HC request: what kindness looks like for each of the M6 (how they show kindness. what they consider to be kindness from others. what do they think of kindness -- a luxury, a value signal, a waste of time??)
Heyo! Wow! What an interesting ask! Thanks for the good one :))
The Arcana Headcanons 「M6 and Kindness」
As an orphan, Asra experienced humanity on many levels - some good, but most, not so good. He’s realized that kindness is not as promised of a virtue as the fairytales preach.
Does he value it? Yes, supremely. Does he offer it freely? Absolutely not. Since it’s so precious, it should be treated as such. People are just as likely to misuse kindness as they are to withhold it.
Asra often discounts wares at the shop, or offers herbs and readings for free to those struggling. However, they wouldn’t define that as kindness. That’s just human decency. You should do those things.
Kindness often comes in the form of gift giving. Gifts are something that shouldn’t be expected, and they signify a moment of spontaneous appreciation of another’s presence. To Asra, that is kindness - going out of your way to make another feel wanted without a need to necessitate it.
They’re always bringing you back something from their trips, but if you were to bring back something for them… wow, red in the face and giddy. Asra keeps peeking and poking at it until evening, as if it’s the eighth wonder of the world.
Julian lives and breathes kindness, and many in his life would argue that he should guard it more carefully. At the end of the day, Julian would agree, but I also don’t think he’d change his ways too much. Kindness is too hard to come by in his book, and he can't quite come to terms with the idea of protecting himself when there’s a world of hurt out there.
However, that’s not to say that there’s total disregard in his efforts. Again, he’s learned hard lessons, and now, he’s a bit wiser about who he helps. Julian very much looks at intent, and if a person’s heart is in the wrong place, then he has no desire to fuel the fire.
That’s why he’s so floored when people are kind to him. In his mind, he’s a heartbreaker, plotting scallywag, and failed healer. It’s hard for him to believe he deserves kindness.
For Julian, kindness exists in many forms - big and small. Allowing someone your place in line, offering free treatments, saving a worm from the hot pavement… However, I’d say the biggest act of kindness for Julian is massaging his feet at the end of the day. He’s either standing in his clinic or running errands in the city. No one likes touching feet, so he knows it’s selfless work.
I think Nadia sees herself as a righteous person, but not a kind person. Whatever kindness she shows is typically due to principle rather than innate empathy. That’s not to say she doesn’t have empathy. She has plenty of it, but she can’t allow it to disrupt her ability to rule unbiased. As a result, she views herself much more stoic than she actually is.
For Nadia, kindness is a sacrifice. We see most of her sacrifice as monetary, but a lot of it is also emotional and physical. It’s an unspoken sentiment that much of Nadia's reason for staying with Lucio was the people, and after it all, she’s remained to undertake the responsibility of building the nation back up. I think that highlights the depth of her heart.
One of the greatest things you could do for her is stay. So much of her world is a whirlwind, and she can’t blame people for leaving. However, the moments where friends visit for chit-chat, the times where her family sends care packages from their home, and the days when her lover pops in to warm her tea once it’s cold - that’s kindness. People stayed even when she had nothing to give.
Many things are ‘kind’ to Muriel, but truly, the biggest act of kindness would be saving a life. It doesn’t have to be a loud, grand gesture.
“It often doesn’t take much to save someone.”
A stranger offering their leftovers instead of trashing them… A guard sneaking medicine into his cell… In his life, sometimes, a child’s gentle smile was enough to keep him until the next breath. Muriel knows how hard it is to live, and he knows how easy it is to help.
Guiding wayward spiders out the hut… planting wildflowers for the local bees… leaving water out for wildlife during summer…
Naturally, Muriel never makes a fuss about the matter, but if you pay attention, you’ll notice the little inconveniences littering his day - inconveniences that make or break someone’s survival.
For Portia, kindness is everywhere.
“And it should be everywhere!”
She doesn’t understand why the world is so uptight about simply being nice. You don’t need to be rich, smart, or powerful to be kind. Any human has the capability to bless another.
Portia isn’t the most trusted in the palace simply because she’s capable, rather it’s because of her heart. Truly, there can be no bad intention within her. Nadia knows that Portia isn’t there for just a paycheck. Her favor can’t be swayed with glitter and gold. Portia does good because there’s no better option.
For Portia herself, a big act of kindness would be a helping hand, and sometimes that helping hand comes in the form of gentle reminders. While she certainly needs an actual helping hand at times, don’t forget that the heart is also a heavy burden. She has her doubts and her insecurities, and a kind word - even something as simple as “lovely hair today!” - goes long and far.
Lucio is not unkind. He’s just learned that kindness is by no means a strength. It’s an open door to getting used, or in the least falling behind. I don’t think he feels good being unkind, in fact, I think it hurts his self-esteem more than he lets on. He's always having to convince himself that he’s a good person with money and fame because he knows the heart is empty.
Now, he’s in a safer space and better place to practice kindness, but the process is awkward.
“When you’ve lived your life being an ass, kindness looks fake.”
He doesn’t know when people rejected him more - when he was good or bad. At least, now, he feels better about himself, and that reason alone will keep him going.
“It’s one thing to be hated, it’s another thing to hate yourself.”
For Lucio, kindness is simply being there. He may not always know what to say or do, but if you call, he’s there.
