#I feel like some writers don't understand the complexity of this type of characters

[elliequeen777]

Soo, today it came to my mind this dream I had like a year ago. I remember I was reading something about Damian Wayne and the Bat-family, an his character really caught my attention so I did a bit of research and found out that there is not a lot of people who like him. And I get it, he is not precisely original or charismatic and his arcs are very weird. But something that I found very interesting was the fact that every single time he has a very tragic ending, like super dramatic. He's some short of sacrificial lamb, the only way he becomes a "true" hero is by sacrificing himself. Because, for some rason, there is no way he grows up as a happy, semi-stable, sensible person. I remember thinking that was really depressing, is like he is destined to be an unstable, unhappy kid forever.

I also remember comparing his situation with some other characters that had gone through a similar situation than him, like the other robins, Cass, Raven, Terra (the one from the animated series) and even Bucky Barnes (from the comics) and Natasha. One thing led to the other and I started wondering how different could be the life of Damian if he was on the Marvel universe, specially since they are experts on rescuing children from assassin's schools (Natasha and Bucky have done it at least twice each and there is a lot more arcs around it even in the MCU, if you ask me, a little too many times, I really hope we're done with that trope).

And then I fall asleep, I don't remember the whole dream now, but I remember two things clearly: 1) Natasha was in Gotham City and 2) she was friends with Alfred. When I woke up I tried to make sense to all the information and finally I came up with a story.

I had this on the back of my brain since last Christmas and I never came to anything more than just the idea. So I resolved to put this in here and see if someone else is willing to take this idea and make something with it. If not at least I'll get it out of my mind. So please don't judge me too harsh.

Here we go:

Valerie and Franklin Richards have combined their super-abilities to create some sort of spaceship that can jump to every multiverse. Fascinated with their discovery they want to make some sort of map of the multiverse. But soon they realize that only the two of them don't give avast to such a big task. They need explorers that can help them track record of every single universe, and they have to choose them carefully. One of the chosen ones is Natasha Romanoff, who's well known for her clean and discreet work, the spy, willing to take a break of her crazy life, accepts the invitation with enthusiasm. That's how she gets to land in Earth 2, there she meets a young Alfred and their friendship starts (they keep in touch somehow).

Time passes, and at some point Nat finds herself in Gotham city again, for business. She's staying with Alfred who introduces her to Bruce and Damian. At some moment she has a conversation with Bruce where she ends up revealing something about her past in the red room. He is very intrigued by that and starts asking som questions, but she is not very comfortable sharing more information with him, so he tells her about Damian, he's very worried for his kid's future, and doesn't know how to help the kid. She sympathizes with him, but is still reluctant to open about her past and tells him that the best he can do is to love his kid and show him he cares (very basic but helpful advice, I specifically recall this dialogue: "It's great you are trying to help, Bruce, but we are not a club of «reformed trained assassins», we are not precisely happy to find more people like us").

Bruce keeps thinking about that conversation and gets to the conclusion that Damian needs someone like Nat to guide him in his healing journey. So he goes to her and asks her a favor: to please help his son. Natasha is not very sure about getting involved, but after a long conversation with Alfred and Bruce, they decide to let Damian go with Nat to her universe for three days, she will show the kid her life and the life of other "reformed trained assassins".

So that's what happens, Bruce tells Damian he's going to learn new spy skills with a professional and then leaves him in Nat's hands. They travel to the Marvel universe and Damian learns that fate is not written and that he can have whatever life he wants.

And that's it, this is all I came up with. I will really appreciate to know your thoughts about this, so please say something. Anyway thank you for reading this shit. ❤️

[worldsetfree]

Aizen Sōsuke in Love headcanons

I'm so happy that Kubo is so careful with my sexy evil king (god?). He seems to value a lot of the things that I value as a writer/consumer. I really feel his love for this character!

Here are a few thoughts of my own on this beautifully complex man, in the context of romance, because I'm powerless against tall, dark, and handsome. Y'all know me.

Feedback and discussion welcome.

Some spice below. I'm slowly building up confidence...

Contrary to the belief of some, I don't think Aizen's an emotionally vacant sociopath. He's just deeply, obsessively measured in all things, including his own image. We often gain insight into his feelings through Gin, in fact!

I think he's secretly deeply emotional, honestly. INTJ, but the T is not as dominant as people think. People don't develop Aizen's level of conviction and dedication without passionate hearts.

And I would expect the wisest of men to not discard their emotions. It's better to know thyself, after all. Aizen strikes me as the type who values internal harmony.

Plus, he's too good at controlling others to be emotionally out-of-tune. He gets people.

To fall in love...

The first question one must ask: "Is Aizen Sōsuke capable of falling in love?" To me, the answer is yes, but like all things, Aizen has carefully crafted designs and constraints for such a scenario.

Despite his apparent patience, people as ambitious as Aizen are prone to feeling urgency. In the ruthless pursuit of his goals, I would not be surprised if he felt he had to deny himself companionship (especially given his implied struggle to connect).

But Sōsuke, you don't have to have your foot on the gas at every step of your journey!

He can take time to find peace in good company in his time as a Captain, or after he gains immortality. Times when he's been forced to slow down and wait for his plans to unfold.

Honestly, he's probably craving some TLC at this point. Isolation in Muken's a horrible thing, even if he enjoys the silence.

You must have done something to spark his interest and make him see you as something more than a peon. Subverted his expectations, or did something foolishly courageous, perhaps.

Either way, he's going to pay close attention to you going forward.

Intellectual jousting jumps out as a good opportunity to catch his attention! Look how he speaks during Fake Kurakura Town, for example. He's got ideals and philosophy bursting at the seams. He wants people to understand him! Get in there!!

In turn, Aizen seeks to understand all things around him, yourself included. Interest blooms into fascination and captivation, and in time, he admits that you've become a problem.

He is not confused by this feeling, but he doesn't really want to fall in love. Imagine opening himself up to something like that... With an insect like you? Preposterous.

Are you truly an insect, though? Or something he's been craving in a deeply repressed part of his soul?

After some deep contemplation, he'll decide to examine this feeling blooming in his chest further.

But if he has to be open and vulnerable to have you, he's going to make damned sure he still has the upper hand.

To be with him...

Loving this man is not for the faint of heart. Aizen Sōsuke is faceted like a jewel, and in being his, you will see all the colour and reflections he projects.

He's a wild, tempestuous sea, and all but the most worthy will drown in him if not careful.

Expect him to test you and experiment in all manner of ways. Some of these tests will be at the expense of your safety and sanity, unfortunately. But were you ever really in any danger...?

He's the type to play with the heart- roll it around in his teeth, and squeeze.

He's testing himself just as much as he's testing you. Feeling out what makes the knots twist up inside him and what makes his heart flutter.

That's not to say that will only toy with you, though. No, if he's chosen to be with you, he's going to love you. He never does things in half measures. This will become especially prevalent as time goes on.

You'll experience beautiful stillness and tenderness- quiet moments locked away from time and responsibility that he dares not share with anybody else. Think of summer rain, tea leaves, and the way his scent clings to his haori.

This peace inspires reflection, but confiding in you is very difficult for him. I think some part of him would fear the rejection. But he's developed a hypothesis, weighed the risks, and chosen to open up to you. You should be honoured.

Don't betray his decision to share. Be genuine and gentle, and you'll be rewarded with another piece of his ever-elusive heart.

On the flip side, you'll also end up lost in currents that threaten to rip you apart.

Aizen's quite mercurial, and part of being in love means seeing a bit of the mess below the surface (at least, what he allows you to see).

Making you swoon is simple for him, and he'll thoroughly enjoy leaving you breathless. He's going to work you up meticulously with perfect touches and addicting lips, and then leave you craving more.

He's masterful in all things he attempts, and he will prove that acts of hedonism are no exception. Should he deign to indulge in intimacy, he will be your undoing.

Sex is not a successful endeavour for Sōsuke unless you're rendered unable to think. He's going to delight in leaving you ruined in his bed, legs and lungs and consciousness having utterly failed you.

He'll cherish every sound and sight he steals from you. Allow himself to dwell on the taste of your skin, the warmth of your insides wrapped around him, and the feeling your thighs in his hands. You're heavenly to him. A work of art.

To some extent, it will dismantle him, too. He finds succor in the space between your breaths, and strangely welcome surrender in release.

If you catch him in the right headspace, he'll stay with you in his afterglow and succumb to gentle affection. His arms will pull you in and hold you like he wishes you'd meld into him.

But these moments are rare. He's so very busy and ever-focused on the next objective. But you don't mind, right...?

Overall...

Expect Aizen to be a committed partner that lifts you up and sweeps you off your feet in his own wicked ways.

He's going to challenge you, push and pull you, and enjoy the web you will weave together. You will be his prized possession and confidant. In return, he'll be your everything.

He will also be your tutor, your cultivator. Much like himself, he holds you to the highest standards, and he's not afraid to mould you into (what he considers) the greatest version of yourself.

You will be consort to a god some day, after all. He's going to refine you into something capable of standing at the top with him.

Just don't disappoint him, or you'll find yourself discarded when you least expect it.

Wow, I wrote too much for this. Can't help it. He's got me in his hypnosis. How shameful. 😅

Thanks for reading! Writing these out helps give me a backbone for future works.

[iscdisc]

2012 Oroku Saki ("The Shredder") Analysis / Also kind of Hamato Yoshi ("Master Splinter") too, but mainly Saki- Lmao

I still intend on doing some art related to 2012 Shredder (Especially in the context of a Redemption Arc and him being the Uncle he should've been in Karai + the Turtles lives- 😔🫶), but I have so much to say outside of art that I thought I'd talk about him too !

Just like all my overanalyzing with 2012, I completely understand and respect the opinion that all of these points I make could be the result of poor writing + a contradicting narrative, and that there wasn't meant to be some deeper meaning to it necessarily. I just enjoy that not being the case- Lmao 👍

Oroku Saki is a complex character / villain, and that's something the writers completely squander for the sake of having a "simple and reliable" villain.

Just as the header of this portion says, the writers of 2012 completely dismiss the complexity of Saki as character and miss many opportunities to highlight how Saki isn't a "black and white" type of antagonist whatsoever. I'm not entirely sure if they had intended for Shredder to fall into such a grey area as a villain-? Which could absolutely explain why they decided not to explore his character in this way. But whether they meant to or not, that doesn't really matter to me, since I'm still going to talk about it- LMAO

I feel 2012 wanted us as the audience to think, "Shredder = Evil" and simply not read into it after that, you know? Which, if that truly was their "goal" (so to speak), they never should've given us backstory episodes like, "Tale of the Yokai" since that not only puts more focus on Shredder's motives as the main villain but also sort of has the opposite effect on people like me (lmao)-

A lot of the major events that affected Saki's life either don't get utilized very well in Saki's overall character / character writing, things that I feel would make him very "relatable" villain to the audience (In the sense that if you were in his shoes, you could understand how he got to this point in his life-), or they're used to push this "evil guy" narrative despite him being very blatantly a victim of said event in my eyes-?? Which is why I say the writers wanted him to be this "simple" and "reliable" villain for their story. This feels a lot more glaring towards the later Seasons of 2012 for me, and how despite this man very clearly being mentally ill, it felt as though the writers would rather paint that mental illness as "he's just evil". It felt especially frustrating during S4 episodes like, "The Super Shredder" (EP 20) where we see Saki trail off while saying, "He saw it..." (Referring to Tang Shen's death and him still believing it was Splinter's doing and not his own-). In this same episode, we also get Splinter acknowledging the fact that Saki isn't well and that he can help him (Which, given this show, was more likely meant as a stall tactic from Splinter but I'd like to believe he was being genuine-), as well as Saki (In his own way, I guess-) opening up to Splinter about seeing his scornful face in his nightmares,, These could have been great segways into having this kind of conversation with Saki's character in 2012, even if it was this late into the series, but of course that didn't happen because we can never have nice things with this version. 😭 /hj

Let's get into more of my analysis now !

The portrayal of Oroku Saki's life in the 2012 series:

Throughout Season 1, the most we know about Saki is his role / connection to Yoshi, which primarily revolved around the death of his wife Tang Shen and the (presumed) loss of his only daughter Miwa. In most cases where Yoshi would bring up Saki during this time, he would only focus on those particular details and nothing that really pertained to Saki's past outside of his wife and daughter. He also refers to Saki as his "old friend" rather than his (adoptive) Brother- But I don't necessarily fault the show for doing this, because I feel like that definitely would have been a lot of information very early on the story. It wasn't until the Season 1 finale that Yoshi not only learned that his daughter Miwa was alive, but also that she had been raised by Saki all this time under the name Karai instead.

During Season 2 is when Yoshi opens up a lot more about Saki and his connections to him and their past. In S2 EP 3, "Follow the Leader", Splinter finally reveals to Leo what he learned at the end of Season 1 (That Karai is his long lost daughter and that Saki took her from him all those years ago-), something that he didn't reveal to the rest of his sons for another 10 episodes ( EP 13-14, "The Manhattan Project (Parts 1 & 2) / Wormquake!"-). Then eight episodes after that, during EP 22, "Vengeance is Mine", Splinter divulges way more information than we (as the audience) have ever been given about Saki / "Shredder" during his conversation with Karai. In this episode, we learned that the Hamato Clan and Foot Clan have I've been through a centuries long feud with one another, and that Saki was adopted into the Hamato Clan as a byproduct of that feud. From that point on, him and Saki were raised alongside one another as brothers. However, when Tang Shen came into the picture, things changed between them. According to Splinter, their natural sibling rivalry festered into jealousy for Saki, and this jealousy was amplified after Saki learned of his true origins and decided to rebuild the Foot Clan and get vengeance. Splinter also claimed that after blaming him for Tang Shen's death, Saki deliberately burned their home to the ground and took Miwa (Karai) away from him.

The last time we receive a lot of context from the series in relation to Saki's past is during Season 3, specifically EP 20, "Tale of the Yokai". This episode is very different because it allows the Turtles (As well as the audience-) to witness these events first hand rather than it being told through various backstories (Which have mainly been through Splinter up until this point-). This also canonically establishes that the Turtles had a lot to do with this incredibly pivotal event in Yoshi / Saki / Tang Shen / and Miwa's lives, since they were apparently the reason why Yoshi even survived that night after their home burned down. But I digress- We get to see how Yoshi and Saki interacted with each other before the events of the series, we get to see Tang Shen alive and well for the first time (Instead of only pictures of her-), we witness Saki's dramatic change in character + when he decided he was going to rebuild the Foot Clan and get his vengeance on the Hamato Clan, and we get to see Yoshi's and Saki's altercation that resulted in Tang Shen's death. After this episode, we don't get any further context with Saki as a character, nor do we get any other important backstory elements revolving around him and his identity as The Shredder (Not even any proper flashbacks of him raising Karai and what that was like- 🫠).

Now, I was very purposefully trying to point out how that was Yoshi / Splinter's perspective when I said things like, "according to Splinter" and "Splinter claims" during his recollection to Karai in Season 2- Because in my opinion, a lot what he says here feels blatantly contradicted by, "Tale of the Yokai". I also explained the events of said episode very vaguely because in my opinion, this is how 2012 presents it. These events weren't necessarily "meant" to be dissected, especially not by our main cast of characters, the Turtles and their allies (But specifically the Turtles, given they were the only ones present for these events specifically-).

So let's break down, "Tale of the Yokai", and the various contradictions that I can see when it comes to what actually happens in this episode (As well as Saki's origins-) and the way it's recalled by Splinter in the previous Season to Karai.

Comparing "Tale of The Yokai" to Splinter's recollections throughout 2012:

• Yoshi and Saki's relationship

This is something that I don't feel was necessarily a contradiction from Yoshi's perspective. He describes them growing up alongside one another and being relatively close (Which I feel these story board flashbacks depict that better than his words do-), and to an extent, I feel like this is something Saki can agree with. Prior to Tang Shen coming into both their lives (But particularly Saki's-), it seems as though Yoshi was the only person Saki talked to more openly / freely in his life (In the sense that rank or position within the clan didn't affect their conversations. I feel like this is reflected in a lot of Saki's conversations with his allies, pre and post the events of the series-).

We can even see this potential closeness through pictures of them from the past (Specifically the image on the left, which implies that him and Yoshi served in the military together at some point-). However, where this feels contradicted during TOTY is during Yoshi's and Saki's argument while sparring after Saki protects Tang Shen from the Turtles in the woods. Saki openly calls out Splinter's devotion to the Clan, potentially to himself, and how that affects his relationship with Tang Shen. Yoshi's response to this is that that isn't true and that he's "always been there for him (Saki)". This moment is so interesting to me, for multiple reasons. First off, Saki primarily was making Tang Shen the focus of this argument, but somehow Yoshi manages to pivot the conversation it being about Saki and their relationship as Brothers. Almost like Yoshi caught on to some kind of underlying tone from Saki. Secondly, I really truly love the sincerity that comes out of Yoshi when he tells Saki he's always been there for him. Because it truly adds a lot of complexity to their relationship, as well as a lot of relationships that revolve around Yoshi / Splinter (Something I'll get into later-). Despite this sincerity though, we can tell from Saki's reaction that he disagrees with this and believes it's untrue. Which paints an entirely different picture when looking at these story boards flashbacks + the old photo of them when serving in the military. In this way, I feel like they can truly be compared to Raph and Leo. Sure, you can find a lot of moments where Raph is on good terms with Leo and laughing alongside him, but there are also a lot moments where Raph blatantly accuses Leo of not supporting him the way he supports others (Usually their Brothers-) and feeling looked down upon by Leo with his condescending / high and mighty attitude. It wouldn't be far fetched to me to believe that Yoshi and Saki had a very similar dynamic growing up. Where Saki wanted to be close with Yoshi and wanted to let him in more, but one wrong sentence or action from him would close him up again. This also could've been a glaring reminder to Saki of how different they truly are / how they were perceived by others. That Saki was always the "problem child" or the Foot Clan adoptee while Splinter was the son of the head of the Hamato Clan / destined to takeover and was a role model for their fellow ninja. This reminder would always get in the way of their relationship for Saki, since it directly affected him. Negatively. This affected Yoshi too, but more positively, which would naturally cause it to go unnoticed or dismissed by him.

There's another line from TOTY that was incredibly interesting to me, and I don't see a lot of people talking about it when discussing not only this episode but Saki and Yoshi's relationship with each other. Before those two have their pivotal fight that results in Tang Shen's death, after she leaves the premises is when Saki says something that is very interesting to me. He says, "How can one love and hate someone so fiercely?", and then he proceeds to get into his fighting stance. I can't help but feel like he was blatantly talking about Yoshi in this moment. Some could argue that he was talking about Tang Shen, since it could be possible that his view of her was shifting after she made her decision to choose Yoshi over him- But I personally don't agree (I don't think Tang Shen's passing would've affected him so deeply if that was the case- I don't even fully believe Saki could even view Tang Shen with any malice either-). This feels supported by the fact that Yoshi even responds to Saki afterwards, saying, "If your wish is to fall by my hand, Brother, then so be it-". This is another instance that I feel can be used to reflect not only Saki's relationship with Yoshi, but a reoccurring issue with Yoshi. The fact that Yoshi barely even acknowledges what Saki said here speaks to his character to me. Saki has so openly stated how he loves his brother just as much as he's grown to hate him, and yet, Yoshi doesn't even bat an eye at this. I already have the impression that Saki so rarely expresses any kind of love for anyone (Familial, platonic, or romantic-), so this naturally can be assumed to be a rare moment from him. I doubt Saki has said this to Yoshi very often, if at all. But still, there's a lack of reaction from Yoshi.

This could be explained by the situation, considering that things were very tense in that moment and of course this led to their massive fight. Maybe Yoshi it was preoccupied bracing himself for the events to come that it just slipped his mind. But this falls in line with what I was saying earlier about Yoshi / Splinter having this reoccurring behavior(s) when in comes to those he loves and cherishes in his life and how he reacts to them and their perspectives (More on this later-).

• Saki and Tang Shen's relationship

This is one of the big things Splinter sheds light on throughout the series (Specifically S1-S2) that I personally feel was very contradicted by TOTY.

For starters, from Splinter's point of view (Or narration-), he implies that him and Saki both met and fell in love with Tang Shen at relatively the same point in time. But I don't believe this to be true for a few reasons. For starters, when we see Saki and Tang Shen interact after Saki "saved her" from the Turtles, it's incredibly obvious given their conversation that they've been in a relationship before. Saki even starts the conversation of their relationship by pleading with Tang Shen to "take him back". He talks about how he's changed and grown a lot since they've been apart, which also implies that he most likely was the reason why their relationship ended or why Tang Shen made the difficult decision (probably) to end their relationship. My other reason for thinking that this isn't true is that throughout the various times that Splinter has brought up their rivalry for Tang Shen's heart, he's never once mentioned the fact that Saki was in a relationship with Tang Shen before he was. Splinter always painted this picture as though they were competing for her at the same time and that he ultimately "won" and Tang Shen stayed with him indefinitely- Which just seems blatantly false given this conversation that we see between Tang Shen and Saki in TOTY.

This leads me to believe that Saki actually met Tang Shen first. A significant amount of time before Yoshi even knew of her existence. I also wouldn't be surprised if their relationship either took place discreetly or Yoshi never truly acknowledged it in the first place. I can see Tang Shen's relationship with Saki happening privately given Saki's lack of having relatively anything to himself. His clan was taken from him when he was an infant, he was raised by the Hamato Clan without having any say in that decision either, Yoshi gained the favoritism with their Father and practically the entire clan simply for being Hamato Uta's biological son and heir to the Clan- Saki has nothing that has truly been his own at this point. So it would make sense for him to want to cherish his relationship with Tang Shen in private so that that too cannot be something that is taken from him by the Hamato Clan. Which is incredibly sad and ironic considering that that practically is what happens anyway (If this is the case-),, || However, looking at the other side of things where Saki didn't keep his relationship with Tang Shen a secret and instead was very open about their relationship, I wouldn't be surprised Yoshi didn't even acknowledge it at the time. Perhaps he didn't even truly meet Tang Shen until after their relationship had already fallen out. Hence this perspective of those two competing for Tang Shen during the same timeframe. Yoshi as a new potential partner and Saki as an ex looking for redemption and reconciliation. But that begs the question- Why would Yoshi / Splinter omit the fact that Saki had a relationship with Tang Shen prior to himself? Was it because of their scarred relationship in the present? And due to his pride, Splinter chose not to bring it up? Or does this circle back to Yoshi / Splinter's relationships with others and this proving Saki's point about Yoshi being self centered or only truly recalling information that pertains to his view point?

Regardless though, this is a huge contradiction from what Splinter had explained to Karai in Season 2 (Which made it seem as though Saki had no real relationship with Tang Shen whatsoever and was just jealous of Splinter's-), and regardless of whether that relationship was hidden or out in the open it doesn't change the fact that Tang Shen felt like another thing the Hamato Clan stole from him.

Something else that I love to talk about with Tang Shen and Saki is during her conversation with the Turtles in TOTY. The Turtles are doing their absolute best to convince Tang Shen that Saki is evil, Yoshi is good, and that her decision between Yoshi and Saki has world changing stakes. However, despite how the Turtles are talking about Saki and their potential standing with Tang Shen under the context of being Kappa (Something would reasonably sway any opinions Tang Shen has of him-), Tang Shen stands firmly in his defense. Claiming that Saki is a good man. I know we didn't get to know Tang Shen very well in this version, but from the little that we did get I have no reason to doubt that she has a good judge of character. I don't think Tang Shen was deceived by Saki or that she was in denial about him in the face of what the Turtles were telling her. I think Saki truly was a genuine person up until this point in the narrative. A genuine person who was pushed to the edge and never managed to recover,,

There's also the fact that Saki told Tang Shen that he was willing to give up the Clan lifestyle and move to New York City like she wanted to. To leave all of this behind if she would allow him to be a part of her life once again. Maybe this is just my perspective, but I don't believe Saki was being manipulative or deceitful when he said these things to her. I think he really was being honest and genuine in that moment. And not that this was Tang Shen's fault nor was it her responsibility, but I wouldn't be surprised if Tang Shen choosing Saki could have prevented such a tragedy,, Prevented Saki from becoming the Shredder and devoting his life to rebuilding the Foot Clan and gaining vengeance against the Hamato Clan.

The Turtles expressed concern and carried a sense of urgency throughout TOTY due to their friends (Casey and April-) seemingly vanishing from their lives via a photograph, presuming that this meant their timeline was altering for the worse at the notion of Tang Shen choosing Saki over Yoshi. But at the end of the day, all that was was a presumption. They didn't know for sure that that necessarily meant they were falling into a "doomed timeline" (So to speak-). If anything, I'd argue that this timeline would just make their existence null and void. If Tang Shen didn't choose Yoshi, then Yoshi and Saki wouldn't have lost her. Yoshi wouldn't have fled to New York City in his grief (And most likely longing to be close to her again in some capacity, since it was the one thing she said she wanted to do before she passed-), he wouldn't have run into the Kraang, and the Turtles wouldn't have been born. Instead, Yoshi would have most likely stayed in Japan and fulfilled his role as the new head of the Hamato Clan, while Tang Shen / Saki / and Miwa (Karai) made a new life for themselves in New York City. Leaving that chapter of their lives behind for good. If Tang Shen hadn't died by Saki's hand (unintentionally), if Saki hadn't been pushed to the edge by this entire situation, then he wouldn't have become the Shredder in the first place. He wouldn't have become so mentally ill that he literally started destroying himself. Just to get some validation for his pain and suffering,,

• Saki's Origins

Comparing the recollection that Splinter shared Karai in Season 2 to the events of TOTY shows that a lot of things seem to be omitted from the narrative by Splinter. However, I'm not entirely sure if this was done intentionally by Splinter, since I wouldn't be surprised if he wasn't privy to the entire story in the same way that Saki wasn't and had to seek out said information on his own. So this potentially isn't a case of Splinter lying or hiding things, but rather him just genuinely not knowing.

From Splinter's knowledge, the Hamato Clan and the Foot Clan have had a centuries long feud between them. I personally feel the obvious implication here is that the Hamato Clan ("The Good") has been in an everlasting battle with the Foot Clan ("The Bad / Evil"), given house Splinter talks about it anyway. But-?? We don't have a lot of context on this centuries long feud to begin with. We have no idea how it started, no idea whether the Foot Clan has consistently been in the wrong in said feud either. I personally think it would be more reasonable to believe that the "bad / evil" one has been passed from side to side over the centuries. It also wouldn't surprise me if this were a situation where the feud has lasted so long that neither side can truly remember why it even began in the first place. Once again begging the question of whether or not there was ever actually truly any wrong or evil side to begin with.

There's also been many situations of morally gray "justice", where despite one group of people claiming to be good people and their actions typically reflecting that, that doesn't exempt them from doing things that sort of teeter the line of their supposed morals. I feel like this can be reflected in the Hamato Clan very clearly, to be honest. Splinter always preaches about mercy, how "in times of war to never forget compassion" (A quote from him in, "Never Say Xever"-). I truly believe that this is a value that Splinter holds, especially after the horrors he experienced with Tang Shen and the loss of his daughter. I don't believe that Splinter ever seeks death, which also felt reflected in the way he handled the situation with Saki throughout the series. However, I cannot say the same for their Father, Hamato Uta. We see from the storyboard flashbacks that they quite literally took out the entire Foot Clan, which doesn't really align with Splinter's values about showing mercy and sparing others. How can you claim to be on the right side of the situation if you're so willing to take out an entire group of people? We as the audience have no context or insight on the Foot Clan during this specific time either, so how are we to trust so blindly that they "deserved this" or that "there was no other option for them"? It's also made incredibly clear that they only spared Saki given he was an infant child, but I wouldn't be surprised if his heritage also played a part in the decision. Since we wouldn't find out until TOTY that Saki's Father was Oroku Keiji, the Head of the Foot Clan during that time (Not that that couldn't be reasonably inferred before this point, but I still wanted to bring it up timeline wise-).

This most definitely influenced a lot of his relationships and interactions within the Hamato Clan, I'm sure. Like I said in my doodle post of Saki and Tang Shen a while back, I genuinely would not be surprised if he was given "Naruto Uzumaki treatment" by most people in the Clan. But instead of not allowing that to break him and taking it on the chin the way Naruto did, he responded the opposite way which feels just as valid to me. Lmao

When Saki makes this revelation during TOTY to his supporters, they express surprise and shock at this information. Which leads me to assume that Yoshi didn't know about this at all, if other (ninja) members of the Hamato Clan didn't. I wouldn't be surprised if their Father purposely kept this information from them. I mean, why else would Saki have to seek it out on his own? His anger feels valid in this moment, I gotta to be honest. It also doesn't hold up to me that they kept this from Saki as a means of "preventing him from going down that path", since why would having that knowledge sway him a particular way? Unless Uta couldn't justify it. Unless he couldn't reasonably explain the situation. Maybe there wasn't a valid reason for the tragedy and they both knew that.

It starts to make sense why Saki is so angry at this point in the story. To be taken from his family / Clan as a infant, raised by his enemy in ignorance (A claim Saki directly makes in TOTY-), to have everything be taken from him by this enemy (Which includes Tang Shen at this point-), and for Saki to feel as though everything he did technically have came with metaphorical strings attached ("Not to bite the hand that feeds you despite you never asking for that hand specifically to feed you" type of situation-). This is why I claim that he's a relatable villain, because if you were in his shoes, you probably would be just as infuriated as he was. As pushed to the limit as he was. So the cause and effect we are taking place with Saki during TOTY truly isn't "coming from nowhere" in my eyes.

I also really appreciated the way Mikey was the only Brother out of the Turtles that even entertained the idea that Saki wasn't necessarily the guy they thought he was or that they've grown to know in the present. As always, he was shut down immediately by everyone else (🙄), but was he really wrong for that statement?? Which is kind of a rhetorical question, since 2012 Mikey's right about a lot of things very often in this series and that constantly goes overlooked and underappreciated. I'm getting a little off topic with this, but I would have really loved to see Mikey interact with Saki in some way in this episode, since he already has the kind of personality that likes to understand both sides before making any strong judgments. It would have been really interesting to see Mikey be a "devil's advocate" of sorts after getting to know Saki a little bit better. Maybe even agreeing with Tang Shen later on when she claims that Saki isn't an evil person. This also goes hand in hand with my want for Saki to have a Redemption Arc in the main storyline, and how I absolutely believe Mikey would be the most open this new relationship and dynamic of the Turtles at first. With Mikey coming from a place of sincerity towards Saki, you know? 😭

I'm going to have to do a Part 2, since I can't add any more images to this post ! ✨

[somekindabard]

Shauna being bi is so important to me. Jackie being a comphet lesbian is so important to me.

All of these characters are so well written and the sheer brutality of trauma and how it shapes a person are displayed so powerfully. Some of the girls have trauma before the crash and you can see how it affects them. Then you can see how they are pre-crash trauma vs during vs after and how they evolve. It's just so real and raw. The writers delve into the complexities of girlhood to womanhood with so much trauma mixed in and the actors skill takes it to a deeper level.

They also showcase relationships in general so well. Familial, romantic, platonic, etc. So it makes sense for them to showcase the complexities of being gay, especially in the 90's. I was a bit disappointed with season 1 at first because so many people online were so annoyed by those of us that thought Jackie and Shauna had feelings for each other. It felt like I was queer baited again. I knew the show had representation so the most obvious pairing never happening with no chance of happening and with no confirmation of the feelings kinda hit a nerve. I didn't know the writers or much about the show yet so why would I trust them? As a queer person, I've definitely been burned before by "representation".

But Gooood the way that Shauna and Jackie look at each other. The way Jackie speaks about Jeff, about her going to college and needing to lose her virginity first and how they weren't gonna stay together, how he said he loves her and she didn't say it back but maybe she "should have". It's just so comphet and so familiar to me. And it's the best portrayal of it I've seen. And yes of course it doesn't have to be blatantly stated for it to be real, but without the confirmation I was so frustrated. People who don't get it, who haven't lived it, who probably don't even know what "comphet" means saying we're reaching and that "not everything has to be gay" really did get to me. It shouldn't have, but it did. Because yeah, we're seeing more and more gay characters in media, but they usually follow specific tropes. God forbid there's more than two queer experiences in media. God forbid we showcase how complex it is to discover yourself.

It's so frustrating when people who dated men before coming out are called liars or people don't recognize how being raised in a heteronormative society can make it really difficult to recognize your queerness. And then throw in bisexuality and that can add a whole different type of confusion. Enter shauna. It was just so so perfectly done. It felt so familiar. Finally! There's an out queer couple and then there's these two who aren't necessarily "fighting their queerness" or trying to pray it away, they just don't fully understand or recognize it yet. It was set up so beautifully. And then Jackie died and nothing was confirmed. And I was really sad, but I kept watching because the show is so good and tried to ignore the people who don't get it. But it just felt so special I was sad it went unacknowledged.

But as I've watched more and more, omg. The writers have greatly earned my trust. And I actually love how it played out. I love that we didn't get the confirmation or a love confession or anything while Jackie was alive. Because so many queer people don't ever get that and it hurts. So many queer people die before finding ir understanding themselves. So many queer people never accept themselves. It makes Jackie's death even more tragic. And then Shauna actually confirming her bisexuality adds so many layers to it. SHE'LL NEVER KNOW IF JACKIE FELT THE SAME. Even if ghost jackie confirms it, she'll never actually know. God thats so tragic. And I don't feel its "bury your gays" tropey because its just too real and I can't explain it but the way the went about it was just right. I hope she'll explore that grief later on. I feel like that could be really powerful, but so far the writers are better at this than me lol so we'll see where it goes.

No, we don't have explicit confirmation that Jackie is a lesbian dealing with comphet, but lesbians who have dealt with comphet interpret her that way. We see ourselves represented and it's so special and important to us. And her best friend that we thought could be bi? She is. For sure. And her life continued on long enough that that was confirmed. But Jackie's wasn't. Ouch ouch ouch. There's sooooo many ways that not confirming Jackie's queerness could have gone wrong. Again, bury your gays, queer baiting, all of the tropes. But somehow it doesn't feel like that. I trust the way this story is written and I trust the direction it's going. I don't know if I conveyed what I wanted to here or what else to say I just. Ahhhh I have big feelings about the representation in this show and those feelings are no longer frustrated. There's grief and desperation and sadness, but in a way that feels very healing. And then there's JOY somehow. Lots of JOY IDK I JUST LOVE THIS SHOW THX FOR READING THIS FAR

[malfiora]

Jaydick and Pragmatic Love

For some reason (*cough* neurodivergence *cough*) I like to get introspective about why I like the things I like. My love for jaydick came kinda naturally – a red/blue aesthetic between 2 dorks with canonically strong and complex feelings towards each other? Been there, done that, sign me up. But, like...why? Why was I obsessed with this ship? Why is the pairing itself so compelling, whether you ship them or not? I thought: "I don't know, it's the way they're coded as opposites but aren't really, and the way Jason admires Dick but also resents him a little, and the way that Dick's entire identity shifts when Jason comes along, I guess."

And digging a little deeper, I could finally put it into words: it's because Jason was made for Dick. In much the same way that Dick (and consequently Robin) was made to be Bruce's ward / Batman's partner, Jason was created to be someone Dick could conceivably pass his mantle to, someone he could see something of himself in and trust to take on the responsibility he'd been safeguarding for years so that he could finally go do something else (i.e. become Nightwing). Metatextually (i.e. between text and audience), this makes sense, especially given the logic that Jason needed to be similar enough to Dick for audiences to like him while being his own person so he wasn't just a shameless ripoff. (This logic evolved over time, hence retcons, but still.) But contextually (within a text, between characters), what must that look like?

If I had to put it in a single word, it seems like both fans and writers have settled on pragma. (EDIT: I like the Wikipedia article better.) According to Greek philosophy-based types of love, pragma is the type of love based on personal qualities, a sense of duty/obligation, and long term commitment. There is compromise and mutual understanding here. It's the type of love most associated with married couples who have been together for a while.

What's awesome about this is it can coexist alongside other types of love, like philia (platonic), eros (lust-driven), or ludos (flirtatious). These secondary types are where I see the disconnect between shippers and antis, but pragma is still the foundation, not necessarily in a romantic way, but certainly in the commitment.

A few examples under the cut.

Nightwing (1996) #119-122. I wrote about this enough, and so has frog. Commitment, sense of duty/obligation

Nightwing (2016) #15. Jason and Dick being bros, and Jason being self aware and commenting on their coping mechanisms (i.e. violence). Long-term mutual understanding.

Red Hood and the Outlaws (2016) Annual #1. stealing this from @the-mocking-robin to make a point. Admiration of personal qualities.

Grayson (vol. 3). This one's just fun. Jason feels betrayed that Dick faked his death.

Nightwing (2021) Annual #1. The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Nightwing (1996) Year One #5. Commitment, sense of duty almost immediately.

[christelightlavo]

Fandom hot takes, because I fear we are entering the apocalypse :

Comic books as a medium have been here before most of us, like they are as old as our grandparents. Dick Grayson HAS absolutely cheated on Kori, Barbara and a lot of his female partners and has absolutely been a piece of shit to them verbally. So if someone writes him like that, they are being faithful to his character. That being said, Him being the loyal golden retriever who is a goody two shoes and makes puns is ALSO a valid take because, Different writers write him differently and he is 80 years old as a character.

"For a Hokage, the whole village is family" is actually a pretty huge thing to say to a 12 year old and Boruto had a valid reason to feel the way he did in the beginning of the series. Was he being a brat? Absolutely. Does he deserve the hate? Nope. Because it was a valid crash out. If my dad told me he felt like every one of his students was like his own child, I would be cranky about it. Because I love my dad and so does Boruto. That's why he wanted Naruto to be around. Not only for him but for his sister and mother too.

Dazai is NOT the most complex character in Bsd, everyone is as complex as him, heck some are even more but they just don't get enough attention. RANPO is absolutely more complex than Dazai and is shown to be smarter too.

Draco Malfoy is not misunderstood. He was a bully throughout multiple books and has done ABSOLUTELY bad stuff. Yes it's because of his upbringing but the malfoys do love Draco. He was a spoiled brat, a bully, a bad guy. But that's what made his redemption (by the end) work. Cursed child showed that he worked on himself for his son and that works.

Who made me a princess treated Athanasia and Jennette like they were Claude's love interests.

Shouto Todoroki deserves better.

Alison's mood and personality changes makes sense to me. She was a teenager, that had shit going around her and she acted on it.

Akutagawa is not a women beater. He beats everyone. Literally.

Jennette just wanted a family and everyone in the fandom hated her for it and I hate them. (Heck Athy would have hated you guys for hating on Jennette)

Rashta and Navier, both are valid in their feelings and both don't deserve to be inside this misogynist manhwa, which disguises itself as a feminist power story.

on the same note, Diana from "for my derelict favourite" is what Navier would be like if the story was from Rashta's POV, with Rashta as the Fmc.

People who are against Jon kent Superman and Jon Kent being Bisexual need to understand that Comics are Comics and Wacky shit will always happen. Grow up.

On the same note, Tim Drake has two hands. Bernard is baby, stop trying to make Tim cheat on him with Conner. Poly relationships are a thing. And Bernard is totally Conner's type.

Chuuya is only 2 years older than Akutagawa and 4 years older than Atsushi. He is no parental figure, if he is in your fic. That is a personal head cannon and please keep it that way. He is no mother. Same actually goes for him being portrayed as a brother figure, if that's in your fic it's great but it's not canon. It's not. Stop forcing your head canon's down other people's throats

DekuOcha makes more sense than Bakudeku. Bakudeku is a good ship but it works for me more as a brotp.

Sarasumi is the ultimate ship, you guys are just blind.

I might update this later. Idk. Feel free to give your hot takes.

[thewriteadviceforwriters]

any tips would be appreciated, thanks! :)

hi, i was wondering if u could help me with writing a specific type of character? i have a character who’s a man with insecurity issues and he ends up acting weird towards the women around him (basically, he’s internalized the idea of “getting the girl makes you more of a man” without really realizing it). i want him to realize what he’s doing during the story and go thru a kind of “redemption arc” but how do i:

1. make it believable that he doesn’t realize what he’s doing/the harm he’s causing bc he grew up learning that message of toxic masculinity

2. make the “redemption arc” realistic and feel earned?

Hey there, fellow writer! Thanks so much for reaching out with such a thoughtful and complex character question. It's fantastic that you're diving into the nuances of toxic masculinity and character growth. This is a challenging but incredibly important topic to explore in fiction. Let's break this down and dive deep into crafting this character arc.

Understanding Your Character's Background

Before we get into the specifics of your questions, it's crucial to fully understand your character's background. This man's insecurity and internalized toxic masculinity didn't develop overnight. Consider factors like:

Family dynamics: What messages did he receive from his parents or guardians about masculinity and relationships?

Peer influences: How did his friends and classmates reinforce or challenge these ideas?

Media consumption: What movies, TV shows, or books shaped his view of male-female relationships?

Cultural context: How does his broader cultural background influence his beliefs about masculinity?

The more you understand about where these beliefs came from, the more believable his initial lack of self-awareness will be.

Now, let's tackle your specific questions:

Making it believable that he doesn't realize what he's doing/the harm he's causing

The key here is to show how deeply ingrained these beliefs are. Here are some strategies:

a) Normalize it in his world: Show other characters, especially male friends or family members, exhibiting similar behaviors without consequence. This reinforces the idea that it's "normal" or even expected.

b) Internal justification: When he acts in problematic ways, give him internal monologue that justifies his actions. For example, if he makes an inappropriate comment, he might think, "She'll appreciate a confident guy who speaks his mind."

c) Misinterpretation of reactions: When women react negatively to his behavior, have him misinterpret their responses. He might see discomfort as shyness or rejection as playing hard to get.

d) Positive reinforcement: Occasionally, have his behavior "work" in superficial ways. Maybe he gets a phone number or a date, reinforcing the idea that his approach is effective.

e) Backstory reveals: Gradually reveal moments from his past where these beliefs were instilled or reinforced. This could be a father figure praising him for "manning up" or friends mocking him for not being "alpha" enough. (I hate that word.)

f) Contrast with "worse" behavior: Show other characters behaving even more egregiously, making his actions seem mild in comparison.

g) Good intentions: Highlight moments where he genuinely believes he's being helpful or chivalrous, even when his actions are problematic.

h) Cognitive dissonance: When confronted with the negative impacts of his behavior, show him struggling to reconcile this with his beliefs. He might dismiss criticism as overreaction or make excuses.

2. Making the "redemption arc" realistic and feel earned

This is where the real challenge lies. A believable redemption arc for this character needs to be gradual, challenging, and multifaceted. Here's how to approach it:

a) Incremental realization: Don't have him suddenly "see the light." Instead, show small moments of doubt or discomfort with his own behavior building up over time.

b) Consequences: Let him experience real, significant consequences for his actions. This could be losing a friendship, facing professional repercussions, or a moment of clear rejection that he can't misinterpret.

c) Mentor figure: Introduce a character (could be male or female) who challenges his views in a way he can't easily dismiss. This person should be someone he respects or admires.

d) Empathy building: Create situations where he's forced to see things from a woman's perspective. This could be through a role reversal, a close female friend sharing her experiences, or even him witnessing clear harassment of someone he cares about.

e) Internal conflict: Show him struggling with his changing views. He might backslide or have moments of defensiveness as he grapples with his ingrained beliefs.

f) Active learning: Have him actively seek out information and perspectives on toxic masculinity and healthy relationships. This could involve reading, attending workshops, or having difficult conversations.

g) Apologizing and making amends: Show him genuinely apologizing to people he's hurt and taking concrete actions to make amends. This shouldn't be easy or immediately accepted.

h) Ongoing process: Make it clear that this is an ongoing journey, not a destination. Even towards the end of the story, he should still be learning and growing.

i) Paying it forward: Have him start to challenge toxic behavior in others, showing that he's internalized the lessons he's learned.

j) Redefining masculinity: Show him developing a new, healthier concept of what it means to be a man. This might involve exploring traditionally "feminine" interests or expressing vulnerability.

k) Setbacks: Include moments where he falls back into old patterns, but now recognizes and corrects himself. This shows the ongoing nature of change.

Tips for Writing This Arc Effectively:

Show, don't tell: Rather than having your character explicitly state his growth, show it through changed behavior and reactions.

Avoid the "savior" trope: Be cautious about having a woman "fix" him. While female characters can play a role in his growth, the work should ultimately come from him.

Balance sympathy and accountability: While we want readers to sympathize with your character's journey, be careful not to excuse his harmful behavior.

Use multiple perspectives: If possible, show how other characters perceive his behavior and his changes. This can provide valuable context and contrast.

Intersectionality: Consider how other aspects of his identity (race, class, sexuality, etc.) might intersect with his views on masculinity.

Research, research, research: Dive into academic and personal accounts of toxic masculinity, its impacts, and paths to change. The more you understand, the more nuanced your portrayal will be.

Sensitivity readers: Consider using sensitivity readers to ensure you're handling this delicate topic respectfully and accurately.

Micro-changes: Focus on small, specific changes in behavior and thought patterns rather than broad, sweeping transformations.

Realistic timeline: Give this arc the time it needs. Real change doesn't happen overnight, so don't rush the process.

Internal and external changes: Show both how his thoughts and his actions evolve throughout the story.

Example Arc Outline:

Introduction: Establish character's problematic behavior and beliefs.

Inciting incident: An event that first makes him question his actions, even if he dismisses it.

Rising action: Accumulation of experiences that challenge his worldview.

Turning point: A major event that forces him to confront the harm he's causing.

Crisis: Internal struggle as he grapples with changing his deeply held beliefs.

Climax: A moment where he must choose between his old ways and his evolving understanding.

Falling action: Actively working to change and make amends.

Resolution: Showing his ongoing growth and new perspective, while acknowledging the journey isn't over.

Remember, writing a character like this is a delicate balance. You want to show the reality of toxic masculinity and its impacts while also offering a path to growth and change. It's challenging, but when done well, it can be incredibly powerful and thought-provoking.

Throughout this process, it's important to treat your character with empathy while not excusing his behavior. The goal is to show that change is possible, but it requires genuine effort, self-reflection, and a willingness to challenge deeply held beliefs.

Lastly, don't forget to take care of yourself while writing this arc. Exploring topics like toxic masculinity can be emotionally taxing. Take breaks when needed, engage in self-care, and remember that by thoughtfully addressing these issues in your writing, you're contributing to important conversations about gender, relationships, and personal growth.

Happy writing, 📝💖 - Rin T.

Before you go, why not join us at The Write Right Society? We're a supportive Tumblr community where writers lift each other up. Whether you're a newbie or a pro, we'd love to have you! Share your work, get feedback, and connect with fellow wordsmiths, writers and aspiring authors. 

[defendingtheowlhouse]

Do you think the show handled redemption arcs (e.g., Hunter, Lilith) effectivelyand do you think certain characters (like Belos) have been given a chance at redemption, or was their fate appropriate?

I personally think the show handled redemption arcs like Hunter’s and Lilith’s fairly well overall, but I also feel they were a bit rushed (mainly Lilith), especially considering how serious some of their past actions were. That said, I’m still pretty happy with where they ended up. As for Belos, I honestly, wasn’t very satisfied with how things ended for him.

I don’t necessarily think Belos deserved a redemption arc—he was clearly a villain who caused immense harm and was rooted in a very specific type of fanaticism—but I do wish the show had explored his backstory more in-depth. We got little glimpses of who Philip Wittebane was, especially through the time travel episodes and Hunter’s arc, but it felt like the show only scratched the surface. Understanding why he became so consumed by his ideology—his fear of witches, his twisted worldview, even his relationship with his brother—could’ve added way more depth to his character. It wouldn’t have excused anything, but it would’ve made his downfall more impactful.

In the end, Belos just felt a bit too one-note, especially compared to how nuanced characters like Lilith and Hunter became. His final moments were more about a satisfying defeat than any sort of emotional resolution, which I get, but it also left me wanting more. If the show had taken time to really dig into his past and what drove his obsession with control and purity, it could’ve made his role as the central antagonist feel less like a symbol and more like a fully realized person.

That said, I totally understand that the creators didn’t have the time to flesh out everything they probably wanted to. With the show being cut short, there just weren’t enough episodes to fully explore every character arc, backstory, and plot thread. And in that sense, I don’t blame the writers—I just wish they’d had more room to let the story breathe, especially with such a complex antagonist like Belos.

1. I've said before, and I'll say it again, lilith didn't really have a redemption arc persay. The consequences of her actions fell upon her, and she had to act quickly to undo her mistakes and accept consequences. She leaves her old life behind and bears the curse instead of trying to avoid social and physical consequences by having belos heal her. Her redemption isn't an arc. It's a set of actions and moments, and I honestly think that's fine and not everything has to work the same way

2. I wouldn't say we should have to redeem belos if he was just a child abuser, let alone a mass murdering, genocidal, child abuser.

3. I feel as if a backstory would just act as fanservice. He's a man who was taught to hate and never let go of that hatred, another who was taught to hate was able to let go showing he wasn't helpless to his time and place, he refuses to accept the guilt in him because he thinks he shouldn't feel guilty and tells himself what he must to avoid that guilt (referring to the hallucination ghost type scene) .I'm not sure there's too much more to say, except maybe saying things a bit more overtly and directly, maybe it would've been more impactfull to show it through a normal episode format where they are characters doing actions and not just ideas of characters but I don't think it's particularly necessary. And sometimes, I even think people except characters to be deeper than their real-world equivalents. It's fine that you didn't feel his downfall, I didn't either, but we seem to be the minority in that regard.

[autumnslance]

In reference to this post I reblogged earlier, but don't want to muck up UC's activity:

#i think it's more important to see that redemption is in the eye of the beholder #not everybody (characters or real people) will accept the same type or amount of repentance for the same sins #some people might not care at all if the person who wronged them feels sorry; only if they materially repaid their crimes #others can feel the opposite #and either way that's their prerogative #you can disagree with the characters or the fans or the writers about who “deserves” OR has “achieved” redemption and that's okay #because it's ultimately a complex philosophical issue #like i agree with OP!!! but there's media literacy in accepting that not everyone will

I'm going to disagree with many of these tags, especially it being "in the eye of the beholder" and would argue it's more media literate to recognize when a character has a workable redemption arc even if one disagrees they "should" get one. It took me a long time to learn this cuz of how we're usually taught redemption = forgiveness in Western (especially very Christianized, and especially if explicitly raised Christian) culture:

It doesn't rely on anyone but the person seeking redemption.

Yeah, it's the wronged party's prerogative to never forgive, to think the perpetrator's atonement (and/or punishment) is not enough and never will be. Anyone (characters and actual people) who sympathize, and who are on their side, can agree it's not ever enough and that character/person's sins are unforgivable.

And that still doesn't matter to their redemption.

We have an example of a workable redemption arc that not all accept in Final Fantasy XIV with Fordola's situation, through the Endwalker healer role quests. She was raised a collaborator of Ala Mhigo's imperial occupiers, and thought the best way to help her people was to soldier for the empire, becoming their Butcher.

In the Stormblood patches, Raganfrid says he will never forgive her; he thanks her for the aid she gave in the throne room that day, but that's all. And even in the EW healer role quests, their interactions are complicated. He still can't forgive the collaborators, even as he works to reintegrate them into Ala Mhigan society. He recognizes many thought they had no choice. He can't, won't, forget the pain of losing his own loved ones to them. This is stated multiple times.

And others, like M'rahz, Sarisha, and M'naago also struggle, also say they won't forgive...but reluctantly agree they can understand how for the sake of their families, the collaborators felt pushed against a wall, and what lengths have they themselves gone to for their own families? M'naago even scolds Fordola: she doesn't get to give up, she has to keep working--or she dies as exactly what everyone said she was.

Fordola starts out as the one punished for her sins. Through the story, she makes her choices to change and fight and work for her people as a free woman. There are still those who despise the Butcher, and always will. Redemption comes from Fordola's actions, Fordola's choices. Who forgives her and who doesn't can't change that she has changed, and continues to do so.

And in the interest of fairness, for the opposite of Fordola, we have Laurentius. In A Realm Reborn, he collaborated with the empire, selling out his nation. He came out of his punishment wanting a new chance, so joined the Crystal Braves...and immediately fell under Ilberd's sway. While others remained loyal and stuck to their morals (and paid for it with imprisonment or even death), Laurentius went along with all of Ilberd's plans. And in the end, the player gets an opinion in the punishment he and his comrade face, but it's clear from talking to Raubahn there isn't much hope. Laurentius had his chances, but he didn't make any effort to actually change--so faced the consequences.

For Reference for the Healer Role Quests: Garland Tools Healer quest text starting with "Far From Free", and my own saved text in Gdocs (raw, not very organized compared to my later saved/updated docs).

(Nero's the war criminal who...didn't even get a slap on the wrist, he just waltzed into a leadership meeting 15 mins late with Starbucks and has been helping us save the world since. Gaius is the war criminal that went through traumas, saw his privileged preconceptions torn apart, and is starting down that road in the wake of Werlyt to clean up his mistakes and not let his children's sacrifices be in vain. None of these characters "need" punishment to decide to change; some of it simply happens as part of their stories, but they make their own choices and actions toward atonement.)

(Also redemption is usually an ongoing process, which is why "Death Equals Redemption", like how Yotusyu's situation is framed, is so dicey and often unsatisfying; are they actually changed, or they just getting out of putting in that effort to? Nothing indicated Yotsuyu actually cared to change, as sympathetic as she was in the end! But she has her redemptive moment for her fans, and the people who hate/won't forgive her also "win"--the trope is a "have your cake and eat it too" writing cop-out IMO at this point.)

[sorry-i-got-the-jams]

Blorbo ask game: 19, 3, 17, 23, 7, and 24 :) (was thinking about Arthur but feel free to answer with the blorbo that inspires you the most)

Ah, asks, I love it! Thanks!

19. when it comes to Blorbos, do you have a type?

I think so. Men with traumas, dramatic background, who keep trying their best but the universe seems to hate them. They have grey morals and make questionable choices and are a mess. Most of the time middle aged guys, but you can find a young one time to time (as Raskolnikov). Sometimes they are plain psychopaths with no morals too, but give them all the traumatic background and constant on going drama, please. I love seeing my Blorbos suffering.

3. was there any specific point / any specific moment that suddenly made this character your Blorbo, or did you slowly grow to love them more and more until they became a Blorbo to you?

I'll go with Arthur here, since you asked about him. I already loved him in 2019, Joker became one of my favorite movies back them and I know I rebloged some posts about it, digged a tiny bit, but never got into the fandom. I don't know, I was probably obsessed with something else (Hello Monster, I think! So Lee Joonyoung had all my attention). It was after Folie when Arthur became my blorbo. I don't just loved the movie too (I don't care about what others think about it, I enjoyed it, it was perfect to me, different of what I was expecting but in a good way), I felt Arthur a lot and I got into the Obsession. So I wanted to dig in the fandom as soon as it finished and I left the theater with fic ideas. I guess it was a matter of timing. I wasn't obsessing over anything else when I went to watch the movie and I had finished writing my last book and was just editing, so my writer mind was ready to start something new and Arthur was right there being my type and suffering like hell. Just perfect.

17. do you like seeing your Blorbo suffer?

Oh, I think I've already replied to this ahaha Yes, I do. I really do. If you go through my AO3, angst is probably the most common tag. Hurt no comfort and hurt/comfort too, probably. I live to see them break.

23. is your Blorbo a victim of badly written script / bad plot / character assassination in the hands of canon?

Yes! :') Going about Arthur again. I don't think he is a victim of badly written script or bad plot, but yes to character assassination, my boy. I get it and I usually prefer movies with sad/hard endings. I like an ending that lets me with a bitter taste and a lot of thoughts. Happy endings my feel nice but don't make you think twice about the movie, don't give you the rage, the emptiness, the powerlessness. So I get the end of folie (and how that ends the saga for good, no more Arthur) but it still hurts because I would love to have more of Arthur. But at the same time, that was exactly what inspired me to write, to create that alternative ending that gives me all that the movie didn't, so it's quite good, I think

7. what’s the one thing the fandom gets wrong about your Blorbo?

I'm not really sure about this hmm I haven't interacted with the fandom that much, maybe I should read more about other people's opinions on Arthur to see if I think they are getting him wrong. But I don't know, because I understand that characters are really open to interpretation, so people havin't a different view or perspective of him than me wouldn't feel as wrong, I think? Just different.

Maybe what I think it's wrong is the people who say that Arthur has a narcissistic personality disorder or is a psychopath or a "sociopath". Nah, not at all. I think he has severe complex PTSD that sometimes causes him strong symptoms of dissociation and psychosis. When I saw the first movie and even the director was saying he had NPD I was like... nah, bro. I'm sorry but that doesn't fit (nothing wrong with having NPD, love NPD characters and NPD people, they are some of my favorite kind of patients, actually. Just, that isn't Arthur's case). Still, I'm not that much into diagnostic labels, people are more than a diagnosis or their symptoms, but well, that's what I think that goings on with Arthur and that maybe most people don't get it.

24. if you could change one canonical thing about your Blorbo, what would it be?

A part of me would say... maybe don't kill him? But as I've said... I like sad endings, they hurt more and stick with you. Still... I would like Arthur to have a chance. Surviving that attack, getting proper therapy, fiding a place for himself and people who cares... It would have been nice seeing him improving and being happy and loved for real at least once. Not just used and betrayed. I like to see my blorbos suffer, but sometimes I wanna give them some of the comfort too, right? So well, make him survive and give him a bit of real help and understanding!

Thanks again for the ask! It's fun to reply ^^

[tobiasdrake]

Ranma 1/2 Reboot 01x09 - I'll Never Let Go

Here we go with more of the ice skating arc. Fuck these people up, Ranma and Akane.

Modern dubbing has gotten really good. I have my beefs with some modern dubs, like the way Spy x Family translates Anya's comical gaaaaaaan shock noises into just... generic gasps with no funny sound whatsoever. But they're a lot better than they were in my day.

Sometimes I'll flip over to the dub when watching something just because I'm curious how the dub team for this specific piece handled something.

For this bit, the joke is that Ranma called him 慢性発情男 Mansei Hatsujou Otoko, which sounds kinda-sorta similar to Sanzenin Mikado and means "Chronically Horny Man". Or "chronic horndog" as the subs translated, which is accurate but doesn't sound anything like his name.

The dub opted for "McHorny Sex Pest" as a kinda-sorta for Mikado Sanzenin, and that's perfect. Chef's kiss.

This man is so gross. He already forced himself on Ranma and now he's going to use their competition today as an opportunity to force himself on Akane.

I kind of want him to die. I am so glad he does not get to stick around and join the cast full-time.

That is easily the best photo of Ryoga that he has ever had taken of him in his life.

A kolkhoz is a type of Soviet farming co-op. I'm not sure why this was chosen for the name of Azusa and Mikado's school.

Do not attempt complex figure skating maneuvers without proper training. I need y'all to understand how many places Akane's skates could have ended up just now after Ranma slipped. This maneuver was way too complex for him.

Okay but felt though. When I was her age, I was exactly this sore of a winner. I hate that this character speaks to me as much as she does.

(Sharp blades hovering over very dangerous places right now.)

Seriously though. Fuck her personally but she is so goddamn cool.

How can you not wish you were this cool? But, y'know, with better taste in partners. And... also better lifestyle choices. This is why people adore villains. Because villains have style.

RANMA

RANMA THERE ARE KNIVES ON YOUR FEET

YOU CAN END THIS RIGHT NOW

RANMA

RANMA

Mikado does this so often in competitions that it's considered a signature move for him. I hate that. I hate him. Ranma, stab him with your footsy knives.

See, what Mikado doesn't know about Akane is that she is basically Furinkan's #1 expert on guarding yourself from pests like him. For her, this is Tuesday.

(Should have put a little more force on it. Ice skates have blades but they aren't ultra-sharp. It takes pressure to cut. Don't worry, Akane, we all make mistakes.)

I love how even Azusa gets in on the karmic steamroll that Mikado's earned for himself.

These two are way too invested in breaking up couples.

Narratively, the purpose this serves is a pretty on-the-nose test of Ranma and Akane's budding relationship. Writers do this with canonships all the time. "Once you swallow this pill you will die a gruesome death unless your feelings for your designated love interest are TRUE!"

This certainly explains Mikado having a signature kissing move.

But it's crazy that these two, whose relationship with each other seems entirely platonic, have made it a point of pride to destroy other people's relationships.

Azusa has shown zero interest in Ranma up to this point. Her thing is losing her cool about cute things. She and Ranma have barely said two words to one another.

But then she's like, "Oh, we're doing a Matchbreak? I'm on it!"

Like. It's not enough for Mikado to be a sex pest and for Azusa to be a cutesy kleptomaniac. They have a vendetta against romance. These two are My Little Pony villains. Who hurt you both?

An interesting detail of the Goodbye Whirl is that Azusa's connection to Ranma is the bond that breaks.

It would have been easy to set up Mikado and Azusa as a high-skill but low-chemistry partnership for Ranma and Akane to overcome through superior trust in one another. But Mikado and Azusa click very well. They both reflect one another's flaws and they have a fantastic level of teamwork, experience, and cooperation.

They didn't become masters of a cooperative sport by being islands.

So it isn't Ranma and Akane's connection that breaks, despite that being the intent of the Goodbye Whirl.

And it also isn't Mikado and Azusa's connection that breaks, because their bond is just as strong if not stronger than Ranma and Akane's.

It's the connection between the two pairs. Ranma and Akane are an iron-forged bond, and Mikado and Azusa are an iron-forged bond, but never the two shall meet.

Ranma and Akane don't outlast Mikado and Azusa. But they do implicitly outlast every couple that the pair have matchbroken in the past. The impulsive and self-indulgent Azusa getting tired, ceasing to care about this, and letting go is the weak point of this technique. But it's a weak point nobody's ever held on long enough to discover before.

There are a lot of words in Japanese that can be translated to the English catch-all "monster". The one here is け化け物 bakemono, which is a shapeshifting occult spirit that impersonates people or objects. It literally translates to "Thing that Changes Shapes".

So, literally, this line translates. Azusa is saying that no human would have survived that, and only a bakemono impersonating human form could still be alive now. "Only a monster would survive that."

But. In context, knowing Japanese, I need y'all to understand how funny this is. Azusa claims that only a bakemono could have survived that, and then Ranma wakes up.

Ranma is a person, not a bakemono. But. I mean... He and P-chan kinda are. They are Shapeshifting Things, which impersonate other kinds of being.

That's not why he survived. He survived because he's been doing Anime Warrior Training for his whole life. But she's not wrong.

And then Akane got unceremoniously ejected from the Couples Duel. Now that her role as Primary Love Interest has been firmly reinforced, she is of no further value to this fight scene. It's time for the boys to take over. Great.

Oh well. At least she got to do that cool flip-kick.

This is not a fakeout, either. Much like when Ranma stole her match with Kodachi from her, Akane will no longer be directly participating in this fight from this point forward.

That cool flip-kick was Akane's one and only contribution to this entire confrontation. Other than that, she's been tossed around by Ranma a couple times, survived the Goodbye Whirl because Ranma wouldn't let go even though she wanted to, and now she's fired so we can have more Ranma and Ryoga shenanigans.

It was the one flip-kick and that's it. That's all she gets. She defended herself from the predator like she said she could last episode, and now she's done. She has no further value that she can add to this fight.

Like, they even made a big fuss over how injured Ranma is. Ranma is so badly hurt that it... inexplicably warrants benching Akane? She has to leave because of his injuries.

Ranma wants to keep Akane from dueling with Ryoga and Akane wants Ranma benched because he's injured, so the compromise they come up with is that the injured Ranma will duel with Ryoga.

Like. I get that Ranma and Akane can't go out there together like this because heteronormativity, gotta have a M/F partnership, all that jazz. But if Ranma's injuries aren't going to be a problem then they can just excuse themselves for a moment, hot water Ranma in the back room, and get back to Ranma and Akane dueling.

I mean. Hell, they could probably get away with doing it right out here. Azusa's already pegged Ryoga as Charlotte and requires no explanation for how that's possible.

She doesn't even know about Jusenkyo curses and she accepts this without question.

There is absolutely no reason why Akane would need to retire from the rink right now and I'm kinda mad about it, especially right after the Kodachi thing.

This is why people think she's boring. This is what makes her the most divisive character in the series, with a fandom either loving or hating her with no middle ground. Akane is an interesting and relatable character, but she isn't allowed to do things. Even when it makes absolutely no sense to suddenly banish her from her own storyline like this.

I honestly think Takahashi just couldn't think of a good way for Ranma and Akane to win this fight. The match has thoroughly been established to be too heavily skewed against them for them to prevail. Last episode/chapters established that they'd take this in a street fight, no contest. But this episode/chapters establishes that their skills just aren't enough to overcome the disadvantage of the ice rink.

So... bye, Akane, I guess. Enter Ryoga and the Ryoga-esque complications that will form the answer to this unwinnable fight. Now we get the absolute shenanigans of this episode's back half, as well as the arc's final chapters that will form the next episode. For which Akane will be nearby cheering for her boys.

[bobbydagen24]

tbh at the end of the day I know Trolls is a kids film that's just meant to be enjoyed and not read into super duper deeply

so I probably wouldn't have too much problem accepting Creek's Role in the first film as just being a case of a film for young children not wanting to delve into a more complex idea

and just have Creek as an irredemable scummy bad guy because its a light hearted optomistic kids series and thus has more black and white simple thinking on morality and such.

except for the fact that the movies don't stick to this more simple line of thinking with its antagonists so I kinda can't really accept that as a reason to write off Creek's Role in the first film

as just being a kids film having a simple hatable jerky bad guy who betrays his friends and we're not meant to think any deeper about it

because ever since the first film the franchise has also been trying to have more complex antagonists who are more complicated and morrally Grey.

since as well as having Chef represent a pretty clear pure evil villain with no real redeeming qualities, so the type of villain you'd kinda expect a childrens movie with simple less complex morality to have

( no shade on Chef just to be clear I love her 😂😂 )

but then the movie also had Gristle Jr who is a more complicated antagonist who gets given another chance in the end despite technically ordering a Genocide.

because the movie does make him a more complex morrally grey antagonist character clearly showing that they don't just want to stick to these movies having a kinda simplistic view on morality

that we'd probably find in entertaintment targeted towards very young children like power rangers or something but they want to have somewhat complex morrally grey characters

that teach kids that life isn't always as simple and easy as black and white and that good people sometimes do bad things and vice versa,

meaning that I think its totally fair to talk about how the movie handles Creek even if some people might just use the excuse that its "" just a simple kids film ""

because the films themselves keep trying to have morrally complex deeper characters rather than just sticking to basic villains that are either all good or all bad,

and that means that they honestly feel that Creeks reasoning for doing wrong is worse than all these other antagonists which were extended sympathy and also second chances

and that is honestly a pretty wierd moral stance to take imo hence why I made the meme below 😂😂

like other antagonists reasons for doing wrong Range from trying to save their species from cripling depression to wanting to keep a job and a steady paycheck

to wanting to enslave your species because you think it'd be fun to have everyone be in one tribe.

and the writers of the films are honestly saying that they believe that all of these are more forgivable reasons for doing wrong than being kidnapped and tortured and forced to do something under the threat of death.

and that's deffinitly an opinion to say the least 😅😅.

Gristle Jr is honestly the only Trolls redemption that works imo given he actually had an understandable reason for doing what he did

and the movie did a decent job of showing throughout the film that he did actually care about his people and was a leader whose heart was

in the right place which is kinda the opposite of Barb tbh whose reason was non existant and her sympathetic qualities were seperate from why she actually did what she did,

and unlike Gristle Jr she didn't even choose to do the Right thing of her own free will in the end

she was just stopped by the main characters and then was let off the hook despite her crimes honestly having no real good justification unlike Gristle Jr's.

[midnight1nk]

Is it just me or has Four been extra cute lately? What could be the lore behind him being so adorable and sort of… less confrontational, lately? Is that just me? He always means well but the somewhat shorter temper he usually has feels absent in recent stuff.

I’m a little worried he’s gonna get all self-sacrificial again.

this is somehow linked to my last answer so I'll link it here [X]

There are several parts why I think this is:

(Related to my last answer) Sadly, there are people who hate 4, apparently due to "main character syndrome" and what he did in IGBP. Their words, not sure what they're babbling about. Anyway, I do think that the Team's trying to make 4 an enjoyable character to please everyone. (Though if you've been there since the beginning, you should know what you're getting yourself into *cough* twitter *cough* reddit *cough*) Long story short, the Team may be resolving online discourse

Characters change over time. That might sound obvious ik, but they have been. If it's for good or not, subtle or loud, but it's there. And yes, if you look close enough, you can see it in 4. Other than having a new writer on the Team ofc.

Now, the last part may dive into some mental health stuff, so fair warning for that:

I've never really seen 4 as the confrontational type. Sure, he might get annoyed or such, like any person irl would, but I just don't see it. Except when it comes to his friends. Like he said, he would really do everything to not lose them. In psychology, there's a thing called "the savior complex", and I think 4 might have it. He may not be threatening or confrontational, on command or for himself, but if any of his friends are in danger, he'd do whatever it takes to protect them. Ofc, it has its downside, risking his own life. Plus, coupled that with suppressed trauma and guilt. It's a recipe for disaster, a ticking bomb. Yes, he wouldn't mind the idea of death if he came to it.

If you consider all these parts together as one, yeah... not a great combo for 4 to have but then again, every story, no matter how outlandish it seems, is grounded in reality. If you look closely enough, it's pretty understandable why 4 is like this.

thanks for the ask, anon!

[a bit of more context about the last part below cut//more mental health stuff]

Think what you will on the last part, it's your choice. But I know the savior complex because I have that personally. And it's not that I'm projecting myself onto 4, no. It's that I understand him in a sense.

When you have that complex, you don't care what happens to you. Sure, at times you are scared for your own life in dangerous situations. But if it comes down to you or the people you care about to protect, it's always them. The protector, the shield. It's within your nature, no one forced you to be this way. It unfortunately leaves you prone to bullying as well as other negative side effects.

Then, with depression and such, it isn't pretty. Luckily, I've been going through therapy, healing from my past. And genuinely, I'm doing much better now don't worry. Even so, this complex kinda stays with you forever like trauma. The best way is to remind oneself that you matter. You deserve to take care of yourself, when it's too much or need a break. If any of you needed to see that today, then I'm happy you're here with us. now, take care of you 🫂💙

[theprismyyy]

Honestly, I read on several different platforms, both here on Tumblr, and on Wattpad, ao3 and others... and so, in general, they are all great apps with great stories to read, but there is one thing that bothers me about all of them, mainly and especially on Ao3, and the amount of disgusting content involving serious subjects like incest, rape and others that I won't bother mentioning here; What irritates me most about this is the lack of filter in the app.I'm only saying all this because the following happened, I was simply reading some stories about Gwen Stacy on the said app (ao3) when I came across atrocities like a fanfic whose plot was literally an incestuous relationship between Gwen and her father....man , I just wanted to read some fluffy fluff and not come across unnecessary and unsolicited material, I didn't bother opening this (obviously) and I didn't even want to, I was honestly disgusted... Also, I came across another whose plot idea was even more horrible... I don't know, it all just made me think that maybe these apps need more serious and firm rules and punishments in the face of these things; such serious and criminal topics being written in a sick manner to normalize and entertain more disgusting and sick people is still dark, it's even darker how little we talk about it and how little the developers seem to care, I imagine dealing with demands so big ones must be extremely difficult but we don't even see a movement to deal with these things...IT DOESN'T MATTER IF IT'S JUST A CHARACTER, IT DOESN'T MATTER HE OR SHE DOESN'T EXIST, FUCK YOU AND YOUR SICK SHIT THAT USES THIS AS AN "ARGUMENT" TO WRITE CRIMINAL THINGS AND FEED YOUR FANTASIES DISGUSTING!!!! WHAT WE WRITE AND CONSUME SAYS A LOT ABOUT THE TYPE OF PEOPLE WE ARE AND IF YOU CONSUME IT AND DON'T SEE A PROBLEM WITH THIS TYPE OF CONTENT THEN PLEASE FUCK YOU

Anyway, this was just me venting because honestly I was extremely uncomfortable, I just wanted to read some nonsense and I had to come across something so sickening.

Edit: Apparently this is necessary as I may not have been as specific on some points and some people don't seem to understand (or don't want to understand)

It wasn't a personal "attack" on the Ao3 platform, I just used it as an example because that's usually where this type of work ends up appearing more.

2. Yes, I know and use the filtering system, Still, I think they are very often very flawed... besides, many of the people who write this type of content use tags that have nothing to do with the plot of the story to achieve greater visibility.

3. Yes... teenagers have sex 😱 wow what an incredible discovery!!! I know a lot of movies, shows, etc. portray this openly, I personally don't feel comfortable writing smut in general and everyone has their own opinion about it, but I understand there are a lot of writers who do this normalization and trivialization of a CRIME!

4. I know that many people use writing as a coping mechanism, but I think it is very unlikely that a person who has been through a situation, such as rape, for example, You'll write about it like it's something sexy or the best experience you've ever had in your life, like a lot of these types of writers do.

5. Yes, one of the joys of writing is that we can explore the deepest, most complex aspects of humanity without directly hurting anyone, and I love that, but we need to take responsibility for that.

6. There was a guy here who literally said that it's because of people like me that you can't have porn on Tumblr anymore...but why would there need to be porn here? Why just not open on an adult site like pornhub or xvideos?

7. I was indirectly called a facist through a Hashtag.... not supporting the normalization of rape, incest, etc. apparently makes me a facist😍

(I really am completely willing to hear opinions and comments, but I will not tolerate disrespect in the comments. That's it and thank you)

[miraculouslbcnreactions]

Different nonnie, but how do you imagine that things would’ve played out if Nino had been given Stompp in “Anansi” and forward with Fu keeping Wayzz and Ivan getting the Mouse instead of Mylene (she doesn’t get a Miraculous at all in this scenario)? This idea came to me after realizing that Nino is also color-coded for the Ox Miraculous and that the symbol on his shirt can also be seen as a bullseye, plus the fact that Resistance is an upgraded Shield in practicality. The part with Ivan and Mylene was inspired by your recent worthy-of-a-Miraculous tier list where you mentioned that, based on their dialogue when offered their canon Miraculous, the writers could’ve had more compelling character arcs with Ivan having some Stoneheart trauma or something more complex while Mylene could represent the type of strength it takes to know when you genuinely aren’t qualified for a specific demanding role and need to say "no" with the understanding that there can be different types of effective heroes.

The way the temp heroes are used in canon, nothing would really change. There's no clear reason why they get the powers they do outside of the writers being like "oh, an artist! Let's let him make things!" or "Oh, a big strong guy, let's make him an Ox!" And the powers themselves are basically used like Ladybug's special powerups with her almost always telling the temp heroes what to do. They have very little involvement in planning or anything that makes their powers feel uniquely chosen for them. To make these changes matter, you'd have to design the characters around the powers in a much bigger way.

The Ox power is the easiest one to do this with because self defense is an interesting power that you can have thematic elements with. It works well for a character who is a pushover and who needs to work to prioritize themselves or even a character who has some fear of being hurt, though I'd be hesitant to make that kind of character a hero. They seem like they're just not qualified, but you could make it work if they have some other skill that makes them needed such as Max's technology talents. The Ox also works well for a character who is already fine and just needs a power that lets them rush into battle without getting hurt.

For example, I don't think it's wrong to view Adrien's self-sacrificing streak as concerning, but at the same time, Ladybug needs to survive to win the day or else everything is lost, so it's hard for me to view it as a character flaw when he's usually doing a thing that truly needs to be done. If you don't view it as a character flaw, then you can just give the Ox to Adrien as a second miraculous and bam! Problem solved! (Canon 100% should have done this, btw. It's one of the many problems with the expanded power set and why I don't like to use the Ox. It's a little too OP. Like if you're off your five-minute timer and activate the Ox, are you just perma untouchable?)

As far as Nino goes, I don't really see him as a match for the Ox. He doesn't seem to have any issues or talents that match the power. Then again, the Ox is so generally useful that it wouldn't be a bad power for Nino. It's not a bad power for anyone! I'm just more inclined to give it to someone else as a secondary power than giving it to someone as their only power.

The mouse is a lot harder to work with. There's no real theme around the power that lends itself to a specific person, so almost anyone can use it. It's also not a good power in most situations. It's a highly situational one. Not a bad power to have on the roster, but not something that you want to bring to every fight. I'd once again be far more inclined to have it be a secondary power for someone. Something they always have on them for when it's needed, but that generally isn't used during a fight.

[pkmnirl]

How do you go about getting ideas for arcs? I’m struggling to figure out what I want to do with my character :(

Great question! This happens to be one of my absolute favorite parts of writing and pkmn irl itself. I've always been more of an ideas guy myself. I hope you don't mind but I decided to turn this into a bit of an overall tutorial for planning and writing arcs. Feel free to ask for any specifics because I could delve into my personal process for arc brainstorming, but I was admittedly writing this before getting ready for work and this post was getting kinda long haha

Knowing where to draw inspiration from can be a good place to start. It's wonderful to be inspired by music, a movie or tv show, a book, or even other people in the community and their writing. Ask yourself what elements of that thing draw you in. What do you like? What would you maybe do differently? I must mention though to be respectful of the work other blogs have put into their writing. Being inspired is a wonderful thing, lifting exact details or passages is not. If you're unsure, there's no harm is asking!

The most helpful thing I can tell you right off the bat is that you want to find out how to brainstorm. In schools they'll often try to teach you ways of brainstorming and outlining to structure your essay writing, if you're lucky they might even mention that there are multiple ways you can do this. The ones in school never worked for me personally, so for a long time I assumed brainstorming and outlining was a complete waste of my time and would launch straight into my writing drafts. But as I wanted to write more complex things and I wanted to indulge in more creative writing, I found myself getting stuck all the time. The truth is brainstorming is a helpful tool, but you have to know what type of brainstorming works best for you. Flowcharts, bullet points, stream of consciousness, word clouds, moodboards, drawings, whatever it is that gets your creative juices flowing. In my experience it works best to remember that not every one of these elements will make it into the final arc. You want to get your ideas down first and trim the excess later. I personally pay for a program (Milanote) that allows me to brainstorm in the methods that work best for me, but by no means do you have to pay for a program to do this. Pen and paper works just fine.

The next thing you wanna do is establish what you want your arc to do. Not every arc has to be a grand character development, but all arcs do something. No matter how small that something may be, something has to change as a result. Maybe your character meets a new person, obtains a new Pokemon, gets a new scar and a story to tell their friends, or maybe all they got was a t-shirt. If you already had a loose concept for your arc this can help you hone it. You can start asking yourself, "how does my character reach this point?" and work up to that. Map out what you think your character would do when dropped into a particular situation. This can also help you to establish the tone you want your arc to take. Is it silly and lighthearted or is it more serious and high stakes? Refer to the stakes tag post about proper tagging.

It can help to conceptualize your arc as a series of events rather than a single event. This allows you to understand how many posts you may need to split the arc up into, how much time the arc may take, or other hard to sort details.

These things ramp up when you start to incorporate more people into your arcs. Planning with your fellow writers is extremely important and that requires a lot of communication. Some writers prefer to do what we call pre-writing, which is typically you and the other writers get together and write out the posts in advance. This gives people the chance to look over each other's writing and make edits before the posts go live. Planning discords are useful for keeping things organized, but google docs or other collaborative writing programs can work just as well if those better suit your needs. Organize who is posting what and generally at what time, especially if the post involves other people's characters.

Remember all of this is for fun! These are not hard rules you need to follow. You should not force yourself to write things you do not like for the sake of others or for an imagined audience. Write what you want to write.