#his character growth has been so linear

[its-your-mind]

Leaving people behind. - c3e10 / c3e59

[theflyindutchwoman]

Do you think Tim has been acting OOC lately? Breaking up with Lucy, what he did in the army and lying to Grey and West so easily : I can't help but think it came out of nowhere. Old Tim would never have done that. What do you think?

Old Tim would never have done that. I disagree. Not only would have Old Tim done exactly that, we know he actually did - @makeitastrength and @roguetwelve made some very good points on that subject yesterday. The difference is that we didn't see it play out in details like in 6.06. But Old Tim lied to IA about Isabel's addiction. That was why Detective Murphy was so gung-ho against him in 1.16 : he knew about her addiction but didn't report her. He covered for her to protect her. Just like he didn't immediately warn the detectives about the kilo of drugs in Isabel's apartment after she confessed. He was even ready to steal that piece of evidence for her before he came to his senses and realised that it wouldn't help her in the long term. And it definitely wasn't the first time he lied to Grey. Remember that time he went rogue (with Lucy) in 2.14? Granted, there was no IA inquiry but he still officially lied on a report and to Grey's face (with the rest of the team). Or that time he made Lucy lie in a report after he instigated a fight with the bikers or by not mentioning Isabel?

Also, not to be that person, but the man has mentioned several times that he did some work with the CIA in the past… and, well, no offense, it doesn't get shadier than them - which is kind of hilarious when you think about it, considering how black & white Tim is. Let's not forget that Guatemala op too : it was never sanctioned to begin with, they used a black-op branch of the DIA and it's pretty safe to say that they covered it up after getting Angela back. The biggest difference is his motive. Tim claims that he did what he did back then for his career, which sounds far less noble than saving his BFF or fighting for his country. It would be interesting to see if that's true though or if it was the self-loathing rewriting history. But either way, he has done some shady things in the past and we knew about it.

As for Tim breaking up with Lucy… It is very much still in-character, unfortunately. This is the same man who decided to divorce Isabel because he thought that it would help her, not because he wanted to. He was terrified of being a walking reminder of her addiction and didn't want to hold her back. In that regard, his decision to break up for Lucy because she deserves far better (his words, not mine) is not that different. So, no, I don't think Tim was acting out-of-character. If anything, that's what makes this storyline so painful. Because it feels exactly like something Old Tim would have done. Because it feels like he just took a huge step backward, practically erasing his growth. And for me, that what makes it so real and interesting. Personal growth is rarely linear. Sometimes you take a step forward and sometimes you take a step backward. Sometimes you need to touch rock bottom before you can get better. Life is messy that way. We thought Tim was doing better - and in many ways, he was. But he never really dealt with his trauma. He simply tried to move forward and forget. Only now, his past has caught up with him and he's stuck in this self-destructive mode.

I fully understand disliking this arc. I also fully understand being frustrated by that 'regression'. But that doesn't mean he was written out of character. Because, unfortunately, that was the most Tim Bradford he ever did. Like the man said, he is "a man of principles and contradictions".

[evaglass]

I like how real the characters of BES feel

I feel like this for many of the characters, especially Taigen.

I know many people highly disliked Taigen at the beginning, including myself, but he grew on me. I really enjoy how Taigen's growth is being handled, and I look forward to see more of the growth he goes through in the future.

I know now opinions on him are mixed, especially in regards to Mizu. I've seen people hoping they both get together, and I've also seen other people still hate him. In my opinion, I would like for them to be together, but not just yet as they still have some growth they need go through as people.

Flaws aren't only just small imperfections, nor do they easily go away at the flick of a lightswitch; flaws can really hold a person and their mindset back. Many of the characters are very flawed, some more than others, but some of them were able to start to grow from them.

Taigen is heavily flawed, especially at the start of the series. In the beginning, he is prestended as arrogant, stubborn, a bit selfish, closed-minded, cocky, etc, but he also he also had some redeeming qualities. Taigen holds honour very highly, and although the bushido code is flawed and in the show, many of the people who subscribe to that code are shown to be hypocritical, but Taigen leans more towards to honour aspect of it.

Taigen is also starting to show remorse on how he used to treat Mizu, and the way it's depicted feels realistic. He doesn't get on his knees and apologizes, but he starts treating Mizu with more respect and like a close acquaintance.

Now, I want to talk about the way Taigen reacted after Mizu told him about finding out about Fowler's plan to overthrow the Shogun and not telling him immediately when she could have; I want to talk about that whole scene in general. Usually, people take sides in that situation, but I can understand why Taigen was upset, but I can tell Mizu didn't withhold that information on purpose. Mizu was healing from her injuries. She was distracted trying to make new steel for a sword because hers broke, and she was overwhelmed. Like I said before, I can understand why Taigen was mad because they needed to move as quickly as possible, and even though Mizu was planning to go after Fowler once she had made a new sword time was of the essence around that moment, and in Taigen's mind he started to think that Mizu was possibly the traditional definition of 'honourable', and when that wasn't the case he lashes out.

What Taigen said to Mizu before he left to defend the Shogun was harsh stating "you really are a demon," and promising to kill her, saying it in tone like he's defeating a terrible beast, he wasn't right at all for saying that but it feels realistic; that scene was supposed to highlight both of their flaws. When people are really mad, they sometimes say harsh things to people around them, especially in the heat of the moment, and eventually, once they start to calm down, they soon start to regret what they said.

Taigen also soon sees how hypocritical many of the people he respected and said to subscribe to the bushido were, which must have been kind of difficult to digest. To Taigen, being a great samurai meant very much to him as it separated him from his broken background. Taigen came from a lower working-class upbringing with an abusive alcoholic father; it's pretty clear he wasn't gonna be a stable kid or much of an emotionally stable adult. It makes sense at the end of the season he wanted to be happy rather than just achieve greatness; the greatness he thought he wanted stems from people whom he used to respect, people who were shown to be corrupted and hypocritical. Taigen thought greatness would be the thing that would make him whole, but he realized it wouldn't make him happy.

Taigen grew a lot throughout the first season, but growth isn't exactly linear, and he has a lot more growth to go through, but that's what's so great about his character because it makes you want to see where he goes next.

[brekkie-e]

Sometimes I just. Dont like the internet. I can't seem to escape seeing the Astarion's Correct Path to Sexual Healing argument no matter what tags I block.

I don't want to actually wade in to it, but I just want to say that there could stand to be a LOT less hostility being spewed about when the topic is that close to many people's hearts. There doesn't need to be a more "morally" correct version of healing for him. He is in the MIDDLE of recovery. Not at the end of it. That chapter is up to interpretation to each player.

It is incredibly unkind to automatically accuse people of infantalizing him for preferring a more ace route. It does not HAVE to be infantalizing. Astarion continuing to explore his needs and boundaries and discovering that he doesn't need sex and it doesn't give him the emotional intimacy he craves can be an empowering aspect of self acceptance. That can be growth. A sign of his continued journey towards autonomy. He has spent, unironically, a lifetimee having sex. If even at the end of the day, he comes to realize it's simply disinteresting to him- that's a valid route to recovery. That doesn't make him broken. That is without even mentioning the reality some people do not go back to "baseline" as they heal. Sometimes our baseline changes because of our experiences. He may discover as time goes on that no matter how much he tries, it never stops triggering negative feelings in him. I have my own personal experiences with this, and I think there's something very powerful in accepting yourself for who you are now, and not feeling like you have an obligation to "fix yourself" and get back to a version of you that no longer exists.

The flipside?

Astarion learning to love being sexually intimate with his partner does not inherently mean that the player is ignoring his desire to "not be seen sexually." Astarion at multiple points expresses an interest in trying it out. It doesn't always go well, but it's his choice to pursue it and that should be respected. He, just like irl sex abuse survivors, should be supported as they try to create a new relationship with it. He shouldn't be discouraged from having his own desires. Being able to take something that was used to hurt you and create a new and positive relationship with it because you found someone you love and trust that is patient with you is a BEAUTIFUL story. It is narratively satisfying and also a reflection of real growth as well. Telling people that they're somehow mistreating the character for wanting that for them is also unnecessarly hostile.

There is also a secret, third option. His relationship with it might remain fluid and change constantly through out his life. Healing is not linear. His interest in it may fluctuate. His response to it might fluctuate. He may go through periods of not wanting it again. He might one day decide he wants to try it again. It's not set in stone.

All I am saying is that there SHOULD be room in this fandom for all three of these truths to exist. It shouldn't be necessary to shout from the roof tops how much he loves sex to prove a point to people who think differently than you. They may have their own reasons for resonating with him in a different way. Flipside, it is entirely uncalled for to attack people for wanting him to be able to enjoy it again.

I guess what I am trying to say is make space for and be kind to your fellow fan.

Also, Astarion has WAY more trauma than simply his relationship to sex. So like. Maybe it's time we moved past this topic collectively and discuss the many other ways his life has been affected by Cazador.

[speremint]

Hi I just wanna say while others may disagree with Bea's actions I actually love it because it's just so -human-

Bea tends to react according to her emotions, we know this, and while yes she has had some growth 1. Growth isn't always linear and 2. Humans, when we're desperste enough, will block stuff out unintentionally in favour of reaching our goal

All of this is to say yes Bea's actions don't make sense but in the context of the story and how you established her character her actions do make sense at the same time? Does that make sense?

I appreciate it- it's def a "I need to shut up and log off" moment for me, but it's been very stressful cause I really wanna make sure S3 is a satisfying ending for everyone, lol.

I think expecting Bea to have a perfect reaction and for everything to go smoothly would be a bit bizarre given she's in Hell and, well, she did almost get eaten by a pack of demons upon just showing up.

Idk, obviously you can't please everyone, and it's good people are invested enough to have strong emotions, though!

[emblazons]

*rattles the bars of my cage*

Mike Wheeler's emotional/moral ambiguity actually makes him one of the more fascinating younger characters in this show. Why?

Because he isn't following the same simple linear narrative line that Will and El are because of their supernatural interactions, but rather existing as a special, third thing that often exists in contrast to the villains in the story, where he gets to be messy and confused and insecure—and where he has spent entire seasons moving in the direction of what has always been the true enemy of characters in Stranger Things: conformity—and STILL CHOOSE WHATS RIGHT. Y'all are just so used to caricatures in television / thinking that "heroes "& "villains" exist in two entirely separate, non-overlapping camps (rather than existing in shades of gray) that you over-simplfy him...and miss the forest for the trees.

Mike being the one who struggles most with conformity and wanting other people to fill the gaps of insecurity are why all those goddamn Brenner parallels exist. It's why Vecna, who is paralleled to El in many ways, said something to El when she was tied to that door about a "mediocre man looking for power in someone else great" and it applies as much to Mike calling her a Superhero 2 seconds later as it does Brenner trying to use her powers. It's why the tension between him trying to "act normal" / date El (who exists on a pedestal for him) and him being the kind/loyal nerd who exists in "being human" with Will does—that love triangle exists to showcase his flux between his two sides, the one that embraces himself and the one that follows the path of the things he's always been told to want (like S1 Jonathan/Nancy/Steve).

Its why Mike is such a confusing mix of heroic energy and an immature chaos—why his insecurities have pushed him into some oddly toxic mindsets even at a young age...like thinking "a girl" will solve all his insecurity problems which sounds a hell of a lot like beginning of modern incel thought processes if you want to get into it, but he was 12 so we'll let that go and why he seems so wishy-washy now. Mike is just now aware enough of how his desires compete within him (and how they affect the people around him) to start making a choice about how he will respond to them...but we had to present all the sides he was conflicted by first, because for him, those conflicts almost always come at him in the form of relationship, like it does in most of our own lives.

Mike is not "under-characterized." He is not "poorly written." He is written human in a space (and two people) steeped in the supernatural, and is learning to accept himself for who he is in the midst of that. He is messy and morally ambiguous at times just like his mother and sister—and more interesting for it, because he isn't so easy to pin down as an "everyman central protagonist" that way.

If anything, Mike as a character is harder to follow because he exists as an entirely relational character in a show that often allows you to easily put all its other characters into caricatures (aka the superhero (El), the gay kid (Will), the final girl (Nancy), the POC kid (Lucas), the Guy in the Chair (Dustin), etc) and why, as the character that required four entire seasons to be fleshed out, he will probably be as central in the final season as the first. Mike has always needed external action to move through character growth...and Vecna, the being literally designed to push people to their limits, is the way he will probably go through that.

By S5, he will have to face his ongoing confusions and fears (aka major insecurity) and come into himself...for the sake of himself, his party and the one he truly loves. Mike's ability to make mistakes over the course of five seasons and still make a difference to defeating the ultimate evil in real life (and not just in the games he played as a kid) is what will give him the courage to self-actualize, admit that he is important even surrounded by people "more special" than he is, and come into his own—while embracing what makes him different.

You don't have to like him. You don't have to relate to him or even enjoy what The Duffers have done with him as a character (or any character tbh). But damn if you're gonna roll up and act like he doesn't even have a character because he's not Will or Eleven LMAO

Sidebar: to all the people mad m*leven went romantic...Mike would have never been able to realize that a girl wouldn't solve his problems...without having ever been in a (however poorly executed) romantic relationship with one. As a character motivated to learn through interaction with other characters, Mike needed to experience for himself that El—or any girl, really—wasn’t ever going to fill the hole of his internal insecurities. If he never got the thing he thought would solve his problem, he would have either never grown...or fallen into resentment while in the closet even longer, like men do about that in literal real life. Just saying.

[dovabunny]

Ok first thing is please don’t take this as a criticism of your replaced au fic. I love it a lot and I think it was written beautifully.

However my dumb ass missed the angst with a happy ending tag

And I was like, why tf is Soap staying with Ghost? He’s obviously supposed to be with Ale and Rudy. My brain was craving more angst than what was provided and now it’s yelling at me for more, so now I’m trying to placate it with sad ending version of that fic that I’m making up in my head. Dw I don’t plan to publish it or anything. The angst was hitting good but then he ended up back with Ghost and my brain was screaming that it was wrong.

However, once again, it’s ur fic. And it was still incredibly written and amazing. I love your writing style.

FIRST - sorry this took so long 🙏 I'm not active much on here.

On the fic - a big thing for me when writing is understanding that 'hurt people hurt people' (people who are hurt, tend to hurt other people). I'm also educated/trained in trauma and psych, so having a grasp on how that can change emotional development, cognitive perceptions, reactivity etc has always been an interest of mine. My father is also an abusive veteran. These are the places I drew a lot of inspo from.

I did have an ending where Soap ends up with Rude and Ale, and even one with Roach, but in the end I felt I wanted to give both Soap AND Ghost a chance to grow. And growth isn't linear, it isn't easy. It often hurts too. For me them not getting back together didn't serve a purpose - it was an easy way out. Ghost would be stagnant and qlone (except for Roach) forever, and Soap would forever carry the bitterness and hurt of what happened from his one-sided view even if he did move on.

People who come from bad backgrounds often need patience as they re-learn and re-write a lot of emotional and behavioural impulses they've had to develop and maintain since childhood. So Ghost needed patience and understanding, and Soap needed to see this was real - that this was true without lies or deceit or deception. Which is why Ghost's reaction when he was drugged was the tipping point for him where he saw that this was Ghost's true feelings, and what he meant to Ghost.

It took strength and growth from Soap to open his heart again, more than it would've if he moved on. Ghost took up therapy, opened up to Roach a bit, and engraved Soap (literally) onto his body - his growth was pushing past his own armour he wore and seeing the strength in vulnerability and honesty through intense therapy. They're two men with a lot of trauma in their past and present, they're complicated men in their own way, so I tried to keep it as realistic to their personal development and mindsets than from an outsiders perspective.

That's a big ramble, I hope it makes sense! I honestly loved seeing readers get emotional over it - whether angry or happy or sad. I got a lot of emojis in my inbox on Twitter 😂 I wanted people to feel for these characters, so I'm so happy to hear you liked it and you felt connected to it in a way that spoke to you.

I think it's kinda the same with fics with heavy themes - there's often something in our own backgrounds that resonates and identifies with something in a character or a struggle they have. So if you empathise with Soap, or Ghost, or you're just here vibing like Roach - it's all good!

Thanks for the ask :) ❤️🌻

[tiptapricot]

Watched ITSV and ATSV back to back earlier today, and there’s just… so much with expectations. I know that’s obvious, it’s a theme and focus pulled through every part of this franchise, but just… gonna garble some thoughts out.

The mural in the underground, of course, is the starting point. First it’s that dark silhouette against the blinding wall of possibility and expectation, the stifling weight of hanging and dying within the things you can’t control. It’s how Miles feels with the new school, with his dad, with everything he is told he should be. And then he gets bitten and his powers come out and he is stranger and stronger and more confused than ever before. He tears through the comic pages, seeing an origin he’s living, a story already written out of what will happen and who he’ll be, and he is scared.

He goes looking for the spider, and when he steps off the train he mirrors his painting. New rules are setting in, new stakes. He comes back to a dead spider in front of a wall of expectation, and everything falls apart.

Spiderman dies and in his final minutes tasks Miles with saving the world, with doing what he can’t, with being Spiderman. He has placed that weight on him, intentionally or not. We know Miles lives up to them in the end, but it is the struggle that guides him through the first movie, that idea of doing things right, of learning how to be a hero in the right way.

And he saves the day! He is Spiderman! But Miles does it with a leap of faith, without knowing what will happen or who he’ll be, without following the Right Way because there isn’t one. He does so with the help of other Spider people who show the breadth of who they can be, the different routes life can follow. They trust him and see him and know he can be amazing. Aaron does too. He tells Miles to keep going, to push on.

So Miles does.

And what joins that wall? What joins the mass of expectation and the world to live up to?

They do. Miles paints Gwen and Peter (B) and Aaron and Peni and Peter (Porker) and Peter (Noir). They are his universe, the legacy and life he is aspiring to bring to his world. He is filling the mask they said he can wear, the person they said he could be, those expectations, and embracing them, making them beautiful and powerful.

But they don’t live up to his expectations of them.

The spiders leave him alone, they follow Miguel’s fear and grief, they view Miles as something to manage and protect and avoid. No one comes for him. No one believes he can be anything else because they believe the path is immovable, that canon and growth are linear and set in stone, and are resigned to the fact that they can’t break from that.

But Miles does. And Miles will.

He pushes back against being in a certain role, being a certain hero, being a certain spiderman. And that’s mirrored in his opposite, in the Spot.

Spot is a black hole, the hanging body within it all. Even though he himself defies what people thought of him, becomes a threat large enough for all of them after being seen as a joke, he still, too, can’t break from the idea of predetermined fate. He believes it was all planned, all destiny, that he and Miles created each other and are meant to play out the same story that has been hammered home again and again. He is the lynch pin in bringing down the future everyone is telling Miles will happen, their future, Spot calls it. Their set, their life, their purpose.

But what they both see doesn’t show the ending.

The visions don’t show the deaths of Inspector Singh and Miles’s dad. They show the lead up, the moments before, leaving us to think we know what happens next, to anticipate the bad ending. But we know Miles changed things in Mumbatten, that his whole world is being written and laid out by him.

Miles defies expectations because there aren’t any that can hold him back. He writes his own story, he drives his own canon. He is his own main character in his own movies and his own life and no one can tell him how to do that, how to be that. He is a blank page that he gets to fill with art and hope and persistent love.

It’s not about surviving suffering or being defined by struggle, being in the box people assume you’ll inhabit, that is never how it works because people are multifaceted and rich and hold an infinite amount of life and choice in everything they do.

How can you expect the unexpected? How can someone doing their own thing, doing what they think is right to the end, cave beneath the will and rightness of others?

Miles defies expectations. Miles breaks the mold. Miles pushes past the shadows covering the world of possibility and potential and never stops because no matter what, Miles Morales always gets back up.

And I don’t know if I can fully encapsulate that for what it is. Because it’s all of it. It’s being a cop, a parent, a father, a son, a daughter, a minority, an outcast. It’s the warmth of an uncle that is so clear in your memory that shifts and changes when it’s not the same man. Its a gun getting pointed at you in a time of trust. It’s a bedroom you want to see, a bed you want to know, a stability you want to come back to that isn’t there.

We expect things in our lives, from people and groups and community, and it changes. We change. Others change. Identities and pieces of life overlap and impact each other. And we can’t control that. It’s scary and frustrating, it beats you down, pushes and hurts and forces adaptation. But the only real thing that will always be present is that nothing is solid or stagnant and we shouldn’t expect it to be.

There is a multiverse of possibility out there for all of us. For everyone.

[queer-ragnelle]

I would love your opinion on Black Sails! I was never able to finish it (even though I want to). Seasons 1-3 felt linear and natural in the way the characters were driven and motivated. Season 4 changed so much... undoing character growth, scrapping character beliefs for new motives that were narratively weaker, and using way more shock/gore than there had been used previously. I would love to know your opinions on it, and if I'm talking out of my ass on this. Love the show! Would love to finish it. Would genuinely love to hear you do a character analysis, if you felt up to it. Ty!

Hi Anon! I'm going to put this below a cut since it's not strictly relevant to this blog and yet I have much to say about it lol

It's been over a year since I watched Black Sails in it's entirety, but I'll go on record saying it's the best show I've ever seen. I love the writing, the acting, the costuming, the filmography, the music, the everything. It is [almost] perfectly balanced. Ironically I felt season 1 was the weakest and didn't take the same issues with season 4 as you did. My biggest criticism of season 1 involves the plot regarding Max's captivity on the beach. I think connecting her with Anne could've been achieved some other way (or even a similar plot just overall less sexual violence/quicker resolution). But even so, I still stand by that I recommend it, particularly to those who love a blend of historical and fiction/mythic characters.

I would love to see an Arthurian retelling on that scale and with that tone. Starz had produced their show Camelot in 2011, three years before Black Sails, and while that first season also has some issues, I'll forever be heartbroken it wasn't renewed. I fully believe they would have developed Camelot into an epic tale ala Black Sails, particularly with strong female characters and queer storylines. We could've had it all....

On that note, Black Sails was absolutely vital in my journey as an author adapting Arthurian legend in a historical 6th century. The meta about ambiguous storytelling subject to biased perception or outright misinformation and thus misconceptions about people involved in historical events fascinated me. On one hand you have Jack Rackham's obsession with his legacy, almost uncannily aware he's in a story and his limited time to leave his mark. Then there's Charles Vane's hanging in Nassau, when the history books say he died at Port Royal. It circumvents expectations, not with shock value (looking at you, Game of Thrones finale), but in service to the narrative by calling into question the validity of our accepted reality. Beyond that, it seamlessly blends historical figures, the cast of Treasure Island, and original characters created to incorporate more women and people of color into the narrative. Everyone's developed and fascinating and complex with clear motivations and fleshed out backstories (except for Silver, lol, which itself makes him compelling). Bernard Cornwell's Warlord Chronicles does similar things. He utilized Saint Derfel as his point of view character to analyze the Arthurian legend through a [semi-]historical lens. But I think Black Sails does it better. It also seems to transcend genre at times. It's adventure and action, but it's got everything from romance between a network of characters in all different Stiuationships to the horror of Flint's past haunting him (literally). And yet it never feels like too much. It doesn't lose track of what it's doing. Nothing set up is dropped or forgotten about. It's frustrating when the goal post moves yet again, but in a way which draws us in closer to the characters and makes us all the more driven to see it through. When another hiccup arises we must overcome, or even a devastating and insurmountable shock (Miranda....), it feels earned. Of course that was liable to happen. How could we have been so foolish to think things would have worked out?

This show gave me permission, and frankly, the determination, to experiment with my own retelling. The people who made Black Sails knew when to stay true to the past, drawing on facts to develop the story in accurate ways (such as utilizing the colony of escaped slaves to bring Madi and her people into the story (which also ties into Treasure Island in which Silver had a black wife!)) and when to follow the rule of cool (Jack Rackham in his definitely-historically-unviable-but-undeniably-cool shades). Literally life changing.

I don't think I could narrow down the characters enough to do a full analysis of one of them, I love them all for different reasons. But I did name my borzoi Long John Silver, so, I kind of have to talk about him, right? Well I think the character's lack of a backstory, ie his unwillingness to disclose it, acts as a surrogate for the viewer. We ride the wave with Silver, thrust into this predicament with the map and the gold and the very culture of Nassau's pirate trade whilst Silver somehow remains a blank slate mystery as he navigates this dangerous world with a quick mind alone. While Flint could certainly be considered the main character, and we're quite often in his head, his memories, his nightmares even, I don't think the viewer's supposed to identify as him so much as with him. Flint is Flint. But we are Silver. (Scary thought lol)

If you couldn't tell already, I'm long winded. :^) So I'll stop here and the real deep dive character analysis happens in my books. Gawain is just landlocked Flint if you squint<3 Thanks for asking about Black Sails! Everyone go watch it.

[xexiar]

Character Analysis: Bakugou Katsuki. Part 3

As always: Disclaimer: This is for fun. I am not a professional psychiatrist, nor claim to be. These are my thoughts and opinions. If you do not agree, thank you for at least reading, but DO NOT comment!

——

Bakugo Katsuki acceptance.

This layout interesting. That’s because it’s not a linear course of events. But instead it shows the contrast between Katsuki’s conflicting beliefs.

Starting with the two memories on the right. Katsuki starting belief “I am superior.” Then to be proven that he is not. Which starts breaking into his insecurities. At that, he’s very uncomfortable understanding or managing. But instead of accepting to understand these emotions he fights back.

Then we have the two pictures at the far left. Where he needs help and is feeling of desperation but refuses the notion of Izuku saving him. He was physical vulnerable but his beliefs wouldn’t accept someone lesser as his hero. But next to that we see him accepting the notion to work with Izuku, even if temporary.

This a sharp contrast to everything he believes in growing up. It shows how much progress he’s done to break down his beliefs and questions them. Questioning the concept of “perfection” and if he even deserves to be helped. To be able to question his self worth is a huge step for him.

Now for the 3 middle images. Katsuki is at his lowest again, but this time he has new skill sets to help process things. At this point he have heard genuine admiration by the adults he looks up to. Along with having Best Jeanist as a mentor also helped challenge in internal beliefs.

I can only assume that while under Best Jeanist, Katsuki was being truly seen by an adult. Since growing up, adults were the only source to know where his self worth was. It is proven with the right help and encouragement a child’s self confidence can grow.

I like to believe Best Jeanist became a therapist to Katsuki. Where Katsuki learned to communicate and express in a safe environment. We see how he values his mentor. Which gives evidence to my suspicions.

But because Katsuki still is struggling to be emotionally vulnerable, he still tries doing things he always done. So when he challenges Izuku, it’s more along the lines that old habits die hard. Yet, when he sees that fighting isn’t getting the results he’s seeking he finally breaks down.

Katsuki has always been blamed for smallest mistakes. So, this has more of an impact on him because of his core beliefs making him take this as his fault. He does not see or comprehend anything outside of it’s because of him.

Up until this point, because of Katsuki mixed beliefs has him at a crossroad. So, he turned to someone who has always been there from his highest moments to his lowest. He finally accepted that he needed help and that nobody would be worthy enough than the person who has always reached out to him.

Due to finally allowing himself to be vulnerable he comes to a realization. Being vulnerable is ok. Allowing oneself to express and experience different emotions feels like a burden has been lifted. Katsuki even allows himself to accept genuine support without fighting back or performing.

We see this growth in accepting that his previous beliefs were wrong. That he’s not alone and can safely be himself. And due to this acceptance of self he also allows himself to re-evaluate all his past actions through a different mindset.

Katsuki admitting certain aspects of himself is still a struggle. But he comes to a lot realization that he’s struggling to process. So, for him being worried isn’t just due to past mistakes. This isn’t just about making up for his actions. Katsuki is also attempting to return the hand Izuku always gave him.

But Katsuki’s old habits still has him struggling with communicating verbally. Up until this point, his verbal breakdowns were all with intense self worthlessness being the focus. And when he experience a lost he does not know how to handle, is where the final wall of his belief system breaks down.

Where actions speaks louder than words. Katsuki always having to perform never thought about questioning this one simple yet impactful belief. So, to have Izuku just leave after Katsuki worked so hard to show that he’s doing better, it breaks him. For once he’s rejected by the one person who had never done so. To him this is a fail.

And the way Katsuki reacts to failure, time and time again, is a full panic attack. But this time he has nobody to blame for this failure. There’s no fingers to point, no one person to accuse. There’s not even a point of references on how he’ll be able recover from this failure.

But unlike the many times before, he does have better coping skills. He now has a different point of view on what is and isn’t possible. Yet, it takes some time for him to allow himself to process his emotions. Because the major skill he has learned to put into practice is acceptance.

He has to accept his failure. He has to accept the emotions that is washing over him. He has to accept the rejection that he feels. He has to accept every last ounce of thoughts and feelings for him to move forward. And when he’s done he is able to think clearly on what his next step is.

The next step is to vocally express his thoughts. Katsuki’s apology is much more than just stating that it was never Izuku’s fault. He’s apologizing for not accepting his own flaws. He’s apologizing for putting the blame on Izuku when that never should have happened. He’s apologizing for feeling so inferior that putting down someone else was all he could do.

The key component I took from this apology was that Katsuki is telling Izuku that it was never Izuku’s fault. That Katsuki blamed Izuku for something he never did. And when he states he doesn’t expect things to change, it has a double meaning.

Things between Katsuki and Izuku has long been changed, but I don’t believe Katsuki sees this. With how trapped he is struggling his belief system, he’s blind to what’s in front of him. So when he says “change” I took it as he’s referring to his dynamic with Izuku.

Katsuki’s and Izuku’s dynamic had long changed up until this point. But I don’t believe Katsuki is aware of this. Because of his internal struggles he seems to take information as symbolic, compared to Izuku. And because of self worth, he doesn’t believe that change is possible.

This apology also came off as a plea. Almost pleading Izuku return, if not for Katsuki than for everyone else. Katsuki insecurities doesn’t see him worthy to plea for himself. But he would do anything to that not fail again.

Which this all comes back to how Katsuki fully and whole accepts that the core belief of “perfection” is wrong. He accepts he isn’t this ideal and takes in all his flaws. Katsuki comes full circle back to the day Izuku reached out to him. That Katsuki is just another person and it’s ok to accept help.

——

Part 1 Part 2

——

That’s that. Next will be Izuku. If you think I missed anything please leave a comment.

[evelhak]

Akashi for the ships tier list ? :D I thought about asking for Kuroko but i assumed you only ship him with Kagami

I'm going to give you both. : D I know my shipping capabilities are probably annoyingly limited, but it's like... Yes, I don't really truly ship Kuroko or Akashi with more than one person because I have a story brain, like one-linear-chain-of-events brain, and yes, I could expand, and yes I've tried, but I'm just the happiest this way, it's the most natural way for me, so even though it's frowned upon by fandom generally, it's just me and that's how it is. It's not satisfying for me to simultaneously entertain multiple possible storylines, I just need to be on one track until the end.

So in that chain of events in my head both Akashi and Kuroko are in a commited monogamous relationship. So basically the only way I ship more than one ship is if characters break up and have another relationship during the course of my head story, or if they are polyamorous, which neither Kuroko nor Akashi have been at least so far.

But also that doesn't mean there's nothing else going on besides who they date. People's feelings are hardly ever black and white, and I do give space to complexity and general human nature, that's kind of the whole point.

I realise this intro was probably not necessary, I just wanted to express myself better about the "only ships KagaKuro" thing, because it's like... Yes, but also not really? Because do I see them having another significant other for the rest of their life? No. Do I actually root for and actively want to see them with other characters? No. But do I think their feelings and relationships with other characters are also complex and have multiple layers and phases through time? Absolutely.

Also, I felt really self-conscious about this, debating whether I should include my OC in this, because it still feels obnoxious to me, no matter how much I try to express love for OCs. But there's no denying that my only long-term ship for Akashi is my (and my ex's) OC Azumi, so the list would be kind of meh without her.

So, here we go. I felt like getting creative with the tiers to express my thoughts.

Akashi

*So, yeah... I ship Akashi with an OC. She's a collaboration of several years of exchanging elaborate headcanons with my ex about what kind of person we saw for Akashi. This is the only time I've actually created an original character for the purpose of being with a canon character, and it happened almost by accident because it wasn't my thing at first, it was for my girlfriend who loved Akashi. Not in the way that she would have wanted to date him herself, it's more that she related to him in some ways, and just wanted to imagine him with someone who was good for him and would grow with him and be a positive force in his life, and so we kept developing this relationship over the course of a long time, and I merged it into my headcanon about the rest of the story. A lot of the inspiration was also what we didn't like seeing in Akashi fics, such as sadistic Akashi and a meek poor girlfriend. We wanted someone who could be an actual power couple with him, and most of all, someone who could give him security, and the feeling that he doesn't need to be in control of everything and take care of everyone.

*I don't see long-term potential in AkaFuri but it's too funny to ignore completely. The idea of Akashi being Furi's bi awakening was too juicy for me to ignore, it makes for good comedy and sweet and heartwarming growth on Furi's part when he struggles with his feelings. It's all been one-sided in my headcanon so far and Akashi has no clue. Whether or not their paths actually cross later much at all remains to be seen but I have some ideas how that might be relevant and, well, cathartic.

*Azumi slightly resembles Aomine in some ways, which lead to a comedic dream Akashi had about Aomine in my head... Also I don't really see Midorima and Akashi being attracted to each other, but I bet they have wondered.

*The last row just looks aesthetically cute with Akashi but I don't really see anything there. Their relationships mean more to me as platonic friendships.

Kuroko

*Yeah... you know my feelings about KagaKuro. It's the truest love ever.

*There's something deliciously tragic about an almost, isn't there? The person who you probably would have ended up with, had things gone another way? I wanted to explore that concept in my fics, so, there was Ogiwara.

*I think Kuroko enjoys Kise's attention more than he admits and Kise probably thinks all his friends are hot, but he's not actually interested in a relationship with any of them. But I do think when Kise manages to pull the right string to get Kuroko out of his shell and Kuroko manages to pull the right string to get Kise comfortable exploring the deeper meaning of life, they may sometimes get excitement out of it that isn't strictly platonic. It's just not strong enough to act on.

*I would be lying if I said I didn't see at all where people are coming from when they say Aomine and Kuroko have bitter exes energy. I don't think they were together, but that kind of makes it the more satisfying to explore. They definitely have grey-area feelings for each other. They would be terrible in a relationship, and they know it. All of that causes friction which feels awfully lot like chemistry, especially as long as none of this is ever voiced. But would they make out if someone smashed their faces together? Absolutely. Would they enjoy it? In a twisted way, probably at least a little. Would they regret it immediately and wish it had never happened? Definitely.

*Again, the last row means more to me if they are friends/found family. I totally get what you said about Kuroko and Momoi having that pastel aesthetic. I even have a scene in my fic where Kuroko's dad tells him he should date Momoi (instead of Kagami) because they look so good together, like a pastel coloured painting.

I hope that wasn't too long. I am actually very into exploring the different flavours of all kinds of relationships, so it's not always as easy as do I ship it. I hope you didn't get bored. 🙈

[sylvies-chen]

okay obviously roy’s question to keeley in this week’s episode was all kinds of inappropriate and invasive. personally it did feel very out of character, and the storytelling on the roy and keeley front has been very off through this season so far. but I’ve been thinking about the audience response to it as the reactions and tweets have been rolling in and it’s worth noting the difference in how roy and jamie are treated as characters right now

what is so appealing to many about jamie is that he began the show as the obvious antagonist. he wasn’t the villain exactly, but ted lasso is a show that doesn’t exactly have a main villain besides maybe rupert— and even then, he’s mainly just the team’s opposition and rebecca’s enemy. the true “villains” in this show, to me, are the cultures and mindsets that we all fall into. the trap of vengeance and retributive justice, locker room culture, bullying, toxic masculinity and its expectations, insecurity, etc. and I could go into all that another day. but I digress.

jamie had the potential to be the show’s antagonist. they could have very well stuck him in the role of bully and kept him there, but they didn’t. they allowed him nuance, they gave him the grace and leeway to grow and evolve into the lovable himbo that he is today. and now that he’s put in that work that was so hard to get him to do inthe first place, he’s sitting comfortably in that evolved state.

roy is not like that. he’s a character who made some sizeable strides of growth very early on in the show, and who then made a few missteps along the way. he’s a character who retreats back into an older version of himself for self-preservation, and though it isn’t right and results in him making significant mistakes, he’s ultimately the kind of man who can recognize when he does fuck up and will make things right. we haven’t forgotten that, have we?

my point is, roy is a character whose growth is not linear or simple. jamie is. and that’s not me saying jamie is a basic character or without nuance because he has his complexity. I know that and enjoy it thoroughly. but his arc was a very straightforward narrative and I think that’s part of why so many people like him. it’s a very easy tale to love, with a before and an after.

roy, as of right now, just isn’t like that. he is at his most insecure, his most closed off, and his most wounded. he’s reverted slightly, in the midst of a character regression due to the pain he’s felt and the anxieties he has. and it’s making him do stupid things (or ask stupid questions) especially because no one has been seen to really help him snap tf out of it. now of course he has to be the one to hold himself accountable and be the man keeley deserves and let go of his insecurities controlling his life and his actions, and many of those steps he has to take on his own. but damn, it’s sad to see so many people straight up quit on roy as a character after having done a bad thing. progress is not always linear! just cause he screwed the pooch on this one doesn’t mean he can’t get back to who he really is and earn back keeley through redemption. this whole show is about radical empathy and reconciliation, for crying out loud! falling into this trap of “who’s the better person” and “who deserves keeley” denies these characters the very fundamental idea that people don’t come with a predetermined set of what they do or don’t deserve, because we are all capable of change. if it were true, jamie would deserve to be stuck on love island for harassing sam in season 1 or ruining nate’s suggestion box.

anyway, TLDR: we can acknowledge that roy was entirely wrong and inappropriate to ask that question while also not entirely surrendering hope for him to fix his mistake. instead, we can acknowledge it for what it really is, which is a shit writing choice by people who are fumbling the bag on the roy/keeley/jamie/jack aspect of the season tremendously

[chiconisroc]

I wonder, what do you think of those who say redeeming Philip even in fanon doesn't make sense because it "goes against his character?" or say that doing that is writing him very ooc (out of character)?

Some even say he'd rather die than admit he's wrong or grow as a person and that's the whole point of him. He's a bigot who doesn't want to better himself or can't be redeemed.

I'm glad you're making the "impossible" possible by writing your story by the way. It's kinda made me see him in a different light.

I believe it is reasonable to suggest that Philip may prefer death over admitting he's wrong or evolving as an individual. It is possible that is who his character is, o.o.

However, when it comes to asserting that such behavior contradicts his character 100%, I find myself uncertain. Perhaps I tend to perceive fictional characters as if they were real people while writing stories about them.

To those who claim that my portrayal of Philip is out of character, let us remember that the show has only exposed a fraction of Philip's persona, a merge glimpse on who he is. In reality, even therapists cannot instantly discern the true essence of their clients without ample time and exploration.

Some fictional characters tend to follow a linear trajectory. Philip, in my story, does not conform to such things as my narrative aims for a touch of realism and explore the possibility of a profound change within him. The touch of realism in the story have been noted by some readers while reading it.

Humans are complex beings. All individuals possess the capacity for change, given specific circumstances and considering their personal attributes. Moreover, one's experiences and mental state can significantly influence the extent of such change. I believe that believing in the immutability of fictional characters limits the creative mind's exploration of the infinite possibilities characters can embody. Furthermore, if one maintains the conviction that real humans are entirely incapable of change, even in the slightest sense, it obstructs personal growth as well.

Fanfiction stories serve as alternate universes, embracing the boundless potential of what a character can do or become. They create a space where all possibilities are welcomed and explored with open arms. These stories should be cherished and experienced purely for the joy they bring, rather than being confined by notions of what is deemed possible or impossible.

So, yeah, that concludes my response, hahaha.

And I'm glad you enjoying the story : ).

[abittersweetraisin]

Character growth.

I've come across an ask post that i find... let's say "interesting". I would have loved to reblog, but that would have lead to no good. In the post Anon first talked about how Chat Noir destroyed the world in the Chat Blanc episode. Then Ephemeral was mentioned and here this person pinned on Adrien the destruction of the world. Anon seems to have forgotten Gabriel took Adrien's ring and that it was Gabriel's wish-making what destroyed the world. The part that made me read twice was this and I quote: "The finale could‘ve been the third time where he finds out, but he’s grown so much that he doesn’t destroy the world… he breaks the pattern…"

I find this so illogical that there should be no need to explain it.

First something i want to say about Chat Blanc. In that episode he didn't destroy the world just because he learned the truth. It was because of how he learned it; because of his abusive father throwing an emotional bomb on him and then taking advantage of that to akumatize him. Father-of-the-year wanted a super empowered Chat Noir to help him defeat Ladybug. Let's not forget, the stronger the emotions, the stronger the powers Hawk Moth gives. But, let's go back to the "grown so much" part. He was denied of the opportunity to face the facts. How can there be growth from being left out of a situation? Let's say back in season 4 or 3 Ladybug needed help desperately. Let's say the only person available to hand a miraculous was this random blue-eyed blonde girl. After Hawk Moth is defeated random girl doesn't want to give up the miraculous. It takes Chat and Ladybug a great deal to take it back. Some time later by the mysteries of the universe Ladybug needs to hand the miraculous back to random girl. This second time random girl works great with the team and by the end hands back the miraculous without any troubles. Chloé *cough cough* I mean, random girl has began to learn to follow the rules.

That's what I call character growth. It's not always linear. It can be a curve or a zig zag, but it comes from action, from facing stuff and learning.

[bulkhummus]

what do you think cecil would've been like if carlos hadn't become his love interest? (something about how martin prevented jon's corruption arc)

i dont think martin prevented jons corruption arc haha

ummmm i have been waiting to answer this question because im not really sure how to word what i feel about their relationship in regards to a plot and character development — mainly because night vale as a show doesn’t really adhere to a strict plot or character growth/change structure of a sequential narrative.

okay stick with me— wtnv has no plot. its not structured to have one. it’s not about telling you a story with a beginning middle and end. its a collection of moments— brief days we aren’t offered context to— its the news of a town we don’t live in.

when a piece of story telling is abstract as wtnv is— it’s difficult for events to impact the listener— and its difficult to have characters grow and change over the course of a narrative. So ofc its amazing writing that these stories and characters DO impact us. but creating this immortal being caught in a throng of fragmented realities who frequently forgets by his own doing or by outside forces is the perfect answer to this conundrum. cecil has always existed, and will always exist. he has died, will die and will never be dead. all at once.

carlos anchors cecil— its been stated several times in the show — and i think that relationship to him has allowed this version of cecil we are familiar with to progress in a more fixed time line —ie. pining, dating, marrying, starting a family, forgiving and healing relationships— that other cecils have not had the chance to do. carlos is quite literally a creator of linear time— or a point of reference —the very first thing he was obsessed with when he first came to town was that time (and clocks) didn’t work right. and i think its ironic that hes inadvertently bound cecil to a more (i use ‘more’ loosely) sequential narrative. he is something that cecil can’t forget, can’t move on from, and he is something that makes cecil pay more attention to the passage of time.

so cecil would always have existed if carlos hadn’t come along, but its all he would have done. He’d have simply existed— undefined by any one experience because he wouldn’t be capable of letting any experience define him — whether it be the decaying of his mind, the passage of time, the repressing and disassociating of memories — etc etc.

anyways thats what i think lol

[the-orion-scribe]

A review of Return to the Bunker

So, a new fan episode has been released - Return to the Bunker - and that's like the newest hot topic in the Gravity Falls fandom ever since the launch of the Gravity Falls vinyl. For those who haven't watched it, below is the link to the episode.

I note that initial reception has been mixed, particularly the portrayal of Ford in this episode and especially the ending. Now, some of the criticisms are understandable, and the writing could see further polishing. But I find it's a great piece of fanwork with a lot of effort put into it.

Note: Spoilers are ahead for those who have not yet watched the episode.

There are certainly echoes of the wackiness of the original show. Not only in terms of the supernatural, but how various plot points and elements introduced eventually come together. Especially the suggestions by the others on how to tackle the Shapeshifter, and the hints of setting up a date between the two monsters featured. It attempts to balance all the new details both sweet and significant, including the Journal sweaters and the Heartstomper.

The episode also showcases two main things I'm sure the fandom wished to see in the canon - Ford and Mabel bonding, and Wendy also playing a more active role in the story (such as calling out Ford for his actions). It's a neat idea of Mabel being on board with a mystery this time. And we also have a side plot of Stan trying to go on a monster hunt with Dipper. I wish the latter part is expanded more, nevertheless.

I might agree with a few people Ford is rather unlikeable in this story... but at least he's not downright unpleasant, just unfamiliar when associating with others. I mean, this took place before Weirdmagaddeon and right after he returned to their world. At this point in canon, he usually gets along well with Dipper and rarely interacts with the others beyond interviewing them (in the Journal) and tasking them for other matters (like Mabel to find unicorns in The Last Mabelcorn).

He does have reasons to be paranoid and jumpy when they first entered since he's unaware of their first trip... though I thought Dipper would have mentioned it. And him being unwilling to trust others is something he even talked to himself about in Journal 3, though it's more that he's afraid he's a danger to others too, especially with the threat of Bill on the horizon. I might agree though that he's too dismissive of Mabel early on in this story. Nevertheless, I like that this fan episode addresses his main faults not touched much upon in the show, including his trust issues, his favouritism towards Dipper, and his ego.

The ending, when Ford memory wipes the group, is truthfully the most emotional scene of this episode. But I agree with some others it's still too contrived to explain away why the others have no memory or recall of this incident and absolves Mabel of responsibility when it comes to Dipper and Mabel vs The Future (for her to forget about the Rift featured in this story).

I guess they (the writers) added that so that it would fit in the canon, though personally I struggled where it could be (like, I doubt it would take the place of Roadside Attraction since Ford would be indebted to Mabel for retrieving some unicorn hair, and his attitude towards her seems rather out of place). Honestly, the end erases Ford's character's growth in trusting people. I understand character growth isn't linear, but I'm just saddened Ford decides to go down this route, which leaves darker implications especially with his interactions with said characters later on in the canon, particularly Mabel. It makes Ford seem very... manipulative. Or at least only experiencing regret for his brother's memory loss in the finale.

I just want to add on a tangent that I personally think not having Mabel and Ford directly interact much in the canon pre-WMG is also crucial to the fallout we see in Dipper and Mabel Vs the Future. That Ford overlooked Mabel and Dipper's bond and thought Mabel would be fine by herself. Not to say that Ford is uncaring, but I think he underestimated the bond she has with her brother.

But overall, I think the heart and idea behind this episode are good. Plenty of plot elements could be better handled and thought out, but even for its flaws, it might fit as a proper GF episode. This is really like the best thing from fans who aren't even paid, and took out their time, effort and money to create this for us. Some people have too many expectations for a fan-made episode, especially one taking place in an already crammed timeline between A Tale of Two Stans and Weirdmagaddeon. Is it contrived? Sure, but that can be said for like plenty of GF episodes. Given it also wants to fit into the canon, I guess it did its best to retcon what it could.

Anyway, this isn't canon, so folks can just relax and enjoy.