#apathy arc

[vigilantsycamore]

I feel like this was basically Weiss's thoughts during that scene

[friendball-irl]

OOC: Heya folks!

It was brought to my attention that the unintentional focus on empathy vs apathy was in poor taste. People experience empathy at varying levels, which has no bearing on their morality, and I sincerely apologize to anyone who I have upset through accidentally insinuating that. It was not my intention, and I will be sure to put more thought into any decisions like this in the future.

So! What's changing, then? Well, first and foremost, I think renaming the arc is in order. I've come up with the #heart and mind arc tag to replace the #apathy arc tag.

Next, I am going to change a few things on Gray's Shadowing. Gray is no longer considered to be truly Shadowed and is going to be considered Muted, a very similar condition to being Shadowed, yet significantly less dangerous. Muting works by obstructing someone from their true feelings, leaving faint traces of their positive emotions available instead of closing them off entirely. As a result of the vacuum left by the lack of positive emotions, however, Muted victims experience a spike in negative emotions. This does not change their values, but may cause them to lash out as it increases their existing hurt and anger.

As such, this makes it more of a mental change in him rather than an emotional one. The main way people are going to get him back is by playing off the connections they made with him, trying to to rekindle his positive emotions through their relationships with him. This explains why it is significantly easier for him to be purified, since less effort is needed to cure Muting.

As for moving forward, I'm going to say that Ducky was able to research and let everyone know about the difference between Muting and Shadowing by now, with his condition being mistaken for Shadow until now. Zagreus will no longer be considered a shadow, but a Pokemon who can simply Mute people as part of his moveset.

Again, really sorry to the people negatively affected by this, and I'll be sure to run anything like this in the future by people who actually know what they're talking about.

[paldean-ranger-brandy]

Been thinking really hard about making this post. Feels a little like swinging a bat at a beedrill nest but fuck it.

Gray is a full adult who made a choice about how to handle his own shit. Not a choice I would have made but then again I'm the only one who's me so really the thought process there isn't my business. I genuinely do not understand why everyone is shitting themselves trying to force Gray to undo the decision he made for himself.

If I had a friend who was so burdened by our friendship that they eventually just decided to nuke like 90% of their emotions my first reaction wouldn't be to chase them down to make them continue carrying that burden. It would be to take a step back and try to figure out how to be a less shitty friend.

Not to be rude but maybe leave Gray alone and figure out your own shit first. I genuinely don't see the urgency in forcing him to undo what he's done.

[teamphobia]

I can't do anything.

I don't want to think.

[blueflare7pkmn]

...maybe I should join him... this hurts so much...

[wingsofachampion]

Everything hurts so much.

I miss papa.

[gwendoline-of-lumiose]

... I.

I just.

I need to punch a wall or something.

[zygarde-the-guardian]

... I'm scared... the bad dreams happened again. And Gray. And Bee...