#mostly about trauma and group dynamics

[jd-loves-fiction]

Hey God...it's me again 😔

I listened to The Water Is Fine and it just hit me for some reason

Same dynamic. Boothill, Aventurine, Ratio, Gallagher and Blade with reader whose blood is special and there are people and groups looking to hunt them down for it.

By special I mean it has the power to heal but also to create weapons (think Power from Chainsaw Man) but the downside is the bigger the weapon, the more blood it needs and the weaker reader gets from it.

🌑God wont answer but I will!! >:)

✦ 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐥 ✦

Violently protective, as usual but takes it up a notch

He's hyper alert the moment he sees a drop of your blood

Encourages you to keep your abilities hidden at all times

Not that he can't protect you, of course he can, but he'd rather you have a semi normal life rather than be on the run like him

But he's highly trained, if someone so much as tries to take you, oh, he's getting serious

No playing and joking like he usually does, no one but you and him is making it out alive

✦ 𝐀𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐞 ✦

Insanely impressed

He's a business man at the end of the day so he might at least consider trying to convince you to use your gift to make some money or for protection

Until he connects your situation with his and he's immediately like "oh my god I'm a horrible person for even thinking that"

He's good at keeping secrets so trust no one in the IPC knows about what you can do

Even if someone somehow knew, he's well protected and very capable so you're safe with him

Protective in a way even he doesn't expect - does not let most people even get near you because he's just that suspicious

He's got trauma ok😭

✦ 𝐃𝐫. ���𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨 ✦

Very intrigued... In a scholarly way, not an exploitative way obviously 💀

Asks a lot of questions and is very encouraging about the idea of you improving your skills and gaining control of your powers

Does his best to make a ton of research on your powers to learn how they work and possibly help you with them

Secretive when he needs to be so he's not letting your secret slip

But if he suspects it's happened anyway, he's keeping you close to him at all times so he can watch over you and protect you

Fatherly?? Him?? Pfff.... Yes, he is but he'd never admit it out loud

✦ 𝐆𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐚𝐠𝐡𝐞𝐫 ✦

Haha... Something something bloodhounds haha funny joke

Certified guard dog and very good at it

So you're in good hands🫡

Let's you sit by him at the bar so he can keep an eye on you

Subtly side eyes anyone he finds suspicious from how they look at you

Always has an ear out for these groups or info on them

So he can hunt them down in his free time as a preventative measure :)

Tries his best to help you train your powers in private but he's not the best teacher

But he can heal you when you hurt yourself so there's that😌

✦ 𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐝𝐞 ✦

Feels very fitting to me... For some reason, narratively

Perfect sparring partner for if/when you wanna get better control of your powers

Which he greatly encourages

Helps a lot with taking the stigma out of your powers

They're yours so you should know how to use them for yourself and no one else

Mostly to protect yourself which he of course also does if need be but he's a form believer that you should be able to do it yourself as well

Another one who likes to hunt these people down for giggles💀

He's got a lot to get off his chest ok😭

Tough love sort of parental figure but he might be the one that makes sure you have the best control over your powers out of all of them

[howi99]

You know, in the events of Jaune being the one to die instead of Pyrrha, that would change A LOT to the story.

First of being Pyrrha, of course. I think she would feel far more responsible for Jaune's death then even he felt for her, considering she willingly went to fight a lost cause. She was the "strongest" and yet, the weakest student saved her by taking the arrow meant FOR HER.

_ _

The second thing would be Ruby, who depending on either he asked her for help before entering after Pyrrha, would lose not just an acquaintance, but her actual best friend. In front of her eyes. Because she just wasn't quick enough.

So yeah, Yang was depressed? Oh BOY Ruby would be worse. And i think she would become the "Jaune", as in going after Cinder to avenge him over just getting information in Mistral. And THAT change the group dynamics a lot.

And that's without adding the fact team RPNR is now down a leader in exchange for Magneto. Which makes Mercury completely irrelevant in the rematch at Haven...

Oh and let's not even think about what would happen if Ozpin don't tell them about the relics being grimms magnet, Pyrrha would probably strangle poor Oscar.

_ _

The third difference is that, unlike Pyrrha, Jaune wasn't known at all. The statue i talked about in both Papa Arc and Saphron's post is not the big thing made of bronze Pyrrha got, it's his grave. So there's nobody remembering him outside of his close ones. And that means no "easy" closing for Pyrrha and Ruby.

_ _ _

And lastly: What happens to the Rusted Knight? Well, in one hand, Jaune actually survived and is in the ever after. Without trauma, since he saved Pyrrha and didn't have to kill Penny. On the other: Pyrrha or Ruby takes his place.

So either we get a weirdly Happy Jaune that is called the Rusted Knight mostly because he doesn't know how to take care of his armor properly or we get depressed Spartan woman/Depressed Huntress.

[thecyden]

Maggie & Negan: A F*cked-Up Dynamic That Makes Too Much Sense

Once upon a time, my dad—a hardcore TWD universe fan—suggested I watch Dead City. Apparently, in our relationship, I’m the grumpy traditionalist who clings to the original series and side-eyes anything new. But I gave it a shot.  

Let’s be real: the plot? Not great. And I wouldn’t have made it through if not for Maggie and Negan. Jesus Christ, those two grabbed me by the throat and refused to let go. Let's address the walker in the room: Yes, I'm emotionally invested in the dynamic between a widow and her husband's killer. No, I don't need therapy (probably). Listen. I’m not saying it’s healthy. I’m saying it’s fascinating. And it’s not just because Negan aka Jeffrey is a stud who’d make a killer power couple with Maggie (though, yes!). It’s because their chemistry is electric, layered, and earned. Years of buildup, trauma, and twisted interdependence make their dynamic fascinating. Their relationship isn’t about romance—it’s about obsession, survival, and the f*cked-up ways grief binds people together. I’m obsessed, so here’s my take on #Neggie for anyone who cares.  

Why It Couldn’t Have Happened Sooner  

Some fans try to force them together right after Glenn’s death, or during All Out War. That’s not just unrealistic—it’s impossible. 

That first year? Maggie wasn't just grieving—she was haunted. Every glance at Negan was Glenn's last moments replaying on loop. Even years later, she still couldn’t look at him without seeing Glenn’s bashed-in skull. But by Dead City, something shifts. She’s had years to sit with her rage, and instead of fading, it’s mutated. It's no longer white-hot rage—it's a cold, calculating obsession that's kept her alive longer than any weapon ever could.

Negan was hyperfixated on Rick—their war, their rivalry. Maggie was barely on his radar. Post-war Negan was still a narcissist—his redemption was performative. He helped people, sure, but mostly to prove he could. And Maggie? He sees her as a living monument to his sins.

This Isn’t a Love Story (And It Never Will Be)  

Maggie and Negan’s bond isn’t about romance. It’s about being the only two people who truly see each other.  

Think about it: every person Maggie has ever loved is gone. Glenn. Beth, parents, the farm. Hershel (physically present but emotionally galaxies away). Even Rick's group are just memories now.

Negan is the only living archive of her pain. The man she’s spent years obsessing over. Her vengeance is her anchor. If she killed him, she’d be hollow. If she killed him, she'd erase the last witness to her grief. Worse—she loses the purpose that's fueled her survival.

Negan never had real connections—not in the Sanctuary, where he was feared, not worshipped. Not until Carl, Judith, and later Annie. But Maggie? She’s always been in his head, a ghost of guilt and unfinished business.  

He's spent years trying to outrun his past, but Maggie is his past. Notice how he never truly fights back against Maggie's manipulation. He wants her to punish him because he thinks he deserves it. That's why he follows her into hell without protest.

They’re stuck in this twisted codependency, and I’m fascinated by it.  

TL;DR: They’re toxic, tragic, and the most compelling duo in TWD right now. Fight me.   Anyone else weirdly invested in these two?   

[talaofthevalley]

No joke, I actually find the character dynamics of S1 of Vrains hilarious.

You've got the loner vigilante protagonist who is too occupied with revenge and being full of trauma to acknowledge but a small handful of people. The group he's hunting are cyber terrorists. No one outside his circle seem to acknowledge this as a possible danger until people in the real world start dropping like flies. He flipflops between being bitingly savage and bleedingly genuine, and both responses will leave his opponents sprawled out on the ground after he's sent them flying.

Then you've got these two conceited celebrities running around, gunning for the glory of being the one to defeat Playmaker or show up Playmaker only to fail miserably at every turn. Aoi makes an ass of herself in her second time ever talking to Yusaku, runs away upset, and Yusaku isn't even slightly inclined to follow her. They don't speak again for months. Onizuka is having an image crisis during a high-risk duel with Hanoi and Yusaku's response is to show up at his duel and say he's there to laugh at him as he loses. This actually works.

We've got a virtual world treasure hunter who is addicted to tricking people and is so set on on profit and getting her own she will sell out her own clients and send off a valuable ally down the wrong road just to get to the mystery alone. She dies. Somehow shows some morals through this ordeal.

The only person Playmaker has any interest in is his archenemy and rival, who he's too busy being propositioned by or propositioning himself to pay any mind to the two people he inadvertently gave an identity crisis each to, or care about the beautiful woman taking an interest in him but keeps tricking him to absolutely no emotional response. Too busy plotting revenge, wondering what Revolver is planning, and eating junk food. Revolver meanwhile fluctuates between a mix of brooding and yearning for Playmaker or curbstomping every other cast member he encounters except for Playmaker.

The climactic final battle is set-up like the gangs finally getting together until the audience remembers around the time the show reminds you oh yeah, Yusaku doesn't care about these people beyond keeping them alive. They talk about being here to help but mostly drag Playmaker down. The world-ending disaster brings no one but our unlikely hero and his rival-revealed-lost love interest closer. Screw the power of friendship, in this house we're about the power of belief in a brighter future. Playmaker and Revolver are in the show we're watching while Blue Angel and Go Onizuka still thinks we're in a battle shounen.

It's hilarious, I never grow tired of it.

[kitty384]

Caught in the Web

Pairing: Peter Parker x Reader Summary: You and Peter have been secretly dating for four months—until a shoulder touch during movie night blows your cover and sends the entire team into overprotective chaos. Warnings: Mild panic, light teasing, protective Avengers, mentions of past trauma, fluff, found family, chaotic group dynamics

Look, in our defense… we were really careful.

No PDA. No suspicious sneaking off. No texting where Tony could hack into my phone (which, yes, he does regularly, and yes, I will fight him one day).

Peter and I had been dating for four months. Quietly. Secretly. And honestly? It had been kind of perfect. Sweet, simple, stolen moments behind training rooms and late-night rooftop conversations that made my heart feel like it wasn’t made of leftover Hydra wire.

He makes me laugh.

He makes me feel normal.

And he never treats me like I’m broken.

So yeah… we didn’t want to ruin that by inviting the Avengers’ chaos into our bubble.

But we forgot one very important thing:

Avengers don’t miss things.

Especially not when you’re the quiet kid with trust issues suddenly smiling more than usual.

Oops.

It started falling apart during movie night.

Everyone was there: Clint, hogging the popcorn. Natasha, curled on one side of the couch like a cat. Tony, arguing with Steve about which Fast & Furious movie had the “best thematic depth” (as if that’s what anyone watches those movies for).

I sat on the floor in front of the couch. Peter sat beside me.

Not too close.

Just… a little close.

Okay, fine. Our shoulders touched. Barely.

But apparently, barely was enough.

Because halfway through the movie, Sam leaned over to Bucky and whispered, “Tell me I’m not the only one who sees this.”

“See what?” Bucky mumbled, mouth full of M&Ms.

Sam nodded toward us. “Y/N and Parker.”

Bucky squinted. Paused. “They’ve been sitting like that since last week.”

“You’ve noticed?”

“I’m observant.”

“You’re not. You’re suspicious.”

“Same thing.”

“I can hear you,” I muttered.

Sam smiled. “Oh, good. So you can explain yourself.”

Peter looked like he wanted to phase through the floor.

I opened my mouth to lie—tried to form the words We’re just friends—but Peter panicked before I could.

“Okaywe’redatingpleasedon’tkillme.”

Dead silence.

Even the movie seemed to pause.

Tony blinked. “You’re what now?”

Peter paled. “I—I said we’re dating?”

You could hear a pin drop.

And then—

“You didn’t tell us?” Clint gasped, like I’d betrayed the family name.

“It’s been four months,” Peter added, then immediately winced. “Sorry—should I have not said that?”

“Four months?!” Steve said, actually putting his popcorn down.

Bucky blinked at me, stunned. “You’ve been happy. I thought that was just, like, character development.”

Natasha raised an eyebrow. “You had a boyfriend and didn’t tell me?”

“I—I was going to!”

“When?”

“…Eventually.”

“Unacceptable,” Tony said. “I need to know everything. How did it start? Who made the first move? Has he kissed you? How many times? Has he met your emotional needs? Do I need to fight someone?”

“Tony—”

“I’m not mad,” he added quickly. “I’m just… disappointed. And a little dramatic. But mostly disappointed.”

“You’re being weird,” I said.

“I’m being concerned.”

“Big difference.”

The interrogation lasted an hour.

Peter kept nervously holding my hand under the blanket and squeezing it every time Clint got too nosy or Tony threatened to “run a full background check even though I already know everything about him.”

Eventually, Sam stepped in.

“Alright, alright,” he said, raising his hands. “They’re dating. They’re fine. They’re happy. Maybe let that be enough for now?”

Steve nodded, calm and dad-like. “He treats you well?”

I nodded.

Peter sat up a little straighter. “She’s amazing.”

Bucky grunted. “You hurt her, you disappear.”

Peter nodded so fast he almost gave himself whiplash. “Absolutely. Poof. Gone. Never existed. Turn to dust.”

“…I like this one,” Bucky muttered.

After everyone finally went to bed (except Clint, who spent another fifteen minutes whispering “I knew it!” every time he passed us), Peter and I stayed behind in the kitchen, legs swinging off the counter.

He leaned against me, shoulder to shoulder.

“Sorry,” he mumbled. “I panicked.”

I smiled. “It was gonna come out eventually.”

“Still. You okay?”

I nodded, then rested my head on his shoulder. “They’re just… overprotective.”

“Yeah,” he said softly. “But it’s kinda nice, right?”

I smiled.

Yeah.

It really, really was.

Masterlist

Request

[luna-loveboop]

Triple Threat Time

The Terror Trio

Legend, Hyrule, and Wild are known as the Triple Threat and I love them.

@breannasfluff for you, m'lady

Legend and Wild

These two are the most over looked.

And from the very beginning, we have a ton of examples of them just. Being. Near each other.

Like magnets

We can trace back to the moment these two really connected and spent more time with each other... which was of COURSE over girlfriend trauma

That's one of our first Legend being soft moments, showing true empathy. And Wild found that Legend could be understanding of his hurt- this is where they connected beyond just being closer than most

The main point in the plot with Legend and Wild is when they split off into groups

They went together, and this interaction shows that with these three, Legend is the common sense filter that keeps the other two from falling off of cliffs

Wild: I wanted to climb the mountain!

Leg: there is literally a cliff to fall off of right there

One of the things I love most about about Legend and Wild is they understand each other

We have multiple examples of them literally stating facts about the other in coversation.

"I know you love to tease" "you break everything" "you're not usually impressed"

They just state facts about each other because they get each other and understand

Wild and Hyrule

Ah yes. The two that have so many similarities in which they give the rest of the chain heart attacks

They both have the insecurity about knighthood. Hyrule because he's never felt adequate, and Wild feels like he only used to be.

They both hate maps (who needs them, right? *promptly gets lost*)

They do not care about injury at all. "I can walk off a broken leg for sure it'll be fine"

When left alone these two nearly die. Like every time. Love them.

Here's a lot of them hanging out:

Legend and Hyrule

The downfall duo

These two are from the same timeline, the downfall timeline, and there are certain connections coming from the same world. I think that their world made them have a similar fighting style because of how it's developed.

They are around each other mostly

And they always fight together

Here's my take on these two: Legends more confident because he's done so much. Hyrule's less confident because he didn't have such an insane number of adventures.

Legend's been through enough to know this is ganon's fault, not his. Hyrule's been through little enough (even with insanely hard adventures) that he has much more insecurity.

These two are quite possibly the most skilled in survival, because of no formal knight training. Instead of having perfect swordsmanship, they have tools (legend) and spells (hyrule) to fight in a world that was so much harder.

Which of course relates to wild who woke up in a cave, found a sword and winged it.

That's their relationships two on two

Legend and wild: power team, overlooked but so so close

Wild and Hyrule: do not let them near fire

Legend and Hyrule (downfall duo): They fight together and they are a pair

Combined these three make a Triple Threat

They also have dynamics with all three of them combined

Bestest moments of them:

When turned into a bunny, Legend mentioned both Hyrule and Wild as the ones he was worried about seeing him that way

In both scenes of Wild breaking swords Legend or Hyrule was there

When Wild was injured, they both somehow lost their senses and freaked out about him being dead (lol)

But with all of them they understand each other

Wild and Hyrule know Legend is grumpy and rude- they don't care, he's their brother. As the one who appreciates maps, he keeps both from getting even closer to dying

Hyrule: he feels accepted. These two make him feel like he has a place and is valuable to those with similarities.

Hyrule and Legend don't care about Wild's odd traits, they know that he breaks stuff and gets hurt often.

Proof

!!!! Looking at their scenes (in my screenshots above too), this is clear: all three of them have more examples than most of them being next to or near the others

Plus all the adventures and scenes of them- they fight and wander together- they are on this journey with each other

Because they understand each other, they spend time with each other. With nine people in the chain, when a few are around each other this much rather than the others, it makes it very clear how close they are, since they simply want to be near each other.

Here's my very favourite picture that perfectly sums up the three of them:

Legend: grrrr

Hyrule: excited

Wild: still can't put his hands on his hips properly

And these three combined... we've got constantly injured, set fire to everything, get lost a ton, snarky rudeness galore, plus swords and tools and magic, and that makes them a threat

(one thing I want to point out. you can see this by looking at the screenshots in this post. with the chain, much of figuring out who is close is simply who is near each other. looking at their interactions and the times they are hanging out as a group, Four is most often near and hanging out with these three rather than the others, so I think he is also very close to them and feels comfortable with them. do with that what you will.)

Yeah! Terror Trio.

:)

[olderthannetfic]

www.tumblr.com/olderthannetfic/771823370694213632

You need the say the bit about the way canon treats characters way louder because I really think that the way the character is... framed, I guess? accounts for huge chunks of it.

I remember when the Disk Horse was about Finn vs. Kylo Ren from the Star Wars sequel trilogy and I got called racist for trying to point out that Finn was always framed as the comic relief/unserious by the canon. He has a character arc in the first movie, but his emotions and his trauma and his personality are mostly played for laughs (ha! ha! Black janitor guy is scared because he's a coward! - and him being a janitor is a change that came pretty late, he was originally meant to be the top of his class). OTOH Kylo Ren has the camera linger on his anguished face while sad music plays and he monologues about the moral conflicts that he's facing.

The average viewer/reader - especially in the case of visual media - doesn't really stop watching to form non-prejudiced independent opinions on every character (and really shouldn't if your narrative is well-constructed!), that'd take up too much of their mental bandwidth! They let themselves be guided by how things and people are framed, so of course they'd see Ren as Serious and Tragic and Finn as the funny guy, which is inherently less sexy to most people!

Same thing with F/F: when canon treats its women with any degree of complexity and gives them the sort of character traits that are conductive to blorbofication people are all over it!

My dash's been drowning in Rhaenycent for a year now, and that's a show that arguably sorta botched its female characters in the attempt to make them complex! But it doesn't matter, because they set up all these juicy dynamics and the fans are all over it!

Fans LOVE Claudia from IWTV even though the tragedy of her canonical role is that the guys always sideline her for each other.

I went to the Anora tag after seeing the movie and saw a bunch of Anora x reader fic in between the gifs the same way I did for Feyd Rautha from Dune or any other feral unhinged character fans love imagining themselves having sex with (and then blocked it lol).

Like, my taste in women and men is exactly the same but the large majority of characters that fit it are men, because we just don't get a lot of women who are composed, charming rogues on the outside and crippled traumatized messes on the inside, with a narrative that gives this sufficient weight, and also lets them be feral and unhinged. And I actually prefer minority characters because where I'm from I'm from a minority group myself, but again, most of them don't fit the bill personality-wise or framing-wise.

Fandom's a hobby and it's meant to be fun - I'm not gonna be constantly swimming uphill from what the canon is trying to present to me just because a character shares a demographic category with me. I think this is the case for most people, really.

--

My read on a lot of this is that people are sad about the status quo (fair) and are lying to themselves that the culprits are nearby where they can reach them.

If we confront the fact that the real source is the director or the cinematographer or the studio head, it all feels so much more insurmountable.

Of course, one can opt for niche, indie media, but a lot of people don't want to do that, so they fall back on this shitty coping mechanism of pretending that they can yell at the people around them and effect meaningful change.

[archiveofliterature]

i see a lot of criticism about the friendships between the babel characters and how we were told a lot of things about their positive dynamic, yet shown barely any of it (but are instead mostly presented with the negative aspects). i don’t know if other people clocked this but i feel like it was intentional

rf kuang was commenting on friendships made through trauma-bonding: they were doomed from the start

tldr; the characterisation is (one of) the subtly(ies) people were looking for in the colonial theme. they criticise the latter but i love the fact colonialism is more of an upfront theme because lord knows i am tired of it being subtle so people can ignore it

robin says from the very beginning after they formed their little friend group:

“why had they been so quick, so carelessly eager to trust one another? why had they refused to see the myriad of ways they could hurt each other? why had they not paused to interrogate their differences in birth, in raising, that meant they were not and could never be on the same side?”

the next small paragraph goes into a raft metaphor about how they saw themselves in each other and that’s why they stuck together. they shared one thing they could not ignore – their otherness. their friendship was purely built on the fact they were discriminated against and that they had to spent the next 4 years with each other. their first pleasant conversation is them discussing how they were treated at oxford. of course, the characters didn’t see this because they had never really befriended people their age before. this feeling of belonging felt like love to them (considering their upbringings, ramy’s i will discuss in a bit)

it makes perfect sense why robin would repeatedly imply that they loved and cared about each other. in his eyes, they did. what was it they had if not love? robin, who has ignored so many problems in the past before babel as he knew it would cause him issues, wouldn’t address their friendship dynamic or how strong the arguments and animosity were. he, an abused child, would rather have this than nothing at all

in actuality (demonstrated, i think, through the photograph they took at the end of chapter 9), they were together because of academia’s and discrimination’s forced proximity. robin feels specific emotions about them that feel strong to him because he’s never experienced it before, but that doesn’t mean they are strong enough to keep them together, which is why when they see the photo, they feel weird about it because why isn’t it portraying their dynamic ‘correctly’?

it’s true that perhaps to get robin’s perspective across, it would’ve been good to see the positive aspects more but i think that would’ve made it harder for us to see how weak their friendship was. people wanted more positive to show that they loved each other, which isn’t the point rf kuang is trying to make

rf kuang chooses to show the negative aspects more because they show where their friendship will end up. when letty did what she did, i didn’t see it as a plot twist, i saw it as an inevitability. this was going to happen. honestly, i feel this with most of the ‘plot twists’ of babel except the end of book iii (i really didn’t see that coming). it was easy for letty to do what she does in book iv because their friendship had such unstable foundations. when they no longer benefitted her, she turned her back on them

the only dynamic i feel was actually strong was robin and ramy. i’m not just saying this because i think they’re queer lol. they were close not just because they were both men of colour and had similar upbringings – they actually liked each other. they admired each other and adored each other’s personalities, they bounced off each other and knew what the other meant when they spoke. when they argued, it was over something that actually considered each other’s beliefs and goals and desires, not over their differences.

(unlike letty and ramy, letty and victoire and maybe even robin and victoire, though i think they lean more to ramy/robin than they do to letty/anyone lol. ramy and victoire have a dynamic that i personally feel like robin didn’t really see because ramy understood victoire in a way robin couldn’t. you kind of see it when robin is the one who letty complains about ramy/victoire to, but that’s it i think?)

speaking of ramy, linking it back to their perspectives of love, it makes a lot of sense why he caused the most disruption in the friend group. he’s the only one with an actual family that he stays in touch with. he knows what love feels like. so of course he’s the one that is strongly anti-empire, compared to robin and victoire who have been emotionally manipulated in their childhood by said empire, the one who argues with letty the most. he still feels what robin and victoire feel, of course, but to a lesser extent

honestly i don’t know how to end this analysis, i just think rf kuang is a genius lmao but i may add more onto this as i continue to reread the book we shall see

[isaaujulii]

I got this idea from a post about how Nat is ultimately the best leader, and I agree. But this is about how narratively I think the show is telling us that the leader should have been and would have been Tai, if not for her Other self. Shout out to @nataliescatorccioapologist for the a great analysis of leadership types that inspired this yap session.

I always thought Tai should be leader since the beginning. She has all the traits necessary to hold them together. Nat is a good person, she is exemplified by her moral compass, but also inner strength to push forward. But her failings come from an unwillingness to make others uncomfortable or exert her power over them, no doubt coming from her own trauma with her abusive father. Because of this she fails to see and connect with the individual emotions of the others in the group, mapping out the group dynamics in order to control potential conflict. For example could have gone through with the punishment for Shauna and Mari in a more fair way if she had known the extent of the conflict between them, keeping Mari in the camp by showing proper punishment for Shauna for her behavior. Tai on the other hand is able to see the emotional needs of others quite clearly. She remarks multiple times throughout the show about how each character is doing, checking in Akilah and the mouse. Is the first to clock Shauna’s pregnancy, telling Lottie not bother Travis with the tea, and was even willing to let him join her and Van to find Mari cause she could tell her needed to do something.

She doesn’t believe in the wilderness but is willing to let the others have their rituals and beliefs as long as it doesn’t go to far, with again her being the only one to actually defend Travis against Lottie getting him high because she could see it was having a negative effect. She is (along with Nat) the most rational of the group, consistently bringing up not necessarily the right “choice”, but the right procedure, (the coach ben situation, she was doing her job as a lawyer, plus she didn’t have a vote). This is where her and Nat differ the most, Natalie makes the right choice, but Taissa always steers towards the favored choice. The choice that will ultimately keep the group together.

I think the perfect example of her being the best option was in the beginning of S3 when Mari and Shauna were beefing, she early on said something like “we have to sit them down before this escalates”, and she was right that whole chain of events lead to Coach ben’s death, which she even warns by saying, “everything out here means life or death”. She saw that even a tiny fracture could lead to a crack in their foundation.

Tai is exactly who they need but Other Tai would take advantage as soon as she has any power. It’s the whole conflict of her character in S2 before Nat is chosen she along with the others are mostly democratic in decision making and I think she even mentions smth abt them needing to get a leader even before Lottie does, bc S2 is basically Lottie’s decent into the cult, and her power over the others. Tai sees this (along with Nat ofc) and worries abt (as she should). But this is also when Other Tai starts taking over her nights, and she has to tie herself to Van, which also mirrors her adult life as well, she becomes the worst thing she could be,unreliable & unstable. She can no longer trust herself to be there 100%, it’s why she takes a step back from pursuing leadership. The real Tai as soon as she gets rescued, and has agency over her life again, ditches Van and pursues a career as a leader, but when Other Tai comes back she is forced to “tie” herself to Van again.

I think Tai is a direct mirror to Jackie in a lot of things, I don’t know if i’m misremembering but I think she was up for the role of Captain, but ultimately Jackie got it bc she was more personable and had more influence, because of the foundation that society already has, her decision are not life and death. Jackie had influence through social/emotional connectivity and group dynamic reliance, her skills more aligned and favored by our “society”. Tai also had influence as we see with the Allie situation, she discussed with the group abt her plan to pressure Allie out, everyone said their piece but ultimately let her go through with it, not telling the coaches or warning Allie. They thought she would handle it, trusting her rationality and ability to ultimately do what is best for the group. But as is the tragedy of Tai’s character she cannot rely on her psyche to follow through on her rationality, because of the ever looming presence of Other Tai. Real Tai weighs the scales of justice and rationale evenly, but her “dark” side tips the scales to serve whatever agenda she has, even if it hurts her host in the process.

Real Tai keeps order, Other Tai brings chaos.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - THERE IS SO MUCH ON RIGHT NOW, it's crazy-making!

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

July 2024 Week 1

Ongoing Series - Thai

Wandee Goodday (Sat YT) ep 10 of 12 - I am with Dee, noodles do solve everything. The brothers were SO GOOD together. I’m getting to really love a back drop in BL, it’s like the mic drop of gay boys smooching. This is such a good show. I had a big grin on my face while also crying a bit. Everything I want from a BL is happening right here, in front of my eyes.

Did they gloss over the trauma a bit? Yes. Do I care? No. I don't like dwelling in trauma in general, mine, friends, online, or in my BL.

The Rebound (Weds Gaga) ep 2 of 12 - All Thai mafia is gay… again. Yes, it’s still great. No, I have no idea why they’re dropping so many eps at once. That’s not normal for a Thai drama. But I’m not gonna complain except there’s a lot on right now. I like the side couple too. I also like Frank’s poor little rich kid side dish action. I mean, Meen is an ult for me, but Frank is giving excellent second lead syndrome. Suspiciously aggressive and a touch stalker, but I don’t mind a boy that sus if he that cute. And of course, with the mafia involved there is kidnapping.

Look, is this the best show currently airing? No. Which is why it slid a little in the standings. But that's only because Wandee hit it out of the park this week. Frankly, this may not be the best BL airing right now, but it’s the best BL for me.

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 4 of 12 - That oppa bit was fucking genius. (You get it right? If you don't, I can explain.) And I immediately adore the secretary character as a result (I typed that as "reslut" and that works too.) Pleased to have such a "rich man and his spoiled boy" dynamic it going already. A dynamic I am personally IRL familiar with from the 90s. Also, kiddies stop filming adults at play! Sheesh.

I pretty much love all the couples in this show. It’s lots of fun. SamYo’s cat and mouse thing is delightful. Meanwhile, the mains are so sweetly hesitant about kisses and everything (hilarious coming from this pair). I love them and their awkward first time, or whatever is going on.

Do you know what? After that "oppa" comment this lead pair makes me feel a little bit like I’m watching a gay K-drama, similar style of personalities and everything, even the random martial arts ability. And the outing. I'm getting Business Proposal vibes. Nothing wrong with that, I was weaned on K-dramas.

All in all, great episode.

My Stand-In (Fri iQIYI) ep 11 of 12 - Yet again I spent the entire episode saying "poor Joe" over and over again. This time I didn’t cry though.

The pat way to end this is to have Joe walk through that door and then wake up back when he was about to get into the motorcycle accident. So that none of it ever happened. I suppose we’ll see what they do next week but I hope it isn’t that.

We Are Cute (Weds iQIYI) ep 14 of 16 - Do you know what this friendship group reminds me of the most? The old Love Sick music club boys. This is just the college version... 10 years later. (Love Sick was one of the few shows where I mostly didn’t yell “no singing” at the screen (also Ingredients). In my defense, I didn’t know any better back then.)

As boyfriends, PhumPeem are even more puppy/cat paring. And I am even more delighted by it. And them. In fact, this show is ALL puppy/cat pairings. I’m not mad about it.

"I’m hugging you so you won’t feel hungry" is the weirdest pick up ever. But Phum is weird. 

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 1 of 8 - The PittBabe team behind a new restaurant set BL full of hidden agendas and starring my new favorites SailubPon. I’m reminded so much right off the bat of PokeTongue’s side dish couple in What’s Zabb Man. Interesting, considering that came from Pon’s former studio. Love the call out of obnoxious content creators (not to mention corporate property developers). I like the chef character, he’s nicely complex. In fact, so far I like most of the characters, it’s a good range of different personality types. The plot is a little contrived and complicated but I don’t mind because the characters are such fun.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 1 of 12 - Reported on this last week already but here's what I said:

Gun still looks like he’s just out of high school. Madness.

The set for the print shop reminds me of Mork’s dad’s place in ‘Cause He’s My Boy? I swear GMMTV has only 3 sets.

I wasn't looking forward to this show at all. Maybe I just needed more of a break from OffGun? Cooking Crush happened yesterday.

Whatever, because I was absolutely riveted by this first episode.

I’m enjoying The Trainee a lot. Like, a lot a lot. It's not higher up just because there is so much good content from Thailand airing right now.

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 5 of 12 - Still a chaos muffin no matter which country. So earnest. So cute. Talking stage commence!!!

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 4 of 10 - I got so bored I started looking up ways to organize my sunglasses. Trash watch here.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 6-7 of 12 - The exes are odd. I like that Latte finally got some backstory.

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) Ep 2 of 10 - I’m still enjoying this quite a bit. It’s paralleling the manga quite closely, which is nice. But it’s not gonna be a particularly exciting drama if this continues. The manga is rather quiet (pun intended to amuse not insult).

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 1 of 10 - Look, if some kid followed me to college and changed the whole course of his life because I was nice about his dead bird? I'd be skeeved as fuck too. It's odd and uncomfortable, in that way Japan loves. Visuals are on point but can't say I'm enjoying it as yet. Still, it is JBL, and so I am intrigued and open to all possibilities.

It's airing but...

The Last Time (Thai Fri YT?) - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something. Can't find it.

OMG Vampire (Thai Sun ???) 10 eps - I've put the search on hold for and y'all can let me know if it's worth tracking down once it ends?

In case you missed it

Blue Boys finished it run. I like it quite a bit. This felt a lot like a Strongberry short series. It’s very curtailed and could’ve used some legs but I've been trained into ignoring that for Korean BL. Short has always been their thing. Essentially, two boys who were acquaintances in high school are reunited and it turns out always had crushes on each other. It’s definitely an extrovert meets introvert scenario, and this being Korea, they can’t resist a tiny love triangle in the eleventh hour. But it all came out fine in the end. It has great kisses and higher heat than is normal from Korea. All in all, a surprisingly charming offering. Recommended with some reservations around the brevity of plot and character development. 8/10 

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer released to Korean theaters 5/25. HoTae & DongHee, side couple from Unintentional Love Story are back! Same actors, same character names. I love them. Devastated this hasn't had international distribution. I demand you tell me the moment you find it!

Next Week Looks Like This:

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

July Releases to Come

7/10 Century of Love (Thai Gaga) 10 eps - trailer here, DaouOffroad are back, this time as fated mates in a quasi historical paranormal moment. San has spent many lifetimes waiting for his lost beloved, to reincarnate from her death a century ago. But if he fails to find her within this century's time window, he will succumb to a tragic death. And this time she's a boy. Very much Director Who Buys Me Dinner meets First Love Again, hopefully better than both. I love this pair and think they can handle the premise, it's whether the storytelling is up to the challenge. I'm curious to see but I have reservations.

7/24 I Saw You in My Dream (Thai Weds WeTV) - Dee Hup is behind this one so I have high hopes. Younger boy chronically teased his whole life by the older boy next door suddenly starts having horrific prophetic dreams about his bully and must save hime.

7/26 4 Minutes (Thai Netflix or iQIYI?) - Great is a university student from Faculty of Business and the son of a wealthy business owner. Out of the blue, he gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future.

7/29 Battle of the Writers (Thai ????) - trailer here, TutorYim return and while I adore them, I really hope this is better than Middleman's Love. Won't be hard. However: that premise! Ugh. Something something authors fighting - save me. Why don't writers understand that nothing is more boring than writers?

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENTS

Product placement du jour! Also the only product placed in a BL that I regularly enjoy myself.

Yes I cried. I'm a sap.

The faens in the wive's positions! So cute.

All Wandee

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in it's infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

There's these tricks, remember.

[rei-ismyname]

EXCEPTIONAL X-MEN #3 FTA

After a pretty disappointing week of X-Men comics it's a delight to read and analyse Eve Ewing's Exceptional X-Men. The repeated issues I have with the other titles are just not present here and after three consistent bangers Ewing and co have my trust.

Emma is right

We pick up exactly where issue #2 left off, and this opening scene of all the main characters makes me realise how tightly the execution is. We know where each of them is at and (at least broadly what they want) - we're getting to know the kids organically. Where the other two books feel like action figures isolated from each other for no good reason, Kate Pryde's need to get away from the X-Men was established before the title even began. She just wants a normal life, to date girls and process her trauma. Emma Frost showing up to answer the call she refused throws her off immediately and they briefly scrap. The kids aren't just saying nothing because they didn't get a script today (hi Jubilee) - they're frozen by Emma. It's a small thing, but it's purposeful and flows elegantly.

Priti, Kate's housemate/friend from school, breaks up the fight for the most relatable reason - she doesn't want to lose the security deposit. Perhaps a sign that Kate doesn't fit into the 'norma'l world as much as she wants...or Emma just really knows how to push her buttons. I think Emma is hurting too, though she hides it under her usual scene-stealing exterior. I can't wait for more of their dynamic. Yeah, they'll almost certainly figure out a working relationship but their pain isn't being dismissed either. I feel like the pair are a successful version of what Gail Simone is doing with Rogue.

They stop fighting and have a little tea party, then Axo asks the question I'd been dreading the answer to - 'do you trust Emma or not?' Kate grew up being terrified of Emma with good reason and never let her forget why she did not trust her. Emma spent decades earning that trust and proving herself a hero, leader and teacher - but the First Krakoan Age had them grow closer than ever before. They worked well together and became friends, they were a force for good on Krakoa (mostly.) It's a shame that this is a metric, but two thumbs up for not rolling any of that back. These feel like the members of the resistance who were there for each other in Fall of X. Kate herself is regressing a little, but it's believable as a trauma response.

Kate doesn't want to train young mutants and Emma does. Prito even has a space they can use and the kids are keen! Everyone is happy then, right? Well, I think that's going to be the core tension for a while. Everyone except Kate wants this, but I think Kate needs this.

This 'getting to know you' circle does a lot of work in centering the young mutants, reminding us they're here to stay while showing us who they are and the beginning of their social dynamic. I haven't been a teen for a long time but their voices sound authentic, even to the point of highlighting that Bronze/Trista is a bit younger than the other two.

Agreed, do not read the comments.

They want to be doing this! One of the most challenging parts of being a teen is navigating peer groups. Solidarity in experiencing the same kind of otherness plus scary body changes is healthy, and it's lovely to chalk up a W despite the fact that 'people hate us.'

This issue also asks the question Rogue did in Uncanny #1, but as organic dialectic. It introduces the tension between self defense and being a superhero when you have powers - the difference between Emma and Kate externalised. Kate is excited despite herself until Emma shows up with costumes, and I think she's right to push back or at least be wary. But is this about her or the kids? It's not the most admirable contradiction but it's very human. They're both right that the old ways were flawed and they need to try something new.

Is she talking about Colossus? MF is not that gentle. Their costumes look amazing.

Unsurprisingly, Emma and Kate are a great team. There's tension underneath there, but they wouldn't be doing this if their friendship didn't run deep. New kids in relaunches past have often had their powers explained by Cerebro or a nosy telepath. Learning about it from their mouths as they're starting to use them in a controlled environment achieves the wiki entry, shows them learning to use them, and importantly gives us more of their personality.

Emma conjures up some Brood-like baddies and everyone freaks out but some growth is evident. It's Axo that figures out they're not real. Kate is not impressed. I doubt they'll throw down, but her sending the kids away feels like an extreme reaction. Good, she's got shit to say and hurts that need to be spoken. The kids don't leave, but we're left with all this tension in the air to be resolved next issue.

I LOVE that the three kids cuddle/huddle in the background.

Who better to break the ice (sorry) than Bobby Drake? Having him just fly in the window and cooling down the tension (sorry again) could feel random and silly but it works. These two have a lot of history and it makes sense that he'd seek her out. Kate has been turning her back on anyone X-related - will she freeze Bobby out too? The kids are awed by him and it's half the Marauders back together, so I don't think he'll get the cold shoulder.

I feel very confident in calling Exceptional X-Men the best X-Men book in From The Ashes. It's got an honesty and sincerity to it while remixing the hits of first arcs and adding plenty of new. The art style is colourful and emotive which adds so much to a book taking people's feelings seriously. If you pick up nothing else, this is the one.

[hollowflight-propaganda]

hmmmm 🤔

Aged up Bumblebee for wof requests pretty please :)

So.... I went a little overboard, and just decided to draw how I envision the aged up kids for the hypothetical arc 4 in my head. No Peacemaker though, cause 1: I ran out of room, and 2: I have literally no ideas on what to do with him.

I also decided to include some headcanons about them under the cut (also some close-ups of the art above)

Dusky

. 6 years old, making him the oldest of the group (would also be the tallest if he didn't slouch all the damn time)

. He's doing a lot better now :) (dw, I'll traumatize him again later)

. He's still a pretty anxiety riddled guy the majority of the time, but not nearly as bad as he was in book 15

. Overall he's a really gentle soul and is very easy to get along with. He'd have an army's worth of friends if he wasn't terrified of talking to new people

Mink

. 5 years old, just a few months older than Cliff (to fix how her age didn't make any sense)

. Wears a TON of bracelets, which is because she enjoys making them

. Is the one friend that cares for her friends so much that she'll yell at them if they talk bad about themselves

. Is also the type of person to make sure everybody's taking care of themselves. I wouldn't call her the "mom friend," she's moreso the friend that very aggressively cares because she just has a lot of love inside of her

. (also maybe it stems from the trauma of watching her sickly mother get worse and worse until she died much too soon...)

Cliff

. 5, also is the tallest of the group

. The essence of his being is a cross between a himbo, a theater kid, and a bard

. HUGE mama's boy. He's the type of guy who will call his mom for an hour at least every other day (Auklet's jealous of their relationship)

. Has taken lessons for a few different types of instruments, but prefers bowed string instruments the most

. Is incredibly embarrassed by that one published anthem he made as a little kid and rewrote it at some point. Auklet, Mink, and later Bumblebee know this and will sing it at random to mess with him. Dusky's more merciful but he still finds it funny

Auklet

. 4 years old, shortest of the group (Cliff would probably use her head as an armrest if they weren't quadrupeds)

. Looks and is perpetually tired because her sleep schedule is shit

. She's a history nerd, and is especially interested in the history of animus magic

. She's also an enjoyer of conspiracy theories (again mostly with stuff about animus magic and the mystery of where it's gone)

. The interest in animus magic mostly stems from how it disappeared before she would've been tested for it, and the idea of how she could've had it but now she'll never know drives her kinda crazy

. Mommy Issues™ (which is to be expected when your mom is Coral. (I just want more characters in universe that hate Coral okay?))

. Has no real desire to be queen, and really hopes that someone else will take over the throne

. Doesn't wear as much jewelry as you'd expect from somebody in line for the throne, only having a few piercings on her fins

Bumblebee

. 4 with Auklet being about 9 months older than her, making her the youngest

. Her personality has become essentially what you'd get if you took Sundew's brashness and combined it with Cricket's eager nature

. She strikes me as being a bit of a jock as well. I don't know what kind of sports these dragons have, but I think she'd be good at them

. Her and Dusky have a sibling-esque relationship, it's a classic extrovert and introvert dynamic with them

Close-ups:

[pawberri]

thank you for all the posts you've made, your takes are always so refreshing to hear.

I want to know your thoughts (if it's okay with you, you can also totally ignore this) about all the "men hate" I see online. like I (poc transmasc non-passing) get it, there are genuine societal gender problems. transmisogyny does exist-women face more challenges than men do. but it genuinely hurts when women, especially trans women, think it's funny/quirky to call men trash or say they want all men dead or whatever. idk I just am hoping someone else understands, you know?

There's a lot of nuances to this question. First, I just want to caution against focusing too much on trans girls as the perpetrators of this. A lot of the asks I get from trans men seem to really fixate on trans women as the perpetrators of hard line gender essentialism. I really think trans girls are not the main people we should be focusing on here. If a trans woman is saying this stuff, take the time to analyze her ideology outside of that pithy comment and consider how much trauma and how little power she has in the world. That said, trans women are affected by this kind of ideology just like us, and they rarely have the power to wield it against others in the way cis people can. I know it hurts to feel isolated by your own community, but that kinda gets into my second point.

Part of dealing with this is learning an impulse progressive cishet dude have had to get used to over the decade. Sometimes, "men are trash" or even "kill all men" are not literal phrases. They are things women say when they're in the throes of trauma to vent their frustration. "Men are trash" in particular is generally pretty lighthearted and used to complain when you have a bad date or something. You have to get used to analyzing what someone actually means and airing on the side of empathy. You, as a man, are the one with some amount of systemic power over that woman, so you are the one who needs to prove you are dedicated to not being a misogynist. The same thing happens when my friends say they hate white people. I have to assume they don't hate me given that I'm their friend, but that I still have some of the negative traits of whiteness. I need to care enough to be a good friend by being anti-racist and checking myself on my behavior. I need to be willing to prioritize their comfort over mine. That includes not becoming this meme:

Now that that's established, there ARE times when "all men are evil and should die" is an actual ideology. It's an ideology that hurts tons of minority groups before it hurts the most powerful, but it's also not really great if we assume it only hurts cishet white guys. Following it to its logical conclusion, it just proposes a reversal of oppression dynamics. This gender essentialism is a key part of radical feminism, trans exclusionary or not, but it leaks out of that community to general feminism all the time.

As a young person on Tumblr and Twitter, this deeply affected me. I internalized the idea that you can "just be a girl." It was repeated by some trans girls, but also a LOT of TME people. It was framed as trans inclusive, but it's trans inclusive in the way "political lesbianism" is lesbian positive. It posits gender as a moral choice that is completely up to the individual and unrelated to biology. It's the lazy version of "gender is a social construct." I felt sick and disgusting for wanting to be a boy because tons of well-meaning friends of mine had made it clear that "being a boy" was a choice, and it was the wrong one. "Boy" was a social category that could and should eventually be eradicated. Trans women were conditionally supported because they, in theory, made this future possible. This didn't amount to actual support, of course. It was an ideology mostly spread by afab queer people that mostly benefited afab queer people. There were a few trans girls who spread it, maybe some due to genuinely believing in the ideology and some due to social pressure, but there were also a lot of people straight-up grifting as trans girls who used this thinking to feel powerful in a niche community of teens. Remember fucking Yandere Bitch Club???

At a certain point, I genuinely thought of being a man as an unambiguous moral failing, and I lashed out at out trans men because of it. I wanted to feel powerful, and here was a type of man in my community I could shame and exclude. I still feel bad for making a bunch of ~girls only~ stuff in HS that excluded the one out trans dude at our school, my friend, because he was just a ~binary man~ and leaving him with no friends and no community. I treated transphobia like it wasn't a real oppression on its own and, in doing so, perpetuated transphobia. It happens a lot.

I wasn't really able to accept that there was nuance to the concept of manhood until I read this article while struggling to accept my own gender:

This is a pretty seminal piece of writing. It has its flaws, of course, but the empathy and intersectionality it highlights was life-changing. It also shows that this kind of thinking is largely perpetuated by TME people and hurts trans women greatly.

Gender essentialism is a bad ideology, it's a transphobic, transmisogynist, racist, etc etc ideology. It's literally essential to patriarchy. But it's also very easy to repackage into leftism and easy to dogwhistle. As a result, it's natural to be hesitant when you see someone saying they hate all men, but you have to tread extremely lightly and actually care what they're attempting to express. Because, yeah, men as a social class still hold power over women. They still have reason to fear and hate men.

I'm writing a comic about this stuff, actually, so look out for it in the future..........

[eyebulb]

The "Vivzie can't write female characters" critique annoys me. Especially when you look at certain female characters in the past that we just accepted even tho they were there just to be "the girl".

Yes, the focus hasn't been put on the women in the show, especially in helluva. In hazbin there's been more focus on them.

And yes, Millie doesn't have a difficult arc to go through just yet (i hold my opinion on the upcoming stuff until it happens) and has so far been more support to others than having the spotlight on her.

But I really disagree with that making her badly written.. Or any of them for that matter. Because..

1. All female characters over both shows are different from each other. Millie is impulsive, violent, protective, loving, sturdy, almost endlessly supportive and has imposter-syndrome. Loona is defensive, aggressive, socially insecure, gothic and empathetic. Octavia is sheltered, kind, timid but broody and dependent to a fault, she likes music, taxidermy, space and spending time with her dad. Stella is hot-tempered, bratty, assertive, impulsive, naive and vindictive.

These are things that are established within the show using not that much screen time and without using a tragic back story.

Being able to pinpoint such differences is, to me, a sign of great character writing. To be able to portray a pretty solid personality that differs from surrounding characters.

And i personally think it's a breath of fresh air when it comes to female characters in general.

2. Not being filled with trauma doesn't make you badly written. I'm talking mostly about Millie here. She's the most put together in IMP. She is often the one keeping them all on track especially when they're going through it. I personally don't see anything wrong with this. It adds a lot to the group dynamic and I dare say it also establishes something about her character. That she's gotten further in her journey than the rest.

We do get to see glimpses of her past issues in ghostfuckers and happy campers and yes sure, there's always a wish to get to see more, and I do think we're gonna get it, but it hasn't been relevant to the story yet and just because she functions better than the rest doesn't mean she's not a full character.

I, for example, love this side of her especially when we get to see her reach her limits. Both with Moxxie and with Blitz who both tend to get lost in their own trauma from time to time. Millie is, as a more functional person, the one to take care of them and it's refreshing to see that perspective too.

That just because one person is worse off than the other doesn't mean the other has to handle it all. So seeing her go off at Moxxie in happy campers and Blitz in ghostfuckers felt really good. She's understanding and supportive but won't let you walk all over her and that's also an important POV.

She's not like Blitz and Stolas who will be supportive at their own expanse. She shows her limits clearly but is still seen as supportive and dependable.

There's nothing about that being her place that makes her "poorly written" imo. She has a steady role as a character that is consistant and leads how she handles situations that arrive. I'm arguing that that's good writing, actually.

[leebrontide]

Hello!

I'm Lee (any pronouns), a middle aged queer writer from the midwest of the US. It's been a bit, so I'm doing another writeblr intro, to find more potential writeblr folks to chat with!

What I write:

- Mostly scifi! I have a bit of fantasy brewing in a collab project, but mostly, scifi.

- Queer stuff. Lots of different types of queerness.

- Community. Both in the group-hugs-and-support variety and the extreme-mess/everybodies-traumas-keep-smashing-into-each-other variety. I have training as a family therapist and am endlessly fascinated by interpersonal dynamics. This is the meat of my work.

- Grounded worldbuilding. My main project right now is near future scifi that diverges from our timeline around 2001. I'm enjoying the hell out of playing the US I know with some very key tweaks that changed society. I know a lot about medical systems, criminal justice systems, and legal systems and like using fantasy and scifi elements to show them as I know them. But like, in a way that should appeal to people who give 0 shits about US institutions.

- Disability stuff. Not that after-school-special shit. I am just tired of characters being generic pretty dolls whose physical attributes don't impact how they move through the world. That means not only writing a variety of different disabilities, but also different bodies. My characters aren't "inspiration porn" or just waiting around for less disabled characters to come save them. They are messy, with a wide array of relationships to their limitations and the things they use to cope with those limitations.

- YA into new adult. Not exclusively, but mostly. I really like taking characters from YA into early adulthood. Not just a standard coming-of-age arc, but the actually moving from a self-concept of a dependent teen into someone with legal responsibility for themselves, jobs, college, etc. Especially when combined with all of the above. I love a nice long character arc with lots of sub-arcs along the way.

What I have out, now.

- I have two books out so far, Secondhand Origin Stories and Names in Their Blood. I'm working on book 3 in that planned 5 book series now, which is currently titled Brittle Idols.

- I have a free monthly newsletter called Shed Letters where I talk about psychology, tech, queerness, storytelling, and the creative process, plus whatever random topic I've been researching for my books recently. Also contains pictures of my three very photogenic cats.

- Newsletter subscribers also have access to a novella I wrote that goes between Secondhand Origin Stories and Names in Their Blood, that's about an fictional AI (the only kind I like) trying to decide on a body for themself.

- I also draw and animate, with my first and still in-progress animation project being a "trailer" for Secondhand Origin Stories.

What I'm looking for

- writeblrs - especially writeblrs that aren't JUST writeblrs. I want to feel like I'm meeting people, at least in some manner, rather than just hearing about a product in process. That doesn't have to mean deep confessions or private information, but honestly I'm not likely to remember you for your writing project alone. Sorry. Please show me what else you care about!

- Bonus points for queer or disabled scifi or fantasy writers.

- I am white for most intents and purposes but I always want to find more AOC who write sci fi.

- Also always excited to meet more YA authors- especially the currently kinda sidelined YA scifi.

- People who care about where society is going but aren't posting that everything is doomed and pointless. I mean you post whatever you want but I don't need that on my dash. That shit is not helping me help.

I sometimes do ask games? It's fun when I have the time. It'd be fun to have more folks to do them with, provided those folks are patient.

Please interact if this has piqued your interest!

[weirdsht]

Disillusioned 5 . As I Know It

tags: reader has never experienced the warmth of love, abuse as the norm, hints of anxiety and trauma, short chapter

English isn’t my first language so there will be grammatical errors

Pls don't repost my work anywhere without my permission

Constructive criticisms and any kind of interaction are more than welcome

Requests are currently closed but my ask are still open (read navi)

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Weird

If _____ is asked to describe Cale’s group that’s the word they would use.

From their strength to how they act, _____ finds all of them weird.

But it’s not just the individuals in this group that the healer finds weird. It’s the group itself.

Everyone acts so weirdly.

Maybe it’s because they aren’t family but the dynamics here are so different from what _____ is used to.

However, that’s not it either.

Even without it being said, the Medicus could tell that the way the group sees one another is like family. Blood-related or not, with official adoption papers or none; with or without those things _____ can see that the way everyone cares for each other transcends any friendship or servant-master relationship.

Proof and documentation were trivial to such a group because their bond transcends it all.

Whether _____ is part of that extraordinary bond is something they choose not to ponder about.

They feel as though they don’t need to know. Do they fear that the truth might hurt? A little. But it’s mostly because they don’t want to get attached. Because their kindness is already so addicting, what more if _____ allows themself to indulge further and act as though they have a place in the group’s family-esc dynamics.

So they try to settle by acting as an outsider.

Try to be content that they can even see such amazing things.

However, sometimes greed takes over.

Moments like when the kids are playing a prank on Choi Han or everyone doting on Cale. Moments like that make _____ want to join in.

And sometimes they do.

As soon as they do they regret it. The fear of getting attached only to be thrown away eats them alive. The fear of the possibility that one day the group will wake up and realize that _____ is only a liability makes them fear the group’s kindness.

They feel as though they are a naive moth trying hard to not be drawn by the flame.

Nonetheless, despite all their walls, everyone is still kind.

But that’s what makes them all the more weird.

They see one another as a family but don’t act like one.

Well in _____’s opinion at least.

From what _____ has learned in their almost 18 years of living, a family doesn’t let anyone make mistakes. Family must discipline each other.

Well, they do…

But why are they so gentle?

Why is the worst punishment being deprived of their favourite things?

Why are there no physical punishments?

Do they care less than _____ thought?

Or perhaps are they not aware that you need physical punishment to get your point across?

_____’s family has always told them that without physical punishment, they would not learn. It’s the way a family, especially parents, shows love. The moment they stop punishing you for your mistakes, you know your family doesn’t love you anymore.

_____ can’t understand the weirdness of it all.

They care for each other but show unorthodox ways of showing it.

They discipline one another but in a way _____ does not understand.

They teach the kids to be frugal by giving them an allowance but still spoil them.

They want everyone to be independent and strong, well maybe except for Cale, but they don’t leave them in a desolate place for a week to teach them how to fend for themselves.

They want to know that they care for others but won’t blatantly list all of the good things they have done for the group.

_____ can’t understand all of it.

The way this group acts is the opposite of how the healer has been taught. The way they show care is different from what _____ has experienced. This group is something the Medicus has neither seen nor experienced.

Oh wait…

_____ has seen it before.

They’ve read it in fairy tale books.

Tales of different people coming together and building a family where the foundation is love, trust, compassion, and care. Tales of where your blood relation or abilities don’t matter in creating a family.

Tales of where someone will love you unconditionally because you’re you.

And that’s so weird

Because at the end of the day, that’s all those things are, fairy tales.

They are something that is not possible in real life.

Something that is written to help broaden a curious child’s imagination and vocabulary.

Something to put children to sleep.

Something that you forget as you grow older because reality hits you that family is crueller than those flowery words written in children’s books.

But despite everything. Despite the unorthodox ways Cale’s group acts and all the norms they break.

_____ can’t deny that they enjoy this weirdness.

Maybe in the end, _____ is the weird one.