InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "I must not tell lies"

molly moon. (deficits) wrote in playout,
@ 2020-01-18 00:02:00

Entry tags:

! network, discordia

PI.
I need to report a sighting of a suspected vigilante. ~~Her name is~~ Hannah Liu. Second sighting in a week. I followed her but couldn’t catch her, she disappeared into an apartment building. I’ve got the address.

CLASS OF 2019.
i saw hannah again.

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	CT. telepathetic 2020-01-18 11:42 am UTC (link)
	It is. You have to be able to put personal feelings aside in situations where they're unhelpful, so that you can deal with them constructively in better moments. I take compassion and empathy into every fight, but I don't take my baggage. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	CT. luminarie 2020-01-18 11:44 am UTC (link)
	Spoken like a true hero who's been through the system long enough. Do you ever wonder if some of us have learned to compartmentalise just a little too well? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	CT. telepathetic 2020-01-18 11:52 am UTC (link)
	Control over my emotions was one of the first things I had to learn when I started training. I can't help anyone if I don't have a clear mind. But in my experience, it applies fairly broadly. [...] Why do you say that? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

	CT. luminarie 2020-01-18 11:54 am UTC (link)
	I think I had the benefit of a lifetime of being taught to control emotions. It's step one for so many powers. I don't know. Sometimes I wonder if those who give up hero work for vigilantism are onto something. Sometimes I wonder just how much we're really doing, every fight just brings another. (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

CT.

telepathetic
2020-01-18 12:00 pm UTC (link)

This is true, though some are better at it than others. Unfortunately, I had a rather complicated late start at control.

Going punch-for-punch with the villains we face in the streets is part of the visible public service we provide, but it's not just about that, for real heroes. We have the reach and the means to help affect our communities in lasting, long-term ways that are much less visible, whether it's providing inspiration or forming a connection with someone who needs help. They might disdain our methods, but what they're really criticizing is capitalism, not heroes.

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	CT. luminarie 2020-01-18 12:08 pm UTC (link)
	And the celebrification of heroes. Which I've always found deeply uncomfortable, but there's little choice in it. And how do we know that motives are heroic when the reward is so capitalistic; when there's fame attached to donning a suit and going punch-for-punch with the villains? (Reply to this) (Parent) (Thread)

CT.

telepathetic
2020-01-18 12:42 pm UTC (link)

Celebrity sells. It's not the easiest part of this job, but it enables what we do. I couldn't have funded my projects without that aspect of it. I couldn't have bought my mother a house. I won't pretend that all of my motives are selfless, but being famous allows me to try to be a role model for others, especially if I can demonstrate that punching isn't the only way to fix the world.

This girl doesn't actually care about our motives. If she did, she'd understand that the world isn't about absolutes. She's passing judgment because she thinks she has the moral high ground.

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CT.

luminarie
2020-01-18 01:28 pm UTC (link)

No, of course, she's evidently in the wrong - and at the very least in the legal sense. ~~But why~~ I'm evidently speaking from a place of great privilege as Starlight's daughter. So. I've never had to think about that before, how the financial benefits enable platforms for a greater purpose or provide for the people we love.

I just suppose I wished it carried far less... attention. But maybe I'm whining. You can tell me if I'm whining.

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CT.

telepathetic
2020-01-18 01:34 pm UTC (link)

You're not whining, Charlie. Celebrity and fame isn't for everyone, trust me — Caleb feels the same. And even for those who started out craving it, it can become a burden eventually. We certainly didn't all get into this business for the same reasons. Your legacy carries quite a bit of pressure.

I think it's important not to forget that you have the power to shape your own life towards your own goals. Once you figure out what they are, you figure out how to make them happen. One step at a time.

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