#( tl;dr he's a pain & he will not fight fairly whatsoever but at least he looks cool doing it )

[erabundus]

𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐑    𝐒𝐓𝐔𝐃𝐘:    𝐁𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄    𝐄𝐃𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 .

rules:  bold  what  consistently  applies,  italicize  situational.

does  your  muse  while  fighting  …

fight  honorably  /  fight  dirty  /  prefer  close-quarters  /  prefer  range  /  chat  during  /  go  silent  /  low  pain  tolerance  /  high  pain  tolerance  /  attack  in  bursts  /  attack  steadily  /  go  for  the  kill  /  aim  to  disarm  /  fight  defensively  /  strike  first  /  provoked  easily  /  provoke  their  opponent  /  tease  /  get  visibly  frustrated  /  shout  while  attacking  /  use  strategy  /  focus  on  their  battle  /  experience  conflicting  thoughts  during  battle  /  rush  in  recklessly  /  reads  their  opponent  before  fighting  /  fight  wildly  /  fight  calmly  and,  or  apathetically  /  fight  with  anger  /  fight  with  excitement  /  fight  because  they  have  to  /  fight  because  they  want  to  /  fight  without  regard  to  wounds  /  run  away  when  wounded  /  hide  wounds  /  take  a  blow  to  protect  another  /  prefer  a  blade  /  prefer  a  gun  /  prefer  to  use  their  ability  /  prefer  a  bow  /  prefer  a  shield  /  prefer  a  pole  arm  /  prefer  a  personalized  weapon  /  prefer  magic  or  spells  /  prefer  their  fists  /  their  greatest  weakness  is  physical  /  their  greatest  weakness  is  mental  /  their  greatest  weakness  is  emotional  /  transform  for  battle  /  fight  as  they  appear  /  rely  on  strength  /  rely  on  speed  /  use  everything  they  have  /  hide  their  full  potential  /  exhaust  quickly  /  high  stamina  /  doubt  their  strength  /  proceed  with  caution  /  behave  arrogantly  /  brag  after  landing  a  hit  /  belittle  their  abilities  /  use  psychological  tactics  /  use  brute  strength  /  avoid  civilians  /  strike  down  civilians  /  damage  surroundings  /  avoid  damaging  surroundings  /  signature  fighting  style  /  making  it  up  as  they  go  /  mastered  skillset  /  learning  their  skillset  /  use  improvisation  /  fancy  footwork  /  sloppy  footwork  /  messy  fighter  /  elegant  fighter  /  accept  defeat  /  refuse  defeat  /  beg  for  mercy  /  compliment  their  opponent  /  insult  their  opponent  /  use  flamboyant  movements  (flips,  twirls)  /  move  efficiently  /  barely  move  /  prefer  to  dodge  /  prefer  to  block  /  defend  their  blindside  /  has  no  blindside  /  use  all  available  advantages  /  strictly  use  one  main  method  /  play  around  /  hold  back  /  fight  ruthlessly  /  show  mercy  /  wait  for  opponent  to  be  ready  /  strike  when  opponent  isn’t  ready  /  fear  death  /  fear  pain  /  fear  killing  /  has  PTSD  /  avoid  fighting  /  has  lost  a  fight  /  has  won  a  fight  /  has  killed  /  refuses  to  kill  /  want  to  die  standing  /  would  succumb  slowly

TAGGED BY: @grimwake ( thank you so much!! ) TAGGING: @momijiba @cuileincat @custosavis @ironbloodcd @vixlenxe @ruinlost @cryoexorciist @drolliic @icynun

[singtheskyandfightlikehell]

that anon you reblogged didn't seem to imply Oswald is weak? actually you seem to be the one implying Ed is so it's the other way around lol

Hi!

So I made those comments in the tags because I was staying in my lane, but since you’ve so kindly brought this discussion to my inbox, let’s have it! because let me tell you, those tags were my version of restrained :)

So i’m going to break my answer down into two parts (fear not, there will be a tl;dr at the end):

1) Why I added the tags I did to that post

2) The idea that I’m implying Ed is weak

Let’s start with number 1:

The context: An anon sent my gf (who I would think is fairly well-established as being anti the “Protect Poor Ozzie” mindset in this fandom, which might be irrelevant in other circumstances, but given the prevalence of it in the Gotham fandom and the way Oswald is treated, it is, in fact, relevant here) a post seeking validation for their idea that Ed is protecting Oswald. My gf gave a fairly light-hearted reply that basically meant “nah, I think Ed is scared and instinctively jumping towards Oswald for Oswald to protect him”.

Awhile later, another anon sent my gf an ask that basically said Ed might be scared, but he’s still protecting Oswald. That same anon then said something about Ed “being complex like that”, which in my opinion felt a little passive-aggressive against my gf’s attitude towards the characters. My gf replied with the “Sure, Jan” gif and a tag saying “it’s not that serious”.

I then reblogged that answer and added the following tags:

I’m going to briefly deviate from the point and wonder why you sent me this message two days after that, especially considering I didn’t put my reply in any fandom tags, so either you had to scroll through all my posts from the 22nd to find that one and it pissed you off enough that you had to send me an ask, or you decided to check any reblogs of that post for tags because ???

Anyways, back to the point:

I did not say the anon implied Oswald was weak. What I said was that in this fandom, there has been (for years) a popular mindset that Oswald is a “little bird” and there have been countless fics, art, and headcanons of him being weak and needing to be protected. The popularity of this attitude combined with the fact that Oswald has been shown to be physically strong time and time again (frequently beating and murdering other characters on the show) has lead myself - and a few others - to wonder why so many fans are so desperate to see him as their “precious little birdie” who needs a big strong man to protect him.

Since canon does not back up this mindset whatsoever, there must be some reason a large portion of the fandom decided on this interpretation. Based on the traits people with those attitudes like to amplify about Oswald, the most likely reasons are his height and his disability. I often see art of Oswald cowering/trembling/whimpering/etc. while Ed towers above him, or fic of Oswald constantly needing Ed to carry him or fetch things for him because of his leg.

In my opinion, both of those things are incredibly offensive. I’m not even going to get started on the fandom’s ridiculously unhealthy portrayals of dom/sub dynamics due to wanting Ed to be dominant and Oswald to be submissive.

Now I don’t know that this is what either anon (if they were different people) was thinking. Because I don’t know who the anon(s) are. What I do know is that when it comes to Ed trying to protect Oswald, while on the surface is a harmless idea, in the context of the Gotham fandom could be much more.

I have seen time and time again this idea that Oswald needs to be protected and the show has made it clear that he most certainly does not. So looking at someone insist that Ed is trying to protect Oswald and connecting that to a fandom full of people who think Oswald needs protecting is really not that far of a stretch.

I did not say that the anon was implying that. I said that, based on this fandom, chance are high. The majority of people I have interacted with or seen in this fandom hold those ideas. Maybe anon is one of the few who do not, but their idea was extremely close to those held by that majority.

Now on to number 2:

“[I] seem to be the one implying Ed is [weak]”

alright first and foremost let me make something very clear to you:

when it comes to physical strength, I’m not implying Ed is weak. I’m outright telling you he is. Here is a post my gf graciously provided on the subject

Here’s another :)

Cory might work out, but Ed sure as fuck does not. Ed - and I say this with all the love in the world - is an egotistical, pretentious nerd. Egotistical, pretentious nerds do not work out. Trust me, we have better things to do with our time ;)

That’s not to say Ed is a one-dimensional character from this perspective, as the whole “he’s complex like that” thing in the second anon seemed to suggest. He has other strengths. For example, he has a high pain tolerance, as evidenced by the torture he endured in “The Sinking Ship, The Grand Applause”. 

Oswald, on the other hand, has only ever shown weakness when it directly relates to the people he cares about, and usually at the expense of himself. He will irrationally sacrifice himself or his plans for power to try and protect a select few people. He will occasionally break down emotionally over these relationships. However, even when he is emotionally distraught, his physical abilities tend to remain at a higher level than the majority of the characters in Gotham. In fact, his emotional breakdowns often result in his bashing people’s faces in, or other physically strenuous tasks.

It might also behoove you to notice some of those tags directly referenced a private conversation I had with my gf about this discussion of Ed protecting Oswald. The gist of the conversation was that Ed might well try to protect Oswald, but that he does not have the physical capability to do so. If he had lots of time to plan and fight with his greatest asset - his brain, perhaps he could. But in close combat? He would be decimated.

So while I’m perfectly willing to believe Ed might try and get in front of Oswald to protect him, the only conclusions to that I can see are:

a) Oswald reacts quick enough to realize Ed being in front is a Bad Plan and pushes himself to the front. He may or may not succeed in the fight but he has a better chance than Ed does

b) Oswald doesn’t react quick enough and Angst™ensues as he has to watch Edward get struck down in front of him

c) Oswald doesn’t react quick enough, but he manages to get in the fight quick enough that Ed’s injuries are minor. He then proceeds to flay the living shit out of whomever dared touch his boyfriend

Anyways…

TL;DR: I didn’t say anon implied Oswald was weak, I said the majority of people in this fandom do, despite canon evidence to the contrary, and anon did suggest that Ed should protect Oswald, which isn’t far off from the majority opinion that Oswald is weak and needs to be protected. Furthermore, I’m not implying that Ed is weak, I’m openly stating it, at least in terms of raw physical strength, because that is the established Gotham canon (see sources for evidence).