#[ i hope this made sense ]

[thiccermccer]

all of ryan gosling's comments about "telling ken's story" are really interesting and even funnier now that i've seen the movie. yeah ken is ridiculous but his feelings and sentiments are really similar to ones of seen from boys who are starting to enter that alt-right/incel pipeline. feeling abandoned and useless without a woman and turning that hurt into anger at women!! ken's story did get told and it's a story that i don't think we acknowledge enough

[bornofhumanhate]

I saw a TikTok about OP getting older while their old anime crush stays the same, they were very sad about it. The comments were people freaking out about it too or how they “grew out” of their crush, which looked more like them trying to convince others or themselves.

These young people stressing over getting old and not being able to like their old fictional crushes, because… they don’t age?

I’ve always kinda thought some of the characters I like grow with me. I have fun time thinking about us being older together. Or I think about myself being younger.

So it’s just so sad to see these younger people having anxiety over what fictional characters they like.

[transmascpetewentz]

like, adding onto what i said earlier, it's important to keep in mind that feminine looking trans guys and afab nonbinary people aren't always content with their appearance and presentation. oftentimes people who look like "feminine non transitioning afabs" are trans men/transmascs who happen to have bodies that make it difficult to pass or appear masculine at all and may have trouble accessing medical transition due to social stigma or health reasons.

it's all "love transmasc twinks!" until the transmasc twink has visible breasts, a round face, a high voice, large hips, doesn't bind and pack, or has any sort of boundaries from bottom dysphoria. and i think this is because a lot of y'all view mlm trans men as basically women especially if we are femme or have feminine physical features.

of course there are people comfortable presenting that way and that's totally fine! but having a traditionally feminine body doesn't necessarily mean that that is what we want. it can be traumatizing to be male while having your body & your identity be perceived otherwise and is especially so when people use your presentation either consciously or subconsciously to ignore your boundaries or assume that you have none.

[siffrinsfrozendreams]

// twohats/secret ending spoilers ahead

okay okay so we know how Loop feels throughout most of ISAT, watching Siff talk to THEIR party, THEIR friends, working to get THEIR happy ending, but what about the last time Siffrin talks to them before entering the House for the final time? Act 5, when Siffrin is set on killing the King himself

How hopeless Loop must feel during it?

Loop, trying desperately to convince Siffrin- and probably themselves- that they're here to help! Siffrin isn't stuck looping forever, thats what Loop is there for! To help! To get Siffrin out of the timeloop! To fulfill THEIR OWN WISH

"I was b-brought here to help you, and I thought if I was here, we could-" "I thought that if we tried together, we'd-"

For once, Loop probably isn't thinking about how they're here to help a different Siffrin out of their timeloops. Probably isn't worried about being replaced, being shoved to the sidelines, being placed in the role of the understudy.

No, they're probably only thinking about how they're supposed to be here to help, how they're here to get Siffrin out of the timeloop, and they're failing. Siffrin is losing hope- practically hopeless, at this point, and Loop... can't help. They don't know what to say, and what they do say, Siff doesn't listen to.

They're failing the one thing they're supposed to be doing.

They couldn't break out of their own timeloop, and now, they can't even help a different Siffrin out of his.

The Universe answered their wish, but they can't even fulfill their role. They can't be the savior they so desperately needed, and are left watching this other Siffrin go through the same hopelessness they themselves went through. The one thing they were supposed to do- the one job they had, and they can't do it.

This was not what they wished for.

[lopsushi]

Would you consider Yandere Wukong to be abusive and manipulative towards Macaque? If yes? Why?

Okay! Let me answer this!

Yandere Wukong isn’t abusive or manipulative to Macaque in this au. In this au he is just obsessed, protective, possessive, etc. He doesn’t do any harmful things to Macaque or Mk whatsoever.

The only bad thing he has done is put the circlet on Macaque throat but it only active when Macaque leaves FFM. And how he threatens to kill the people they care about but beside those two things nothing more.

[skippersthecat]

Time for an over-analysis of the purpose of ¥100 Man.

Kuniharu and Kusuke feel entitled to use Kusuo for his powers. Kuniharu to do tasks and Kusuke to use as a playmate. Kusuo doesn't want to be used and doesn't want his family to think they can use him.

This is why Kusuo needs ¥100 man. Kusuo does not want to set the precedent that his family can pay him to do whatever they want because he knows his father would take advantage of that. ¥100 Man is a separate identity that does not answer to the name Kusuo because this let's people know ¥100 Man is willing to help on his own terms.

[erinwantstowrite]

Erin I have a question ⁉️

How did you start writing LoF? Like,.not writing it in general, I mean like how did you get—or learned—or studied—all the information regarding the Batfam and their backgrounds, and also about Peter and the Avengers, etc.

Currently, I'm honestly planning on writing a small fiction about Peter ending up in Gotham (You must know your words hold a very dangerous power to inspire) but unfortunately, I don't have the right information to actually START writing it TT_TT. Do you have any tips on how I can start?

(P.S Apologies if this sounds a little confusing, I am not entirely the best at explaining 😞🤞)

There's one person to blame for getting me into DC, and it's @alighterwood

I've always been a fan of Spider-Man. He was my first hero, I wanted to be him soooo bad. I had gotten around to sort of writing my own fic for it with my own version of Peter around last year? (Very much inspired by ITSV, LoF Peter came about because he's his own universe and is based on Spider-Man lore from multiple media versions). I had never thought about writing a Spider-Man fic until ATSV, but at the time I was pretty much dead set on rewriting VLD. I got inspired after rewatching ITSV and then watching ATSV.

But it wasn't until alighterwood got me reading their favorite Batfam fics (specifically Tim) that I started to enjoy Batfam or DC in general.

(My favorite Batfam fic is "The Lone Ranger Never Had to Deal with Bruce Wayne" )

From there I started branching out into learning more about Batfam, what is and isn't fanon, and forming my own opinions. It was a natural progression into "I want my favorite characters to meet each other" and alighterwood's evil genius plan ended up working.

I've read a few comics (mostly the Red Robin series, because Tim was my intro to Batfam so I figured I'd start there) but most of my information?

Wikis, reddits, forums from years (a few of them from decades) ago, my father (who was a Batman fan as a kid) and his friends (my uncles, who were all DC and Marvel nerds), my own friends- basically anything I can get my hands on. If I had a question, it was (probably) answered somewhere, or there was someone else with the same question that made me feel better for not getting it. The internet has a BOATLOAD of information about both Marvel and DC.

It's a LOT of research and note taking, to be honest. I have a physical notebook where I take notes on lore so I don't forget it. I comb through fanon AND canon and I decide from there what I want and what I don't want/what doesn't work and what does work for what I'm writing.

But here's something to keep in mind: at the end of the day, you're not writing FOR anyone else. You're not out to please people who are 100% canon, all the time, nor are you trying to accommodate people who only read fanon material. You're writing for YOU. This part is fun for me, but could be very tedious for other people. I'm a little weird like that (I started writing essays for fun since I learned about them in school).

I like doing research. Like a lot of writers, I go down multiple rabbit holes a day. I start by googling a simple question that should take five minutes and then I see something and go "oh! What's this!?" and pick it up, and the cycle continues when I see something else and eventually remember that I was writing.

I enjoy the research and figuring out the balance. Because DC and Marvel do the same shit with their own works! Shit gets retconned, or they bring characters back from the dead, blah blah blah. The fun part for me IS going insane trying to figure out the Flash Family and their STUPID family tree, or learning about characters that were basically forgotten by everyone- even the writers. The best part is that since it's my fic I'm writing, I can go: "What's the most entertaining way I can use this?" And no one can stop me.

But if YOU don't enjoy that part, and you try to do it, you might lose your spark!! Your inspiration!! You might not have fun, and that's what writing is all about!! My thing is, is that basically every fan interpretation, whether they try to stick to the original source as closely as they can or not, IS FANON. And fanon is fun!!

Basically it all stems down to: it's your sandbox and you can play in there however you want to. And sometimes, people see what you're doing and they're like "Can I play too?" and you're like "Yes that'd be awesome!!"

If you find that you do enjoy the research, I think it's well worth it. It's very satisfying to put together all that work and then get a comment from someone where they say "OMG!! I know that reference!" or "I love this interpretation of this very obscure thing!!"

My advice for writing a Peter in Gotham fic is to know where YOU are starting at, before you start writing your fic. If you're a Spider-Man fan and you don't know much about the Batfam, try reading a comic about them, or find some favorite fics and base your information on that. It works vice-versa, if you know more about Batfam and not a lot about Peter.

Imagine there are two people sitting in front of you. One is a Marvel fan, the other is a DC fan, and they know NOTHING about the other comics. But they both want to hear your story where you have combined them. It's important that you don't lean too much into either side: you keep both of their interest by appreciating the details from both DC and Marvel.

The Marvel fan will be happy to see Peter reacting to a new world and situations, even if they don't know everything you're referencing. But the DC fan will be excited because you care about the place that Peter is interacting with enough to make a joke that maybe only they would get.

So: have fun, explore everywhere you want to, and get a little crazy. Don't worry too much about not knowing everything there is to know. I don't know everything about DC or Marvel either!

[chibi-tsukiko]

A Wilde Child 💚

Matthew Fairchild

“Am I so hard to love?” Is a line that haunts me. I am gutted each time I think of this sweet boy saying it. How could he think that? it’s as easy as breathing.

The thought of anyone feeling this way (real or fictional) is enough to bring me to tears. It hurts to think about it.

Yet, when I wonder to myself the very same question the answer is always: “Yes. You are.” And I can write a list miles long of all the reasons why.

I’ve gotten to the age where I’ve been struggling with negative self image for so long idk how to change something so deeply programmed. I’m not sure it’s even possible, but I hope.

I’m sure Matthew and all others who feel this way do too. So to you, I say: As easy as it is for you to love your best friend, your pet, or your favorite fictional character- it’s that easy for others to love you. So keep going. Keep trying. Keep hoping. And I will too.

Character owned by @cassandraclare

Tag list: @littleturtle95 @zfoxdraws @bookworm-jedi @magnus-the-maqnificent @beclynn-herondale @khaleesiofalicante @my-archerboy @youngreckless @thomaslightwood @runecarstairs @high-warlock-of-brooklyn @panicatwallmaria @banesbitch @alexandergideonslightwood @ofsandstonebodies @la-lune-chaotique @starlight-in-my-eyes @tamaraheartz @anarchistbitch @iightwoodbane @icycoolslushie @zemiraa @raziyekroos @radisv @elettralightwood @axoloteca @queenlilith43 @astriefer @alastairstom @rinadragomir @carelessflower @sheisntyou

[partysystem]

the "60+ score on the DES-II means it's imitative DID!!!" thing i've heard bounced around almost made sense before we realized: if you're further into your discovery and/or are in therapy/treatment, and your amnesia barriers lower, you're gonna remember how often you experience things more & thus result in a higher score. our score right before beginning therapy was ~50, now it's around 58 because we've realized that certain things happen more than we remember/realize.

tldr: if you've ever heard this """fact""" then i'm sorry you were lied to. also the study that it came from was done in 2001 so i wouldn't trust it anyway

[exilepurify]

i’ve said it once and I will say it again: Mob’s outbursts of anger are still acts of kindness. Using force to protect those at risk of hurt is an act of kindness. On the flip side, doing whatever is necessary to stop someone from hurting others is a kind act towards the perpetrator as well. Kindness is not always gentle and it is rarely passive.

Firmly speaking out and correcting someone when they are causing harm and traveling the wrong path, even if it must be by force or by shouting or even by being frightening, is kindness personified. Even if it hurts their feelings. Even if it is something you don’t want to tell them. One of the kindest things Mob ever did for the other characters in the show was tell them bluntly when they were wrong and to act against them when their will turned dark, and then to still reaffirm their right to live and learn and become better people after it was all over, even if he couldn’t be—or didn’t want to be—a part of their life anymore.

I personally feel like this goes in majorly with Mob’s struggle with himself in season 3. The gentle, mediator side of Mob who was scared of his power and avoidant of real conflict majorly clashed with the core of Mob’s personhood, who saw injustice that he felt strongly about and wanted to correct it but was continuously stifled and ravaged by anxiousness and fear. And the avoidance of his powers and acting effectively against injustice only contributed to the self-loathing that caused the issue in the first place.

Sure, there were times in the show in which his powers truly were unnecessary—talking Ritsu down from his complex, talking things out with Serizawa, talking to Dimple in the Divine Tree, etc. But there were moments where Mob’s outbursts and use of power on emotional impulse alone created the best outcome, like shocking Teruki out of his god complex, subduing Toichiro, fighting against Mogami, and even protecting himself from the bullies that shook down him and Ritsu for their New Years money as children.

One of the underlying premises of the show is Mob reconciling true power and anger as effective agents of kindness and humanity, and an inextricable part of himself. It’s why Mob didn’t get rid of his powers or kill that angry and violent part of himself at the end of the series. He embraced it!!!

[silverdynetrutherr]

something that sort of irks me about fanon kerry is just how much some people miss the point of his storyline. like a lot of people seem to think that kerry just accepted johnny back into his life, and wanted to continue a relationship/friendship with him. furthermore, some people think that kerry used v to get close to johnny, but that isn’t the case.

the entire point of kerry’s storyline is that v helps kerry get over johnny. firstly, by getting his closure in ‘a like supreme’. all kerry wanted after fifty-four years of waiting was to play one last gig with johnny and put it to rest. and we KNOW for a FACT that this is all kerry wanted, because johnny is the one to ask ‘wanna do it again?’ to which kerry replies, ‘huh? no. this was enough.’

from this quote from kerry alone, we know that he didn’t want to continue his relationship with johnny, at LEAST not the way they had before. kerry doesn’t even comprehend that johnny would want that at first, and this could be because of his own ideas about how johnny feels towards him, but the ‘huh?’ indicates clearly that kerry’s intentions in doing this show was to get closure and put it to rest. and kerry likes to process things alone, we know this from when he says he needs a power nap after meeting johnny again, and on the roof of dark matter, and, when kerry leaves after johnny resigns his music career to kerry, giving him his guitar. ‘won’t play without you.’ both of them, in this moment, accept that they will never be what they were. too much time has passed and too much pain has been caused.

this leads me to my next point; being that despite kerry being able to put aside his grief for johnny, and begin to overcome it, he still struggles to overcome the feeling of inferiority. this is what he calls v for. and when kerry calls, he initially asks ‘johnny?’ and a lot of people see this as evidence that kerry is hoping for johnny, and is disappointed when it’s v, however, kerry clearly states that he doesn’t know how the situation with johnny works, and is receptive when v explains it. during the gig where v and kerry blow up the us cracks’ gear, a number of people had come to the conclusion that this was a ‘show’ for johnny, to make an example of the kind of person he was. however, i don’t think it was done with the intention of johnny seeing it, of getting johnny’s approval. however, kerry didn’t know johnny can see what v sees, so this makes that impossible from the get-go. the reason kerry did this was not for the approval of johnny, because he had put the chase for approval to rest after the last show. the reason kerry did this was less about johnny, and more about the impact johnny had left on kerry.

kerry has a ‘sore-spot’ when it comes to success, the offence and upset kerry expressed is genuine, because he believes that his success is his own, and his fame is already in a precarious situation. we know he is aware of this, because he keeps several copies of articles criticising his music around his house. kerry is sensitive, and insecure and believes that his music may not be good enough. this is because of johnny, because johnny stole the show, because johnny had convinced him he’d never make it alone. we know this because of the conversations v and kerry have at dark matter. so, the act of blowing up the van, the act of breaking into the venue, the act of threatening them with a gun, was not to impress johnny. it was an act of severe retaliation to insecurity, and his own defensiveness, caused by johnny. when kerry decides to allow us cracks to use his song, it’s a major breakthrough for him. it’s one act that is symbolic of his maturity growing.

and that was not something that johnny helped him do. it was something that v helped him do.

the conversation they have at dark matter is also important here, and i can’t remember the exact quotes, but the entire gist of the conversation is kerry discussing how he feels about success. how he feels about night city, and how he still feels like he’s in johnny’s shadow after all this time. it’s negative, it’s holding kerry back from allowing him to achieve everything he’s ever wanted, and to enjoy it. he doesn’t WANT johnny to be around him, because he WANTS to be free of the feeling of entrapment, overshadowing and inability to achieve. that is the entire point of the conversation. and in a moment, (male) v is able to stop him being afraid, to tell him, he doesn’t need to be afraid, he doesn’t need to be insecure, he doesn’t need to hold himself back. johnny is dead. kerry is at the top of the city, literally, overlooking everything else. (and all it takes is a little kiss from v in that moment to make him smile)

AAAND finally, boat drinks. literally the epitome of character development. kerry tells v about the six months he spent at sea, working in a cruise ship, where he learned what it meant to bleed ‘in service of the rich’. this memory he shares with v is about him, alone. it’s about his life and when he decided what he believed in, it’s about when he came up with his first great song, and it’s not about johnny. kerry discusses ‘life’s loops’, and tells v that they’ve inspired new songs, a whole new album, and that they’ve helped kerry overcome his fears and inhibitions.

v alone, i repeat, V ALONE, inspired kerry, and helped kerry reach maturity, and reach his full potential and creativity, so that he could move on and be an independent person. for male v, this is why he loves him. v is special to him.

it was never about johnny, it was never an attempt to keep johnny in his life. it was about getting rid of the debris johnny left in kerry’s life. and despite the fact that they had loved each other, it did not work. johnny had made his choice in 2023, and kerry had made his in 2077.

johnny chose to die, in hiding of himself, and then kerry chose to live his life, in search of himself.

i can and WILL elaborate further on ANY point that i have either mentioned, or any counterpoint

thank u

[the-daily-dreamer]

Do you think daemon would kill the strong boys so his children could sit on the throne?

Yes.

But it’s conditional.

I definitely think that if there were no consequences whatsoever and Daemon would never get caught. He would kill the Strong boys. He doesn’t seem to love the boys at all. In fact, there’s scenes in the show that show Daemon and Jace outright glaring at one another. And the boys stand in the way of Daemon’s ultimate goal of putting his direct line on the throne. There’s just no reason in my eyes that he wouldn’t kill the boys if he could. He doesn’t love or like them, they aren’t true Valyrians in his eyes, and they are barriers to his goals.

However, realistically, I don’t think he would. Not because he doesn’t want to. But more so because he would almost certainly get caught and the consequences would be disastrous for him. Also, Rhaenyra has bargained for his daughters to marry her sons, so technically his blood will be on the throne in the next generation. It’s not ideal for him, but it’s better than nothing. I’m sure he’d prefer a male primogeniture heir of his and Rhaenyra’s blood to take the throne, but his grandkids being the heirs is a safer and acceptable alternative.

Basically, do I think he would kill the Strong boys if he could? Yes. They’re in his way and he would prefer to have his sons on the throne over them. But do I think he would kill them in this cannon? No. It’s too risky and they’re better for him as pawns to his game than victims that put him at risk.

(And before anyone says “But he does love them!! He made the guards swear loyalty to Jace and did blood and cheese for Luc!!!”. Consider this: he doesn’t love them. He sees them as tools. Tools that keep his relationship with Rhaenyra amicable so he can become king. Tools for getting his blood on the throne with his daughter as queen and grandchildren as rulers. And tools to push for war. Revenge for Luc’s death is not out of love but rather a push for war because we all know he desperately wants war. To the point he will choke his wife for it).

[incorrectbatfam]

Alrighty, I'd like to take a minute to address something that's been cropping up recently, which is stuff like this:

I've been getting an increasing number of asks and comments like the one above (I've deleted the Ao3 comments and turned on moderation). Normally, they don't bug me, but when I keep getting them over and over it kinda feels like a moth buzzing around my room that I can't keep ignoring.

Basically, some people have been wondering if I use an AI to create my posts and fics as they are becoming more common.

Let me state for the record: I don't, nor will I ever.

Without getting into the rabbit hole of my personal opinion on using AI for creative works, I started posting consistently for the DC/Batfam fandom on Tumblr and Ao3 in 2018 and 2020 respectively. Many popular programs came out post-pandemic, such as Sudowrite in 2021 and ChatGPT in 2022.

I don't blame folks who may think that, though. Incorrect quotes already tread on thin ice when it comes to some people not perceiving them as actual fan content—tale as old as time. Coupled with that, I often answer asks with an easily digestible format and write fics on a time crunch that aren't planned out in great detail. I'm fully aware the quality is somewhere in the middle. (This isn't inviting people to tell me I'm amazing and transformed their lives—I'm here to give people a quick chuckle as they go about their day.)

The issue is all of this is now within the capabilities of AI and it's getting harder to differentiate, which in turn is altering our expectations of each other. You can't draw characters with wonky anatomy, you have to get every feature right or you're using a generator. You can't post a drabble with bad grammar and overplayed tropes, you have to be the next Great American Novelist or you're relying on an algorithm. Fan creators—who are doing this for free, keep in mind—are being held to increasingly higher standards just to prove they are genuine.

Some of you are probably thinking, "it's just fandom, quit making a big deal." The thing is though, fandoms are built on people with different abilities creating for the love of it. This isn't to deride those who use AI as a tool—you do you, it is a hobby in the end. However, when we ascribe mediocrity to inauthenticity, we're reinforcing the notion that if you can't be perfect, you shouldn't bother trying. It's frustrating and frankly has no business in our community.

[caffeinelemur]

Stolitz Communication Styles

I feel like I need to talk about this.

Stolas’ high education and verbal gymnastics, versus Blitzø’s lack of equivalent education, dyslexia, and difficulty expressing emotions, especially through words. Because it plays a huge part in why they haven’t been, and still aren’t, communicating effectively. Also both of them are neurodivergent as fuck and communication is a bitch for us anyway.

Specifically, this is a dive into that different classes/mindsets dynamic, leading up to a look at that text conversation at the end of Western Energy, and how it leads into their possible growth.

From the very start of the series, Blitzø shows that he has difficulty with writing/spelling and prefers verbal communication. (Even if we look outside the instagrams, which are not technically canon.) The first episode has the billboard that was entirely speech-to-text and not proofread, (he’s too uncomfortable writing that big of a message out, and he thought it was easier to just say it, and was thus not equipped to proofread or edit it, as that would mean he was capable of knowing how to write it out correctly in the first place), his text messages and notes are generally short and often full of typos and phonetic spelling, and his whiteboard is usually covered in doodles and small attempts at writing that varies in levels of spelling prowess. He uses pictographs to help in proving his point or explaining his thought process. He has trouble expressing himself verbally, as his true feelings are expressed through actions, but his direct, vulgar, and often angry or insensitive wording and tone make it difficult for most people to see past this to his actual true feelings, (not to mention he often lies to others and to himself about those anyway). Issues with tone and blunt speech are a big thing with neurodivergent people, autistic and ADHD people especially, of which I think Blitzø is both. Stan an AuDHD king.

Stolas is rich, highly educated, and spent much of his life, especially early on, reading books instead of socializing. His house basically doubles as a library. He said himself that he “loves words”, and got excited about reading legal documents. He uses flowery, posh language and carefully talks around other people using this skill. His emotionally abusive past, both with his father and with Stella, make him a careful people-pleaser, and so he’s constantly giving others the upper hand in a conversation, more give than take, in attempts to not anger or have his intentions misunderstood and then incite said anger. A common thing in both abuse victims and neurodivergent people, especially autistic people, which Stolas clearly is. He does also have issues with tone and knowing when he should and shouldn’t say certain things, and he can often misunderstand others’ points and questions, and then answers or responds too bluntly or literally. Hashtag Just Autism Things.

Blitzø is an imp, the lowest class alongside hellhounds, and was raised in a circus. He clearly did not grow up wealthy in any respect (as his father resorted to selling his son and stealing from the fucking Ars Goetia so quickly, though that could also be attributed to just being living trash), nor is he particularly affluent now, as his small apartment has literally one bedroom, for Loona, and he sleeps on the couch. He outright says he can’t afford art classes. He hasn’t had the same level of educational opportunities as Stolas. On top of that, he’s also dyslexic, based on how, when he does write, it’s either written phonetically, as he would say the word, or he gets letters flipped around. He can write coherently, he’s not illiterate, but usually only when he tries really hard. He mixes capitals and lowercase in the same word sometimes. He’s even worse at texting than he is at writing by hand, with many typos, and resorting to text-speak abbreviations and emojis to lessen the amount of time he has to take trying to type shit out, and, again, doesn’t proofread.

Taking all of this into account, Blitzø is not going to understand a lot of what Stolas says when he uses larger words and talks around a point, especially since, unlike Stolas most of the time, Blitzø is very direct and uncensored when he talks (as in, no brain-to-mouth filter, but also he uses vulgarity in place of more eloquent speech), and when he is trying to say things with actual forethought, he ends up stuttering and has trouble finding the right words (ADHD brain fail ftw), and then gets angry at himself, and occasionally takes it out on others too (poor Moxxie). Stolas tries to talk around the point and backtracks his own words even more in stressful or emotional situations, giving more ground to the other, and this difference in stress response plays a part in their misunderstanding and inability to see from the other’s perspective.

In the first episode, during Stolas’ inopportune phone call, Blitzø thinks he’s being insulted when Stolas uses the word “grimoire,” because he doesn’t know it and always jumps to this conclusion, then has to get Stolas to stop using flowery language to talk around the point by telling him to “stop using your fancy ass rich people talk,” and Stolas has to change the way he’s been speaking to be more direct and clear. (He doesn’t retain this information for later, sadly).

All of this, to talk about the post-Ozzie’s text conversations. We know several things now:

1) Blitzø is not good with spelling and is more comfortable using pictographs to make his point, which you can’t do in a text. He’s also uncomfortable with honest emotional expression and has problems with tone.

2) Stolas uses overly flowery and complicated language to express himself, leading to paragraphs of talking around the main point in an attempt to explain his meaning, often to the extent that it’s extremely unclear what the point is that he’s actually trying to get to. This gets worse when he’s trying too hard to express himself or is thinking too much about the other person’s response.

3) They both have little experience with conversation of an emotional nature that’s not coming with some sort of protective front (Stolas’ open-ended people-pleasing statements, Blitzø’s use of false anger and vulgarity to push people away), so when they do try to say something without the mask, the other is unequipped for the change and misunderstands the intentions, especially when it’s through text.

Blitzø is uncomfortable with writing and especially with texting, and so says very little, using short abbreviated text-speak and emojis to express himself, like he would with his drawings. Stolas overexplains and writes paragraphs of vague statements and loquaciousness in an attempt to get a point across. These are very different approaches to the situation, and from the other’s perspective they come across differently than they intend, due to the conflicting communication styles.

So.

In the text conversations we see in Western Energy, Blitzø says very little, and doesn’t initiates the conversation. Stolas sends walls of text, overexplaining and going back and forth on his intent and the purpose of the text.

Now, we know that Stolas is trying to give Blitzø space and options, and clearly cares a lot about his feelings, and is going out of his way to make sure he’s comfortable with the situation. In doing so, he gives him several outs, minimizes the entire experience at Ozzie’s at his own expense (and therefore Blitzø’s, but he doesn’t understand that yet), and pokes at the idea of talking emotionally far too soon for Blitzø, who is freshly re-traumatizing himself from said experience at Ozzie’s.

Stolas, from his own perspective, is giving so much and getting very little in return (a common theme in his life). He would see this lack of reciprocity in communication as lack of interest or being upset. A common thing irl, it’s easy to read a “K” after a long emotional message as a negative or indifferent response, regardless of the other party’s true feelings. (Which is possibly why a lot of people get upset on Stolas’ behalf in this moment, thinking Blitzø doesn’t care as much about Stolas as Stolas does him. It’s a common thing to experience. It’s not true, though.)

Meanwhile, Blitzø already hates writing, is bad at expressing himself in general, and reads into everything as negative. He thinks that when someone says something he doesn’t fully understand that they’re insulting him or making fun of him, or he misunderstands the intention and wording to be an insult (tonal and indirect or vague speech issues), like with that first phone call with Stolas, the “that’s what she said” joke Loona made, and Crimson’s mention of hearing things about him. He has a lifetime of evidence to back up this thought process. He is constantly demeaned and insulted by larger Hell society, and was treated as unworthy and lesser since childhood. He also just fucking hates himself and blames himself for everything. He’s not gonna suddenly gush his feelings, especially over text. He’s also gonna read into others’ words extremely negatively, until the true meaning is explicitly explained to him. Which isn’t very likely in a text conversation, when he’s not going to ask for proper clarification and the other party can’t tell that he’s misconstruing the intention and so doesn’t know they need to explain more anyway.

So, he isn’t going to initiate a text conversation unless it’s for a serious reason. He clearly doesn’t use it as a method of conversation as much as a quick way to get in touch with other people and exchange information (ex- his seemingly “impossible to misunderstand” text to Loopty in C.H.E.R.U.B. & his conversation about the portal with Millie in Seeing Stars). In Blitzø’s eyes, Stolas says "hey this is/isn’t happening", and he says "ok got the info" and he moves on from there. Information exchange. Then Stolas starts trying too hard, after Ozzie’s, to take his feelings into account without fully understanding Blitzø’s feelings to begin with, and starts backtracking and talking around the point again. He already got Blitzø’s reply, but then backtracks, which doesn’t give Blitzø the direct information he needs, leading to him misunderstand the proffered options as a dismissal instead of a clear confirmation with the option for him to refuse. Blitzø already is going to have issues reading/fully understanding the long wordy messages Stolas sends, he isn’t going to understand the nuance that Stolas’ specific phrasing is trying to say, and is going to see a “but you don’t have to/only if you want” attempt at giving him autonomy and boundaries, as a “don’t/I don’t want you to” full negation.

Stolas is also downplaying their experience at Ozzie’s, which is not only negating his own traumatic experiences with being shamed and insulted (not the healthiest mindset), but also minimizes Blitzø’s feelings and experience then as a result. Blitzø is going to see this as confirmation that it wasn’t as important/emotionally painful to Stolas as it was to Blitzø. Stolas making light of a situation that started a breakdown for Blitzø just proves to Blitzø that he’s the one overreacting, and that Stolas does find him less important, as the entire situation was already about Stolas valuing him less, in his eyes.

Stolas trying to overexplain and backtrack in the lack of access to Blitzø’s own thoughts is hurting them both in this situation. None of his pushing and flip-flopping is going to make Blitzø more eager to initiate a conversation or respond more, especially through a form he’s uncomfortable with using. And this makes Stolas feel unheard and undervalued, which leads to him try even harder, which leads to Blitzø shutting himself off even more, and so on. A lovely miscommunication feedback loop.

And knowing all of this is what makes that last text so important.

Blitzø initates the conversation for the first time. He writes what is, for him, a full sentence, with an emoji. He’s expressing himself as best he can, and is showing his actual feelings in the message. He’s going out of his way to say something to Stolas.

Which then… Stolas overwhelms him with more emotions and words. He’s not comfortable with emotional conversation and too much at once would freak him out, and the immediate upfront honest thoughts Stolas sends in the wake of Blitzø’s own emotional expression aren’t what he necessarily needs or wants to deal with, especially so soon after that worldview-shattering realization, the following guilt spiral, and the subsequent opening up that the first text is.

Yet he then, in spite of these hurdles, starts to reply.

But he gives up.

We don’t know for sure what he was going to say, but an easy read of his thoughts would be: he tried to express his feelings again in some way, was failing to do it right, was overwhelmed with feelings he didn’t know how to handle, and angrily gave up. Probably cursing himself out for even trying.

It’s not callous or uncaring or lacking reciprocity. It’s the full opposite. He’s trying so hard, but failing again. He cares so much and is incapable of expressing it verbally and unable to receive similar care in return.

Look back to the other time he tried this hard to write something emotional. The letter for Fizz. The love letter. And see how that situation went? He got overwhelmed, angry at everything and at himself for thinking he could try at all, and it all ended in fucking disaster. That he blames himself for. That he hates himself for. But here he tried to do it again anyway, while thinking, again, what happened to Stolas was his fault. That one message means so fucking much.

To Blitzø, the idea of visiting Stolas in the hospital was out of the question entirely, and him being asked to so immediately and candidly would make his guilty brain fall over itself even more. He’s never been allowed to visit his loved ones in the hospital, and the entire reason they were hospitalized to begin with was because of Blitzø, so how could this situation be any different? He wasn’t allowed to visit Fizz or Barbie, people who at least at one point he believed cared about him, so he’s definitely not going to be allowed to visit Stolas, who he already thinks doesn’t really give a shit.

That text was the best he could do at that time.

To really communicate effectively, these two need to sit down in front of each other and actually explain where they’re coming from. The lack of knowledge of the other’s position and situation, both in their past and currently in this relationship, is hurting them, and making understanding each other more difficult. The class difference and the differences in upbringing, despite both having garbage fathers and fucking meeting each other as children, are impeding their understanding and view of the other. Both Stolas’ obliviousness toward the actual differences in station and opportunity between him and imps as a whole, and inability to realize Blitzø’s personal difficulties with communication (based in the same place he’s blind to), and Blitzø’s (valid) disdain for the upper class and his view of the stronger, and especially of Stolas, as too good and important to bother with him and too powerful to feel actual pain, are the things they need to fucking address.

Blitzø already got this worldview fucked with, between seeing Stolas worry so much over his daughter, and then actually getting badly hurt. He now knows Stolas can care, and that he can feel pain, and that makes him at least peripherally aware that he’s able to be emotionally hurt.

By Blitzø.

Stolas, meanwhile, is vaguely at the point of comprehending he holds more power in their dynamic because of their differences in status, and him holding the key to Blitzø’s entire business and livelihood. He now knows Blitzø didn’t think he wanted anything other than sex, because of his hasty and overly selfish attempt at keeping him around. And it was a sex deal! He realizes he was wrong for holding that over Blitzø and that his actions and words in the past helped cause the misunderstanding that he didn’t care for Blitzø past getting sexual favors.

Stolas is gonna try to fix this power imbalance by giving up the entire premise of their current relationship, in the vain hope Blitzø will understand and then reciprocate his actual feelings, while Blitzø is now vaguely trying to actively prove he gives a shit about people, even while unsure of Stolas’ feelings toward him, and the result of these intentions clashing is gonna be a goddamn mess, unless miraculously they can communicate around the inevitable misunderstanding.

Please somebody let them explain themselves and have the other fucking listen.

They both love each other, but are fucked up from trauma and are neurodivergent, so they express themselves differently and can barely figure out their own shit, let alone explain it to the other. Get therapy and try new communication styles.

But they are slowly learning. They have the tools and ability to figure this out if they both try. It’s not futile. It just might take some fuck ups and more time to fully get there.

Sincerely, an AuDHD emotional abuse victim that sees themself in both of these idiots and wants to scream.

[acidichcl]

Let's talk about LeoxApril. What's their story?

There’s honestly not much to them. The whole point of april’s story is that people only like her (and also look down on her) because of her looks, background, or anything about her that people find useful. She wants something more genuine. Not necessarily romance tho

Leo’s one of those who likes april all of a sudden. They had one interaction with eachother and leo catches feelings. Normally, april would be irritated at this, but like. He’s a turtle. He’s a mutant turtle who hid away from society for years. She just took his attraction to her as appreciation for her good deed in giving him a home

It’s just an innocent crush to her and she doesnt take it too seriously. His crush also doesn't affect their friendship cuz leo is casual around her and there's no awkwardness between them

[ameliiwa]

Darry after pony and soda moved out would have no idea what to do for the rest of his life because he spent so much time taking care of them and making so many sacrifices so them. He realizes he can do whatever makes him happy but he doesn’t really know what makes him happy if that makes sense?? For the first few days alone he’d kinda just be sitting around like damn…