twelve [written/action] | Saturday at a less silly time

[imatreenow]

[It isn't easy, having your eyes pried open and forced to look at a truth you never wanted to see. A few days have passed since Martel looked straight at him and explained that what he had done was wrong, and each minute since then as crawled by slowly, weighed down with tension. Wrong wrong wrong wrong wrong... The word echoes off the walls of

Comments

[written] - i need an edit button

[sketchingideals]

Well... sometimes people get bullied where I'm from, but for a lot of different reasons. I like to think most of the bullies grow out of it...

I guess the biggest example of specific discrimination I've personally seen is against people who can use elemental-based powers. Even though there's not a lot of it, it always upsets me. I really don't understand what's so different about any of us. I think there's a lot more important things people should be worried about than differences between us that aren't even that big!

[written] /pets

[imatreenow]

People have never been adept in looking past differences and seeing the larger picture. They see only what their fear allows them to see, what they can exploit to boost themselves higher.

[written]

[sketchingideals]

I don't understand why they do that, though. People wouldn't want to be judged before they can show what kind of person they are, right? Why do that to someone else?

I think differences make the world brighter. If everyone was the same, then a lot of the fun in life would be gone. I think it's great that everyone has their own story to tell, and you can learn so much from someone who is different than you!

[written]

[imatreenow]

Because people are selfish, thinking only of what will benefit them the most, regardless of how inconvenient it is for anyone else.

[He glares down at that second part. He really can't handle all this idealistic nonsense. How can people be so blind?] You consider diversity to be great, even if it is the catalyst of so many problems? Would it not be a better world if everyone were the same and prejudices did not exist at all?

[written]

[sketchingideals]

Only some people are like that, though! There are so many others who aren't.

I think if more of us tried to understand how great it is to be individuals with our own special touch to us, that prejudices wouldn't be needed at all. That's why I plan to help with that as much as I can when I get home. Maybe I can even help with it here!

[written]

[imatreenow]

What do you plan to do toward that goal? [He's humoring you, because he doesn't believe for one second that such a feat is possible. He had changed the physical nature of the world itself, but hardly made a dent in the plague of discrimination that diseased the world's people.]

[written]

[sketchingideals]

Anything I can! If someone needs my help, then I'll give it to them. The only way to spread kindness is to be kind to get the ball rolling. Acting unfairly to others will only cause more negativity. At least, that's what I believe.

I'll give everything I possibly can give in order to make some kind of change, and I don't plan on giving up! Even if times in it can be hard, there's a lot of beauty in life.

[written]

[imatreenow]

You are naive if you honestly believe you can accomplish anything. People will take advantage of your stupidity and leave you with nothing.

Beauty is all but non-existent in such a ruthless and vile world.

[written]

[sketchingideals]

That's not true! I'm not the only one who thinks I can accomplish something like that, at least not at home! It would be hard, even with the others helping, but I'd rather try and fail than not try at all.

[written]

[imatreenow]

Then you're wasting your time. Go ahead, try for the impossible and be met with disappointment. I hardly care.

I too once thought I could bring change to the world. Do you know what my foolish faith in people brought me? Everyone I thought I could trust turned their backs on me, and my sister was killed ruthlessly. The world and its people were entirely indifferent to my efforts.

[written]

[sketchingideals]

Your sister

[There's a LONG pause in his writing after those words. He's in a bit of shock. Why would they do that to this person? He thinks of his own sisters being murdered, and it makes him feel absolutely ill.]

I'm sorry. I'm sorry to hear that those things happened to you--I know I'd be crushed if something happened to either of my sisters. But, I still don't think that everyone in the world is bad! I can't think that, not when I've been shown that it's not true. What happened to you and your sister isn't right, but that's part of what I want to change about things! People shouldn't be hurt for no reason! It's not right.

[written]

[imatreenow]

Apologies are as meaningless as your efforts to change what has been for thousands of years.

What evidence have you seen that there is any good in this world, or any other world?

[written]

[sketchingideals]

I've seen love, and people caring about each other. I've been blessed to be surrounded by love back home even if I d [That was not a good slip up! A pause before writing again:] and have people care about me.

Not only that, but the world itself, this one and the one back home, is so beautiful on its own! Life is really amazing. I want to give back to it. To the love people have given me.

[written]

[imatreenow]

[He does wonder about the crossed-out words, but without context they mean nothing to him. The warm sentiment of the response has crossed the border from irritating to revolting; his bitterness twists certain parts into flaunting.]

I've seen only fear and people treating others with loathing; intolerance and unwillingness to overcome it; subjugation and persecution of differences.

You speak a lot of the people who have shown you love, but what ofthose who have shown you hatred?

[written]

[sketchingideals]

I'm sorry it's been like that for you, then. I really don't see these differences people keep talking about as being so big, so it's sad that they can't see beyond those small things and reach out to you and others. I would reach out to y [He would. He would reach out to this person and he would be their friend... but what if expressing that would just upset whoever he's talking to? He sighs, continuing.]

The people who have bullied me and hurt me--well, they did hurt me, and for a bit I was angry and upset. I think that's natural, though. Besides, I'm not angry or upset anymore. I'm sure they had their reasons for acting hostile. Maybe they were hurting too, and they didn't know how to express how someone else was hurting them, so they hurt me instead. I probably wouldn't approach them unless they approached me--I mean, they might not want me to--but I'm not going to continue that cycle of pain. What good will it do if I'm hostile back? I'd rather try to spread positivity!

[written]

[imatreenow]

[He can decipher the meaning of the scratched-out portion this time and he just stops. Disgust, anger, resentment, a twinge of fear. It all rises inside him.]

How can you be so forgiving of the people who wronged you?