#especially when it's about another character and they're trauma or mental health. there are other people in class who care about them and

[that-was-anticlimactic]

you get it so much i could genuinely spend hours talking about bakugo and midoriya’s characters and their development and how genuinely well written they are and then an exploration of their dynamic on top of that and why it’s one of the best in media atm AND I MEAN THAT but people are so busy tripping over themselves to be like ‘UHHH ☝🏼😂 MHA IS CRINGE’ or the fans themselves absolutely butchering the characters (bakugo in particular is like a toxic wasteland now do not approach do not stop within a 10 mile radius etc) that it’s pointless and it makes me so MADDDD anyway hiiii corey i put mha in ur inbox do u still think im hot

YES YES YES!!! EXACTLY HELLA!!!

and like... as far as midoriya and bakugou are concerned, they're like... forced into almost Every fic i read :/ like i'm out here looking for class a being a family fics without midoriya or bakugou trauma or hero worship is that SO MUCH TO ASK!!! i'll be under the denki-centric tag bc he's my special lil boy and like bakugou being in most of them i Get bc of the bakusquad bUT like denki is Also Smart and, imo, understand his quirk better than midoriya, so why do we need to force midoriya in there to explain how denki's quirk works tO HIM??? or like. people will bring up midoriya's past in like every fic that isn't about him or bakugou's kidnapping (which like fair ik that was traumatic for literally everyone but i'm not looking for balugou fics) and i'm just. i want sero hanta fics. not sero is worried about midoriya fics.

oof okay i have a lot to say apparently. am a lil bitter bc my favorite characters are denki, sero, kodai, and ojirou (and the bakusquad like i LOVE kiri) and finding they centric fics without just... let's talk about bakugou and midoiya is HARD they have PLENTY of they centric fics!!! i don;t mind them Being in other fics, but like... do we Haveto mention how amazing and special they are in Every Fic??? like... they're not the only ones who work hard and made it into class a??? so did literally everyone else??? midoriya isn't the only one who was bullied or gets anxious sometimes (and people make him like... weirdly anxious too like must protect him and i'm just... ugh) and midoriya isn't the only sunshine in class a (horikoshi literally said that denki is the glue that holds the class together but, no, everyne go ahead and make it mido...) and bakugou isn't the only one who's experienced something traumatic nor is he the only one who cares about others but is bad at showing it. and they aren't the only contenders for #1 hero and anyone in class a could beat them in a spar like... i don't think they're unbeatable??? denki could beat them. ojirou could beat them. satou could beat them. shouji. hagakure. kouda. aoyama. sero. mina. jirou. the list goes on. and they could beat all the people i just listed any day too!!! it just... it doesn't always have to be like "gosh i'll never be a hero like deku" like??? you got in the Same class he did.

ahem. anyways. uhhhhhh i LOVE midoriya and bakugou. hate the way fans act like they're the only characters that matter. yes this angry rant is bc i was looking for denki centric fics the other day and most of them were more midoriya centric even though that wasn't tagged and denki centric was. when you're reading a fic about the trauma of someone other than mido and baku and then one of them has to take over and be like "listen to My trauma" and suddenly it's aboyt THem.

oKAY DONE FOR REAL

anyways hella i still think you're hot in fact i think it makes you Even Hotter

(also no shame i literally made the password to last week's vocab quiz "SERO HANTA" like in all caps bc of the leaks and bc i love him.)

sorry about the angry rant about the two main characters do you still think i'm hot-

#hella tag #this was therapeutic thank you #literally everything you said!!! #i just hate the ways fans act about them UGH. and also ugh ik they're the main characters but it still sucks that like every major battle i #surrounding them. like i get it. i do. but it's Always Them. we've seen that!!! i wanna see a big satou vs villain! or sero or denki or #ojirou or hagakure or jirou or... etc... #and ik they all play roles in the final battle or whatever but no like. i want them to be the star of the Main Big Battle but i get that #midoriya is the main character and baku is the second and symbolism and stuff - just sucks having side characters as your favorites iuygtft #oKAY DONE FR #and pls no one take this the wrong way! i love mido and baku! like i genuinely do! i just don't think they need to be forced into everythin #especially when it's about another character and they're trauma or mental health. there are other people in class who care about them and #those two aren't the onlt observant or self-acrifical people in class #oKAY UGH FR DONE NOW I HAVE FEELINGS HELLA IUHGFGYHUJI #also tape is the best quirk and denki's quirk has the most drawbacks in this essay i will- #(by most drawbacks i don't mean he sucks but like... i don't think people take how dangerous his quirk is seriously or how it affects him) #corey rambles:)

[relatableblorbopoll]

Round 1 of preliminaries, group 16

The first two places get a place on the bracket

Little reminder: there will be 2 more rounds of preliminaries, the losing blorbos of this poll still have 2 chances of getting in the official bracket

Propaganda under the cut

Parker (Leverage)

"Some of the weird things she says are so true. Like when she talks about past/present/future parker. Her joy at the things that she loves is so complete. Christmas every year! I too have the urge to stab people with forks when in uncomfortable social situations. And it was great when she made her security code to her…home…Sophie’s real name because it was representative of where trust stood in the team after the prison break. Oh! And her and Alec are total couple goals. (Thruple goals if you add in Elliot)"

Gudetama (Sanrio)

"A lazy egg who really doesn't want to do much of anything and would rather just go back to sleep"

Finn the Human (Adventure Time)

"finn is just a little guy doing his best and trying to help people! he's the only human in the show so he's just like us fr (the entire human race) and he starts off the series as a kid and grows up during it so he really goes through all the relatable ups and downs and friendships and relationships and mistakes and achievements that we all go through. he does a lot of idolising people and having to realise they're not what he told himself they were. sometimes he tries to distract himself from an existential crisis by running around yelling or stabbing things with a sword. relatable"

Rain O'Fire Frazier (Worm)

"Rain grew up in a conservative community that he didn't want to be part of, and rejected their regressive ideology in favor of surrounding himself with people who have gender vibes, mental health issues, and traumas of their own. Also, people give him all sorts of crap in the setting, and while he does fuck up sometimes, he's just a swell dude who's hoping to not get murdered by crazy people. Times being what they are, I think that that's something a lot of people can relate to."

Piper Mclean (Heroes of the Olympus)

"she's SO full of love!!! she loves everyone so strongly!! she has a complicated relationship with femininity, gender and beauty standards. she bullies her friends but would go down fighting for them if needed. she acts out to get her dad's attention. she believes in a balance between emotions and logic, and is not afraid to tell her friends if she thinks they're neglecting the emotional side of a problem."

Norma Khan (Dead End Paranormal Park)

"She is autistic and struggles with socialising (same) She has special interests that she will bring up at any opportunity. She can get overwhelemed and scared being in the world. Norma is also bisexual! She spends her time in a Pauline Phoneix theme park (one of her spins) and fighting demons and ghosts (another special interest). Vote Norma today!!"

"She goes through so many relatable experiences that I rarely see depicted and is just overall an excellent character. The third episode of the show has the most relatable depiction of anxiety I've ever seen (especially the intersection between social anxiety and autistic sensory overload). It's one of those episodes where each character has to face their worst fears, and with how those episodes usually go, I expected her to overcome her fears at the end of the episode and just not have them anymore. Instead, she overloads the villain by having too much fear for him to handle since she has to constantly face her greatest fears as part of her everyday life. The protagonist also acknowledges how much more severe her fear is compared to most other people, which is pretty validating. Her special interest is an actress who turns out to be a really shady person, and she has a lot of trouble processing this because it was so close to her heart. She even gets a musical number about it! I've never seen this particular experience depicted in fiction, but it's one that is sadly pretty relatable to me and probably a lot of other people on here. She also has a plot where she is rejected romantically by a straight friend, which is kinda nice to see (even if it's not nice for poor Norma) since even though this is a really common experience IRL I rarely see it explored in fiction. And she's just really funny and smart and a great character in general!"

#leverage parker #leverage #gudetama #sanrio #finn the human #adventure time #rain o'fire frazier #worm #piper mclean #heroes of olympus #norma khan #dead end paranormal park #preliminaries #tumblr polls #tumblr tournament #character bracket #character tournament

[sageandred]

Some minor things I'm thinking about/predictions for season 3~

-some more (pretty unedited) things I think could happen + predictions I don't necessarily hope to happen; + talking out some frustrations I personally had (if u don't want to read anything partially negative)

Missy & Amerie friendship. It would be good to expand to some less visited friendships. We got a hint of Amerie & Missy once again and I could see them talking even more nxt szn.

Sasha and Quinni are going to be working together nxt szn, and I can already see how the writers might try to rekindle something, but I don't want that, obviously. I could see them making Sasha develop feelings again only for Quinni to turn her down or it could be an opportunity for Sasha to actually apologize after some reflection as they continue to go their separate ways romantically.

Ant has to find out Harper also made the map, right? (that's the direction it's heading in??)

I don't care either way, but if Rowan wasn't just a 1 season and done type of character, I could see them trying to explore a mental health storyline, and separate from that make him more likeable/building friendships with anyone but Amerie.

Critiques of the Season/What I Hope Going Forward

They really missed some opportunities with Harper. It's totally valid for 2 childhood besties to grow apart in some ways and come back with an even greater and more mature connection. Instead, they just had Darren and Quinni adopt her into the group when I wish they would've spent a season of her developing her own friendships and building up her relationships that will be beneficial going forward.

which brings me to my points: I want Harper and Amerie to spend some time apart next season. I don't want it to be dramatic and I don't want them to have a fallout. They can actually be friends without being attached at the hip, but I don't want the s1 trio to be disrupted when I think that relationship is very special (sorry if this sounds harsh), and feels more organic than Harper's outside of the one that's developing with Cash.

Speaking of relationships: Ant & Harper feels underdeveloped to me. They could be a great couple. I wish they spent more time this season giving them individual arcs, but I think next season they kind of need to go through something dramatic to have the kind of break-through I'm wanting from their characters. They're kind of boring to me rn (I'm so sorry Harthony fans). They could end up together or not; I'm just not sold on their story yet.

New couples-I like the development stage of new couples/couples you don't expect. Give Quinni a gf, ofc. Switch up some of the dynamics. Relationships can be a means to another end, and it doesn't have to = the previous being bad. I don't want a love triangle, though; let them grow without the drama.

They could show the journey of Missy dealing with a toxic man, or they could show Spider/Missy grow together (I really don't care); I just want development for both of them individually and their own separate arcs regardless (especially Missy-he did have his own large arc this season). I actually think it would be cool to show the slow effects of how things add up and trauma causing some unhealthy behaviors with Spider (it doesn't have to make him bad; he's like 18 and anyone could grow from a failed high school relationship/become a really great person, but I just don't feel awe when I see their scenes...personally).

I didn't add this point with them on my other post, but I kind of want Darren and Cash to each have new romances/flings. I know there is love there, but I think they need to find themselves independent of one another. Their relationship very much feels like they grew up together and prematurely decided they belong together what with Cash's long secret crush (which is fine, but..); it is absolutely cute, though their incompatibility and continuous communication problems need to be explored/they need to mature.

#heartbreak high spoilers #heartbreak high #draft #missy beckett #sasha so #quinni gallagher jones #amerie wadia #anthony vaughn #ant vaughn #harper mclean #rowan callaghan #anti spider white #so the stans don't come for me #anti harper mclean #darren rivers #cash piggott

[pomplalamoose]

headcanons: Luke Skywalker and a mentally ill reader🫂🩵

A/N: I received several requests for Luke with a reader that struggles with their psychological health and decided to do one big post instead of three small ones.

Since I'm heavily affected myself I have a hard time talking about it, meaning this will be shorter than what I usually do; thank you for understanding <3

Nevertheless it's an important topic that shouldn't be ignored so here we goooo

Luke comforting you when you're afraid of being a bad Jedi due to your mental illness

• like I often mention, Luke always has an open ear for you

• I think he's especially understanding when you tell him you struggle with your personal image as a Jedi

• because in a similar way Luke often worries about this as well

• is he doing the right thing? Did he make the right choices? He doesn't know

• more often than not he wishes for Obi-Wan or Yoda to be with him still, to guide him

• his insecurities might stem from a different place than yours but in many ways you are able to draw parallels

• just like you he's afraid of not being good enough

• I think he'd let himself be really vulnerable in sharing this with you, hoping that it makes you feel less alone

• he doesn't want you to think you are in any way failing him or yourself

• most importantly though he wants to prevent you from thinking he's without faults

• he wants to give you an opening to relax, to show you that it's going to be okay as long as you're genuinely trying your best

• he does his best and is he not doing a good job?

• he wants to relieve you of the burden of perfectionism

• both of you are human and that is very much okay

• additionally the both of you don't have much information about what a Jedi should or should not be and while that certainly makes things harder, it can also mean a new beginning

• Luke spends a lot of time thinking about the principles and teachings he wants to pass along to a new generation of Jedi

• and I think a big part of that would be to embrace one's nature and being as they are

• some things can't be changed, it's the will of the Force

• in this regard he is big on following his senses and his heart and how could you ever be a bad Jedi if he sees so much goodness in you?

• while it may be hard to see for yourself, Luke will do his best to show you that your personal struggles don't equal being a failure

• mental illness isn't a flaw that makes you less capable or less intelligent

• you are not your mental illness

• it doesn't define you as a person even though it often times feels like it

• he will list many wonderful character traits of yours, trying to convey how others may see you

• he retells situations where you were able to overcome or even use your struggles in order to help another person

• you are allowed to be yourself and he's glad to have you by his side

• he values your opinions and insights

• in many ways you are able to view certain aspects from a totally different point

• with your unique experiences you are able to offer comfort to those in similar situations better than Luke ever could

Not wanting to burden Luke with your trauma

• Luke is familiar with the notion of keeping ones struggles to oneself

• especially when it's done out of consideration for others

• I don't think you'd manage to hide your mental state from him though, not post ROTJ and not when you're force sensitive as well

• he might have been rather blind to his surroundings earlier on, but has long grown past it

• of course he respects if and when you want to open up at all and will put no pressure on you to tell him anything whatsoever

• however I think he prefers his family and friends to be outspoken about how they're feeling

• not only does he want to help but is also aware that it's only going to get worse over time otherwise

• he knows what can happen when one gets lost in an endless maze of the same recurring thoughts

• to be able to realease something into the Force, to let it go, one has to confront it

• how this is done varies for each person though

• you know best where your trauma stems from and only you know what you are able to take on in order to leave it behind

• as much as Luke would love to be able to simply tell you what to do, he can't

• it's a journey everyone has to go on for themselves

• he'll want to be your company though

• Luke is happy to let you take your time

• if the possibility to retreat is important to you, it's what you get

• he wants your healing to come from a place of security and with the knowledge that he's there to catch you when you're not able to do so on your own

• still he remains firm in his believes and will tell you so

• nobody said it was easy, he knows for a fact it isn't and he is ready to be by your side when you are

• depending on your relationship he might give you gentle nudge in the right direction or, alternatively, a kick in the butt if that's what you need

• he won't stand by and watch you destroy yourself

Dilf!Luke realizing you're not doing well mentally

• since he always has his eyes on you, he can tell when something is just a little bit different

• depending on how well you're able to hide your mental condition though, it possibly takes him a while

• unlike is child he can't be around you all the time and during your car rides home the both of you don't talk

• maybe he realizes how tense you grow when a member of your family contacts you

• maybe he overhears parts of a conversation either when you have to take their calls or when you talk with your friend

• I think he'd ask his child if everything's okay with you

• he doesn't want to seem overbearing or like he's invading your privacy

• since they are your best friend they wouldn't tell him any details but maybe mention you're struggling

• again it depends on you as a person

• are you open about your mental health or not?

• if not they will lie for you

• otherwise they know what they can share without revealing too much

• after all it's your decision what you want others to know

• either way he's worried

• he will offer his help right away

• if you need someone to talk to, he's there

• he's not a professional of course but he'll listen! A second perspective can change a lot!

• the house is easily big enough for one more person, he doesn't mind you staying for the night or a few more

• you can always come over when you need space or a place to rest

• he'll look after you

• have you thought about moving out?

• are you making enough money to be independent?

• are you seeing a therapist?

• "Dad please calm down, I can't tell them you said any of this!"

• your friend will give you a watered down version of what happened because they're kinda afraid that you'll be creeped out by Luke's behavior

• you aren't

• in fact there's nothing you want more than for Mr. Skywalker to take care of you

• he may ask you about it himself once you are better acquainted

• if you're comfortable enough to drop a comment or two he definitely catches on to them

• you are welcome to celebrate the holidays with him and his child, you know?

• he's sure they would be more than okay with it too

• it's your choice of course but he'd be happy to have you

#ask #asks #luke skywalker #luke skywalker x reader #luke skywalker x you #luke skywalker fanfiction #star wars #luke star wars #star wars fanfiction #star wars headcanons #star wars a new hope #star wars empire strikes back #star wars return of the jedi #dilf luke #dilf luke skywalker #luke headcanons #fanfic

[zonedelicious]

EchoVN analysis thingy

This will be a quick analysis of the furry visual novel Echo which will obviously contain spoilers. This is my own personal interpretation of the narrative and shouldn't be taken as factual. I must also state that I am not sexually interested in any of the characters, so this will be an asexual reading of sorts.

Echo to me is a story about mental illness and how it affects people. All 6 of the main characters are suffering mentally and that has affected their relationships with each other. Of course there is the paranormal entities that exist within the town of Echo. Our characters are one small part of a greater messed up world.

When seeing how people talk about the characters it is very similar how people discuss mental illness in real life. That is villainising it. With no offense to anyone in particular, there is often a hatred towards these characters that feels personal and that hatred comes from ableism. Thinking that none of these characters deserve happiness, that they're inherently bad, or that they're psychotic, it's all ableist reaction. And maybe that's intentional. Because Echo is a game that makes you feel uncomfortable. And maybe it's trying to make you question your own biases.

If there's one character that could potentially represent this best it is Sydney. The kid that drowned. Who's often portrayed as a cruel and even demonic kid. Some say he's even the one behind all the demonic entities. You could say he's a bad person. Right? But that would be wrong. Because Sydney being a bad person is a lie. A lie Chase made up.

Chase is an unreliable narrator who throughout the game is often seen lying and intentionally twisting the truth. It is his coping mechanism. He intentionally exaggerated Syd's bad moments and lies about Syd's death, to cope with the fact that he was the one who killed him. Chase as well as TJ had buried their memories of the event due to how traumatic it was for them and avoid thinking a out Syndey at all. In Flynn's route we even see Syd as a very friendly kid. It was only after his father's death that he grew distant from the others, because they judged him. Sydney was not a monster. He was simply another kid. Anyone could have taken his place. Just like Chase, the player frames Sydney as a bad person. You would expect him to be bad. Especially when being aware of common horror tropes of a vengeful ghost. But of course that never happens. Sydney probably has even forgiven Chase from what Micha says in Jenna's route. So what's the message then, that Chase is the bad guy? Well you would think that of course, but that's also false.

Chase is a mentally unwell person. He has been possessed for so long that he doesn't even know who he is. He lies and manipulates people because he is emotionally detached from everything. Does that makes him evil? No. He's simply a person. He does shit things. He has mental issues he can't control. This of course is shown by him literally being possessed by multiple ghosts, that also represent real world mental health issues. In TJ's route he is basically no longer in control of his own body according to Sam. He is a puppet. And that doesn't excuse his actions entirely. But it needs to be understood that he and everyone else in the game are suffering from serious mental health issues, and in the real world that means they are unstable and not fully in control of their own actions. So while yes technically a demon possessed Chase killed Sydney and Flynn. It was also a metaphor for how mental illness can cause you to do things you do not want to do.

Carl could get a job and go to college and be the best student and get all the girls and be happy. But that's not what's it like when your anxiety is so bad you start having panic attacks constantly.

TJ could just man up and be a badass. But how can you expect a 19 year old to change like that when they've been emotionally stunted due to trauma.

Trauma, depression, anxiety etc. It is all fucking painful, it fucks you up, and you can't function because of it. I relate with all these characters because I felt it too. I lost a friend and I've quit college and I had anger issues and people treated me like I was crazy. Probably shouldn't be personal on a furry post but I need to emphasize that this shit is really fucking hard to deal with.

So to say these characters are irredeemable and inherently bad, it is simply cruel to me. Yes I do think someone like Leo deserves love and care and to be hugged. Not because I want to fuck him. But because I understand that this is a broken man who does not deserve the pain he is going through.

Leo is the reason I started writing this essay. Before I even started playing I saw how Leo is said to be the worst person ever. To the point that liking Leo is seen as "missing the point". Which I find strange because Leo is never portrayed in the game in this way.

"I can fix him" in reference to Leo is a meme for how an absurd of an idea it is, but the game itself says that he should go to therapy, which is the game saying Leo should get fixed in a way. And he does get fixed. In his good ending he refuses to get Chase's number. In Jenna's route he apologizes to Micha and takes responsibility for his past actions. Leo makes changes despite being mind fucked by the mental illness devil. So him being portrayed as evil I think goes against the actual message.

Most of what I said for Leo also applies to Jenna. Though the hate she gets is also heavily tied to the fact she's the only girl in the main group and this is a game aimed at gay males. Any action she takes is the wrong one. Funny as that's exactly how Jenna grew up. She was always screwed over no matter what and had to eventually leave home. And her cold personality is a defense mechanism a lot of women develop to protect themselves from men. Then maybe she was also a way for cis gay men to question their misogyny.

So what's the end message? That you should excuse bad actions? Not necessarily. I think it's important to differentiate when a person chooses to hurt someone and when they don't. With Flynn, his bad actions are often choices. He chooses to be distant and an asshole. Yet at the same time this is how he communicates. I do not think Flynn knows he's hurting Carl when he insults him. Is it wrong to do so? Yes. Does Flynn care about Carl and doesn't want to hurt him? I believe so. Is Leo selfish and obsessive? Yes. Does Leo genuinely care about his friends and wants to protect them? Also yes.

Again this is simply how mental illness is. Anger issues, personality disorders, etc. The way you act does not always reflect your intentions. I'm not an expert here and don't know the right terminology. All I know is that functioning as a normal human being is really fucking hard. It affects your life and your relationships. And most of the time it isn't your fault.

So that's what Echo means to me. It is about people who are suffering. Who make mistakes. Who are assholes. And who are still people despite all that. They aren't evil, or psychos, or monsters. They're just people. And I am happy that the game treats them as such the entire time. People with mental illnesses deserve happiness.

This was my first analysis post. Well it's a rant post really but those are the same things. I hope to make more posts like this in the future as I am bored and jobless and that's what you do on the internet. Thank you for reading everyone.

#Analysis #Zone analysis #echo vn #echo visual novel #furry visual novel #This is very long I am so sorry

[actual-changeling]

To maybe add onto this post a little bit because I feel like this is something a lot of people who aren't really deeply informed on mental health and/or trauma might not know.

There is four different survival responses: fight, flight, freeze, and fawn. The first two are obviously well known but the other two aren't, however especially fawn is dangerous if it goes unrecognized.

I see people write fics in which Ellie goes from fight or flight straight into fawn and it is portrayed as good and healing, meanwhile she is just stuck in a different trauma response. It's just as unhelpful and just as harmful.

The fawn response is focused around appeasing people and keeping everyone else happy because your brain and body tell you that this is how you keep yourself safe. You disregard your emotions, feelings, boundaries, needs, everything in order to make the people around you like you, especially the one you register as a threat. For example, if you are stuck in survival mode and you get into a small, not dangerous fight with someone, your brain will see this as an immediate threat to your safety and slip into the fawning (in this case). You will ignore your own stance on the topic and take the blame for the fight/the problem, you will appease them and give up your position and take on theirs to make them happy and calm again. People very often apologize for things that are not their fault because it is safer to be blamed in a way you can control (and makes the other person less actively aggressive) rather than be stuck in a fight you have zero control over.

We do actually see Ellie fawning in episode nine, she is not only incredibly dissociated but the way she talks is timid and soft, she also apologizes for not being present when Joel points it out (kudos to him for saying "no it's okay" instead of playing into it). If you do not know what to look for, that moment might not mean anything, but it's a textbook fawn response.

Why am I telling you all this? Because writing Ellie as becoming incredibly obedient and "calmer" in how she responds to rules and expectations is a) not true to who she is as a character and b) actively exacerbates her fawn response and reinforces the beliefs and core assumptions of her CPTSD. Fawning means the people around you do not see your trauma anymore/it stops inconveniencing them, so on the outside they think it's great! Look, they're no longer being aggressive or irritable, this must mean they're getting better, right? But then you look at the person and they're terrified to death of upsetting someone and disregard their needs to make everyone else happy and that is the opposite of getting better.

So please, if you write about Ellie recovering from what she has been through keep in mind that there is more than one way to react to trauma and responses that look fine on the outside are usually *not* fine on the inside. Don't just push her from one survival mode into another one because it's more convenient for you, actually put in the work and make her process it, see where she actually ends up once can break out of it.

#alex yells at the void #the last of us #tlou #ellie williams #idk i've been thinking about that scene in episode 9 a lot lately #partly cause i am writing her fawn response into my fic(s) #so this is just. a post on one tiny aspect of ptsd because i felt like writing it lol #but if someone is interested in hearing about other stuff i pretty much have personal experiences with almost all of it #my cptsd is a sledgehammer in my brain #i could write a whole ass essay about how to handle her fedra trauma alone cause boy have i seen some dangerous takes on that

[vividstardustrevolution]

...I think I need to take a break from the MILGRAM fandom, and I won't be posting about it for a while. I might be back around Deep Cover releasing in January, but I might not. It's genuinely been grating on my mental health for a while to engage with both canon and the fandom, and I'm probably going to unfollow most of the people I follow who post about it (so if you notice that I suddenly unfollwed you, it's not because I decided that I hate you). I think a major part of it is that I relate to several of the characters in one way or another, so seeing how they're treated by the fandom and by the canon material...honestly hurts, in a way? (I relate to Haruka pretty heavily (I have an entire list of reasons I kin him on my phone), and I relate a lot to Kazui, Shidou, Mahiru, Futa, and Kotoko for different reasons. I also relate to Amane and Mikoto in some smaller ways.) It can also just be really uncomfortable for me to see some of the things people say about the characters and theories in this fandom because it's just so disconnected from what seems to be actually happening from my perspective. I might delete the MILGRAM Out of Context blog and just focus on writing some of the fanfics I've started and not engage with the fandom outside of the friends I already have, fair warning.

I think I'm probably going to be avoiding talking a ton about disability and mental health advocacy for a little while too, not because I don't care about it anymore (I do care) but more because it can be exhausting to talk about and think about, especially when my mental health is so in the gutter that I'm taking medical leave from law school.

I kinda find it funny that Yu-Gi-Oh, of all things, has made me feel slightly happier. I've ended up seeing myself in some of the protagonists and other characters (Yusaku, Takeru, Yuma, and others) in some ways. It also helps that my experience of the fandom has been generally fairly positive and not hostile. I kinda want to write an analysis on how some of the different characters each have their own issues and trauma, because *can we just talk about how Yuma and Yuya have terrible fathers?* So that might be a thing. It might not be. Who knows.

I'm just...tired, to be honest. I just want to be able to live again.

#personal #I'm not going to maintag anything because I don't want to clog up the tags.

[wewebaggit]

Mike being depressed is something Finn talked about himself so I don't think it can be considered as fanon even though the show doesn't take time to highlight that cause it only treats Mike as El's bf. I mean we don't know the dynamic of Willel well in order to be able to say who El would save if Will and Mike were in danger but it's clear that the Willel reunion was more emotional than the S4 reunion of Mileven (actors' dynamic??).

It's kind surprising that your fav paring is Duzie when we never saw Dustin and Suzie together. Not to mention how each time Dustin talks about her, he has to point out her intelligence like is that the only thing that made him date her ?(except for the fact that he is desperate af to get a partner). That pairing is non-existent in the show. Personally, I think the couple that would have lasted on our world would be Boyce.

Idgaf what Finn said. He's been wrong before. Actors on that show, especially the kids have not always been on the mark about their own characters. Also, as I answered another anon, the depressed here is just the layman dumbification of depressed. It's not a mental health issue because it hasn't been handled that way like you yourself have admitted. Can't J K Rowling this shit. Put it in or stfu.

Again. We dunno the willel dynamic cuz there isn't one. You're just reiterating my point that the willel closeness is fanon. When in canon she does not find comfort in Will's words. Nor is she considerate of him at Rink o mania. Will too on his part doesn't seem to be chummy with her (or anyone) being in his sad boy era. I'm not talking about life or death situation type of choice. That's always hard and I wouldn't put blame on any character for making what is a difficult choice no matter what the options. I'm talking about finding comfort and strength. N she still relies on Mike for that over Will. Willel reunion being more emotional is subjective. To me there was nothing that jumped out that way. Will and El are criers. So yes there were tears in that scene. Also it was a Noah n MBB acting choice I feel. (not that it matters bt there was hardly any writing for them. they kinda put in the work themselves according to MBB)

I do mention my fave pairing is Duzie cuz it seems real. What's wrong with him praising her intelligence? He's a smart boy himself. Makes sense for him to date someone intellectually compatible with him. Also desperate for a gf is exactly why I like Duzie. They're 13-14. They're silly with their pet names. Helping change bad grades. Making out. Being corny af. Singing a frickin duet. They're not out there giving monologues or bearing the brunt of their partner's bad mood like they're in some adult marriage. They're silly. They're not co-dependent. Dustin managed to keep Suzie out of all this mess and she's still saved the world twice. He genuinely likes her. As can be seen by the advice he gives Steve in season 3. They both have a life and interests and convictions beyond just each other. All this chemistry in frickin split screen. I don't see how that pairing is non-existent. Boyce on the other hand. Joyce never liked him romantically. He was her ticket to a stable life. She obviously cared about him. But she didn't have to make those faces while being around him as if he forced her to be with him. You're right. IRL it would work maybe. But this is fiction and I don't care about the longevity of the coupling. Not even that they gotta be healthy. Just interesting and well written. Which Boyce weren't. In fact Boyce is non - existent the moment Bob drops dead. Joyce and Will forgot him so quickly. He's barely mentioned. We keep talking about these people's traumas or whatever. But they're walking fairly comfortably around death.

#byler #stranger things #wewe's askbox

[blindbeta]

hello, i found your account a while back when i was searching for ways to write a blind character and yours have been helpful! i just want to ask something, better safe than sorry: the mc in my story is blind yet goes on to commit murder, i was wondering if by any chance it might come across offensive??? like their blindness wont be the attraction or the focus, just that the character has gone through so much trauma that they're willing to kill ppl. they just happen to be blind. i just wanted to know that. sorry if this is too long. any other tips would also be helpful.

have a good day!

Blind Character Who Is Also a Killer

Don’t worry about the length of the ask, as it helps me to have more detail.

This question was challenging to answer. I initially focused more on the blindness aspect before adding more about trauma and mental health in general. I would appreciate additional thoughts readers would like to share. If the trauma bit is not useful to the asker, it may benefit other readers.

In my opinion, your blind character can commit murder without it necessarily being a problem. If you are careful. It is less about avoiding offensive ideas and more about being intentional with the choices you make as a writer. Here are some things to look out for:

-committing murder out of jealousy or anger at sighted characters for being able to see

-targeting other blind or otherwise disabled characters

-the motive for the murder having anything to do with blindness or regaining vision

-the murderer causing eye trauma to the victim, removing eyes, etc

It would also be helpful to have more blind characters who aren’t murderers or violent. Additionally, it may help to consider if your character is a villain or an anti-hero. Having blind heroes, or at least people the audience should root for, also avoids any ideas that blindness is inherently bad in some way. In this case, the message behind the story is very important. What happens to your blind characters will be tracked by disabled audiences.

When it comes to having multiple blind characters, I suggest being more intentional with how much vision each character has. If the killer MC is totally blind, make sure to have another totally blind character who isn’t a killer. This helps avoid the implication that having less vision equates to less morality.

I think we need a variety of blind characters and so I am fine with characters like the one you are describing, provided they are not the only blind character in the story.

Because trauma was mentioned in the question, I wanted to suggest reading more about trauma’s influence on survivors if you haven’t already. People who have suffered trauma are often portrayed negatively and given little understanding. It is important to research mental health issues as much as possible as well as understand tropes surrounding trauma. Without making this answer too long, my suggestion is start with free videos, podcasts, and articles by survivors, mental health professionals, and those who are both. While this question was sent to a blog about blindness to get input on a specific topic, the focus should be more on the mental health aspect and why trauma is a focus for this particular character. I would emphasize handling this topic with care if you are not already familiar with it. Trauma, especially in relation to murder, deserves a post all its own. Looking up tropes about mental illness online might also be useful if you have not already done so. Consider why the character having trauma and killing because of it makes sense to you. I don’t know your story nor do I have much information here, so I can’t give you more advice than that. This is for you to think about as a writer, just as you might examine the blindness tropes I discuss on this blog.

Disability can lead to or be caused by trauma, so be careful with that in relation to your character. Blind people in particular have higher rates of mental illness for a variety of reasons.

I can’t really say if anything about a blind character committing murder would be offensive or not without reading the actual material, and even then it would only be my opinion. However, keeping some of my suggestions in mind could make this easier to write because you have things to consider. My concern is more with the mental health side of the question, especially as it relates to blindness and murder. These factors are a lot for a writer to consider at once.

Hopefully this is a good starting point.

An addition to this post by @ask-jeff-and-the-lads reads:

I will say that "so much trauma that they're willing to kill people" gave me pause, as though, like, that's a logical sequence of events 😒

This has been cross-posted on WordPress.

#blind characters #writing blind characters #ableism #disability #anon ask #ask

[words-after-midnight]

Happy STS!! Do your characters tent to have similar backstories, especially regarding their relationship with their families?

[Words written for my self-challenge: 215 (total: 759)]

cw: discussion of trauma - specifically DV, child abandonment/neglect, institutional violence, & abuse in a correctional setting. Mentions of alcoholism and substance abuse.

Yes and no.

They're similar in some ways - like, most of my characters have been through some sort of trauma, and I've never written a central character in a long-form project who doesn't have at least one dead parent.

The nature of their trauma and general life experiences prior to the beginning of the story differs substantially, though. Take Gabriel and Jeff from Life in Black and White, for instance. Gabriel had a traumatic childhood that caused him to develop severe mental health issues. This included emotional and physical abuse from his alcoholic father starting at a young age, witnessing his father be violent toward his mother. Ultimately, his father abandoned the family when he was nine, causing his mother to have to work multiple jobs to keep them afloat, and leading Gabriel and his sister to essentially become neglected "latchkey kids" until a concerned neighbor stepped in about two years later.

Contrast this with Jeff's backstory. "Spotless" early childhood, other than the fact that he was born to very young parents (17-18 years old). Grew up in a well-off multigenerational household and treated well by his parents and grandmother. Developed atypical (and at times concerning) behaviors at a young age that led him to be assessed by a child psychologist. He acted out with other children and (especially) authority figures in preschool/elementary settings and was labelled as having an oppositional defiant disorder, and eventually a conduct disorder. His father disagreed with his mother and grandmother on how to deal with his behavioral problems, causing increasing conflict between his parents. His behavioral and affective issues got worse as he entered his preteen years. He got himself into increasingly serious legal trouble which resulted in his first of multiple stints in juvenile detention at age 10. As is relatively typical, unfortunately, he witnessed - and experienced - some unspeakably horrific shit in juvie, especially as a young teenager (one stint at age 13 was particularly bad). Basically, from the ages of 10-15 he was in and out of juvie and expelled from several schools. His parents separated relatively early on in this cycle and his biological father developed a drug problem as a result of all this (there was a trigger incident, but it was kind of the straw that broke the camel's back). When he was 15 years old, his mother and stepfather (his mother remarried after the separation) were murdered, and he moved to another state to live with his (now clean) bio father.

This is just my two characters with the most developed backstories as an example, but it's true generally as well. My characters tend to have backstories that are fucked up in some ways, but in different ways. How their backstories and in-story life experiences affect them and inform their characterization also differs pretty substantially from character to character - eg. shrugging things off and being seemingly unaffected by their traumatic experiences (Jeff) vs. obviously jaded, bitter, suspicious, and heavily traumatized to the point where it's reflected in almost all their behavior (Gabriel).

(Wow, this got long as fuck. Sorry about that!)

#libaw #writing #ask #sts #thank you!

[alostlittleriverlotus]

So I got spoiled for season 4 of Stranger Things and yeah, I'm not happy.

Tw/Cw for ableism especially surrounding ASPD and also spoilers for stranger things season 4

im not happy. I already went into this season bummed since the PTSD represented was basically just caused by a big scary monster. I know they have trauma outside of it, but having the symptoms line up with the monster attacks rubbed me the wrong way. Plenty of people with trauma though seem to not mind it, so maybe it's not a huge deal, but it was something I didn't like. And I just watched the episode at lovers lake tonight and hearing them go "hurting" when you could just say trauma feels so much like they're dancing around the subject. I know Brenner says it to El, but I just dislike how it's sort of danced around and nightmares and stuff come from Vecna. I know it isn't just that and he just feeds off of it, but honestly, I just do not personally like that they went that direction.

Now for where it gets shit. Oh yeah, Henry Creel aka 001 aka the orderly. I got spoiled for it when looking for the actor of the orderly and as I did more research I saw plenty of "violent psychopathy" "psychopathic tendencies" and guess what, he ends up being a really dangerous awful dude. He was my favorite character right away. He was creepy, but felt important and props to the actor portraying him cause he fucking did a great job. But every discussion around the character includes discussions of how he's a manipulative unfeeling psychopath. Every single discussion includes that including fan theories. Even someone trying to discuss what Henry had turns into "what we're looking at is psychopathy." Yet he's portrayed as dangerous, murderous, and he ends up killing his family as well as killing most of the test subjects and manipulating El. So another character with ASPD is turned into the antagonist.

It also sucks since I related to him a lot. I don't have ASPD, but his character already felt like one I could connect to even though I didn't really know him. He didn't even have a name revealed yet. It makes me so mad!

Also this is just a side thing, but seeing everyone go "it's about depression and trauma!" is so tiring. It's like whenever any form of mental health is shown, it gets labelled as depression or anxiety. I see characters with personality disorders yet it gets told it's just depression. I just, it feels like everything is erased under the label of depression. Like I have depression as a symptom, but it's just tiring. I'm just sick of everyone relating any mental disorder representation to being depression, anxiety, or trauma. Especially when personality disorders get so overlooked. I think it's great people can relate, but it feels like personality disorders and other conditions are just ignored. Even looking stuff up about my scenario and disorders, I get depression articles. Like no, not what I need. It's something that bothers me for a while and is probably just a trigger due to my lack of real identity and having the disorder and characters that show it be seen, makes me feel seen. So when someone just chops it up to depression, it feels like that one bit of validity is taken away.

But I just had to rant because oh my god, I was even relating to Henry, but then he just turns into "a monster and a killer" and someone you shouldn't relate to. Because of course. Because psychopathy is always bad (/s) just NO! I'm just so frustrated. This season is SO good, but at the same time, bad too. I'm just gonna end my rant here.

EDIT: Henry doesn't just have ASPD, he's autistic. Oh my god, I'm fuming. My brother is autistic and has ASPD and he's a dick, but he also works harder and is a good dude mostly (he's not exactly the best at understanding leftist stuff, he's more liberal.) But Henry has the same disorders as my brother and yet he's being treated like a monster! This is so incredibly personal for me. I don't know all the context cause I've only read up on stuff, not watched it myself, but what the actual fuck Stranger Things! This makes me actually so upset. The essay I reblogged is long, but it's well worth a read and far better than what I could say. My god, I am very upset. I was even relating to Henry a lot, but no.

I am so tempted to write fanfiction AUs fucking fixing this mess because I am not here for it! The framing of it all is like we are supposed to hate him and not trust him and El is good for not joining him, but I just. No? Also him lashing out at the lab just feels like another example of someone standing up to the abusive place they're forced into then being called the monster without anyone looking at why they did what they did. Because abuse victims are just supposed to take it then escape, they can't lash out at their abusers because their abusers are more humanized than them. I hate that take, I hate that bullshit. I hate this so much. Everything about how they're portraying him as a villain, as EVIL, makes me so mad! An antagonist is one thing, but no they full on making him into some evil entity that you shouldn't feel sympathy for. And nobody is talking about it and a ton of the fandom, even here on Tumblr, is treating him the same or just being a fan and falling in love with him. I'm just so genuinely upset by this.

#tw ableism #cw ableism #ableism #aspd #antisocial personality disorder #neurodivergence #cluster b #stranger things #st4 #stranger things 4 #henry creel #001 #001 stranger things #frustrated #vent #I'm just so done and I had such high hopes #autism #major ableism #stranger things season 4 #absolutely livid #demonization of mental health #demonization of aspd #demonization of autism

[skadren]

Hm... what's the line between characters there to help character having issues vs characters fully coddling and removing character autonomy? Even irl it can be hard to tell when something is too much and then you get a lot of resentment out of it (cough cough parents)

oh i'd definitely say irl it's much harder to tell, especially since that depends on an individual and their circumstances etc etc so you can never really draw a hard line

in fiction, though, there are definitely a few factors that make "help" extremely uncomfortable to read, at least for me personally:

if the character's wishes are repeatedly voiced but intentionally being ignored because it's not what's "best for them", and later on they feel guilty for wanting otherwise because they were "wrong"

worse, if the other characters give them zero explanation for their demands and no reasonable accommodations or compromises, or they withhold something the character desperately wants (and is usually deeply important to them and/or their mental and emotional health) just to get them to do something they don't want. hate that!!

if the narrative frames this kind of overbearing behavior as objectively good in like a "wow look how nice and helpful these characters are being!" way and the character ends up being grateful for... being repeatedly forced into doing things they actively didn't want to do(???)

if the character doesn't actually trust the other characters but their distrust is just played up as paranoia and/or another trauma-based thing to pity rather than addressed as a reasonable concern. i think this is a big one; certain aspects of the previous points are actually fine if there's already a lot of trust between the characters and/or the character has actively consented to giving up this kind of control in their life (consensual 24/7 d/s fics come to mind)

just generally if the character's struggles are framed in a way where the audience is supposed to pity them for their trauma and inability to care for themself, as well as root for them to "give into" being taken care of so they can finally "get better". again, nothing of how they feel is actually addressed as reasonable besides "oh no they're sad :(". very "cute sad small animal" for the sake of spectacle instead of like. a whole ass person with thoughts and feelings

yeah yeah yeah i know they are fake and don't have thoughts and feelings but in fanfic having the characters treat each other that way when they definitely believe each other are real says a lot about those characters themselves. especially since again, the narrative clearly frames it as positive and that just feels. really bad

idk it just all feels very infantilizing? like yes people can need help taking care of themselves for basic tasks and it's good to give them the help they need but that doesn't stop making them people and you can't just ignore how they feel just because you feel you know what's better for them. it also feels very much like "you must function in [x] socially acceptable ways or else your feelings don't count" because there is no actual accommodation of non-typical behavior, only forcible care until they "get better". so. yeah. for all their protests, the character's feelings and behaviors and even the scope of their trauma itself become effectively meaningless within the narrative, hence the loss of character autonomy

again, i know this is a common wish fulfillment thing, since it ticks the boxes of being cared for unconditionally and having someone to make all the decisions for you regardless of self-destructive behaviors, and some people prefer the option to consent to be taken away from them so they are "forced" into accepting help they probably wouldn't have otherwise. but idk, even if i'm perfectly fine with reading actual non/dubcon stuff, i really can't read stuff where it feels like the writer doesn't understand this is also a form of non-consent

#skadren rambles #ive been sitting on these feelings for a while tbh (sorry to those of you who i have screamed at in dms about this) #i feel a little weird about these feelings bc i'm usually a very 'write literally whatever just tag it appropriately' #but then i realized this bothers me so much bc tagging implies like. a form of awareness #and this kind of stuff is obviously never tagged because its inherent problem lies in the lack of awareness #so ive come across it far more than i'd like. sigh #obv not a moral crusade or anything i am just. hm. feelings #now that i think about it tho it's not just a consent thing it's also kinda an ablism thing. which is kinda tied together tho #considering discourse around whether disabled ppl can give consent #and how often they are forced into these kinds of situations w their caregivers

[opinated-user]

What's wild is that Aliana's revenge is so flat and uninteresting and has so little effect on her as a person that I sometimes forget it was ever a plot point.

Meanwhile in another fanfic I'm reading, I'm absorbed entirely by the revenge plot because it has such an impact on the characters that you genuinely cannot forget about it. It's impacting them forty years after the revenge was gotten. To TL;DR 300k worth of fic and hours upon hours of canon, one character was being repeatedly raped by three others, and, a year and a half into it, snapped and murdered one in what's basically acknowledged as a mental health meltdown. His best friend helped cover for him... and then went on to go murder the other two rapists without being asked to, because it's 1978 at that point and he knows the cops don't listen to POC when it comes to most crimes but especially aren't going to listen to poor POC who are accusing rich white men.

If LO were writing it, that'd be the end of it. Evil was killed, thus all trauma is gone, no further thought needed, the end.

Because a good writer is writing it, even in 2018 the character whose rapists are all dead is still struggling with trauma. He doesn't like what it says about him that he did that, worries he's a bad person, is horrified to realize that if he had a do-over he probably wouldn't do it all differently, felt tremendously guilty seeing the family of his rapist grieve the loss of their son, and has all kinds of self-doubts that linger well into middle age as a result of this. He can't bring himself to ask his best friend if he killed the other two because if the answer is yes, then he can't deal with that guilt so it's easier just to not ask.

It's forty years later and he still has anxiety issues, still worries about his kids and grandkids becoming victims of the same kind of crime, still has a deep distrust of authority figures because he tried to come forward with accusations and wasn't believed. The evil was defeated, the rapists were killed, he got to go on to marry the love of his life and raise a family and his actions still have psychological consequences because real life isn't as simple as 'kill bad guy, live happily ever after'.

And as a result it's really easy to sympathize with him because when your main character gives a shit about others and has the capacity for guilt, shame, regret and self-doubt, they feel like a person. He feels like an actual trauma victim, too, which is why the murder is so cathartic. You can have both revenge and a family life in one character, you just have to write it so the latter is effected by the former. His resulting anxiety and guilt have made him a very worried, hard-to-understand dad and granddad. That's a plot point that goes on to have impact on the greater story.

IDK, it's late here and I'm rambling but basically what I'm getting at is that it's not that LO's list of Aliana's goals is incompatible with each other. They aren't, that's not the problem. The problem is not considering how a character's values, mindset and trauma would impact those goals even when they're obtained. She can't, because that's more thought and introspection than she's capable of, and that's a lot of work on the author's end to create an end result that's actually compelling.

But Aliana is, as a result, a dime-a-dozen badass Mary Sue who saves the day. Sometimes I forget her name entirely. She's generic. I have actually sat back and asked myself if I would do things any differently than Joe, the character in the other fic I mentioned, did. I've asked myself if I could live with murder, even if someone 100% deserved it, knowing it'd hurt the people in their life who didn't deserve to lose someone they loved to a horrific act of violence that would traumatize them by proxy. Joe has made me actually think in response to his actions, living rent-free in my head outside of the context of fanfiction for months now ever since I started reading. I never think when it comes to Aliana. She'll murder/maim/choke whoever she has to and be done with it and will never, ever lose. Joe fucks up. Joe loses. Joe doubts himself. LO isn't brave enough to let Aliana do those things.

If we handed Joe's writer the premise of Aliana, there's probably a compelling character in there somewhere. The problem isn't the premise. The problem is the writer.

indeed. couldn't have said it better.

#lily orchard #tw: rape

[blankjournal]

Hi! I'm the anon that asked about the 'romanticising mental illness' question. I'm sorry, I'm still a little bit confused! I asked my friend about it and he said that even the popular concept of the main character (MC1) having, for example, anxiety or depression and then the other main character (MC2) coming into their lives and help them throughout, he sees it as a hint of 'romanticising mental illness' because it seems like the MC2 is 'fixing' MC1 and that without MC2, MC1 would never 'be normal'. Personally, even though I can see why he interprets it this way, I feel like the whole idea of 'fixing' is just another perspective. Personally this popular concept makes me feel giddy and excited but I understand his perspective too.

I'm not sure whether you've reblogged any of these types of popular concept in books/fanfiction but when does this concept become a hurt/comfort genre to a 'romanticising mental illness' genre.

I apologise for any inconveniences that I may have caused with this ask.

Hello again, anon! No worries at all and I'm so sorry for delaying your answer for a few days because I have been busy :')

To start off, I can agree with your friend's view as well (to an extent). The hurt/comfort genre, especially ones who put a (often) anxious or depressed reader as their subject, is a tricky place to navigate through. Especially for inexperienced writers who actually want to do good by producing something that can be of help to readers looking for some comfort, but end up writing something that ends up infantilizing and/or portraying them as incapable and crippled to the point where the other character is the only thing that is keeping them together and is their sole lifeline— their saviour.

In real life, there are cases where this rings true and people do genuinely struggle to function without someone's help, but that said person is just that: help. You require professional intervention and medical/psychiatric assistance and not some love interest to heal in the long term. Fics often make MC1 go through hell, but be completely fine again once MC2 is there to get them through it and that's just not realistic at all. They can be of help, but are very often unqualified.

I think for a hurt/comfort fic to not end up as a romanticization is for the hurt character to actually make progress within the story and show how healing comes from within oneself (with the help of others, obviously) and not because some character comes and kisses it away. One big flaw I find with fics like this on this site is that they're usually too short to really dive into the process of healing and wrap it up with just the love interest coming and making it all go away for reader, most popular cases are with panic attacks (in this case, helping someone getting through it is totally valid!!) and depression. In the end, the love interest should (for me, at least) serve as a distraction from the pain in hand, not be the actual solution to the trauma or mental struggle that the reader is going through.

It's really tricky, as I said, because the line for everyone varies. Some say it is, some say it isn't. People want to read hurt/comfort fics for a reason and it's understandable that they crave the comfort it gives (I like them as well!), but it sets unrealistic expectations. Knights in shining armour aren't the solution to crippling depression or anxiety or mania or ocd, etc. They can help only to a certain extent. As long as the story does not make the love interest be this magical cure for reader's problems, then I don't think it's an issue at all.

Then again, one's experience dealing with mental health isn't the same as the millions of others, so maybe some people really do heal just by being with their own love interest, so I don't know. Maybe love is all someone needs, who knows? This is, again, just my opinion and it varies for everyone. People (and I, too) don't immediately read a hurt/comfort story and think "this is a romanticization and it's harmful", instead it's more in the "aw good for them, they have someone to help get them through this".

It's pretty blurry, so as long as the story isn't telling you that you don't need to seek out professional help and your boyfriend is your saviour and will get you through this terrible terrible thing then it's not a problem, I guess. There are great fics in this genre! Plus, they're great to get through lonely times.

— admin vienna

#anonymous #answered

[boombox-fuckboy]

5 Underrated Audio Drama: Cool Powers Edition

I am the biggest sucker for cool powers, and if you are too, you may have already heard more popular podcasts such as The Bright Sessions or SPINES (if not, why not add them to your list, too?). For the ✨5th edition✨ of 5 Underrated™, I went with typical superpowers, magic-based urban fantasy, and everything in between! Whether you want cool fights, super powered shenanigans, wholesome queerness (yep, they're all queer pods), magical slice of life, or all of the above, these 5 audio gems do not disappoint.

Up to date as of 13th August 2021

Desperado

"Blood magic, Voodoo magic, old gods, new gods: We've got it all! Follow the story of misfits from all over the world, as they try to survive and protect their heritage from modern-day crusaders."

Desperado follows three young people, who's patrons are all death gods, on their travels through the world as they try to achieve various personal goals. Really tasty, refreshing, and unique worldbuilding and some of the absolute best banter in any show I've encountered, it's fun, it's lively without being overwhelming, it's queer, and it's incredibly more-ish. There are currently 15 episodes of 15-45 minutes each, though usually about 25-30 mins.

Desperado is on major podcasting platforms and Spotify. Transcripts are available on the website and content warnings are given at the start of each episode. You can also follow their tumblr at @desperado-podcast!

The Beacon

"After surviving a dangerous encounter with a monster, Bee discovers she has the magical ability to control fire. Confused and with no heroic aspirations, she reaches out online to try and find others with impossible powers like hers - but finding them is only half the battle. Getting along and learning to protect everything important to them is another challenge altogether."

One of my first podcasts, and the first I found through Tumblr, The Beacon is technically the reason this account even exists. Anxious university student Bee discovers she has fire powers and starts a podcast to find other people like herself. Chaos ensues when she discovers she's not the only strange thing on campus. Slowly introduces more magic elements, the worldbuilding and lore is very tasty and holds my curiousity without feeling withholding. I really adore the characters in this one, they're all so unique, fun and memorable, with great and compelling dynamics. And of course very queer. While it is currently on hiatus, there are 24 full episodes of between 7 and 45 mins each, but usually about 25-30 mins, and 13 bonus/minisodes.

The Beacon is available on major podcasting platforms and Spotify. There don't seem to be content warnings, but transcripts of each episode are available on the website. You can also follow their tumblr at @thebeaconpodcast!

The Path Down

"It’s freshman year of college. Vanessa Ortega is a telepath struggling to control her power in more ways than she realizes. Dexter Sullivan is an aspiring animator still reeling from the loss of his parents two years ago. Between Vanessa’s telepathy and Dexter’s grief, they’ll soon learn that they each have to confront their inner demons."

An adequate description on this one, The Path Down is very much a slice of life/drama where some people have powers, and this is just a normal part of everyday life, with it's own benefits and struggles. Which I a big fan of, it's always interesting to see how powers affect everyday life. It also takes an interesting look at wealth inequality, interpersonal conflict and major mental health issues, especially trauma. Sound design is neat, the story is really easy to follow, and of course, it's very queer. The Path Down has 9 episodes of 15-20 mins each, or one 2 hour 20 minute supercut!

The Path Down is available on major podcasting platforms and Spotify. It has content warnings in each episode description, and transcripts of each episode are linked there as well. You can also follow their tumblr at @thepathdown!

The Phone Booth

"15 years ago, a girl named Beca Orlofsky stepped into the sky and exploded. Over the course of the following week, 99% of every living human on the planet gained a super-power. Now, podcaster Joe Pollard travels the world, interviewing people who went to sleep ordinary and woke up as something else."

This podcast is so cleanly-made and well done I'd actually initially planned to name-drop it in the intro, thinking it must already be a big name. It's not even the most listened to on this list, which, okay, they're all great, it shouldn't be a surprise, but I think it's the crispness and a slightly more mainstream feeling to it? Interviews from a world where 99% of the population has superpowers, with people from all walks of life: a firefighter, an anthropologist, musicians, a preacher, and so on. How they live, how the world changed for them with the introduction of powers, the history of the world and of them personally. Amazing emotion-packed writing, delicious worldbuilding, clean soundwork and strong but unintrusive music. The least queer on this list but not devoid of rep, either. 14 episodes of 15-35 mins each, but usually 20-25 mins.

The Phone Booth is available on major podcast platforms and Spotify. Unfortunately there do not seem to be content warnings or transcripts at this time.

VALENCE

"An urban fantasy fiction podcast."

VALENCE follows Liam, an anxious young magic user (muse for short), in a world where magic is shunned and frequently suppressed with various technologies. He's got a lot of problems in his day-to-day life, but his family is one he hoped he'd never have to deal with again. Until he receives a very intriguing offer. Slow but interesting start that moves into some of the most fun character interactions I've seen in a while. Very intriguing and entertaining. Queer, lively, great cast of voices, and if you have any affection for YA fiction you should absolutely give it a shot. Season 2 has just finished, and there are currently 24 episodes of 25-30 mins each.

VALENCE is on major podcasting platforms and Spotify. It has content warnings (complete with timestamps) in each episode description, and transcripts of each episode on the website. You can also follow their tumblr at @valencepod!

Want more good audio content?

5 Extremely Underrated Sci-Fi Podcasts

5 Underrated Weird Fiction Podcasts

5 Extremely Underrated Supernatural Podcasts

5 Underrated Sci-Fi Horror Podcasts

5 Underrated Comedy Podcasts

If you have any requests or suggestions for my next post, or just want to share some good content of your own, feel free to let me know in the notes!

#desperado #the beacon #the path down #the phone booth #valence #podcast #5 underrated audio drama #recommendations #urban fantasy #superpowers #█████ posts

[sokkastyles]

Hi, firstly I am not a shipper, so I have no problem what people ship. I have read multiple about Zutara, and I could understand why people love this pair. That said, I do have a belief that Zuko, Katara, Aang, Sokka, Suki, Toph and the other young kids who got involved may need therapy before they can even think of romance, because of their involvement war. Post therapy, I think Zutara would work. Your thoughts?

Hi, thanks for the ask.

While yes, I do think that ideally, in the real world, people dealing with trauma/mental illness should get professional help, here's the thing about the "I ship x with therapy/happiness, not romance" stance that bugs me:

1) Stories are not obligated to work like reality anyway

2) This statement implies that someone can't work on themselves/their mental health and ALSO find romance. That people who are suffering from trauma or mental illness must fix themselves first. Which ignores that recovery is an ongoing process and that different people have different needs, and that part of recovery is often getting support from the people around you, whether it be a hired professional, friends and family, or yes, a significant other.

And while I get the backlash against the "character was fixed by love" trope, romantic love or companionship can absolutely be a factor in helping someone get better. In fact, requiring people to fix themselves by themselves before they even THINK of doing things that normal people would do or having relationships with others is 1) isolating, and 2) stigmatizing, and can actually make a person worse.

I think there are absolutely instances where romantic love can be unhealthy in these types of cases, especially if the personal issues are linked to the relationship or one partner is using the other as a crutch. Those are things I see in both MZ and KA, by the way. Mai and Zuko cling to each other because of their mutual hatred of the world, and feed off of each other's negativity. Aang and Katara both put huge expectations on each other because of their own personal traumas and that's what causes most of their arguments with each other, and none of that seems to ever have been fixed in the series proper, the comics, or LoK.

Zuko and Katara, on the other hand, are a good example of both characters working through trauma and helping each other without putting expectations on the other or counting on the other to "fix" them. Which is actually the healthiest way for this type of dynamic to occur. When you get into a relationship with someone, you have to decide what part of their burden you are willing to bear, and sometimes people don't heal or take a long time to heal. The problem arises if one person is unfairly burdened or feels obligated to handle the other person's problems in a way that is unbalanced or nonconsensual or causing them undue suffering to the point where the relationship is affecting their own well-being.

Some people say that it's "unfair" for ANY character to have to "deal with" another character's pain as a reason not to ship them and I really, really, hate this argument. If I want to imagine Zuko and Katara in love and choosing to enter into a relationship with one another, then I'm imagining that they choose to be with each other despite those obstacles, that loving each other is something they choose despite the days when it's hard. Of course, nobody should stay in a bad relationship out of obligation to the other person, but it's okay for people in a relationship to take care of and rely on each other, if that's what they choose to do. Particularly in the US, there's still such a stigma on mental health that we often think that people who are suffering should do so by themselves, and needing help is seen as a moral failure. At the same time, we also see people who struggle with their mental health as so dependent on others that they're incapable of making their own relationship choices. It's a double standard and the only thing it does is perpetuate stereotypes and needless suffering.

The important thing to remember is that people are still individuals, recovery is a process that is often nonlinear, and that entering into a relationship is a decision that two people have to make for themselves.

#zutara #antikataang #antimaiko #mental health cw #trauma cw #mental illness cw