#specifically with parents or relatives or mentor-like figures

[oaxleaf]

watched nimona, am a bit crushed now, but something i noticed that i found quite interesting is how she wears ‘nimona’ not just as a name, but also as an identity. it’s not just what she’s called, it’s also what she is. and, if i’m correct, ballister hardly, if ever, actually calls her by it until quite late, when he fully starts to accept her as a whole - the shapeshifting part of that whole which he loves rather than a flaw he looks past. and i think that really adds to the trans narrative of it all. it’s not just a name. it’s an integral part of who she is. and how ballister rather calls her a kid or a girl rather than that name, that identity, i think really quite reflects the really common experience of having people in your life that might not outright and purposefully show their hatred or disbelief of your identity, but who are clearly uncomfortable with it and does their best to skirt around it and to not have to acknowledge it

[cosmicconversations]

Pick-A-Card Tarot Reading: Guidance For Your Current Path 🔮

For this Pick-A-Card Friday here on the blog, we are going to focus on your current path in life. I will be asking if you are on the right path and what guidance is needed for this current part of your journey.

Remember, though, to not take this idea of the right path too much to heart. Even when we are going in a less favorable direction, it only provides us with more opportunities to learn and grow. The messages about your path could focus on career but it could also be about love, healing, personal development. There are a lot of things that make up our life path.

(I won’t be doing an extended reading this week but I do have a special perk planned for my Patreon members. I will be posting about it today on that page.)

Pick the pile that you feel most drawn to and then continue to your reading. As always, trust your intuition and only take what resonates.

Pile 1

Pile 2

Pile 3

Pile 1

Are You On The Right Path?

Queen of Pentacles (reversed)

Guidance For Your Current Path

Eight of Cups (reversed) /// Three of Pentacles (reversed) /// King of Cups

Okay, Pile 1, with the question of whether or not you are on the right path, I would have to say no. The Queen of Pentacles in reverse is a “no” answer. It specifically indicates that you might be putting yourself in situations that are uncomfortable (in a toxic way, not a positively challenging way) and doing things that go against your integrity and character. It feels like you have made certain choices recently strictly out of a need for security. And, hey, I get it. We all need financial security in life. But, you don’t need to put your well-being and happiness on the line to do so. Or your self-respect.

This feels like it could be a relationship, for some of you, that provides you with the material resources you need. It could be with someone a bit older and in an authoritative energy. Although this could be romantic, I am also getting the vibe of a relative or a parent. It is some situation where you are dependent financially on that person or receiving significant financial help from them. You’re not happy here but you are also not leaving because of that dependency. Yes, this could definitely be a parent or, at least, someone who is acting like a parent, no matter their relationship with you. But, it’s not the most cooperative connection. It is difficult to be connected to them or around them because they give you so little to work with and have this refusal to grow and change.

For others of you, this is a work situation. Things are very stagnant on the job but you have this deep resistance to quitting or looking for other work. I know it feels like your life depends on this job and can literally seem that way. But, you can break free. You can make whatever choice you want. You don’t have to be a slave to a certain job just because you’re used to the money. I also think this could be a toxic work environment, with a boss that misuses their power and authority in some way or co-workers who are really hard to get along with. A few of you may be having some serious drama with a colleague or two that is making it difficult to function in the workplace.

In either case, you need to know that it is possible to move on and move forward. You don’t have to stay stuck in this circumstance just because it’s comfortable. Things that are comfortable aren’t always good for us. With this King of Cups, I get two interpretations. It seems like you will be meeting a masculine figure soon who is sensitive and supportive with a quiet strength. If this is a professional matter, it could be a mentor or a potential employer or just someone who wants to provide you with the right opportunities and connections. This could be a man or also a woman with significant masculine energy. They could have Cancer, Scorpio or Pisces placements. I think they will be able to offer you some kind of help, which may be financial, to give you a way out of where you are. You also could already know this person, especially if this is about a relationship or family situation. Look out for an old friend or relative (possibly with the aforementioned placements) who can give you the help you need.

I also think this King of Cups is a side of you that is emerging now. I think you are quite sensitive and intuitive yourself, possibly with Water sign energies. Deep down, you know that you are not where you want to be, that this current situation that is causing an issue is draining you emotionally. Whereas you may be prone to letting your feelings overwhelm you and prevent you from acting as effectively as you can, that is changing soon. King of Cups energy is emotional but calm, capable of soothing troubles and propelling oneself into action due to the feelings that are felt. Now is a great time to channel your unresolved or unexpressed emotions into something productive. And that can just mean knowing it would be productive to work on solutions to your current problem instead of just settling for it and being miserable because of it. I know you feel like you have been stagnant and maybe even that something out of your control has kept you from creating change. On some level, it probably has. But, you need to do some deeper reflection and introspection to discern how you’re standing in your own way.

/////////

Pile 2

Are You On The Right Path?

Ace of Swords

Guidance For Your Current Path

The Moon /// Queen of Swords (reversed) /// Queen of Pentacles

Pile 2, are you currently on the right path? I would say yes. The Ace of Swords upright is a “yes” answer. Here’s the thing, though. I don’t think you believe that! I feel like some of you even scoffed or rolled your eyes while reading this. But, it’s true! What this card is telling me is that you have to see your situation from a new perspective. You are so busy judging where you are and what you’re doing and what you have or don’t have that it is hard to believe that you are doing anything right.

Something that is standing out to me is that you guys need to watch how you speak about yourselves. Please promise me that you will work on being kind to yourself! There is a major energy here about harsh communication toward the self that is being driven by deep inner issues. You don’t seem to either understand that it’s a deeper problem or you don’t really know where that comes from. I think you are being symbolized by both of these Queens here. You might have Air placements (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) or Earth placements (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) in your chart. You are being this Queen of Swords in reverse to yourself, it seems. It is a very harsh and cold and “rip em to shreds” sort of energy. But, it feels like you are directing all of this meanness inwardly.

Some of you need to hear that being this insanely hard on yourself does not yield the results you think it does. During this time, you are being asked to treat yourself like the Queen of Pentacles. Irrespective of gender, you need to be a kind, loving, nurturing mother to yourself. You might be in a time where you are highly dissatisfied with where you are. I feel like you are dealing with a lot of uncertainty. I am getting this image of someone just walking through the dark during a blackout. It is pitch black and you don’t know where you are going and you are just feeling your way through it, taking small steps. Well, you don’t need to curse yourself because you trip over something or run into a wall. You don’t totally know where you’re going and you’re doing the best you can right now.

I also feel like certain mother issues or mother wounds are being brought up during this difficult time. Maybe you grew up with a Queen of Swords in reverse type of mother figure, a narcissistic or deeply critical mom who made you feel like you were always doing it wrong. Maybe you are in this current situation to trigger that insecurity and, through that unkindness to yourself, pinpoint where that is coming from and how to heal it. A certain confrontation with your mother figure at this time may be inevitable, especially if she is unhappy with how your life is going. And this feels very general. It could be career matters or love or anything else you could be judged for. A select few of you may even be parents and you are feeling that hard scrutiny in that sense.

However, I also feel that a caring Queen of Pentacles figure (whether they are male or female) may prove to be a stabilizing and comforting influence. It could be someone who takes a certain amount of the pressure off of you or who makes you feel cared for and supported. Your mental health may be suffering lately but this maternal presence will be a stabilizing individual in your life. They may also play a pivotal role in you changing how you speak to yourself. This reading felt a little more general because it seems like you aren’t meant to know much of what is going to happen next. The Divine is doing that thing of giving you very few answers because they want you to appreciate the present and not be in your head. Yet, having a clear head right now will make all the difference. Just take a breath! Everything is going to be okay. You are going to have to deal with more uncertainty and you will often feel like you are hanging by a thread. But, you’re doing amazing, sweetie. SO much better than you think!

/////////

Pile 3

Are You On The Right Path?

Three of Cups (reversed)

Guidance For Your Current Path

Nine of Swords (reversed) /// Ten of Swords (reversed) /// Six of Cups (reversed)

Pile 3, as far as being on the right path, it looks like that is a no. But, it’s a no with an asterisk. No, you’re not where you want to be but you are also on the verge of being where you want to be. Not only do you have the awareness that this is not your path but you are also actively doing what you need to do to leave it behind. The Three of Cups in reverse speaks to a feeling of having outgrown something. Yet, Cups represent emotion. So, it doesn’t mean that the feelings aren’t still there or don’t linger.

This very much feels relationship-oriented. If that doesn’t sound right for you, then I don’t think this is your pile. I see two different situations here. The first, which feels most prominent, is that you are with someone romantically that you know you should no longer be with. The fulfillment you once felt with them is gone and although you know it’s time to end things, you’re not completely ready to do it. You two may even have temporarily broken up and you’re thinking of reconciling things somehow. For some of you in this group, this is an ex that you recently decided to get back with. If not an official ex, then someone from your past that you had feelings for and history with. And being with them now is showing you why you didn’t have to spin the block.

For others of you, this is a friendship that also probably comes with a lot of history. But, it has worn its course. Maybe you two have had a lot of drama and it has become very awkward and distant or turned into a frenemy type situation. It is also possible that this is a whole group of friends that you are feeling alienated from and distant toward. While this may be because they revealed themselves to be fake or backstabbers or they gossiped horribly about you, something hugely dramatic may not have happened. That seems to be the dominant energy but it is also possible that it’s just one of those situations where friends who once had so much in common are getting a bit older and growing apart and no longer compatible anymore.

Whether this is romantic or platonic, breakups are tough. And it seems like this is something you have been really dreading or putting off. You might be in that “bargaining” stage where you are trying different little things to see if that would work or if it would make them happier or you happier. But, deep down, I think you know what you need to do. You have a right to move on. When it comes to friends, some are with us for a lifetime and some are with us for a season, in order for us to have certain experiences with them and then evolve. I say that because it seems like, if you fall into the “friend breakup” group, you are holding on to your friend(s) out of blind loyalty. I feel like this wasn’t just any friendship. This was a “best friends” situation. This may be someone you have known since college or high school or earlier. It is someone you have so many memories with and thought you’d have in your wedding (or maybe you have already) or have play dates with your future kids. To realize that is not going to happen can be devastating. Also, we can hang on to close friendships like these for so long because of all of the time we have invested in it.

The same can be true of a romantic relationship, obviously. If this is the group you fall into, I think this is something that has been on/off or unrequited on some level for many years. And it is really difficult to accept that all of that is going to come to an end. You seem to be dealing a lot with the “what if” of it all. You might feel like, if you just give it one more go, things will be different. But, will they? Has this person truly changed? Maybe they have. But, maybe you have changed, too. Just because someone wants to do right by us now doesn’t mean we have to take them back. Maybe you have had a change of heart about this person and that is the most heartbreaking thing. You can’t control your heart when you fall in love and you also can’t control your heart when you fall out of love. Don’t force yourself back into a narrative that is no longer yours! For many of you, I do think that this situation, however it has manifested, has been negatively impacting your mental health. Maybe the heartbreak or anguish has been so intense that it has led to a bout of depression, huge anxiety or recurring nightmares. I do see you overcoming all of this, though. Even though this will be a significant loss for you, you are going to gain so much! Keep your head up and do what’s best for you. If you can afford therapy, please seek that professional help. (And if you already are, keep at it!) Also, journaling. Journaling is going to be a huge release for a lot of you and a great way to sort all of this out. I also see some of you writing whoever this is a letter or email or something like that where you can communicate all of your feelings most effectively. Do whatever you need to do. And I feel called to say that you are no longer the younger version of yourself that this person (or these people) once knew. You are stronger and more mature and self-aware and you don’t have to deal with this situation like you used to.

[dokidokitsuna]

Ladybird Extras 3

...I don't like the weirdly "professional", detached way I talked about the previous extras (it's a bad habit of mine...pretending to be a formal corporation instead of just one insane artist), so I'm gonna stop doing that from now on, and just rant about what I love about these side characters and how I came up with them. ^^ I'll try not to spoil too much, though.

Mura So one of my favorite personal character archetypes is the "sleazy youngster", where I put this weird shady slimeball personality on a character who is literally a tiny child. XD And they're running around talking like a yakuza member to everyone else in the cast, who just stares at them like "...aren't you, like, 4??"

And Mura is exactly that, except for the fact that he spends most of his time in the story interacting with Nell, a fellow tiny child who doesn't really have a frame of reference for how strange he is. ^^; I loved writing them together; in another fictional universe they would definitely be best friends...as it is, I've destined them to be nemeses.

This is because Mura actually is basically a mob boss; a former rival to the "Leader" character I mentioned in this character set. After some shakeups in his hometown, he and some fellow criminals ended up trapped in a special prison camp specifically designed to contain Ladybirds.

Milly Where there is a prison, there must be a warden, and that's Milly here. ^^

The part of the story where Milly and Mura are introduced is where the characters finally start to get involved with the uglier aspects of Ladybird activity, and the events at the prison camp are actually kind of dark. It was tough to write the characters and their dialogue in a way that kept the tone relatively light despite the violence and cruelty they were engaging with-- Mura's ridiculousness is part of that. ^^

Another part of that is Milly's design: I really needed her to not be scary. ^^;;; I think a grounded design on a character as mean and cold-hearted as her would make the story feel much heavier than I wanted it to feel at that point. But on the other hand, I couldn't just make her into a weirdo clown or something, because the whole point of her character is to serve as an uncompromising antagonist, who shows how far humans will go to protect themselves from Ladybirds if no one else will.

So after some brain-wracking, I settled on "sexy" as a middle ground. ^^; Like, her clothes are still absolutely ridiculous; way too effortful and unconventional to take seriously. But overall she still looks like a big, powerful, intimidating figure, especially as she towers over the stringy teens in the rest of the cast.

Agnes Let's take a breather with a character from a different, more lighthearted part of the story. ^^

...Well, not that lighthearted-- Agnes is the daughter of Weaver's old mentors, and for story-related reasons I will not spoil, she is a Ladybird who regrets becoming one, and has shunned the lifestyle entirely, as evidenced by her civilian-coded clothes. She's kind of a gloomy character with a sad backstory, but the MCs manage to cheer her up a little and help her feel more encouraged about her chosen lifestyle, as she and Weaver work together to teach Nell her parents' techniques. I think it's important to show that there are multiple ways to be "heroic" in a story, and that deciding you don't want to be a globe-trotting RPG adventurer doesn't necessarily mean you've given up on life.

[nebulousboops]

Do you have cool AUs about Clive because i’m making a big thing about Clive AUs

I only have two very sketchy animations of the ones i’m going to make but. it’s something

Yes I do, in fact! Take your pick:

Apprentice!Clive: A version of Clive who, after his parents die, clings to Professor Layton as the one good influence he has left. He follows Layton throughout his investigation into Bill Hawks, ultimately being there on the night Layton is hospitalized. While his mentor is in the hospital, he's adopted by Constance Dove, like in canon. Things go smoothly for a little while, the professor getting along nicely with his apprentice's new foster family after he's recovered from his coma. Then Lady Dove also dies. Also like in canon, Clive works part time at a paper, but this time around also works as the professor's TA. Long story short, Clive is present for all prequel media, original trilogy games, and since he's not an antagonist anymore, Unwound Future in specific is quite different (I've had this au rattling around in my brain for three years and I still haven't quite figured it out...). I do have an entire tag dedicated to this au, #apprentice clive au, so if you want to know more, scroll through that for a little while! I've also written a few fics about it, so if you wish, give those a read as well. I also have a relatively inactive ask blog for this huhu

Earthbound!Clive: A version of Clive from an au in which the events of 90's cult classic JRPG Earthbound take place within the Layton timeline after Unwound Future, with Layton characters as the chosen four. Check my tag for this one (#earthbound au) for more information about him and the au in general, but the basic jist is that Clive is taking Ness' role as the front man of the chosen four because he got broken out of jail and told about his destiny by a powerful psychic bug. Now, he's attempting to make that destiny come to fruition while facing all the trials and tribulations that come with a fugitive wanted for the deaths of thousands, including the police being on his ass, all the people he's supposed to team up with hating him, and hating himself just as much. Also by the end of the game he ends up being a psychic powerhouse with a sword he obtained in his own mind and manifests in our reality. Unsurprisingly, this au and version of Clive make much more sense if you've played/know the plot of Earthbound.

Thank you so much for asking, I think about both of these aus so often and it's really nice to infodump about them to a willing party aentlkjasnrjkgtnl;kar

[summitclan-chronicles]

I'm curious about the one character rule, is there any specific reason for that?

Oooh, you just opened a 12-ft bag of Excited Nattering.

• Your knowledge is your character's knowledge. I'm gonna be transparent here, I have a massive pet peeve against metagaming (giving a character knowledge they don't have). With multiple characters it's insanely easy to accidentally give one character the knowledge of another, by accident or on purpose to give them the upper hand. If you and your character have the same amount of information, you can't transfer unknowable knowledge.

• Population Control. one thing I noticed about the roleplays of my youth was how big the Clans got, how fast they grew and how often the allegiances were mostly inactive characters. When you combine in-character births with "poof" characters and outsiders joining without rhyme or reason, it causes a Clan to explosively grow in size. There was very little opportunity to gather the entire Clan together, either due to inactivity or sheer volume, and much of the time I felt as if characters in all roles got lost in the shuffle. With fewer cats, the spotlight broadens and everyone can have their time.

• It makes being a parent or mentor special. With everyone having one cat, I can make roles to prevent certain players from seeing the lore. This makes them dependant on more experienced members to teach them, and everything they learn will be a true and genuine revelation associated with that more experienced member that brought it to them.

• It makes it easier to keep secrets. Some plots may be kept quiet for a certain period of time to preserve the shock factor! If everyone had multiple characters we'd have fewer replies written out of genuine emotion ;)

• It requires less time & brainpower. Remembering all the social ties and historical bullet points of multiple characters can prove overwhelming for some, and it can lead to crossed wires too! With only one character you only have to remember things as they associate to your memory - because this reflects your character's memory. Additionally, when you pop into Summitclan for replies, there's no steep expectation or pressure to be in multiple threads with multiple characters at once. You can rest easy knowing you'll only ever have to reply to one interaction at a time, so you'll never have "threads stacking up uncontrollably in the background while i cry on my desk." (<- me.)

• It means I can put your character in your nickname. That way everyone can figure out who is played by who simply by swiping left on Discord and viewing the member list. Easy correspondance!

• It's neat! It makes Summitclan stand out a bit, I think!

But those are (major) secondary reasons. The big reason has its own name I gave it:

The Joy of Immersion.

This is a little difficult for me to explain so bear with me!

Essentially, I first learned about & joined a wcrp when I was 12 (i know! i know! i was a toddler!) and I had one single cat now lost to time. I was so intimidated by the community at hand and volume of the lore (... relative to 2012, anyway) that I decided to keep one cat for now and I would learn as I read others' posts. I didn't have them for long, as petty tween drama burned the place to the ground. But the experience of seeing the fanClan from the perspective of a single cat was formative.

It felt like the difference between, like, The Sims and Facade.

When you play The Sims, you have everyone's thoughts and opinions and intentions directly at your fingertips. Sure, there's some significant autonomy, but if a housemate suddenly gets up mid-convo you can check and literally observe their intent to go eat yucky Mac and Cheese cus their hunger bar is at a cool 25%. There's no guessing when it comes to the people you live with, and in conversations with neighbors you can still see how they feel about you in clear text and color-codes.

In Facade it is a god damn minefield. At nearly every turn these weird gliding people are verbally sucker punching you. To this day I learn about new strings of dialogue that blow me down. In the moment, typing out your little statements, you have no way of knowing whether your statement will unlock the next step of the game or if Trip is going to ferry you directly out of his house like an unwanted Amazon package.

In short... Facade doesn't tell you anything it just victimizes you, and that was what it felt like.

I was only in control of one tiny piece of a great big bicycle, and everyone else whirled around me with their own lives, their own events, their own perspectives - there was no way for me to read them all, and no way one single character could appreciatively tour them all. I had an opinion about some characters that were not shared by anyone else, because we had two different experiences of that character. And because I only had one cat, one set of eyes, I never found an opportunity to see the character another way: impressions had already been set down, the characters already had history, and there was no re-doing it for a different reaction. Plus, every plot point I put into the air was mostly controlled by other players: I couldn't use older or higher ranked characters to help me along, I had to depend on the interest and cooperation of others.

A consequence of that was a serious, genuine sense of pride when my cat progressed. I managed to get her from 6 moons to about 2 years old (which was probably like, 3 months irl, you know how it goes) before the place fizzled away. Because I had spent much of my time learning the lore directly from my mentor and Clanmates both on purpose and through osmosis, and because I generally had only one lens to learn it through, I felt like I had actually accomplished something when the Clan leader messaged me about her warrior name. It felt like I had actually proven myself in a tangible way, which I could go back and point to - "That was the thread where I learned X thing about Y landmark," "[Name] told me about this rp's Warrior Code in this thread."

I have been chasing that precise feeling forever in order to share it with others. It was such a unique and fascinating experience that overcame my entire body during her warrior ceremony, something I had only ever felt when accomplishing things in my real, actual life! What a wonderful feeling to cultivate in others!

My greatest sadness is that, unavoidably, the first generation of members on SCC won't be able to feel that kit-to-elder accomplishment for their first exposure to the lore. But I hope that in the future, when former members come back and see a painting their character made on a rock 6 real-world years ago was retouched in a thread yesterday, that feeling will make up for it.

[theeccentricraven]

Happy STS! Do you have a specific idea of what any of your characters' voices sound like? Describe it if so! Is their voice deep or high or nasally? Do they have an accent? Do they speak softly or loudly? Do you have any voice claims in mind?

Hi! Thank you for the questions!

I don't think that much about my characters' voices, except for some where the voice stands out or plays a significant role. In The Keeper of Maralla, I have established that Juva has a low sounding voice while Maralla has a higher lisp voice. The story also mentions how mountain inhabitants have a unique dialogue with distinct accents. Juva has to navigate through understanding them when she and Maralla have to go on a long journey.

My sci-fi stories with aliens mention that the aliens have accents, though I haven't yet gotten specific to what their accents sound like. Many alien races make sounds that humans can't replicate. Likewise, humans aren't able to make a lot of alien sounds. Surgery and soundboards can make it happen.

I love to explore using characters from all over the world. In my superhero story Brigid Aideen Quinn, it's set in Oregon but her parents are from Ireland. I love hearing their accents. My favorite character accent has to be for my main character in Raven Nemesis, a sci-fi tale of revenge where the protagonist is from a space colony but speaks with a Kiwi accent like her parents. I love hearing her voice!

I have many Latino/Latina characters. It's a representation that's important to me because I spent years studying Spanish, have relatives and friends with Hispanic heritage, and love the culture. I also aim to avoid stereotypes, hence I don't get too into detail on their accents. I love to make use of the language.

I haven't thought too much about voice claims, but sometimes I think about actors who perfectly match some of my characters. In Columbus Day, Julie looks and sounds like Selena Gomez. In The Blood Cleaners, Joselyn looks and sounds like America Ferrera. In The Keeper of Maralla, I love to imagine my sagely mentor figure Mrs. Terila as looking and sounding like a TV actress I love - Jean Smart. I love to dream that she would be cast if the books ever becomes a movie/series, though I worry she might not be alive by the time I finish and it reaches that level of success if ever. Oh well, I can dream.

One reason I don't get too detailed about character voices is I hope to let readers imagine and hear what they will.

Thank you again for the questions!

[matan4il]

hey question the fandom paints bobby as buck's adoptive dad but isn't eddie kinda fitting the dad role for buck since he gives him life lessons? and well the other 118 treats buck as a big child too so why is eddie not seen as a dad figure to buck? what makes eddie be seen as a partner to buck instead of a father figure?

Hi Nonnie!

I don't think Eddie really gives Buck life lessons. TBH, even if he did, that doesn't automatically translate into being a dad figure. For example, look at Eddie and Hen in 609. He shared some wisdom he gained as Christopher's dad, but at not point does it come across as if he's Hen's father figure. It's an incidental moment when he shares some insight, it's not a constant role of mentoring and helping her find her way in the world as she figures out who she is based on his much vaster experience. You know what I mean?

And the same is true for Buddie. Yes, there are moments when Eddie offers his insights to Buck, but that's not his main role in his best friend's life. The most basic thing is these two enjoy spending time together, they like laughing together and sipping their beers, and talking about their day. You know, like partners share with each other what they're going through. It's not just for the sake of seeking advice, it's also just the need to know and be known by your significant other. And that's another thing, their relationship is mutual. A mentoring r/s is pretty one-sided in that specific aspect, the father figure is there to impart knowledge and guide the youngling, not the other way around. And yes, sometimes the young mentored person can offer the mentor something, but it's usually by chance. It's not built into the dynamic. Buddie, on the other hand, really are partners. They offer each other a listening ear, help, insight, they take turns being there for the other man, and of course they have a relatively similar amount of life experience (each has their own unique set of experiences, but there isn't a decades long gap between them), which means they can both give and take guidance at about the same level, and it is in fact exactly how they roll.

That's before we even talk about the fond staring that Buddie do, the sexual tension in scenes like the kitchen one in 309 and the way they seem to constantly seek each other's company. None of these are things people usually have with parental figures.

I hope that makes it clear? Have a good day! And as always, here's my ask tag. xoxox

[abidethetempest]

mega 3-in-1 rise and fall retrospective post!

(because i forgot to do them for the last three chapters..... oops) literally one person i think is cool liked my post about bringing these pack and I am Not Immune to peer pressure so I decided to do the ones I missed right away lmao

Chapter 10

As I said in the authors note on this chapter, this one was hard for me. Mainly because I was writing it while working on my conlang and then I got too excited abt the conlang and kinda forgot to write the chapter,,,,, I honestly can't remember if there was anything cool or important I wanted to highlight for this one. Rereading it now, I don't see anything to point out in particular. I mostly had fun writing Risen being kind of a menace with her lack of self preservation, and having Erikses go into mom-mode at the end.

Chapter 11

Aster

oh hey look that guy again. i'm sure he's not gonna cause any problems at all :)

no but in all seriousness, I do really like writing about Aster and how Risen feels about him. It's cool to have him be seen as a very real threat, esp in a game where as the player I feel like this unstoppable murder machine 90% of the time. Risen also has to worry about the lives of the House, who are most definitely not going to get back up if Aster kills them like she does. She's already prone to paranoia when it comes to him, so tapping back into some of her fears after a few chapters of relative peace was refreshing. (For me, anyway, I'm sure it sucked for her.) Excited to show you guys her growth as a character thru dealing w Aster and also to get to the more exciting bits of this arc.

I Wish Erikses Was My Mom

need I say more? Erikses is kind of my favorite character (okay maybeeee she's tied with Aakse tbh) and I just love writing her interactions with Risen. I was concerned that it would feel like her relationship with Risen moves too quickly from "tentative ally/mentor figure" to "i have been adopted this nice crab alien" but I eventually came to my senses and realized this is my fic and I can do whatever I want.

I do honestly feel like this was the right time to have them get closer, and not just because I want to write cute bonding times. I'll probably elaborate on this more in that sidefic I have planned; Erikses is someone who has always wanted to be a mentor and parent figure but it simply never worked out until now. Now Risen is suddenly thrust into her life, and Erikses has come to care about her beyond the initial "honored guest who I owe a great debt to" dynamic.

Writing that hug healed my soul. Erikses is best mom confirmed.

Chapter 12

all caught up now!

The Nightmare

ehehehe I bet I got some of you with that little fakeout huh >:3c sorry not sorry. It wasn't in my outline, but I felt like I wanted to show that, even tho Risen got some nice comfort from her alien mom Erikses last chapter, she's not instantly cured of all fear. But now she has Erikses in her corner if she ever needs someone to remind her its still gonna be okay.

Traveling Songs

A thing that has been in my brain since almost day 1 of this project is the idea of group songs being big in Eliksni culture. Traveling songs are specifically meant to bring good luck on your journey and keep everyone entertained (and awake) during all that damn walking. Also the sound of large groups of people singing together just does something to my brain okay.

Erikses, let me see what you have? A knife! NO!

Everybody's favorite scribe stabs people in her free time, go queen. This cultural detail is another one I've been kicking around for a long time. I think it came more out of the Long Drift than Riisborn Eliksni culture. Everyone needs to know how to fight, because the universe can be an incredibly cruel and hostile place, especially after the Whirlwind. Even scholars like Erikses traditionally are trained in some kind of weapon, tho their skills are usually more focused on self defense.

Risen Can Change Her Knives Now?

This is not a Risen-specific ability! (Actually none of her abilities as a Guardian will ever be hers alone, just a matter of skill, age, and practice.) I headcanon that Guardians can change the form of their Light-based summons (Hunter knives, Titan hammers, Golden Gun, Dawnblades, etc.) to fit their own personal tastes or fighting style. Within reason, ofc-- a Golden Gun will always be a gun, but maybe some Hunters make it a sniper instead. Risen wants her knives to look like Erikses's and in a quiet environment, with time and focus, she can do it. This is a lot harder during a fight, but practice makes perfect.

Embroidery <333

Once again, R&F is secretly just me gushing about every fiber art I know/want to learn forever. Embroidery is one I want to learn real bad; I do cross-stitch already a tiny bit, so I think I could do it in theory, but it just looks like magic to me ughhhh so cool.

Erikses choosing to share her art with Risen is a significant act in Eliksni culture, and somewhat formalizes their teacher-student relationship (we have not gotten to my cultural concept of iksabas yet but when we do I will have so much yelling to do about Erikses and how she makes Risen a member of her family thru the act of sharing her language and her craft with her).

whew okay thats a long boi in the soup but there's three chapters worth of retrospectives!

[thevalleyisjolly]

I tend to be extremely picky and judgmental about depictions of Elrond in Tolkien adaptations, in no small part because he’s my favourite character and I am, if nothing else, an Opinionated™ person.  But, because he is my favourite, I feel like it’s only fair to the spirit of the character to try to be a little less judgmental and a lot more gracious.  Therefore, here are things I like about the different Elronds of screen!

The Hobbit, 1977 (Rankin/Bass)

Absolutely iconic character design.  I laughed my head off when I first watched this as a child, but looking back on it now, I kind of like it!  Definitely not remotely anywhere near his canonical appearance, but I love the interpretation of a crown of stars, A+++ (even if it gives the impression that he’s suffering from a permanent concussion), and kudos to them for giving Elrond a beard!  I am a big proponent of Elrond choosing to grow a beard, it’s one of my favourite headcanons.  Hush Tolkien, he’s Peredhel, he can grow a beard if he wants to.  I don’t remember anything about how his actual character was adapted because I was about 8 the one and only time I watched this film, but I gotta hand it to them, the character design is very creative and I do have a soft spot for 2D animation.

The Lord of the Rings, 1978 (Bakshi)

Alright, so he has a relatively small role and the character design definitely isn’t much to sneeze at, but damn, that voice!  Like a warm knife through butter, but also something that makes you really get what a Voice of Power might sound like.  “I will not touch it!”  Props to André Morell, he really Went Off on the handful of lines he got.

The Lord of the Rings, 2001-2003 (Jackson)

Cards on the table, while these movies are my absolute favourite movies of all time, I’ve never liked what they did with Elrond’s character in relation to the Aragorn and Arwen storyline.  However, I do get why they did it, and in the context of the story they’re telling, it works.  He fills a specific role for the type of character journey that this film’s Aragorn is on, and if you judge that storyline on its own, independent of source material, it works for what it is - a reluctant hero who needs a strict mentor/parent figure to challenge him to really think about who he is, who he wants to be, and what he really wants.  It’s not a creative decision that I personally would have made if I were on the production team, I’m not a fan at all of the decision to pursue this particular type of storyline, but spilled milk and all that.

Apart from the character’s changed role in the story, Hugo Weaving does a great job of portraying Elrond as someone’s who’s lived a long life, that famous “in his face was written the memory of many things both glad and sorrowful” descriptor.  There’s a reason why “I was there, Gandalf.  I was there 3000 years ago” has lasting power as a meme - his delivery of that line resonates with this weight and you just can’t forget it.  Also, his face in ROTK during the coronation after he tells Arwen to go to Aragorn is heartbreaking and so good. 

The Hobbit, 2012-2014 (Jackson)

This is my favourite on-screen Elrond thus far, so this will be more like a small essay. I say this wholeheartedly, Elrond in The Hobbit trilogy is the closest any screen adaptation has come thus far to capturing his character from the books.  You got the “kind as summer” in his interactions and burgeoning friendship with Bilbo, you feel that warmth and the fondness in his interactions with Gandalf, the big hug of greeting and the gentle teasing and even how they can disagree with each other on pretty major issues but still walk side by side as friends. 

You got the “wise as a wizard...venerable as a king of dwarves,” most evident in the plot scenes where he’s reading secret maps and participating in important councils, but also just in the way he moves around Rivendell with that measured self-assurance.  Sure, his guests might be starting food fights, breaking furniture, or arguing with White Wizards about the necessity of investigating necromantic activity, but surprise Morgul blades aside, he never really loses his composure beyond a *deep sigh* or a mildly judgmental look of ‘Really?’  He’s not bothered by people showing him a lack of respect, and he’ll extend them hospitality all the same.  Wise and venerable indeed.

They even got his flaws, and I’m pretty happy with the way they adapted that one line from the book, “he did not altogether approve of dwarves and their love of gold.”  Not a great line, of course, and people are probably right in saying that Tolkien had not fully developed his idea of the character yet so it should be taken with a grain of salt, but I like that they kept him having reservations about the Quest, and translated it into something a little less racist (although the casual ableism still isn’t great) by making his disapproval more akin to “the eyes of the great are elsewhere” and so he fails to consider the personal significance of the Quest to the Company.

Because he’s heard of the history that Thorin’s family has with gold sickness, he’s concerned about messing with sleeping dragons, he’s suspicious of Gandalf’s motives for encouraging the quest because he views it as a level of geopolitical interference that none of them have a right to, and all these big overarching factors means he does not consider what the Quest means to the Dwarves, what Erebor means as a homeland forcibly snatched away in fire and blood.  It’s a great way to have an organic character flaw, taking what are usually a person’s positive traits (wisdom and caution) and showing how they too can inform flawed decisions or perspectives under the right circumstances.

Also, possibly my favourite underrated element, but I love how much they incorporated “strong as a warrior." From that first entrance, riding back into Rivendell in full armour after destroying an Orc hunting pack, to the Battle of Dol Goldur, holy shit I could talk about that for ages.  The sheer confidence of “You should have stayed dead,” the excellent battle choreography.  He just impaled a Ringwraith through the spine, from behind!  Watch closely, his fights never last more than two or three blows - he goes straight for what would be killing/KO blows on living creatures.  He’s not here to duel or show off fancy sword skills, he’s here to eliminate the threat as quickly and efficiently as possible.  And then of course, there’s that fantastic line, “Sauron must be hunted down and destroyed, once and for all.” 

Love that for him, honestly, it’s what he deserves.  Beyond the circles of the world, Lúthien is eating popcorn and cheering.

Rings of Power, 2022 (that one company, you know the one)

This is the only thing on the list that I haven’t watched at all so bear in mind that everything I’ve heard is secondhand, but I do have to say that I really like how they’re showing Elrond being good friends with Durin and the other Dwarves.  He absolutely would! (that one line in The Hobbit aside)  I’m still not planning on ever watching the show, but credit where credit is due, it’s very sweet to see them get along so warmly and enthusiastically in the gifsets.

[northlight14]

Hecate Boneflare

Basic Information

Pronouns: she/her

Alias’: “horns” (multiple NPC’s), “my friend” (Brig Brigson), “girl” (Aylin Dahast)

Relatives:  unnamed mother and father (presumed deceased)

Affiliation: The Crimson Order, House Sidon

Occupation: Soldier/Scholar for The Crimson Order, wizard (specifically Bladeslinger), adventurer 

Personal Information

Eye Colour: black

Hair Colour: black

Height: 5,6

Gender Identity: cis woman

Sexuality: pansexual, polyamorous 

Species: tiefling

Marital Status: single

Status

Age: 20

Star Sign: pisces 

Date Of Birth: 27th February 

Place Of Birth: Old Town, Argenti

Status: alive

Background Story

Hecate was born in Old Town of Argenti. Her parents were part of The Crimson Order, an organisation dedicated to fighting fiends, demons and devils in particular. As a result Hecate grew up in The Order, despite it not being a suitable environment for children. Given The Order’s members are discouraged from having children due to the environment being similar to a military camp, it's more than likely she wasn’t a planned pregnancy. Little is known about Hecate’s parents other than that they went on a quest for The Crimson Order and never returned, being presumed dead when Hecate was only five or six years old. 

Hecate trained in combat with various mentors growing up, but due to not being very physically strong, ended up not sticking with mentors and essentially passed about by different mentors in The Order. This eventually led her to Alyin Dahast, a scholar in The Crimson Order who saw Hecate’s natural potential in magic and decided to mentor her in magic. Hecate carries a great deal of respect for Aylin, referring to her as “ma’am” and “Ms. Dahast”. That said, Aylin was a very strict mentor and while she did praise Hecate’s accomplishments, would also not hold back during their training and did bonk her with her cane when she did something wrong. While Hecate did see Aylin as a sort of surrogate parent figure, Aylin also wasn’t the warmest of people, referring to Hecate simply as “girl”, despite having a genuine care for Hecate beneath her cold facade.

At some point in her mid to late teens, Hecate went into town and encountered a thief. However, before she could do anything, a human boy (Flint Bartley) and a half elf girl (Keya Valerson) stopped the thief and helped her. Hecate recognised Keya’s dagger as belonging to The Crimson Order and discovered that Keya was already part of The Order, but had only just recently moved to that area which is why the two hadn’t met prior. Meanwhile, Flint had recently lost his mother and didn’t have anywhere to go so they invited him to join The Crimson Order and he agreed. From there, the three became inseparable friends and helped each other train. At some point during this time, Aylin left to study elsewhere. 

This friendship between Flint, Keya and Hecate eventually evolved into a romance, Flint asking the two girls out. Hecate said yes right away but Keya decided to think about it for a little while before she agreed. From there, the three started their romantic relationship. This relationship was, in many ways, the first time Hecate was able to be truly close with someone. This was also her first romantic relationship and it lasted for a year. 

Unfortunately, it wouldn’t last longer. As part of their roles in The Crimson Order, they were sent to fight and kill an orthion. Hecate would return but Flint and Keya did not. Hecate stayed with The Order for a year before having to leave due to grief. Hecate left with the intent of continuing her studies and specifically learning to revive the dead completely, in the hopes of bringing Keya and Flint back one day. While she knows her type of magic doesn't have the capacity for that, she's holding out hope.

Personality

Hecate is very socially awkward and quiet, rarely talking about herself. She is a curious and observant person, often trying to figure things out about people, though rarely being correct despite her intelligence. This curiosity paired with her lack of understanding of social cues tends to manifest itself as her doing research in unconventional ways such as using corpses or parts of corpses for research after battles. She is also extremely blunt and despite not talking much, isn’t scared to speak her mind when she doesn’t approve of someone's actions. 

Despite her ease at disapproving of someone, she struggles with extremely low self esteem and abandonment issues that lead to her struggling to openly care for someone, being reluctant to call her housemate/landlord, Brig, her friend despite her protectiveness of him, their closeness, and Brig referring to her as “my friend” multiple times. She’s also hesitant to call the members of the party her friends, typically opting to just call them her party members or just telling them that she trusts them. This stems from a fear of caring for someone again, only to lose them. She even goes as far as hiding her affiliation with The Crimson Order from the party out of fear that they’ll reject her due to The Order’s bad reputation and complex history with The Chantry. 

Hecate is a very intelligent individual and her skill in magic is one of the few things she seems to be confident in, getting defensive when someone insinuates that she isn’t good at or interested in magic. It is possible this stems from magic being her autistic special interest. 

Appearance

Hecate has purple skin with a few freckles along her nose and a small scar on her right cheek. Her hair is long and black with a bit of hair that goes down her face, reaching her nose. Her eyes are black and downturned. She has white horns that protrude from her forehead and round to the back of her head. Her tail is mostly purple like her skin but the end is black and fluffy. Her ears are pointed and her body type is curvy. 

Style wise, she predominantly wears long dresses and skirts, predominately white but occasionally black. She occasionally pairs her outfits with a black cloak. She wears black boots that are fantasy gothic in style and paints her nails black. She also wears black and silver goth style jewellery and dark makeup. 

Trivia

Her favourite flowers are white roses

She is autistic and magic is her special interest

She suffers from depression and PTSD

Her spellbook is her comfort item and she’ll fidget with it when she’s nervous 

She keeps a white rose given to her from Flint in her spellbook

Her infernal dagger originally belonged Keya and is her favourite weapon

She stims by flapping her hands and bouncing on her heels, particularly when she’s excited

She likes to draw when she isn’t reading

She doesn’t like loud noise or wearing pants because of her sensory issues (she instead prefers dresses and skirts, even when fighting)

Her familiar is a crow named Gale

She has a high alcohol tolerance

She likes to take notes on the people around her to better remember details about them or understand them better, especially new people

Her spellbook was given to her by Aylin Dahast, her mentor

Her favourite season is spring, closely followed by Winter and autumn

While visiting a fortune teller, Hecate got the judgement card, death card, and the hermit card all in reverse (big oof)

Her MBTI is INTP

She considers Keya and Flint her first loves, not just her first relationship

She gets sea sick

[ankhisms]

im thinking of gobusters (as i often do) but more specifically thinking about the original tragedy that pushes the rest of the story forward. rest of my rambling under the cut its not too long but i dont want to clog up peoples dashes

when i first watched all the way thru gobusters i was more focused on what youko and hiromu lost on that day, not to say that i wasnt focused on ryuuji or didnt care about him because i did care about him but i think it was easier for me to be a bit more overwhelmed by the story of two very young children losing their parents in a horrible accident. and i was thinking, presumably ryuujis parents are still alive, unlike youko and hiromu he doesnt lose his parents in the tragedy. we never really see his parents so sometimes its kind of easy to assume that ryuuji has lost his parents as well but thats not the case. and for a minute i was like okay but he lost somebody right who did he lose and then it hit me that it was his mentor figure that he lost, jin. i had already put plenty of thought into jins character and his relationships with the main trio along with kuroki (because i love jin hes so good) but again because of being swept up in the tragedy of youko and hiromus parents i feel like i didnt fully process what ryuuji must have been going through until just now. ive talked before about how compared to youko and hiromu, ryuuji was able to have a normal childhood and first few teenage years before the messiah accident happened and life became about training. but even having a normal childhood and a few teenage years doesnt erase the fact that ryuuji as a teen had his mentor die and was very suddenly in a position of having to take care of and raise a young girl. ive mentioned this a few times but around 2020 my own mentor figure passed away and despite having complicated feelings about him as i got older he still was incredibly important in my life and im still grieving him, so thinking about ryuuji losing jin like that as a teen... its gotta be earth shattering, but hes still gotta keep himself relatively together for youko. raising a kid when you yourself are still basically one is hard, and that definitely also probably was a challenge for ryuuji as well, but thats not to say that his relationship with youko is a negative thing. if anything i would say she was probably the light in that dark time, the familial and sibling relationship youko and ryuuji have (along with the familial relationship all of the gobusters have but im focusing more on ryuuji and youko here) is really part of the heart of this show- and i think its a good parallel/narrative foil for the relationship that escape and enter have but thats a whole other post. ive started to lose my train of thought but im just thinking about how ryuuji may have not lost his parents that day 13 years ago but he still experienced a huge loss of someone very important to him and at the same time gained a whole new set of responsibilities where he very suddenly has to be more grown up and care for someone whos relying on him.

[writingwithcolor]

Desexualized Mammy & Strong Black Woman, too busy for “frivolous love”

“Alyse” (Anon Submission) asked:

My science fiction story includes a black woman (Talia) who raises two children that aren’t her own and takes on two young adults as apprentices. One of the children she is raises has Arabic background and was taken into her home upon his father’s death (his mother’s whereabouts are unknown). She was a close friend of his father and the closest thing he had to a relative. The second child has mixed French-Latinx background and was taken in after becoming shipwrecked with no means by which to contact her people. Talia was the first non-hostile individual she encountered and one of the few who would so openly embrace a stranger. Since Talia is Master Medic (the highest medical authority in her community) she is training two apprentices (think residency) and eventually mentors the second child as well. She was once married and passionately in love but lost her husband to illness. In this setting, some technology we take for granted is inaccessible and violence against their people is commonplace. Most have experienced sudden loss. This particular loss was the catalyst that drove Talia into medicine- a desire to protect her loved ones and prevent others from experiencing similar tragedy. She is usually kind (though businesslike) but sometimes succumbs to a frigid, furious depression when, despite all her knowledge and determination, she can’t save someone. 

I worry that her maternal association with the two children (one of whom is an outsider) mires her in the mammy trope. On top of that, she hasn’t pursued romance since the death of her husband. I’ve considered giving her a romantic subplot but there are already so many characters to keep track of. Furthermore, I just can’t see her engaging in the frivolous pursuits of new love when she’s dealing with kids, students, and an extremely taxing career. 

In terms of race and culture in this story, practically every character can trace their ancestry back to populations displaced through war. Even Talia’s second child was shipwrecked during a botched evacuation from a military science lab. The people who live here have been isolated for generations and no longer have a real concept of their ancestry. Cultures have blended, new religions have formed, and many of our familiar racial/ethnic issues are forgotten. However, new and different but equally toxic ones have replaced them. In this way, Talia’s blackness doesn’t carry the same associations in her world as it would in ours. However, readers may still make these associations. Do you see any issues with her character that I could amend? 

So! You have:

A highly educated Black-coded woman (the highest medical authority in the community)

She raises two kids alone 

She also looks after two apprentices

She is widowed (not sure the race of the husband, was he Black?)

Having experienced heartbreaking love, Talia's drive to look after, protect and save people through medicine is a great motivation for the way she is. Her experiencing depression and taking losses seriously is also very human and is dynamic characterization. 

However, such characterization with Black women is prone to brush across several tropes. You have a Black woman who gives and protects, but what does she get in return? Who cares for her? 

Prioritize your Black character’s happiness

"I’ve considered giving her a romantic subplot but there are already so many characters to keep track of. Furthermore, I just can’t see her engaging in the frivolous pursuits of new love when she’s dealing with kids, students, and an extremely taxing career." 

Priorities, priorities. Is love a frivolous pursuit in her eyes, or yours? Because I strongly disagree. You probably don't mean to but you, as the author, having an excuse to NOT give the Black woman romance is showing that you do not think she's worth being loved. TV viewers and stans who are uncomfortable when Black women characters have relationships find similar excuses to explain away not wanting BW in relationships.

"She's too strong and independent for a man/relationship" 

"I liked her better alone." 

"It'll take away from her character."

“A romance doesn’t feel right for her”

These sorts of statements above are grounded in racialized misogyny. 

Relationships do not lessen the woman.

Relationships does not lessen Black women. 

Love

Whether that love is romantic, familial, or friendship, it can come in many forms. Give Talia love. Because Black women characters deserve it! Either one or all! 

Let her have a loyal best friend, a cat, and a girlfriend. Because why not? And not to downplay the love of children to parents, but please provide her love beyond what she gets on a maternal level from the children she looks after. 

The stories that Black women are in today severely lack love for us, so why add to the narrative of Black women being all work and no play, and too [insert excuse here] to be loved? 

Of course, you didn't provide all the details from your story, but I'm not seeing much of a balance from the struggle. She is a caretaker, teacher, doctor (or doctor-like figure). 

Her position and background in itself is okay. It's the Strong Black Woman being presented with seemingly no commentary that strikes me. 

Where is her team to help balance the weight of the world? 

Who takes care of her when she's depressed from another loss? 

What does she get in return from taking an emotional and physical toll to heal her community? 

Do those around her recognize all she does for them and offer their friendship? 

When does she get to relax and turn off the need to be everything for everybody?

Fitting love into a book with many characters

There are many books with several characters to keep track of. People tend to manage. Also, I'm sure some of those characters are in and/or out of relationships. Even stories that couldn’t be classified as romances have relationships of some sort. It’s unrealistic to have a ton of characters and none of them be in relationship(s) of some sort. Not when there’s so many forms of it and many sexualities. 

Friends, frenemies, enemies, romance, affairs.. Relationships make stories (and life) interesting. By no means do I think adding these dynamics harm your tale. And what’s one more for a hard-working Black woman who sacrifices a lot and clearly deserves a shoulder to lean on? And, if you use an existing character to be that friend, family, or lover, then you won’t need to pencil in another character.

For romance specifically - I think a misconception when it comes to including romance in stories is that they have to somehow take over the story. Romance does not have to bombard the plot nor be described in lavish detail. Not every story is a romance and those sort of details aren’t everyone’s style or things they’re comfortable with. A sentence or two establishing relationships does not take away from the story.And how those relationships look and affections expressed will vary based on the characters, sexuality, etc.

Not every character needs to have a deep level of detail. 

“Katie and Lisa, a newly engaged couple, walked into the meeting.”

“Jack and Jamie are a married couple in their 40s.” 

“The two met in college. After two months of blissful courtship, they eloped, eager to start their happily ever afters. Twenty years together, they were still blissfully in love and never too far from one another.”

Sentences like the above are enough for some characters. You don’t always need to put in paragraphs worth of relationship-establishing details or plot. 

When it comes to the characters whose love you would like to highlight, at least a bit, you still don’t have to go over the top.

Use subtle details. 

“As soon as Talia’s back was turned, he gave her a longing look before shaking his head and getting back to the patient.”

“He squeezed her hand before taking hold of the stethoscope.”

“She kissed her wife goodbye before racing out the door.”

“You mean the world to me.” he had said, holding her face. Those words stayed with her all day, making her heavy load light as a sack of feathers.

“She soaked his shirt with her tears and he just held her tight, saying nothing, silently holding her together.”

As for Talia specifically…

Talia having the mindset you described, as love being frivolous and not a priority, is understandable knowing her background (I just don't agree with you as the creator using this as a means to keep her alone. Whether she’s romantically alone or without close friendships). She has lost so much, and continues to experience loss with patients. This can be extremely traumatizing. I gave some examples of being subtle, so perhaps that will help with the burden of feeling a thick subplot of romance doesn’t fit in your story. 

And as Talia doesn’t strike me as someone who would go looking for companionship, what if she stumbles upon it without trying? Is there someone on the medical team that can offer her friendship? Someone who admires her and feels the urge to care for her that she feels the same for, or has pushed feelings down for? What happens when she can’t hold those feelings down anymore?

Takeaway

Talia deserves healthy love, even if she doesn’t believe it or feel she has time for it. That love can come in any and many forms, not necessarily romantically required, although it is a plus. A struggle-ridden novel is balanced by love, support and rest for characters that hold the weight of the world. If you do not, evaluate why you want to write Black characters in these struggle roles without at least a social commentary. 

~Mod Colette

[bigskydreaming]

#when i read about tim i often kind of come to the idea that he's relatively self centered#and that can be both a flaw and a strength#but he doesn't often consider other people's feelings and circumstances#like when dick made damian robin he didn't really consider the situation from anyone else's view#or in his origin story#he doesn't seem to consider how dick would feel about hearing how tim was affected by dick's parents' death#or with the spyral situation#or in regards to him earning robin#and its pretty consistent in fandom characterization even if a lot of writers don't seem to be aware of it#its interesting cause i think its something i think he has in common with bruce#its honestly a surprisingly consistent thing from what i see#and it can be a strength to#it can absolutely lead to some confidence and self actualization#as well as being able commit to fixing something and working hard at it#because you believe you can and don't think anyone else can/will do it via @emenerd

Y’know, what’s interesting to me about these points is the fact that like.....Tim having tendencies towards self-centeredness is actually something that COMPLETELY makes sense and can be quite sympathetic in light of his backstory of having neglectful parents.

In an age of armchair diagnosticians eager to label anyone who expresses a controversial viewpoint while centering themselves as an example, as like, having a narcissistic personality disorder (and with the loaded implication that this makes them a bad person even if its true, instead of just....having a disorder, yay weaponizable ableism) like, it can be important to add in distinctions that even tendencies that share overlap with a lot of things born of entitlement, etc....aren’t always necessarily proof of that.

For instance, in Tim’s case, an overemphasis on himself and his own position in situations and arguments can very reasonably be attributed as a coping mechanism he developed in an attempt to acknowledge and address self-esteem issues he sees himself as having, DUE to parental neglect.

Its not that he thinks he’s the most important person in the room, necessarily, its that he spent so many years not even being considered a person in the room, that now he OVERCOMPENSATES on his own behalf, in an attempt to remind himself that no, his opinion and feelings and situations do matter.....and because he like most of the Bat-characters has a tendency towards hyper-fixating on a problem they’re trying to address, this can also understandably create a kind of tunnel vision. Where he’s so busy focusing on what he’s diagnosed as an actual issue he has that he’s trying to address or make up for, in order to build up his self-esteem....that he neglects to keep everyone around him equally centered in his interactions with them, and remember that like, they have their own issues and ignoring that to focus entirely on his own runs the risk of negatively impacting them in the exact same way he’s still learning to cope with having been negatively impacted in his development as a child.

None of this makes him a bad person, or is stuff that can’t be addressed and developed just by paying the appropriate attention to it and his interactions.

SO the issue I tend to more often have....

Is with how often in fandom and fanon we hear references to Tim’s neglect and emotional abuse and how this impacted him.....much in the same way we see Jason and Cass and Damian and Dick’s various forms of abuse and the developmental impact it had on them....

BUT there tends to then be a disconnect, IMO, because that acknowledgment of the WHAT of Tim’s neglect and abuse and the HOW it hurt him.....isn’t often followed up by an examination/awareness of how it also SHAPED him.....at least, not compared to how discussions/fics about say, Jason’s abuse tend to point out the latter as much as the former.

And this is a big part of my gripe with the ways abuse is centered and tackled as a topic in fics and fandom discussions, because its so often capitalized upon as a defense or shield for a character from criticism, stuff like that.....without ever actually EXPLORING the topic itself, or the FULLNESS of the impact it can have.

But only in regards to some characters.

What I mean is like....we see a lot of focus on Jason’s childhood abuse, yeah? And this often is then connected through headcanons, meta and fics to various aspects of Jason’s characterization as a teenager, and as an adult as well.....with a tendency towards anger or violence, abrasive personality, etc. Don’t get me wrong, its usually presented as such in a SYMPATHETIC light, especially when raised by fans of Jason themselves.....but his abuse is very much present and centered in fics and discussions as something that not only impacted him and made him suffer, but something that actually shaped him to varying degrees as well....with a lot of focus then in fics of him as an adult, like, paid to him going to therapy and unpacking his childhood abuse in an effort to WORK on these aspects of himself that make his present day life harder or less healthy than he’d like it to be. The issue of how his abuse lent itself to various behaviorisms is raised in order to address various byproducts of his abuse as FLAWS that he seeks to eliminate, in order to make himself happier and make himself someone that people want to be around more.

And again, don’t get me wrong - for the most part, this is a GOOD thing. The caveat here is just a personal dislike I have for how often these narratives smack of a kind of saviorism, and act like it was only through the grace of Bruce and becoming part of the Batfam that Jason’s ever afforded the opportunity to better himself as a person. I dislike the hell out of this because it not only pairs all too well with a lot of classist shit, it feeds into the singular narrative we’re so often presented with by media about abused kids: the myth of the victim being destined to become a victimizer, it all being an inevitable cycle. The reason this myth is so easily perpetuated is the exact reason I’m so critical of the saviorism in a lot of abused-Jason fics.....people can very easily fall into the trap of assuming that abused kids are likely to grow up to be abusers because they never have anyone to TEACH them that abuse is wrong, or to lead by healthy example. 

The harm of this perception is that it kinda throws under the bus every kid who never lucks out and gets a Bruce Wayne style savior swooping in to not only save them from their abusive environs, but TEACH them that they deserved better and that abuse is wrong. 

Because its like, uh, the thing is, plenty of abused kids who never get a personal mentor or savior figure are fully capable of figuring out for themselves that they deserve better and that people hurting them is wrong, because it makes them feel bad and they don’t like that? 

Many abused kids don’t grow up in a media vacuum where they simply have no access to glimpses of lives different from their own.....we see kids having happier, healthier family lives on TV or in books and are able to figure out that society overall thinks that’s what family is SUPPOSED to look like, and its ours that is the aberration? 

The very fact that we’re taught or have it instilled in us by abusive parents that like, we’re not to bring up instances or examples of our abuse to teachers or friends, that its a SECRET, is like, usually a dead giveaway that there’s something WRONG with it that we’re being instructed - and enforced with abusive consequences - to keep from alerting others to....like, this is basically a blaring siren to a lot of us that no, what’s happening to us ISN’T normal and acceptable, and that’s literally WHY the parent we’re afraid of is so insistent on us keeping the facts of it hidden? 

And so like, tons of abused kids figure out for ourselves the difference between right or wrong, based off nothing more than our own feelings about things and a desire to not be like the people who make us feel miserable - like, never underestimate the power of spite to like, keep a kid from growing up doing the same thing to others that was done to them, lol. 

But point being, lots of kids never get a Bruce Wayne figure to take them away from their abuse and also teach them that they never deserved it and how not to pass the hurt forward by doing the same things to others. And its kinda condescending as fuck that we so often see narratives that take it as so obvious it barely merits commenting on, that like, ‘of COURSE abused kids grow up to become abusers if they don’t have someone else step in and show them a better way’....mmm, no. Fuck that. But you get what I mean.

So like, its a mixed bag. Its a good thing, to see Jason-centric stories that show him addressing his childhood and seeking just a more fuller, happier, healthier life for himself. Its a less great thing to see this narrative presented as all encompassing, with it never being raised that no, Jason actually could figure out he deserved better and how to treat people in ways he’d want to be treated even without a billionaire guardian angel.....NOT because the narrative wherein someone helps an abused kid figure out what was wrong about how they were treated is like, NEVER valid....but rather it just becomes a problem when looked at as a data point against the larger tapestry of fandom-wide works....and noticing that this specific narrative is pretty much the ONLY one raised or treated as valid. With it just being ASSUMED to be the natural course of events and characters, rather than just....the direction society overall has their perceptions of abuse steered towards due to a singular and constantly reinforced abuse narrative shown to us in media.

And the way this all plays back into my point about Tim and what took me down this road in general.....

Is that disconnect I was talking about, lies specifically in HOW Tim is often acknowledged and regarded as an abuse survivor due to his emotional abuse and neglect......with this abuse and its impact on HIM often taking center stage, much the way Jason’s abuse and its impact takes center stage in his narratives.....

BUT with a key difference being that while a lot of Jason’s narratives go on to denote the specific ways his abuse helped SHAPE him and his interactions with others, and raise and address the ways in which he can better himself and his relationships by unpacking all of this openly....

Most of the stories about Tim’s abuse/neglect tend to just STOP at the awareness of its existence and impact on him. Never taking it that one step further to examine how those specific forms of abuse could have additionally SHAPED him....in ways that sometimes negatively impact those around him and his own loved ones, even if this is completely unintentional on his part. The difference, the disconnect, lies solely in how rarely its ever acknowledged that Tim’s own upbringing can and does play directly into how he interacts with people later on in life.....and in ways that he’s fully capable of addressing and bettering himself so as to be happier and healthier just in his own life, and in his relationships, as someone others want to be around.

Aaaaand once you actually examine or consider WHY there’s this discrepancy between the full ramifications of Tim’s abuse and that which various siblings of his underwent, when there’s full agreement that what he did go through absolutely can be termed abusive as well....like, its the implications of what about Tim makes him more naturally resistant or whatever to being shaped by his abuse in ways that have actual negative impact on others in his life, whereas the same isn’t true of say, Jason.....that’s when the red flags start to go up for me, and the unintended subtext starts to get Less Than Stellar, IMO.

Anyway. Just food for thought on the subject of Tim, his upbringing, the various impacts this had on not JUST him but also on how he interacts with others, and ways in which all of this compares and contrasts with how the subject of abuse is raised and depicted in regards to other Batkids.

[five-rivers]

Adoption (part 2)

A gift for @a-flower-lover!  This wound up being more along the lines of vignettes...  Little snapshots into Danny’s life after being adopted by Clockwork.  I hope that’s ok!  (PART 1)

.

Mr. Lancer had met Charles Worth before, albeit briefly. The man had fostered a number of Casper High students and with that responsibility came parent-teacher conferences. He had struck Mr. Lancer as being steady and reliable, if, perhaps, impersonal, despite his predilection for clocks and ominous announcements. A decent foster parent, if not... ideal.

Mr. Worth just didn't seem to connect with his fosters, although he certainly didn't neglect them. Then, too, were the persistent rumors that his home was haunted.

Alright. So, Mr. Lancer didn't think Charles Worth was really a children person. Oh, he was a good person! It took one to do well as a foster parent, but... yeah.

Which was why the scene in front of him surprised him so much. Not the who of it, but the what.

The who was Daniel Fenton and Charles Worth waiting outside the office. The what was smiling and having a conversation. True, Mr. Fenton's smile looked like it was pasted on over several layers of anxiety, but it was genuine.

"Mr. Worth, Mr. Fenton?" he said, tamping down his surprise. "Come on in."

"Hi," said Mr. Fenton, his voice hoarse.

Mr. Worth smiled and nodded, pushing him up with his cane.

But Mr. Fenton must have noticed the curious look Mr. Lancer was giving him. "I knew Cl- Uh. Mr. Worth before this." He winced and smiled widely to cover it up. "So, uh, make up work? Since I missed the past week?"

"Yes, well, circumstances being what they are," aka his parents trying to murder him in public, in broad daylight (and didn't that give Mr. Lancer a chill?), "your teachers have put together a few packets for you to look over this weekend. They should get you more or less up to speed with where your classes are. I'm also willing to stay after school, to help you with anything you've missed in my classes."

.

Jazz knocked on the door of the Worth house. She had been made aware, via various supernatural (she did not particularly appreciate writing suddenly appearing on her fogged-up bathroom mirror) and mundane (Danny did have her phone number) means, that the man known as Charles Worth was actually the ghost known as Clockwork.

How this had occurred was not entirely clear to her. She assumed ghost powers, specifically time travel, were involved somehow.

But, to be honest, that didn't really matter to her. It was secondary, less than.

What was important here was that she hadn't been legally allowed to see her little brother in over a month. To keep her parents from contacting him. To keep her from letting her parents near him. Because they were legally barred from seeing him.

Because they had tried to kill him.

Jazz planned on never seeing her parents again, as soon as she got all of her and Danny's things from their house.

But now that prohibition had been lifted, because Clockwork had forced through what had to be the speediest adoption in the history of adoptions, and Danny was now legally his son. In the eyes of both humans and ghosts. Which was... Well. Danny seemed to be excited about it, anyway. He'd looked up to Clockwork for a while, from what he told Jazz.

Internally, Jazz had more than a bit of trepidation. She didn't know what adoption meant to ghosts, didn't have any context for it. And ghosts, even the good ones, even Danny, tended to be... obsessive. Extreme. She wasn't sure how that would translate when it came to interpersonal relationships.

The door creaked open, ever so slowly, the squeak it made grating on her eardrums. At first, it appeared to have opened on its own, then a hand gripped the edge of the door, and Clockwork, in human guise, leaned out from behind it.

Jazz raised an eyebrow.

Clockwork raised one right back. "This house is haunted, you know," he said.

Okay, never mind. The only thing she had to worry about was the fact that her brother and his mentor both had terrible senses of humor.

"Hi, Jazz!"

Being used to having a half-ghost brother, Jazz only yelped a little bit at his unexpected appearance behind her. Then she sighed and ruffled his hair. He hugged her and then bounced over the lintel into the house.

"Come on! I want to show you my room! It's so cool!" His voice became fainter as he went farther into the house, until his last exclamation was an eerie whisper.

Jazz looked at Clockwork as she stepped inside. "Is he doing that on purpose?"

Clockwork smiled blandly. "I am very fond of the acoustics in this house."

She looked at her surroundings with a skeptical eye. "It seems... dark in here."

"We are ghosts," said Clockwork. "Daniel is very excited to show you his room, by the way."

"He's human, too, don't forget," said Jazz.

"I won't."

.

The house was creepy.

Really creepy.

This was coming from someone who had spent most of her life living under the same roof as two ghost-obsessed mad scientists.

But Danny seemed to enjoy it, and he was the one living here. It wasn't like there was anything wrong with the house. Or anything in the house. It was just... off.

Danny was half-ghost, however, so maybe this was something he needed. Perhaps not all of his peppiness could be attributed to being the heck away from his murderous former parents.

Even so. Jazz had a duty, both as a big sister and an aspiring psychologist.

"I already read it," said Clockwork, setting a cup of tea down in front of her.

"What?"

"The book you were about to give me. I've already read it. And a number of others. I am not the kind of person who goes into things unprepared."

Danny rolled into the kitchen on the ceiling. This was easy to ignore. After her life, an Exorcist reference made by her over-excited younger brother, was, well. Underwhelming.

(Okay, she was a little distracted, but only by his glee.)

"Well," she said. "That's good."

.

"I know this house is out of the way," said Clockwork, craning his neck to look up at his coworker, "but you are rather conspicuous."

"Hm. Am I?" asked Pandora, craning her neck down to look at her comparatively tiny colleague.

"Yes. At that size, humans with average eyesight will be able to see you from town."

Pandora looked out over the trees. "Interesting," she said, mildly. "Do you think the ghost hunters will come?"

"You've spoken to Daniel."

"Yes. He stopped by earlier today, on his way to visit Mattingly. Although, I suppose you knew that already."

"Indeed I did. May I ask, is it your intention to lure the ghost hunters here, fight them, defeat them, and then leave them just close enough to here to constitute a breach of their terms of bail and the restraining order against them?"

"I am not terribly well-versed in human law," said Pandora, "but, why, yes. That is exactly what I'm doing. Best to get it done while Daniel is visiting friends, isn't it?"

"Yes. If you had done this while he was here, I would be significantly more annoyed." Clockwork smiled the sanguine smile of a parental figure who would commit murder if their child was upset.

Pandora returned a matching grin, one that promised retribution against persons who had harmed said child in the past. "Please, Clockwork. You know me better than that. I wouldn't subject him to being in the presence of those fools."

"Good," said Clockwork, eyes glinting.

.

"Hey, Clockwork? Do you know why there were police cars driving down the- Oh. Hello?" He stopped at the sight of an unfamiliar woman sitting at the dinning room table, next to Clockwork. He blinked and tilted his head to the side. "Wait. Pandora?"

"Perceptive," said the superficially human olive-skinned woman. "You seemed so happy when you stopped by, earlier. I thought I would come check in on you."

"You didn't have to," said Danny, beaming.

"Pandora has been trying to convince me to set her up as one of my relatives," said Clockwork, rolling his eyes. "Would you care for a cup of tea, Daniel?"

"Umm," said Danny, dubiously. "I'll try one, I guess. Does that mean you'll be my aunt?"

Pandora smiled. "Why, yes, it does."

Clockwork groaned theatrically.

.

"Ah," said Mr. Lancer, at the next parent-teacher conference. "Are you Mr. Worth's wife?"

"No," said Pandora, grinning. "I'm his sister."

Mr. Lancer looked back and forth between the two very different-looking entities. "I... see."

"We're adopted," said Clockwork.

"Oh! Alright then. Now, about Daniel..."

.

It was a bit strange to see Danny with so much energy, Sam reflected. Strange, but good.

It just went to show how drained he had become over time, how much the constant ghost attacks and worry, all the lies and stress and impossible expectations had worn away at him over time. She hadn't seen her friend this happy since freshman year. If that.

On the other hand...

"Dude," said Tucker. "Your house is spooky. And this is coming from someone who's been inside a literal mad science lab."

Danny rolled his eyes. "Mad science labs are campy, not spooky. Besides, you knew coming in that this house was haunted." He draped himself over the back of the couch, rolling until he was 'sitting' upside-down. "Anyway, what kind of movie do you want to watch? We've got a bunch, because Clockwork apparently collects media from doomed timelines."

"He's got a hobby?" asked Sam.

"Yeah, three," said Danny. "Gardening- you should talk to him about that, by the way, I think he'd like it- baking, and alternate timeline movies. And some books, too, I think. He's got a huge library back in Long Now. I've read like. Two books from it."

Clockwork's voice floated in from the other room. "You've read significantly more than that, Daniel."

"I guess," said Danny, doubtfully. He flopped off the couch, picked himself up, and started prodding at a shelf of movies. "This is from a timeline where the Earth got beaned by a massive asteroid. It's, like, a romcom, but it was made when everyone knew the asteroid was coming. This one is, uh, this is actually a dramatization of real events, apparently, but their timeline split from ours in like the fifties, so the events are pretty wild." He waved the DVD at them. "It's surreal?"

"How'd they die?" asked Tucker.

"Wacky superscience. No, really. Irradiated the entire planet."

"How do you know?" asked Sam.

"Oh, Clockwork puts notes on the boxes. He thinks it's interesting. And there does seem to be some correlation between how cursed the movies are and how bad the timeline was. Which maybe shouldn't surprise me? I mean, if they were bad timelines..." He shrugged. "Oh, this is a CGI Lion King. I can tell you: very cursed. Absolutely soulless. And this is from a timeline where copyright laws weren't changed, so Mickey Mouse and a bunch of other stuff was in the public domain."

"Isn't that a good timeline?" joked Sam.

"You'd think so," agreed Danny. "But apartheid in South Africa apparently never stopped, and they got a nuclear bomb, and, well... World War Three."

"Is that like, a domino effect, or...?"

"I'm not sure... Anyway. Uh. Genre?" He clapped his hands together.

Tucker leaned forward. "I want the wildest version of the Matrix you have."

"Ooh, good choice. There are, like, six with Will Smith. I haven't watched them all yet, but I think the one where they've got another sequel and Zion is also a- Wait, I shouldn't spoil it."

"After that, can you see if there's a non-crappy version of Dracula?" asked Sam.

"Sure. I haven't seen one yet, but I will look."

"I have popcorn," said Clockwork, entering the room, "and various baked goods. No dairy."

"You're the best."

.

Clockwork selected a thick blanket from the chest, then teleported himself to the living room to drape it over the three teenagers passed out on the couch. Overall, he found pretending to be human oddly enjoyable, but it could be trying at times. Tedious. All the finicky little motions humans had to go through to do the simplest of things added up over the day.

So, Clockwork tended to ease off of them when no one was watching. It made life easier.

Heh. Life.

(He would say that Daniel's puns were rubbing off on him, but in truth Clockwork's sense of humor had been like that for, well. Eons.)

He put the kitchen in order with an absent wave of his hand, and double-checked the stove out of habit. It wasn't nearly as good as his actual oven, back in Long Now, but it was serviceable.

One of Daniel's friends mumbled in their sleep, and Clockwork looked in on them. Still peaceful. It was good for Daniel to have them here. Beneficial for both his human and ghost halves.

He hummed to himself and patted Daniel's head as he thought about their plans for the weekend. He had arranged for some truly aggravating evangelical missionaries to darken their doorstep. It would do Daniel good to inspire a touch of terror. In an entirely controlled and risk-free way, of course. No matter how unpleasant the people coming were, Clockwork had no intention of harming them, or suggesting anything of the sort.

But, well. They were ghosts. Being feared was soothing.

(Clockwork knew this wasn't what Jasmine meant when she suggested Clockwork engage in family bonding activities with Daniel. But what she didn't know...)

.

"I think my teeth are getting sharper," said Danny, pulling a face at the mirror. "Is that normal?" The last was shouted, to get Clockwork's attention. Intellectually, Danny knew he didn't need to do that, but a lifetime of habit was hard to shake.

"It is difficult to say what is normal for someone like you, but many ghosts do have fangs," said Clockwork. "Including myself."

"Hm," said Danny. "This isn't, like, a ghost puberty thing, is it? Because I already used up most of my evil puberty jokes."

"Oh, only most?" Clockwork slid behind him and started rubbing the tension out of his shoulders.

Danny shrugged. "Eh, give or take. But, seriously."

"No, it isn't a ghost puberty thing."

"Oh, good. Because dealing with one puberty is more than enough."

Clockwork was silent. Danny looked up and met troubled eyes in the mirror.

"Clockwork?"

"Daniel," started Clockwork, before giving Danny an uneasy smile. "Speaking of puberty..."

Danny blanched. "No."

"What?"

"No. Nope. Not doing the talk today, no sir. I got that at school."

"Daniel, as strange as Casper High may be at times, I highly doubt they taught you anything about immortality."

"What."

.

"It's why ghosts put so much forethought into relationships like this," explained Clockwork, careful not to look directly at Daniel's hiding place. "They might last forever. I certainly hope this one does."

"But I don't want to be a teenager forever!" wailed Danny. He had mastered the art of making his voice sound like it was coming from a completely different direction than it actually was.

Clockwork was older than human civilization and had been worshiped as a god by several civilizations. He did not wince at the heartbreak in his child's voice.

"Your shapeshifting abilities should come in after a few years," said Clockwork. "You'll be able to pass as older."

Daniel answered with a moan.

"I must confess, I'm not sure why you are so upset about this. I can see that you are, but could you explain why for me?"

"I don't knoooooowww..."

.

"I don't want everyone to die and leave me alone," admitted Danny, hunched over a carton of ice cream. "I don't want to see my- my people die." He sniffled.

"We don't have to stay in Amity Park if you don't want to," said Clockwork.

Danny shook his head. "No! That's worse," he said, hating how his voice tilted into a whine. "That's- I can't abandon them! I can't- can't miss their time. I just..." He let out a huff of air. "It's hard."

Clockwork wrapped an arm around Daniel's shoulders. "It may not help much," he said, "but people in Amity Park have a much higher chance of becoming ghosts. It's the ectoplasm in the air."

"Promise?" asked Danny.

"Promise. Although, who, exactly, becomes a ghost is outside of my control. All I can tell you is that the people here have a better chance."

Danny leaned against Clockwork. "Thanks," he mumbled. "Clockwork?"

"Yes?"

"You don't think I'm a freak, do you?"

"Of course not."

.

Mr. Lancer squinted down at Daniel Fenton's latest assignment with a mix of appreciation, disbelief, and shame. This was easily the best work he had ever received from Daniel. In fact, it rivaled papers he had received from Jasmine.

It made him wonder- How long had Daniel been suffering? What had Daniel been suffering? He was no expert when it came to abuse, but all teachers had some training, and he knew that abusers tended to escalate, starting with something relatively innocuous and ending with a travesty. For things to progress to attempted murder... What had it started as? When had it begun?

(Could Mr. Lancer have stopped it?)

(That question would haunt him more than any ghost.)

Well, there was a silver lining to this, Mr. Lancer supposed. He had rarely seen two people who got along as well as Daniel and Charles Worth. It was good, he thought, for the man to have someone in his life on a more permanent basis, rather than the revolving door of temporary foster children.

How rapidly the adoption went through was a little odd, but... Mr. Lancer shrugged. Undoubtedly, Mr. Worth had taken the time over his years as a foster parent to familiarize himself with the system, and with Daniel's former parents unfit to be anywhere near children...

He shrugged again and stamped Daniel's paper with an A+.

[thejakeformerlyknownasprince]

Have you noticed the thing in fanfics of children's lit where the writer gives the protagonist new parent figures? The parent figures say things like "no child should have had to do x!". PF's don't prevent protagonist from doing heroism but might ground them for it after. Under their care, the protagonist is likely to get a job, often at the business of the PF. Seems less common for the Animorph (more in ATLA and Harry Potter), but if you have seen this, what's going on? Why do writers do this?

Why do writers do this?

Welcome to the fandom renaissance, Nonny!  My best stab as to what’s going on here is that we’re seeing fewer and fewer shipping wars due to a whole range of forces from “the average age of fandom is increasing” to “there’s an ongoing post-monogamy societal shift.”   BUT that there’s still a desire to see relationship-building fic go in the gaps where (for instance) Pro-Jacob Anti-Edward fic used to go.  So instead of writing about Edward and Bella’s romance, people are writing about Edward and Carlisle’s mentorship, or Leah and Rosalie’s friendship.

What’s going on?

Again, a stab in the dark: it’s a really fun story premise, one that can get away from the way ships are sometimes fraught with baggage.  Found Family is intensely cathartic, in the sense that it takes characters who are miserable and/or lonely in canon and allows them to build loving relationships with each other.  It also (IMHO) reflects that trend among Millennial Whippersnappers to move away from nuclear definitions of “family” and toward embracing everything from polyamory to sexless romance to adult adoption.

Not only that, but it’s awesome in that it lets writers play so much with foils.  Stranger Things obviously does this Up to Eleven (pun intended): Steve’s an arrogant jerk when he’s interacting with Nancy but a dorky sweetheart around Dustin, Hopper’s at his worst around Joyce but at his best around El, Billy’s evil to Max but might be redeemable around his mom, etcetera.  This premise gives fan writers the chance to get wildly different characters into a room together — what if the Tonks family adopted Neville Longbottom? — and start playing out the fun potential.

Why Avatar and Harry Potter (but not Animorphs)?

In a word: FOILS.  Both AtLA and Harry Potter are series filled with good, bad, and ugly mentors, and both series have contrasts between the good and the bad.  For AtLA, it’s no accident that Zuko finally reuniting with his father in S3E1 is intercut with the scene of Katara finally reuniting with her father.  Katara’s fam airs their grievances, talks things out, yells, cries, apologizes, forgives, hugs, and affirms their ongoing love.  Zuko’s fam deals with having 500 times as much baggage by... Zuko kowtowing silently on the floor while Ozai talks about everything but their problems with each other.  After that sequence, the desire to get Zuko into a room with Hakoda for some proper fathering is practically overwhelming, and many brilliant fan writers have obliged us by doing exactly that.

For Harry Potter, there’s no scene that’s as in-your-face with the contrast between healthy vs. unhealthy disagreement with one’s father, but there are still plenty of mentor foils.  Sirius and Petunia are probably the clearest examples.  Sirius is a raging mess who (on the surface) has nothing to offer Harry: he’s an ex-con with a drinking problem and untreated mental health issues who spends much of the series homeless.  Petunia has her shit together and (on the surface) is the perfect guardian for Harry: she’s a wealthy full-time parent who lives in a large suburban house, and is both his closest surviving relative and his legal guardian.  But of course all Harry needs from a parent is love and support, and Sirius offers that in spades while Petunia has none to spare.  Again, the desire to rip Harry away from the Dursleys and ship him off to go be a Black is overwhelming, and many beautiful works of fan fiction have done exactly that.

Animorphs... doesn’t have mentor characters.  Like, none.  Elfangor dies, Toby does her own thing, Erek can’t be trusted, neither Ax nor Jake wants to mentor, and all adults are possible controllers.  Eva’s the closest we get, but by the time she’s free, everyone (especially Eva) recognizes that the Animorphs are already more experienced than her.  We don’t even see a dynamic like the Teen Titans show where the villains mentor the heroes — Jake and Marco might occasionally parallel Visser Three and Visser One, but they don’t learn from the vissers the way that Robin does from Slade or Raven does from Trigon.  The kids just... find their own way.  So while people have written fic where Elfangor or Eva or Mertil or Tom mentors the team, there’s not this in-your-face missed opportunity for the kids to get the parenting they deserve in Animorphs the way there is with Harry Potter and Avatar.

Have you noticed the thing?

Personally, I love this trend.  I’m not much of a shipper — I’m not fond of “will they or won’t they” romantic premises, and actively dislike “they will because they’re soulmates” premises.  My favorite Ship Dynamics are all platonic.  Like, my faves include (but are not limited to):

Grubby Semi-Feral Mentee and Aloof Socially-Incompetent Mentor Bond with Alarming Speed Over Niche Magical Interest (see: Briar and Rosethorn in Circle of Magic, Boy 412 and Marcia in Septimus Heap, Jason and Bruce in Batman, Wart and Merlin in The Once and Future King)

Well-Intentioned Loving Parent Irretrievably Fucks Up Child, Copes with Fallout (see: John and Dean in Supernatural, Adam and Cal in East of Eden, Soichiro and Light in Death Note, Elaine and T.J. in Political Animals)

I’ve Only Known This Person With Extremely Specific Shared Trauma for 10 Minutes But If Anything Happened to Them I Would Kill Everyone (see: Toph and Zuko in AtLA, Luke and Annabeth in Demigod Diaries, Ax and Tobias in Animorphs, Spike and Angel in Angel, Parker and Eliot in Leverage, Johanna and Finnick in Catching Fire)

Saving the World Sucks But At Least My Ultra-Competent Siblings Are Suffering With Me (see: Edmund and Lucy in Chronicles of Narnia, Sam and Dean in Supernatural, the Hargreeveses in Umbrella Academy, the Crains in Haunting of Hill House)

Just Because I Tried to Kill You That One Time Doesn’t Mean I Won’t Help You Hide a Body, JFC We’re Still Family and I Don’t Know What You Take Me For (see: the Robins in Batman, Septimus and Simon in Septimus Heap, Kyle and Ian in The Host)

We Were the Weird Cousins At All the Family Reunions and We’ve Only Gotten Weirder Since (see: Kate and George in Story Time, Jake and Rachel in Animorphs, Po and Bitterblue in Graceling Realm)

[kitkatopinions]

Okay, let’s talk about what I think is the biggest problem with Summer Rose. I don’t think it’s unrealistic for Ruby to react the way she has to Summer Rose and information about her from a character standpoint, but there wasn’t enough emphasis on her throughout the show to make me interested in her and specifically in how Ruby feels about her.

A lot of protagonists have at least one dead parent, and it doesn’t always feature prominently in the story they’re in - instead used as an excuse why the kids can do whatever they want without having to worry about parental figures, or backstory for why they’re the way that they are. But when the parents are treated as more significant, it’s better to make them consistently featured. It makes total sense for Ruby to not talk much or even think much about the mother that she lost when she was between the ages of two to four, but starts to talk about her more and be emotional about it once she gets some down time and during a time of personal crisis, especially as she’s learning new knowledge about what happened to Summer. That makes total sense from a character point of view. But as a viewer, I honestly didn’t care at all about Summer Rose past ‘why is Yang acting like Raven is her mom.’ Her grave was seen during the Red trailer, Yang talked about her in V2, and Ruby talked to her grave to start off V3 (which to me read as an ‘easy way to get exposition and remind everyone of some of the RWBY details’ scene.) And that’s it. That’s very little significance, I was given no reason to think she was going to matter to the storyline at all, I was given no reason to think she was going to matter to Ruby at all. If anything, I thought she might maybe matter to Yang, who clearly remembered her and who the story went out of their way to have talk about her, but then Yang didn’t talk about her mom until six seasons after the scene in volume 2. Which again, makes some semblance of sense from a character point of view, but made me think that Summer was unimportant and made me ambivalent to what was a non-character. We didn’t know anything about Summer past ‘good mom’ and ‘dead,’ for six seasons. We didn’t know anything about how Ruby felt about her mom past ‘talking to her grave one time’ and the knowledge that due to her age when Summer died, Ruby likely only has vague memories of her (if she has memories of her at all.)

Compare that to something like Harry Potter. (Quick disclaimer, as always, I’m not endorsing JKR, just comparing stories.) Time was taken out of the first book to establish not only Harry being an orphan, but Harry’s feelings towards it. Him looking in the Mirror of Erised and seeing not only his parents, but his family told us a lot about Harry’s longing for a family and to belong, and his attachment to the idea of his parents and family clearly connected to him (including through physical features that he’s been put down for having by the Dursley’s.) The first book also establishes connections to his parents through others. Hagrid knew his parents and got him a scrapbook of pictures of them, Snape hated his father, Dumbledore gave Harry his father’s invisibility cloak, and discussed the love spell his mother had made when she died, and told him about Snape and James’ ‘rivalry.’ I don’t remember if there was much connection to Harry’s parents in Chamber of Secrets, but in Prisoner of Azkaban, we start the story with Harry reacting defensively and using accidental magic (tied to emotional outbursts) when a relative starts insulting his parents, and then the whole book centers around the man who was framed for helping Voldemort murder Harry’s parents catching the real traitor, Harry meeting his father’s former best friends, getting yet another relic of his father’s, hearing more of the vague memory of his parents’ death when he’s encountered by the Dementors, thinking he had seen his father save him, etc. And the book tells us that Harry’s light based magical guardian Patronus takes the same form his father’s did. Then, in the fourth book, Harry resolves to face Voldemort head on whether he’ll die or not ‘like his father’ and literally sees the spirits of his parents and is able to talk to them briefly even though they’re dead through the use of a spell. In the Order of the Phoenix, Harry sees memories of his parents through Snape’s pensieve memories and his idealized versions of them (but specifically James) is challenged. He’s greatly bothered by this and seeks out advice and reassurance from his father’s friends. In the sixth book, the Half-Blood Prince, Harry gets a potions book with all kinds of recipes and useful spells written in the margins and starts thinking it might be his father’s, still desperate for a stronger connection to his parents, and at the same time, he’s interacting with a teacher who was fond of and talks about his mother. Consistently throughout the whole of the book series, people talk about James and Lily, we see the impact James and Lily had with other characters, we know how Harry feels about them, we know why Harry feels that way, we see his feelings about his parents start to adjust whenever he learns new information, we see the way their actions affect Harry’s actions.

So when Deathly Hallows rolled around and there were all these big significant moments involving Harry’s parents - visiting their graves, seeing their statue, seeing Snape’s memories, summoning their ghost forms to walk him to what he thinks will be his death - viewers might not be particularly attached to their characters, but we’re still invested, we still care about Harry’s arc with his parents, it’s pay off to a storyline that’s been a central part of the whole book series. Imagine if the only things we had heard about Harry’s parents before reading Deathly Hallows was a scene in book two about how his parents death connected to this wider issue (like the scene in Volume 2 with Yang using Summer’s death as establishing details before talking about Raven,) and a scene at the start of Prisoner of Azkaban where Harry like, talks to the pictures in his scrapbook about how he’s excited to go back to Hogwarts and how things are going with Ron and Hermione (like Ruby’s gravestone talk at the start of volume 3,) and then we still had all the significant moments centered around James and Lily in the seventh book.

It just feels like the emotional depth they’re going for with Summer was a wide swing and a miss because she never mattered to the story before. Summer was a passing plot point, and now that they’re trying to involve her more heavily, it feels boring. It feels like wasting time on something that doesn’t matter all that much when things that have been established as significant were put on the back burner (like Ruby’s relationship with Qrow, a mentor figure and parental figure, or even her relationship with Maria, who took over as a mentor figure when MKEK started to seem to want to diminish and put down Qrow’s character.) For six seasons, the audience had barely knew what Summer could possibly look like, Tai doesn’t talk about Summer, Qrow only mentions her in passing to talk about Ruby’s eyes if I remember correctly, Oz doesn’t talk about her, Yang only talks about her for one scene and that’s only to set up Raven, Ruby only talks about her for one scene and that’s to exposition at the start of a season. The only real reason to think Summer Rose would be significant to the plot at all is the Red Like Roses II song, but lots of the Ruby character songs seem a little disjointed like that. Before volume seven, I was wondering why that song even existed since Summer had so little to do with the plot of the show and specifically Ruby’s character (affected much more by Yang, her dad, her uncle, her team, Ozpin, Penny...)

It’s not a bad thing if they wanted Summer Rose to be important, I actually think it could’ve been good. Ruby feels a little stale at times compared to the friends that have bigger backstories that are gone into more, and her character could use some more interest and some more ties to Salem, so having her struggle with having a dead parent she can barely remember who was probably turned into a monster due to having the exact same power Ruby does is a good concept. But like a lot of things in RWBY, it came too little, too late, and with too little groundwork. Now it feels like they’re trying to cram extra unneeded plot into the story instead of working on what they have, now it feels out of left field, now I’m wondering why I’m suddenly being expected to care about Summer, now I’m wondering why there was so little set up for her importance. I would feel much more emotionally connected to this story plot if it had been featured more prominently. If Ruby had been set up from the start to want to be a Huntress like her mom. If Ruby had talked about Summer to Weiss or Jaune or her team, if she’d had a picture of her mom she put on her wall or something, if she’d talked about how the death affected her early on, if Tai had talked about Summer to Yang more, if maybe Ruby had asked Qrow about Summer when he told them about Oz, “Did Mom know any of this?” if maybe Maria had known Summer or something. I don’t know, I’m not a professional, I just know that they failed to write a story where Summer mattered at all until they suddenly wanted us to feel emotionally distraught over her being turned into a Grimm. Instead, I heard about the Silver Eyed Warriors getting turned into a Grimm and thought ‘maybe Mercury does have Silver Eyes and that’s what’ll happen to his character.’

The emotional depth just isn’t there with Summer in my opinion, and it’s made even worse by the fact that there’s very little we can extrapolate from her character based on her appearance. ‘Ruby, but more subdued,’ and ‘boring,’ are the only two things I can even think about her character design, which is a confusing thing for such a design heavy show that places so much emphasis on individual creativity.