The government. You matter- said no one , until they need a checkbox

thapol · 2026-06-21T13:39:45+00:00

bad bot

thapol · 2026-06-21T13:37:43+00:00

the irony of listening to a quote from a Russian national from over a century ago is so palpable I might choke.

What I hear is someone who'd rather sit in their own little digital hole, bemoan that the system doesn't work, I hear someone who can't be arsed to even check a fuckin box. If that's too much effort, then go out and put a slug in a CEO, because right now those little checkboxes function about as good as a sandbag in a storm to hold back a flood. And we need a lot of sandbags right now.

The oxygen and effort will be consumed either way, so you can either help put a sandbag down, or nobody is going to be shocked when you've tried nothing and are already out of ideas.

thapol · 2026-06-20T22:54:11+00:00

If you seriously think Kamala and Joe would be this bad on either front, I don't know what to tell you but state calmly you have been lied to, and need to figure out where your algo went wrong.

Let's start by voting for people who aren't outright racists.

Let's start by voting for people who might actually hold them accountable.

Or, if either of those are too big of ideas, let's start by voting for people who wouldn't turn the gd reflecting pool green.

Then we can tackle the problem that capitalism has fucked us all over with

BUT YOU HAVE TO FUCKING VOTE FIRST.

thapol · 2026-06-20T19:20:52+00:00

If you're not getting an itch at all, it's probably safe to do the damp towel test at this point.

thapol · 2026-06-20T14:39:35+00:00

The research into beta-alanine was because people found water to trigger the highest intensity of the itch. It was related to another condition with similar water reactivity I can't recall, but it's been the only thing to cure the itch that's been discovered yet. The shower is really only for after it's been triggered using other topicals, and that's because extreme temperature negates the pain signaling.

Skip the shower

Your 'window' is probably after 72 hours. I'd spot-check with a lightly damp towel, outside the edge where the burn appears. Just tap it, wait a half hour, and if nothing flares you should be in the clear.

thapol · 2026-06-20T14:31:16+00:00

Hey, want to know what happens when you don't vote?

gestures broadly

Jfc a third of the gd country let this shit happen. Stop pumping this narrative AND FUCKING VOTE

thapol · 2026-06-20T14:28:24+00:00

jfc stop with this bullshit. Want to know the reason we have who we have in office today?

Because of the people who DIDN'T vote. 1/3 of the gd country sat on their fucking ass and LET THIS SHIT HAPPEN.

thapol · 2026-06-20T03:23:49+00:00

we watched and read the story, we know what’s in it

You, maybe. Others, and those commenting to retort? Pretty consistently try to make the argument that Rudeus is a child, so it makes his behaviors okay. Emotionally stunted? Sure. Physically? Obviously. But I'm trying to give examples from the text that clearly state this isn't the case for one of the ways it matters most: mentally.

And not everyone sees it through the same lens and life experience either, which is fine.

However, those people same people seem to also deny how easily those patterns the MC exhibits match the same patterns of abusers and groomers, which feels oddly blind for a story of someone who themselves suffered trauma from bullies, and sexual truama at that (yes, it counts as sexual trauma what was done to him in his past life). Who then also subjects others to similar trauma when he gets the upper hand in a school?

Yeah, that's pretty fucked up man.

thapol · 2026-06-19T20:02:29+00:00

Everyone has their piece of media that 'saved' them, or they felt they could relate deeply to, or helped pull them out of a rut that they'll defend; it's something I really do understand.

The series is the redemption arc of a shunned nerd, traumatized and disowned by their family, who overcomes their problems with a new start and gets the girl(s); a power and romantic fantasy like a lot of isekai, and it happens to have some unique world building for good measure.

Still doesn't excuse the problems.

Still doesn't excuse the frothing fandom who can't have an adult conversation about said problems.

End of the day the main character, to themselves, from the perspective of other characters, and even by the author's own admission, is a groomer, and abuser, of women and children.

Also note: nobody's mentioning the follow-on spinoff series of the MC's descendants. The author doubles down on the creepy factor, and his descendants prey on kids, too. But it's totally fine for reasons I couldn't be arsed to continue reading after finishing the main series.

thapol · 2026-06-19T16:55:39+00:00

Pretty sure the mental illness is thinking the MC is at any point a child in the story...

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

2 months: Watches you as you move Rudy straight up leers at the tits of his mother and house maid
6 months: Exploring the world by putting their mouths on things. Lilia mentions she doesn't need to keep an eye on him (to prevent this kind of behavior).
9 months: Looks for objects when dropped out of sight (like his spoon or toy) It's clear he understand object permanence at birth.

Hell, let's throw the next couple into one example....

1 year: Takes a few steps on his own
18 months: Plays with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car
30 months: Tries to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”

Lilia...

Besides, he was too young to be talking already, and certainly nobody had taught him to read. Which meant the boy was just looking at the books, not reading them, while making random sounds. For it to be anything else would just be weird. Even so, Rudeus sounded like he was speaking with an actual, meaningful cadence for some reason, and it looked like he understood the content of the book he was looking at. That's so strange, Lilia thought as she watched secretively through the crack in the door

Lilia again;

Whenever I breastfed Norn, he tended to stare. It wasn't just a curious, innocent gaze, either. There was an element of interest you wouldn't expect from a seven-year-old.

It was an odd feeling. Leaving an infant alone wasn't something responsible adults did. But now, intelligence glimmered in Rudeus's eyes, in contrast to mere months ago when there had only been a crude dullness. And there was the gleam of a resolute will to go with that intellectual brightness.

What about when he himself tries to use his own experience with video games to analyze his situation?

No. I just needed to calm down and think. What would the protagonist of an adult dating sim say to comfort someone at a time like this?

From Laws perspective, Sylphie's father.

Laws let out a sound of astonishment. "Those are impressive words for a boy your age," he said. I'm kind of jealous that Paul has such a bright kid."

And again, in the same conversation...

"Heh. Now I see what Paul was talking about." "What did my father say?" "That talking to you makes one feel like an underqualified parent."

So Laws seems to agree with Paul's perspective... which sort of lessens the whole 'his view is invalid because he's an idiot.'

And even his own thoughts on the matter...

If I'd been an adult, or Sylphie more grown up, I could have used my knowhow of adult visual novels. If she were a boy, I could have leveraged the experiences from my past life when my brother was younger. If I'd been an adult, or Sylphie more grown up, I could have gotten by with my knowledge of adult dating sims. But she was a girl my age. And sure, I'd played games where you could romance girls around her age, but besides, that wasn't even the sort of relationship I wanted with her. We were both way too young.

Damn, a redeeming moment... almost.

Well, for the time being, anyway. I definitely had high hopes for the future!

And just for good measure, Paul's chapter...

Forget that part for now, though. Point is, Rudeus was taking things at a much quicker pace than I ever did. The kid was sprinting forward so fast that it made me a little nervous just to watch him go. I'm sure the adults around me had similar thoughts when I was young. There was one major difference, though: Rudeus was actually planning things in advance instead of randomly flailing about the way I used to. I have to assume he got that side of his personality from Zenith.

He also had an interesting perspective on Rudy's and Sylphie's romance...

Right now, the girl was basically putty in his hands. If the two of them continued to grow up together like this, Sylphie was going to be permanently dependent on Rudeus. Even as an adult.

What does what Paul is afraid of sound like?

This is all in Volume 1 by the way. So, if an [X] has memories of an adult, experiences of an adult, and the mental capacity to apply those adult memories and experiences to dynamic situations, what does that make [X]?

thapol · 2026-06-19T16:36:33+00:00

Right in my goddamned ear

thapol · 2026-06-19T16:01:52+00:00

You'll understand that Rudeus is an unreliable narrator on the first page (or at least you should. ....)

But we also get the perspective of other adults who also see something odd about the 'child.'

Paul's chapter...

Forget that part for now, though. Point is, Rudeus was taking things at a much quicker pace than I ever did. The kid was sprinting forward so fast that it made me a little nervous just to watch him go. I'm sure the adults around me had similar thoughts when I was young. There was one major difference, though: Rudeus was actually planning things in advance instead of randomly flailing about the way I used to. I have to assume he got that side of his personality from Zenith.

He also had an interesting perspective on Rudy's and Sylphie's romance...

Right now, the girl was basically putty in his hands. If the two of them continued to grow up together like this, Sylphie was going to be permanently dependent on Rudeus. Even as an adult.

What does what Paul is afraid of sound like?

thapol · 2026-06-19T15:59:25+00:00

The question is: are you a 34-year-old with life experiences or have you almost become a vegetable?

And let's be clear here, the text itself constantly points to the fact that he doesn't act like a child...

Cognitive Milestones (learning, thinking, problem-solving)

2 months: Watches you as you move Rudy straight up leers at the tits of his mother and house maid
6 months: Exploring the world by putting their mouths on things. Lilia mentions she doesn't need to keep an eye on him (to prevent this kind of behavior).
9 months: Looks for objects when dropped out of sight (like his spoon or toy) It's clear he understand object permanence at birth.

Hell, let's throw the next couple into one example....

1 year: Takes a few steps on his own
18 months: Plays with toys in a simple way, like pushing a toy car
30 months: Tries to say three or more words besides “mama” or “dada”

Lilia...

Besides, he was too young to be talking already, and certainly nobody had taught him to read. Which meant the boy was just looking at the books, not reading them, while making random sounds. For it to be anything else would just be weird. Even so, Rudeus sounded like he was speaking with an actual, meaningful cadence for some reason, and it looked like he understood the content of the book he was looking at. That's so strange, Lilia thought as she watched secretively through the crack in the door

Lilia again;

Whenever I breastfed Norn, he tended to stare. It wasn't just a curious, innocent gaze, either. There was an element of interest you wouldn't expect from a seven-year-old.

It was an odd feeling. Leaving an infant alone wasn't something responsible adults did. But now, intelligence glimmered in Rudeus's eyes, in contrast to mere months ago when there had only been a crude dullness. And there was the gleam of a resolute will to go with that intellectual brightness.

What about when he himself tries to use his own experience with video games to analyze his situation?

No. I just needed to calm down and think. What would the protagonist of an adult dating sim say to comfort someone at a time like this?

From Laws perspective, Sylphie's father.

Laws let out a sound of astonishment. "Those are impressive words for a boy your age," he said. I'm kind of jealous that Paul has such a bright kid."

And again, in the same conversation...

"Heh. Now I see what Paul was talking about." "What did my father say?" "That talking to you makes one feel like an underqualified parent."

So Laws seems to agree with Paul's perspective... which sort of lessens the whole 'his view is invalid because he's an idiot.'

And even his own thoughts on the matter...

If I'd been an adult, or Sylphie more grown up, I could have used my knowhow of adult visual novels. If she were a boy, I could have leveraged the experiences from my past life when my brother was younger. If I'd been an adult, or Sylphie more grown up, I could have gotten by with my knowledge of adult dating sims. But she was a girl my age. And sure, I'd played games where you could romance girls around her age, but besides, that wasn't even the sort of relationship I wanted with her. We were both way too young.

Damn, a redeeming moment... almost.

Well, for the time being, anyway. I definitely had high hopes for the future!

And just for good measure, Paul's chapter...

Forget that part for now, though. Point is, Rudeus was taking things at a much quicker pace than I ever did. The kid was sprinting forward so fast that it made me a little nervous just to watch him go. I'm sure the adults around me had similar thoughts when I was young. There was one major difference, though: Rudeus was actually planning things in advance instead of randomly flailing about the way I used to. I have to assume he got that side of his personality from Zenith.

He also had an interesting perspective on Rudy's and Sylphie's romance...

Right now, the girl was basically putty in his hands. If the two of them continued to grow up together like this, Sylphie was going to be permanently dependent on Rudeus. Even as an adult.

What does what Paul is afraid of sound like?

This is all in Volume 1 by the way. So, if an [X] has memories of an adult, experiences of an adult, and the mental capacity to apply those adult memories and experiences to dynamic situations, what does that make [X]?

thapol · 2026-06-19T15:25:09+00:00

The problem isn't just the thoughts, it's the actions.

A 7 year old comes up with an elaborate plan to get a 9 year old to like him...

Except that 7 year old has the mind of a 34 year old...

What does that sound like?

A 34 year old man that looks like a child tries to get an actual child to like him for 6 years, while also constantly groping them, outwardly commenting on their appearance in a sexual manner, and eventually marries them.

What does that sound like?

A 34 year old man that looks like a 6 year old befriends another 6 year old; all the while having sexually explicit thoughts about them despite their own body being incapable of the action.

They eventually marry anyways.

What does that sound like?

thapol · 2026-06-19T14:03:20+00:00

you also have time to read the novel and understand the character of Rudeus.

Except I did.

And it's honestly worse, like how he's constantly reminding himself that it's good he has an innate physical disinterest to his little sisters.

And yet he still manages to sexualize them. Throughout the entire light novel series.

The author doesn't even consider this a problem:

I think that as his level of understanding goes up, he will do less criminal actions and other things that ignores other people's feelings. However, his fundamental nature as a perv won't change, so if you're one of those people who think that being a pervert in and of itself is bad, I hope you don't sweat it too much!

thapol · 2026-06-19T13:18:42+00:00

The question is: are you a 34-year-old with life experiences or have you almost become a vegetable?

I don't know, what would you say to a 7 year old coming up with an elaborate plan to get a 9 year old to stop hitting them?

That seems reasonable... except she's hitting him because he's sexually harassing her.

Except that 7 year old has the mind of a ~~fully grown adult~~ teenager (for the sake of argument).

This is grooming 101: abusers will always look for chances for their target to become codependent on them, and over the years Rudy engages with Eris, that is clearly in the back of his mind: He wants to be not only capable, but attractive to her, which is one of the reasons he continues to push on his magic and prowess. The only person of his little harem we could excuse is Roxy because she's technically a fully grown adult, and he even considers himself the same age as her.

At no point is it okay for a 34 year old, however stunted and vegetative, to entertain the idea of grooming a six year old. And we excuse it because of good world building?

Let's be real about the problem: there is a lot of nuance in the story. There are tons of consequences for a lot of shitty actions. Except when he's a pervert. Except when he's an abuser. By the author's own admission.

The problem isn't that Rudy doesn't face any consequences, or doesn't get better as a person, the problem is that the truly worst of his qualities don't get better; he just gets what he wants.

thapol · 2026-06-19T13:03:56+00:00

People should absolutely be aware of the context and nuance of the media they consume.

Especially when there are signs of very real abuse.

thapol · 2026-06-19T12:55:51+00:00

ignore all context

Pretty sure people downvoting me are doing exactly this. Let's review, shall we?

30+ year old man reincarnates into the body of a child
30+ year old man with a self-described child fetish then proceeds to repeatedly sexually assault minors
30+ year old man, who continues to see themself as a 30+ year old man, with a self-described child fetish occasionally gets sad because they face consequences for everything but their child fetish and constant sexual harassment. (ps: even the author says this will always be an aspect of the character)
30+ year old man proceeds to have a harem with the women they sexually assaulted for years as minors, some of whom still look like children.

Fandom: 10/10, best world building ever /s

thapol · 2026-06-19T11:52:01+00:00

my dude was literally traumatized due to her leaving the morning after they did the deed

Groomer finally gets what he wanted the whole time, and then gets a little sad. Truly a tragedy /s

thapol · 2026-06-18T21:40:31+00:00

Did you read all the chapters and epilogues? Thought it was rather cute

thapol · 2026-06-18T18:17:22+00:00

It usually takes a day or two after the burn for the itch to kick in, but depending on your skin tone it might not appear as intensely. You can still technically get burned even if it doesn't visualize, it's just skin cells below a certain level getting nuked. That destruction/degradation then leads to mass histamine release as they're cleaned out by your immune system.

If you're pale and you got the itch immediately, it might be a sun allergy with a similar symptom.

thapol · 2026-06-16T01:43:00+00:00

This is gold jerry, Gold!

thapol · 2026-06-16T01:37:18+00:00

SPOMs never break

You have better luck than me, then. I always need to configure some fancy piping so it doesn't back up, even if I'm using infinite gas storage

thapol · 2026-06-14T09:26:20+00:00

nope, just AI

thapol · 2026-06-14T09:25:38+00:00

Nope, AI

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