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#<- i just wanted to use him as an example btw i don't think jason had anything to do with him since pre-crisis.
boyfridged · 10 months
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other people struggling to recognise jason post-res, sure. but-- jason coming back to gotham and keep walking into dead ends because some parts of the city plan shifted just a bit when it got rebuilt after the events of "no man's land." jason getting lost in the manor; jason opening the door to where his room once would be, finding it to be just a carbon copy of other guest bedrooms. jason struggling to read bruce's expressions because they used to be so much more open. jason surprised at the ruthlessness of minor villains who used to just stick to their gimmicks but now are dedicated serial killers and terrorists. jason being scolded by batman for not following a protocol that he does not know of during a rare team up... etc... etc... so what follows is not quite relearning; relearning assumes a certain level of previous familiarity he does no longer possess... the city got colder, and crueler. but it's his home. he can keep up. he can even be two steps ahead (the relativity of distance is a problem. ahead might look dangerously like behind. but trust him, he knows what he's doing.) the new rules can be broken before he finds out about them. he won't be surprised about his bedroom being no more if he never wanted to go back there in the first place. no need to read into bruce's expressions; they obviously convey the worst. minor rogues can be disposed of before they turn out to pose real danger. and that dead end, the wall? nothing an explosive won't fix when he's in a hurry.
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lordnoey · 11 months
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My thoughts on TSATS
Spoiler warning btw
I just finished The Sun and The Stars and I just wanted to say that I loved the book.
I feel like it was so different yet similar to the other books. In all the other books they were very mission-oriented, Percy and Annabeth don't get together till the end of the series and in HOO we don't see them fight, they are an example of the perfect couple. With Jason and Piper, we don't see really see them having a relationship, and we saw how that ended, and Frank and Hazel had some problems but that was just a love triangle. All the couples problems were solved or just background and second to their quest.
What I liked about TSATS was that while the quest was important we see Nico and Will talk about their relationship, the good and the bad. They talk about their insecurities and where they feel like they themselves could do better. Then they apologize to each other and actively try to do better. At the end of the book when Will tells Nico that he is sorry for feeding into Nico's darkness and that he is going to treat him a lot better, Nico says that he will stop leaning into it. This is so important because it shows young people how to have healthy relationships.
Another thing that I really like about the book is that it shows how to deal with demons and his PTSD. This is something that is so important for young people to read. I think that all of this comes at an important time.
This is just something smaller but I think that it's also so sweet how Rick and Mark show that while they are in the underworld and Tartarus they show that there can be light in the dark, and how there can be beauty in everything, like Persephone's garden.
I get that people don't like how "cringe" they are but you have to remember that this book is intended for people who are in middle school like when most of us first read the Pjo books. Nico and Will are 15 ish, and their relationship is exactly how middle schoolers and freshman act.
I think it had so many heartwarming scenes especially chapter 48, it absolutely broke me. It really was such a good book and definitely worth the read.
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scorpionyx9621 · 2 years
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Idk seems like a shallow take with lots of provable arguments against it. For example, beyond who they kill and why Joker has years of canon domestic abuse, and multiple instances of sexual assault. Their relationships and histories are completely different. You could also make the joke that only one of them actually killed a Robin. They just aren't the same, at least no more than Midnighter and Joker are the same.
So I don't know if you're being full-on serious with this or just trying to start an argument. I'm going to give the benefit of the doubt and try to explain my side.
I'm fully aware that Jason and Joker have a lot of differences. Yet at the same time they have a lot of similarities as well. There's a reason why Judd Winnick emphasized their similarities in Under the Hood by giving Jason Joker's old villain identity before he became Joker. It wasn't just to get Joker's attention as Jason said, but also to show that Jason was stooping down to the Joker's level.
Is Jason a rapist? No, he kills rapists. But I'm going to say that again. Jason kills rapists. This being a Batman comic and Jason Todd and Joker being Batman characters they are lumped together in Bruce's eyes because of his idiotic Kantian philosophy of never kill no matter what. Batman is that black and white. I can go on all day about the differences between apples and oranges, you can call Jason an apple and Joker an orange, yes they are two completely different flavor profiles and colors and textures, but under the philosophy that Batman uses, they're both still fruit.
You realize how stupid that sounds right? Any sane, logical person would have killed the Joker decades ago, but because there's to be no killing under Batman's watch ever, that's not going to happen. Bruce would bring the Joker back to life just the same way that he would for Jason. Is it fair? Absolutely not, Jason has saved people's lives for Pete's sake. The Joker just sows chaos and brings misery wherever he goes. Yet at the end of the day both Joker and Jason have crossed the red line multiple times and with 0 regret. And to Batman, whom is the central figure of these comics, that is his dividing line you shall not cross.
Jason Todd is no Joker by most means, but when you think about all the shit Jason has done over the years, including the stuff that has been ret-conned, I'd argue Jason has more in common with Joker than he does with Bruce at this point. Including but not limited to.
1. Poisoned 80 prisoners to death during Dick's run as Batman.
2. Blew up a school with people inside it when Speedy wouldn't join him in his crimes in Seeing Red. It isn't explicitly said who was or wasn't inside the building but if Jason blew up a school, he's okay with killing children.
3. Has tried to kill Tim, Dick and Damian on multiple occasions (and has failed, not for a lack of him trying)
4. Goes on a mass killing spree while dressed as Batman, not caring who he kills in Battle for the Cowl (oh, this one was written by everyone's beloved Judd Winnick too btw)
5. Goes on a mass killing spree while dressed as Nightwing, not caring who he kills (this is from the same Nightwing run we get TentaTodd by the way.)
6. In an act of blind rage he kills the father of a child he just met not an hour before in Urban Legends all because low and behold, Jason has his own philosophical bullshit he follows where if you give drugs to kids bam you're dead. (I don't have the energy to argue the morals and ethics of giving your own child illegal substances on this post it's already running way too long)
7. In Final Crusade Jason actively revels in inflicting pain and suffering on villains. He kills a man by crushing his head on a car hood and hangs a person. Oh and he does all of this as Robin.
Debating the ethics and morals of Batman on Tumblr is frustrating at best and makes me want to ram my head into a brick wall at worst. I meant that post mostly as a cheap joke and a cheap meme to get cheap likes on this cheap website. I put maybe 20 minutes of effort into that meme and while I see what you're trying to prove, I'm but a silly little fool clown who says shit on a website that cost Verizon a billion dollars. I'm not going to lose sleep over constructive criticism of a character so consistently inconsistent you'll have people throwing full-blown temper tantrums anytime they depict Jason Todd any way that they don't like. I'm as shallow as a wading pool, but at the end of the day we're the ones here wearing the clown makeup arguing in our clown cars over whether apples and oranges are the more heinous comic book villains.
At the end of the day the very nature of Jason's ethics and philosophy is that some crimes are so heinous they shouldn't be forgiven. Which is objectively correct. There's no debating that. Yet because we're stuck under this Batman umbrella as because DC Comics can't decide whether they want Jason Todd to be a hero or a villain or not, we're stuck with an anti-hero with contradictory philosophies to his mentor trying to be a good guy when 80% or people who have a strong opinion about Red Hood demanding that DC comics be burned at the stake for getting his character wrong. With a sizable amount of them on their hands and knees begging for Jason to be an absolutely feral villain again who is "strong, smart, deadly, capable, fearsome." When in reality you can get all of these traits and no daddy issues right there in The Joker. If I wanted a villain who is capable and fearsome killer who strikes fear into the heart of Gotham i'd just be a Joker kinnie. Why should I even bother with Jason? Yet this is what a very vocal majority of the fandom clamors for every time we get a new Jason comic.
Again, I know you weren't trying to get a rant or a tangent and were just trying to prove a point. I have no clue who you are and I'm sorry if any of this came across as offensive. But I'm not here to try to make a bad thing worse. I made a cheap meme for cheap likes, please try not to think too hard about it. It's more fun that way.
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derealfeelz · 10 months
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X (Kodoku's Lilacs, The Life of a Flowstar No. 31)
Damn, been doing this for a month and so far, only like 3+ posts were just me out of ideas. I think I'm doing well with the posts, although I have a bad memory when stuff doesn't come when I want to lol. Anyways, let's get into topic.
So XXXTENTACION, aka Yung Dagger Dick (I swear he came up with that), I'm probably gonna sound emo, but he helped me thru times and shit. It sucks that he died at such a young age, only just leaving through childhood to adulthood, and with a troubled past too. I'm aware that he may have put his hands on an ex, and I'm not gonna defend him for that because you don't do that to anyone in general, unless it's in self defense (Not that I'm saying it is). Even if he did that, I separate art from the creator, he really made incredible music, especially his older stuff like alone pt. 1.
I remember when I was first getting into Fortnite, I was watching those dance compilations of the characters with music playing with them, and YuNg BrAtZ happened to be one, that was like late 2018. Then fast forward to late 2019 to early 2020, I got a recommended video of something along the lines of "Lost XXXTENTACION Songs" and that video got me interested not only his lost music, but lost media in general. Then fast forward to like late 2021, I find a video of X and his bros vibing to Whole Thang by Playboi Carti and Unotheactivist, and it got me so interested in them, I explored the underground around that era and found so many artists I love. Even the beats he used back in 2014 (SOTMP for example), I've been exploring those types of beats, especially when an archive channel uploaded those kinds of beats when I discovered it in early 2022. Nowadays underground don't hit the same or in my interests, I'm always finding 2013-2016 trap shit and it'll forever be the sound I fw.
My favorite song by X, it's so hard to think of, it's between alone pt. 1, SOTMP (Sounds of the melting pot), or The Fall. My favorite project by him is MOV. 1, him and Ski did fabulous on there with their collabs, Freddy vs Jason is my favorite track by him. And if I have to choose a favorite mainstream song by him, it's a song called "BAD!", I remember discovering it when it first came out and I was vibing to it so much. Anyways, Imma hop off now, can't believe it's been 5 years since he's passed, feels weird knowing I've been listening to him since I was 12 and now I'm 17.
Oh, and before I forget, I'm pretty sure I actually did hear him before I played FN when I played Roblox (Yes I played that when I was younger) in this game called Work At A Pizza Place. They had houses there, which you can put up DJ shit in, and I believe SAD and Look At Me played in them, I think they were looped and chopped, I don't remember since it's been years. I believe it might've been before he died, but I wasn't that in him till I heard YuNg BrAtZ late 2018. Anyways, Imma hop off, see ya (Not missing a day btw lol, it's 11:57 atm)!
Sincerely, Kodoku.
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redjaybathood · 2 years
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So, this is a very interesting take on a probable AU where Jason goes non-killing.
I'm not sure how I feel about the "talia introduces him to..." because it's almost becomes her responsibility from a story perspective. But I do love an idea of "jason doesn't kill because he finds another way" because as @tumblingxelian recently noted: Jason is utilitarian about crime and vigilantism. If he sees a better way you bet he's taking it.
I would say a better divergence point would have been - Joker's dead before Jason's murdertour is over. Black Mask, for example, stays dead. And those particular problems are solved. Everything else is more manageable.
I also love how this would actually give space to explore, really dive into and help Jason rediscover his childhood connections. You bet Dana "Organizer of the Neighborhood Watch in Joker War" Harlow and Gabbie "Helping Other Kids in Need However She Can" Christensen would be all into helping the community to organize, unionize, mutual aid etc, etc. It would be not only Crime Alley but Hills, Bowery, other areas in need. Heck, maybe they are the ones who get Jason into it! Say, Jason does visit them when he comes into Gotham, he sees what they're doing, and he's like: how can I help?
Btw he doesn't even need to become a part of Batfam since he's non-killing. I think he still would keep the options open. There are situations where no other means work, so that's how he is going to solve the issues. Remember Eugene for example? He did not feel any regret of putting him down (he compares him to a mad dog, emnip), but he does explain that no other options were open due to corruption within police and political circles that made that particular child slave ring possible.
And you know what? Enter Max Dawkins! I don't know why exactly, but I hc him as a really good lawyer, and having him on his side would just be a good idea when you're going after corrupt police/authorities. (and also how they fridged him in Truth and Justice was an injustice; I want to rework it; if, say, Jason was on time saving Numbers, he's on time saving Max, okay??? okay. glad we cleared that up)
You don't need to kill people if you can legit get them fired or jailed.
Denise, as a journalist, could work on promoting the network and shining the light on real problems in Gotham.
Numbers can do - MATH STUFF idk. he's the big data wizard who was employed by US military for off the books ops, and by Gotham crime bosses. Let him use his power for good.
Tl;dr through the power of friendship and anarchism Jason Todd becomes a non-killing - no, non-violent (situation permitting) - member of Gotham community and all is well.
P.S. in case Black Mask is dead, Orpheus IS ALIVE and thus Jason doesn't need to become crime lord.
I have mixed feelings about Orpheus being made by Batman take over Hills but I need to reread it to get a better grip on the story. But basically, yeah, I have a feeling that if he's alive, Jason wouldn't become Red Hood one way or another.
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algumaideia · 2 years
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I read more chapters of Loveless and more stuff that I think is worthy mention:
SPOILERS
Pip, a latina character says latinx. And as a latina I dislike it. It is just that this term doesn't work for Portuguese and Spanish speakers, but maybe it is different for latinos that were born/raised in English speaking countries. (Just use latino or latine please)
In the book there is a short talk about how being poc intersects with being queer. And since I'm a white closed ace, I'm not going to say if the author did it right. I just think it is nice this topic is talked about in the book.
Other interisting thing is a gay character being aphobic. Unfortunetely this is a thing, the lgbt community is, a lot of times, not accepting of aspec folks. And I think it is nice Alice talked about it. So, again if you don't feel like reading characters being aphobic, don't read this book. The aphobic character is framed as bad, as a "villain". But if this is not you're thing, that is not your thing.
Two thing that I forgot to put in my last post about the book:
1. How Georgia is always thinking: I know this person is attractive but I don't feel attracted to them. I never thought that. Maybe that is because I only discovered I was ace two weeks ago and I thought that just looking at someone and thinking they are good looking was feeling attracted to them. But I don't have those thoughts. It is just, wow this person is beautiful and that is it.
2. And she also says she doesn't have a type. And I kinda do?? Not in the way that with this type of person I have sexual thoughts, but I just tend to think that people who look in that certain way are more aesthetically attractive. Again, I just look and them and think: beautiful.
And now, this books it getting kinda good.
Seriously I'm so happy Georgia finally decided to talk with Sunil about his asexual flag pin. I was so tired of her trying to force herself to be in relationships, especially because she put Jason in the middle of that mess and I kinda like him. I get this is a thing aspec folks do, and this was a part of her journey. But I am mean and I didn't like her so I was just annoyed with her drama. And just asking all the time why she didn't speak with Sunil.
Btw Sunil is the only character I like. He is my fav character. Now let's talk about Sunil explaining asexuality to Georgia:
I'm gonna put quotes of the book here.
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[ID: Dialogue from Loveless:
'So...' I thought about this 'That means... you don't want to have sex with anyone?'
He chuckled. 'Not necessarily. Some asexual people feel that way. But some don't'
Now I was just confused. Sunil could tell /.end ID]
And this is relatable. I also was confused about this. The difference between looking at someone and thinking about doing sex and just wanting to do sex. So yeah, nice.
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[ID: Dialogue from Loveless:
'Some asexuals still enjoy having sex, for a whole variety of reason,' he continued. 'I think that's why a lot of people find it confusing. But some asexuals don't like sex at all, and some are just neutral about it. Some asexuals still feel romantic attracton to people - wanting to be in relationships, or even kiss people, for example. But others don't want romantic relationships at all. It's a big, big spectrum with a whole range of different feelings and experiences. And there's really no way to tell how one specific person feels, even it they openly describe themselfes as asexual.' /.end ID]
I liked this part, I think it explained the ace spectrum quite well. I mean is the first time Georgia has a real contact with what asexuality means.
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[ID: Dialogue from Loveless:
...didn't understand. 'Asexuality means I'm not sexually attracted to any gender. So I don't look at men, or women, or anyone, and think, wow, I want to do sexy stuff with them'
This made me snort. 'Does anyone actually think stuff like that?'
Sunil smiled, but it was a sad smile. 'Maybe not in those exact words, but yes, most people think stuff like that'
This shook me. 'Oh' /.end. ID]
I also didn't believe when I discover that happened and books, movies, series do not exaggerate when they portray sexual attraction. Like, it is just so weird to think that people just feel sexual attracion for strangers. Really, how? How can you look at someone and have sexual thoughts/desires about them???
Sunil is homoromantic. That is all I needed to know. Now I'm oficially shipping him with Jason. Is this because they are the only characters I like in this book? Yes, but I don't care.
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[ID: Dialogue from Loveless:
'So romantic attraction is different from sexual attraction?'
'For some people they feel like different things, yes.' said Sunil. 'So some people find it useful to define those two aspects of their attraction differently.'
'Oh.' I didn't know how I felt about that. What I felt was so whole - it didn't feel like two different things.
'Jess- she's aromantic, meaingn she doesn't feel romantic attraction for anyone. She's also bisexual. She won't mind me telling you that. She finds a lot of people physically attractive, but she just doesn't fall in love with them.'/.end ID]
I also think it is nice Alice made sure to say asexuality and aromantism are two different things and people can be one without being another. They are not the same thing. They come from the lack of two different types of attractions. And it is nice we have our mc, who is obviously aroace, a gay ace character and a bi aro character. Different aspec people. And just a warning, Georgia has a aphobic(?) reaction to it. She thinks it is sad Jess is aromantic and cannot love the people she feels physically attracted to.
This is not like a deep analysis, but overall I liked it. It is a good first contact with asexuality and aromantism. But Idk maybe people feel other way??
Best regards,
Me.
Ps. I hope I did the image description is right.
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I don't really watch Holby but I'm always looking for autistic representation, so if you dont mind me asking why do you headcanon Henrik as autistic??
I mean, “headcanon” implies looking into something that isn’t there in the canon. Henrik being autistic is 100% there, he fits the diagnostic criteria to a T, they just refuse to use the word. But I get your point.
This is going to be LONG and I’m sorry. There’s a lot to cover.
Reason 1: He doesn’t understand social cues.
This is pretty much the entire foundation of his character: that he can handle formal, scripted situations fine but is terrible at personal relationships. He’s admitted it himself.
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A non-exhaustive list of examples:
In S13E44, the hospital chairman’s ex-wife Ella tries to flirt with Henrik. It goes right over his head all the way up until Ella literally starts unbuttoning her blouse.
In S15E42, Henrik treats a patient with amnesia. While operating on the patient in theatre, Henrik’s ex-girlfriend Maja says what a tragedy it must be for the patient to not even remember who he is. Henrik responds by saying that, in some ways, it might actually be a good thing and that he’d like such an ‘opportunity for reinvention’. He doesn’t even seem to consider that the patient doesn’t see this the same way as him, or that this might seem insensitive to the young man’s plight - he just assumes that because he’d like the chance to start over, surely this patient must too.
In S18E33, Henrik’s worried about Arthur Digby (who is suffering from terminal cancer)’s wellbeing, so he arranges a meeting between some of the hospital staff to talk about it. When Arthur walks in and asks “Is this about me?”, Henrik starts to bluntly reply “yes” - Sacha has to jump in and save the situation by saying “nope”.
In S20E19, Dominic Copeland admits to Henrik that he’s recently been infected with Hepatitis C. Henrik doesn’t know how to respond at all, and when Dom says “this is usually the part where you bestow me with wisdom”, Henrik says “Is it?” - implying he had no idea what Dom wanted out of the conversation.
In the latest episode, S22E15, he goes to visit his friend Essie who’s having chemotherapy. He brings her a book called ‘Surviving Cancer’ and doesn’t even realise how this may come across as inappropriate or too on the nose until Dom points it out to him.
Reason 2: He has a flat affect.
This one’s obvious. He’s not very expressive, and he tends to speak in a monotone. This tends to lead to other characters assuming he doesn’t have feelings, because he doesn’t show them in the way they’d expect.
Reason 3: He stims a lot.
Self-explanatory. If you pay attention, you can often catch him fidgeting with his hands during his scenes. Here are some gifs of him doing it:
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He also tends to hum or sing to himself pretty often, which could be vocal stimming.
Reason 4: He has low empathy.
Mr. Clarke the psychiatrist in S19E03 even comments on this. He’s using it as an insult, admittedly, but the whole point of the episode is basically “Mr. Clarke is an asshole, but an asshole who’s right”.
Henrik struggles to relate to people, and can’t feel their emotions. I refer again to S15E42 for one of the best examples of this:
Maja: But he [the amnesia patient]’s so lost. He’s alone in the world. You must feel... something?
Henrik: Not particularly.
I have a whole post on this scene alone it’s so accurate and perfect. (The phrase “a whole post” is a link you should click, BTW. Unfortunately links don’t display on my blog until you hover over them so I just want to clarify that.)
This is another thing that tends to lead other characters to think Henrik doesn’t care about others. They’re 100% wrong. He cares incredibly deeply about those around him, to the point it hurts, he just can’t empathise with them. The show makes a point of reminding us of this regularly. We love good low empathy rep. ♥
Reason 5: He has sensory issues.
One recurring joke with Henrik is that he really, REALLY hates tomatoes. He’s gone so far as to label them “the devil’s fruit” on multiple occasions. Despite this, he’s fine with eating tomato soup, which implies it’s a texture issue.
He’s very sensitive about touch. I don’t think he’s touch-averse, necessarily, but it’s seemingly a more intense experience for him than for others. He’s bothered by people he doesn’t know well making physical contact with him. (One example: in S15E50, his colleague Antoine Malik hugs him. Henrik just stands there awkwardly, not reciprocating the hug, and asks Malik to stop.)
In S15E04, Henrik is shown going into sensory overload from too much stress and too many people talking at once. I’ll just leave a clip of that here. (Again, that last sentence is a link!)
He also wears the same kind of outfit a lot, which could potentially be another sensory thing. In particular, he’s almost always seen with some kind of layers on. Hell, we saw him in his pyjamas with a dressing gown over them in the middle of July last year.
Reason 6: He’s not good at emotions.
I’ve already been over how he doesn’t understand others’ emotions well, but he’s not really any better with his own. He’s clearly alexithymic, and has admitted as such:
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One major storyline in series 13 and 14 is Henrik’s romantic feelings for Sahira Shah, a woman he used to mentor. Except... he doesn’t realise he’s in love with her. A similar storyline happens in series 20 with his old friend John Gaskell, but because the writers of this show are heteronormative cowards, no one actually goes “hey Henrik are you in love with John” only for him to passionately deny it (which happened several times WRT his feelings for Sahira). But if you pay attention to the subtext, there’s clearly a late-realisation-of-love going on there, and the actor seems to approve of it (“[John was someone Henrik had] loved for thirty years”, “[Henrik was] blinded by his affection for John”), so.
In S20E28, we see Henrik trying to fill out a therapy worksheet asking him to describe his emotions. He struggles with it throughout the episode, and keeps trying to write something only to give up and shove the paper back in his pocket.
He has very strong emotions, but prefers to try and shut them down, focusing on facts and logic instead because they’re what he can understand.
Other reasons I won’t go into too deeply because this post is long enough, but I want to mention them:
- Reason 7: He takes things literally often. He doesn’t get other people’s jokes and sarcasm, and they don’t get his.
- Reason 8: He has very strong moral beliefs and he sticks to them.
- Reason 9: He literally had a meltdown once (in S20E13).
- Reason 10: Other characters have compared him to autistic/-coded characters in pop culture, such as Rain Man, and the Vulcans from Star Trek.
- Reason 11: This scene with him and the show’s canonically autistic character Jason, wherein Henrik only fucking goes and likens himself to Jason while contrasting the both of them with [allistic] people as a whole. (There’s another link BTW)
There are probably even more reasons I could think of if I tried, but I’ll stop there. I think this is quite enough proof that Henrik is autistic as it is. 🙂
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blanddcheadcanons · 5 years
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Re: killing criminals. Not to sound Jason Todd-ish. But as Red Hood is one my fav characters, I particularly liked an old issue - don't ask me which one lol - that he does the hero thing and catches the guy red handed and gives all proof and does the Bat thing and when the guy walks, Jason goes and kills him. And then there are villains like the Joker. Even as I see Jason and most anti-heroes going against Injustice!Superman for example. Thoughts?
For most heroes I like it when they take a moral stance against killing.  Maybe because if I was ever drafted into war I’d definitely be a conscientious objector.  Bear in mind I’m against the very concept of the military but hypothetically if I was forced against my will that’s what I’d do.
But then again I liked the Joker movie.  (btw I’m seeing some horrible takeaways on YouTube and I just wanna state that I am against those idiots aligning themselves with the protagonist)  It showed violent murders committed by the protagonist but from my perspective I do not view the protagonist as sympathetic.  I see the violence portrayed as horrifying and disturbing not glorified and cool like it was the The Dark Knight movie.  I saw the protagonist as a victim of societal violence and responded with violence which the society responded with more violence.  I do not feel the movie presented the Joker as having a viable solution to society’s problems.  He had a reaction that arguably made things worse.  I liked the movie cause it was well written and honest.
Then there are violent characters that are funny and gross and violent.  They can be fun in a slapstick way.  Like Lobo.  But maybe I can stomach them because I don’t feel their morals are being taken seriously.
I see a lot of people on this site against Adam Glass’ Teen Titans and I understand their complaints.  I myself keep following the series because I find the new characters interesting.  But I think the offending part of the series is how the titans are being cruel to criminals and that is being portrayed as a viable solution for criminal justice.  They either lock them up with no due process or lobotomize them and call it rehabilitation.  The problem the titans are frustrated with is the apparent revolving door on places like Arkham Asylum.  Here in real life America politicians have had a long history of being “tough on crime” which translates into things like mandatory minimum sentences which is one of the reasons the US has the largest prison population.  I personally think a good option for criminal justice reform is to switch to rehabilitation for nonviolent crimes but I would be OK with some punitive imprisonment for violent crimes but regardless I am firmly against mandatory minimum sentences.  But yeah like I dunno this sort of scifi fictional approach to how to deal with criminals just seems very dumb and insensitive.  Like if they wanted to do something radical just come up with something smarter like Doc Savage did.  But yeah those are just my thoughts.
I guess anything could be an entertaining read if it was smartly written.  Maybe if the character had the right pathos or if their actions made sense or portrayed in a certain light.
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randomdcfangirl · 5 years
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Personal Hairstylist
Okay, this is Jason x POC Reader but reader is not living anymore. It's probably going to be sad and or triggering so be warned. Anyway, because reader was mom and is dead that means Jason dose her hair and things the 'moms do' (I put that in quotes because there are a lot of amazing single dads out there that don't have the recognition they deserve). So Jason is a single dad, daughter is about 6 years old.
Btw I'm a mixed girl who has extremely mixed hair. If you didn't think it was a thing OH MY GOD. My hair is a mess, it's curly and just a lot to handle. When it's wet and full of conditioner oh it's easy but when it's dry and tangled don't even think of getting a brush through it. But anyway my mom is black and my dad is white, I appear as a 'white girl' because my mom is light skin. I have 3 siblings and we are all the same skin tone.
Warnings: a couple cuss words, mentions of death, possibly triggering, Justice League is kinda insensitive, kinda depressing but it has a happy ending.
(D/N): Daughters name, (Y/N): Your name (L/N): Last name
Loosely inspired by a headcanon I saw by @secondratefiction
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(btw the picture is a example of their daughters skin tone and hair type, but you can use her as your daughter if you would like).
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The night Jason got the news you weren't coming home he broke. He didn't care who saw or heard, all that was on his mind was the fact that you were gone. He cried, about the pain, about what happened, what this would mean for (D/N) since she was 8 months at the time.
You were in an accident, a MAC truck driver didn't look before pulling out and smashed your car. Your injuries were bad, like really bad, swollen brain, fractured skull, broken legs, spine, arms, ribs and many more injuries. You were lucky you didn't die on the spot, you were in a coma for 3 weeks before you passed.
Jason was sitting at home with the 8 month old baby in his arms. Bruce and his brother's were there to check on him, Alfred was there to take care of (D/N) when he went back to the hospital for the night. But instead Jason's phone rang, he set the sleeping baby on the couch next to him, he was there so she wouldn't fall, then answered.
"Hello?" He answered over the phone.
"Calling for Jason Todd?" The voice said.
"Thats me." He replied.
"I'm sorry to say but (Y/N) (L/N) passed away at 8:31 p.m., you may come here to see her and say your goodbyes." The doctor said. It was now 9:00 p.m.
Jason didn't know how to respond, so he hung up and threw his phone at the wall, shattering it. He had just seen you an hour ago, he came home to put (D/N) to bed then go back when Alfred arrived to take care of her. He was about to leave to spend the night with you there. That's when the crying came, no one needed an explanation, they understood what happened and started tearing up too. As much as Alfred wanted to cry as well as everyone else he just took (D/N) off the couch so the noise didn't wake her.
When everyone calmed down enough they went to the hospital. Jason brought (D/N) so she could say bye as well even though she doesn't understand. Safe to say that was the worst day of Jason's life, that beats his death, or anything horrible that has happened to him in the past. When they got to your room Jason laid your daughter on your chest that wasn't moving anymore. He laid his head on your shoulder as more tears and quiet sobs came out.
"I'm sorry it has to end this way. I can't believe you're gone, it hasn't set in yet. I love you so fucking much, I'm sorry I wasn't there. I'm just so sorry." Jason said to your motionless body.
Jason felt a hand on his shoulder, he looked to see Bruce then turned back in your shoulder. The rest of the night was a blur to Jason, all he knew was he had to raise (D/N) into a queen he knew you would love.
Now it's almost 6 years later and Jason was getting (D/N) ready for school. He was doing her hair, when her hair was starting to get really long he taught himself how to do it. With the help of Kori, Barbara and YouTube videos, mostly YouTube because Kori and Babs didn't have hair like her so he got a lot of help from YouTube. It was definitely a trial and error type of thing.
But he did it, damn he was good too. He learned how to braid and how to slay dam edge's. He also is definitely teaching (D/N) how to embrace her curl's and love who she is. She's so much like you it's crazy, Jason has definitely cried over that many times but would never admit it.
"Okay, go look in the mirror." He told her as he picked her up off of the bar stool she was sitting on. They walked to the bathroom. "Do you like it?"
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"I look so pretty." She said.
"Yes you do, like the queen you are." Jason told her. He was going to make her the most confident and independent woman you ever did see.
"Daddy, do you think mommy would like it?" She asked, the question stunned him for a minute but he composed himself.
"Yes, she would've loved it, almost as much as she loves you." Jason would never admit it but he almost cried.
"I wish she was here." She said, about to cry as well.
"Me too pumpkin," He sighed and picked her up them placed her on the bathroom counter by the sink. "But mommy wouldn't want us to be sad, she would want you to be happy, and you got me and I'm not going anywhere."
"Okay, I love you." She told him.
"I love you too. Now, how about we get you to school?" He asked her.
She nodded and hopped on the countertop to get her shoes. Slipping them on she asked her dad to tie them for her, he did and grabbed her bag. Walking out the door he made sure he had everything then locked the apartment door. She held his hand as they walked down to Jason's car. She was really small so she had a booster seat that she knew how to do, Jay waited for her to finish before driving off.
In the car they started talking about random things, like all the friends she's going to play with today and what Jason gave her for lunch etc.
"Your like my own hair dresser." (D/N) told him which made him chuckle.
"I like personal hairstylist better." Jason said as he stopped outside of her school. "Okay, let's walk you in."
So she unhooked her seat belt and got out of her seat just as Jay opened her door. Once again grabbing his hand to walk her inside. Getting to her class she, Jason crouched down to hug and kiss her.
"Bye daddy." She said.
"Bye, have fun, okay?" He told her smiling.
She nodded and ran in the class, Jason watched her put her bag in her cubby then go sit on the rug with everyone else that was there. Jason looked and smiled one last time before walking back to his car. He had to go to the manor for some vigilante stuff, he had stopped missions and only patroled sometimes so he could take care of (D/N). He did help with behind the scenes stuff sometimes too.
When he pulled up to the manor he just walked in the door and down to the cave. Tim's face was in his computer as always, Dick and Damian were sparring, Babs was on her laptop looking through case files, Alfred and Bruce were at the Batcomputer looking at something.
"Hey jaybird, how's it going?" Dick asked.
"As well as it can." Jason responded.
That made everyone look at him.
"Where's (D/N)?" Tim asked finally pulling his face out his screen.
"School." Jason told him.
"What day is it?" Tim looked at the date.
"It's Tuesday. When was the last time you looked at the date?" Dick asked.
"Saturday, I think. Friday maybe?" Tim said.
"If you got you face out if your screen you might actually have a sense of time, Drake." Damian said.
"Yeah, Yeah demon." Tim shot back.
The case wasn't to tricky to solve but it was a league case so we had to talk to them over the phone. Then they were coming to Gotham because it wasn't safe to discuss it over the phone. Bruce was about to insist that he'll come to the watchtower but they hung up. Noticing what time it was Jason had to pick up (D/N).
"I have to get (D/N) from school." Jason announced going upstairs.
"Are you coming back?" Bruce asked.
"Yeah, she would kill me if she found out I came here without her then didn't bring her." Jason chuckled.
A noise no one has heard from him in a long time. It put a small smile on Bruce's face, he was getting soft in his older years. Especially with (D/N) since she was his first grandchild, Dick and Babs didn't have kids yet, Tim and Cass (wondergirl) were really young still and Damian and Raven were also really young. (Y/N) just happened to get pregnant and it wasn't planned, that's how that happened.
Jason drove to the school and walked to her class. She already had her bag and was waiting for him. But her hair was all over the place, one bun was out the other falling and the back had grass in it and was all frizzy. Jason suspected she was rolling in the grass.
"Hey princess." Jason said to her.
"You said I was a queen." She told him.
"You are a queen," Jason picked her up "But you're my princess."
"You're silly, dad." She giggled.
"Also, what happened to your hair?" Jason asked her. She shrugged. "Okay, we are going to the manor because daddy has some stuff to do, but do you want me to fix your hair?"
"Can you fix my hair in the," she stopped looked around to make sure no one was there then whispered. "Batcave?"
"Sure." Jason chuckled.
He walked back to the car and they both got buckled up for the drive to the manor. Once they arrived they once again went straight to the Batcave. The league was there but (D/N) didn't care and immediately ran to Bruce, he was talking so she quickly and quietly set in his lap waiting for him to be done. Once he was she said 'hi' and gave him a hug, The JL already knew about her so it wasn't surprising to see her. What was surprising to them was the fact Bruce smiled at her.
She greeted everyone else while Jason went to get her hair stuff that they'd left over here. Alfred had put it in Jason's old rooms bathroom for them. They're was a paddle brush, wide tooth comb and some products to keep the frizz down and a spray bottle with water in it. When Jason got back down there (D/N) was already sitting on a stool waiting. Dick wasn't to far either, so they were talking about stuff.
"What's going on with your hair there?" Dick asked her.
"I was playing." Was her response.
"I picked her up like that, I have know idea how it happened." Jason told him.
He got up behind her and started fixing the mess of hair she had.
"How do you want your hair?" Jay asked her.
"Can you put it up, I'm hot." She said.
"I can do that." Jason said.
So he did a bun so it was off her neck and shoulders.
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"You're really good at that." Flash said surprised.
"I better be after doing it for over 5 years." Jason replied as (D/N) got off the stool.
"Daddy, I'm hungry." She told him.
"Oh come this way Miss, (D/N). I have some cookies upstairs waiting for you." Alfred said after over hearing her and grabbed her hand walking her upstairs.
Jason watched them with a small smile as his gathered up all the hair stuff to put back upstairs later. The league had a few questions about things but Jason didn't bother answer any. He was just helping them get filled in on the part of the case he worked on. After a little bit he went upstairs to put the hair stuff away and check on (D/N).
"So spooky, where's his baby momma?" Green Lantern (Hal) asked.
"(Y/N) was her name, she was in a fatal car accident 8 months after (D/N) was born. Automatically leaving Jason with his daughter and having to play both roles." Bruce told them.
"That's rough, dude." Flash said (Wally)
"It is, Jason is sensitive to that topic so don't ask him about it. Especially in front of (D/N)." Bruce said. His voice was very demanding so they didn't want to test that.
"Yeah, don't do that unless you want to be shot." Tim chuckled.
"Would he do that to us?" Wonder Woman asked.
"He would, if you haven't noticed he doesn't taken to you guys ver well." Damian said. Then mumbled "Although you imbeciles probably wouldn't notice."
Superman heard but didn't know how to respond. He thought about saying something but realized it would probably get him insulted further.
"Yeah, you guys really get on his bad side." Dick confirmed. "Jason has been through hell and back, literally, and he feels like y'all treat him like any other criminal. Except you don't take him in."
"We do because he is." Wonder Woman said.
"Jason is a good man who's made some bad mistakes. He doesn't even put his mask on nearly as much as he used to. That changed when (Y/N) died." Barbara told them.
The League went quiet to process what the bats just said. But shortly after Jason and his daughter came back downstairs, they came to say bye because they had to go home. They said bye and (D/N) gave everyone a hug, including the league. Getting in the car they drove home. Once they got home and went inside they hung out for like an hour.
"What do you want for dinner, pumpkin?" Jason asked her.
"Ummm, pizza." She said excitedly.
"I guess we could, we haven't had it in awhile. Can you get my phone out of the kitchen?" He asked, she nodded and walked to go get it.
When she came back with his phone he ordered the pizza and waited for it to be delivered. When the knock came he went to the door to get it. He told (D/N) to get 2 paper plates from the kitchen, when she came back she placed them on the coffee table.
"Can we watch a movie?" She asked.
"What movie do you want to watch?" Jason replied.
"Frozen." She set down on the couch and Jason put her plate with pizza on her lap and went to turn the movie on.
After he put it on he joined her on the couch with his own plate and watched the movie too. Once they were both finished and so was the movie Jason got (D/N) all clean and ready for bed. She had her favorite pair of pajamas that consisted of blue cupcakes shorts and a short sleeve shirt with a cupcake on it. Jason read her a story, it was 'Brown bear Brown bear', after that was done he kissed her goodnight and left. He came to check later to see she was sleeping super peacefully.
What a perfect end to the day.
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Okay, I was going to post this earlier today but I fell asleep lol. I really hope you like it.
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lokaneiscanon · 5 years
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Mighty Thor in Thor: Love and Thunder rant
Seeing Natalie Portman returning to reprise her role as Jane Foster, nevertheless wielding Mjolnir, finally getting the treatment this character deserves, was surreal to say the least. I had just started reading Lords of Midgard, the 8th issue of Mighty Thor (2015 - 2018), and had fallen in love already. But I didn't suspect at all that Taika Waititi would pull this card in Thor: Love and Thunder, considering Jane was barely mentioned in Ragnarok. The news about my favorite actress portraying one of my favorite characters coming out of the blue - you can imagine the excitement. Alas, I quickly remembered what the fandom thought of that comic (at least on tumblr) and imagined it now growing tenfold, cuz not everyone in the MCU fandom reads comics but pretty much everyone wants to watch another Thor movie. And yes, many fans weren't ready for this step, still recovering from Sam Wilson getting the shield in Endgame. Which is completely fine. We're not obligated to like everything Marvel throws in our faces, we're allowed to criticize and express our opinion on the internet or wherever. What is not okay is mindlessly hating, and even worse - using false facts to support said opinion.
I have seen some people using the argument that it is one of Marvel's worst selling comics. Which has already been proven wrong by multiple sites, including Comichron, just Google it, as I did myself. I read multiple posts, ones saying how good Jane is doing as Thor in sales, others disproving this, so I checked for myself the numbers at the site mentioned above month by month to be sure. The comic truly had its downfalls as the story progressed but in my opinion it's normal for the 1st issue to have more sales than the 21st. If we compare it to Unworthy Thor, which started running a bit later and followed the now unworthy Odinson, the data shows the latter had more sales. But then again, while Might Thor was at its 17th issue, Unworthy Thor was at its 2nd. Also, they later crossed paths, shared comic issues, it's fair to say they go hand in hand and Jason Aaron, the author, probably doesn't want us to compare them, as they complete and compliment each other's stories. Still I decided to check the comic that made Thor unworthy in the first place - Thor: God of Thunder (2012 - 2014), which seemed to me more "comparable" to Might Thor (2015 - 2018). *I keep putting the years it was being released so as to not be confused with previous Mighty Thor issues, whole Odinson was still Thor, please bear with me* So yes, the numbers were pretty close, but from what I saw, Mighty Thor had the upper hand if we compare first issue to first issue and so on. (In defense of Odinson, we have to take into account that this data is only from the US and does not include digital sales. Also, he's been around since the 50s. We could argue Jane was a breath of fresh air that some Marvel fans were indeed ready for. As a non-American, and also a person without a hint of knowledge in economics I cannot take into account inflation and whatever else has prevented or enabled Americans to get their hands on the comics or has affected prizes through the years. Bear that in mind.) Moreover, from what I saw on Comichron, both comics had much competition - God of thunder was released along with Avengers vs the X-men, the Uncanny X-men, pretty popular at the time, and the Goddess of Thunder faced Civil War 2 and DC Universe Rebirth (yes, DC is in the game too), also dominating with tremendous sales for the longest time. Yet I stick with my original statement - both Thors are valid and shouldn't be put against one another regardless of profit. Because at the end of the day what will matter the most is the story. And boy, what a story it is.
Now, I haven't read the Thor: God of Thunder, but as I was doing research I found one very well written summary and explanation of Thor's arc and his becoming unworthy and I will post a link below, because I honestly feel I wouldn't be doing this comic a favor by describing it without having read it. Which I plan to do in the future, tbh. It's a fantastic prelude to the Mighty Thor (2015 - 2018) that I've come to love. First, I'd like to ask you all to stop hating on the comic without having read it first. It doesn't make any sense and being petty for the sake of being petty won't benefit neither you, nor anyone, really. Now, about the comic itself - the art is magnificent. It's just gorgeous. Mighty Thor isn't , thank all the gods, sexualized, she is pretty buffed and generally looks like a warrior. As it is with the other characters, I dare say. The background truly captures the essence of every world Jane finds herself on. Action scenes are just the right amount and balanced with dialogue well. On a side note, it's pretty funny to read/listen to in your head the Shakespearean English cursive in which Jane talks as Thor. The plot line branches beyond this comic, starting from Thor: God of Thunder and leading to the War of Realms. And it is elaborately built in every issue. You don't know what to expect, yet it makes sense when it happens. Which leads me to the characterizations. My God, what a treat Loki is in this. Clearly, my opinion is kinda biased, since he's my favorite character, but you never know which side he's on. What his motivations are. And it just feels so... Loki. His writing is brilliant. Almost makes me forget what the MCU did to him. Also, he gets some daddy time with Laufey (not as kinky as I make it sound). Frigga/Freyja is just as awesome as in the MCU, even more, at least in the comics she calls Odin out on his shit, who btw is I guess an asshole in every version and universe. Malekith, the main villain, is unbearably despicable, I want to tear every page he is on. He really was mishandled in the Dark World, if you want some true action with the dark elves, you are welcome to enjoy. I saved the best for the end - Jane Foster/ Might Thor. Now, if you think Dr. Foster spends her time boasting about her worthiness and how Odinson is just called Thor, but she is Mighty Thor, you are horribly wrong. She just... does her job. Because the hammer chose her. Because there's no one else to do so. That's it. If you think there's some feminism involved, yes, there sure is, but it certainly isn't the reason Jane became Thor in the first place. It was not the creators going SJW because it's trendy, as such a mindset is honestly offensive to any descent creator with any self respect, but a well thought out story arc, which, I repeat, you have to read the comic to understand. Jane is not at all whiny about the hate she gets in-universe, not only from foes like Odin and who-not, but from Shield and generally people whose asses she's saving. Her having cancer is not something they pulled to provoke sympathy and make her look like a victim - on the contrary, she is a damn hero and a victor. I don't want to give out spoilers, but her being Thor is actually a giant sacrifice that no one really appreciates (both in-universe and in the fandom). She is not Thor to prove she can be, or just to prove "women can be heroes" - she doesn't have to. She is simply needed by the realms and so she does her job, even though she is called a thief, persecuted and generally hated. All that matters is that the hammer finds her worthy - the beauty and simplicity of that fact you will find out, for the last time, if you read the comic.
I'm not making you read the comic or watch Thor: Love and Thunder. I myself don't know what to make of this film yet because there's barely any information about it. I only know it will be based on the comic so that's a reason for my hopes to be up already. On the other hand, since I didn't like Loki's characterization in Ragnarok, I'm not sure what to expect from Taika. There are valid reasons to not like the idea of Jane returning to the MCU as Thor, which you are entitled to. However, reasons such as "why does everything have to be political these days" are not. Because if I had to make a list of everything politically related in the MCU, it would take forever. Steve Rogers kills nazis is the most blatant example. Make of it what you want. But I think we're far enough into the 21st century to realize art and real life are not that separable. It's undeniable that art affects people and that is to say, people everywhere. And they all have different opinions and aren't gonna like everything media is offering to them. And I wish I could simply tell you not to watch the movie but I'm a Marvel fan too and I understand that I can't just take away Thor from you because I want Mighty Thor as well. But none of us can stop Marvel from producing it. So, to quote an image I saw recently, I don't know how to explain to you that you should care about other people. Let the rest of the fandom enjoy what they want to enjoy. Yes, ik I can play around with the tags and avoid posts that unnerve me but, for example, I'm looking up Mighty Thor fanart, which obviously isn't anti-Mighty Thor, yet I get attacked in the comics for anticipating a movie that doesn't even have a full cast yet. Ik I'm not asking for too much when I wish to get the same internet experience (not only tumblr, but also insta, YouTube, Twitter, any site) as the Thor Odison fans, for example. I'm aware I cannot stop all the toxic fans and the trolls but I hope this post has inspired those of you who simply can't envision Jane as Thor, or don't like Natalie Portman in the role, or whatever eles personal preference that doesn't involve political issues and isn't harmful to the community, not to attack every post on your dash with hate. The movie is called LOVE and Thunder, for God's sake. (on a side note, is a franchise that is too afraid to show LGBT characters for more than 1 minute so as to not lose profit from China, THAT politically correct)
Anyway, that was a veeeery long rant, sorry to whoever reads this but, like, please, I put effort into this, hoping this time around I won't be the only positive reviewer of a movie, like I was with Solo: a Star Wars story (yes, I'm still bitter about this), which was boycotted for no apparent reason but was a decent film in reality, and I'm only bringing it up because it has a similar experience to Love and Thunder for getting hate before even being released. I'm not defending a billion dollar company that flopped in box office once, I'm defending the viewer's right to media they are interested in. If you don't like the character, remember - that's your opinion, not a fact that the character sucks. Kudos.
Not very easy to navigate, I advice you to do the research month by month individually for comics you'd like to compare. Also, if you happen to find more reliable data, pls say so in the comments.
Here you have the summary and explanation of the greatness of Thor: God of Thunder, Jesus, I'll go bankrupt if I buy this one too.
youtube
Yes, I want to end the sales dispute once and for all, I'm tired of seeing it on my dash. This guy probably explains it better than I did.
@awesomejenlawrence you said you'd like to read this and I delivered
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Hi,pal! I'm loving "It's the perfect story"! However, the subject I'm talking about doesn't directly to the fic. By what I know, people don't hate Silena because she was the spy,it's more like they think her being seduced/manipulated into doing it is detracting to her character. Many posts say that's very insulting to teen girls, or her cause should be something like "her cabin was being disrespected"(out of character IMO, but I'll talk about it later)...
Continuation. Or “the demigods were being mistreated by the gods”(not a bad one,but Silena didn’t really feel the worst of the gods IMO. Not like Luke, Chris or Tori in the fic). People are entitled to their opinions, but I disagree. About the “disrespected cabin stuff”,Silena is defensive in a blunt, straightforward way when it happens. Examples: how she wanted to fight the Huntresses when they said love was worthless;or when people were surprised by her magic knowledge,and she looked offended.
Cont. Besides, those behaviors show that Silena can be quite passionate and proud, what probably made her vulnerable to manipulation(her romantic nature didn’t help). Besides, Silena herself thought she was saving lives. I believe Luke’s words would sound truer to her if she cared about him than from a dispassionate perspective. Besides, if Luke managed to lure Percy to near death with a friendly smile and soda,despite Percy’s instincts saying no,I believe he could do it to Silena…
Cont. By what I read, your only issue was the age. However, I think that was something like “death of the author” in canon,as she didn’t get one. In fact, I rather like the idea of Silena being an older camper,including than Charles(if 18 years old girls date boys in their 20’s…),both in canon and in your fic. In your fic,it could make her Tori ’ s peer. In canon,it’d fit the whole “role model” stuff we had going on HoO.
what’s up dude! thanks, i’m glad to hear you’re enjoying it!
that’s how i interpreted it when i read the books (or how i remember interpreting it, at least, i haven’t read the series in a while) like, being the spy meant she was a traitor, which is also a comment abt her character (i.e., may she’s not the greatest person–for the lack of a better word–bc she was a traitor). when clarisses declares she’s a hero, i assumed it was supposed to be juxtaposed to her being a traitor. which is a roundabout way to say that the ultimate end is the same, whereas the perspective is different? but i can see where others are coming from–that the campers would be more mad bc of the fact that she was easily manipulated by luke, rather than her being the spy
i guess i can see where ppl are coming from regarding it being an insult to teen girls (i’d really like to see those posts tho, bc i actually haven’t seen anyone talk abt that–i somehow manage to avoid discourse like we’re two opposing magnets, my d-list x-men power), bc it plays off the stereotype that teen girls are so boy crazy, they’re easily manipulated by any good-looking guy that smiles in their direction. it doesn’t help that she’s a child of aphrodite. and what i mean by that is, i think, ppl often water down what aphrodite is the goddess of. when ppl say, “she’s the goddess of love and beauty” ppl often think she’s the goddess of, “being vain and romantic/sexual love” (not true btw, fite me, i will gladly jump into that discourse)
but anyway, back to my main point, i can see how it may play off a teen girl stereotype (rick is good at doing that sometimes, which isn’t entirely his fault, bc like i said abt toxic masculinity, it’s so ingrained in our society, it’s hard to unlearn and we often fall into those stereotypes if we’re not fully aware of them and consciously thinking about them), but i also don’t entirely agree with that argument, either
now i could be wrong, esp since i haven’t read any of this discourse, so i haven’t read ppl’s reasoning or arguments, but it sounds very surface-level White Feminism™ and what i mean by that is that there are more grey areas to this argument, okay, so put away your pitchforks and put out your torches and, i mean, also that this argument is coming from ppl who want to seem like they’re woke, but then turn around and continue to do or say things that are insidiously bigoted
like i said, i can see how it plays into a stereotype, but if we’re going by rick’s canon (which we totally don’t have to, but for this argument’s sake we are) she’s young and impressionable, luke is handsome and charming–if another young person were in her position, we’d probably see the same thing. young ppl are easy to manipulate, they just are. they’re still learning abt the world, and how it works, and that maybe not everyone has good intentions. not to mention they’re still trying to find themselves, and they look to peers, mentors, and ppl who are respected (for whatever reason) for cues to how they should act and think. it’s like trying on clothes or taste-testing foods–they’re trying out opinions. if they don’t like the “taste” of an opinion, then they learn, grow, and change. some ppl instantly connect with an opinion (which could be bigoted or not) and not explore further, or could be sheltered and just not have the opportunity to experience anything else.
the opinion here: the gods are bad. the person she’s looking to for guidance: luke. plain and simple
and, as you say anon, percy even fell for luke’s charms (despite the warning signs!! and percy is most def Not Straight, so luke was also using that fact against percy as well, whether rick luke knew it or not). so, ya know, there ya go
now, i think rick chose a child of aphrodite, and a girl, bc he thought he was turning a trope on its head–you’d never expect (from the stereotype of what aphrodite stands for) silena to be a spy, to work for kronos of all ppl titans. do you see what i mean? i think he was going for an elle woods effect–except in the polar opposite direction. the ends is the same, where this girl who is often underestimated (like elle) turns out to do something no one expected of her (in silena’s case, being the spy, which takes a lot of guts, nerve, and smarts–the opposite of what ppl expect from aphrodite, based on a reductive stereotype)
and that’s where the real issue lies, not that she was a teen girl, but rather some of the decisions the author made under wrong assumptions
i agree that the alternatives aren’t as sincere or make as much sense. silena didn’t experience a whole lot of strife regarding her mom or the gods in general, so she’d have no reason to hate them as luke does–she’d have no reason to be the spy for luke if he were to simply use that argument to get her to kronos’s side. and maybe she would’ve joined kronos under “her cabin was being disrespected,” however, it was’t being disrespected by the gods themselves, right? not like the minor gods, not like nemesis or hecate. the disrespect comes more from the ppl around her–the ppl who assume the wrong things abt aphrodite when they hear the words “love” and “beauty.” so that alternative reason doesn’t hold a lot of water if you really think abt it
i also agree with you: that her passion and pride made her more easily manipulated, and also that luke’s words would mean more coming from a more passionate and personal perspective. luke fed her lines that played into her character (like how kronos fed luke lines that played into his hatred for the gods). if she felt passionate abt helping save ppl (and it’s coming from someone she likes, someone she looks up to), then she’d  be the spy for sure. if she had a crush on luke, more for him to use against her, right? that’s just how it goes sometimes, ya know? her crush are her rose-colored glasses, add that on top of “you’d be saving lives” and, well, luke’s got her wrapped around kronos’s finger
yeah, the age thing is a big sticking point for me, just bc based on the timeline of things, she’s several years younger than luke (which make his kiss, in my story, really gross). if beckendorf was going to college during tlo, he was probably at the least 18, and silena was probably around the same age. by this time, luke is 23, so that means that she’s abt 5 years younger? is five years a huge deal between older ppl (like mid- to late-twenties and beyond)? not at all. but with younger ppl (teens and early twenties), it’s a HUGE gap in age, and a HUGE deal.
but like you say, i think rick is hitting that point of “death of the author” (esp with more recent events…btw, jason is totally alive and well, and if you think or try to tell me differently, then you can meet me in a denny’s parking lot at 3am), so we can totes not follow canon and age both silena and beckendorf up. not to mention, there’s no specific age that ppl go to college (just in general most ppl starting college are from 17-20) so it’s completely fine for beckendorf to be going to college at 22, 23. and a 2 yr age difference (regarding beckendorf at 20, dating silena at 18) is totes better than a 5 yr difference for sure
i really like tori and silena being peers, and i if i had been more comfortable breaking canon (and knew what i know now, then), it would’ve been fun to write (but eeeyyy, it’s fun to think abt, so there may be headcanons in your future regarding this). finally, you’re right, i think it would make “silena as a role model” so much more powerful if she had been/was older in canon
thanks for sending these in! i had a lot of fun talking and thinking abt all the points you brought up/made, and i hope to continue this discussion, if you want!
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