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bougiebutchbitch · 4 months

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cannot believe that 'yelling at your boss when he repeatedly almost gets you and your crew killed and lies to manipulate you into staying when you try to leave, is not emotional abuse, actually' and 'there is such a thing as a mutually toxic and unhealthy relationship where both parties are incredibly shitty to each other - and this is obviously where Ed and Izzy stand until S2, when it becomes blatantly abusive' is a controversial take. But as this is Abuse Apologism And Ableism, The FandomTM, I really should not be surprised

Just.

I was deep in physically and mentally abusive relationships in my teens/twenties - including relationships that started out with mutual toxicity and bad decisions on all sides, but which became outright physical & mental & other sorts of abuse with myself as the victim. I know my shit.

I suppose I can see where 'Izzy emotionally abused Ed' comes from IF people give literally the most uncharitable interpretation to Every Single Scene, and assume Izzy shouts angrily at Ed and negs him all the time rather than this being how he acts when he's incredibly stressed by circumstance caused directly by Ed and at the end of his fucking rope? Which, as we see in S2... Is not the case.

It's not freaking emotional abuse when you're shouting at your boss who keeps almost getting you and your crew killed. Even if this is NOT a kind or productive way to help Ed deal with his mental health, considering that Ed's actions have consequences that he repeatedly and blithely ignores, it's pretty fucking justified!

It's not freaking emotional abuse if your boss OPENLY LOVES MAIMING PEOPLE AND IS MORE THAN HAPPY TO BURN THEM ALIVE and you encourage that, while upholding his right to not kill with his own hands. Even if he has private breakdowns after the fact because he suffers from black-and-white thinking, dissociates himself from any wrongdoing, and is afraid of his potential to become 'a monster'.

Are these choices helpful? No. Are they kind? No. Is Izzy demonstrating Model Citizen Behaviour? Definitely not.

But it's sure as hell not emotional abuse. And it doesn't justify the physical and emotional abuse Ed puts Izzy through in S2.

Nothing you say can 'make' him hit you. If he chooses to hit you (or... choke you out then repeatedly mutilate you and pressure you to commit suicide and makes you constantly live in fear for your life and the lives of people you care about) he makes that decision himself. Yes, even if you shouted at him first. Yes, even if you were arguing. Yes, even if you were in the wrong in that argument. Yes, even if he has a Tragic BackstoryTM and mental health issues. This shit shouldn't be controversial.

Signed: one of those actual abuse survivors.

#izzy hands #israel hands #the izcourse #ofmd izzy #our flag means death #ofmd #to be clear: I think Izzy was an absolute shitbag in S1!#but. as someone who WAS emotionally AND physically abused just. Idk. The amount of straws people are grasping at #that's... not what emotional abuse looks like. holy shit.#if they were trying to depict that then they frankly did a really bad job lol #I think he was jealous and also worried for himself and HIS crew (who weren't the Revenge crew at that point in time)#I think he egged Ed on. But as we see REPEATED THROUGHOUT THE SHOW #ED DOES ENJOY VIOLENCE #HE LOVES A GOOD MAIM #HE BURNS PEOPLE ALIVE #THEN DISSOCIATES - that's what makes his character so fascinating and relatable to me! but he absolutely kills people #he just can't handle the reality of that or what it says about him #Izzy didn't 'make' him do jack shit. S1 is heavily dedicated to showing just how much Izzy never can get Ed to do what he wants #'Ed was afraid of him'?? wtf where do you even GET that from #if anything Ed is afraid of HIMSELF in that final scene. And he has good reason to be!#That self-loathing and fear of the self is INTEGRAL to him! See: when he's ACTUALLY scared of the fucking kraken #Anyway stop making both Ed and Izzy fundamentally boring by making one wholly good and one wholly bad lol #Izzy did bad shit. He got a good redemption arc and died. a lot of his fans are tired of that arc.#Ed did bad shit. He didn't get a good redemption arc and a lot of his fans are pissed about it.

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gayvecchio · 1 month

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My initial impression when I watched Eclipse for the first time (and what I still believe) is that Stella knew full well that Ray didn't humilate himself on purpose in the bank when they were kids. I always read it as Stella knowing how embarrased and ashamed Ray would feel for having wet himself, and instead of trying to console him and tell him that it was okay, she let him be the hero instead. Because even though in Ray's memory he thought that he was being 'John Lennon, James Bond, Joe Namath, all rolled into one', I don't think Stella actually fell in love with an illusion at all. Like Fraser said, 'I am willing to gamble that Stella looked beyond that one incident and saw the whole person'. I think she always saw Ray for who he really was, but Ray's own insecurities about himself made him believe that she had to be with him based on a lie. I think the person who doesn't see Ray clearly is Ray himself. He has such a low sense of himself that he can't imagine her falling for anything but a con. He can't imagine that Stella simply fell in love with little Ray Kowalski, because who the hell is even is that? He's convinced himself that he's been playing the part of 'the hero' all these years that he doesn't really see that he has actually become one. The person who recieved all those citations that Fraser recounts wasn't a lie or a con, it was Ray Kowalski, a good policeman, someone who one would be proud to call a partner and a friend. In my opinion Ray's biggest con was conning himself into believing he isn't good enough just the way he is.

#due south #stella kowalski #ray kowalski #anyway this is why the depiction of stella in some fics of being historically embarrased by ray over the years has always rankled me #she wouldn't have stayed with him since she's 13 if he was a constant source of embarrassment #she truly loved ray for ray #she just sadly ended up outgrowing the relationship eventually #and i think ray tied so much of his identity to stella for so long which is why he struggled so much to let go of her #lol i just wanted to write a little thought about stella and it ran away from me a bit. this is why i don't do meta stuff. i tend to ramble #i just hope i made sense #ds30below #<- oops forgot to tag

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dipplinduo · 3 months

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Ladies, Gentlemen, & Folks, May I Present:

THE NEXT INSTALLATION OF SWEET & SOUR DIPPLINS - "WHAT IF" SERIES: What if we had Drayton's POV?

This is a special edition chapter for a few reasons:

1 - Drayton x iconic, obv. B)

2 - I accidentally basically wrote a double chapter's worth because I had fun and also literally pulled from 4 different chapters for content.

3- Unlike other "What If" spinoffs, this particular chapter can be considered CANON, as you are reading a different POV on unchanged events. And you may find some important information that has yet to be addressed in S&S D or will never be addressed again S&S D, but is canon! LOL.

Important complimentary pictures to accompany this special occession:

Hope you enjoy! B)

#my fics #dipplinshipping #kieran pokemon #kieran x juliana pokemon #juliana x kieran pokemon #juliana pokemon #kieran x juliana #juliana x kieran #drayton pokemon #drayton being iconic #your honor this character has a chokehold on me with his strategies and moral greyness #it terrifies me how easily writing him came to me #my struggle with Juliana often revolves around flushing things out #my struggle with Kieran often revolves around the tediousness of depicting his oddly poetic brain #my struggle with drayton?#nonexistant #LOL

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longelk · 10 months

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do you guys think Leshy would have been a tumblr sexyman if we only ever saw his eyes/arms like genuinely? i think he has that air about him that would've made people go crazy for him if they had the liberty of giving him a more "attractive" design but as it stands there are likely people put off by his old old grandpa look

#i am of course. incredibly biased. but im trying to put myself in the shoes of people who think like. the triangle and purple guy are hot #youre trapped with an insane murderer in a cabin forcing you to play game and his face is obscured #he orders you around..#''Get up. Get up from the table.'' and he starts tapping the table when you wants you to put the candelabra down #people think thats hot right? right #makes you mutilate yourself. he has that edginess is what im saying #any of this would have been enough to depict him as some guy in a suit and crooked smile #im scaring myself so badly.#i know he's got the old man arms but i could easily see people ignoring that/letting it slide lol

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lavleyart · 4 months

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(Old) Vaati art dump

take this as a kind of early New Year gift from me :3 most are from 2018/19 lol. Some 2016 is there too tho. And a 2015. At the bottom you will find my earliest Vaati drawings from 2013.

also careful, there is some Vaazel especially further down. Just for those who dislike the ship. Oh and also one OCxVaati (when I started to obsess over him I created an OC named Melisande for shipping purposes but i trashed her around 2018 bc shes a Mary Sue)

Click "Read More" to see all of it.

From here on you will enter 2013 territory. When I said that I am a freak over him for 10 whole years I wasn't lying.

So yea take all the Vaati art of mine that I've found. Obviously this is just the peak of the iceberg that is my experience in Vaati fanart lolll. But I don't feel like searching for my school notebooks that had tiny vaatis everywhere. Leaving tiny vaatis was me marking my territory lol. Random but do you spot GoldyGrys influence on me in my 2013 art phase? (I've always struggled drawing Minish tbh)

#vaati #the legend of zelda #vaati the wind mage #legend of zelda vaati #loz vaati #okay maybe i should really depict him more stoic again #its kinda cute too lol #minish cap #vaati fanart #loz fanart #zelda fanart #vaazel #istg imagine crushing on one and the same character since 10 freaking years #mmmmhhhhh im cringeeeee #actually im just re-learning that im not cringe and i should enjoy what makes me happy uwu #that grape makes me happy #so imma enjoy that grape #meheheheheheheheh

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kaheeliez · 5 months

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a spaceman and a gay alien cowboy!

drew this as a cover for a playlist i made for my beloved girlfriend @clockwork-windmills :))

bonus doodles of holly and peter from my sketchbook below the cut!

#ravaxis starburner #peter walter iv #commander cosmo #steam powered giraffe #spg #the vice quadrant #i dunno what to tag holly with :(#the walter robotics patch on peter’s suit is based on owlharì’s depiction of him!!#i hc wanda stuck it on him just before he left or something lol #peter doesnt have those streaky dark tear things below his eyes cause i couldnt make them work. let's pretend he got them later #oughhhh vq #kaheeliez art

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adrift-in-thyme · 10 months

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The Ghost in the Lost Woods

While trying to navigate the Lost Woods Link meets a strangely familiar figure

Ao3 | Fic beneath the cut

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When he ends up at the entrance to the Lost Woods for the twentieth time Link is forced to finally admit it. He’s lost, hopelessly so.

With a sigh, he ignites his torch once more. This is the only part of the woods he’s been to so far where he can actually see two feet in front of him. Everything else is bathed in thick fog that he can make neither heads nor tails of.

Supposedly, the wind is meant to guide his steps and bring him to the place where the Master Sword awaits.

Supposedly.

It certainly hasn’t helped him yet.

Maybe he should turn back. He casts a glance over his shoulder to where he knows the path lies, hopelessly obscured by the fog. He could set up camp right outside the forest, cook something warm and hearty, get some sleep. Then, when morning dawned he’d be up bright and early, ready to try again.

But he doesn’t want to give up, not yet, not now when he’s already wasted half of a day trying to navigate these blasted woods.

He takes a deep breath, steels himself, and heads forward once more.

He makes it five steps before the mist closes in, the telltale giggles of Koroks fill his ears, and the forest spits him out…right back at the entrance.

Link lets out a growl of frustration. How’s he supposed to pull the sword when he can’t even find it? He stumbled upon it before, a mere chance encounter when he was a child playing amongst the trees. Why is it so very difficult now?

Does the Goddess not want him to find it? Has she deemed him unworthy after his miserable failure?

It wouldn’t surprise him.

He extinguishes his torch and walks over to the nearest tree. Flopping down, he leans against it and closes his eyes. The sounds of the forest drift to his ears, carried on the wings of the wind that failed him. Usually, they’re calming, a balm on his frayed nerves, grounding him when the weight of everything becomes too much. But today they only serve to remind him that even nature itself rejects him.

He lets out a bitter laugh. He’s unworthy of a forest now. Fancy that.

“You’re lost, aren’t you?”

A voice slices through the quiet, pushing aside his dismal thoughts. Link opens his eyes.

“Huh?”

A tall man dressed in a full plate of armor gazes down at him, his one eye twinkling with something like amusement.

“I asked if you were lost.”

Link blinks once, twice. He has the oddest feeling he’s met this man before, maybe even known him well. But that can’t be. He makes a point of remembering everyone he comes across on his travels and he’s never even seen this man, much less gotten to know him.

Then again, he doesn’t even remember the faces of his parents. If this man is from his past, there is little chance he would recall him now.

“Umm.”

Eyes narrowing, he looks from the man to the woods and back again. He could be a Yiga, of course. That would explain his unexpected appearance. He has never seen Yiga in these parts though. No doubt they’re afraid to venture too close to the mysterious Lost Woods. And, then, there’s also the fact that he isn’t wearing one of their trademark suits, nor offering to sell him overpriced bananas.

Besides, this man has a strange sort of aura about him, almost like the feeling Link gets when he uses one of the Champion’s powers. He must possess strong magic–maybe even dark magic if the odd markings on his face are any indication. Yet, he dresses like a knight.

And to make matters even stranger, he wavers slightly out of focus if Link stares at him for too long, skin turning just the tiniest bit bluish and translucent. With him standing with his back to the woods, Link has the distinct impression of a phantom emerging from the hazy darkness of the trees.

This man is no ordinary traveler, that much is terribly obvious.

Link frowns up at him, hand drifting ever so slowly to his slate. “Who are you?”

The man smiles, kind and a bit sad. “You can call me Time.”

Time.

Link’s frown deepens. There it is again, the feeling of unexplainable familiarity, as though he’s heard that name before.

“And you’re…traveling through these woods too?”

“You could say that.”

Slowly, Link stands, careful to keep his hand by his slate. He hasn’t tested Stasis on magical beings or ghosts, but it’s worth a try. At the very least, he might be able to take advantage of the element of surprise. His efforts to be nonchalant must not be too effective, though, because Time’s gaze flits to his hip.

“You don’t have to worry,” he says, evenly. “I’m not here to hurt you.”

“Then, why are you here?”

He regards him calmly, arms crossed over his chest. “To guide the hero to his birthright. That is what you’re after, isn’t it?”

Link’s blood runs cold. Usually, he has no qualms about strangers knowing who and what he is. But usually, they’re random civilians more interested in meeting their crush or seeing a mythical weapon than anything else. And they certainly don’t possess any magical abilities. For this man, however, this strange knight who practically emanates power to know who he is, feels…well it doesn’t feel wrong at all. In fact, it feels as right as following Zelda’s voice or setting the Divine Beasts free. It feels like destiny.

And that is what terrifies him.

“What,” he chokes, “what makes you think I’m the hero?”

Time smirks. “To attempt to pass through these woods you must either be incredibly foolish or incredibly courageous. And you don’t strike me as a fool.”

Link swallows down the fear lodged in his throat. He isn’t entirely sure what to say to that. He’s never been a good liar, that much is for certain, but sometimes he really, really wishes he was.

“Besides,” Time continues, reaching down to pull off one of his gauntlets, “it’s not all that difficult to recognize someone else who possesses the unbreakable spirit.”

He holds up his hand and Link’s eyes go wide. There on his skin is the mark of the Triforce, its far right corner bolded in gold.

Link stares at it, almost not believing what he’s seeing. Slowly, he drags his gaze back up to meet Time’s.

“You—you’re a hero too?”

“I was.” Time replaces his gauntlet, that sorrowful smile lifting his lips once more. “But that was a very long time ago.”

“And now you’re a ghost.”

He chuckles. “Yes, and now I’m a ghost.”

Link runs a hand through his bangs and blows out a breath.

“Okay, wow.”

“Is it really that strange to you?” Time lifts an eyebrow, quizzically. “You’re over a hundred years old, and you often travel with the spirit of your predecessor.”

Link tilts his head questioningly. “Wolfie? How do you know about him?”

“I have my ways.”

Link lets out an exasperated huff. Of course, he’d get the most cryptic ghost in all of Hyrule to guide him. Even Wolfie gives straighter answers than that and he’s incapable of speech.

But Time is gesturing toward the forest now, and Link can tell that particular question isn’t one he’ll get an answer to.

“So, shall we go?”

Link takes one last look at the path and then nods. If he can’t trust the ghost of a past hero, who can he trust?

“Lead on, old man.”

Emotion surges across Time’s face, then is gone faster than Link has time to identify it. He turns away.

“These woods are treacherous,” he says, tone suspiciously level. “Stay close.”

He plunges into the mist, and Link jogs after him.

“Treacherous?”

The only dangers he’s found here are wolves and stalfos. And given that he encounters those practically everywhere he goes, he’s more inclined to label them as incredibly annoying.

Time skewers him with a somber glance. “Those who don’t know how to navigate these woods are swallowed by them. They become stalfos, cursed to wander forever. The forest children have kept you safe from this fate.”

“Oh.”

Well, that certainly brings up more than a few questions and a good bit of discomfort. Suddenly, the fog crowding him on either side seems infinitely more threatening, and Link finds himself gravitating closer to his guide.

“So, how come you know how to get through here when no one else does?” he asks, pivoting on his heel as Time makes an unexpected turn.

The old man’s expression grows nostalgic. “I grew up here. Well, not here exactly, but the Lost Woods in my Hyrule aren’t so different from these.”

Link hums, thoughtfully. He hadn’t thought anyone inhabited this forest save for monsters, animals, and Koroks. But it’s not too hard to imagine that long ago in a different Hyrule this man called the Lost Woods his home. He navigates them with confidence and skill, almost as though the trees themselves are guiding him with silent, invisible hands. And if he were wearing green, Link suspects he would look like he truly belonged here.

“Is this your responsibility, then?” he asks. “To guide people through these woods?”

“No,” Time answers, calmly. “I am only here to guide you.”

Link goes quiet once more, mulling over that in his head. It’s one thing for the Champions, and Zelda, and even Wolfie to guide and protect him. It’s quite another for this man, only connected to him through shared destiny, to show up to aid him, and after all this time too.

It makes so little sense. Then again, he’s found that to be a sort of trend lately.

A blupee darts past them, and he watches it, almost idly wondering if he should take a shot at it. But then it comes an abrupt stop right in front of Time, looking up at him almost expectantly. Time pauses and reaches down to run a gentle hand over it’s head. The animal leans closer, emitting a small, happy sounding noise, and Link shakes his head in disbelief.

“They always run from me.”

As if on cue, the blupee stiffens, bright eyes locking onto him, then disappears in a puff of blue. Time turns to him, something almost accusatory in his gaze.

“Perhaps, if you stopped shooting at them they would be more inclined to stay.” He straightens and makes a beckoning motion with his hand. “Now, come, we’re almost there.”

Link follows him, feeling strangely chastised and a bit annoyed.

It isn’t enough to just be cryptic, apparently, Time has to be judgmental too.

“I don’t wanna hurt them,” he says after a few moments drift by and the need to defend himself still hasn’t gone away. “I’m just always light on rupees.”

“There are other ways of earning rupees, you know,” Time says, tone still infuriatingly level.

With a petulant scowl, Link goes back to plodding along in silence.

It’s not long, though, before the fog begins to dissipate, and Link can see the beginnings of a tunnel looming up ahead. Time comes to a halt a short distance before it and gestures toward it.

“We’re here.”

Link steps forward, almost hesitantly. After trying so hard to get here, he isn’t sure what to do now. The Master Sword awaits him just past these trees – “his birthright,” as Time put it.

But after his miserable failure, can he possibly pull it? Or will it deem him unworthy of another chance to save his kingdom?

He doesn’t even realize that he’s standing frozen, rooted to the spot, until a hand comes to rest on his shoulder. Jumping slightly in surprise, he raises his head to meet Time’s gaze. All judgment is gone now, replaced by something kind and understanding. He might, Link realizes with a jolt of surprise, even call it fatherly.

“You are equipped to rise to this challenge,” he says, firmly. “You have worked diligently to prepare for this moment. Now, it is time to claim what is rightfully yours.”

He gives Link the slightest nudge and he steps forward, heart in his throat.

He’s right, it’s time. But…

“And if I’m not–if I’m not ready for this…”

“The sword holds a strict standard, I know. But I have no doubt you will measure up to it.”

His hands are trembling, his stomach churning, but Link takes another step and another. The tunnel is like a gaping maw, ready to devour him, and spit him out bruised and battered by the expectations he can never meet. There is a pull too though, an indescribable feeling that draws him forth, as though he belongs here, as though taking these very steps was written in his history from the start.

As though his failure and all the consequences of it has all led to this, pivotal moment.

His feet carry him, his body moves for him, and it feels right.

“Go, my son,” Time says, voice fading into the mist, “and do not falter.”

Link steps into the sun.

It’s only when it’s all said and done, when the sword is in his hands, and the Deku Tree’s words are ringing in his ears, and the forest children are crowding around him, eager to meet his every need that he sees them. A gray wolf and a golden one sit a short distance away, cloaked by the mist, unnoticed by anyone save for him. And when his eyes meet theirs, there is pride in their gazes.

#I’ve seen some awesome artworks on here depicting the hero of time leading botw link through the lost woods #and just had to write something similar #also #I’m obsessed with the headcanon that wild is twilight’s descendant and so time’s too #wouldn’t it be cool if they both watched out for him?#two guardian grandpa wolves just following him around and judging him for his crazy antics lol #and of course protecting him #…and also taking part in those crazy antics cause we all know they’re gremlins too XD #anyway #might have to write something longer along those lines someday #loz #botw #linkeduniverse #lu time #lu wild #trin writes #hero’s shade #kinda

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nero-neptune · 5 months

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NORTHERN EXPOSURE 3.06 “The Body in Question”

“Be careful, my friend. You’re opening a portal to the past.”

#let's get existential!#northern exposure #northernexposureedit #noexedit #grandmastv #uservintage #userrobin #userbbelcher #rob morrow #janine turner #elaine miles #john cullum #myedit #i love that joel is finally admitting to himself that being in this town for so long is actually changing him and how he sees the world #as well as how the show depicts the ways joel's background (wrt being jewish) plays a role in how he views the world #also according to wikipedia this is actually 1 of 2 episodes related to passover (but i haven't gotten to season 5 yet!)#also i'm curious about how much of that newspaper has a legit story in there. or if it's just a bunch of random french words lol

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ballonleastadiumofficial · 7 months

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...

...Hm.

Ehehe. Ehehehahem~

Ahem.

It seems this little development entirely slipped my attention. Apologies. Although Im sure you're all aware that I've been... considerably busy as of late.

I'm not surprised by this, of course. Breaking 200 followers should be trivial for an elite trainer such as me. It just goes to show that many of you have at least some semblance of taste~

Regardless, I suppose I ought to celebrate somehow. If for no other reason than to keep the lot of you entertained. Hmph... under normal circumstances, I'm loathe to openly share my strategies with others... however, perhaps I'll make an exception this once. Let's say that anyone who reblogs this post with their pokemon team will receive a detailed account of my opinions on each member, along with my assessment as to how I'd best them in battle. I'm sure you'll find it to be very informative~*○°☆

#((HI))#((OH MY GOOOOODNESS))#((I NEVER THOUGHT THIS MANY PEOPLE WOULD SEE MY BEDEPOSTING RAMBLINGS AND DECIDE TO FOLLOW???))#((oh my gooooosh...))#((thank you guys so much! it really means a lot that you like my depiction of him hehe :) ))#pokemon #pokemon swsh #pokemon irl #rotomblr #rotumblr #((i have more planned btw lol))

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ashes-in-a-jar · 10 months

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The fact that I am being driven crazy by the strange obsession a lot of tma Tumblr users have with a wrong interpretation of Michael Distortion is actually so Distortion coded it's kinda funny

#hes not neon fun quirky boy #its a manipulator gaslighter who seeks out only to make jon and co more and more angry and confused and driven to mistakes.#its only distorted in a way to make you question your sanity. and not in a colorful way #im ranting and i feel the full influence of its gleeful sadism on my mind lol #all tumblr depicts him as is basically onceler 2.0 with a rainbow blond twist and whaaaaa #tumblr be tumblr i guess 😆😆😆#also imma rant about how hes shipped with gerry when he was working with his dad. this isnt to negate the ship yall are perfectly valid!#i just personally dont like it. i do like eric and michael ships tho. those have a fun dynamic #i live michael shelley and feel awful for him #but tumblr done the distortion dirty :')#i go mainly for body horror distortions that emody the feel of insanity incarnate #rather than the neon rainbow ones #unless they manage to convey the feel as well #end of rant #discourse #also MORE DISTORTION HELEN!! BUT ALSO NOT IN A RAINBOW WAY BUT A HORROR SHE SMILES WAY TOO MUCH WHATS SHE HIDING WAYYYY

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alectology-archive · 1 year

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while it’s important that rj understood how prolonged exposure to trauma would mess with you psychologically on various axes - mental, emotional, spiritual, physical - it’s also very significant that he put in the work to question and explore how people could go about healing and recovering from their experiences with a realistic attitude.

sometimes they don’t heal - they don’t understand that they need healing, dismiss their instincts, or manage to bury all the complicated emotions they’re feeling. it’s seen when mat suffers from a severe case of survivor’s guilt whenever he survives a battle, and this is observed more obviously when he escapes from ebou dar without managing to save all the windfinders; he also doesn’t have the vocabulary to express why the abuse he suffers at tylin’s hands feels wrong, and his cultural background and his tendency to lie to himself prevents him from examining why this is the case. rand is simply incapable of dealing with the sheer physical, mental and emotional stress he’s subjected to without a support system to back him up - support that he’s specifically unwilling to ask for because he doesn’t want to be put in a position of vulnerability just like mat and has a very unique relationship with the level of autonomy he’s afforded and the abuse he may be subjected to as a result of his madness - and resorts to unhealthy coping mechanisms and internalises traits that also serve as an allegory for ideologies that toxic masculinity directly feeds off of; he reacts to aes sedai very badly although he eventually unlearns that instinct; he’s extremely suicidal, and lews therin works as an indirect metaphor for depression. egwene feels the need to be in a position of power whenever approaching a certain relationship (be it romantic, platonic or otherwise) after her time as a damane, and is often uncomfortable with setting down her guard unless she trusts the people she’s working with; rj has a very complicated track with his depiction of corporal punishment but he also touches on how it enables people in power to take advantage of it to abuse the people under their control through egwene’s arc. rand specifically laments how the sort of stigma and alienation that male channelers face will never really go away because of the fear ingrained into popular belief, and that’s also a very accurate depiction of how certain mental illnesses are received by society.

but rj puts in the extra work to explore how people who have access to support systems and are on the receiving end of patience and compassion are able to get on the path to recovery. he has nynaeve & co deal with the problem of deprogramming egeanin, the sul’dam and damane who’re thoroughly brainwashed by the seanchan. juilin is able to help amathera recover by being very sympathetic to her situation and protecting her from difficult situations that could trigger her ptsd. rj specifically spends a significant amount of time letting joline, teslyn and edesina slowly encourage the seanchan channelers to entertain the idea of their ability not being a curse and to even train to control it at the white tower. the maidens are able to get a read on rand’s discomfort with the dark and small spaces post dumai’s wells and are kind enough to always leave a light on in the dark for him; they also push rand to take his meals and care for himself. the asha’man are explicitly recognised as a group which needs to unlearn some of the toxic ideas encoded in the founding principles that rand introduced. rand himself is recognised to be in dire need of help again in the latter half of the series, although we never got to see the culmination of that arc, unfortunately* - but I have a theory that his arc as a hero is tied very closely to his ability to recover from the various traumas he’s subjected to.

wheel of time takes a very realistic stance on mental health and ptsd. more significantly, it recognises that trauma might not necessarily bring about a positive transformation in a person. and that’s okay.

*cadsuane’s arrival is the only one I can’t get a clear read on, and feels so obviously doomed to disaster from the very beginning given how her personality clashes with rand’s and with her introduction with the intent of controlling rand and never respecting his opinions or autonomy - but given how she’s criticised by the narrative, I’m inclined to believe that min’s reading might have potentially been fulfilled in a bittersweet way as her readings often are. if rand learned how to embrace his humanity again, I can’t imagine that she would have ever had a part to play in it that involved compassion or understanding.

#he wasn't traumatising rand for the shits and giggles I would've loved to see where he would have gone with him though I have my own theory #I’ll save that for the super long rand post though… if I ever fucking finish it #text #HE least of all people would’ve kept pushing the trauma button without intent and just for the sake of Angst. unlike a lot of other authors #I have no idea what he was doing with perrin though lol it has to be said… he really is the weakest point in the series #I know people enjoyed dragonmount and sanderson’s take on how rand and egwene suffered trauma to eventually become Stronger #but that’s absolutely not a realistic depiction and it doesn’t work for me sorry to say.#I also Do Not Get dragonmount at all. it’s like if you pulled a rhetoric about love and living out of your ass when rand is suffering in #THIS life and THIS context… he walked in with some new character conflicts & adressed THEM instead of what rj had already written for rand.#wheel of time #wot book spoilers #rand al’thor

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