#exploring ptsd

[doobledabbadoo]

I love your flippy! May we have some more fanart of him??? <33333

certainly! heres some recent art i did of him + a few headcanons!

heres the individual images!!

[freshydip]

hey. hey. can we talk about crozier's trauma before he even went north with the terror

he and ross' hands were visibly shaking during a dinner months after their last night in the antarctic. how long did it take for that to go away? did it go away at all? did he still shake from his last trip with the terror as he boarded her for another? do you think he felt anxiety or even fear stepping back onto her deck to head north? do you think that even as he thanked her for keeping him alive all those dark cold years he feared her, because she held some of the most terrifying moments of his entire life, and to rejoin her was to confront all of them once more?

do you think he ever stopped being haunted by terror?

[aster-aspera]

I think Diomedes actually doesn't remember much about the war in Thebes

I think for the most part he remembers the facts, because people keep bringing it up, and it's obviously expected of him that he's able to recount his glorious deeds and stuff

But what it was actually like? It's all just a grey blur to him. He can't remember the first life he took. It's not a moment remembered by history. It wasn't symbolic or glorious or heroic. Sthenelus tells him it was bloody and messy and desperate. That his hands didn't shake the first time he drove a sword into some poor soldier's chest but he did miss and he finished the job with a rock and his bare hands and he looked so lost and terrified after

He cannot remember the walls or the streets or the way the women wailed when it all burned but when he walks through Argos he can't help but stop at every corner. His hand falls on his sword and his body remembers what his mind cannot.

They bury Aegialius and he spends the afternoon dry heaving in the sand and he doesn't know why but in his mind something dark and viscous and sharp glitters on the ground and twisted limbs snake in nauseating patterns and his throat is raw from screaming.

He can't remember why he calls Sthenelus 'tetta' or why the other wraps his arm so easily around his shoulders and he feels safe for the first time since they returned.

Everyone talks to him of a father he can't remember. Everyone talks to him of a war he can't remember.

[urfavcrime]

dsmp is still SO insane to me. still not completely convinced it wasn't a social experiment. it is something that can never be replicated again due to the really specific circumstances that attributed to it's creation and popularity

[merwgue]

In A Court of Mist and Fury (ACOMAF), Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship disintegrates, and many fans are quick to place blame entirely on one or the other. Some see Tamlin as the villain—overbearing, controlling, and dismissive of Feyre’s needs. Others view Feyre as the one in the wrong, shutting down emotionally, and failing to give Tamlin a chance to understand her. But the truth is, both Feyre and Tamlin were in the wrong, and neither can be fully blamed for their relationship’s collapse. Why? Because they were both navigating the deep, complex waters of trauma. And trauma doesn’t just break people—it breaks communication, relationships, and trust.

Tysm for @extremely-judgemental for allowing me to post this, even though its been a work in progress for 2 days, I'm extremely grateful that they allowed me to take inspiration and use there post as a guide!!

The Silent Pact: Avoiding the Pain

Feyre and Tamlin's relationship post-Under the Mountain is one that’s built on a foundation of avoidance. After the trauma they both endured at the hands of Amarantha, they fall into a silent agreement not to discuss what happened. At first glance, this seems like an obvious red flag—after all, how can a couple move forward without addressing the deep emotional wounds they both carry? But in reality, avoidance of trauma isn’t a flaw exclusive to Tamlin or Feyre—it’s a very human reaction to extreme pain.

Psychologically, avoidance is one of the most common coping mechanisms for trauma survivors. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), avoidance is a key symptom of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Survivors avoid thoughts, memories, and discussions that remind them of their trauma because it’s too painful to confront. In Feyre and Tamlin’s case, talking about what happened Under the Mountain would mean reopening wounds that were still raw. Tamlin is a High Lord, a man who feels responsible for everyone, and his inability to protect Feyre still haunts him. For Feyre, she’s dealing with not only the trauma of her own experiences but the guilt of the lives she took.

It’s easy to sit back and say, “Well, they should have talked about it,” but if we’re being realistic, many of us avoid difficult conversations about our own emotions and pain, especially with those we love most. Trauma survivors often feel that talking about their pain will burden others or that they’ll be seen as weak for struggling to cope. In relationships, this can create a wall between partners who are both silently suffering, as neither wants to “break” the other with their vulnerability.

The Psychological Cost of Silence

Tamlin and Feyre’s mutual avoidance wasn’t about not caring—it was about protecting themselves from further pain. Dr. Judith Herman, a renowned expert on trauma recovery, explains in her book Trauma and Recovery that trauma survivors often experience a “double-edged sword�� of wanting to connect with others but fearing the vulnerability that comes with opening up. Tamlin, as High Lord, is burdened with the expectation to be strong and unbreakable. He can’t afford to show his weakness, not to Feyre, not to his court. He believes that if he holds everything together, he can fix what’s broken. Feyre, on the other hand, feels emotionally and physically depleted. She can’t summon the energy to reach out, and the more isolated she feels, the more she retreats.

Dr. Herman also notes that trauma can cause survivors to feel alienated from others, even those they love. This is exactly what happens to Feyre—she feels like she’s drowning in her own despair, and instead of being able to share that with Tamlin, she perceives his actions as controlling and suffocating. To Feyre, Tamlin’s need to protect her feels like a cage, not comfort. She becomes emotionally numb, which is another common symptom of trauma survivors. According to the National Center for PTSD, emotional numbness, or feeling “shut down,” is a way for trauma survivors to protect themselves from being overwhelmed by their feelings.

Tamlin: The Strong Protector, Who Never Heals

On the surface, Tamlin seems like the “strong” one in the relationship. He’s the High Lord, after all, and High Lords don’t fall apart. But beneath that strength is a man who’s been shattered by his own trauma and guilt. Tamlin failed to protect Feyre Under the Mountain, and that failure haunts him. In his mind, the only way to keep her safe is to control her environment. He barricades her inside his estate, thinking that if she’s sheltered, nothing can hurt her.

But what Tamlin doesn’t realize is that his overprotectiveness isn’t strength—it’s fear. Fear of losing her again. Fear of failing again. And fear of facing his own trauma. This isn’t unique to Tamlin; many trauma survivors, particularly men, fall into the trap of thinking they need to be invulnerable to protect their loved ones. Dr. Terrence Real, a therapist specializing in male depression, explains that men are often conditioned to believe they must be the “fixers” in relationships. When they can’t fix the problem, they feel powerless, and that powerlessness turns into control as they try to manage their environment instead of addressing their emotional wounds.

Tamlin’s way of coping is to be the protector at all costs, but in doing so, he isolates himself from Feyre’s emotional needs. His controlling behavior isn’t about dominance—it’s about shielding himself from the fear of another failure. Research shows that controlling behavior in relationships is often rooted in anxiety and a fear of abandonment (Simpson et al., 2017). In trying to keep Feyre safe, Tamlin inadvertently builds a prison around her, and that isolation becomes unbearable for her.

Feyre: The Self-Destructive Survivor

Feyre, on the other hand, is falling apart in silence. She’s lost, broken, and burdened by the trauma of her experiences and the lives she took Under the Mountain. Yet, she doesn’t know how to express that pain, especially to Tamlin. Psychologist Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, in his book The Body Keeps the Score, emphasizes that trauma survivors often feel disconnected from their bodies and emotions. They may become passive or disengaged, unable to articulate what they need. For Feyre, this is exactly what happens—she feels hollow, empty, and disconnected from herself, so she withdraws from Tamlin. Instead of sharing her pain, she self-destructs. The nightmares, the apathy, the loss of interest in the things she once loved—it’s all part of the trauma she hasn’t processed.

Research into PTSD and depression shows that survivors often feel a profound sense of isolation, even when surrounded by loved ones (National Institute of Mental Health, 2021). They may believe that no one can understand what they’ve been through, or worse, that no one cares. Feyre falls into this trap—she interprets Tamlin’s controlling behavior as indifference to her emotional needs when, in reality, it’s his misguided attempt to protect her.

The Insecurity and Breakdown of Their Relationship

At the core of Feyre and Tamlin’s relationship is deep insecurity. Tamlin is insecure because of his failure to protect Feyre, and Feyre is insecure because she feels like a burden. Neither of them feels safe enough to admit that they’re struggling, and so they continue to put on masks for each other. Tamlin pretends to be strong, while Feyre pretends she can handle it all on her own.

Their avoidance of the issue and failure to communicate lead to the mutual destruction of their relationship. This isn’t because one of them was “right” and the other was “wrong”—they were both struggling with unprocessed trauma. According to relationship expert Dr. John Gottman, one of the keys to a successful relationship is the ability to repair conflicts through open communication. When couples avoid discussing their pain, resentment builds, and the relationship begins to fracture.

But for trauma survivors like Feyre and Tamlin, communication isn’t as simple as sitting down and having a conversation. Trauma creates emotional barriers that make it difficult to open up, even to those we love most. This is why Feyre’s resentment toward Tamlin grows, and why Tamlin becomes increasingly controlling—they’re both reacting to their trauma in ways that only push each other further away.

Conclusion: No True Villains, Just Trauma

So, can we truly blame either Feyre or Tamlin for the collapse of their relationship? In reality, they were both victims of their trauma, and they both failed each other because they couldn’t face it. Their silence wasn’t malicious, and their emotional distance wasn’t about a lack of love. It was about fear—fear of reopening wounds, fear of being vulnerable, and fear of losing the other person.

In the end, both Feyre and Tamlin’s coping mechanisms—whether it was Tamlin’s control or Feyre’s withdrawal—were their ways of surviving. It’s easy to say they should have communicated, but as we’ve seen, trauma complicates everything. Both were struggling to keep their heads above water, and unfortunately, neither of them could see the other drowning.

Here are some quotes from books I've done my research on!! I wanted to make sure my arguments were as clean and precise because mental health Is not something you half ass

1. On Trauma and Avoidance:

Judith Herman, "Trauma and Recovery":

"Trauma isolates; the words and feelings associated with it often remain unspoken. Survivors find it difficult to share their experiences with others because talking about the trauma seems like a betrayal of the self."

Bessel van der Kolk, "The Body Keeps the Score":

"Trauma by nature drives us to the edge of comprehension, cutting us off from language based on common experience or an imaginable past... It is as if time stops, and we are trapped in a perpetual state of helplessness."

2. On Emotional Numbing:

Bessel van der Kolk:

"Many traumatized people seem to shut down emotionally. As long as they are not being confronted with their trauma, they function relatively well. But as soon as something reminds them of the past, they may become helpless, upset, or furious."

Feyre’s emotional shutdown and numbness, post-trauma, is a common response for trauma survivors. Her inability to connect emotionally with Tamlin can be seen as a coping mechanism to avoid pain.

3. On Controlling Behavior as a Response to Anxiety:

Simpson et al. (2017), Journal of Personality and Social Psychology:

"Individuals with a high need for control often display overbearing or controlling behaviors in relationships as a way to reduce their own internal anxiety. This behavior often stems from feelings of powerlessness or fear of failure."

This aligns with Tamlin’s overprotective behavior toward Feyre, not as a way to dominate but to manage his own anxieties about failing her again.

4. On Insecure Relationships and Trauma:

Dr. Terrence Real, "I Don't Want to Talk About It":

"Men are often taught that emotional vulnerability is a weakness. As a result, many men struggle with expressing their pain or discussing their emotional needs, which can lead to controlling or distant behaviors in relationships."

Tamlin’s desire to protect Feyre without acknowledging his own emotional needs fits into this psychological framework. His need to appear strong likely prevented him from admitting his own trauma.

5. On Communication Breakdown in Trauma Survivors:

John Gottman, "The Seven Principles for Making Marriage Work":

"When couples avoid difficult conversations, the issue doesn’t go away—it festers and can lead to increased resentment. Open, honest communication, even when difficult, is necessary for a relationship to thrive, especially in times of emotional distress."

This quote highlights why the breakdown between Feyre and Tamlin happened. By avoiding discussions about their trauma, they allowed distance and resentment to grow.

6. On the Difficulty of Vulnerability:

Brené Brown, "Daring Greatly":

"Vulnerability is the birthplace of connection and the path to the feeling of worthiness. If it doesn’t feel vulnerable, the sharing is probably not constructive."

Both Feyre and Tamlin were afraid of vulnerability, thinking it would expose their weaknesses rather than heal their bond. This is part of why their relationship fell apart.

7. On Emotional Isolation Post-Trauma:

National Institute of Mental Health, PTSD Fact Sheet:

"Trauma survivors may feel detached or estranged from others. They may avoid close relationships or feel emotionally numb, which can make it difficult to connect with loved ones."

This highlights how Feyre, in particular, felt emotionally detached and distanced herself from Tamlin, contributing to the breakdown of their relationship.

8. On Mutual Coping with Trauma in Relationships:

Susan M. Johnson, "Hold Me Tight: Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love":

"Trauma survivors in relationships often either withdraw or become overly controlling as a way to manage their overwhelming emotions. Without understanding this cycle, couples can become trapped in mutual avoidance."

This captures the essence of Feyre and Tamlin’s post-trauma dynamic—Feyre withdrawing emotionally and Tamlin becoming more controlling, both as coping mechanisms to deal with their trauma.

This was genuinely one of the hardest essay arguments I've written, I've spent 2 days writing this, that's why I didn't post anything these past few days. I hope this was precise enough and of course If you have anything to add don't hesitate to tell me! Thank you!!💞

[cry-ptidd]

Alucard wouldn’t be nearly as fun a character if he wasn’t a disturbed, sad sack of shit of a man

[diogxnxs]

Donald Duck suffering from PTSD was in fact already made into an official comic years back.

It is a product of its time, so I had to censor the slurs that were considered normal then. It's dark humor given what people were going through at the time. It didn't help that the victory in Europe overshadowed the war in the pacific that was still ongoing when they were already celebrating. It's quite symbolical that Donald was stationed there because despite his number 1 status during WW2 Era as a man duck soldiers could relate to, his popularity would eventually wane in the US during the peace time, overtaken by Mickey Mouse. And, as the comics go, he's not been having a perfect time in Duckburg either as seen in The Magnificent Seven (Minus 4) Caballeros written by Don Rosa who too is a Three Caballeros fan. All of Rosa's stories were set around the 1950s, post-war era.

Our poor veteran war hero cannot catch a break. Not only did he face the horrors of a war where no man can ever come out normal but Duckburg in the post-war era wasn't that kind in the treatment of our US Veteran either. Another sad part is that Military Medicine regarding PTSD was fairly new in this era. It was first called "Shell Shock" or "Old Sargeant's Disease." Eventually, it was referred to as "Combat Stress Reaction" (CSR) during WWII but colloquially it was referred to as "battle fatigue." They didn't even think it was a real thing until the numbers started showing. Initially, people thought that those who suffered from it were those who weren't made of "hard stuff" but even the toughest of men would suffer in that war. This led to a completely different outlook. Treatment for it back then wasn't that developed either and adjusting to civilian life after living in a state of conflict for so long is difficult. Despite this, Donald was able to raise three kids on his own and live a fairly normal high-functioning life taking on various jobs from being a sailor again to even being a policeman. (Or a superhero. Yeah. That one counts too) Donald Duck serves as a great symbol of hope and grit for the good that can still be had in life in spite of the troubles we've experienced. Because if this white duck can bounce back, so can you.

Some Sources: History of PTSD in Veterans: Civil War to DSM-5 WWII Post Traumatic Stress Posttraumatic stress disorder and the World War II veteran Duck and Cover: Donald’s World War II Short Subjects Donald Duck Received Official Discharge Papers from the Defense Department

[stagefoureddiediaz]

Thinking about step 9 and the whole concept of forgiveness of one’s self and others and it bringing healing and how bobby and Eddie have been paralleled a fair amount and the idea that Eddie started this process back at the end of s5 with his forgiveness and acceptance of his father but how he hasn’t yet gone anywhere near his mother and their relationship .

How his catholic guilt storyline seems more likely to play on his reltionship with his mother than his father (if his father wasn’t around that much it would’ve been Helena taking him to church etc each week) so the idea of an Eddie - Helena storyline that plays on catholic guilt and potentially his queerness in relation to that has me chewing on glass - it could be so epically good

[bethanydelleman]

Trope exploration: Man, usually a war veteran, with PTSD drowns his sorrows in alcohol

I was rewatching one of my favourite shows and I was struck by the fact that the main male character had severe Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)* and yet didn't drink because it seemed like a big trope subversion. This made me wonder about the real world comorbidity** of substance use disorder (SUD) and PTSD, so I could determine if this common association was a reflection of real life or a trope.

PTSD & SUD co-occur at a rate of about 30-55%

(many of these studies are in veterans, source, source, source)

However, this is SUD in general, which means it includes any abuse of a drug, including but not limited to alcohol. The highest rates of PTSD are in cocaine and opiate users. Also, and this is very interesting, the direction of causation is unknown (does the substance or the PTSD come first):

Although PTSD and SUDs appear to be strongly linked, little is known about the nature of their relationship. The most widely held explanation of their frequent co-occurrence is the self-medication hypothesis. This hypothesis is based primarily on clinical observation and posits that traumatized individuals attempt to use substances in order to dampen traumatic memories, or to avoid or “escape” from other painful symptoms of PTSD. A second hypothesis, the high-risk hypothesis, posits that individuals with SUDs, because of high-risk lifestyles, are likely to experience a trauma and are, therefore, more likely than the general population to develop PTSD. Finally, a third hypothesis, known as the susceptibility hypothesis, states that substance use increases an individual's susceptibility to developing PTSD following a trauma. (source)

It was also noted as important that most patients who suffered from PTSD had multiple traumatic events in their lives, beginning in childhood. Also, more men had SUD than women, which holds true in the general population as well.

I think one of the best representations in popular media of PTSD might be The Hunger Games. They have SUD/PTSD Haymitch and the Morphling (opioid abuse) victors, but Katniss and Peeta deal with their experience in other ways, as do the others that we see. Also, it's clear that most of the victors have repeated trauma: Katniss's father dying and nearly starving to death; Peeta's childhood abuse; and Haymitch being forced to have a front row seat to subsequent games.

Conclusion: at most, only about 50% of patients with PTSD abuse a drug of any kind, less of them abuse alcohol. So it would be both interesting and scientifically valid to see more characters with PTSD who are not constantly drinking. Men are more likely to have substance use disorders, so the trope is partially supported.***

*Comorbidity is when two disorders happen in the same person at the same time. There are many conditions that are likely to co-occur, like depression and generalized anxiety disorder or Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

**Symptoms of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder, taken from one of the sources above:

The characteristic symptoms of PTSD can be divided into three clusters: avoidant, intrusive, and arousal symptoms. Examples of intrusive symptoms include unwanted thoughts or flashbacks of the event. Avoidant symptoms include, for example, attempts to avoid any thoughts or stimuli that remind one of the event. These symptoms are particularly relevant to this review because substances of abuse are often used by individuals with PTSD in an attempt to avoid or escape memories. Arousal symptoms generally include exaggerated startle reflex, sleep disturbance, and irritability, and are generally associated with hyperactivity of the autonomic nervous system.

***I'm not saying that this trope is bad or that we shouldn't see any people with PTSD resorting to substance abuse in media. Instead, I'm saying that the amount of people with PTSD who use alcohol as a coping mechanism is lower than most people probably think, and it would be interesting to see other representations of PTSD as well. PTSD & SUD are most likely commonly paired together in media because it's an easily visible sign of internal suffering.

Also, varied displays of different disorders are important, in my opinion. We don't want someone thinking they don't have PTSD or that a loved one doesn't have PTSD because they don't also have a problem with alcohol.

[sapphicslaylist]

“I can’t get away from you, can I?”

If I don’t do a trauma moodboard for my very specific AU worldbuilding then what kind of creature am I? (Thorn icon by @moonpool-system )

[sincerely-sofie]

*gently places angsty Twig comic in your hands*

There comes a point in healing, sometimes, where you must grieve the child you never got to be, and bury her along with the desperate hope of one day somehow becoming her.

It isn’t fair. And it never will be.

But you grieve the child, still.

[problematicbots]

The most bipolar, ptsd, ocd bot ever

[qoldsw1ld]

Derealization gets me every day every minute

[idkaguyorsomething]

Is it weird that I am perfectly fine with Araki giving Jodio a severe mental illness but still wish he had given Jodio a different one?

sorry it took so long to answer this one, i was trying to figure out how exactly to answer it, and it turns out there's a lot of different ways:

from a perspective of representation: mental illness is an incredibly stigmatized subject, and in mediums like manga and comic books even more so, as it is incredibly common for a lot of popular plots in those mediums to go "well, x character went crazy, that's why they're evil", as well as stories in general to associate a lack of empathy with a lack of ability to act in traditionally heroic ways. jjba itself has shown that, as part of dio's initial villainous characterization involves him showing a lack of empathy towards various figures such as dario or george (although this isn't the only way his villainy is characterized, as we're also shown right off the bat that he's very deliberately cruel). with jodio being set up as more of an anti-hero, giving him more traits that could be considered unheroic as well as a commonly stigmatized mental disorder, it makes sense to not have that sit quite right. but taking the history of the series into mind, jojo's is no stranger to exploring more shades of gray in its protagonists in its past. johnny and gappy have certainly committed far greater acts of brutality in their parts, while giorno, who jodio is set up as a parallel to, outright aspires to be a head of organized crime. even josuke, who is portrayed as one of the kindest and most pure-of-heart jojos, basically condemns a guy to a fate worse than death in his first arc. this isn't necessarily anything new the series is giving us, and the fact that the jojolands is largely portrayed from the perspective of jodio himself is a massive plus, as it gives us insight into his thought processes and helps us sympathize with a character we might not have done so otherwise (telling a story from the perspective of someone doesn't necessarily ask us to sympathize with them, but things like the goofy jokes he makes with dragona, his own insight on his diagnosis, and his clear love for his family go a long way towards making jodio likeable). one could view this as the natural progression of jojos tending towards the anti-heroic while araki explores more marginalized communities he's interested in portraying, or a poorly thought out decision that furthers stigma towards said marginalized communities. personally, i think it's still too early in the story to make any real judgements, but the way i see it it's kind of similar to the situation with jolyne. she's the only female jojo, and the only one besides jonathan who ultimately fails in her quest at the end of her part. there are narrative and thematic reasons for doing so, but it doesn't sit right with a lot of people, and that's perfectly fine.

from a medical perspective: according to the dsm 5, a person must fit at least three of the criteria for antisocial personality disorder in order to be diagnosed as having it, most of which jodio does fit. failure to conform to social laws and norms (he's a teenage drug dealer), deceitfulness (when barbara ann asks him where he is and if he's hanging out with paco, he lies), impulsivity (he destroys one of the lava rocks to try and get rohan to cooperate), aggressiveness (he kicks that one fucking cop until he's a stain on the ground, twice, although he is justified in his actions and this kind of willingness to fight people is essentially a requirement to be a jojo), reckless disregard of safety (again, practically a requirement for most main characters), consistent irresponsibility (assuming what we've been shown of him is how he acts all the time, yes, although the story so far takes place over too small of a timeframe to determine that), and lack of remorse (dragona has to remind him not to get too violent in the opening chapter with the cop). so he does fit most of the criteria, but it is also a requirement that, to receive a diagnosis, a person must be eighteen or older, with evidence of having fit some of the criteria before the age of fifteen. so by real world standards, jodio would be on track to being diagnosed with antisocial personality disorder, but actually receiving it from a high school psychologist is bullshit. then again, this is the universe where the president made a cowboy race battle royale where the contestants had to collect magic body parts, so it's entirely possible that psychiatric standards in that world are just different. but you would be entirely justified in not liking his diagnosis, and there are several other disorders that fit the behavior that jodio shows. there's adhd (the impulsivity and tendency to get lost in daydreams and beating the shit out of cops), depression (the sense of emptiness he describes upon being given his diagnosis), anxiety (irritability and angry outbursts), and that's just some of the more common disorders. we haven't even gotten into some other full-on personality disorders or common comorbidities with antisocial personality disorder! from this perspective, your assessment is totally fair.

from a thematic perspective: as mentioned earlier, jojo's is no stranger to making its heroes increasingly reflected in shades of gray, and parts seven and eight especially make a point of contrasting their protagonists with their respective foils from parts one and four. johnny is a paraplegic gringo jockey twink that murders people so hard his friend the executioner had to tell him to slow down, in contrast with the jacked and kindly gentleman jonathan who impressed a stranger so much with his dignity that he immediately joined him in his quest. gappy is a quirky lil amnesiac who beats people to death with shovels while josuke has one of the more normal personalities of all the jojos and possibly the lowest kill count. at first it might seem like giorno and jodio are the most similar duo, since they're both criminals that act a-okay with murder, but while giorno's goals and reasoning for joining the criminal underground are motivated by a sense of empathy towards the people of italy and a belief in a higher ideology that passione can aspire to, jodio is a very self-centered kid. he has a very inflated idea of his own reputation, can't spot obvious traps, and the very first thing we're told about him is that he wants to be stinking rich. he also believes in the ideology of mechanisms, but it's an ideology that is explicitly centered around gain and his own material wealth, in contrast to giorno's philosophy, which involves ideals of self-improvement and certain boundaries that should not be crossed in the pursuit of power. giorno's ruthlessness stems from a place of compassion, so having his counterpart being someone who lacks the ability to feel empathy is a really interesting choice that gives the story a lot of places to go. the fact that the other criteria he fills, like impulsiveness and irresponsibility, stand in direct contrast to giorno's ambition and planning ahead, also adds further potential for the jojolands to explore a completely different sort of crime story than golden wind. so from this perspective, i'd say that your assessment is rather harsh.

tl;dr there's a lot of different angles to approach this question from. it's 90% probably that i completely misunderstood what you were trying to ask, though, so please tell me what i got wrong :P

[abysskeeper]

Ah hell, why not? Rookanis snippet on main here too. Two Crows in the spirit of the stabby...or something.

I'd warn suggestive, but really this is a character study thinly disguised as smut-adjacent activities. Take that as you will.

It was a wonder how readily he allowed her to strip him bare. How easily he stood before her, unabashed. It was not confidence, at least not in the way most would think. Few could claim to know him half as well as she did. No one else could claim to know him as this. It was a fact he was proud of, one he happily laid at her feet time and again every time she needed a reminder.

He was far too open with his vulnerability, his one weakness. It shouldn’t make her heart sing as it did, and yet…

She must have hovered too long. Lucanis finally reached down, grasping at her hands and gently pulling them upwards. He placed a kiss on each one, never once breaking eye contact as he tried to discern where her thoughts had taken her.

Surely, he already knew it was less than ideal.

“Mis alas—”

Before he could say anything else, she silenced him with another kiss, her hands breaking from his hold to pull him closer and pressing her body into his. There was no softness to it anymore, her edges merely dulled or jagged now, but when his taut arms wrapped around her waist, she decided that wasn’t necessarily a bad thing.

There was no comfort in softness for either of them, not anymore. If Alina were a soft thing, she would not be able to stand unwavering beside him as she did now. And for as soft as his heart was, if it were not plated with the mettle born from their chosen profession…born from his life and everything he had survived thus far…she would be wracked with worry and guilt trying to handle his love.

No. There was no comfort in softness anymore. But the rough edges? The hard lines and armored souls? There was an unquestionable…unspeakable understanding in it between them. There was relief and trust and…

And it did not make the love they shared within these walls any less tender.

His hands traveled during their kiss. Calloused fingers danced up the scarred skin of her sides and then moved back down, one of them hooking under the waistband of her panties. On instinct, one of her own hands flew down to catch his wrist. She barely contained the flinch when he pulled away from her with a soft sigh.

It was an old fear as well as a needless one, but on nights like tonight it still had the capacity to make itself known. Old habits died hard, and really, there still was some veracity to the belief.

He was the Demon of Vyrantium after all. Caterina Dellamorte’s prodigy and favored grandson, a master assassin crafted and trained for his newly minted position as the First Talon of the Antivan Crows. Lucanis Dellamorte knew his way around weapons better than anyone else in Thedas, and Alina de Riva was nothing if not a pristine, finely crafted blade. She took great pride in it, but some nights she was reminded how flimsy her cover was. How easily her carefully constructed illusion could shatter and reveal the truth.

It was just a woman underneath everything, after all.

“Vhenan…”

The endearment fell all too quickly from her mouth, a word she could only claim by appearance. She was not Dalish, she did not claim any heritage from any clan. She was Antivan through and through. She did not have any right to the Elven language, but she had always appreciated that one endearment.

It was as much an acknowledgment as it was an endearment though…an immutable truth. Her heart. That was something she had hardened and cast in silverite years ago, a necessity for all she still wished to do. She didn’t regret it and hadn’t looked back, but she also never intended on being faced with it again. She never intended to find it again, beating to the rhythm of another, formed in the shape of a man with rough hands holding her and gentle eyes watching her and his own soft heart offering her everything she never believed possible to attain.

His free hand came up to cup her cheek and Lucanis kissed her again, soft and slow. The sweetness of it, the sheer patience contained within it had her letting him go. Instead, her arm wrapped around his neck, and she cradled the back of his head, fingers caressing over his silky strands of hair.

He pulled away again with another breath, dark eyes opening and searching her own, seeking an answer. An okay. She gave a soft smile that must have been reflected in her own gaze because he leaned forward, resting his lips against her forehead as he helped her shed her last remaining clothing. And when his hand settled on her hips and his gaze swept over her with nothing short of loving adoration, she felt that lingering fear extinguished once more.

It was just a woman underneath everything, but that was alright. Lucanis had never seen anything else, and perhaps she already knew that from the first time his hands fumbled with her own.

[leahthedreamer]

If it’s one thing Season 2 reinforces is that Carmy NEEDS Sydney but Sydney doesn’t necessarily need Carmy to the same capacity.

Without Sydney and her leadership and intuition that restaurant would have never opened on time. Carmy is a work in progress, desperately needs therapy and probably a vacation and clearly couldn’t handle any semblance of a relationship while juggling stress and his past trauma.

Which is why if I had an ending of the show pictured, it would be them parting ways with Sydney earning his full respect as a chef and a Carmy hopefully free enough to achieve things himself and maintain some happiness in his life.