Ted always seems to know what he's talking about!]

Really..? So then! Someone with a power like, um. Mine. My curse power. Can that be heroic too, do you think? It's not totally hopeless?!

[youfool]

Ahehe, no, Shi, a power can't be heroic. A person can, however. That's why people wrote more about the Knights of the Round Table, and not the Knights of the Round Table's Armaments.

I can't help but think all this talk of powers or talents or abilities is putting the cart before the horse. Wouldn't you agree that the character behind them is more important?

video

[chikapolilla]

If you believe those heroes, not a chance. They're all about getting stronger and picking on things tougher than them -- or worse, weaker than them.

Are you saying you want to be a person like that?

[maskedsmile]

What-- N-No! Wait.

Huh?

What do you mean? I thought they wanted to protect people, and help them... With their strength and stuff... They can't be lying. Heroes don't lie.

[chikapolilla]

[Oh crap, this kid was that innocent? W-Wow... its been such a long time she forgot there there were still people unclouded by cynicism.]

Uh... y-yeah! You're right! Totally. There are most definitely a lot of people that are still like that. Tell the truth and protect the weak. All that good shit.

Anonymous text

[notquitedracula]

Power is only power. It's how you use it that matters. Trust me on this one, if nothing else - I have a lot of personal experience and soul-searching on this subject. If my powers defined me, there wouldn't be a single soul left in this world.

As for heroism... that, I can't really help you with much. Everyone's idea of what a hero is, is a little different. Some see it as an ideal to strive for - others, a standard to live by. Still others idolize the concept, while some few vilify the very concept. So, I guess the real question is... what does being a hero mean to you?

[maskedsmile]

You really think so? But how do you get around it? My power is um. It's hard to ignore.

[Shi considers his response carefully, even pausing for a few seconds.]

For me... I think a hero is someone who is kind and helpful, just because they want to be. But... I think that's naive too. I know that I'm not that kind of person.

[notquitedracula]

I try to use it to help people, or at least not to hurt them. Doesn't always work - there are a lot of situations where having an ability that makes you stronger or faster than other people actually makes things worse. Times like that... you just have to try to be normal, and remember that a lot of people are going to get freaked out if you lift a semi truck to fetch their kid's frisbee. Try to be friendly, or at least to do no harm.

[Soma considers the response, hmm'ing thoughtfully.]

There's nothing wrong with being a normal person. Not everyone has the conviction to be a hero or a villain. Hell, I'd prefer to be a regular person, myself, and not have to deal with demons and monsters and crap, or freaking people out just being in their general area. So... I guess just do the best you can, and trust that it's enough.

[Anon Text]

[maskgunraid]

Well, if your powers be a healing power, then yeah, you can be.

Just think of yourself as an important healer in the healer. You're already there to heal and buff your partymates whenever they are in a pinch and thanks to you, they saved the day by defeating a big monster!

So yeah, you can be a hero if you help!

[maskedsmile]

Oh um... No. I'm not a healer.

I'm... a bit of the opposite. I can't help people. I can only take suffering and give it to someone else.

[maskgunraid]

Oh...

[That was an interesting power. But obviously, he didn't show it through his texts for obvious reasons.]

You said you take their misery and suffering and give it to someone else. Care to elaborate on that?

video;

[paopuofyourlife]

If you want to be one, I'm sure you could be.

[Kairi knew to help others one has to be able to help themselves too. She had been training in order to better use her keyblade and was happy with the results and now she could her friends in battle.]

It just depends on how to use what you have to help.

[maskedsmile]

Using what I have, huh... I don't know if what I have is even very useful. I probably have to get rid of it, or find something cooler.

[video] Sorry this is so late >_<

[hotheadwarmheart]

First of all, your powers don't decide who you are; you do. Nobody's powers are good or bad on their own; it's how you use them that's important.

And even if you can't, say, throw fireballs or lift cars over your head or something, that doesn't mean you can't find a way to help people if you want to. I know you were pretty handy against those snow monsters awhile back!

I'M LATE BACK I'M SO SORRY ;;

[maskedsmile]

A, ah, w-w-weell... That was just l-lucky on my part.

I'm... I'm not good. That's what makes my power not good. I have so much potential to mess up and hurt people.