#as well a struggling with feelings of inadequacy and inferiority

[normalbrothers]

generally take an issue with any interpretation that makes arthur out to be an uncomplicated, pure-hearted, but sad goof who'd be a good man if it wasn't for being oppressed by his evil brother who he is unquestioningly devoted to (as if he doesn't deeply resent/sometimes hate him as much as he loves him, and is not ... unaware of the fact)

[creativepromptsforwriting]

Hey I’ve been struggling with developing a character’s inferiority complex. Do you have any tips on ways to show not tell this?

How to write an inferiority complex

An inferiority complex can be described as a chronic low self-esteem, a consistent feeling of inadequacy.

Causes:

a low status in the social hierarchy

specific aspects about themself (physical or something else) that are looked down upon in society

being talked down on a lot

a lack of parental acceptance

failing to live up to high expectations put upon them

not reaching a goal they decided on themself

How to show a character's inferiority complex:

People act differently with this diagnosis, sometimes also depending on the situation and the person they are with. Here are some ideas.

show them focussing on negative aspects a lot

not being able to see it when something did work out well for them

talking badly about themself

withdrawing from friends and family

not being able to take a compliment or criticism

demeaning other's as a way to make other's feel as bad as they do

trying to get attention and even pity

can be shown through perfectionism

and not being able to cope well if something does not fit into the standard they have

I hope this helps you out!

- Jana

[vasito-de-leche]

Hello!😄, I admire the way you write ✍️The way u never mischaracterized characters and the way you write them accurately is fascinating to read for ,and how you also took focus on small details about the character heck im starting to believe you work on the game R1999, if may I ask if you could write about Six from R1999 with a timid S/O or about a self-aware au of Six ? It had been my obsession of him after he came out and with his story making it more fascinating and made me attract towards him more

;R1999 6 - Self-Aware AU

Headcanons about how 6 would act upon becoming self-aware. Related to this Self-Aware AU post.

tysm for the kind words! I rlly like overthinking and overanalyzing stuff <3

I'll do the self-aware AU for this post to match the other one posted recently about 37, but feel free to send another ask if you'd still like 6 with a timid S/O!

There is a lot to be discussed about 6 and how all four characters of the 1.4 update contrast and complement each other so wonderfully, but I have a lot of trouble narrowing down what exactly I want to talk about here and what I should save for a proper analysis of the characters and the way I interpret them. So as usual, I ask that you guys bear with me with these trains of thoughts!

For starters, in my opinion, 6 is a very good narrative foil to 37.

Both focus on alienation and isolation from their respective communities, both are characters that struggle with the concept of fate, and both were born knowing their numbers--the key difference is the way each tackles this piece of information.

As discussed before in her own post, 37 does not question the reason why she's 37: like 210 says, "she stumbled upon fate at birth," and did not go through the same process of having to figure out one's number like the rest do. When it comes to 6, it's slightly different but the fundamentals are the same: he knows the number he will be assigned, and yet this revelation is not part of a natural process, it's something that us forced upon him and his family.

What I'm trying to say is that 37 and 6 weren't given the choice of discovering their soul numbers, and thus lack the most important part: the understanding of their own lives and selves. Compare this to 210, who became "too predictable" upon finding out his own soul number, or Sophia, who has clearly developed a very complex relationship with her own friends because of the inferiority and feelings of inadequacy she feels not knowing her own number.

And this is when the contrast between the two become clear: 37 is partially isolated from her community because she doesn't understand fate, nor the importance of one's journey, she doesn't respect the discovery of one's number. 6 is partially isolated from his community because no one else but him is able to see the concept of fate--or the Revelation--as a negative thing. His entire life, his entire bloodline is defined by fate and the Revelation, but only he understands the burden and the pain such knowledge entails.

Because only he has seen the way this Revelation takes over his loved ones, until they become strangers, mere vessels for infinite knowledge and bound to their role as perfect, eternal leaders. His character event shows the radical change in his aunt once she receives the Revelation and 6's fears of his entire self being rewritten once he receives it as well.

It's important to note that the moment Atticus becomes a proper 6 and receives the revelation happens on the very same day that everyone on the boat becomes a victim of the "Storm." Sophia's father and 37's mother were on that boat--but so was Alma, the current 6 at the time and Atticus' aunt. This event is crucial for all characters, as it cements their chosen paths: it's the study of the Emanation for 37, to continue her mother's research.

It's the day 6 will receive the Revelation and see if his efforts to prepare for it will amount to something.

And yet we know that 6 was able to withstand this Revelation without his entire self being washed away by the infinite amount of knowledge. We know this because we see him retain his hermit-like behaviour in the main story, avoiding people and preferring peace and quiet. We know this because, at the very end of this event, he says that the revelation is "just as simple as it is."

37 does not understand fate, but she doesn't fight it either because studying it won't change the fact that her soul number is 37. 6 understands and once feared fate, and he fought to resist it because his entire life, his memories, his personality and essence were at risk. I also really love that small detail about how 1.4 focuses on Plato's allegory of the cave, with 37 and 6 being put on this pedestal as those who witnessed the truth and came back to save the others--and yet, these two characters needed people OUTSIDE of the island to help them with their respective journeys (37 with Vertin, and 6 with Sophia). It just clicks so right to me!

In the context of a Self-Aware AU, I like to think that the self-awareness is something that comes with the Revelation. That every 6 before Atticus himself realized the truth of their world, similar to how 37 sees this self-awareness as yet another eternal truth. And because the number 6 is meant to represent harmony and perfection, they understand more than anyone that to ensure the peace in Apeiron, they cannot allow others to know the truth. Think of it as the whole deal with Pythagoras and irrational numbers--the discovery of irrational numbers ruined the whole system.

I think that a much younger 6 would've been distraught at this information, to know that Alma was the only person who was "real" and that he began to drift away from her because he couldn't recognize her anymore. But now, after receiving his Revelation and becoming the new leader, he might be more focused on appreciating life as it is. Why would he be bothered by knowing everything so far has been a script? He's already been haunted by fate his whole life, this is, in the end, the same thing. Of course, 6 is a philosopher in his own right, despite knowing pretty much everything there is to know, I think he would like to ponder about the more existential issues and topics that come with self-awareness.

I also like to think that his self-awareness and the Revelation come with knowing how the story will develop, at least in relation to Apeiron. He knows of Vertin's arrival, he knows of Arcana's schemes, he knows that by the end, Apeiron will be revealed to the human world. 6 believes it's impossible to change the course this game and its story, and the best thing he can do is help everyone prepare for it--I like to think that's why he specifically sent 37 to greet Vertin and the rest!

When it comes to finding out about the Player, I already said in 37's post that it would be very nice if she could see the player, but not hear them. And to contrast that, I wanted 6 to hear the player, but not see them.

The Player's existence is the one thing that 6 cannot pinpoint nor rationalize. He listens so very attentively when you speak, and he quickly realizes that you are not part of this infinite stream of knowledge from his ancestors, you're ... Just a person. What are you trying to teach him, if that is even your goal?

At first, I can see him struggle with this strange presence interrupting his very much needed alone time, choosing to remain silent until you go away, but he would grow to find it comforting, similar to his friendship with Sophia when they were children. You are an outsider, you're not part of this little world he lives in--you can offer a refreshing and different perspective. Once he's used to this new change, perhaps he will speak again, either to ponder out loud about your existence or monologue about whatever might be occupying his mind. Unlike 37, he wouldn't tell a single soul of your existence, largely because he believes it's something unique to him, entirely unaware that there's someone out there behind the screen rooting for him.

[sholmeser]

modern au stuffs…more info under cut

full “bios”:

yasuo:

yasuo grew up in a small mountain village alongside his brother, yone. parentless and illegitiamate, he was treated poorly by other children, and was consequently never able to connect with others very well. he grew up quite lonely despite being very gifted, and his feelings weren’t helped by yone, who continuously pushed him to do better at academics and athletics where he attended school about an hour from their home; this made him feel extremely pressured and lonely throughout his childhood, causing him to act out.

he oftentimes did physical labor around the house; among other things, he took care of their house’s piping system. when he was seventeen he failed to notice a gas leak due to being out of the house after a fight with yone, which caused an explosion that destroyed most of their small home and killed their foster grandfather souma. plagued by guilt and shame, yasuo away from home and didn’t speak to yone for several years.

he’s struggling with having yone around again and is uncomfortable with having him in his home, but he feels too guilty to push him away. in recent times he is much more mild-mannered, but suffers from periods of intense, deep depression that debilitate his ability to function; these were alleviated slightly, however, once he met ahri, who he loves deeply but doesn’t quite feel adequate for.

ahri:

ahri’s fun, flirty personality masks deep feelings of insecurity and loneliness; an abandoned child who was ostracized for being both asian and a vastaya, she struggled with substance abuse and an eating disorder later on in life. she’s only had one real boyfriend, who died in a car accident that she feels responsible for: driving him home from work late at night intoxicated, unbeknownst to him, she had driven off the side of the road. all of this means she has found it nigh on impossible to form bonds with others.

yasuo was one of the first real friends she’d ever made; he genuinely makes her feel loved, which is why she feels so sad when she sees her own destructive tendencies reflected in him. she’s immensely grateful for the happiness and community—in the form of their mutual friends sarah, illaoi, braum, and pyke—he’s brought into her life.

in her spare time, she’s attempting to track down her birth parents in order to receive some closure on her family status.

yone:

yone was seven when yasuo was born and their mother passed away. though souma had loved them deeply, he was too old to do much for their small family; thus, yone started working at an early age to provide for himself and yasuo, after already having taken care of the house for several years prior to then. the circumstances he’s faced and sacrifices he’s had to make—as well as his general feelings of inadequacy stemming from never having finished school and, in that regard, feeling inferior to yasuo—led him to develop high expectations for his brother, who was their only hope for getting a secondary education and out of poverty. yone adored yasuo and only wanted to push him to do his best, but had a difficult time expressing that well; as a result, he failed to notice the pressure he put and borderline abuse he inflicted on yasuo, and was always confused as to why he was so irritable and lashed out so often. yasuo acting up only led yone to be harder on him, which made their relationship worse. yone was heartbroken when yasuo left, as he saw himself a failure given that he believed that the accident had been intentional on yasuo’s part. he’d never laid a hand on yasuo until earlier that day, when an argument about yasuo’s behavior had turned physical. if he had done things differently, he believes the situation could have been avoided.

yone was able to move away from the village when he no longer had two others to care for, and eventually got an associate’s degree from a community college. however, a massive stroke of bad luck—in which he got fired in downsizing and his apartment burned down—meant he was forced to move in with yasuo and ahri as he didn’t have anywhere else to go. the situation is quite awkward, and yone isn’t quite sure how to start repairing the damage that’s been done.

taliyah:

taliyah is yasuo and ahri’s upstairs neighbor, though she only met ahri after the two of them moved in together. like the two of them, she feels a deep disconnect from her peers and doesn’t quite feel understood by anyone, especially due to the fact that she’s a trans girl. she feels very well taken care of by yasuo, though, who she sees as an older brother, and to an extent ahri, who she’s recently been connecting with on a deeper level, finding it easier to express her femininity around her. she’s quite anxious about going off to college and has an irrational fear of yasuo not caring about her anymore when she leaves, given that she relies on him quite a bit, and especially due to the fact that he’s mentioned he’s considering proposing to ahri.

general stuff:

i imagine this whole au as a comic or a cartoon

everyone is about six or seven years younger (besides ahri) than i think they are in canon since i wanted taliyah to be a teenager. thus, their ages are those of when taliyah was still yasuo’s apprentice; in canon i think that she is about 23, he is about 30, and so on.

i’m not really sure where this takes place? i wanna say wherever bilgewater is based on given that that was where the rk gang all met, so maybe honolulu/hawai’i’s big island due to the polynesian influences present in the buhru people’s culture. as for time, this is probably the mid-late 00s/early 2010s. yone tracked yasuo down through social media.

yone is fully japanese, while yasuo is mixed japanese and papuan. ahri is korean. taliyah is egyptian and sunni muslim, but not hijabi.

like in canon, yasuo got the scar on his nose from the final fight he had with yone. it’s also permanently crooked from breaking his nose in that same altercation. yone’s two are from then as well.

though vastaya have some spiritual power and live slightly longer than humans (some 100-130 years), their lifespan and abilities are not nearly as vast as they are in runeterra. like in canon, though, ahri is proportionately about the same age as yasuo.

yasuo and ahri met while yasuo was working at a grocery store.

yone and ahri got off on bad terms when he, subconsciously retaining prejudice from his traditional upbringing, mistakenly believed she was yasuo’s housemaid due to her being a vastaya. she was incredibly offended, almost kicked him out, and refused to speak to him for several weeks. ahri only starts talking to him again for yasuo’s sake—otherwise she probably would never have spoken to him after their first interaction—but, eventually, they form a bond out of their shared love for yasuo. eventually, they become quite close.

riven is still tied to the accident that kills souma. souma kept some small cultural artifacts in his home, which riven was tasked with stealing by the small criminal group she grew up in: she snuck in through the basement, but was caught stealing by souma and forced to leave without her prize; in her haste, she damaged a pipe near where she’d come in and left. she didn’t find out about the incident until much layer and feels horrifically guilty about it, especially because yasuo’s reputation was ruined after it happened (even if he was never convicted of anything).

a lot of other characters are connected to these four. besides the ruined king group, who are friends with yasuo and ahri, a lot are interconnected. some examples are:

sarah knows “t.f.” (tobias felix) and graves from work. graves is friends with vayne, who tobias is jealous of, and tobias dances on the weekends with evelynn, who graves is jealous of. it’s a whole thing. they live together and work together, but aren’t dating. yet. graves also knows the sentinels of light. vayne and sarah have like. a weird lesbian thing going on. and that is pure self-indulgence

yone’s only friend is lillia, who he also met at work. she’s incredibly skittish and shy, but their friendship is rooted in the fact that neither of them talks very much. he misses her now that he’s living with yasuo. i imagine her having deer legs, but not being a centaur like she is on runeterra.

taliyah is friends with ezreal, lux, and ekko, the last of whom she has a crush on. ekko knows rell, who knows seraphine, who knows ezreal. they’re all one big yet loose friend group. she’s also close with kai’sa, who used to go to her school and is a sophomore in college.

usan is yasuo’s ex-boyfriend and i could totally imagine them bumping into each other being a running gag. zed obviously knows shen and kayn, who know akali. akali and kayn are 19 in canon, so they would be pretty young. probably like. fuckass 13 yr olds

[snarky-art]

Dark Bloom post!

Lore below the cut!

In my thing, Bloom is super insecure in s2. In s1, she was insecure in the sense that she didn’t know who she was or where her powers came from or how magic worked. She still ends up kicking ass in the finale, but when she goes back to school, she notices she isn’t able to summon that kind of power again. She learns the real reason she was so strong during the fight during The Attempted Siege of Magix is because The Great Dragon resonated with Daphne’s spirit when they were speaking, and that gave it a huge boost.

Her totally awesome “I’m So Built For This And This Is Who I Am” moment was helped by her accepting her role and who she was (it was the best she was able to utilize The Flame separate from Daphne actually), but it was nothing compared to what even a glimmer of Daphne’s essence could conjure.

In s2, her insecurities now come from knowing who she is in relation to the great royal line of Domino and her feelings of inadequacy as The Holder of The Flame in regard to her predecessor, Daphne.

She does still get counseling sessions helping her connect to aspects of her past, but it’s done with both Avalon and the school therapist present as well as Griselda (having her alone with Avalon with all the weird subtext in s2 with him made me feel ick and as an adult now I don’t wanna have a repeat of that).

Avalon focuses on exploiting the insecurities he knows she has because of her talking about it during their sessions and seeing her struggle to try and gain even a sliver of the power she knows Daphne had and live up to who she was, which only gets worse the more she learns through her memories and general study and research on Dominion history (it’s now much more openly spoken about and is being reintegrated properly into the core curriculum. She does extra research on her own time, to the detriment of her actual assigned course work sometimes. It is indeed noticed by the faculty and her friends. Slipping into her flop era) as well as her continued conversations off and on with Daphne’s spirit.

This form is a manifestation of all her complicated feelings: the sadness, jealousy, rage, guilt, etc., combined with her already present survivors guilt and martyr complex due to her feelings of inferiority and need to do anything she can to make the sacrifices from The Fall of Domino worth it.

Her eyes are yellow and slitted to match Daphne’s, with the purple colors matching the ones used by Dominion royalty and courtesans, specifically those who work with The Flame. Her crown shifts to look similar to the crown Daphne often wore during important events, emblematic of The Crown Princess next in line for the throne. Her darker color scheme is to represent the ashen smoke and decay that came when Domino fell, and to reflect how overwhelmed by The Flame’s legacy she feels, all consuming and as far as Bloom is concerned, worthy of burning her to a crisp with how little she feels she’s worth. Her nails are extended to mimic dragon claws, something Daphne was able to summon and morph her body to have because of how integrated The Flame and by proxy The Great Dragon was with her being. The winged ear piece is also a reference not only to the obvious but to the pointed ears of Dominions, something she feels shame for not having sometimes due to how she had to be hidden away on Earth and as the only living relic of a time long past, the survivors guilt rearing its ugly head and reminding herself of her belief that she’s a poor excuse for a legacy.

She’s a bit more power hungry and her feelings aren’t great in s2 and only get worse as time goes on and with Darkar’s influence, yeah, maybe having the ultimate power would be a decent way to sustain some sort of legacy, since Bloom has no idea what else she could do and what else she should think at this point, being so manipulated and broken down. She gives in to the torture quickly and helps Darkar, and is then broken free by the support of and love from all of her friends at the end of the season, reminding her that she has so many wonderful qualities of her own, that she’s done amazing, she’s done more than she could’ve ever imagined even 2 years ago, and Daphne’s spirit is even able to make an appearance and tell her she’s so sorry, she didn’t imagine the toll holding The Flame would have in her, how that’s her fault, even if she did feel it was the best she could do at the time, with the consequences being unthought of, and how Bloom doesn’t need to live up to her or the legacy she left or even any legacy. Bloom simply living is enough for Daphne, so why shouldn’t it be enough for Bloom?

Sooooo yeah! That’s Dark Bloom!

Also Icy has An Epiphany that she wants to be stepped on but only if it’s by Dark Bloom and that’s all, folks!

[botanikos]

What are the mun’s thoughts on how the stolitz relationship has been portrayed in the show?

Alright, well, I opened this can of worms then. Eating my words.

DISCLAIMER: This is MY opinion and no one is under any obligation to feel the same way, regardless of interaction / following. My opinion is mine alone and is in no way affiliated with anything other than my own perception(s), etc.

The stolitz relationship as portrayed in the show is MESSY. It is, in my opinion, complex. By the most basic definition, it is a direct hit on the miscommunication trope. Both parties ( Blitz and Stolas ) have deep rooted trauma(s) and feelings of inadequacy of some shape or form. WE DO NOT SEE EVERY LITTLE DETAIL. And honestly, this is OKAY with me! It leaves much open to fun little gremlin writers like us to play around in. There are dots to connect for the most basic details, and the rest is a messy little sandbox you'll be emptying from your shoes for weeks. I think it could absolutely be portrayed better! But I also thoroughly enjoy the non-linear existence of it. Relationships are messy, and people's love languages and overall feelings can be vastly differing, causing a massive disconnect. These things can completely and entirely alter, shift, or crumble whole relationships - be them romantic, platonic, familial, etc. I personally enjoy the portrayal of their relationship because it isn't all fluffy happy rainbows and smooches. Neither of them is perfect and both of them are deeply flawed. Also, I've been in a relationship that has closely mirrored the absolutely steep differing of romantic/expected alignment, inferiority struggles, and self-degradation. TL;DR - Not the best, certainly delicious, could be better, I personally enjoy it, and not everyone's cup of tea and that's okay!

[felysline]

CAMMY_CORNER.TXT 🧖🏻‍♀️💐

SOOOO. i just saw this enormous list of oc asks (thanks to da best @youredreamingofroo for the post shout-out slash reblog!) that are soooo interesting. i can't help but to think of putting camilla for it. so despite the fact that every question is supposedly answered through the ask-box, i'm gonna independently answer them one by one 💆🏻‍♀️

disclaimer: this is just me being a li'l too bored as a senior year foreign language student and a full-time shai g. a. simp, ‘kay 🦭

PEOPLE.

what colour are her eyes and is there anything special from her eyes?

her eyes are dark grey, but can be seen as light grey when exposed to lights! she has a pair of deer-y eyes that mostly makes her look like she's sleepy or not attentive when not smiling.

is she a good liar?

ABSOLUTE-FREAKING-LY. she's born to an actress mom, so acting like this and that never happened or this and that happened is one of her fortes. but, she only lies when necessary.

does she believe in ghosts?

she's never seen or beefed with one, but she believes and spares an interest in urban legends, especially since indonesia is cramped with them. like whenever there's a horror thread on twitter, you can catch her reading all that until it's adapted into a horror movie. doesn't mean she actually watches horror movies, though, aha

what emotion she has trouble dealing with?

inadequacy. asian families are pretty known for their strict generational standards. so, as a daughter from highly-educated parents, she struggles with the standards that they put on her. which is why now she studies abroad and tries to juggle every bit of her interests.

what makes her cry? does she cry easily?

again, inadequacy. she only cries once every six months, but that ‘once’ is mostly due to her built up inferior and inadequate feelings for herself, her parents, her family, and the people who care for her.

is she quick to violence?

not at all. but she boils her anger, omh.

what are some of her habits that will take some getting used to?

passive-aggressiveness! she's known as this happy-go-lucky sweetheart who can get along very well. but, she tends to hold grudges over icks that leads to her being passive-aggressive. it's not once or twice that she has dumped her exes by gaslighting them they're at fault for bla-bla-bla when she's actually in the wrong too, especially for keeping her anger without communicating the problems.

what is her family like?

the whitfield family is a four-souled family with a strict yet harmonious dynamic! lore-wise, cammy's father is a president director of an insurance company in indonesia, while her mother is a business-graduate actress in indonesia. so, strictness comes like a meteor shower day by day, hitting cammy until she's able to sculpt herself into the standards of her parents: independent, successful, and honorable. her mother is the strictest of all and she's actually more of a daddy's daughter. but, she's gained the luck to be constantly supported by her parents wherever she goes. “just remember, stick to the standards,” her mom always says.

when scared, does she "flight" or "fight"?

scared of something human? fight. scared of something that possibly brings her to a near-death experience? FLIGHT, MATE.

does she fall asleep easily? what helps her sleep?

will continue the asks later when i'm bored and not watching my man clutching 40 points in one game :3

sadly, no.. she's a night owl who can only sleep at two in the morning. she's only taken one nap for the past four months. but what helps her sleep, realistically, is adonis. aha.

FOOD & DRINKS. [SOON]

what is her go-to breakfast?

what is her favorite sweet treat?

does she prefer ordering or cooking food?

does she prefer hot or cold drinks and what is her favorite?

does she eat her fruits and veggies? what are her favorites?

what is her favorite cake flavor?

[covered-in-kisses]

why is it usually asami the one covering korra in kisses? just askin

Well, it's because in-series Asami is always depicted as wearing lipstick. This puts her in a small group of characters that wear lipstick (some others being the Suki and the Kyoshi Warriors, June, Ginger, and Azula.) With her red lips being such a unique and eye-catching part of her look, as well as helping tie together her status as 'the pretty one,' it's only natural that whatever ship she's a part of would have her being the one to give lipstick kisses to the other. Plus, the fact that Korra fits into the butch/tomboy category and thus has never been shown to wear prominent makeup means that it's just not very in-character for her to wear lipstick.

Under-informed theorizing below the cut.

A bit of speculation now, and please note that I have yet to finish the series. Korra is a prime target for lipstick kisses from Asami in particular. Korra, when first meeting Asami was jealous of her. At the time it was primarily because she was with Mako, but it was also because Asami is more conventionally attractive than her, triggering some insecurity. As time went on and Korra's traumas, mental scars, and insecurities piled up, Asami became a major emotional support.

A while after Korrasami became official, there was the subplot where Korra struggled to say the L word to Asami. In my mind, this is due to a combination of things that have haunted Korra for a long time.

Firstly, while I do think Korra has always felt inferior to Asami competence-wise, that insecurity pales in comparison to the angst she felt and likely continues to feel about her inadequacy in her role as the Avatar. Secondly, all the traumatic events and personal crises over the course of the series piled on top of the complexes she developed from her unorthodox upbringing had to have created a feeling of being undeserving of love, especially from someone who she holds in such high esteem like Asami.

So the idea of Asami, the picture of competence and beauty, using her iconic red lips to shower her trauma mama gf in love-affirming kiss marks is a fairly natural image to picture. At least for the fandom.

NOT SURE WHAT THE OFFICIAL WRITERS AND ARTISTS ARE WAITING FOR THO.

[qualcosadelgenere]

A "DESERT LION" NAMES ANALYSIS + name meanings related hcs PT.2

DISCLAIMER: if any of the information reported here is wrong or even just partially incorrect/imprecise, feel free to let me know; as my main sources for this analysis were Wikipedia and baby names sites (lol).

Messer Jassim <English Wiki> (Mansur Jasim/Messa Jassim <alternative dub names>):

Mansur Jassim

Mansur (Messer is apparently a surname and Messa doesn't even exist(?)) is a male Arabic name that means "He who is victorious".

Jassim is an Arabic name/surname. (Couldn't find the meaning.)

Headcanons:

Succeeding in his set goals and dreams is a very essential part of his life. He puts great importance on winning and is generally very competitive. He has a hard time forming long-lasting friendships due to this side of his personality.

His parents, unlike Nasser's, tend to encourage him to be less focused on beating others and more on doing things he actually enjoys for himself. His relationship with his teammate is a conflicted one.

On one hand, Nasser is a pleasant guy to be around, always ready to assist or to share a few jokes with. On the other one though, Messer can't really bring himself to relate to his struggles. He doesn't understand how someone could resent parents whose only wish is for you to be your best version; for you to be ambitious and successful.

He didn't bond with anyone in particular, but he tends to spend most of the time with Far, who happens to be his roommate.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Zack Abdullah <English Wiki> (Zack Abdulla <alternative dub names>):

Zakariya 'Zack' Abdullah

Zack is sometimes a given name, but more often it's a short form of the Biblical name Zechariah (in this case probably of the Arabic form, Zakariya) and its meaning is "God/YHWH has remebered".

Abdullah is an Arabic Muslim given name/surname which means "servant of Allah".

Headcanons:

Zack grew up in a large family: his mom, his dad, three sisters, and four brothers (including himself).

Zack's family originally hails from Casablanca, Morocco, but they relocated to Qatar in search of better job opportunities. With some financial assistance from Zack's grandparents and some personal sacrifices, they were able to secure stable employment at a local camel farm. Zack's father, who had experience working with dromedaries in Morocco, found the job to be a perfect fit.

Despite their efforts, they still fall under the lower middle-class category by Qatari standards*. As a result, Zack and his siblings had to start working from a young age to support the family.

Growing up among the animals, Zack spent his free time playing football and caring for them. He greatly admires his father and shares a strong bond with his mother and siblings.

Zack is extremely outgoing, friendly, and open-minded as a result of interacting with people from all walks of life. He easily makes friends and is generally well-liked. However, he often feels the need to hide his feelings of inadequacy behind a facade of happiness and laughs, because most of his friends come from well-off families with high social status, and hanging out is a constant reminder of his own financial limits and racial status.

His closest friends are Bjorn, Majidi, and Djamel. He gets along also with Sulai and Adel, with whom he has more of a love-hate relationship. (Adel once referred to him as impossible to ignore and to this day Zack wonders if it was meant to be a compliment or not.)

*(North African Expats are considered to be racially inferior to Gulf Arabs; with them only coming second to Westerners in the class system, even though they're primarily Muslim and from neighboring regions. The apparent reasons for this are a widespread sentiment of anti-blackness and a general dislike for Africans, more specifically sub-Saharan, immigrants).

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Majidi Ismail <English Wiki> (Majdi Ismail <alternative dub names>):

Majid Ismail

Technically speaking Majidi is an Iranian surname; the Arabic name equivalent would be spelled as Majid. It means "noble", "glorious", and "magnificent".

Ismail is an Arabic given name/middle name/surname and patronymic, that literally translates to "heard by God". It's also the name of Ibrahim(Abraham)'s son.

Headcanons:

He's a very self-assured little guy, as the only male sibling to four sisters he grew up spoiled and pampered.

Scaring(courting?) girls with the little animals he catches in the desert is his biggest hobby and simultaneously his sisters' biggest pet peeve. They tried everything in their power to stop the ever-increasing toll of his victims but to no avail.

"Why can't you impress girls like a normal person, Majidi?"

Fun fact: the moment he catches a fever his chaotic personality is gone, replaced by the meekest and quietest boy you have ever seen.

His mom knows it sounds bad out loud, but sometimes she wishes he'd get sick more often. It's just so nice to have a little quiet with five teenage children around from time to time.

He considers Zack, Rajab, Nasser, and Bjorn his best friends on the team. He doesn't really get along with Hassan, and even if he'd rather die than admit it, it's most likely due to a tiny, small, minuscule flicker of envy that burns in his gut whenever his teammate effortlessly charms the girls he tried to court(scare?) before.

Hassan, sad but true, couldn't care less.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Talal Hamad <English Wiki> (Talal Hamad <alternative dub names>):

Talal Hamad

Talal is an Arabic given name and surname that means "admirable" and "nice".

Hamad or Hamda is an Arabic given name and surname, meaning "to praise" or "one who praises", "much praising".

Headcanons:

Talal is too nice for his own good, always praising others and being kind even when people are not in return.

He's also a little bit of a chatterbox, never really stopping talking, but thank god he has an array of aunties who are more than willing to listen to his latest gossip. They're the ones who instilled in him the dream of entering the Middle East's best TV station.

He'd love to work for Al Jazeera since it's one of two main TV stations in his country and it's also pretty popular on an international level.

He bonded quickly with Sulai and Seiyd. Little Rajab is too nice not to like him and Adel's maternal uncle is one of the managing directors of Al Jazeera, so better to have him as a friend rather than as an enemy, right?

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Hassan Ahmed <English Wiki> (Hasan Ahmed/Hassan Amed <alternative dub names>):

Hassan Ahmed

Hassan (also Hasan) is an Arabic given name that means "handsome" or "good", or "benefactor". As a surname, instead, Hassan may be Arabic, Irish, Scottish, or Jewish.

Ahmed which is the variant of the name/surname Ahmad, means "Highly Praised”.

Headcanons:

He is widely regarded as extremely handsome.

Throughout his life, he has benefited from an inherent advantage due to his looks (pretty privilege), receiving praise for even the most minor accomplishments. As an only child to a wealthy family, his birth was considered miraculous due to his mother's health-related issues. Consequently, he has been showered with affection and has developed an inflated sense of self-worth, perpetually reinforced by those around him.

He's kind of a narcissist, so he doesn't let people get too close if not solely on a superficial level.

The closest thing he has to a genuine friendship is with Adel; it's a relationship primarily based on mutual teasing and banter (which, according to Zack, borders on flirting 98% of the time, however, both parties disagree.).

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Khalfan Jibril <English Wiki> (Khalfan Jibril/Halfan Djibril <alternative dub names>):

Khalfan Jibril

Khalfan is primarily a male given name of Swahili origin that means "successor"

Jibril (also Djibril) is an Arabic variant of the name Gabriel (the archangel), therefore meaning "God is my strength", and a common Arabic given name and surname.

Headcanons:

Khalfan can be described as a greatly resilient person, always reluctant to give up what he believes is important.

He comes from a family of artists: his grandad was a famous painter and his daughter, Khalfan's mother, inherited his great talent.

He was not exactly gifted with the same artistic abilities, but he knows a great deal about many art forms and is well aware of their historical and social significance.

He aspires to work in art-related fields and is supported in this dream by his family, particularly his proud grandfather who is moved by his grandson's passion for preserving artworks.

His closest buddies are Musa and Yusuf. He enjoys the latter just a smidge more due to their shared love for tradition and Qatari/Arab culture.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Rajab Ismail <English Wiki> (Rajab Ismail <alternative dub names>):

Rajab Ismail

Rajab is an Arabic given name that corresponds to the seventh month of the Islamic calendar which is known as Rajab.

Ismail (see Majid Ismail).

Headcanons:

His parents are very religious, hence, his upbringing was very religion-oriented.

They don't support his passion for writing, especially because some of the social issues he's keen on featuring in his novel stem from exasperated and distorted religious beliefs, and his parents find it very hard to critique such things.

Furthermore, due to his youthful appearance, individuals in his environment such as teachers and family friends tend to dismiss his ideas, believing him to be too young to comprehend the depth of his convictions. Consequently, Rajab frequently feels mocked and ridiculed for his beliefs, leading to a significant struggle with not being taken seriously.

He finds Majid funny and he also gets along well with Zack and Talal. He looks up to Adel and Nasser because he deems the first to be very intelligent and mature for his age and the latter to be reliable and confident.

___________________________________________ ___ __ _

Adel Siddique <English Wiki> (Adel Siddique/Adel Shteik <alternative dub names>):

Adil Siddique

There are two different names that are transliterated as 'Adel' and which one it is depends on the pronunciation:

1.) Adel [ˈɑːdəl] (Germanic given name of ancient European origins, evolved from north-western languages; meaning "noble" "nobility" "elite".)

2.) Adil [ˈʕaːdɪl, ˈʕæːdel] (often transliterated as Adel, is a variation itself of the name Adel; an Arabic male name (common in the Muslim world) that originates from the word "Adl", meaning "fairness" and "justice".)

Siddiq/Siddique is an Islamic term and is given as an honorific title. It means "truthful" and it denotes a descendance from someone named Siddique.

Headcanons:

As his name suggests, Adel has a strong sense of justice paired with (sometimes brutal) honesty.

Even though he comes from a horrendously rich and privileged family, social injustices have always been acknowledged in his family as his father and mother are both very intellectual and intelligent people.

For him, it's important to use the privilege he was born with to fight against inequality and ensure that everyone has equal opportunities in life, and this topic will often come up in his movie productions.

His closest friends are Sulai (best friend) and Hassan. Zack is the equivalent of a human mosquito, but he's passable (when he shuts up). He also respects Rajab a lot for his desire to write about their country's social issues and wishes to be less intimidating in his younger eyes.

I also wanted to mention Adel's self-esteem.

Although he's very confident and capable of standing up for himself, he struggles with his physical appearance. Ever since he was a child, he realized that his darker skin and facial features did not conform to the standard of beauty in his country (I like to think he has Somali ancestry somewhere in his family, perhaps his father's grandad?).

Other children had lighter skin, straighter hair, and less full lips, which made him feel different. Additionally, when he started playing football at a national level, he experienced subtle racism from his own people. Despite fitting in and looking rather Qatari, he didn't feel equally accepted by the Qatari public, making him feel like he didn't fully belong.

That explains his attachment to wearing oversized and dark sunglasses as they somewhat mask his ethnic features and give him an advantage when controlling emotions.

In other words, they help him feel less self-conscious.

[amazonbooksauthor]

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[isfjmel-phleg]

We need a Flash adaptation in which Barry is dead.

That sounds harsh. Hear me out.

I haven't seen every Flash adaptation ever, or even most of them, but I have noticed a trend in recent ones, namely the CW series and the JL film that I made the mistake of watching. They feature Barry as the Flash, but neither of them really portray the character as he is in the comics, at least in terms of personality. The series gave him some of Wally's traits (and plotlines!). The JL movie decided to make him more like Bart, and not even in a good way.

Heaven only knows what was going on with that movie, but the series Wallified Barry so frequently perhaps because there's comparatively little material featuring Barry. He was created in the Silver Age, and most of his stories are very characteristic of that era's cheerfully chaotic and nonsensical approach to writing. That (presumably) doesn't translate well to twenty-first-century viewers. There are much fewer recently-written stories featuring him, especially when the 2014 series started, because Barry was brought back into the comics only rather recently. It was canon for twenty-four years that he was dead.

And what an impact that death had. It resulted in Wally's having to take up his adored mentor's mantle while struggling with his perceived inadequacy to live up to Barry--a major part of his characterization for a long time. Bart too has the legacy of his grandfather hanging over him; he's more removed from an angsty connection to it because he never knew Barry, but he feels the weight of the expectations placed upon him and has a complicated relationship with those expectations. Barry died saving the multiverse--essentially died a martyr by superhero standards--which puts him on a pretty tall pedestal to those left behind. The internal and external conflicts resulting directly or indirectly from Barry's death set the tone for the Flashfamily for a long time. And those stories from the late 1980s through the 2000s established a lot about the characters and mythos.

So in a continuity that brings him back...what do you do with him and with all these characters whose journeys have been built on his absence? Hence the Wallification of Barry in the CW series. Just transfer some of the more familiar characterization and plotlines to him, and there you go. (Which results in a flattening of Wally's character, so they give him some of Max's characterization, etc. etc.)

I think it would be a fascinating angle to explore stories that reflect the Post-Crisis state of the Flashfamily in which Barry is dead but still looms over everyone as the idealized representation of all that they must become.

An adaptation, say, of Wally's early years as the Flash as he grapples with feelings of inferiority that hold him back from reaching his full power--lots of flashbacks to his relationship with Barry, but colored through Wally's not-quite-accurate perception (his uncle wouldn't really want him to be so hard on himself! he wouldn't want to be remembered as an impossible standard of perfection!).

Or maybe an adaptation of the legacy struggle that ensues when Bart shows up and there's a possibility of Wally having to pass off the mantle.

Or an adaptation of Iris's Life Story of the Flash but framed in terms of the family's responses to and perceptions of Barry's life and how that affects them and interacts with who he really was before the lens of his martyrdom.

Say, a series of adaptations that sets all that up--and then, and only then, bring Barry back to life. Right in the middle of all that drama, of a family dynamic that's built around his not being there anymore. And let them all have to adjust to that.

The Flash comics have become at their heart a story about family. Barry's death played a vital part in getting the narrative to that point. So an adaptation that wishes to capture the dynamic of the family shouldn't ignore that. I'd like to see someone have the nerve to do it.

[hauntedselves]

could someone have ppd, npd, avpd, dpd, and ocpd and what would it look like?

dont respond / answer if you dont want to!! its okay, thank you for everything you do and have a good day

[not including ppd as per anon's request]

The common thread between all of these PDs is anxiety. NPD, OCPD and AvPD are anxious that their flaws will be revealed, DPD is anxious that they’ll have to be independent. NPD & OCPD are most similar to each other, and both focus on themselves (internal), while AvPD & DPD are most similar to each other and focus on others (external)

Long post underneath (it's a bit all over the place, sorry!):

Low empathy in NPD & OCPD; both value something else over relationships (perfection in OCPD & validation and attention in NPD). They both need validation as perfect, though in different ways (OCPD needs to have their work seen as perfect, and NPD needs themself to be seen as perfect). AvPD & DPD don't have these things.

All struggle with close relationships: OCPD needs perfection, NPD with seeing people as more than givers validation, AvPD struggle with entering close relationships for fear of rejection, DPD becomes dependent and overattached. OCPD, NPD & AvPD will fixate on flaws in the relationship while DPD is likely to ignore them

Relationships are intensely valued in DPD, but not so much in AvPD, and not in NPD or OCPD.

OCPD values their independence and maturity and “adult self-control”, as part of their self-image. Therefore they're unlikely to value relationships very much

All can be impulsive, irritable, anxious, and struggle with planning for the future or seeing consequences, though less so in DPD (except future planning)

All rely very heavily on others’ opinions

OCPD & NPD set impossibly high goals for themselves. AvPD & DPD don't experience this

NPD & OCPD both use superiority as a defence mechanism, and struggle with anger issues. DPD & AvPD feel inferior and struggle to express anger.

DPD & AvPD conform to expectations of others out of feelings of inadequacy, and fear of rejection/losing support. OCPD & NPD don't really do this unless it aligns with their need for perfection

OCPD can cause indecision and overwhelm, like DPD, but in DPD it’s the fear of having to make their own decisions, while in OCPD it’s anxiety and fear of lack of control

The underlying motivations of OCPD, NPD, DPD & AvPD are the same: they are afraid of criticism and disapproval, and need approval and support. The way this presents externally is very different for OCPD & NPD vs AvPD & DPD

AvPD & OCPD do well on their own, while DPD & NPD tend to feel increasingly helpless/losing self esteem

When faced with criticism, AvPD avoids the situation, DPD stays and tries to please, NPD may avoid or fall into shame redirect, OCPD falls into anxiety and redirects this by becoming increasingly rigid and performance-focused

NPD, AvPD & OCPD fear failure & are perfectionists, and are highly conscious of how others see them. They all have fantasies of success, ideal life, etc. This isn't really part of DPD.

Rigid focus on work, maturity, and achievements is integral to OCPD only, and really sets it apart from the other PDs discussed here

NPD (& DPD to an extent) desires attention, OCPD & AvPD don't (& AvPD fears it)

Summary: Anxiety and fear of criticism is common to OCPD, AvPD, NPD and DPD. Over-reliance on others is part of DPD only. Rigid focus on performance (work/school etc) is part of OCPD only (though may be a way that NPD expresses itself). There's nothing in AvPD or NPD that set them apart from the combination of these PDs. Grandiosity is part of NPD & OCPD, inferiority is part of DPD & AvPD. Someone with all of these will struggle with anxiety, hypersensitivity to rejection and criticism, and a need to be seen as perfect. Their relationships will be very messy as their OCPD & AvPD independence clashes with their NPD & DPD dependence, OCPD & NPD superiority clashes with DPD & AvPD inferiority, and their OCPD & AvPD & NPD fear of criticism and less-than-perfection makes relationships very difficult (yet their DPD needs relationships).

[royaletiquette]

What's your life trap?

You are characterized by powerful feelings of defectiveness. They make you ashamed of who you are and you feel unworthy, as if not entitled to have any rights or to stand up for yourself. You may have volatile moods where you suddenly become very upset – crying, anxious, or enraged. You are likely to space out and disassociate, and have a hard time connecting with your emotions and your true needs and wants. Because you feel unworthy, you may send out signals that encourage partners to treat you badly. Without knowing it, you send out messages that you are not worth treating well. You do this because you feel you must tolerate abuse in order to be worthy of having a connection with others. While you may have a hard time recognizing these feelings in yourself, your true experience of relationships is likely to be one of danger and pain. You find it hard to trust people and may struggle with anxiety and depression. You are likely to have a deep sense of despair about your life, accompanied by low self-esteem and feelings of defectiveness. For these reasons, you feel you have to let the people in your life use you and take advantage of you. It feels as if abuse is all you deserve.

tagged by @cantuscorvi and pressured by @nezumivc103221

K. Hibiya's percentages + Q. Hibiko's under cut

Meanwhile, fucking Hibiko is so much that it won't even read her to filth because it doesn't know where to start!

She's dependent, but also won't trust you enough for her to be dependent on you. Her standards are also too high for her to allow any vulnerability or deep emotions to show.

Truly the perfect package.

You feel that you are somehow unable to take care of yourself. You do not trust your own judgment. You need, therefore, other people to support you and to take care of you. You are dependent on friends and family – you are not an independent adult coping on your own. Probably you are still in close contact with your parents, who affect your life dramatically. Making decisions is difficult for you, you might be asking for advice and confirmation from others; you would change your mind many times, and still be unsure of your decision. You might avoid responsibility, initiative and challenging situations. You feel anxiety and despair if you have to take more responsibility than what you feel capable of having. Perhaps the only chance for you to survive is to team up with a strong partner, which will eventually make you even more dependent on others.

You are highly demanding on yourself, although you will probably see your standards quite reasonable. You feel that you have to do something all the time, to get results, be efficient and keep things in order. You can’t be happy with yourself if you do not meet your requirements. Nothing ever seems to be sufficient; there is always something worth pursuing. The feelings of inadequacy, failure, inferiority and shame lurk nearby and strike hard if you can’t reach your requirements. You strive to avoid these unpleasant feelings, and it causes you anxiety and stress. Stress may arise in various physical symptoms – insomnia, fatigue, high blood pressure, ulcer or panic attacks. You find it hard to relax and just enjoy life. You may be mostly frustrated and irritated with yourself and others. To you, life is performing, and you believe that at the end it will bring to you a prize – freedom or perfection. The achievements, however, feel empty after all and you need to look for the following tasks and challenges. If you choose to succeed at something, you will probably succeed – however, you can’t stop to enjoy the success. Maybe you neglect your friends or loved ones – because you do not have the time to relax and give your time to the others.

[malamiteltd]

About Copper

Let me tell you about someone named Copper.

Copper is a Teijru, one of the two species that inhabits the distant planet Kheji. Quiet and reserved, he doesn't socialize much, and typically prefers to keep to himself, remaining in his humble home in Crimson City, Kheji's biggest place of residence. When he's confronted by people, he tries his best to practice good manners and prefers not to start disagreements, resulting in a nervous and submissive demeanor.

He often passes the time drawing, though he doesn't find his artwork particularly special. Some of his art revolves around characters he made up for a sci-fi story he calls "Mercenaries," featuring a ragtag group of fictional aliens going on adventures to hunt different bounties and escape potential capture and/or harm. He fantasizes about the characters fairly often, pacing around in his home while semiconsciously playing story scenes out in his head, sometimes verbally. (It's an odd routine, and one he's been caught doing a few times in public, usually followed by ridicule.)

But some of his other art revolves around iconography. He seems affixed to working with simple shapes and building some interesting imagery around them. This type of art is what he is known most for, though when he's asked for his talents it's hardly ever in person, and a special box is placed a small distance away from his home for inquiries. He even uses a pseudonym to represent his work: "Geode."

His most notable designs include the Symbol of Orichalcum, the mysterious "soul of the planet" (top left); the emblem for the Crimson Khejian Army commissioned by their leader Pyrite (bottom left); and the "Puzzle Master" emblem commissioned by Beryl, the self-proclaimed Puzzle Master of Kheji (top left). While he's also credited for making the symbol for Sforzando (bottom right), he doesn't like taking all the credit, as it's literally "SFZ" written in the handwriting of its creator, Graphite.

While Copper has found success with these designs, he still feels like an inferior artist. He lives in the same city as Quetzalcoatlite (or just "Quetz"), who is well-renowned for his amazing paintings; Copper could never manage to reach the level of artistry and refuses to call himself decent at artwork.

This way of thinking, however, is only one of many things Copper is willing to point out as ultimate flaws of his, in addition to the "inferior artist" angle. Unlike most Khejians, he is unable to sense the thoughts and emotions of others through their life energy, or "fervor." On the flip side, others can't seem to do the same for him specifically, meaning he's incapable of reading how others think or feel before speaking or acting...and it's led to a number of bad judgement calls and troublesome and/or embarrassing misunderstandings. It also means he can't tell if someone is lying to him -- a detail that some have managed to abuse with him in the past. Because of this, Copper has become untrusting and paranoid of others. Even in regards to his outward appearance, he is quick to point out the black mark on his forehead. While most Khejians use coloring on their fur to stand out from each other, the mark on Copper's head is the result of a rare recessive gene tied to instances of black fur.

Unsurprisingly, Copper suffers from major depression, possibly due to his other deficiencies. He also suffers from severe anxiety, especially in regards to social situations, and it's hard for him to calm down when he becomes stressed. His poor mental health has been a constant problem that he's struggled to overcome -- it was so bad in fact that he had once attempted suicide (a story I won't tell right now).

Yet despite his "flaws and inadequacies," Copper has somehow managed to make friends over the years. Whether it's the artwork that he's made, the stories he's come up with, or just being a kind and accepting individual, he has a small following that he still can't believe is willing to tolerate him. These include the Linkha named Tea; a few fellow Teijru like Lead, Dravite, and Beryl; and even some robotic Teijru (or "Teijroids") like Topaz and Mica. They all seem willing to offer him support when he needs it.

...and sometimes when he thinks he doesn't.

----

In the grand scheme of things, Copper is a somewhat minor character in the universe he hails from. But he's pretty special to me, mainly because of all the characters I have, he reflects myself the most. It's not one-to-one, of course (no, I haven't attempted suicide, though the thought has come up every now and then), but I feel like most of the traits fit me. I find it hard to read people and understand their intentions, I get very stressed in social situations, I don't really find my art very remarkable, and I also have the habit of pacing around in private developing fantasy stories (like this one Copper's in.) So I suppose if I ever did decide I wanted a "fursona," Copper would be it.

But Copper's got some traits that make him stand out, and he finds those out later on. Maybe someday I'll detail that little adventure, and show what else makes Copper "special."

And no, I'm not trying to say that in a negative way.

[terrakatten]

Honestly, I've never felt so content before.

Writing Johan's story, and it causing me to recieve affirmation and kind feedback (which I'd never really had before) has helped me feel comfortable with my artistic side.

It's weird. From elementary to high school, my English teachers always gave some acclamations to my grasp of language- yet similtaneously my ADHD resulted in middling grades. Said lackluster performance led to me also being told that I had to try harder; that there was an inadequacy in me. My parents, while the furthest thing from negligent or mean, were always/are relatively restrained in distributing generous compliments.

I feel like that's the reason I often grapple with an inferiority complex, alongside a sense that I have to prove myself- both to me and to those around me. Even now in college, fairing very well academically and recieving words of genuinely beautiful praise from my English professor, the struggle against a sense of being lesser persists. (Don't worry too hard; I've had a therapist for years to help ventilate these frustrations)

Yet now, I have the final little nudge of support that has more or less perfected my mental fortitude against my self-doubt- at least in terms of my writing prowess specifically (which I hold as a core facet of my identity, so still a significant boost).

I guess I'm writing this out as a sort of thank you to those who checked out Bloodied Snow, even though this is outlandishly personal and out-of-the-blue, as I scarcely used Tumblr to jot down my thoughts until recently.

I'm thankful for feeling at peace with my skills, as it's going to result in me getting some refreshing sleep tonight.

I hope those who read this little letter enjoy a comfortable rest themselves, if only for a night.

Jag älskar er alla, och tack för allt. Jag ska fortsätta med min skrivning imorgon.

[kasunex]

I have to say, I have noticed a major shift in Love is War between Season 1 & 2. Of course, one of the reasons I like Love is War when I normally hate this genre is that the show builds on itself rather than remaining stagnant. But one shift in particular is bugging me: Shirogane.

Shirogane was my favorite character in Season 1 and for a pretty simple reason: he was born into poverty and worked his way to the top of the social ladder at a prestigious school through sheer grit and hard work, yet still struggles with feelings of inadequacy and imposter syndrome. His character isn't anything groundbreaking, but it's a very compelling, relatable, and even motivating portrayal.

Here's the issue, though. By Season 2, the all important imposter syndrome that kept his character balanced is just kinda...shoved to the background, if it's still there at all. Shirogane at this point is just a chad, and for the most part, he knows it. In Season 1, Kaguya was always planning twenty steps ahead, but both Kaguya and Shirogane were clearly invested in their little war game. At that time, the two of them couldn't even ask each other for a pity ride home without making it a cat-and-mouse game. In Season 2, Kaguya is still like that, but Shirogane...just kinda isn't. Take the moon episode, he just casually starts throwing his arms around Kaguya and cuddling her like it's nothing. He's embarrassed about it a bit after the fact, but how this sudden confidence fits in with his imposter syndrome seems unclear at best.

Hell, take the intros. The Season 1 intro was always clear to mirror the two, if Shirogane blushed so did Kaguya and vice versa. The Season 2 intro on the other hand is just Kaguya simping over Shirogane while he stands just shy of telling her to "begone, thot." It might not be so bad if Kaguya was upping her game as well, but she's about at the same level as she was in Season 1. There's no war anymore, Shirogane wins, regardless of who confesses, Kaguya is a blushing mess and Shirogane is smooth as can be.

Ok, character development is always good, but it feels so off. If Shirogane is suddenly so confident around Kaguya, why is he still holding off on a confession? The explanation for why he's waiting for her to confess is supposedly that he's self-conscious about their status gap, reasonably so perhaps, but at this point that self-consciousness doesn't seem to manifest in any other way.

To be honest, I entertained the thought Shirogane was just supposed to be on a total ego trip for a while and was maybe just toying with Kaguya. But then his rejection of Ai (best girl cough) Hayasaka made clear he's still loyal enough to Kaguya to turn down a hot as hell girl directly coming onto him. He still has his morals and isn't lost to ego, and if the temptation is even there it's not apparent.

At this point, Shirogane's character just feels confused. The plot is trying to hold onto the last semblance of Shirogane's former inferiority complex to keep the central conflict unresolved, but the rest of his personality has just ascended to demi-god. He comes off as borderline flawless, but the story is desperately trying to ignore this conclusion and insist that no, Shirogane is still self-conscious.

Take the election arc. Shirogane, who has nothing but his academics and student council work fitting him into such an elite academy, practically throws half his lead out of pity and kindness towards his opponent. How do they reconcile this with his supposed lingering imposter syndrome? They make it abundantly clear that Miko is a clown who doesn't stand a snowball's chance in hell. It all but completely dodges the potential character dilemma.

Even when Shirogane is occasionally revealed to have something he isn't perfect at, like with the singing episode, he's one Chika montage away from being the best like no one ever was.

Honestly it's all pretty ironic. Shirogane's goals and actions are the central driving point of most of the story at this point, yet his character motivations have for some reason completely fallen by the wayside. I feel like someone reading this is gonna "laugh in read the manga", but whatever the case, it's really jarring how much Shirogane shifted between seasons, especially when the rest of the characters feel more or less the same.

The writing wants to have its cake and eat it too, to keep the character built up in Season 1 without actually reinforcing Shirogane's character flaws. What we're left with is a character who comes off one step shy of Jesus, yet is still supposedly too self-conscious to confess to his crush. Perhaps this could make for a somewhat fascinating character, but as stands it feels totally disconnected.