1st ♋

[candycrabapple]

WELL, NOW THAT OUR THRILLING AND ULTIMATELY POINTLESS LOSS, IS BEHIND US CAN WE NOW TALK ABOUT SOMETHING THAT'S ESSENTIALLY FAR MORE IMPORTANT?

WHICH NOW I THINK ABOUT IT COULD BE PRETTY MUCH ANYTHING BECAUSE LET'S GET THIS FUC CLEAR. THAT MATCH WAS A TOTAL AND COMPLETE FLUKE. IT IS UP THERE IN THE ANNALS OF HISTORY AS ONE OF THOSE 'WELL THAT WAS UNEXPECTED' MOMENTS. AND YOU CAN ALL BE DAMN SURE ISN'T GOING TO EVER HAPPEN AGAIN, ESPECIALLY AGAINST ARROGANT TOE RAGS IN SLYTHERIN.

SO WHAT ELSE IS THERE TO TALK ABOUT THAT IS SO MUCH MORE INTERESTING?

Comments

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

What an excellent idea, Karkat. T99 much c9mpetitive spirit can actually hinder imp9rtant gr9wth and cameraderie am9ng peers. Actually, I've just finished an essay 9n the su6ject, as in light 9f recent renewed rivalries and unf9rtunate 9ccurences I felt that the student 69dy might 6enefit fr9m a new perspective 9n the issue. 9f c9urse, n9 9ne will 6e required t9 read it, f9r the sake 9f th9se wh9 might 6e triggered 6y such a sensitive issue.

9therwise, Karkat, I feel it prudent 9f me t9 remind y9u that s9me pers9ns may 6e triggered 6y the w9rd "t9e rag", whereas there als9 might 6e s9me self-identified "t9e rags" in 9ther h9uses wh9 c9uld feel alienated and invalidated 6y y9ur use in reference t9 9nly 9ne h9use in particular.

[candycrabapple]

[Oh, Uncle Kankri, here have some ink drops]

DO I EVEN WANT TO KNOW HOW MANY PAGES YOU HAVE DEDICATED TO THIS 'ESSAY' OF YOURS? OF COURSE, I'M USING THE TERM ESSAY LOOSELY BECAUSE I'M GETTING THE FEELING THAT YOU'RE UNDERSTATING IT.

WAIT, WHO THE FUCK WOULD EVER WANT TO IDENTIFY AS A TOE RAG? WHAT KIND OF DIPSHIT WOULD PUT THEIR HAND UP AND SAY "OH YES, I WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED WITH THE CLOTH USED TO WIPE UP THE GUNK THAT ACCUMULATES BETWEEN PEOPLES TOES"? BECAUSE I REALLY CAN'T EVEN THINK OF A WAY THAT ANYONE WOULD DO THAT WITHOUT BEING SARCASTIC.

[insuffera6les9n9rus]

This 9ne is rather sh9rter than m9st. 9nly seventy pages 9r s9. I started it a few weeks ag9, when I felt it was in my 6est interest t9 make myself scarce f9r the time 6eing and theref9re f9und myself with m9re time than usual. I am afraid that it is quite unfinished at the m9ment, 6ut if y9u are interested I c9uld pr9vide an a6stract 9f the 6asic p9ints 9f the 6rief essay in 9rder t9 get the 6ulk 9f my argument acr9ss.

Karkat, whether 9r n9t we understand s9me9ne's identity d9es n9t make it any less valid. Their ch9ices are theirs al9ne, and it is n9t any9ne's place t9 p9lice their identity 9r invalidate wh9 they 6elieve they are. While I agree it is a slightly m9re extreme example, it nevertheless serves t9 dem9nstrate the imp9rtance 9f minding 9ne's language s9 as n9t t9 9ffend any9ne.

[candycrabapple]

SO WHAT YOU'RE SAYING IS YOU MANAGED TO ACTUALLY KEEP IT JUST SHORT OF A FUCKING THESIS. ISN'T THERE ANYTHING AT ALL THAT YOU COULD BE DOING WITH YOUR NON-CORPOREAL TIME OTHER THAN WRITING THINGS SO LONG, VERBOSE AND ULTIMATELY FUCKING USELESS BECAUSE NO ONE OTHER THAN YOU IS GOING TO BE ABLE TO SIT THROUGH MORE THAN 3 PAGES.

THAT SOUNDS LIKE A LOAD OF SHIT. WHY SHOULD I HOLD MY OPINIONS TO KEEP FROM OFFENDING ANYONE, WHEN NO ONE ELSE AROUND HERE SEEMS TO HOLD THEIR TONGUE AROUND ANYONE ELSE.

#That's n9 way t9 speak t9 y9ur uncle.

[insuffera6les9n9rus]

Karkat, I feel like y9u are attempting t9 invalidate my experiences and identity as a Has-6een, as the transc9rp9real c9mmunity likes t9 say, and I frankly d9 n9t appreciate the 6latant disregard f9r my feelings with y9ur pr96lematic and flippant dismissal 9f my attempts t9 help with s9mething that I see as a gr9wing pr96lem and indeed impending crisis. 6esides, my essays are hardly anything specific t9 the span 9f time f9ll9wing my disc9rp9rati9n. Ask Salvad9r, he will tell y9u that in that regard, time has hardly changed me in the least. As such, I w9uld appreciate it if my "n9nc9rp9real" state was n9t menti9ned except in discussi9ns and de6ates where it w9uld 6e relevant t9 the t9pic at hand.

9f c9urse n9 9ne is trying t9 invalidate y9ur 9pini9ns, and y9u are free t9 express them in n9n-pr96lematic ways. 6lindly insulting an entire h9use, h9wever, is a highly pr96lematic way t9 deal with y9ur n9 d9u6t understanda6le and 9f c9urse valid feelings. Have y9u c9nsidered expressing y9urself with "I-statements"? They can 6e an incredi6ly useful and in9ffensive way t9 express 9neself.

[candycrabapple]

I'M SORRY UNCLE I AM SO SORRY, WHAT WAS I THINKING THAT YOU COULD POSSIBLY HAVE SOMETHING BETTER TO DO WITH YOUR DEATH THAN JUST SIT AROUND WRITING TOMES OF OVERLY SENSITIVE BULLSHIT, THAT DOES NOTHING TO FURTHER ANYONE'S LIFE EVER. I'M NOT GOING TO ASK UNCLE IF YOU WERE JUST AS BORING ALIVE IF YOU ARE DEAD, IT'S REALLY NOT SOMETHING I HAVE TO TALK WITH HIM ABOUT BECAUSE ASIDE FROM IT BEING OVERWHELMINGLY OBVIOUS HE MIGHT NOT LIKE TALKING ABOUT IT.

YOU DON'T HAVE A *BODY* IT'S HARD TO NOT NOTICE THAT SHIT. YOU'RE NON-FUCKING-CORPOREAL. IT'S NOT A SENSITIVE ISSUE IT'S A FACT!

HOW ABOUT THIS FOR AN "I-STATEMENT";
*I* WASN'T INSULTING ANOTHER HOUSE, BECAUSE IT'S ONLY AN INSULT WHEN IT ISN'T TRUE AND THEY AREN'T PROUD OF BEING THE SLIMY FUCKS THEY ARE.

#tw: Disrespecting 9ne's elders #tw: c9rp9realn9rmative viewp9ints

[c9rp9realn9rmative]

Karkat, y9u are 6eing incredi6ly insensitive! I prefer the term anat9mically disp9ssessed. 6eing disc9rp9rated is n9 walk in the park, you know. It 6ec9mes incredi6ly easy t9 l9se track 9f time, when there is n9 need t9 mark it. I resent the term 69ring, as well. My essays are highly engaging and inf9rmative, and they are always unquesti9ningly relevant t9 imp9rtant t9pics 9f de6ate. I was merely trying t9 lecture inf9rm y9u 9f the p9tential risks and hazards 9f using language that c9uld p9tentially 6e triggering t9 y9ur audience. As resp9nsi6le mem6ers 9f s9ciety, we must always 6e diligent and alert a69ut av9iding upsetting pe9ple unduly, even if we d9 n9t understand the nature 9f their distress. While that sh9uld n9t limit y9ur a6ility t9 talk a69ut sensitive t9pics, y9u must 96vi9usly tread m9re carefully when it c9mes t9 certain imp9rtant and sensitive issues. I was 9nly trying t9 help.

Watch y9ur language. And I'll have y9u kn9w that while referring t9 me as n9n-c9rp9real d9es n9t trigger me pers9nally, it may trigger 9thers and as such I prefer t9 6e referred t9 as disc9rp9rated, living-impaired, 9r anat9mically disp9ssessed. My disc9rp9rati9n and reappearance is and remains a sensitive issue, f9r myself as well as f9r 9ther mem6ers 9f 9ur family, and friends. Pr9dding at the t9pic where 9thers can see is 9nly a painful reminder 9f incidents 6est f9rg9tten. Y9ur c9rp9realn9rmative viewp9int is 6ec9ming quite pr96lematic.

An insult is an insult when it is made with malici9us intent, Karkat, disregarding the veracity 9f the statement. Regardless 9f the Slytherin reputati9n, they are y9ur classmates, n9t mindless 6easts.

Re: #tw: Disrespecting 9ne's elders #tw: c9rp9realn9rmative viewp9ints

[candycrabapple]

[He just stares at the journal. The only person to ever utterly shut up Karkat, and he's dead.]

#6ack in my day #twin 6ashing #student disrespect #gh9stly assh9le

[insuffera6les9n9rus]

In fact, this is exactly the kind 9f pr96lem that I feel needs t9 6e addressed. When I was a student, the student 69dy didn't take half as many li6erties as they d9 n9wadays. The relati9nship 6etween faculty and students was 9ne 6ased 9n mutual respect, and as such there was n9ne 9f the 6latant disrespect 9f auth9rity that I have w9efully n9ticed m9re and m9re 9ften. I admit, having kn9wn many 9f the current staff when they were much y9unger, my 6r9ther included, I may have a slight 6ias, 6ut nevertheless if the students are t9 trust their teachers, then their teachers must first trust them, which is - aside fr9m a select few - s9mething that seems t9 6e lacking n9w.

While I can 96jectively appraise my 6r9ther's teaching meth9ds and I find n9 fault with the way that he c9nducts his class, it stands t9 6e said that I d9 n9t 6lindly agree with his means 9f c9nducting himself in such a way as t9 earn the respect 9f the students 6y 6eing their friend. All respect t9 my 6r9ther, f9r I can 9nly imagine h9w difficult his j96 is, 6ut I fear he undermines his 9wn missi9n in his determinati9n t9 6e seen as the g99d c9p, s9 t9 speak. We may have 6een 69rn twins, 6ut in s9me ways we c9uld n9t 6e m9re unalike. Which is n9t t9 6ring int9 questi9n the validity 9f his teaching meth9ds, 9f c9urse. He is a very pr9fessi9nal teacher, and he c9nducts himself with appr9priate dignity when students are watching, certainly more than 9ther mem6ers 9f the staff. I c9uld n9t 6e pr9uder 9f him, even if I find myself in disagreement with his teaching meth9ds and preferred ways 9f dealing with students. I have n9 d9u6t that he is a 6etter pr9fess9r than I w9uld have 6een.

Anyway, the p9int that I am trying t9 make is that respect is a tw9 way street. While it is imp9rtant f9r the students t9 respect their faculty mem6ers, the faculty must als9 respect their pupils. They cann9t c9ntinue t9 treat the students like "mere" children, f9r there is n9thing "mere" a69ut the duty that they have undertaken when they agreed t9 w9rk here educating the next generati9n. If s9mething d9esn't change s99n, the trust 6etween teacher and student may 6e irrepara6ly 6r9ken, and in 9rder t9 affect this change it is an eff9rt that we all must d9 9ur part t9 undertake.

[candycrabapple]

[He twitches slightly at what he reads. Not liking how Kankri is talking about his brother, the man who's looked after Karkat for four years.]