#because I cannot stand anymore of this toxic positivity and blatant disregard for others

[bookwyrminspiration]

(If you’re sick of talking abt ro feel free to ignore this lol) BUT BRUHHH IF ITS RO HOURS THIS HAS BEEN BOTHERING ME FOR MONTHS—

I can’t stand, or at least I see it as a major red flag, the amount of times ro has used the stop moping line. Especially towards keefe.

I understand how it could be fine in certain situations but I feel like I’m unlocked, where keefe is literally so overwhelmed it’s pretty much impossible for him to hide his negative emotions/discomfort/etc, and he’s clearly struggling a ton, instead of offering ANY comfort she just sticks to telling him to “stop sulking” and treats his issues as if they’re almost an annoyance.

It very much reminds me of just telling someone with depression to just go outside or something lol. I know it’s probably just her upbringing that’s done this but MAN it makes me uncomfortable.

You said it before but she has so little regard for anyone’s emotions it’s so so hard to like her in any way. At this point I’m glad keefes separated from her right now cause y e e s h.

(I know there was that one moment where she,, technically?? Hugged him, but given that was one thing out of many incidents I’m not really counting it)

I'm not sick of talking about her at all! It was actually torture (/hyp) to see this ask in my inbox this morning and know I wouldn't have time to answer it for several hours because I think the topic is so interesting and today is b u s y. however, Ro hours can continue as long as we'd like!!

but you are absolutely right. keefe is struggling with his emotions and the solution is not to just think positively, just get over it, or the "stop moping." There are situations where its appropriate to tell someone to get over themselves and to focus on the actual problem, but this is not one of them. His life has just been spiraling for several books, progressively getting worse and worse. he said it himself, for the Vackers everything went back to normal, but where's his perfect fix? why does is just keep getting worse? This isn't the kind of issue that will go away if he doesn't think about it, and Ro is pushing this toxic positivity onto him because that's not the part about him that interests her. She thinks the romantic drama is fun, but the actual people behind it and their lives are uncomfortable and she doesn't want to deal with it.

i think to her, his issues are an annoyance. She became his bodyguard on her father's orders, but that was a purely physical arrangement. Physical protection. She didn't agree to look after his mental wellbeing, and because it's not part of her responsibilities she hasn't cared about it. She doesn't want to hear it. So she tells him to stop sulking and get over it because she has to be near him at all times and doesn't want to deal with that.

your comparison to telling someone with depression to just go outside is actually perfect. it's this refusal to acknowledge that there is more to these issues than just disposition, that there are serious symptoms and issues and things that need to be addressed and worked through. Keefe has never had anyone in his life that he's cared about like he cares about Sophie and he genuinely doesn't know what to do about it. Ro telling him to just get over it isn't going to make him suddenly confident or help him figure out what to do next, it's going to tell him that he needs to hide that from Ro and that she isn't a safe person to talk to about that.

its so...dismissive. I hate to read about it. Keefe is trying to get through these serious mental blockages and self esteem issues all on his own, and when they are brought up Ro just doesn't care because it's not the teenage drama she's come to enjoy. it's almost like she feels she's allowed to dismiss him and meddle in his life because she's protecting him when she doesn't want to, despite Keefe not wanting her there either.

I think I like the idea of Ro, but not the execution and how she's written in canon. There's the few moments I've enjoyed, like when she praises Sophie's individuality and how she stands up for herself, but aside from that she lives in her own world. As a bodyguard I'd expect more from here, at least the basic decency to try and consider how her actions affect others and if she's behaving appropriately. I don't need her to empathize with Keefe, just to take literally a minute to stop and consider if her actions are hurting him. because they are! and she doesn't even care! he doesn't feel cared for or protected. I hate it!

as for the hug, I'm optimistic it might lead to development into the person I'd like her to be, but with that being a single hug in Keefe's most vulnerable moment across 3.5 books, I don't think it changes anything yet. Especially since after that she went back to telling him to try harder and be optimistic and that everything would work out (this was when they were testing his new ability, which that whole thing I also have thoughts about).

she just feels like such wasted potential. she could've been this self-aware role model, an example that you don't need empathy to be considerate and kind to others, but nope! she's an asshole!