Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation

[Kraco]

It's a little bit sad to see Roxy try to so hard to hit on Rudeus, yet forget about Rudeus noticing it, he hasn't even told Roxy he's already married and expecting his first child to be born soon enough. Even if polygamy is normal in that world, aside from the religion Zenith and Cliff belong to, it would still be something he would need to mention, considering Roxy's feelings. She would need to decide whether she accepts it or not. I reckon Rudeus himself wouldn't hesitate for a moment (assuming it wouldn't insult Sylphie), but it's not his call, as nothing will change the fact he's already married.

Regardless, I enjoyed every scene of those two interacting. I doubt Roxy really understands just how much she means to Rudeus. Perhaps it's a good thing she doesn't, considering Rudy's panties religion.

[shinta|hikari]

Polygamy is fine since he is a noble. Remember Eris's gramps?

[Kraco]

Polygamy is fine since he is a noble. Remember Eris's gramps?

That specifically was not my point. My point was that is it fine for Roxy. As I recall, her parents were just a father and a mother. I don't think the story revealed if the other folks of her kind were also monogamous, though I might have forgotten the details. What you said makes it okay for Rudeus, so it's all up to Roxy, which was my point. Even in a generally polygamous culture, not all men or women might want to accept more partners in the marriage. In a fantasy setting with more than a single species/race, it could potentially be even more complicated. Roxy has lived among humans for years, which could make her more accepting even if her village wasn't practicing it. However, one negative detail is that Roxy and Sylphie don't know each other, I believe. Didn't Rudeus meet Sylphie only after Roxy left?

[shinta|hikari]

If she wants the D, she must approve the P.

[Kraco]

If she wants the D, she must approve the P.

I suppose Sylphie would know, to a certain degree, what kind of folks Grayrats are, even if she's not one herself, unlike Eris. Sylphie did keep visiting Paul's house before the disaster, after Rudeus left, so she ought to understand what Rudeus's family used to be like. Didn't she even ask Rudeus if he needs a mistress due to her pregnancy or am I getting my series mixed up? So, Sylphie should be okay, which also should make things easier for Roxy. If Sylphie says fine, why not, Roxy might even feel pressure to accept the idea.

[DarthEnderX]

It's funny nobody cares that Roxxy is crushing on someone she's known since he was, like, 5. Talk about your groomin'.

Sure, we know he's actually in his 40s. But they don't know that.

[Kraco]

It's funny nobody cares that Roxxy is crushing on someone she's known since he was, like, 5. Talk about your groomin'.

Sure, we know he's actually in his 40s. But they don't know that.

She's not a human. Isn't she something like 50+ years old? Her sense of time and lifespans would be different. Nevertheless, their time together was relatively brief when he was young. Nothing happened during that time, aside from Rudeus starting to worship her, but she wouldn't even know it. Back then Roxy was interested in spying Paul having fun with Zenith, which is the opposite of being interested in little kids. Then we skipped 10+ years forward to now. During that decade they exchanged a letter or a few, mostly concerning neutral or business matters (like Rudeus wanting to learn the demon continent language).

I don't honestly understand this whole "grooming" thing when I don't see anything of that sort happening, unlike net predators gradually trying to get kids to send more and more risky photos and finally meeting in RL.

In the end if we consider a not so extraordinary human couple where the man would be 10 years older, it would mean the man was 18 when the woman was still an eight years old brat. Back in historical times the husband being 10 years older would have been exceedingly common because then the man would have then had a decade of time to get a job and accumulate a bit of wealth to provide for the family. Not every man was an heir waiting for an automatic financial security for life.

But, sure, if you consider Roxy unintentionally making Rudeus fall in love with her as grooming, then so be it.

[DarthEnderX]

Back in historical times

Whoa there buddy. Only pedophiles try to use that argument.

But, sure, if you consider Roxy unintentionally making Rudeus fall in love with her as grooming, then so be it.

Doesn't really matter if it's intentional or not. Romantically pursuing someone you knew when they were a child has bad optics to it.

[Kraco]

Whoa there buddy. Only pedophiles try to use that argument.

Not at all. If a man meets the woman when he's 30 and the woman 20, how is that pedophilic at all? It doesn't change the fact she was 8 when he was 18.

Romantically pursuing someone you knew when they were a child has bad optics to it.

That would include all childhood friends getting together later.

[MFauli]

Let's just say: If sexes were opposite, Twitter would be outraged.

[shinta|hikari]

Grooming, as a term, is misunderstood and misused often, like gaslighting or cognitive dissonance.

Roxy didn't raise or teach or even interact with Rudy for a long time as a child. She never did anything to shape him into her ideal partner, nor had the thoughts of doing so.

Sure falling in love with someone you knew as a child when you were an adult definitely has bad optics and can also be predatory due to the age-gap, but the age-gap thing is usually an issue due to maturity and power imbalances. Even if we ignore his total mental age, Rudy is far stronger than Roxy, so she can't really control him. So it may be weird and potentially risky as a relationship, but it is not grooming.





















BTW, I just bought this:

[MFauli]

BTW, I just bought this:

Twitter-mode on: And now it makes sense that you'd defend grooming. Twitter-mode off.


Sorry, jk :P

[DarthEnderX]

Roxy didn't raise or teach or even interact with Rudy for a long time as a child. She never did anything to shape him into her ideal partner, nor had the thoughts of doing so.

Even if it wasn't her intention, it still happened. The guy literally worships her panties.

You can have an enormous impact on someone without meaning to, especially when they're extremely young and still developing. And that creates the kind of power imbalance you were talking about. Not physical, but emotional. Even much later in life they could still have an attachment to you that isn't completely rational.

That's why, if you've known someone as a child you should probably just...not. In general. Like, go find someone else. There's a whole world full of people out there. You don't gotta fuck family members, friends' partners, people you knew as kids, etc.

Again though, this doesn't doesn't actually apply to Rudy. Because he's actually in his 40s. But, again, they don't know that.

[MFauli]

.

That's why, if you've known someone as a child you should probably just...not. In general. Like, go find someone else. There's a whole world full of people out there. You don't gotta fuck family members, friends' partners, people you knew as kids, etc..

Man, gotta disagree here from principle. Love is love, you don't give up on someone just because society put a taboo on it.

[Kraco]

Even much later in life they could still have an attachment to you that isn't completely rational.

That's called love. It's not completely rational, but it certainly helps a couple to stay together.

That's why, if you've known someone as a child you should probably just...not. In general. Like, go find someone else. There's a whole world full of people out there. You don't gotta fuck family members, friends' partners, people you knew as kids, etc.

Again though, this doesn't doesn't actually apply to Rudy. Because he's actually in his 40s. But, again, they don't know that.

It's certainly sound advice in our world because if one is already an adult when the other is still a small kid, the age difference is pretty huge. That being said, Roxy didn't even recognise Rudeus initially, so you can hardly say she would have fallen for the child Rudeus and then only kept waiting for him to reach the marriageable age. Furthermore, it's not our world. I don't remember if it has been mentioned, but isn't it possible Roxy will still live much longer than Rudeus, not being a human, despite already being a lot older in absolute numbers? If I had to guess, she's still probably a young adult, just like Rudeus.

Since this series takes place in a fantasy world, you need to keep it in mind. If some non-human lives for 200-300 years, it's better not to limit them so strictly to what would be the common sense for humans, who might last 70 years in that world. Among Roxy's own people, a couple with 30 years of age difference might still live 200 years together, married. Though like I said, I don't remember if her kind's life expectancy has been mentioned.

Lastly, it would be pretty sad and even insulting for Rudeus if Roxy told him that since she knew him for a little while back when he was a child, she won't ever date him. Even though she didn't even recognise him as an adult, initially, and clearly saw him as an attractive stranger appearing to rescue her. It would be a clearly dishonest rejection.

[shinta|hikari]

Even if it wasn't her intention, it still happened. The guy literally worships her panties.

You can have an enormous impact on someone without meaning to, especially when they're extremely young and still developing. And that creates the kind of power imbalance you were talking about. Not physical, but emotional. Even much later in life they could still have an attachment to you that isn't completely rational.

Yes, but that is not grooming, which is why I started my reply the way I did.

[DarthEnderX]

Since this series takes place in a fantasy world, you need to keep it in mind.

I really don't. Because it's a fantasy world created by a writer, and that writer is from our world.

"I wrote a story about fucking kids, but it's okay, because it's about fantasy world where it's okay to fuck kids." wouldn't fly.

Lastly, it would be pretty sad and even insulting for Rudeus if Roxy told him that since she knew him for a little while back when he was a child, she won't ever date him.

"I know it was inappropriate, but I didn't want them to be sad" doesn't seem like it'd hold up either. It's not telling them they can't have a cookie before dinner.

[Kraco]

I really don't. Because it's a fantasy world created by a writer, and that writer is from our world.

"I wrote a story about fucking kids, but it's okay, because it's about fantasy world where it's okay to fuck kids." wouldn't fly.

What kids? Rudeus is already a married adult as it is. All I said is that the age gap is not an issue because it's a fantasy world. If Roxy was a human, she would be a middle-aged person already, while Rudeus is a very young adult.

[MFauli]

I really don't. Because it's a fantasy world created by a writer, and that writer is from our world.

"I wrote a story about fucking kids, but it's okay, because it's about fantasy world where it's okay to fuck kids." wouldn't fly..

So does this apply to ALL things that would be illegal in our world or do you just want to forbid this specific thing?

[DarthEnderX]

What kids?

That's just an example. I mean the excuse of "it's a fictional world where they say that horrible thing is okay, so it makes that horrible thing okay" doesn't magically give it a pass, regardless of what travesty you want to plug in there.

For example, all the isekai that are like "We have slavery, and slavery is good and the slaves love being your slaves!" You don't just have to shrug and go "Oh well! That's that world!". Like, no! That's not just a reality that happened and you just have to accept it! Somebody WROTE that world to be that way! Someone sat down and created a world where people just love being slaves. And you don't have to give that writer a pass for that. Because it's fucking weird!

So does this apply to ALL things that would be illegal in our world or do you just want to forbid this specific thing?

I'm not looking to "forbid" anything. I'm just not willing to cut a character slack just because an awful thing is a normal part of their world.

For example, Game of Thrones world has a lot of slavery. But GoT doesn't ever try and pretend that slavery is good. It's a bad thing that bad people profit from. It's a part of that world, but the stories don't pretend it's okay just because it's a part of that world.