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hellfiremunsonn · 1 year

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💕NOW YOU SEE ME PART TWO💕

I DO NOT ALLOW MY WRITING TO BE REPUBLISHED ANYWHERE OTHER THAN MY OWN BLOG WITHOUT MY CONSENT

18 + IF YOU ARE NOT 18 OR OLDER DO NOT READ OR INTERACT WITH MY WRITING. IT IS NOT INTENDED FOR MINORS. I AM NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MEDIA YOU CONSUME.

Summary: You’re not as innocent as everyone thinks, just a little clueless and maybe a bit careless, and with zero filter Eddie’s crush begins almost instantly.

Because Eddie sees you… He sees you for you, and the minute you stumble into his garage at work, asking him to fix your bike he knows he has you wrapped around his finger and he’ll do everything and anything to get what he wants.

Warnings: perv!eddie, he’s gross, he touches, he sneaks peeks, probably some coercion, will lead to smut but everything reader does is consensual, “innocent” reader, fem!reader, slight little reader, slight age regression?actions traded for Eddie’s labor on the bike, alright were adding a piss kink warning to this, daddy!Eddie, implied subspace/littlespace (will update as I go)

💕PART TWO💕

"Well I'm not leaving until you let me help you with something" You said sternly, arms crossed in front of you.

Eddie laughed, taking the handlebars of your bike in his hands and lead it to the far end of his side of the garage, to keep it out of the way. "What are you going to do, stand there all day?" he mocked.

"No" you said obviously. "I'm uh..." you hesitated, looking around you for a moment. "I'm going to sit in this chair" You plopped yourself down on the metal chair just on the other side of the large toolbox Eddie had been organizing earlier.

"Really?" Eddie said coming back to the car he had been working on. "You're going to sit there, all day and not move?"

"Yup" You said popping the 'p'

"Good luck with that princess" he said with a laugh, gathering the tools needed before leaning back over the hood of the car.

"I don't need luck" You huffed. "And don't call me princess"

"Why not?" he said through a grunt, his words were a little muffled over the clanks of his tools.

"Because I like it" You said flatly.

He popped his head back out and around the hood to get a better look at you "I'm sorry did you just say that, you like it?"

"Yeah?" You shrugged. "It makes me horny sometimes though, and right now I don't want you to be the one making me horny, because I'm mad at you" you said pointing your finger at him.

Eddie couldn't believe the words coming out of your mouth, how quick you were with honesty with no realization of how easily that turned him on. Thankful for the car hiding his lower half, otherwise you'd see just how much you already had an effect on him. "Jesus Christ you're going to try to kill me aren't you?" he said with a laugh, shaking his head.

"Maybe not kill you, but definitely wear you down" you said smugly, shoving your hands under your bum and kicking your feet out repeatedly, scuffing the toes off them across the cement floor in front of you.

You sit there for hours, you're bored, your ass hurts and you really have to pee but you're determined to follow through with your word. You groan for the umpteenth time, sliding down your seat until your chin touches your chest. If you close one eye you can see Eddie through the sliver of space between the hood and the car. You pinch him between your fingers before sitting back up.

"Getting restless over there?" he says after hearing you sigh, the metal chair squeaking with every movement.

"I'm pretty sure my ass is going to be numb for the rest of my life" you say sitting back up, tucking both hands in-between your thighs as if it'll make the ache in your bladder go away. "And I have to pee so bad" you whine.

Eddie chuckled to himself. "I'm not the one who said you had to sit there all day to prove a point"

"No, but I'm true to my word, so m'not moving" a beat "when do you finish work again?" you ask, leaning forward slightly to catch a glance at him.

He leans back from his work with a smirk on his lips. "For the seventeenth time" He pauses to watch you squirm in your seat. "I finish at six"

You let out a small 'hmp' and slump back down into your seat, looking up at the clock on the wall.

"I don't remember you being this insistent in high school" Eddie says coming to stand next to you while grabbing more tools.

"I didn't really care that much about school, but I passed, and graduated so that's all that really matters I guess" you shrugged. You didn't really expected Eddie to remember you from school, not that you avoided being seen, you just didn't think someone like him would remember someone like you.

"Didn't someone start a rumour about you and Steve? N'you slapped that girl in the cafeteria about it?" Eddie said, although his tone was more questioning.

"Oh it wasn't a rumour" you said laughing at the memory. "I did slap that girl though, but that's cause she was trying to make me feel bad about sleeping with a stuffed animal at sixteen" you rolled your eyes. "They always tried to make me feel bad about stuff, that I just didn't care about you know?"

"It wasn't a rumour?" Eddie asked, returning the conversation back.

"You're talking about Steve Harrington right?" you asked with the tilt of your head.

"Yeah" Eddie said, trying not to show the eagerness in his voice.

"Then yeah it wasn't a rumour, I sucked his dick when we were both in freshman year I think? Got caught in the bathroom by one of his groupies, that's how people found out" you blow a raspberry.

"I guess you really aren't that innocent as you seem huh?" Eddie said wiping his hands once more.

"Never said I was" you said honestly.

There was a brief moment of silence between you two but it wasn't awkward, and Eddie was almost shocked at how comfortable he seemed around you, and you around him.

"And now?" Eddie asks turning to you, his hands sliding up and down another wrench, cleaning the grease off of it with a partially clean rag and your brain stopped for a moment.

"W-What about now?" you said forcing yourself to respond, meeting his brown eyes for what felt like the firs time.

"What are you up to these days? Hope its not Harrington" he chuckles, smiling extra when he hears your laugh bubble out of your mouth.

"No, no, absolutely not" you say in-between laughs. "No Steve, although I see him sometimes when I go get movies, but he and I were never meant to be a thing" you take a deep breath, regulating yourself after laughing. "But I'm not up to much, reading mostly, and trying to do art stuff"

Eddie moves around the garage while you talk, putting things away, tidying, you almost don't realizing he's doing everything you offered to do for him because he keeps asking questions. But you don't mind, not today anyway, you'll just have to come back and bug him tomorrow.

"No work?" he asks.

"No, not yet anyway, I'm trying to hold out on that for as long as I can, but not having money as often as I'd like kinda puts a damper on things" you bring your legs up onto your chair, feet on the edge of the seat and crossed at the ankles while you leaned your chin on your knees. Hoping that keeping yourself small and tight like this will take the edge off your bladder once more. "I just don't want to get a job doing something I wont love you know? I want to be excited to go to work everyday, but there's nothing that really intrigues me that much"

Eddie nods in agreement. If it wasn't for Wayne teaching him everything he knows, and giving him the opportunity to work at the garage because he knows the guy who owns it, Eddie isn't sure where he would have ended up.

You don't notice but from where Eddie is standing he can see right between your legs, and the small darkened wet patch forming on your panties. He bites his bottom lip to hold back a groan, almost stopping completely when the thought crosses his mind that you might actually be getting off on the fact that you've been holding your pee in for so long. Were you truly wet, or was it just a long day of sitting in the Indiana summer heat on a metal chair. Either way Eddie wanted so desperately to be buried face deep between your thighs.

"Can't you finish work a little early?" You ask. Your voice is small and pleading.

"I could, but then you wouldn't win, whatever game it is that you're playing" he said shutting the hood of the car loudly, causing you to jump slightly. "And you're doing so good" he praised and it went straight to your cunt, making you whimper softly. You drop your feet back onto the floor in front of you.

He comes over to you, kneeling in front of you and placing his hands on top of your knees, knowing exactly what he's going to get you to do next "You wouldn't wanna give up so easily hmm?" his hands slide up and down your thighs, moving the skirt of your dress only a little, but enough to make your stomach flip.

"No, b-but I-" you squint your eyes and furrow your brows, trying hard to focus on keeping your bladder under control. "I can't concentrate when your hands are on me Eddie"

"Do you want me to stop?" He asks.

"N-No!" You say a little too quickly, instantly blushing at your own admission.

"Here's what I'm thinking" Eddie says lowly, his hands back to sliding against your thighs.

All you could muster out was a small "Mhmm?" opening your eyes slowly to look at him. Your eyes were either glossy with lust or tears, but he loved it either way.

"If you go, right now, right here, I'll close up early"

Your eyebrows shoot up. "You want me, to go right here?" your flabbergasted and insanely turned on.

Eddie nods. "And if you do, you'll have really proven your point by sitting here all day, and it'll show me how much of a good listener you are" his hands feel like fire on your skin and you squirm in your seat. "You are a good listener right? You going to follow the rules princess?"

You whimper and shut your eyes tightly again, hearing the pet name slip past his lips once more. "I can listen" you say so quietly that if Eddie wasn't directly in front of you he wouldn't even known you had spoken.

He coos "I bet you can, huh?" His index finger trails along your jawline until he reaches your chin, pushing upwards so your eyes meet his. "Show me then princess, show me how good you are, and maybe I'll give you a reward"

Your heart rate is rapid, and you can barely hear Eddies voice over the booming thumps that echo in your ears, your chest is rising and falling so quickly Eddie is paranoid you might hyperventilate but then you speak.

"You don't think it's gross?" you say with a pant.

"Maybe, but doesn't mean I don't like it" he said with a shrug and a sly smile.

"If-if I go, then we can go home?" Your voice has gone higher in pitch, rocking back and forth slightly while your thighs clench together so tightly you're afraid you might give yourself a cramp.

Eddies dick isn't the only thing that twitches when he hears you say 'home' like you already knew you'd be going home with him, whether it was to your place or his. "Then we can go home" he reassured.

"What's my reward?" teeth sinking into your bottom lip harshly.

"You'll have to wait and see princess, it's a surprise" he said squeezing your thighs harshly.

You jump slightly at his hands, letting out a small whimper. "What if I can't go?"

"You can" he encourages quickly. "Look, come here" he says shifting slightly on his feet, bringing one hand up to your cheek so you lean forward. He brings his other hand to match, before pulling you down closer to him, resting his forehead against yours.

"Are you going to kiss me?"

"Is that what you want?" he says all too sweetly, his warm breath fanning across your lips.

You nod "A lot" you say honestly, closing the distance between the two of you, your brows pushed together tightly. He doesn't kiss you for long, but it's enough to relax you to almost let go and you whimper when your body instinctively stops you.

"Come on baby" Eddie coos, his thumbs rub circles on your cheeks, his forehead still touching yours. "Come on baby" he repeats "I know you can do it"

Your eyes are shut so tightly, and you're concentrating so hard to get your lower half to relax. Eddie doesn't speak, and neither do you, giving you the space to let yourself and your body decide what it wants to do. You slip one of your hands between your legs and push lightly against your clit like a button. Feeling it throb with each touch, encouraging yourself to let go.

Eddie is in shock, watching your hand as it disappeared under the skirt of your dress. He wants to move to get a better look, but he also wants so desperately for you to fill your seat and his lap from where he crouches in front of you with your piss.

A high pitch whimper is what breaks his stare from your cunt when he realizes what's happening. Both of your hands move to hold onto his wrists that still cup your face, nails digging into his skin as your bladder painfully begins to release itself. You ache from the waist down, but it's euphoric with how good it feels, especially with how turned on it's made you. Your seat quickly fills with the warm liquid, wetting the skirt of your dress under you, pooling until it rolls off the edge of the chair and onto the floor below you.

"Good fucking girl" Eddie says, but there's a growl to his voice that makes you open your eyes to see him. His eyes are almost as blown out as yours and you commit the image of him in front of you to memory. The way his cheeks are tinged with pink, mouth slightly agape while he breathes unevenly, and he doesn't even flinch when the liquid begins to splat against his knees from where he's still positioned in front of you. "Feels good doesn't it?" He asks, one of his hands smoothing the hair out of your face and tucking it behind your ear.

"Uh-huh" you say with a sigh slumping back into the chair, your hands loosening your grip around his wrists until they fell limply at your sides. You didn't even care that you could feel the wetness of your own piss that you sat in under your palms, too blissed out to care.

After a few moments when you finally stopped, you looked at Eddie, who had a smug smile on his face.

"That was fun" you said quietly. You still felt a twinge of embarrassment, it bubbles in your chest but Eddie doesn't give you long to dwell in it.

"It was wasn't it?" he says tapping your thighs lightly. "Lets get you cleaned up and then we can go home yeah?"

You nod "Yes please"

You stay seated while Eddie moves around the shop, closing everything down for the night before returning to you with a pair of coveralls.

You raised an eyebrow "Those are too big for me Eds?"

"I'm not gunna let you sit in your wet clothes baby, come here let me help you" He places the clothes next to him and offers his hands to you which you hold onto eagerly. He brings you do your feet, and you wobbly lightly. You're confused with your feelings, but your brain feels too foggy to get the words out so you just let Eddie help you. He slips your dress up over your head and into a plastic bag next to him. He then removes his shirt off of himself and holds it out for you to duck your head to let him slip it over you. You only briefly get a chance to admire his chest, his tattoos, and pink scars that scatter his skin. His t-shirt lands just barely at your thighs, it's warm and it smells like Eddie and the garage. Eddie reaches under the shirt, hooking his thumbs into the waistband of your panties and tugs them down until they teach the back off your knees, signalling you to step out of them.

"Your shoes wet?" he asks, adding your panties to your wet dress in the bag.

"Think so" you say rubbing your cheek against your shoulder.

Eddie can see it in your face that you don't know what you're feeling, and he knows he has to be extra gentle with you right now. He lured you into subspace, and although you went into it quite easily, he can tell it's going to take you a little longer to come out of it. He also notices how child like you've become, small and shy, accepting eddies help with no resistance or back talk and he's unsure if you even knew what little space was either. He'd have to ask about it later. He kneels back in front of you and unties your laces on both shoes before standing back up.

"Is it okay if I pick you up?" he asks, bending slightly so he's more eye level with you.

You not, holding your arms out to wrap them around his neck. He scoops you up bridal style and brings you over to the other side of the garage where the floor is dry and sets you down. He kneels back down once more and removes your shoes from your feet, and then your socks. The cold cement floor sends goosebumps across your skin and you shiver.

"Cold?" he asks with a little smile, taking the pair of coveralls into his hands he holds them out for you to step into. You hold onto his shoulders to keep you steady while you balance on each foot. Eddie brings them up to your hips, doing the zipper up until you belly button and then ties the rest of it around your waist. He folds the pants several times before they're no longer able to drag along the floor. "Two minutes" he says holding your face in his hands, he kisses you on the forehead before shuffling around his work space again. He grabs a hose that's hung on the wall and sprays down the chair and the floor around it, watching as it rolls down to the centre of the room and down the metal drain. He collects your small bag of things, and the plastic back with your wet clothes and returns to you, reaching out his hand for you to hold. "Lets go home yeah?" he says with a smile. You take his hand in yours and give him a small smile, letting him lead you out of the shop, your feet bare as they walk along the warm concrete outside to Eddies van.

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nesisamess · 5 months

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thinking about akane/sora.

sigh that whole thing along with her (their? both of their?) dynamics with utsuro, and how that kind of bleeds over into yuki.

i was gonna put some shit in the tags but my brain just kept writing so ahem here we go (sorry as always for the nonsensical rambling if you can’t tell i just use tumblr as a place to word vomit about the things that are Taking Up My Brain)

The main reason I’m not a huge fan of Sora/Yuki is because how much of it is just Sora’s programming? But at the same time that just makes everything 1000x more interesting because where does Sora begin and the programming stop, yknow? Sora is so vastly different from Akane imo that it feels weird to call Sora nothing but an imitation of Akane, but… canonically, i mean, that’s all she really is

I’m definitely a big believer in your own interpretations of media (and especially with some of Kodaka’s choices that i don’t personally agree with) and in Sora’s case I kind of don’t believe she’s just this really simple ai. I definitely think that her relationship with Akane and the melding of them is v. v. interesting and could lead to a lot of emotional development but it becomes a lot less interesting to me when it’s just like “oh yeah sora isn’t even like. anywhere close to real she can never be real whatsoever” like is the questioning of her own reality not enough? cuz her emotions feel pretty fucking real and it feels ridiculous to say otherwise

In my own fanfiction & writing for a post sdra2 what-if-sora-survives a lot of her struggle is with figuring out how much of akane is still in her. like. that’s almost a seperate person, but wait, no it’s not. i have her memories. i have her face. i stare in the mirror and she looks back and am i her? am i the one who did all those horrible things? or was it someone else? and sora’s struggle with that could be so so interesting

and how yuki/utsuro plays into it too ughhhh

did sora ever really love yuki, or was it all just the programming? and is that programming her or is it akane? and who is she, if she’s not just akane? utsuro and akane are 100% an unhealthy ass relationship and that always will kinda poison any variation of sora/akane x yuki/utsuro ships for me.

but utsuro and akane at the same time are so fucking interestinggggg in their toxic mess like she fucking worships him. he is a god to her but to him? akanes just another follower. a particularly loyal one but at the end of the day he. does. not. care. about. her. whatsoeverrrrrr!!! he doesn’t care about anything, not even himself

and i think she kinda knows that, or is aware but she doesn’t even care because to her utsuro is a god and she’s thankful he even lets her worship him. because he saved her. and how fucked up must akane’s situation must have been? i mean, i can’t imagine. and now, post sdra2, sora has all these memories. she remembers all this shit, all the reasons why she worships and loves utsuro but also. she has other stuff. she has yuki, and yoruko, and all these new memories that she had made. but, but… but she would still pick him.

and doesn’t that prove it?

that after all this time that sora didn’t even get to experience, she is the same.

the same girl that did all these horrific things in the name of worship.

is she also, then, the person she was before those memories came back? the person who flirted with yoruko and created bonds and made sarcastic comments.

is she…

is she both? neither?

well, we’ll never get an answer.

because at the end, she did what she always did.

she sacrificed herself for him.

#akane taira #yuki maeda #utsuro #inane ramblings #listen. i never claimed to be able to think coherently #reading this you would never know i’m a half-decent (imo) writer #can you tell i’m autistic yet?#also i like. am loving writing about all this in my fanfiction i’m currently writing the 2nd chapter for lol #it’s called old habits and it is also centered on syobai my fav character <3 #i have not posted the 2nd chapter yet but i am WORKING ON IT #if you’re into that kinda shit please check it out i promise i’m still making progress on it slowly but surely #i have over 6000 words written for the outline so like. i don’t plan on quitting anytime soon #oh shit it’s 3 am uhhh #it’s fine i don’t have shit to do tomorrow #or ever #perks of having no social life!!

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snoopmary · 1 year

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I realize it’s THE SUN but it annoyed me

No idea who said this and it reads as a half-baked, inexperienced publicist frantically trying to protect an actress at the direction of her managers, but you know, it’s got my professional back up.

I frankly doubt this is even one of Sweeney’s people working on her behalf because that girl isn’t stupid and her team is better than that at this shit. They’d just drop a line or two to Deux Moi and Page 6, not the Sun. that’s not her audience.

Disclaiming: No one not involved knows the story and I frankly don’t care who is with whom but this SUN article ticked me off so I’m going to vent right now.

Humour me and let me deconstruct this article for all the many PR oops in it:

Quote 1:

"[Sweeney] doesn't want or need this attention and, to be frank, this is Glen's problem for letting his relationship with Gigi get out of control and for being so public about his personal life on social media."

Pretty sure GP didn't expect his apparently now-ex girlfriend to go passive-aggressive bunny-boiler (yes, I said it and I am so not sorry) on the ‘gram and try to impact the career he's busted his ass trying to build. Those posts? Human scorned shit has a short shelf life and always backfires on the person who goes low in Hollywood. See also Brad and Angelina at the moment.

Two mistakes: blaming the guy for his ex publicly pulling shit on her personal instagram while blaming the guy for also leaving what clearly became an unpleasant relationship, while also implying he should have ‘controlled’ his ex and was responsible for parenting her behavior online!

Sympathy is going to turn towards Powell if it turns out there really is nothing going down but acting to sell the movie happening and this article will age really poorly.

Also: the extent of his being public was, this is my girlfriend. [shares photo, red carpet thing]. Pretty sure that has been the exact same extent of Sweeney’s stuff with her BF, who by the by - and yes, I am going there - Sweeney’s supposed BF is 39. She is 25. If they have been together for 5 years, she was 20 and he was 34 when they hooked up. 14-year age difference.

He could have babysat her before he got his high school diploma. Just saying. The ick is strong with this one, IMHO, and the public (esp the woke part) post-me-too is not fond of that, optically speaking. They aren't the great Leo DiCaprio and people are even tired of that crap from him now.

QUOTE 2:

"If she and Glen were closer, she'd tell him to handle his problems privately instead of letting them bleed into social media," the pal added to The U.S. Sun. "But the fact is, she and Glen don't have much of a personal relationship at all beyond the making of this movie.”

Most people don’t have a personal relationship with people they just met. Weird how that works, yeah? Except she also hung out with his sisters, his niece and nephew, and his parents while shooting an extremely R-rated sex comedy with him with nudity and an intimacy coordinator.

So from their perspective, I guess that means Powell probably would have been okay with an apparently strictly professional acquaintance [activating sarcasm font] criticizing him for his angry ex-girlfriend going passive vindictive on instagram for attention.

We’re all fine with ‘near-strangers’ doing that to us, aren't we? ::insert eyeroll::

QUOTE 3:

"Glen's real-life girlfriend problems are now infecting how people will perceive this project before they've even had the chance to market it.”

Oh, honey. No. No, sweet summer child. No.

The *only* reason *anyone* is talking about this project is BECAUSE of the chemistry between Glen and Sydney. Otherwise, it’s just another rom-com. Now it’s - as Lainey pointed out - ShoWest Mr and Mrs Smith territory.

It’s a rom-com, the believability of the leads doing the rom-ing IS the market strategy.

The PR teams at Sony are loving this because they could not have begged for better press for this flick, even if this pushed JLaw, Denzel, and the Barbie movie off the front pages of the news cycle. Everyone has actually heard this film is coming out now and will probably be dying to see what the what is about it. Wouldn’t be surprised if this got fast-edit for October now.

QUOTE 4:

"It's distracting and annoying as hell and Sydney loathes that she's been publicly dragged into this."

If *that* was Loathing in Las Vegas, then she is a much better actress than I and most of the film industry have given her credit for. Period.

Lastly:

I said it before and I’ll say it again: no man has his sister and her family with young kids, his parents, and his other sister and her BF around AND screws around on his girlfriend in front of them. In fact, I kinda suspect he had them there in order to try and prevent this kind of story because who screws around on their GF in front of their immediate family? He had them down there to avoid this and guess what, it backfired. Why?

Gigi wanted a bit of satisfaction for not getting to be Hangman’s WSO any longer because who TF in the entertainment industry cares who Gigi Paris is when she isn’t Glen Powell’s girlfriend? {Hate me but you know I am right!]

If she hadn’t said a damn thing when they split, none of this news coverage would exist and no one who didn’t follow Glen Powell would have ever heard her name.

Let me tell you how the industry is going to see this situation in about a week:

Glen Powell’s now ex-girlfriend - a model who, while attractive, is just a model among many in LA and NYC - did not handle it well when their rocky relationship finally ended. Despite the brouhaha, Glen Powell showed up and worked his ass off (despite the personal tumult and embarrassment) to sell the movie he was paid to make while he's being dragged through the mud. And he was a consummate professional and he didn't sink to anyone’s level either.

The chemistry with his blonde-of-the-moment co-star Sydney Sweeney (see also Margot Robbie/Will Smith and JLaw/Helmsworth) was hot enough to dominate the entertainment social news cycle globally for 48 hours now because everyone was interested in a rom-com where people actually had chemistry. (Ghosted is bad, Your Place or Mine was worse, and the best part about The Lost City was Daniel Radcliffe and Sandra Bullock’s scenes together.)

And after all that: Powell still showed up to do prep for Twisters in Oklahoma without being a dramatic diva about the shitstorm his life became in April 2023 because he left a dead-end relationship?

Producers are loving what they’re seeing from him. Family-oriented, clean-cut gentleman who can handle his emotions and still work? Christmas came early!

Whoever this “friend” of Sweeney’s is, it would have been better for them to have kept their mouth shut and let this fade out quietly. That piece did her no favours, especially after that red carpet in Vegas because whoever did that just tried to throw her co-star under the bus to explain it all away and all the other actors in the industry are going to remember that.

And that is the way I see that SUN piece.

#glen powell #sydney sweeney

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fayes-fics · 2 months

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Hello!

🥐 🍦 🔪

Hi Nonny!

🥐 ⇢ name one internet reference that will always make you laugh

Fuck I’m old, so not much comes to mind. Maybe “FENTON!!!” or Roadman Pingu. Otherwise crap, I’m really drawing a blank. I’m not on social media except here so I probably miss a lot of memes etc. The endless doom scrolling just doesn’t suit me tbh. I have a FB but I never check it, I deleted Twitter, I have an Insta but I find the place so toxic/fake/PRshit that I rarely visit and I’m too old for TikTok. 🤷‍♀️😬

🍦 ⇢ name three good things about a character you hate

Hate is a strong word, I don’t think I hate many characters tbh. I mean, in terms of Bridgerton, the one that annoys me the most is Portia. But I like that she is tenacious (even though she’s irritating as she does so), I like that she schemed against Jack, told him to fuck off and that she stuck up for her girls. Strong women ftw.. even the annoying ones lol. 😁

🔪 ⇢ what's the weirdest topic you researched for a writing project?

Bwhaha you would not believe the shit I’ve researched in the name of fic. I mean, there is the obvious stuff like what sex aids / bdsm equipment did they have in Regency, contraception choices thru the ages, underwear/hygiene etc.

But then there is random stuff like when we removed lead from artist paint, checking if bars in Shoreditch I used to know are still around, checking with medical friends about whether regency men knew babies came from their balls, harlequins rugby seasons, how to rebaize a billiard table, the bulk cost of Belgian chocolate and airbnbs in Cornwall…. Just a few that spring to mind.

But the thing I have spend the very most time on has been journey logistics tbh. Sailings, horse carriages, trains, car rides… I’ve spend a crazy amount of hours trying to work out how long it would realistically take to get from point A to point B in various time periods using various methods. Writing is a weird ass hobby lolol. 🤷‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Sorry I wittered on for ages! Thanks for your ask 😁🧡🧡

#faye answers #ask games #writer truth or dare ask game

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ladybugs-and-black-cats · 4 months

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Sure nice…

Sure nice that a server handing down an irreversible ban did so due to bias by the former “head admin”. If she didn’t like you, she would find reasons to remove you from “her server”. Even if those reasons involved things that didn’t take place on the server itself and were reactions seeped in misunderstandings where only one person (the one receiving consequence, in this case) had the full story, because it’s…

Sure nice of the admin team to take action based on one side of a story without taking time to learn more about the issue. Rather than seeing that there was more to the story that was not known, they chose to act based on prior circumstances…which were unrelated.

Sure nice of the server admin to believe that someone who was a member of multiple teams (writing, newsletter, social media) would do anything to jeopardize the opportunity to be a part of those teams.

Sure nice that one can apparently only make one major mistake for their entire time in the server. After one mistake (for all eternity!), that’s it and there’s no chance to ever come back to be a part of the community. Mistakes are a natural part of being human and it is the way we learn. I’m a teacher—ask me all about the learning process! Our mistakes show us our shortcomings. There is no progress without mistakes.

Sure nice that this particular server uses a policy that does not acknowledge that people can change after receiving consequence. Maybe the policy worked in the past when the server was smaller, but when you operate with a larger fan base, you have to accept that people are different. Circumstances are different. If you are going to lead a server, you need to acknowledge them and accept when someone seeks atonement for the past (especially when bans are leveled for misunderstandings and failure to gather information).

Sure nice that the server admin model their appeal process after the offline judicial system. (Sorry, that was sarcasm!) Trials in front of judges are not just “one-and-done” appeals. EVERYONE has right to a fair trial, whether it’s the first or thousandth…because cases are different and information should be gathered and judged to determine if someone has truly learned from their consequence. Otherwise, what is the point of handing down a consequence? It’s not a teachable moment. It’s branding that you are a horrible person and not worthy of a spot in the community. Server admin teams should NEVER feel that discussing a ban appeal is just time-consuming and not worth it. If you are going to lead a server, then this is just one of the many parts of your “job”. You owe it to your community to determine if someone has truly changed and should be welcomed again to join your group.

Sure nice that when someone offers feedback to the leaders of this particular server, they run it immediately through a metaphorical shredder. Sure nice that someone can offer feedback, in good faith, and then be villainized for it behind their back…simply because that someone is seen—to them—to be a “bad person who will never change” and they must have a dark goal of coming back to the server and emotionally hurting people. Sure nice that they treat anyone not among their server elite (admin and mod teams) this way…How many other good fandom community members have they villainized over these last four years?

Sure nice that the server leadership team members actually advocate when things need changed. (Oh, I’m sorry…that was sarcasm too…) When feedback is brought one-on-one to members of the admin team, they’re quick to admit it’s a good suggestion, but yet nothing comes about from it because—even after major leadership changes—the admin team is too stuck in old ways that just hurt others who fall outside their typical demographic (neurodivergent friends in the fandom, be aware!)

Sure nice that this very same server came under fire over the summer. That issue was also due to server leadership’s failure to act and accept that changes are needed. Changes were made after that, but it seems more needs to be taken into account because, as it is right now, Miraculous Fanworks is not the fandom community that it claims to be. They are not accepting of the unique diversity of fan creators. They do not care that mistakes are a natural part of being human and that consequence should be used as a learning experience rather than an irreversible punishment. They are quick to level permanent consequences rather than accept that such methods might very well need a look at and updated. Their leadership turns blind eyes to larger problems within their community…such as the hypocrisy of the “head admin” banning someone for “guiltripping, manipulation, and backhanded comments” when she had done the same (and even worse, in some cases!) but is granted immunity due to her “server elite” status. (To add, I have NEVER been banned from ANY OTHER community in all the years I’ve been interacting online, which leads me to believe that the bias of the head admin plays a part here, ESPECIALLY since her comments have always been leaning much more into that territory of being manipulative and backhanded!)

My neurodivergent friends, I implore you, run far away from Miraculous Fanworks and find a community that is ready to accept who you are and the beautiful diversity that your differences bring to our fandom community!

#miraculous ladybug #miraculous #miraculoustalesofladybugandcatnoir #miraculous fanworks #neurodivergent #miraculous fandom #do better

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thewriterowl · 2 years

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Hiya owl!

I wanted to reach out because I'm sure you've seen your name come up a few times over all this drama this past weekend. I see your name come up a lot but I'm not sure if anyone has ever come directly to you to ask your perspective. I thought that seemed fair.

The things that seem to come up the most are a racist/xenophobic/prejudiced depiction of Din as a character being portrayed by a Latino man, and a forced heterosexist depiction of Din and Luke's relationship.

I've read some of your fics. I am latinx myself, and I will admit I have been uncomfortable with the way that Din is always portrayed not only as "dominant" but as an aggressor, including in your fics. This has led me to stop reading your fics. Have you ever thought on this before? Have you considered trying to maybe talk to some latinx people outside of your fcircle to make sure that Din isn't being portrayed in a way that makes many latinx people uncomfortable?

And Luke does always seem to be kind of placed into a more submissive role, sort of Grogu's primary caregiver while Din leads and leaves. And he always submits to Din.

I genuinely am trying to ask this graciously, so I'm sorry if any tone comes across as otherwise.

Is this blanket throughout? No. And it's not like it's just your fics. But I thought it was only fair to you to get your perspective.

Hi! Thank you for reaching out to me; you’re actually the first person to reach out directly. I’ve been seeing everything going on, but without someone tagging me or messaging me directly I feel a little weird just shoving myself into the conversation. I do appreciate you reaching out.

I want to put a “spoiler” break here just to make it easier for people scrolling who may or may not want to read further.

I’ve loved dark content for years- not sure what it is about it, if it’s dealing with my own trauma or exploring concepts that I would in no way condone in real life but are still interesting to think about. Probably a pretty even mix, like most other people who read dark content. Like any other trope in fiction, it’s a tool for the brain. In this case, a tool for exploring things that we would have no control over in real life, but in fiction we can.

I understand that fiction does not exist in a vacuum. The stereotypes that western media has put on POC characters, and the impact that has on the real world, won’t just disappear in the blink of an eye. But at the same time I believe in separating the fictional character from the real world person playing them. I would hope most writers would do the same, although I can’t speak for everyone. What I mean by this is when I write fanfic, I’m not thinking of Pedro Pascal the real person. Yes, I might look at other things he’s been in for inspiration, but that’s the same as taking something that a friend said or did and using it as the base for a fictional scene. When I write fanfic, I’m strictly thinking of Din Djarin, fictional character, and putting him into various “what if” scenarios, with certain aspects of the character as he’s written exaggerated. So when I write dark stories, I’m thinking of the part of Din Djarin who cut a man in half when he didn’t need to, who left a man to be eaten alive, who shot at jawas, or who was at least on some level willing to hand Grogu over to an unknown fate for beskar. Those are things he’s done in canon, just as much as him going out of his way to help a village, taking the time to learn the language of the Tuskens in order to safely and respectfully pass through their land, and breaking his creed in order to save Grogu are also things he’s done in canon. Different au settings are going to heighten different aspects of his character. This is true of any and all fictional characters and all that I have written about in the past and probably will in the future.

This is also based on discussion with other people. I have actually shared conversations in regards to this, to go over comfort, tagging, what it is about dark content, and its impact in regards to a character like Din. I have, honestly, only received support.

In the same vein, I have a similar outlook on the dynamic of a relationship. It genuinely is nothing more than “this is how I’m portraying these two characters, and this is the general relationship dynamic that I’m using for this particular story.”

The way that I write characters, no matter which fandom they’re for, is absolutely never intended to be malicious. I never want anyone to be hurt by my stories. It’s why I use as many tags as I do, so that anyone reading can look at the tags, look at the summary, and decide whether or not it’s something they feel comfortable engaging with. I am also always open to hearing what people think of the tagging system as well (one reason I always tag my asks as “owl inbox” so they can be filtered easier).

I am, though, always sorry if my writing has ever been uncomfortable. I do not want that. I know I cannot make everyone happy or comfortable and I am trying to accept that, be happy with what I can provide for my own sanity, and be open for discussion. I hope you continue to do what makes you happy and feel better within this community because, all in all, it is a really positive one. People are so passionate and supportive and protective of each other--it can be easy to see it overwhelming and triggering to anxieties (as I know a massive amount to us has) but I honestly see more good in it than anything negative. I also love seeing the wave of soft and fluffy content coming out and the content of dark/sith/top Luke (even if it’s not for me) because I see that as more for more people.

Honestly, I could go on a bit about everything--my first response was nearly 3k words as I panic and just want to explain and reach out and try to avoid hurting anyone if possible. I still don’t know, and I worry, that my thoughts and everything will be understood. But with help got it cut down in hopes that it helps answer the questions you provided, anon. I don’t know if it helped or cleared anything but I hope it did some.

#owl inbox

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ao3feed-timkon · 2 years

Text

So, You Say You're An Author

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3MqDp8f

by Spiderslayer

Mariah Booker is your average fandom obsessed teenager. She wears dorky glass, dyed her hair during Covid because she needed something to do, and writes. A lot. She's published over 400,000 thousand words (403,981 but who's keeping track?) and over half of them are the Bat-Family. She's many things, but she is NOT the girl half the multiverse is looking for. Unfortunately, her kidnappers think otherwise. And because nothing in her life can go right, they're lunatics who believe that they're Damian Dick and Jason Wayne and that by kidnapping her they're *saving* her. As she attempts to escape, keep civilians safe, and figure out where she fits into this whole mess she keeps seeing coincidences that don't add up. Mariah's learned a lot as an Author-how to stitch a wound, stab someone, and parkour but the main thing... There's no such thing as a coincidence.

OR In a land uncomfortably close by, in a time not so long ago a girl from our world is pulled into the ones she's always dreamed of. She has no idea why she's been chosen to be the Editor, out of all the people across the cosmos's but she's stuck now. Well...maybe she does. But the Wayne's don't need to know about her dad...right?

Words: 6010, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of So, You Say You're An Author

Fandoms: DC Extended Universe, Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi

Characters: Tim Drake, Jason Todd, Dick Grayson, Damian Wayne, Kon-El | Conner Kent, Barbara Gordon, Stephanie Brown, Cassandra Cain, Bruce Wayne, Harper Row, Cullen Row, Duke Thomas, Alfred Pennyworth, Titus | Damian Wayne's Dog, Jerry the Turkey (DCU), Bat-Cow (DCU), Zitka (DCU)

Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain

Additional Tags: Kidnapping, This entire fic is kidnapping the rest of the series is not about that, so much kidnapping, I'm sorry MC it's what's best for you! Promise!, Batfamily kidnapping people, Kidnapping one person, Summer Camp, MC is a camp counselor, Placed in real location!, Cause fun....I guess?, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Like so much, New addition to Bat-Fam, Unwilling addition to Bat-Fam, Dick/Damian/Jason go across the multi-verse protecting people, They're cool like that, prophecie that leads to kidnapping, Canon-Typical Violence, Stabbing, pools, Aerial silks, Trapeze

read it on the AO3 at https://ift.tt/3MqDp8f

#IFTTT #ao3feed #fanfic #timkon

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 2 years

Text

So, You Say You're An Author

by Spiderslayer

Words: 6010, Chapters: 1/3, Language: English

Series: Part 1 of So, You Say You're An Author

Fandoms: DC Extended Universe, Batman - All Media Types

Rating: Teen And Up Audiences

Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence

Categories: F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, Multi

Relationships: Tim Drake/Kon-El | Conner Kent, Barbara Gordon/Dick Grayson, Stephanie Brown/Cassandra Cain

source https://archiveofourown.org/works/39843096

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the cape crusader #gotham #dc universe #ao3 #ao3feed

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laineystein · 3 years

Text

40 little things I love about Israel (AKA the Israel the media won’t show you):

1. Beach libraries! Bus stop libraries! Colorful, well stocked, pop up libraries everywhere!

2. In Israel, the swings at a playground are spaced in a circle (instead of a line) so children can look at one another. It encourages interaction and community - very Jewish!

3. There were mice/bird issues in Israeli neighborhoods so the government released cats to combat the issue. When they realized it had gotten out of hand, vets started spay/neutering and vaccinating all of the stray cats so they’re all well taken care of.

4. There are flowers everywhere!

5. Beautiful graffiti! A lot of it uses the natural texture/shapes of structures to make art. So colorful!

6. A lot of neighborhood streets are themed. There’s a neighborhood in Ashdod that is named after strong Israeli women - my favorite!

7. The respect for the military. We give to those currently serving, we have holidays for those who have fallen in service, and our rehabilitation centers for those injured in service are top notch.

8. There is art - sculptures, mosaics, paintings - everywhere! We even turn useful things (benches, trash cans) into art. Or exercise equipment…like outside…at the beach. All art.

9. Makhtesh! (Mountains that were washed over with water causing them to collapse into themselves, causing massive crater-like valleys)

10. Trees! Someone is born? Plant a tree. Someone passes? Plant a tree. Just want to plant a tree? Plant a tree.

11. Promenades! Also referred to as “teyelet” in Hebrew. Pedestrians, bikes, flowers, cafes. Not sure where to go? Find the promenade and start walking. You’ll figure it out.

12. Jews are from all over the world - and they bring their food with them to Israel. Moroccan? Italian? Yemeni? Russian? Syrian? Slavic? Polish? German? French? Brazilian? Spanish? We have it ALL.

13. Similarly - Kosher? Pareve? Vegetarian? Vegan? Gluten-free? Israel’s restaurants typically have options for each and/or are very amenable to making changes when they can.

14. Super diverse geography! Mountains? Deserts? Beaches? Forests? Cold weather? Warm weather? YUP.

15. Public transportation is very efficient. You really don’t need a car. It’s also extremely affordable so there’s really no reason *not* to use it.

16. This one will blow your mind: religious tolerance! Does Israel have a lot of Jews? Sure! It also has Muslims, Christians, Atheists, etc. Israel prides itself on being very knowledgeable/aware/respectful of different religions and beliefs and caters toward each in the government, education, military, etc.

17. Museums! So. Many. Museums. Indoor, outdoor, UNDERWATER. All the museums!

18. Free in vitro-fertilization programs! (Healthcare in general is amazing)

19. There will be rosemary and sage that just grow wildly near the road? And you can pick it and cook with it? And we do? Often.

20. Such varied communities of Orthodox Jews. Hasidic Jews are such a small subset in the Orthodox community. They all have different traditions and appearances. It’s really wonderful.

21. Simchat Torah is a party in the streets. Honestly, all Jewish holidays just hit differently in Israel.

22. Salads. Colorful salads! Savory salads! Sweet salads! For those of you who are weary of Salad culture, Israel will change your mind. We eat salads at nearly every meal.

23. We have the best coffee. That’s it. We just do. (Our coffee and cafes are so good that Starbucks doesn’t survive in Israel. Who needs it?)

24. Lemonana. Or lemonade with mint. Just trust me.

25. The Dead Sea. Come see it/experience it before global warming makes it disappear!

26. Prisoners can vote in elections! We even have polling places in prisons to facilitate this. We actually put polling places in many places to ENCOURAGE voting by all Israelis.

27. The siren on Yom HaShoah. How the entire country of Israel comes to a stop no matter what they’re doing.

28. The views. There’s always a mountain you can stand on to see the ocean, the skyline, the desert.

29. There’s always new and old parts to cities and they somehow blend together really well. Israel is full of so much history and the Israeli people continue to build on that without disrespecting the past.

30. Sheirut Leumi AKA an alternative to compulsory military service that allows young Israelis to serve Israel in different ways ie. working at Independence Hall, explaining Israel’s history to tour groups, and any other visitors.

31. So many options to volunteer! Food pantries, hospitals, nursing homes - giving back to the community is a key tenet in Judaism and is common in Israel. (Our bus stops have monetary donation boxes!!)

32. The shuk aka the massive open-air market in Jerusalem. Google it. It’s magical. (There are a lot of shuks throughout Israel but the most well known and largest is in Jerusalem.)

33. Banks are like works of art? They’re architecturally stunning? It’s like being transported back in time. Even newer banks are built in older styles.

34. So many parks and botanical gardens. And they’re all FREE!!!

35. Halva. I could eat pounds of it.

36. The sunsets. Nothing compares.

37. Universities are fun to visit? All are welcome. They often have tours open to the public and they’re designed with that in mind.

38. Our money has braille on it! And we have a theatre that is dedicated entirely to the deaf and blind communities. How cool is that?

39. Light shows. We like to light up buildings and we hold events showcasing lit fountains and other light adorned structures. I don’t know but it’s a big thing.

40. Kosher everything! Kosher glue on stamps! Kosher food fed to animals at the zoo! Kosher McDonalds!

#Israel #Jerusalem #Tel Aviv #Judaism #Jumblr #Ashdod #Israel things #this is everything off the top of my head #trust me when I say that it’s a wonderful country and it has so much to offer #I’m sorry the media has lead you to believe otherwise #Israel is my home and I will protect it until the day I die #so I get I’m a bit biased #but read this and tell me it doesn’t sound magical #my heart my home

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destinygoldenstar · 2 years

Text

How Mikey Is An Example Of An Abused Child (Analyzing ‘Streamer Caught Cheating’) (Also explaining Mikey as a character)

Guys...

I want to actually tell you something.

Having a healthy childhood, is VERY important.

Childhood is exploring the world for the first time, figuring out who you are, and being immersed with life in a youthful perspective.

A healthy childhood is helping kids feel safe and loved in the world around them, and encouraged that they can do anything.

The most common way healthy childhoods are sprung is from good parents. Parents who help nurture their children’s curiosity, wants and desires, while also being there to teach them about dangers, morality, and humbleness.

That is not what Mikey has.

I said this before, but I actually have to admit, Mikey is the most tolerable character in the ENTIRE Dhar Mann universe. Now, he’s NOT a good kid, but he has the most characterization out of anyone, and it seems like Dhar Mann isn’t even trying to give him any substance whatsoever!

Every time I see a vid with Mikey in it, I’m supposed to expect only one thing of him, according to Dhar Mann: That he’s a BAD kid.

Mikey is a BAD KID, for NO REASON, and NOBODY is to blame for his bad behavior, but himself. He is IRREDEEMABLE. And we’re supposed to CHEER every time he gets PUNISHED.

And EVERY TIME in these videos...

I DO NOT FEEL THAT WAY.

I DON’T CHEER FOR MIKEY GETTING PUNISHED, I FEEL SORRY FOR HIM.

I’M NOT SUPPOSED TO.

And that ALONE, shows just how DISGUSTING Dhar Mann’s mindset is on children. HIS TARGET AUDIENCE. And every time children are a major focus in the vids, you can bet real well that Mikey is the antagonist. And if he’s not, the other kids have the exact same behavior as him.

Here’s how the formula works: Child wants to do something, they get bashed for attempting that something because of society’s expectations, child tries to find their own way around that to meet such expectations, the adults do the exact same cheating thing to expose the kid, they don’t get called out, the child gets ALL the punishment, and they’re treated as irredeemable MONSTERS who don’t commit to society.

And half the time, it’s always Mikey playing the role of the bad kid.

This character has been used so much, to the point where I think Mikey is the textbook example of why I think Dhar Mann is such a bad influence to people.

Rather than change lives, (like you CLAIM you’re doing), by being real about the world and granting perspectives about certain situations, Dhar Mann instead portrays the world as a black and white Dhar Dhar worship factory where you should commit to society, get straight As, give up everything you love, make absolutely no mistakes, never do anything your own way, and if you even SLIGHTLY consider doing otherwise, you’re an irredeemable bastard.

This leads to a ton of irresponsible messages Dhar Mann grants to children about the world. Vids that encourage racism, sexism, fatphobia, believing people’s words to a pulp, unhealthy relationships, peer pressure, overly high expectations, that money is everything, that social media is everything, stealing, scamming, and MOST OF ALL, believing that life is as simple as making a cake for someone on their birthday.

Now, this THIRTY MINUTE LONG VIDEO: “Streamer Is Caught Cheating” I think, perfectly EXPOSES why exactly I feel the same way about Mikey.

And that is: “Man, this kid’s life is awful, he deserves better treatment than this.”

And when that’s NOT Dhar Mann’s intention with the character, then there’s automatically something wrong.

If a character is portrayed as something you don’t intend them to be to your audience, then that character’s writing is automatically garbage.

But that’s besides the point.

Point is... this video just... BROKE ME.

Like, it just DID.

So I want to focus LESS on the actual video, and more so on Mikey as a character. I made a post before explaining Mikey, but here, there’s even more to talk about.

I will also sprinkle in the previous Mikey videos, to further expose what I’m talking about.

So let’s EXPOSE the ACTUAL life of Mikey, from what I’ve learned in his videos.

1: It’s A Black And White World (Good kid, Bad kid, No Grey kid)

It’s a tale as old as time.

One of the most common story tropes for children, is to portray what is right and what is wrong through them. Also what’s common is that there will be two kids, one does the right thing, and the other does the wrong thing.

Now, that sounds fine on paper, but it’s really all in execution.

But let me say something about this: Right and Wrong for each kid does NOT automatically prove that one kid is good and virtuous, and another kid is a bad and awful brat.

Dhar Mann thinks that it does.

In EVERY. SINGLE. VIDEO. There’s ALWAYS a good guy and a bad guy. No in between. The good guys do everything 100% right and have 0 flaws. They commit to society, are incredible at work, and love and support everything unconditionally. The bad guys are bad, and have ZERO redeemable traits. They have no reason to be bad other than... they’re bad. They do things their own way, are self absorbed, and are treated like devils.

In between? A complex character? Pfft.

I already said how I feel about this in my nerd gets revenge on bully post, so I might as well repeat it here.

“Dhar Mann doesn’t write bullies as though they’re people, he writes bullies as though they’re devils. It would be fine if he wasn’t trying to make his videos relatable, but he is, and that’s why it doesn’t work. NOBODY is going to relate to these bully characters or recognize that they might potentially be like them, because they are unidentifiable to the audience.“

I wouldn’t mind this trope being used all the time IF the corniness was INTENTIONAL.

But it’s NOT.

We’re supposed to see ourselves in these scenarios and learn about the world from these videos.

And if THIS is how Dhar Mann portrays the world, then he REALLY has it messed up on what the morality is supposed to be!

Even then, the morality is incredibly questionable. These SHOULD be easy! Never judge a book by it’s cover. Work hard for your dreams and goals. Be kind and virtuous.

Yet SOMEHOW, Dhar Mann twists those morals on their heads and make them even more unrealistic, by having his ‘good guys’ do the EXACT bad things the bad guys do, just to punish the bad guys, and yet somehow the good guys get away with it. OR, the good guys just tell a tragic backstory to bad guys, or give them money, and the bad guy automatically stops being bad.

So I guess what you need to escape punishment is to be the protagonist I guess.

Except we’re all the protagonists of our own stories, so...

I guess Dhar Mann believes protagonists can’t do anything wrong. So he writes the bad guys as doing nothing but wrong things, and this is exactly how Dhar Mann tries to make you cheer for the bad guys getting punished to the max. He gives the bad guys zero redeemable traits and makes them spoiled entitled brats. Because if the audience can’t identify with the bad guys, they can’t route for them!

It’s a tactic that allures his entire fanbase, and toxically makes them believe that teaching bad guys a lesson is super easy and obvious. Like, it’s extremely obvious to not identify with a bad person.

This is EXACTLY how Bojack Horseman was portrayed, because Bojack is a bad person with zero redeemable traits, and is punished and ditched for it constantly!

50% of that was sarcasm, by the way, but Bojack is a bad person. But there, the writers made him act like a legit person. They made him feel real, and didn’t go over the top with his bad actions. That’s exactly how Bojack Horseman was able to identify with a ton of people despite them knowing that this is NOT someone we should see as a role model in any way.

And it’s all the same thing with Mikey, and the rest of his family. Mikey is portrayed as the bad guy in every single one of these videos, and the rest of his family do the exact bad things, but get away with it, and Mikey is punished to the million.

We’re supposed to DESPISE Mikey as a character. Dhar Mann wants us to HATE this CHILD, and want to see him get his comeuppance over and over again. Like, “Oh, this 12 year old never learns a thing! Isn’t he the devil?!”

No. He’s not.

Because completely by accident, Dhar Mann has exposed some explanation to Mikey’s behavior. I guess the more you use the character, the more insight you get on their life.

Dang it Dhar Mann, if you really wanted Mikey to be a shallow one dimensional piece of garbage, you should have just changed the names of the character the actor plays so that nothing adds up! That’s what you do with nearly every other actor’s character! What’s the difference here?

And here’s the exposure of what I could gather from the Mikey vids.

2: Mikey’s School Status

For those who somehow don’t know, about 70% of the Mikey videos are about school. Or rather, how much he hates it.

Now everybody hates school, including myself, because it’s such an unfair system.

And from all these videos, we can assume one thing: Mikey hates school.

He finds it to be boring, and a waste of time for him, as the things they’re making him do don’t give him any sort of pleasure.

From what we can tell from this school, Mikey has a lot of high expectations placed upon him in school, none of which he cares about. He gets bad grades:

”I got an F. Again.”

He’s expected to run a whole mile or two every day, even though he’s twelve. The teachers give tests every day, or most of them anyway, and bait their kids into rewards ONLY if they get As. As are severely important and expected of children, otherwise they are deemed failures.

Like, if kids don’t get As, then they have failed being people.

They teach these (I’m assuming) SIXTH GRADERS, ALGEBRA, AND GEOMETRY, DAILY!!!

The idea that Jayden is shown NEVER struggling or complaining about this system is HYSTERICAL.

Somehow, Mikey is the only one who openly complains about how badly he resents his school. He never wants to take the tests “Because they’re boring and hard”, and like WOW, isn’t he just a brat?

No. I don’t think Mikey is a brat for resenting tests so much, I think this is a very appropriate opinion to tests, and even if I loved tests, I’d still probably see where he’s coming from. He’s a kid, with a ton of placement and pressure on him. Pressure that, at the end of the day, isn’t gonna benefit him.

His parents also heavily expect their kids to be straight A students and love school to a pulp. I’ll talk about Mikey’s parents later, but part of that is because his parents are of high privilege in the job department. The mom is a doctor, as proven in the “Kid fakes allergy” video, AND mentioned in the “Kid makes fake sick note” video. And the dad... I don’t think it was ever made clear what the dad’s job was, actually. As if the time of this post. Correct me if I’m wrong about that.

On top of that, Mikey’s teacher, Mr Wilson HATES IT when kids aren’t there for tests, so he postpones them as long as possible up to the day all the kids are here. Not sure if that’s legal, but okay. He also makes fake websites to expose cheater. Again, is that legal? But that’s besides the point.

Despite the smile, Mr Wilson appears to be a VERY strict teacher. Whether or not he does legal stuff is another topic, but case and point, he doesn’t mess around and always expects kids to get in line and not complain. If he wants them to run a mile, he expects them to run a mile with no problem. If the kid complains about running a mile, he’ll make them do two.

I’m not against running, it’s healthy. BUT THEY’RE KIDS. THEY CAN’T RUN THAT FAR!

My middle school only expected us to make a quarter of a mile, which I personally loved and wanted to do more of, but other kids hated it and considered it to be too much for their tiny bodies.

So YES, being in a highly demanding school is a part of what makes Mikey want to get away from it and feel some pleasure. The school keeps him cooped up from the real world so much, that he doesn’t want to be trapped anymore.

That’s a part of why he tries to escape schoolwork so much, faking being sick, making fake notes, etc. That’s also a part of why he constantly tries to cheat on his exams, because he finds them boring and useless, and he’s pressured to do it perfectly. But since studying brings him hardships and discomfort, why not cheat? It’s a method that looks like he could meet their expectations, just not the way they want him to do it.

“You have to do things the right way!”

There’s more context as to why Mikey cheats than this, but for now, I want to divert attention to another aspect to Mikey. If he thinks school is so unbeneficial, than what does he desire instead?

3: Mikey’s Dreams

This new video actually perfectly answers this.

This may be obvious, but Mikey is a huge gamer. Nearly every video, he’s seen wanting to play some sort of video game. He has an iPad, his own computer, and in the “Kid cheats on final exam” video, he asks his mom for a PS5, AND in this video, he wants an oculus. But his mom won’t buy him one because he’s grounded... FOR A WHOLE YEAR?!!!!

I’m getting ahead of myself.

With that in mind, you may say he’s a gaming prodigy, right?

That is, until this recent video deconfirming that by saying Mikey hates Minecraft, and he sucks at it.

“Minecraft? Bro... that game’s for babies”

“You suck at Minecraft!”

“What is the best way to beat a Zombie Pigman?”

“Okay, now you’re just making things up!”

Even though in the Sick Note video, Mikey brought an iPad to play Minecraft with his friend at the mall. And he got Minecraft taken away in that video, implying he plays it a lot.

But since when should Dhar Mann want me to care about a Plot Hole?!

But yeah, like I said, Mikey loves gaming. It’s basically his sense of escapism from school and it’s pressure. He’d much rather grind for gaming than do schoolwork, as shown in the “Kid cheats on final exam” vid, the “Kid fakes being sick” vid, the “Kid makes fake sick note” vid, and especially this vid.

Whether or not he’s good at it, bottom line is, it brings him comfort.

And also in this vid, it’s shown that Mikey wants to make a living out of gaming, starting Twitch, streaming, and making money to expand his gaming horizons.

But of course, next to no one approves of that because school is supposed to be his FUTURE and his LIFE.

It’s not only gaming, there’s also a dream involving Basketball Playing. We’ve never seen Mikey play basketball on screen, but in the sick note video, it’s said that he and his friends are on a basketball team in school. He becomes extremely enthusiastic about this tournament they’re having, and even that he works hard to get good at the sport.

He has his own passions that he wants to achieve, but just lacks the understanding of what he’s doing, as it all sounds like gibberish to him. Mikey’s major flaw is that he doesn’t understand A grade level knowledge on his passions, and he doesn’t even try to understand it, rather he tries to do his own thing. This is a flaw explained COUNTLESS times in these vids.

OH YEAH, and one more thing mentioned in this vid, as to where Mikey got the idea from to use his brother for his own gain?

His friends say that DREAM only does the commentary, and he pays someone to actually play the game.

Yep, Dhar Mann is dumping on popular streamers now. Okay.

But point is, school doesn’t provide Mikey with the nurture he needs, nor do they seem to support his actual dreams and passions.

But if it’s not the parents, and not the school, who inspired him to chase this?

4: The Dhar Mann Elephant In The Room

Dhar Mann exists in the Dhar Mann universe. Yes, I know, how noble.

In the Dhar Mann universe, Dhar Mann is the single most influential person in the entire world. The god of their world, and the hero and mentor figure of the whole world. Everyone, except for the bad guys, WORSHIPS Dhar Mann.

“You’re Dhar Mann, everybody loves you!”

Written by Dhar Mann himself.

And as seen in the “Kid fakes being sick” video, Dhar Mann is actually Mikey’s favorite YouTuber, and he watches him constantly. And in the “Kid sneaks candy into the movie theater” video, Mikey is desperate to see Dhar Mann’s movie.

So if Dhar Mann really is such a great morally correct person who exposes good morality in his videos, you’d think Mikey would turn out better, right?

Because let’s face it from this information alone, Dhar Mann is basically Mikey’s ONLY moral compass. From the countless videos Dhar Mann has made about people becoming successful through gaming, sports, and other junk, that would obviously have an affect on his viewers. Dhar Mann gives such a shallow perspective on how the world works, that Mikey would assume that’s true, consider himself a protagonist, and believe that following his dreams is as easy as Dhar Mann makes it seem.

That makes the most logical sense anyway.

See? Even IN UNIVERSE, Dhar Mann has a bad influence on kids.

But if this is the case, not only is Dhar Mann Mikey’s moral compass, but Dhar Mann is Mikey’s ONLY moral compass. I already talked about how school only wanted to pressure Mikey, but what about Mikey’s family? Surely THEY grant a moral compass for Mikey, right?

No. Absolutely not.

5: Jayden (And Owen I guess)

So from what we’ve seen so far, Mikey has two brothers. An older brother named Owen, and a younger brother named Jayden.

Or, is Jayden Mikey’s twin? Because they’re in the same class?? I dunno, that’s never made clear. I just assume Jayden is younger because he looks younger, and is just some prodigy or something.

And Owen is out of the house in college, leaving only Mikey, Jayden, and his mom. His dad? I’ll talk about him later.

Let’s start with Jayden.

He’s the ‘good kid’ of the family. He’s adorable, he’s smart, he’s sweet, he gets perfect scores on everything, and he does next to NOTHING wrong.

It’s because of this, that the family CLEARLY favors Jayden over every other child. Thus, Jayden is NEVER blamed for ANYTHING, and keeps getting rewarded for his good behavior. He DOES actually keep secrets from his family, BUT he never gets punished for that because everyone loves him.

It’s because of this perfectionism Jayden seems to have, and how much Jayden is rewarded, that Mikey heavily resents his brother. This is made ESPECIALLY true in this most recent video, where Jayden is SO good at gaming, grades, and is gullible, that Mikey decides to take advantage of his brother and use him for Twitch Streaming. By using Jayden’s gameplay instead of his own.

He is obviously exposed for doing this, causing THE WHOLE WORLD TO HATE MIKEY. (Good lord Dhar Mann, CHILL OUT) And ONCE AGAIN, Jayden is REWARDED for his goody two shoes behavior, leaving Jayden to get ALL the love and gifts, and Mikey gets NOTHING.

Jayden even tries to offer Mikey to play with him after everything, but the mom teaches Jayden “No. Do Not share ANYTHING with your brother. He deserves nothing, you deserve everything!”

So yes. Jayden is spoiled. Whether or not he’s also a schemer from the countless times he’s known about Mikey’s schemes but never exposed them, or if he’s involved in the scamming the adults do for his own gain, is all just a theory for now. We can’t confirm exactly if that’s the case. If Jayden IS involved, then that not only contradicts ‘what happens in the dark always comes to light’, but that also proves Jayden is spoiled and was taught to commit to society, and was influenced by these awful adults to hate on his brother. If Jayden is NOT involved, then that only means that he too, is a victim of this universe’s abuse on children. He commits to their expectations, because he knows what kind of punishments he’ll get otherwise. It’s ONLY where he meets their expectations, does he actually get loved and praised by the adults. If he were to try anything different, he’d end up like Mikey.

But I DO actually want to correct something I said in a previous post about Jayden, that doesn’t hold up now.

I said: “ and they say Jayden is 'the nice kid' but if he actually was responsible and a good brother, he'd put in the effort to help Mikey through his school dilemmas. “

While offering Mikey help and guidance through his school issues and trying to understand Mikey would have been great, I kinda have to acknowledge that I was kind of wrong when I said Jayden doesn’t try to help Mikey.

That’s not the issue in their relationship.

Jayden DOES try to help Mikey, BUT, he tries to help Mikey in the traditional society school way, a way that Mikey doesn’t comprehend well, and thus his efforts to help Mikey come off more as either gibberish or demands to Mikey. And from Jayden’s exposure of being a goody two shoes child everyone loves, why would anyone need to teach Jayden that sometimes you have to change your helping methods to help certain people? His parents didn’t teach him that, his school didn’t teach him that, they just taught him one way, and thus Jayden is only gonna be able to help people in one way.

And APPARANTLY, if Mikey doesn’t get the message, it’s Mikey’s fault, NOT Jayden’s. According to Dhar Mann.

Gosh forbid we have character flaws in an adorable child.

Then there’s Mikey’s relationship with Jayden.

Like I said, Mikey hates his brother.

In this video, that’s made EXPLICITLY clear just how much Mikey hates his brother, for just how easy and loving Jayden seems to have things.

“You sound like my math teacher, because half the time, I don’t even know what you’re saying.”

“No offense, but the last thing I’d wanna do, is hang out with you and your lame friends.”

“Just my younger brother, so annoying.”

“In order to be in front of the camera, you gotta have personality! Sadly, you don’t have one.”

And that’s just from this ONE VIDEO.

And like I said, part of Mikey’ resentment is through Jayden’s good boy attitude, from how much his parents love Jayden and clearly favor him, and also from how much Jayden tries to push him into doing things “the right way”.

But the big one, for me, has to do with how the parents view both Mikey and Jayden. Jayden clearly gets all the love and praise, and NOT ONCE, is Mikey shown to get that same amount of love and respect, if he gets any AT ALL.

Obviously, jealousy could arise from this, and cause Mikey to hate Jayden for receiving the love and support Mikey doesn’t have, but wants.

Then there’s Owen. The older brother in college.

At the time of this post, there’s only one video Owen has appeared in. But from that video alone, Mikey and Owen’s relationship is made explicitly clear.

If anyone in Mikey’s life is as close of an influence on him as Dhar Mann, it’s Owen.

Owen is never home now, from his college, but he still puts in effort to be there for his brother, Mikey. From what we can tell, the parents do not approve of Owen’s lifestyle, and disown him after sneaking candy into a movie theater, and investing in Crypto. Wow, how evil...

But regardless, Owen doesn’t let that get him down, and he sticks to his guts on what he can do. Especially for his brother Mikey. This man goes out of his way to make any attempt necessary, just to spend a perfect movie night with Mikey, for his birthday. And when he gets kicked out of the theater for sneaking candy, he’s naturally upset, since he wanted to be there for his brother.

Owen is basically the ONLY supportive family member Mikey has, who takes time to understand him and spoil him with what he wants. He even encourages Mikey that if he fails once, pick himself back up and try again. Always.

This is deemed as BAD advice by Dhar Mann.

We are supposed to believe that Owen is the ONLY bad family member of Mikey, and that Owen is responsible for Mikey’s bratty behavior. Except, what’s actually true is the exact opposite.

Owen isn’t a wealthy guy, but he puts in the effort to be there and spend money for his brother anyway. He isn’t the most noble guy, but he makes promises to his brother anyway, to make him happy. He doesn’t get mad at Mikey, or punish him, instead, trying to teach him his methods of getting through life. He’s there for Mikey in any way he can be.

We’re supposed to believe this is an EVIL brother.

UNLIKE HIS PARENTS.

6: The Parents (And Why They’re Horrible)

I’m going to say this blunt and clear.

Mikey’s parents are TERRIBLE.

NO.

STOP.

YOU DON’T GET IT.

These parents are one of the BIGGEST reasons Mikey acts the way he does. WHY he is such a brat. WHY he never learns, and WHY he feels the need to constantly cheat.

It’s the parents fault.

Parents have a huge responsibility to raise their kid, and it’s more then feeding them and forcing them into school. It’s about being there to help your kid explore the world, it’s about influencing that kid’s joy and passion, it’s about ensuring that kid is loved, it’s about teaching them dangers and safety. It’s about LOVE.

These parents do NONE of these things for Mikey, PLUS there’s ADDITIONAL problems as well!

These parents do not respect Mikey. AT ALL. They don’t respect Owen either, from what we’ve seen. THEIR SONS.

Like I said before, theses are wealthy high privileged parents. The mom is a doctor, the dad is... something. Not only that, but they heavily expect their boys to be as successful as that high class, with straight As in school, and full society commitment. They ONLY show love for their kid, when they MEET that expectation. If they don’t, the parents are only shown YELLING at them!

And in case you’re saying “Well, that doesn’t prove the parents are bad”, it gets worse than this!

The mom CLEARLY favors Jayden over Mikey, because Jayden is such an angel who does everything she wants of him. She gives Jayden all the gifts, all the family love, and all the support in the world, because he’s the perfect kid. She even says “You deserve it”

I don’t know about you, but the phrase “You deserve it” when referring to love, is one of the most DISGUSTING red flags in a relationship that I’ve ever heard.

To Dhar Mann, love is artificial. Love is something you buy at a store. Love is something you have to work to gain. Love is something you can only have if you do everything the person wants.

That’s disgusting.

You can’t go from having a parent hating a kid, the kid giving them a thousand dollars, and then having the parents love them.

If that’s actually the case, you pay say “That’s bad parenting.” “That’s a toxic relationship.” And it is.

Kids should not need to EARN love. They need to earn respect, sure, but they do NOT need to prove themselves that they are worthy of being loved by their family. Whether or not you get straight As, a good parent will still love you, even if they encourage you to do better. Whether or not you do something wrong, a good parent will comfort you when you need it, even if they teach you what you did wrong. A good parent doesn’t care if their kid meets their expectations. They should let the kid know that they are loved.

You could say, well the mom DOES show that. BUT, she ONLY shows love and support to JAYDEN.

What kind of love does Mikey get? What SHRED of decency and respect does Mikey receive?

I’ll tell you.

NOTHING.

Nothing shown on screen anyway?! ALL the love this mom gives, is towards Jayden, and she very intentionally leaves Mikey in the DUST.

Sure, Mikey disrespects her wishes. Sure, Mikey does some bad things. Sure, Mikey isn’t who she wants him to be. But he is a CHILD, who does NOT know better! There’s STILL no excuse to be so CRUEL to your own child!

This mom gives her kids a STRICT moral code they have to follow EVERY DAY, and CONSTANTLY shoves it in their faces.

“There are no shortcuts to success. You have to do things the right way.”

“What happens in the dark, always comes to light.”

“If you pretend to be something you’re not, people will find out eventually.”

“If you keep lying, people will stop believing you.”

Now, on paper, these morals don't sound that bad. They actually sound pretty good. The problem lies in the constant peer pressure to meet these phrases, and giving your kid NO ROOM to come up with their own phrases.

Not once is this mom ever shown being supportive of Mikey’s dreams of basketball, or gaming. Not even with the PS5 incident, as she demands that the only way they can get it, if if they get As. If they don’t get As, kiss your dreams goodbye, kiddo!

And one more thing, on the non-Mikey focused videos, but focus on the mom. I’m pretty sure this mom is racist, and hostile towards a lot of people. So...

Yeah. Great parent there.

Now for the dad. Just like Owen, the dad has only appeared in one video. He is mentioned more times than Owen, though.

“Just wait till I tell your dad about this!”

This is because the dad, has strangely, NEVER appeared in the household with Mikey. He’s never shown interacting with the mom. We don’t even get any indication that he comes home at night for his kids!

So... it’s a little hard to judge what exactly this father’s relationship is with the rest of his family. Either he just has a long job like the mom does, and takes all nighters... OR, and this explains a lot more,

The parents are divorced.

THEORY, this could be wrong. But that does make sense. Now, the father does still see his boys, obviously, but it’s possible that it’s not so often. Thus, Mikey doesn’t have a lot of time to interact with his dad and bond with him from this supposed divorce. Plus, divorce has a severe effect on kids in general.

But when the dad DID show up in a video...

Oh god.

How has no one called Child Protective Services yet?

This dad, STALKS on his son! TRACKS HIM DOWN! SCREAMS AT HIS SON AFTER SCARING HIM HALF TO DEATH, AND STRIPS AWAY NOT ONLY MIKEY’S BASKETBALL DREAMS, BUT CANCELLS HIS DREAMS AND FORCES HIM IN SCHOOL ON A SATURDAY!

I mean, look at Mikey’s TERRIFIED face! This man looks like he’s about to beat Mikey to the pulp! Every time the dad shouts, this kid flinches horribly!

We don’t know for sure if the dad actually gets physical with his son or not, but I think the emotional side of things makes it clear.

This dad is straight up ABUSIVE.

And that’s the nail in the coffin, the real thing that makes these parents so horrible.

They’re doing nothing but PUNISHING Mikey.

Now, I’m not saying punishment is bad, but parents have to be careful when they inflict it on a kid. If you go too far on a punishment, the kid will believe you don’t love them anymore, and cause severe stress, anxiety, and horror of you as they feel the need to be dishonest with you in order to avoid such harsh punishment. It’s important to let your kid know that they are loved FIRST. And inflict the punishment SECOND. THEN you tell your kid that you will help them not make this mistake again.

These parents don’t do that.

They go HARSHER with their punishments EVERY DAY, as though it’s helping Mikey learn! And it’s CLEARLY NOT WORKING!! But they still do it anyway, because apparently, punishing Mikey, getting him out of their faces, and throwing him in school, is what’ll help him learn. And when he STILL hasn’t learned, and feels the need to be even MORE secretive, that should be a warning that the punishments are not working, and are not healthy.

BUT NOPE, Instead, the parents decide to inflict even HARSHER punishments EVERY TIME. To the point where they’re BANNING Mikey of having a future he can choose to have!

And worst of all, they get this message through by doing the EXACT same things Mikey does that they don’t approve of! Lying, scamming, scheming, tricking kids, and tricking them into doing the very bad thing they’re punishing them for!

Here’s ALL of the punishments I can think of:

“Kid Cheats On Final Exam”

Mikey cheats on his Final Exam with a website that has all the answers. This turns out to be a scam, as his TEACHER created that website to expose him, and comes to his house during the summer during a PANDEMIC, to expose his CRIME.

Then MIKEY is seen as 100% to blame, and the mom grounds him FOR A WHOLE SUMMER. Which meant zero electronics. FOR A WHOLE SUMMER.

And that’s not even the worst of it, because she encouraged Jayden to NOT share ANYTHING with Mikey for a whole summer, and she spends time with Jayden happily, in claiming he deserves it.

The last shot of the video, is of Mikey overhearing this from behind a wall. He looks heartbroken!

“Kid fakes being sick”

Mikey fakes being sick for three days, to not have to take a test. The mom found out he was faking this RIGHT AT THE START. She KNEW he was faking being sick, and yet she ALLOWED him to skip several days of school. THEN, she SCAMS her kid into believing Dhar Mann was coming to school, JUST so she can expose the fact that she knew he was lying, and so she and the teacher could rearrange the test to that same day. She didn’t help Mikey study, nobody helped Mikey prepare for this!

She SET HIM UP for FAILURE here.

“Kid Fakes Having An Allergy”

In this one, Mikey fakes having an allergic reaction to get out of a test.

Then the mom freaking TRAUMATIZES her own son, into believing he’s going to DIE!

She convinces several doctors to help her with a play act during work, to make Mikey believe he’s dying, and give him a shot he didn’t need.

We don’t see any further punishment than that, but my gosh, that’s HORRIFYING.

If I worked there and I saw this mom doing this, I’d call child protective services IMMEDIATELY.

“Kid Makes Fake Sick Note”

In this one, Mikey and his friend make a fake note to skip a day of school.

The dad TRACKS THEM DOWN, just so he can scream at them as if they murdered someone. He FORCES them into school on a Saturday to do a makeup test. AND he strips the boys of their DREAMS.

He CANCELS their participant in the tournament, AND their entire basketball career, because of this ONE SMALL THING. He strips them of potential career paths, because they didn’t commit to society 100%.

AND, he also takes away their electronics. FOR A MONTH.

AND, he bans Mikey from being around his FRIENDS. FOR A MONTH.

They took away his free time, his weekend, his hard earned game, his friends, and his DREAMS, BECAUSE HE SKIPPED A SINGLE DAY OF SCHOOL.

And if you think THAT is an awful punishment?

Even THAT doesn’t compare to this RECENT video...

“Streamer caught cheating”

In this one, Mikey wants to pursue gaming, which he sucks at (for some reason), so he uses Jayden’s gameplay instead of his, to get views, and to become popular.

He gets outed, and THE WHOLE WORLD HATES HIM.

Yep.

Mikey is DESPISED by EVERYONE. EVEN HIS OWN FRIENDS.

THEN, Jayden STEALS Mikey’s dream by becoming a successful Streamer, and the mom ENSLAVES Mikey into being Jayden’s little maid.

Mikey doesn’t even get paid for being a slave!

He gets NOTHING!

NOT ONLY is Mikey’s electronics taken away AGAIN, NOT ONLY is he not allowed to be around his friends (because everyone hates him now), NOT ONLY does Jayden get ALL the love and support by mom IN HIS FACE...

But Mikey is thrown away in his room for a LONG TIME.

Okay, what Mikey did was BAD. I am NOT going to act like he doesn’t deserve consequences for his actions, BUT DEAR GOSH, At least make sure Mikey’s emotionally stable after being dumped on BY THE WHOLE WORLD, before you punish him to death!

But no. They don’t do that. Instead they treat him like a criminal.

Mikey is forced to give up EVERYTHING he loves to his brother.

Mikey is forced to go BROKE, for his brother.

Mikey is forced to WATCH as his brother receives EVERYTHING he wants, while he sits in the back and gets NOTHING.

Mikey does not even get his mother’s LOVE, as he’s forced to watch as the mom supports Jayden and spoils him with gifts unconditionally, while she treats Mikey as though he’s a criminal.

“Jayden, I am so proud of you.”

“You don’t have to share anything with your brother.”

I’m sorry.

This is NOT fair grounding.

This is full on EMOTIONAL ABUSE.

What next? Are they going to send Mikey to Juvie because he wants to have a friend? After all of this?

These, are, without a doubt, BAD PARENTS. They pressure their kids with work and high expectations, they play the favorite card constantly, they lie, they scheme, they scam, they scream at their children, and they punish them so harshly that it involves stripping them of a potential future.

And worst of all. We’re supposed to believe these are GOOD parents.

Yep. We’re supposed to believe these are the best parents in the world, who are JUSTIFIED in doing all of these things to Mikey!

Like, why does Mikey have such a bratty behavior?

IT’S BECAUSE OF THIS.

IT’S BECAUSE THEY FAILED AS PARENTS.

7: Why Does Mikey Act The Way He Does?

So, why does Mikey act the way he does?

Why does this kid act like a spoiled, narcissistic, irredeemable brat?

Maybe it’s the school system and how badly it nurtures him and makes him feel pressured.

Maybe it’s his failure to recognize what it takes to make his dreams and goals happen.

Maybe it’s his brothers either not being there, or failing to understand him.

Maybe it’s the awful parents, doing all kinds of bratty things themselves, and punishing him to no end.

Maybe it’s Dhar Mann’s influence on this kid.

Well, in the end, it doesn’t change one thing:

It’s bad writing.

At the end of the day, it’s all bad writing. It’s Dhar Mann FAILING to successfully write relatable children characters that can be of any influence to children in the real world. It’s the writing, of portraying kids as one dimensional selfish monsters, and justifying the abuse, pressure, punishment, neglect, and emotional damage, as something kids deserve.

It’s DISGUSTING.

Mikey is the BIGGEST example of writing a child poorly.

And neglect of what a child needs to live a healthy life.

If Dhar Mann wants to respect his child audience, he has to understand what children go through everyday. He needs to understand that it’s not as simple as a good kid and a bad kid. It’s not as simple as punishing a kid to make them learn. It’s not as simple as saying they should stay in school. It’s not as simple as saying they should listen to their parents.

Children need to feel heard.

They need to feel loved.

They need to feel the right to explore the world on their own terms.

But in the end, Dhar Mann, has always FAILED, to give children any respect and any voice. And it baffles me that this kind of child writing is considered okay by a ton of people.

Even after this post, I doubt Dhar Mann will EVER change his writing or respect kids in any way. He’s making money, why change anything?

And if that’s the case, then yes.

This is the EXACT THING Dhar Mann does, that BROKE ME.

#Dhar Mann #Analysis #character analysis #Children #childcare #Black and white #Parenting #Love #Bad messages #Respect #Disrespect #Family #familial abuse #Abuse #school suuuucks

35 notes · View notes

yoshkeii · 3 years

Text

"𝚂𝚎𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚎."

࿐ character(s): Daishou Suguru, Atsumu Miya, Sakusa Kiyoomi

࿐ genre: angst (to fluff)

࿐ type: headcanons (hcs)

࿐ requested: yes, as a continuation of "𝚄𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚙𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚍.”

⌦ male!reader (he/him)

⌦ mentions ; cheating (atsumu’s), angst to fluff (sakusa)

⌦ they all have different scenarios, so its best to check out the first post for a little more context.

A/N: never expected to make a part two, but i guess the feedback said otherwise. its been awhile since ive written anything, so i may be rusty, disregard mistakes too please-

𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴 ; this is queued. i am still on my hiatus.

𝙳𝚊𝚒𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚞:

→ ever since the argument, you had left. taking majority of what was yours and what you could in the quickest of matters. you and Daishou barely talked or interact within those days. often dead silence within the shared home... or rather what was shared.

→ it was quite suffocating as well, leaving each other after a long relationship you both committed to. but you had a gut feeling it would end unfortunately.

→ Daishou had seen you leave for the last time past the front door. only exchanging a blunt “bye.” before disappearing behind the solid door. he really hoped this was all lies and games, but it wasn’t. he knew this was real, he knew this will be his reality. without you. the fading steps signaled that you were not gonna look back.

→ since then, he hasn’t heard of you since. he hasn’t seen your name around social media and only the bittersweet memories of when his friends would bring you up came into mind.

→ but it was like, you erased him from your world. and yet Daishou still held tight of the cut thread that lead to you. the other end laying flat onto the floor as the other end you had, disappeared as a whole. a huge gap between you both.

→ him being in denial, he kept mainly to himself.

→ the old shared space felt empty. drastically different every time he would come home. he would hear your welcoming voice that made his whole body so warm and fuzzy, but now, the silence was painful and cold as he stepped inside his so called ‘home’. he didn’t know why...

→ but he really wanted you back. he wanted to see your face no matter when he came home. he missed your whole presence. he yearned for something that he could’ve kept if he would just shut up.

→ Daishou didn’t expect to see you here. at the same party he would be invited to, he watched you from the second floor that had the view of the merged rooms of the living room and kitchen. seeing you laugh and smile with two other friends who you stumbled upon, the sight made his heart sting.

→ a sharp stab straight through his chest, only thinking if he could be the reason for that smile. that laughter. oh he envied it.

→ he tried to avert his thoughts away before he heard some whistles and calling of names, to see your figure slip away with someone else from the crowd.

→ watching you both from his higher position, he noticed your hands intertwined with the other. his own hand slightly clenching the daring drink he held, the other grasping the rail tighter the longer he watched.

→ Daishou’s eyes soon looked up at your face. the expression you had made him feel conflicted.

→ the wide pure smile you had accompanied with the deep flush, made him feel that oh so familiar feeling. but knowing he wasn’t the cause of it pained him.

→ although, seeing you with someone deserving made him feel at ease. but the stabbing dagger in his heart laid there still, only reminding him that he could’ve been that better person.

𝙰𝚝𝚜𝚞𝚖𝚞:

→ after the confrontation, you and Atsumu had split ways of course. it was difficult to move on and realize the situation at hand, to the both of you.

→ seeing where your stuff would be gone in the shared space made it surprisingly empty and less... alive. the whole place felt dead and empty, like a home left abruptly without an obvious reason of why.

→ but Atsumu knew why, and it began to nag at him. it made him feel so guilty to do that to you. to him, you were so pure, kind, and oh so nice. he could go on about your looks too, he really could. but every thought of you made his mind so hazy and clouded with distraught.

→ why did he cheat? you were loyal to him- if only he could be too.

→ its been a couple years since then, it was tough for Atsumu. he had cut ties for who he was cheating with, regretting what he did and in hopes to regain you back before- didn’t obviously work. so now he stayed alone in the home that practically mocked him of his decision.

→ he was quite surprised Atsumu wasn’t blocked by you throughout social media etc. but he didn’t dare to strike a conversation and laid idle as he saw you occasionally appear on his feed.

→ seeing you mention being in relationship but only giving vague hints and images, truly never revealing who to your followers.

→ sighing as he slipped his phone into his pocket, he didn’t want to think about it all, so he decided to pay a visit to Osamu at his restaurant. to his twin’s dismay.

→ arriving there fairly quickly he waved at his brother who was behind the counter cleaning up for the night, seeing his twin wave back slightly before continuing on whatever he was doing.

→ Atsumu couldn’t help but noticed the metallic object that wrapped around Osamu’s ring finger.

→ “..’Samu? What’s on yer’ hand?”

→ “Oh- ya noticed already. I got engaged not so long ago, or recently.”

→ curiosity jabbing at the blonde made him eagerly question again.

→ “I- What?? By who!? ‘Samu ya didn’t even tell me you were in a relationship!” Atsumu could only just whine, knowing his brother didn’t share with him about his personal life after highschool.

→ “Shut up ‘Tsumu.. Don’t be so loud in my restaurant or I’ll kick yer ass out of here!”

→ “..but do you still wanna know?”

→ Osamu seeing his twin nod with anticipation made him sigh, knowing this wouldn’t end too well. “Well.. me and [Name] are getting married. Just got engaged with him two days ago.”

→ “..[Name]..?” Atsumu could only repeat the familiar name, his voice faint but still audible to his brother’s ears.

→ he couldn’t believe it. his brother... and..

→ “W-well-! That’s.. nice for both of ya, haha..” the blonde tried to played off, hoping that the wavering of his voice didn’t catch his attention but, Osamu already knew, simply playing along as the conversation continued and slowly shifted off to something else.

→ Atsumu had left the place rather quickly than he originally intended to stay- but he didn’t expect it. he didn’t expect you being engaged with his twin, eventually knowing you’ll see each other soon.

→ he didn’t know how to feel about this. he was happy for both of you- but- he wasn’t over you. although it has been more than two years, he wasn’t. he missed you, he yearned to see you again. he wanted to hear your laughter and giggles, your voice overall. he wanted to see you smile, he wanted to see your handsome face.

→ he wanted... you back. but he knows he can’t have you. not anymore.

𝚂𝚊𝚔𝚞𝚜𝚊:

→ when you left passed the front door, you hadn’t come back after a few minutes. and it was.. raining. pretty badly.

→ having worry built up in his stomach that soon turned into a mixture of anxiety made him feel uneasy, overthinking the situation and words he said to you earlier made him choke on his actions.

→ snapping out of the trance, he rushed to go grab a coat to slip on. retrieving his phone. hurrying out the front door hoping to find you haven’t gotten too far already, almost slipping down some steps of the apartment building on the way to find you.

→ the rushing anxiety continue to flow through him, making his movements more loose and clumsy as he ran off to find you. calling out your name aimlessly of the darkened rainy streets. not caring that his curls were getting soaked in the pounding rain, he just wanted to find you.

→ to find you and keep you safe.

→ Sakusa’s heart kept increasing every moment he didn’t see you. he wanted to find you so bad- this anxiety he had was much worse than when around he was in crowds, this one felt more instinctual.

→ forgetting he had brought his phone, he slipped it out of his pocket quickly dialing and calling you. to find you answering on the second ring.

→ “..h-hello-?”

→ “[Name]..! T-thank god your safe.”

→ the slight mess-up Sakusa slurred with his words made you feel slightly worried, “..yes I am safe. what’s up with you??”

→ “Nothing..! But w-where are you?”

→ “I’m.. at a nearby cafe. Are you sure you-”

→ your boyfriend interrupted you quickly, “I’m on my way.”

→ “H-hey..! Don’t just-”, hearing the call end with singular beep, “aaaand.. he hung up..” you decided to look around from your position outside, grasping your phone nervously. realizing the rain was pounding down much harder than earlier.

→ the sound of the familiar voice calling your name from the distance caught your attention, gazing over to see Sakusa running over towards you.

→ “S-saku-”

→ jumping lightly at the sudden hug he enveloped you, muttering soft rushed apologies over and over again as he hid his drenched face in the crook of your neck. he had continued his rambles of apologies as you hugged him back, rubbing his back lightly. watching the ravened hair male let it out a little longer before you could mutter reassuring words to him back.

→ the tension slowly rising from his muscles but the hold of his hug didn’t falter at all, only continuing to snake around your waist.

→ “..you scared me..” “...im really sorry, babe.”

→ you lifted your gaze to meet Sakusa’s, lifting your hands up to cup his face. brushing a few strands of hair away from his view sending a quick peck onto his lips. “you don’t need to apologize anymore Omi. you did enough already..”

→ “A-and you’re drenched! Baby, you’re gonna get sick-” you blinked, noticing how flat his hair was from the rain that couldn’t reach you both from the small roof over the entrance of the cafe.

→ “..i-i’ll be fine..” the soft stutter Sakusa made noted he was embarrassed about the thought, “..i’m glad your the one not gonna be sick though.” he muttered before softly pecking your lips.

→ “Honey..” you sighed, taking your hands in his before heading inside the building. “..lets just get something to drink to warm us up, ‘kay? then we can head back.”

→ “I-m.. paying aren’t I-..”

→ “Yes. Yes you are. A treat after a bad tiring day!”

→ “..you just want sweets-”

→ “Shut it Kiyoomi.”

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khaleesiofalicante · 3 years

Note

While a positivity blog is great, posing it in opposition with the "call-out" blog immediately devalues it. The one person who was called out on that account (the original one) was an adult sexualizing teenagers who blocked anyone who tried to tell her that what she was doing was harmful. It makes it seem like you're trying to support adults who sexualize minors.

There's no way to "communicate" with someone who blocks anyone who tries to "call" them "in". a call out is a statement that this type of behavior isn't acceptable and a promise to make the fandom a safer space for teenagers.

I asked very respectfully not to send me follow up questions on this matter. Because this whole "call out" thing had been weighing on my mental health.

But once again, I keep getting dragged into this.

This my response to every ask I've gotten regarding this matter over the last few days. The asks I've been ignoring because it's not my place to give an opinion on this. Or rather, I do not have to. I don't have an obligation to do so.

But here we are.

The very reason I find the call out blog problematic is because of a sentence you said in your ask.

You mentioned that because I find the call out blog problematic and I quote "it makes it seem like you're trying to support adults who sexualize minors."

This is the problem.

The call out is not the problem. It's the way in which they are being called out.

Over the last few days, I've seen tsc blogs, for the lack of a better word, being "investigated". Posts dug from the past, follower lists analysed, screenshots posts and shared in public.

This is not a call out. A call out refers to interpersonal confrontations occurring between individuals on social media. In theory, call-outs should be very simple – someone does something wrong, people tell them, and they avoid doing it again in the future.

Now I understand you mentioned an individual refused to listen. I will not comment on that - since I do not know this individual personally or how they reacted. I do not prefer to talk about people I don't know personally. Neither the people calling them out - or the person being called out.

But what I can tell you is that when you call out someone, it only works when you point out why they are wrong, not what what they are doing is wrong. So, instead of calling someone a pedophile, it is essential to explain how their behaviour impacts you or your peers. It is important to address this issue in the larger fandom, not just by spamming one person's ask box. Because this issue is greater than one blog.

The reason why I don't condone this call out blog is because it is so easily possible to get carried away and overpunish people, turning alleged perpetrators of upsetting acts into victims themselves. The moral high ground people stand on evolves from calling out to public shaming of individuals.

I am requesting this entire fandom to rethink your actions and to reevaluate your choices. All of you.

It breaks my heart that you would say that I support adults who sexualise minors when have spent my whole adult life protecting children from such people. It is literally my job.

I recently saw one of my dearest friends being called "homophobic" because they support Jace - because Jace 'outed' Alec and therefore those who support Jace are also homophobic. It really hurt because I know the struggles my friend had to go through in order to protect themselves from their own homophobic family.

It makes me so sad and yet so angry that you are not aware of the consequences your words have on people.

People who make such claims. You seem to forget that we live in a digital world now. You all seem to forget that we are living through a pandemic. We study online. We work online. We entertain ourselves online.

So when you shame people online so callously, it can affect irreparable damage on their professional lives. It can ruin their mental health. It can impact their families.

While the intention of the callout blog - and those who support it - might be honest, the way in which they are achieving their goal is incredibly harmful for people in this fandom regardless of whether they are guilty or not.

I want to point out that this call out blog achieves nothing. It doesn't root out the pedophilia and sexism that exists on Tumblr - or in the fandom. The call out blog does't achieve anything. I'm sorry. It had to be said. The only thing this blog achieve is spreading a culture of shame, fear and stigma in the tsc fandom.

So, I urge you to rethink your actions and reevaluate your methods.

I do not believe in giving bland advice. So, as someone who works on these issues, allow me to point you in an healthier and more effective decision.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

If the goal is "a promise to make the fandom a healthier space for teenagers" then you are doing it wrong. I say this as someone who works on creating healthy spaces for teenagers. It's up to you whether you want to listen to me or not.

But you are going about it wrong. Here is what you can do instead.

1. What we are doing wrong? Currently, you seem to be focusing on the people - not the issue. If you want to make the space feel safe, you need to address the root cause. What differentiates a call-out from bullying is that it shouldn’t be about punishing someone for something they have done, rather it should be about establishing a new pattern of behavior. In other words, when someone calls you out they want you to start showing through your actions that you care about the issue you’ve been called out on. So, show that you care about the issue.

2. How do we show we care? Focus on the teenagers. You are focusing on the wrong group of people. Cancelling out someone or calling out a blog or getting someone to deactivate is not going to make teenagers feel safe. Trust me on this. You need to address the issue to the victims. You need to ASK THEM how they want to be feel safe. While your method might work for you, it might not be what everyone wants. It might not make everyone feel safe. So, talk to your peers. What is it that you can do for your own community? Is it writing an email to CC about this issue in the fandom? Is it addressing it in a larger platform like a magazine or YouTube? Is it reaching to Tumblr and talking to them about doing their job and enforcing the community guidelines efficiently? THIS is how you fix the problem - not by chasing people out when you find them to be problematic.

3. Why are you complicating this? Why can't we just call people out? Because then you will only be addresing the symptoms, not the root cause. I understand that most of you are minors and therefore will not have the same awareness about how the system works or don't ahem access to same resources and opportunities we adults do. But unfortunately, it is our reality. We all live online. We all need to educate ourselves and do better.

I'm sharing an excellent resource here which was developed by UN WOMEN in 2021 to speficially tackle the issue of bullying, disinformation and hate speech experienced by youth - especially young women. It's a free online course that helps you learn this topic better. It even gives you a certificate from the organization.

I am ALL for calling people out as long as you do it the right way. So, if you want to be a warrior on Tumblr, if you want to protect your peers, if you want to create a safe space, you need to learn how to do it the right way. Otherwise, like most social activists, you are doing more bad than good. Your attempts to create a better world only lead to more chaos and pain.

4. I still don't understand. Then here is a simply answer. I hope this helps.

Please make better choices. Be conscious of how your actions online affect people both in digital and offline spaces.

You are allowed to fight for your safety. You are allowed to fight for your rights. But you are not allowed to hurt another person to prove your point. Then your whole initiative becomes counterproductive.

You need to be more aware. You need think more critically.

Finally and most importantly - I once again ask that you do not drag me into this. I am not the president of this fandom. I am not your parent. While it is my job to create awareness and work on online safety, I am not on tumblr to be an activist. This is my safe space. This is my comfort space. This is where I come to take my mind off all the stressful and heartbreaking things I have to work on as an activist. I am here to shit post like most people. I do not have to teach you to be decent or how to be sensible or how to be kind. That is the job of the education system and your family.

I'm sorry those around you have failed you and it has come to this. I only hope you do not fail yourself.

Make better choices.

Love, Dani.

#tsc fandom #tsc #cyber bullying

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emblemxeno · 3 years

Text

JP vs. Localization in Fire Emblem Fates: Revelation

(Okay, for real this time lol)

Again, here’s a link to my sources post.

Fortunately, this route follows suit in terms of good localization quality after Conquest. It’s the shortest out of all the posts, since I don’t really have a lot to talk about. Mostly subtle line changes, references and a few key points of information that were cut out. I also went through Hidden Truths and Heirs of Fate to see if I could add stuff from those on here, but there were no big problems that I found.

Once again, the main part of this post will all be put under the cut. If a chapter isn’t covered, it means I didn’t think there were any differences worth talking about.

I’ll use localized names for characters and locations, unless I feel the need to do otherwise.

I’ll be using she/her when referring to Corrin in this post. (I flipped a coin to decide the gender lol)

Also, note that after Chapter 14, the translation of this route on Fateswartable ends, so I mostly relied on the English patch done by Serenes at that point forward. (I also used PegasusKnight.com as a reference to fall back on if I needed it)

Chapter 7

-A minor gripe I have with localization. The JP version compares Touma (Valla) to hell constantly. To jump ahead a bit, I believe in the JP versions of the End of All Sky/Land/Below tracks are even called The End of All Roads Heaven/Earth/Hell. The Vallites are also often called demons in the JP version, and Anankos himself is known as the ‘Invisible Demon Dragon’.

Another cool thing I just thought of too, is a connection to a popular Japanese short story. Zelda fans might be familiar with the story, “The Spider’s Thread”, which inspired the Ancient Cistern dungeon in Skyward Sword.

The beginning of the story has Buddha walking through paradise (heaven), before coming across a pond. The pond is filled with crystal clear water, and covered with water lilies/lotuses. As Buddha gazes further into the pond, he begins to see the depths of hell.

Sound familiar? “Azura is walking through Hoshido, before coming across a lake. The lake is filled with crystal clear water, and when she gazes into the lake she sees the fallen kingdom of her birth. Valla, the kingdom associated with water lilies/lotuses in the game, has been turned into hell itself.”

This association loses its meaning a bit when the comparisons to hell are a bit toned down, as well as when the Buddhist inspirations were kind of supplanted in favor of Greek renames. It’s not supremely important to the plot as a whole, but it’s something interesting I wanted to bring up.

-In the JP version, while explaining what happened in Valla, Azura eventually says “Using the art of manipulating people’s souls, he (Hydra/Anankos) made the people kill each other.” This bit of the people killing each other was cut in localization.

Chapter 12

-In the JP version, when Corrin asks Flora if she knows anything about dragons, Flora says “Sorry, I don’t know…The ancestral dragon of the Ice Clan has already perished and isn’t part of the legend. I don’t know what role it plays, sorry…” Localization makes her response “I'm sorry, but I can't think of anything... They've been gone so long that we don't even have tales of dragons in the Ice Tribe. I'm sorry I couldn't be of more assistance...”

So, the JP version explicitly says the Ice Dragon is dead (I believe Fates’ second artbook mentioned this as well), whereas the localization only says the First Dragons have been gone for a long time.

Chapter 16

-There’s not really much of a problem that I have with what Ryoma says about Corrin “having leadership qualities at a young age” but I wanted to do comparisons regardless cuz the word choice might lead one to different conclusions. In localization, Ryoma says this:

Ryoma: Huh... So she told us the same thing... I don't think it's in Corrin's nature to lie. And there's a leadership quality about her that just attracts followers. I remember being jealous of her as a child, in fact. Even at such a young age, she displayed the characteristics of a ruler. Silly to be jealous of her, right?

In the JP version, Ryoma says this:

Ryoma: Oh... So, she told you the same thing. …Corrin isn’t one to tell lies. She’s been like that since childhood. She’s always genuine and honest... She has this mysterious appeal that draws people to her. Seeing my younger sister with the qualities of being a ruler... Honestly, it makes me feel envious. …What a ridiculous thing to say, right?

Again, I don’t necessarily have a problem with how it was localized, but some might. The localization version might have people think that Corrin somehow was a fantastic leader at such a young age, but JP is more clear that it was about the qualities she had at a young age that would be valuable as a leader.

Chapter 19

-A minor gripe. In the localization, Azura says that Anankos uses his magic to send Vallites to Nohr and Hoshido to stir up conflict. In the JP version, she says he uses magic, along with the help of a body of water. That’s why whenever you fight Vallites outside of Valla proper, there’s a body of water nearby; Hoshido’s lake (and the ponds shown in Hinoka’s CQ battle which are in the capital) for Chapter 5, the sea for BR chapter 11, the burning falls for BR chapter 21, and the city for Rev chapter 13. Similarly, the consequences of being a victim to the curse are described as “turning into sea foam” in the JP version. Localization as a whole kind of toned down how much water has an influence on the story.

Chapter 23

-Probably the pettiest gripe I have lol. As Arete is fading away from Azura’s arms, Azura has a different reaction in localization and Japanese. In localization, Azura says “Mother? Mother!” while a voice clip of her in-battle pain cries plays. In the JP, she says “*Sob... Sob*…! Mother... Mother...!”, while a voice clip of her crying plays. Her crying voice clip I don’t recall hearing anywhere else.

This is one of the few times in the you get to see Azura express a heavy and heartfelt emotion, since her rough childhood caused her to remain guarded and stoic around everyone. The equivalents to this scene in other routes is her death scene in Birthright, and her crying with Corrin over Ryoma’s death in Conquest; a normally unflinching and aloof character breaking down is a rarity, and indicates that the cause of it is something to take note of for the character as a whole. Localization softened this aspect, and I take issue with it, despite it probably seeming trivial to most other people.

Chapter 24

-When Corrin is questioning the phantom Mikoto, an exchange happens. In localization, part of it goes like this:

Corrin: But this can't be... Are you truly my mother?

Mikoto: I am. Even as a puppet of Anankos, my spirit at least remains my own.

Corrin: I... I believe you.

In the JP version, it goes like this:

Corrin: It can’t be... …Are you really my mother?

Mikoto: Yes... I became an Invisible servant, controlled by the Invisible King... Even so, I am your mother.

Corrin: …………

Again, a minor thing that I don’t personally have issue with, but replacing Corrin’s silence with an admittance of belief could make some believe she has “reverted” back to being too naïve.

Chapter 26

-While Gunter is relaying his past, an exchange happens. In localization, it goes like this:

Gunter: I ask myself that, every day. I cannot understand the minds of royals. To you all, we commoners are little more than pawns in your schemes... Or weeds to be killed on a whim.

Corrin: That's not true...

Xander: Is that how people view the royalty?

Ryoma: Such an impression would easily breed powerful resentment...

In the JP version, Corrin, Xander and Ryoma don’t say anything. They just remain silent.

Endgame

-Not a major problem so much as a general thing about the game, but I can think of like... at least three memes that Treehouse inserted into the localization. Now I like memes, but there is no better way to date your media nowadays. One of them was Kana’s “That’s dragon for I love you” which tbh, is kind of cute and isn’t the most well known meme so I guess I can let it slide. Another is Felicia saying “I had one job!” when she messes up in the dining hall, which isn’t that big of a deal since the dining hall is very optional.

The last one I can think of is why I put this specific grievance here, and it’s during Corrin’s speech before facing Anankos.

Corrin: We won't back down! This is my... This is our destiny! Ready your weapons! Fight for your friends! With the Seal of Flames... With the Fire Emblem on our side! We fight for our world!!

Yeah, she says “Fight for your friends” which is everyone’s favorite Ike line from Brawl. Now, this isn’t even a totally inaccurate translation either, but it kind of just... makes the moment funny for the player when it’s supposed to be commanding and serious I guess.

But yeah, not the most important issue by far, but something I’d thought to mention. Hell, it’s not even that bad compared to how they made Peri’s, Effie’s and Hisame’s quirks into exaggerated and tired jokes. And the Beruka-Saizo support. Never forget.

-When Azura and Corrin are by the lake and discuss the latter’s plans to rule, Corrin says this in localization:

Corrin: I'm going to make Valla a wonderful place! In honor of the true last king and for Queen Arete. And everyone who fought... I promise to make them all proud.

In the JP version, she says this:

Corrin: I’ll make the Invisible Kingdom (Valla) into a great land. For the previous monarch, Queen Shenmei (Arete)… And for all of my allies who fought beside me. I promise.

So, JP version only mentions Arete as the reigning monarch of Valla. Which makes sense, cuz unless there was some wild “keeping the bloodline pure” shenanigans in Valla, Arete being the Queen keeps in line with what we know about the rest of Valla’s history. Arete was royalty from birth, as was her sister Mikoto. Arete is the one who passed down Lost in Thoughts and the pendant to Azura.

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bex-la-get · 3 years

Note

I love the new prompt! Can I request 5 and 6 for Ethan and Natalie, thank you!

NONNY! You put together the BEST combo! Yes, I love this, let's go!

Note: This takes place in an AU where Nat and Ethan confessed their love for each other, but Nat decided to leave Edenbrook after her residency.

And fair warning: this is gonna be long.

From this ask list.

5) “...you look like you just saw a ghost.”

6) “I... I can’t believe it’s really you. I thought I’d never see you again.”

Five years. Five long years since Natalie had left Edenbrook.

In those five years, she had thrived. After taking a position in the Internal Medicine Department at LAC + USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, Natalie had revamped the medical industry. From fighting Big Pharma companies-- such as Panacea-- on overcharging for basic life-saving medicines and winning to using her experience of saving Naveen's life to revolutionize patient care and saving countless lives, Natalie had become a household name in the medical community and the world.

Ethan had watched from afar via social media and the occasional television interview she had done. He couldn't be prouder of Nat; she had far surpassed anyone's expectations and was reaching new heights every day. But as proud as he was, he couldn't help but feel a bit sad.

He still loved her. He always would. And while he was thrilled Natalie was succeeding in her career-- and he would never ask her to stop doing what she loved-- he silently hoped one day she would come home. That one day, she would come back to him.

He knew it was unlikely. Still, if there was anything Natalie had taught him, it was to never give up on the person you knew you were meant to be with. And he knew Nat was that person for him. So, until he was proven otherwise, he'd hold out hope for her. Always.

------------------

Ethan was walking the halls of Edenbrook, mentally checking off the to-do list for the Board Meeting he had that afternoon, when he saw a familiar head of bright red hair. He almost brushed it off until he heard that all-to-familiar laugh and his heart nearly stopped.

Natalie.

He turned to find the source and saw Nat talking to Sienna and Jackie, looking every bit the successful doctor she had become. What she was doing here, he didn't know; but he didn't very much care. She was here, she was back. But for how long?

Without realizing it, Ethan's feet carried him towards her. He had to see her in person; had to hear her voice and to see her smile.

As he got closer, Sienna spotted him first and she smiled. "Oh, hi Ethan!"

He smiled at Sienna but was quickly distracted by the blue-green eyes he'd missed so much. The moment Natalie spotted him, she grinned and his heart began to pound in his chest. If it were possible, she was more beautiful now than ever; and yet barely anything had changed. Her hair was longer, her face a little more mature and she held herself with all the confidence in the world. But she was still Natalie. She was still his Rookie.

"Ethan!" Natalie said, making her way towards him.

He outstretched his arms and relished in the hug she gave him, enjoying this brief moment where she was back in his arms. "It's good to see you, Rookie," he said, as she pulled away.

She smiled. "I don't know if I'm much of a rookie anymore."

He returned her smile. "You'll always be Rookie to me." There was such fondness in his words that Nat's eyes shined with admiration for a brief moment. His heart was pounding so hard right now, it was a miracle it hadn't burst out of his chest yet.

"What are you doing here? Just visiting?"

"Actually, I was hoping to meet with you, Chief," she replied. "I'd like to talk to you about something."

He raised his eyebrows, intrigued. "Well, you caught me at a good time. I have some time before my next meeting if right now works for you?"

She nodded and waved goodbye to Sienna and Jackie, promising to meet up with them later, and followed Ethan to his office. He closed the door behind them, ensuring their conversation would be private and turned to face her again, sucking in a breath as he met her eyes.

She raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost."

He chuckled. "Yeah, I-- I just can't believe it's really you. I thought I'd never see you again."

She smiled sheepishly. "I did do a pretty bad job of staying in touch, didn't I?"

He shook his head. "You've been busy saving the world," he said. "You have no reason to be sorry for that. But, if I may, I've been following your career, Nat. And I'm very proud of the work you've accomplished. You've become quite the doctor."

She blushed. "Thank you; you know I couldn't have done it without your guidance. You taught me everything I know."

"Now that certainly can't be true; you know far more now than I could have ever taught you."

She chuckled. "Well, maybe a little."

He smiled and fought every urge he had to take her into his arms and kiss her senseless. Keep it together, Ethan. He shook his head. "I'm sorry, you said you had something you wanted to talk to me about. Please, take a seat." He sat behind his desk as she sat across from him and pulled out a black folder from her bag.

"Yes, well," she began, "I've enjoyed my time in LA and I'm proud of the work I've accomplished. But Boston will always be home to me-- though don't tell my mom that, she's still hoping I'll move back to Philly." Ethan chuckled and nodded as Nat continued. "I-- I miss home. I miss Edenbrook. I miss y-- my friends. And... I may or may not have seen that the DT has an opening for the lead position and I thought I'd throw my name in the ring. For the job."

She placed the folder on his desk. "Everything you need to know about the work I've done over the last five years is in this folder and I have several character references, including one from the Chief at LAC. I've also included my notes that I'll be referencing for my book that will be coming out early next year and--"

"Nat," Ethan cut her off. "There's no need for all this. The job is yours."

She looked at him wide-eyed. "What? Just like that? Don't you want to field questions? Ask me about how I'd handle certain situations?"

"I don't need to; I told you, I've been following your career. I know of the work you've done and I've seen first hand how good of a doctor you are. I don't need to field questions, Nat. If you want the job, it's yours."

She smiled. "Thank you, Ethan. I can't describe how grateful I am. I know the team means a lot to you; I'll do you proud."

"You already do."

She blushed. "So, what's next?"

"I'll get the paperwork filled out and sent to HR. Assuming everything goes smoothly and HR doesn't drag their feet, we can have you start as early as next week," Ethan said. "Unless you need more time to settle in?"

Nat shook her head. "No, I already have a place lined up. I'm just crashing with Sienna and Bryce for a couple nights while the movers bring everything up."

Ethan nodded. "Alright; well, I'll get the paperwork set up shortly." He extended his hand out to her. "Welcome back to Edenbrook, Dr. Cusack."

"It's good to be back," she said, shaking his hand. They smiled at each other for a long moment, neither wanting to let go of each other's hand. Natalie seemed to be searching Ethan's eyes for something before she spoke again. "Ethan-- er, I'm going to Donahue's this evening with everyone to celebrate my return to Boston. You're welcome to join us, if you'd like."

He smiled and nodded. "I might stop by for a bit."

Her face lit up. "Okay; then I'll see you there." She slowly-- almost reluctantly-- slid her hand out of Ethan's and grabbed her bag. "See you later then, boss."

He walked her to the door, smiling. "It's really good to see you, Nat," he said. "I-- I'm glad you're back."

The look she gave him nearly took his breath away. If he were mistaken-- and he rarely ever was-- he'd say she looked at him the same way he looked at her: madly in love. "Me too," she said. They looked at each other for another long moment before she looked down at her shoes and cleared her throat. "I'll see you tonight."

"Yeah, see you tonight," he said. He watched as she left and took a deep breath in an attempt to slow his pounding heart. She was back. She was home. It was as if all his hopes and dreams from the last five years were finally coming true. But there was one big question that still needed answering: Did she still want him the way he wanted her?

Only one way to find out.

---------------------------

Donahue's was packed. Ethan had forgotten it was Wednesday, which meant half-off drinks for all EB employees. It was something Reggie had implemented a few years ago in order to get more weekday business. It had worked a little too well and Reggie had to hire more people to keep up with the demand; but business was booming as a result so it wasn't like anyone could complain.

He'd found Nat and her friends easily; they had commandeered one of the biggest booths in the place and were currently taking tequila shots, courtesy of Jackie.

"Jacks, we're not in our twenties anymore," Natalie reasoned as she pushed a tequila shot away from her. "I can't do several shots in a row and still be a human being the next morning!"

"That's quitters talk!" Jackie argued but relented when Nat gave her the unwanted tequila shot. "More fun for me!"

Natalie laughed and shook her head in disbelief, when she spotted Ethan. Her smile grew and she excused herself from the table, getting up to greet him. He returned her smile and welcomed the hug she gave him, once again relishing in the feeling of having her in his arms. "I was wondering when you were going to show," she said, as she pulled away.

He chuckled. "Sorry; being Chief means I have a lot of extra paperwork that needs to be taken care of."

She shook her head. "You're here now. Come on, we're due for another round, anyway, so you came at a good time."

"Actually," he grabbed her hand, stopping her from walking away. "Could-- could we talk for a moment? Privately?"

She nodded, curiosity evident on her face, and followed him outside to the patio which was, surprisingly, empty. Not that Ethan minded; having the patio to themselves meant less prying eyes and ears. He sat at one of the tables and smiled to himself when Nat sat next to him.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

He nodded. "Yeah; I just... Nat, I realize this might not be very professional of me but I need to know." He turned to face her and took a deep breath. "Before you left, you told me you loved me. Do-- do you still feel that way?"

She rolled her lips together in anticipation to answer and he braced himself for rejection. Instead, she took his hand in hers and said the word he desperately needed to hear. "Yes."

"Really?" He almost couldn't believe what he was hearing.

She nodded. "If I'm being honest, Ethan, part of the reason I moved back to Boston was because I missed you, desperately. I still love you. I always will."

He fought back tears and caressed her cheek with his free hand. "I never stopped loving you, either, Nat. I always hoped you'd come home; come back to me. But I couldn't have asked that of you, especially as your career began to thrive."

She smiled. "I know you wouldn't; it's not in your nature." She scooted closer to him on the bench. "But as happy as I've been in my career, I've always been missing one thing: you." She sighed. "I wouldn't take back the success I've had over the years; I wouldn't give up the career I've built for myself because I'm extremely proud of it. But... I can't help but wonder what could've been if I hadn't left. Where would we be? Maybe running the DT together; maybe we would've gotten married, had a couple kids, maybe got a house in the suburbs. I feel like there's a whole life we could've had if I didn't leave."

"We can't sit here and wonder what could have happened, Nat," he reasoned. "You needed to leave to find your footing, spread your wings, and flourish into the incredible doctor you are today. Don't sell yourself short; the things you've accomplished are nothing to sneeze at." He looked at their joined hands and ran his thumb along her knuckles. "I would never ask you to give up your dreams or put your career on hold for me. It killed me to watch you leave but to see you thrive was more than I could have ever asked for."

"Thank you," she said, quietly. She took a deep breath. "But, since I'm home now, and I plan on staying here... maybe we can pick up where we left off? Try the whole dating thing again? And everyone knows I've made a name for myself on my own so you don't have to worry about anyone saying I slept my way to the DT position."

He chuckled and nodded. "Good point." He squeezed her hand. "I would love to pick up where we left off; if that's what you want?" She nodded and he smiled. "Good; because that's all I want too."

Moving faster than he could process, Natalie cupped his face in her hands and kissed him soundly. He melted into the kiss immediately and kissed her back feverishly, his hands gripping themselves tightly around her hips as he pulled her impossibly closer.

Though it had been years, kissing her was so familiar and natural that it was as if no time had passed between them. Her lips fit perfectly with his, full of unspoken words of love and passion. Five years had passed since he last held her in his arms or kissed her, but in an instant, those five years were gone. The only thing that was left was the two of them, making up for lost time with forever spread out ahead of them.

Tag List below the cut:

Tag List (let me know if you want to be added/removed): @genevievemd @jamespotterthefirst @paulfwesley @ethansdique @openheartfanfics @perriewinklenerdie @little-flowers-on-heaven @stateofgracious @coffeeheartaddict @liaromancewriter @potionsprefect @mm2305 @gryffindordaughterofathena @actuallybored @writer-ish @queencarb @takeharryandgo @lsvdw-blog @itsjustwinter @imaneditorthankyouverymuch-deac @chaoticchopshopheart @ohchoices @maurine07 @oldminniemcg @parisa-kh @shanzay44 @uberamsey @izzyourresidentlawyer @adiehardfan @custaroonie @mia143 @a-crepusculo @takemyopenheart @toadfrog26 @quixoticdreamer16 @barbean @headoverheelsforramsey @natureblooms24 @choicesaddict5

#bex answers #asked and answered #anonymous asks #random dialogue prompts #ethan ramsey #natalie cusack #ethan x natalie #ethan x mc #open heart mc #bexwritesstuff

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firelxdykatara · 3 years

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Katara x Aang :3c

are you trying to get me in trouble

-cough-

no but in all honesty, my genuine feelings about kataang boil down to three major points: 1. it's boring, and does not jive thematically with either of their character arcs, to the point of, 2. actively hampering character development on both sides, and 3. katara deserved better.

points expanded under the cut. (please, if you're a kataang shipper and you see this, just keep scrolling. i've tagged it appropriately and put the bulk under a cut and at this point that's literally all i can do lmfao.)

send me a ship and get my (brutally) honest opinion!

1. It's Boring: This is the most subjective point on the list (I mean, in fairness, it's all subjective, but I have evidence from the show and post-canonical materials to support my other points; this one is just preference), but there's just... nothing to kataang. It's cute (when it's not actively aggravating), and... that's about it. It's not even that I dislike friends-to-lovers as a shipping trope (though it's not my overall preference), because there are a lot of friends-to-lovers couples that I do ship (kanej comes to mind, also will/elizabeth from potc, karolsen from supergirl, romione and hinny from hp, among others), but one thing that I think all of those couples have that kataang doesn't is that both sides of the pairing are teens or adults when they get together, with teen/adult dynamics and issues and stories to deal with, rather than one half being a teenager and the other being literally prepubescent.

And don't get me wrong, I have no problem with age gap ships in general. And as far as atla goes, Katara, at 14, has the same age difference from Zuko (16) as Aang has from her, and it's never stopped me--because both Katara and Zuko are well into puberty when they meet and I have no problem picturing them being into one another and growing together as they enter adulthood. Aang, on the other hand, is a child. And he acts like it. Which wouldn't be a problem, if the show weren't expecting me to believe he is a) ready for a romantic relationship, and b) ready for one specifically with Katara, who is not only older and far more mature but is specifically cast as his caretaker in a very maternal role for the entire show's run.

This show asks me to believe that a teenage girl well into adolescence is going to be attracted to and develop romantic feelings for a pre-adolescent child--and it asks me to believe this while showing us otherwise that Katara's type is actually older boys with fabulous hair and angsty pasts in all of her other potential romantic dalliances--and then enter into a relationship with him, all while ignoring the elephant in the room that is the fact that she was basically acting like his mother for the entire series to that point. (Something that is heavily lampshaded earlier in the very same season.) That just stretches the bounds of credulity way too far for me, especially when there's no evidence that Katara herself would get anything out of their romantic relationship.

There's nothing there for me to sink my teeth into. No delicious development, no parallels where they help each other grow, no internal conflicts that they have to work through together, nothing. Certainly no reason for me to actually believe Katara feels (or would grow to feel) anything for him other than the platonic affection of a caretaker. I can easily believe she loves him dearly, as a friend and quasi-little-brother, but I just can't see that developing naturally into romantic love--not the way it's presented in the show.

And even if they did manage to at least make the development of Katara's feelings believable, unless they changed something fundamental about the nature of their relationship, it'd still be boring, so.

2. It Actively Hampers Their Character Development--On Both Sides: I've written before (extensively lol im so sorry) about how kataang is actively detrimental to Katara and to Aang. In short (because ye gods this post is already getting long enough), Katara is narratively harmed by being shoved into a relationship that completely ignores her stated feelings--a relationship that had been presented as a one-sided puppylove crush for the vast majority of the series--and it inhibits her growth as a character in ways that become far more obvious in the comics and lok, where the very same creative forces that lead to her beginning a relationship with Aang in the first place reduce her to 'the Avatar's girl' and very little else, all the way through to the end of LoK (where she is a Healer and the Avatar's wife and, again, very little else).

As for Aang:

As to how this relationship is detrimental to Aang (other than the comics and LoK nonsense)? Just take a look at book 2, when he’s trying to learn Earthbending from Toph. Katara constantly coddles him. Much of the time, she’s afraid to be anything other than gentle and understanding with Aang--partly because of her fear that if she pushes him too far, he’ll run away. (Which he does, several times.) But sometimes, what Aang needs to grow is a sharp kick in the slats, which Toph was more than willing to provide--and which worked. Katara was great for teaching Aang to waterbend, but he needed more than that to grow as a person. And he can’t get that while he’s in a relationship with someone who will apologize for getting upset when he was very explicitly neglecting her.

In addition, it is pointed out by Guru Pathik at the end of Book 2 that one of Aang's chakras is blocked by his attachment to Katara. Aang takes this to mean (incorrectly) that he has to stop loving her in order to become fully realized as an Avatar, but this is actually part of the problem--because the issue isn't that he is in love with Katara, it's that he's possessively attached to her. He believes himself entitled to her love in return, rather than selflessly loving someone regardless of whether or not they return that affection. (This is obvious come the EIP episode, where Aang demands to know why he and Katara aren't in a relationship already--because he kissed her without asking [or even checking to see if she'd be ok with kissing him], which he phrases as mutual even though it very much was not, and he gets angry and violates her boundaries when she says that she is confused and doesn't want to think about it right then.)

It is his attachment to Katara--the need for her to return his love, the belief that she will and it is only a matter of time before he gets what he wants--that he was supposed to let go of, not his feelings for her in general. Unfortunately, while he pays lipservice to doing this (far too late for it to be useful--if he'd stayed with the Guru for five more minutes and unlocked his chakra there, that battle would've gone very differently), he almost immediately backtracks on that development come book 3, and there isn't another single whisper of Aang maybe growing up and moving past his one-sided and possessive crush and realizing that even if Katara doesn't feel the same way, it doesn't mean she loves him less or that their friendship is less important.

What really needed to happen, for Aang to grow as a person and become fully realized as an Avatar, was for him to grow up. To realize that his feelings were not of paramount importance, and that even if he was in love with Katara, he was not entitled to her love in return. He should have been able to move past his need for her to love him back, in order to get past that stumbling block, unlock his chakras, and regain the Avatar State in time to face the Firelord. But he didn't. As a result, they had to find some other way to just give him the Avatar State (a well-placed rock) and the means to defeat Ozai without killing him (the deus ex lionturtle) and his entire character arc just fell apart in the third act rather than reaching a satisfying conclusion.

3. Katara Deserved Better: This really ties into how her romantic relationship with Aang hampered her own development, but I'm still bitter enough about it that it gets its own bullet-point. And the biggest single reason I could never ship kataang--the thing that would've turned me off even if there were substance and a halfway decent storyline for them--is the fact that Aang kisses her without her consent (for the second time) in Ember Island Players, Katara gets angry at him and storms off, and then..... she walks out onto the balcony to make out with him.

With nothing to bridge that gap.

It's bad enough that a show aimed at children had a scene where the child protagonist kissed the object of his affections without her consent when she didn't want him to (made explicit by her angry reaction)--and this is absolutely an issue when the show is aimed at children and it may well be the first experience they've had with consent issues portrayed in media--but this moment is never addressed again. Katara just decides--completely off-screen--that she does love him Really and walks out to make out with him in the epilogue. There's no conversation, no apology for violating her boundaries, no discussion of why that was wrong or any indication that Aang understands what he did and why it upset her. They don't have a single one-on-one interaction between that kiss and the epilogue, and the only other time they are on screen together, Aang yells at her and storms off.

So, even leaving the comics and lok aside, Katara deserved much better from her own romantic plotline. In fact, she deserved to have one, rather than simply being the oblivious object of Aang's affections, given a couple moments where she blushes but otherwise remains completely ignorant of his feelings (she looks shocked and upset when he kisses her prior to the invasion, and then she completely forgets that even happened because she's confused as to what Aang is even talking about during EIP until he brings it up; that's not the behavior of a fourteen-year-old girl who was kissed by someone she was developing romantic feelings for), before the epilogue where it becomes clear that she figured all of that out off-screen and had feelings for him after all.

She's a main character, not a side-character written in solely to give one of the mains a love interest. She deserved a romantic plotline of her own. (She could have had one with someone else, with very few changes made to what was actually on-screen prior to the epilogue, but that's another conversation entirely.) She deserved to have her feelings considered at all important by the person she was going to be paired with in the end, rather than having him just assume she felt the same way and then get mad at her for never giving any indication of it when he'd never asked about her feelings to begin with. She deseserved agency in her own romantic narrative, and she just didn't get that with Aang.

So yeah, at the end of the day, my biggest issue with kataang is that it involved doing Katara dirty, and she's my favorite character and she deserved so much better damnit.

#atla #katara #aang salt #kataang salt #anti kataang #atla meta #katara deserved better #salt for ts #ask meme #invincibleweasel #asked

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fellowstrangetownappreciator · 3 years

Text

Curious and autistic-coded

Hello there! April draws to an end and with that I think it’s high time to hurry up and write this. What does April have to do with anything, you ask? April is the Autism Acceptance Month. So what better month to do this?

Unfortunately I didn’t make it. I failed. It’s already 1. 5. when I’m posting this. But at least I tried to deliver on time.

In this mini essay I’ll present my case about why I think the Curious brothers from TS2 Strangetown display autistic-coded traits and my personal takes on it.

It’s basically your average headcanon post but with a funny top hat!

0: Preface: What do I mean by “autistic-coded”?

When a character is coded as something, it means that they have traits that are associated with the demographics in question to make the consumer knowingly or not link the character with the demographic, although the character's "label” is never explicitly disclosed.

In the nutshell, it means that there are canonical reasons to read the characters as autistic, although you won't find the word "autism" anywhere in the game nor in the developer's commentary.

In this particular case I do believe that the developer may not even be aware of the code, as there is no evidence to suggest otherwise. If there is, I’m not aware of it and I would be happy to learn.

So, let’s start!

1: “The white male who is very good at science”

Unfortunately autistic representation in pop-culture has a long history of being rather straightforward in which traits the characters often have. This stems from the belief that autism is “a boy’s disorder” (that’s why some autism charities to this day use blue in their symbols). Among popular examples of autistic-coded characters are Big Bang Theory’s Sheldon Cooper and Death Note’s L and Near. I’m sure you can think of more but you’ll find that most of them are men and either explicitly white or racially ambiguous white-passing. They also tend to be gifted in tech, logic or other science-y activities.

There’s nothing wrong with that! Nothing wrong with being an autistic with those “stereotypical” characteristics and there is nothing wrong with people being represented. What is wrong is the monotony and afab people/people of color being underrepresented which leads (among other factors) to harder access to diagnosis and resources for those people in real life. But! That’s a topic for a different day. (and not for a simbrl, mind you)

Back to the Curiouses! I just wanted to say that autism in media is traditionally associated with characters whose gender presentation, race and interests align with theirs. Those characteristic thus make a very convenient template for autistic-coding.

2: Inconsistent performance, huge gaps between strengths and weaknesses

Pascal, Vidcund and Lazlo are very skilled Sims by default, extraordinarily even for their age. Pascal has a skill maxed while his younger brothers both near maxing theirs.

But as you can see in Pascal’s default skill panel, apart from Creativity, all his other skills are extremely low, 0 points for Mechanical, Body and Charisma, 1 point for Cooking and Logic and his second best skill, Cleaning, has only 3 points. The same situation can be observed in Vidcund’s and Lazlo’s, except their strong suits are Logic and Cooking respectively.

Huge discrepancies within performance in different cognitive areas is a common trait found in those on the autism spectrum. We’re often talking extremes here and the scale of the difference is the defining factor. Everyone has their strengths and weaknesses, it’s just in neurodivergent people those tend to be unusually noticeable.

I think that skills, simplified as they are, are the closest The Sims has to possibly simulate that because they track the character’s performance and expertise in different areas and allow comparison. In real life, of course, this comparison is not nearly as possible and exact, nor desired, but for all our analysis-loving enthusiasm, here we’re still talking fictional characters.

3: Struggle with social cues

It is widely known that one of autistic traits are difficulties with processing social situations, picking social cues and successfully replicating socially desired behavioral patterns.

But these three are Sims, are they not? They cannot possibly display this trait, since they’re programmed the same way as others.

Yes and no.

It is true that there is no specific in-game feature that would allow Sims to behave with explicit neurodivergency in mind* but with the right combination of traits they can simulate behavior that really hits close to home for neurodivergent players.

*at least not in TS2, TS3 has traits that simulate some possible neurodivergencies but their names tend to be rather... ableist unfortunate and they’re not relevant to this post since they’re not autism related, and even if they were, we’re focusing on TS2 exclusively

Let’s take look at Lazlo here. He is, indeed, a playful soul. He likes to goof around, tell jokes, make others laugh. And since he’s very close to his brother Vidcund, close enough even to Tell Dirty Joke (an interaction that needs quite a high relationship to unlock), he autonomously does just that.

And oh boy, does Vidcund disapprove.

From my personal experience playing them, their relationship usually takes quite a hit from every cheeky joke Lazlo throws Vid’s way. They usually autonomously repair it very quick but it happens often.

But that’s a standard behavior. Vidcund’s very serious, he doesn’t take well to jokes.

No. I mean technically yes, Vid is definitely a grumpy old plant dad but, at least in my game, he tends to accept Lazlo’s jokes. All kinds of them, actually, except for the dirty ones. And Pascal, who technically has even lower Playful points (0 in comparison to Vidcund’s 4), doesn’t seem to mind Lazlo’s poor attempts at grown-up humor.

But! What is it that makes Lazlo try still? What drives him to attempt to make Vidcund laugh with a dirty joke over and over again? (and fail?)

I my interpretation, Lazlo doesn’t do that on purpose, he is just really poor at evaluating “dirtiness” of a given joke and frequently misinterprets Vidcund’s cues. The animation of a dirty joke being rejected even supports that as Vid doesn’t signal his discomfort with any exaggerated easy-to-read facial expression until Lazlo gets to his punchline.

No only that but as I mentioned, the invisible lines between spicy and too vulgar are often hard to thread. I can recall many times I thought I was saying a witty quip on an “adult” topic and was met with awkward silence or someone shushing me because “that’s not how you speak in public”. I can well imagine myself in Lazlo’s shoes.

A situation of social cues being misinterpreted or ignored can be observed also in Vidcund. Programming-wise, those are just his low Niceness and extreme Shyness showing but combined they again paint a picture of a very neurodivergent-looking behavioral pattern.

He often behaves like the concept of politeness or social rules doesn’t exist because the combination of the aforementioned traits makes him come off very blunt (lecturing and shoving telescope-peepers with no warning whatsoever) and distant (having a high chance of rejecting simple small-talk socials).

(That’s Jasmine Rai casting the “Summon Vidcund” spell.)

Yes, I am fully aware that it makes a stronger case for him being an a**hole than autistic but... there’s no reason he can’t be both. Not all autistic people are sweet cinnamon buns, all personalities you can think of can be neurodiverse and, for some their neurodiversity can even amplify their inconsiderate ways, as I believe it is the case with our dear grouch Vidcund.

4. Their bios

“No matter what happens, Pascal believes there is a logical explanation for everything. In his free time, he practices home psychoanalysis and collects conspiracy theories.”

(that’s how I imagine practicing psychoanalysis looks like, sorry Freud)

“Serious and exact, Vidcund strives to fit the universe into a nice tidy package. He has an unnatural fondness for African violets.”

(let’s collectively pretend those are African violets)

“Not as studious as his older brothers, Lazlo got his degree in Phrenology. He likes to call phone psychics and spends hours trying to bend forks with his mind.”

*error: screenshot of Lazlo bending forks not found*

(but here he is hanging out with Erin Beaker, the closest thing to “calling phone psychics” you can actually do in-game)

Both Pascal’s and Vidcund’s bios point to a pattern-focused worldview with a strong emphasis on rationality as the center-point that anchors the way they understand the world around them and build their principles on. This “pattern-ization” of thinking is a common autistic trait, with rationality being a popular theme because emotions tend to be difficult to access and asses for many of us.

Lazlo’s biography is an outlier. But it still has something significant in common with those of his brothers: All three of their bios allude to a potential special interest of sorts.

Special interests as an autism-related term are very specific, in-depth and long-term hobbies or areas of expertise that make an autistic person happy and they tend to go to seemingly exhausting lengths, often at the cost of other areas of knowledge and most likely the person’s ability to talk about anything else for a long enough time. (a loving hyperbole, no disrespect meant) Mine are my characters and cats. An even more intense but a short(er)-term passion is called a hyperfixation.

Them potentially having a special interest is yet another possible autistic-coded feature.

5. Wait. Why does it matter?

Right. What does it matter if a Sim (A SIM) (or two or three) is autistic? What do I hope to achieve, pushing my autistic Curiouses agenda down your throats?

I got to write a long rant-piece about some of my favorite TS characters and I feel like I can finally die satisfied.

Apart from that and me sharing my happiness of finding some good pixels I can relate to, it is a matter of representation.

Remember by the very beginning I wrote how most of the representation our community gets in media tends to be just a one specific type of character?

And how the Curious brothers seem to fit the stereotype to a point?

There is something I omitted, something I saved for the last on purpose.

The role. The role in their story, the role in the society the piece of media portrays.

We often see neurodiverse, autistic or autistic-coded character as children, students, villains, lone savants, victims in distress, comedic relief sidekicks, either very vulnerable and needing protection, or detached and having their role defined only by their academic prowess or their special interest/profession.

What we rarely get to see them as, are... parents.

That’s what many of us autistics are or plan to be someday in the future. The dogma around autism has started to dwindle relatively recently and there are little to no examples of autistic adults being the care-givers for once in the media around us.

The Curious brothers are just that. They are chaotic, they are eccentric, they can be a little too much... but they are dutiful and loving fathers/uncles to their little aliens they raise.

They make it work. Even if they face difficulties, even if they don’t exactly fit the standard.

“Sometimes, a family truly can be three brothers raising alien babies, and it’s beautiful.”

It encourages us to define family by love rather than traditional structures and it shows us that portrait of a functional neurodiverse family we need to see.

And goodness, is it a powerful sight.

#the sims 2 #the sims #ts2 #simbrl #pascal curious #vidcund curious #lazlo curious #autism acceptence month #headcanon #actuallyautistic #autistic curiouses agenda #please someone take tumbrl from me

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