(no subject)

[childofkrypton]

[Chris has been thinking about various things for a while now and he's wondering about something. He's a little hesitant and unsure about this question, so he's writing it out.]

What makes someone a bad person?

Comments

Dictated forever

[whichwayyoulean]

[Hooo boy, isn't this stepping on a billion landmines all at once?]

The things they do. The actions they take. Even if they might not even realise it's bad at the time.

[childofkrypton]

So you can be bad without knowing you're bad...?

[whichwayyoulean]

Yeah. In fact, it's even easier to be bad without knowing it, because at the time you think you're doing good. You can't see how bad you're being until it's too late.

[buttonless]

Wanting to hurt other people.

[shepherdsveritas]

[quietly]

A lot've things could make someone a bad person. Why d'ya ask?

[childofkrypton]

How are you supposed to fix things if you don't know what you're doing is bad? You can't...?

[childofkrypton]

What if you just think about hurting other people? Does that still make you bad?

[childofkrypton]

[He's quite for a while before he speaks hesitantly.] I was... just thinking about my mom and dad. My real mom and dad.

[payback]

I think if someone enjoys causing pain to other people, they're not a good person. But it can also be really complicated.

[childofkrypton]

Why is it complicated?

[whichwayyoulean]

Exactly. Hence the 'until it's too late'.

[childofkrypton]

Oh. [Well that's just depressing.]

[whichwayyoulean]

[Welcome to the world of the Once-ler]

Why were you asking, anyway?

[childofkrypton]

I was just thinking about my real mom and dad.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Oh. Parents. Best subject ever]

What? Were they notorious jewel thieves or something?

[childofkrypton]

[He's quiet for a long moment.]

They were really bad people.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Not being the King of Social Cues, the Once-ler doesn't quite catch on that the kid is upset]

How bad are we talking here?

[childofkrypton]

They hurt and killed a lot of people.

[whichwayyoulean]

You know, murder is becoming a depressingly common theme in the conversations I have in this place.

[There's an awkward pause. He should probably say something comforting right now, shouldn't he?]

Well. I'm sure they can get counselling for that? Or maybe you can be adopted by some nice family with a white picket fence and a dog named Ruffles.

[childofkrypton]

The dogs are Krypto and Shelby... [Because he did indeed get adopted by the best foster parents ever!]

[whichwayyoulean]

Krypto? Sounds like a laundry detergent. But hey! Good for you, it all worked out in the end.

...Well, except for the murdering parents part, but you can't win 'em all.

[childofkrypton]

He's named after the planet we came from, not a laundry detergent.

[whichwayyoulean]

You're...an alien.

Aaaaaand we're right back to this being weird.

[childofkrypton]

I'm from Krypton! Well, not really... Mom and Dad were from Krypton, but I was born and grew up in the Phantom Zone.

[whichwayyoulean]

[Suddenly, he regrets asking]

Are these the murdering mom and dad or the nice ones with the dog?

...And you were in a ghost zone? I didn't even know ghosts had zones.