#forgiveness please fanon

[damianbugs]

i get so irrationally sad when i read fics where bruce is shown as indifferent towards children in gotham, or worse, when children are scared of batman. like well done team, we have failed step one in batmanism.

this is the same guy who used to take less fortunate children on camping trips outside of the city for no reason at all other than the fact that he wanted to and could. or the guy who was good friends with the teens who worked at the boy's club, sponsoring their training and making time to watch them. he got shot repeatedly and ran around with arrows sticking out of him to protect a child. he runs into burning buildings to save children! penguin used homeless children to draw out batman because he knew bruce wouldn't ignore them. he used to foster children while searching for ways to reunite them with their families!

he sees himself in every child in gotham, but more importantly, he doesn't WANT to see them follow the same fate as him! he doesn't want them to grow up scared and lonely, lost and hurt — everything he does is to avoid another batman from existing! he is the beginning and the end!

Batman Kings of Fear #4

of course he can't save all of them — he's just one man — and that is quite literally his WORST FEAR, and of course that means there are going to be children who are lost and scared and alone... some moulded by his own hands.

but he tries and he will literally never stop trying, and that's still not enough — but its as close as he'll get to penance.

[iamumbra195]

You know what I just realized? Jason Todd is the Dabi/Todoroki Touya of the Batman fandom

[chorus-the-mutate]

2025 is the year of fuck it, we ball and in the spirit of that I'm dropping my most nuclear SCP opinion: I don't like the idea of any fanon interpretation of SCP 231 trying to water down the horrors of 110 Montauk, the treatment of SCP 231-1 through 7 or the Scarlet King becoming canon. The entire point of SCP 231 is the horrific, unfair consequences these girls endure because of the Scarlet King and his cult and the moral ramifications that the foundation faces because of the horrific acts of violence they have to inflict on these girls they sympathize with in order to keep the world at large safe. It is the definitive moral quandary of the foundation and stripping away the immoral aspects of SCP 231 removes the moral nuances that give the story of SCP 231-1 through 7 any weight.

With that being said I will say that I like and respect Fear Alone as an alternative interpretation of SCP 231's story because it subverts the initial expectations of horror you'd expect with SCP 231 and shifts the moral quandary to how fucked up it is to gaslight foundation staff into truly believing that they are harming a child. And I especially like how Katherine (SCP 231-7) is humanized and is turned into a character instead of a number. I just don't believe it should be canon because it strips away the immorality that makes SCP 231 a real moral quandary for the foundation.

If anything I think there are ways to humanize SCP 231-1 through 7 while still facing the full horror of SCP 231 as a story, even if you don't want to directly write about 110 Montauk. While I don't personally know how long SCP 231-7 endures 110 Montauk someone could interpret that there are breaks between each ritual and spin the administering of class a amnestics as a mercy when in reality it is a tool to inflict more suffering. And by focusing on the times between each ritual you have time to characterize SCP 231-7 and the staff around her, to show that SCP 231-7 has a life outside of these rituals, even if that life is scary or confusing for her. Then between the transitions of time someone would want to put in this hypothetical story they could imply the horror of what SCP 231-7 goes through without showing it and instead focusing on the medical assistance she'd need afterwards. Even if someone wouldn't want to go that route because it doesn't provide any real closure they could write about SCP 231-6's escape attempt and how she almost got away, or even how her death was faked. Or they could even write about SCP 231-7's escape or escape attempt and all of the ramifications that come along with her escape or demise.

With the more positive stuff out of the way I will say that I genuinely dislike the fanon interpretation of SCP 231's story that casts SCP 682 and SCP 999 as children of SCP 231-4 and SCP 231-7. And yes I am saying fanon interpretation because while SCP files are under a creative commons license this interpretation of SCP 231's story or Fear Alone were, to my knowledge, not made by SCP 231's original author. Even with all of the redacted information on SCP 231's file I don't think any of it is supposed to be legible even if it was put through a block text translator to maintain a sense of mystery. (Trust me I tried putting the SCP numbers through a block text translator and I couldn't find anything legible.) Plus SCP 999 isn't mentioned in the document at all and the document isn't written in a way that would intentionally misdirect readers about SCP 231-7's fate while implying she gave birth. The document is solely about SCP 231-7 and the moral implications of what she's going through. And that's how it should be.

Making SCP 682 a child of SCP 231-4 strips away SCP 682's agency as a character and ties him in with a story that flattens the nuances of his character. If SCP 682 is a child of the Scarlet King his hatred for humanity just becomes this inherent evil within him instead of leaving room for interpretation about why SCP 682 hates humanity even though he has the capacity to befriend SCP 053 and SCP 079. Using a familial tie to the Scarlet King as an explanation for why SCP 682 hates humanity strips away any humanity SCP 682 has as a character and that will always be an inherent disservice to his character.

But the worst offender of this fanon interpretation by far is SCP 999. Don't get me wrong, I like SCP 999, I really do. But I don't think SCP 999 is supposed to be a character, I think he's supposed to be an embodiment of good in its purest form. He doesn't need to be some big hero in someone else's story because saving the world isn't what being good is about. Hell, the SCP foundation itself, especially in this case, shows that being good and saving the world are very much not the same thing sometimes. Being good is as simple as showing a genuine love for the people around you and putting in a genuine effort to make things better for those people. And that's all SCP 999 ever needed to show. Throwing him into the lore of SCP 231 and the Scarlet King as SCP 231-7's child ditches the point SCP 999 originally made about being good and flattens the moral nuances involved with SCP 231's lore in general by providing a cop out solution to the moral quandary SCP 231 was built on to begin with. Plus I think implying that the torture SCP 231-7 has endured was not only for nothing but that her violation directly produced a messianic figure that could save the world from her abuser is infinitely crueler than SCP 231 as a story canonically is now. SCP 231 isn't an incel fantasy like Redo of Healer or hedonistic torture porn for the sake of it like Marquis de Sade's works, it is a piece of horror. And the horror is the fact that these girls are victims that cannot be saved, no matter how much anyone in the foundation sympathizes with them. The girls are not to blame for anything that happened to them but they cannot be humanized by the foundation or else the foundation will not have the resolve to keep the world safe. SCP 231-1 through 7's treatment is supposed to be the blight on the foundation they can never wash away. And at this point I would rather have this incredibly bleak story about these girls than a happy ending where SCP 999 saves the day and erases these girls from their own story, their own suffering.

If anyone reading this doesn't like the grave moral implications of SCP 231 that is perfectly fine, but I would rather you spend time reading or making content about SCPs you do like than stripping away the moral complexities of this SCP to make it more palatable.

[narwhalandchill]

its been like. nearly a year (How.) already but i cannot lie theres Still a part in the back of my brain occupied with and being thoroughly entertained by the way that childes confirmed 4.0 complete self-awareness over waking up the narwhal at 14 recontextualizes some key liyue things leading to some very funny self indulgent scenarios in my head

like yes chili is old news its basic please excuse me for predictable popular ship crimes (do NOT however associate me w the crimes of fanon against their actual range. theyre peak to Me) but i just keep replaying the imagery of zhongli and childe back on their homoerotic Professional Working Relationship bullshit where their flirting passed the jkjk unless treshold of even remotely plausible deniability like 8 exorbitantly priced business dinners ago and theyre just like. doing that whole song and dance now neither committing to a move except zhonglis presently feeling moderately conflicted (but nonetheless fairly unfazed at) by the prospects of actually developing some sort of a thing for the harbinger hes supposed to puppet master into executing the major story climax of his 67-step retirement plan bc he turned out to be quite the strangely charming ginger specimen (to His weird fucking 6000 year old tastes at least. they deserve each other) with some fascinating life ambitions he cant help but be enraptured by.

but because hes still 100% Locked In on his entire plan zhonglis also just . simultaneously dual wielding his coy-ass "i like you and am taking it slow to Savor this developing relationship (Also bc of the Geo Archon Shaped Elephant In The Room) except am old as shit so my languid sense of time inadvertedly Automatically turns my behavior into an equivalent of the dark souls boss of playing hard2get" act (cue "waddup im ajax 24 and im in fucking agony with this hot funeral consultant". Yes they live like this) AND also meticulously theorycrafting like 12 moves in advance for his 6d chess play of leaving the most subtly crafted trail of breadcrumbs behind for the tsaritsas 11th to follow into the intended & completely "Coincidental" idea of unleashing the one particular sealed sea deity that zhongli Specifically wants momentarily released for his sweet 6k retirement party and graduation test for the nation hes helicopter parented for 3.7k years .

like. this is zhongli we r talking about the guy Absolutely has it planned out down to a fucking art like he has an entire branching path dialogue tree planned and memorized like its a visual novel for every possible way he can conveniently namedrop osial in a non-suspect way and also that he just happens to be sealed right over there across the harbor (what a coincidence!) and also to slip in the intel about the latent power of the sigil of permission etc etc. like zhonglis just out there doing all this massive galaxy brain computational work simultaneously while infodumping on an academic level about whichever subject childes latest random comment of amicable small talk happened to remind him of because in his helicopter parent in remission mind its Absolutely Critical that the idea about releasing osial occurs Completely organically in childes mind it Has to he Cannot risk revealing anything . (hes in remission not in recovery guys.) so like here we are. he requested notes from the tsaritsa Personally on the character of her 11th just to ensure every move was painstakingly crafted to draw him Specifically to the intended conclusion without risking revealing his true identity .

except. the thing . neither he. nor the tsaritsa . would have been informed of . is that this simply isnt childes first fucking rodeo waking up an eldritch city sized sea creature . and he is very well aware of this fact . he woke that beautiful wonderful beloved huge fucking narwhal up by himself had his brain chemistry Immediately and Irrevocably rewired as a direct consequence do you fucking think hes somehow stopped thinking about that singular moment for even a second since then???

yeah . thought so.

so what actually ends up happening in reality is theyll be on another definitely-serious-business-not-just-a-date and zhonglis going to get down to like dialogue selection part 10 of the 86 step conversation tree at Most where hes only beginning to like Vaguely allude to the key pieces of information involved but it turns out Because Hes That Guy (TM) And Has Been There Done That Before childes basic pattern recognition and sense of irony simply proceed to kick in Way ahead of time and hes Immediately perking up like Hey wouldnt it be really fucking funny if i wake up an eldritch sea beast Again . like just in case. as a last ditch effort .

and zhonglis just sitting there seeing the gears turn in his head as they enjoy their cringe fucking picnic (bc they just stare at each other intently like that nowadays its a thing. being in a room with them by this point is essentially a human rights violation) and is just completely fucking flabbergasted and lost on how in the hell childes speedran his way to that conclusion at what amounts to barely a 13% completion rate in his whole overkill fucking plan (just 1 of 3 contingencies btw) and its like yes he has his intended outcome but also precisely 0 idea on how the fuck said outcome was reached the way it was this fast . like hes still winning its His plan thats well underway and ahead of schedule but How

(pov: ur selling the concept of waking up destructive sea creatures to the guy who woke up a celestial body eating cosmic whale at 14)

anyway its truly beautiful i absolutely detest these two and have prime liyue AQ hijinks nostalgia now thank you for the lore drop that allowed this to become canon in my head hoyo

[deus-ex-mona]

such is the tale of a ✨chronically online hypocrite✨

[natjennie]

aww the cover of everyone snuggling with someone else and then laios with his sword.... the autism....

[angaynerd]

Hey yall... the 2 am demons got the better of me

[firendgold]

If you're still doing the choose violence ask game: 2 (👀), 9, 10, 22 ?

I got such a rush from finally answering the first ask that I'm doing this for as long as people send me questions. So here we go again!

2. a compelling argument for why your fave would never top or bottom

anon, I'm at work. I'm seeing this at work. :'D

Okay, serious face. Albus Dumbledore is probably my fave if I have to choose between him and Harry on this blog. I just have to figure out why he would never...

Bottom. Albus would never, I'm sorry. He won't. He can't. Like, maybe when he was having his whirlwind summer romance with Gellert, he bottomed every single time they fucked because he was so in love and this was his equal and his partner and so what if he was a little rough and distant sometimes in the bedroom, and always wanted to top and tug his hair and hiss out orders? This was The Man The Universe Had Crafted For Him, and he would absolutely bottom for him every time... and then the summer of 1899 ends. And Ariana dies. And Aberforth breaks Albus' nose. And Gellert fucks off to go be a fascist.

And Albus, alone and heartbroken, resolves to never trust someone that completely again, never love someone that same way, and never let anyone get into a position of power over him where they might be able to use his knowledge and talents for ill. That means physically, emotionally, spiritually, psychologically... carnally. So he has sex with plenty of other people, and even falls in love with a few of them, but he is in control at all times. He never bottoms again.

That's all I've got for that one.

9. worst part of canon

So the first answer that came to mind is posted here, but for fairness' sake I'll try to come up with another worst thing. (That's not related to ships, because I'm trying really hard not to be THAT violent on the violence ask game.)

I think... that if That Woman was going to introduce international schools, students and characters in the middle book of the series, she should have done more with them than having them vanish after Goblet of Fire, only to come back for either fake romantic tension and one line of exposition about the Hitler allegory Dark Lord of the Before-Times (Krum, Deathly Hallows) or to be married off to a Weasley for an aesop of It's Not About His Looks Now That They're Jacked Up (Fleur, Half-Blood Prince). I'm not saying Fleur and Viktor HAD to be best buddies forever with Harry, but it is weird that they have this unique bond that no other young students have had with each other in hundreds of years, they even lost one of their fellow champions, Dumbledore gives this very moving speech about remaining connected and not letting darkness and prejudice sever new ties, and then... nothing. No side adventures in France or wherever Durmstrang is, no communication from either side, nothing.

Feels like a huge letdown in hindsight.

10. worst part of fanon

Oh, no. That's not fair. There's just so many.

If I had to consolidate what I currently don't like about the HP fandom/fanon into a few lines, I think I would say that I hate the pureblood/Dark side apologism. I do believe in nuance in characters. I do believe redemption and/or walking different paths is an important theme in Harry Potter, and I think it's fascinating to explore that with any and every character you can think of, even characters I may not personally like. But I really, really hate the way the fandom has taken that and twisted it into this idea that we were sold a lie at the start: that the British magical government was fine the way it was, and so was the society around it; that Dark magic Isn't All That Bad, Really, and there are actually Good and non-prejudiced things about a few rich bitches passing down their knowledge and secrets and slurs for generations within the Family, and keeping the Family "Pure" is cool actually, and none of this has any relation to real life ideas about miscegenation and classism and racism and eugenics, what are you talking about?

It's just so worrying. As a minority, when I see people on tumblr/twitter/AO3 gleefully agreeing that we need to eat the rich and fix society and eradicate all the horrid -isms and -archys ruining all our lives, then watch them turn around and write a 200k epic where Dumbledore was the evil one for locking the Horcrux books away and championing marginalized members of society, Hermione is just uppity for wanting to make necessary changes to the darker parts of magical society that That Woman was literally pointing out for a reason, and Tom Riddle is only bad because he took the good segregationist pureblood ideas and added murder to them... and when that fic gets thousands of comments agreeing with them full stop with no examination of any of that... it makes me anxious, at a minimum. The same thing is happening now with Grindelwald now that he's actually a figure on the screen and not just some dude mentioned a few times in the book series: same apologism, same justification of atrocities, same good-guy-blame-games, same blorbofication even.

On the one hand... fiction doesn't always directly reflect or affect reality. On the other... this unironic pro-pureblood meta is a pervasive concept that has popped up in thousands of fics written by thousands of fanfic writers. It's happened for years, and it keeps happening, and I see very few fans speaking out against it or even acknowledging it as a problem. So that makes me ask myself, who actually is willing and able to examine the injustices of our society and build a better imaginary society through the lens of HP fanfiction, and who's okay with the prejudice in the HP world as long as it's coming from the faves they're attracted to?

22. your favorite part of canon that everyone else ignores

Happily, this is a harder question to answer because I've been finding so many like minds in the past 5 years who go feral over the same 20 HP scenes as I do. ^^ But give me a sec, I'll think of something.

...

Okay. Got it.

In order to answer this question, I have to go back to the first time I, young teenager, avid reader, recent reader of the HP series once book 5 was out, realized that Harry and Dumbledore had a much deeper relationship than just headmaster and student. The thing that made me latch on to them and project like crazy, basically.

It's the scene in Goblet of Fire chapter 36 where Harry has been rescued from Fake Moody and he's in Dumbledore's office with Dumbledore and Sirius. Dumbledore asks Harry to relay everything that happened to him once he touched the Portkey in the maze—and immediately Sirius tries to protect Harry from having to relive it now, so soon after it's happened. And then this scene happens.

Dumbledore stopped talking. He sat down opposite Harry, behind his desk. He was looking at Harry, who avoided his eyes. Dumbledore was going to question him. He was going to make Harry relive everything. “I need to know what happened after you touched the Portkey in the maze, Harry,” said Dumbledore. “We can leave that till morning, can’t we, Dumbledore?” said Sirius harshly. He had put a hand on Harry’s shoulder. “Let him have a sleep. Let him rest.” Harry felt a rush of gratitude toward Sirius, but Dumbledore took no notice of Sirius’s words. He leaned forward toward Harry. Very unwillingly, Harry raised his head and looked into those blue eyes. “If I thought I could help you,” Dumbledore said gently, “by putting you into an enchanted sleep and allowing you to postpone the moment when you would have to think about what has happened tonight, I would do it. But I know better. Numbing the pain for a while will make it worse when you finally feel it. You have shown bravery beyond anything I could have expected of you. I ask you to demonstrate your courage one more time. I ask you to tell us what happened.” The phoenix let out one soft, quavering note. It shivered in the air, and Harry felt as though a drop of hot liquid had slipped down his throat into his stomach, warming him, and strengthening him. He took a deep breath and began to tell them. As he spoke, visions of everything that had passed that night seemed to rise before his eyes; he saw the sparkling surface of the potion that had revived Voldemort; he saw the Death Eaters Apparating between the graves around them; he saw Cedric’s body, lying on the ground beside the cup. Once or twice, Sirius made a noise as though about to say something, his hand still tight on Harry’s shoulder, but Dumbledore raised his hand to stop him, and Harry was glad of this, because it was easier to keep going now he had started. It was even a relief; he felt almost as though something poisonous were being extracted from him. It was costing him every bit of determination he had to keep talking, yet he sensed that once he had finished, he would feel better.

This is one of the best scenes in the entire book, the entire series. It completely refutes the fanon Dumbledore who is often cold, cruel, inflexible and unrelenting in his quest for whatever the author wants him to be inflexible and cruel about at the time. It shows that Dumbledore, the real Albus Dumbledore, is one of the few people who understands what Harry needs and is able to provide it to him, even when others who also care for Harry would rather protect him or shield him from what he needs.

Kid me was particularly taken by how gentle Dumbledore is with Harry here. It made me look back and see how in some ways this scene, this closeness, is the culmination of all the times they've met and spoken before.

(You can imagine how painful it was reading Order of the Phoenix right after this.)

But yeah, that's probably one of my favorite scenes that other people ignore or haven't talked about/drawn/written about much. Which is ironic, because the scene right after that where Harry talks about Voldemort taking his blood and Dumbledore's eyes do the triumphant "lol Voldemort just fucked up" gleam is probably one of THE most talked-about scenes in the fandom (even though to this fucking day in 2023 people still don't realize what the gleam meant, when even That Woman has clarified what it meant in INTERVIEWS).

...And for me, safely at the end of the questions, that's all she wrote.

[prying-pandora666]

I don’t know how to say this tactfully, but I’ll do my best.

If other fans online have convinced you to see the gentle, optimistic, empathetic, fun loving, whimsical, forgiving, wise beyond his years genocide survivor, as a sexist, racist, xenophobic, abusive, pro-colonization, sexual assault perpetrator who doesn’t care about anyone else and doesn’t understand trauma…

You have been LIED TO.

Please just think for a moment!

ATLA was banned in China from the beginning for a reason. Because they didn’t want anyone empathizing with a character based on Tibetan monks. Why? Because they are an actual oppressed and persecuted minority IRL. Their religious leader lives in exile. Their second most important spiritual figure is the youngest political prisoner ever taken (and to this day no one knows if he’s alive or dead!). China has actual prison and labor camps. Tibetan people get sent there for “re-education”.

Can you please think about what these “fans” are saying when they stomp all over this allegory in TLA and try to frame Aang as the oppressor?

Do you really think it’s appropriate or these people who call Aang all these horrible (and inaccurate) things are being in anyway fair when they call Aang “white coded”???

Even without the real world context, Aang is explicitly the only survivor of a genocide. The last of his people. He has lost more than anyone else in the entire franchise. There’s a reason he clings so hard to Appa.

Do you think it’s fair to compare a 12 year old misreading signals and trying to kiss a girl who already consensually kissed him before, and immediately backing off and giving her space when she says no, to rape?

Tweens and teens miscommunicating and trying to comfort each other with kisses, only to realize that’s not what their friend needed and immediately backing off is the same as having your body violently violated against your will? The same as having your “no” ignored?

How do you think this makes survivors feel? To see people use their experiences as a shield and cudgel for ship discourse? It certainly upsets me as someone who experienced intimate partner violence, let me tell you! And I know I’m not the only one.

And how is it in anyway feminist or pro-Katara to ignore her own agency and deep love she shows for Aang? Yes, that includes her own crush on him! It IS reciprocated!

Lastly, you don’t need to demonize Aang to ship whatever you want to ship. Please understand that the majority of these takes are bad faith and born out of bitterness and insecurity over a friggin FANON SHIP.

And none of it is necessary! You can ship whatever you want! You don’t need permission or excuses. You can just ship them! You can make your case for why you like another pairing better without misrepresenting what happened in the show and what these characters are like, let alone what they represent.

There’s already plenty to work with in the show as it is! Otherwise why bother?

I’m imploring fans taken in by persuasive and manipulative metas to please just think about it. Get off social media and rewatch the show for yourself thoughtfully.

It doesn’t need to be like this.

[zedif-y]

i think... consuming imp&skizz content is essential to learning impulse's character, because you start to learn that:

he is a bit of a bitch . a bit of a menace . a bit mean in the way you can only be when you're really close to someone (skizz)

he carries grudges like literally nobody else . he STILL gripes about sunglasses he lost like . 20 or so years ago

i mention this because i find it really interesting how . in the life series, skizz has consistently been pretty forgiving Even when he gets killed . ESPECIALLY if it was cool . (stares at ep 1 of limited life)

then you have impulse. who's usually shown in fanon as this chill, easygoing and friendly guy... man has been talking about killing bdubs SINCE THIRD LIFE . HE LEFT AN EASTER EGG ON THE HC S7 WORLD, A CLOCK NAMED "For Bdubs the betrayer :'("

like . dude has not forgiven or forgotten anything ever . and i love him for that

please stop flattening impulse into The Nice One pleasr please pleasepleadpelaee

tldr watch imp&skizz they're awesome and funny as hell . also listen to the podcast if thats your thing<3

[eleganthologramcolor]

Rarely see Bimbo!Reader x Johnny and I personally like to imagine it's because he could not fucking handle having one. -> -> (Reader is referred to as feminine, described as an airhead, who dresses in clothes described as 'skimpy,' you may use your imagination to assume what applies. No description of hair, body, or age used. Rabid dog fanonization of Johnny used, apologies. Suggestive themes, implied smut.)

A real sweet thing, all dolled up, all pretty, all pink, all for him? Doe eyed and ditzy and only interested in cuddling up at his side or on his lap while he gushes about just how fucking cute you are!

He can be nasty, an awful dog, really, and you're just heavenly, a treat all for him! He's always buzzing with some nervous energy that bleeds into everything else he does, whether that's fighting or loving, this scary enthusiasm is ever present ESPECIALLY when it comes to you.

You only dress up in showy little outfits. Things that are sparkly, low cut, see through, short and low waisted. Every outfit has at least one. Greedy bastard will have you within reach every second he's home(or out at dinner, your choice), kneading at whatever exposed skin he can find, face buried anywhere he can reach as long as he's drowning in you, biting and drooling over whatever he can get his mouth on.

If he could he'd burn your image into his eyes, the marks left by your nails tattooed into his skin. Your name is somewhere only you can see it, but one night your eyes turn glossy and wet when it gets in your silly head that he's trying to hide it, and that just won't do, so he has you do everything you can to 'scent' his things. Perfume, shampoo, roll around on it, wear it to the gym or to bed, please, anything! If not to keep the other girls away, then for him? Please? Please please pleasepleaseplease??

Truth be told, an idol of femininity and utter sweetness is a toy too expensive for him. He's practically a mutt, and he'll have you, proudly dragging you around and snarling when you between his teeth if someone so much as even looks your way.

He's over eager when it comes to you, really, gets too carried away, leaves you a little too roughed up, holds you all too tightly, takes one too many out of you in a single night and bites until he draws blood. Oh, but when you're all teary eyed, sniffling with a wobbly lip shaky hands, guilt tears him apart, and he spends the next few days with his tail tucked between his legs, paying for your nails, a new outfit, new toys, your favorite treats, hours between your knees, a whole day at the spa if you want, just please forgive him, he's been a bad dog, but he can be so good!!

[zukosdualdao]

thinking, once again, about why so many people, particularly stans, are resistant to calling azula abusive in canon, even though it seems pretty undeniable to me that she behaves abusively toward mai, ty lee, zuko, and her subordinates.

and i mean, i think there are a couple of different reasons. the fact that she is young and a girl come to mind, particularly when it comes to her abuse of zuko, as people have very specific, sometimes rigid, ideas on what the power dynamics of abuse look like, and while i understand to a degree why that is, that doesn’t mean those are the only power dynamics that exist. a girl can abuse a boy. a younger sibling can abuse an older sibling. it may be less common—though i have not done that research and am not prepared to commit to saying so—but it is absolutely possible.

i also have been wondering more and more if people… either don’t believe or simply aren’t aware that sibling abuse exists?

but honestly, what i’ve been thinking about most recently is how many people relate to her and don’t want others to call her abusive because it feels like an attack on themselves. and i really, really wish i could impress upon people that you can… like and relate to a character without agreeing with every single thing they do or being like them in every single way? like, that is very much a thing you can do.

i also think it speaks to this… pathologization of what it means to be an abuser. people want to think that only people with npd are abusers (and while i know very little about the disorder and don’t want to speak too much on it because of that, i will say i think it’s dangerous practice to treat any group of people as inherently abusive by nature of something they can’t control (meaning their disorder. their actions are their own, and if those actions are abusive, they’re abusive).

or they want to think abusers are complete monsters with no redeeming qualities, and that their nature is to be abusive in a way that immutable.

and they want that because if that’s the truth, then they don’t have to look at their own actions, self-reflect, and consider where their actions might be harmful. and that is dangerous, because if you think you are never capable of causing harm, you are liable to cause it without ever realizing it. (and no, this is not me calling all azula stans or people with this mindset abusers. but i do think it is a dangerous mindset and a slippery slope. we all cause harm, often without meaning to; that’s part of being human. but it’s important to be able to realize when that’s happening and self-correct, and this mindset doesn’t allow for that.)

but the truth is being an ‘abuser’ is not an identity. there is no inherent internal quality that makes you an abuser. abuse is an action. and azula commits abusive actions onscreen.

the good news, though, that because abuse is about what you do and not who you are, it doesn’t have to be this immutable thing. people can stop. they can grow and change*** and stop committing abusive actions. NONE of that means that what they did in the past wasn’t wrong or that their victims should be required to forgive them or keep them in their lives (because they absolutely should not be.)

but it does mean we can recognize characters like azula as abusive and still have hope that maybe one day, she can grow and unlearn those behaviors. and hey, fanon post-series content is your oyster.

(*** please do not take ANY of this as advice to re-engage contact with an abusive XYZ. i do not know your specific situation or the people involved and i am nowhere near qualified to be giving that kind of advice. your safety should come first. peace and love 💕💕 💕)

[borntobethequeen]

I’m fucking tired of ppl fanon-ing characters that are SO far away removed from the actual characters and make sure to shove it in everyone faces

Listen up 9-1-1 fandom

Tommy is not a soft misunderstood man! I love tommy, at least what we have seen so far. I love that even within 4 episodes we get the sense he developed as a character, even in the earlier seasons. But he fucked up REAL FUCKING BAD, which as a queer asian person i need him to grovel if he wants me to forgive him. And by bobby’s ep we saw all the old 118 being friendly with each other (THEY BOUGHT HIM CAKE AND JOKE AROUND ON HIS LAST DAY) from that, the way i see it, it’s safe to assume he did apologize try to be better. And its not perfect but an improvement…. we also need you to acknowledge that it has been 20 FUCKIN YEARS since chimney’s episode until now. PPL CHANGE, PPL GROW

Buck is NOT a precious baby who needs to be taken care of all the time!!!! He is probably the MOST street smart character in 118!!! HONEY HE WENT TRAVELING AROUND THE COUNTRY AND PERU AS A YOUNG ADULT, ALONE!!! So ppl who kept saying buck need ppl to protect him from this and that pls remember he passed the navy seal physical exam, he did solo travel alone for years, and one of the most well read character in the series!!! Stop treating him like he is an innocent naive angel, Pls stop! He is not perfect he is a flawed character that hooked up with everything that moved and cheated on his girlfriend, and he made his date uncomfortable by dragging back tht date in to the closet, after sharing his own struggle coming out for years!

Do i ship bucktommy? Sure, its a fun ship! Do i ship buddie? Sure, its a wholesome ship. BUT THESE CHARACTERS RELATIONSHIP IS NOT THE MOST INTERESTING PART OF THEIR CHARACTER, so please please shut up and enjoy the silly show!

[crushedsweets]

I'm the sweetest girl in town; so why are you so mean? Nina 'the Killer' Hopkins in Creeped PT 2: PURPOSE

PT. 1: K-12 — PT. 3: NEW MESSAGE

General disclaimer: This AU is an amalgamation of headcanons, fanon, canon, and the occasional rewrite. There is an overarching story that HEAVILY strays from their canon stories. TW for toxic relationships, murder, violence and self-harm. Please take care of yourself and only engage in content you can handle.

PURPOSE

❥After Nina attacked Claudia, she was forced back online. Back to her recluse lifestyle, hiding away from everyone she could. She didn’t want to be seen anymore. Having her social life torn away from her once again hurt. Watching her father’s face morph into disappointment in her high school’s office hurt. Receiving hateful messages from peers again hurt. 

❥Her online friends were still there, thankfully. It was interesting, actually, the news they bought her. The same day she attacked Claudia, there was a brand new true crime case. She huddled beneath her blanket and called them for comfort. She stayed up until 5am researching this case, listening to her friends jokingly say that the case could’ve been Nina's crime. It happened the same day, right? 

❥His name was Jeffery Alan Woods. She was 16 now, and he was a year younger than her. New information was still unfolding as the weeks went by, but this 15 year old boy really fought back. She sympathized with him upon learning about his story. He was troubled and bullied like her. He just wanted to be happy too, right? Live a good life with his brother, have fun at school, make friends. But boys at his school bullied him for it. It wasn’t fair at all to him.

❥Nina really could have been him. She watched hours of interviews, scoffing at everyone who implied he was evil. He was defending himself. Why didn’t they help him when they could have? If they stepped in, he wouldn’t have had to go so far in protecting himself. He had to do it. They failed him. Just like everyone failed Nina. 

❥Nina found Facebooks, Instagrams, and even year books. She spent days scouring the internet, compiling every possible photo she could find of Jeff. He was such a cute kid, she thought! He seemed so sweet in his 2009 Christmas photo, sitting politely with Santa. She saw his older brother, Liu, in several photos. She began researching Liu obsessively too, but he was often kept on the backburner. His interviews were few and far between, as he tried to fade into obscurity. His rare public appearances always mentioned forgiveness. Liu seemed to be the only one who saw humanity left in Jeff, just like Nina did. Why did everyone have to turn him into such a monster? 

❥Nina was able to find Liu’s address in a matter of days. Now she wanted to find Jeff. 

❥She was thrilled everytime a new murder happened. Whenever it was traced back to Jeff, she was overjoyed. Criminal sketches began getting released, and Nina hung them all on her wall. God, the smile was cute. And it was fun! He was just as eccentric as her. She began drawing the smile on her face with makeup, sending it to her online friends and posting selfies on the internet. She received a whole slew of hate comments demeaning her for idolizing this killer, but they didn’t understand his story like she did. 

❥Her mental health deteriorated rapidly. She did the bare minimum to scrape by in school. She never left her room, save for a shower once a week. Christopher brought meals to her, even if his little hands had to cook them himself. He didn’t like being in Nina’s room, really. The photos of Jeff littered the walls and the floor was filled with clothes and empty bottles. Regrettably, Christopher stumbled upon some photos of crime scenes which left him with nightmares.

❥Nina wouldn’t even look at him when he brought her dinner. Her bloodshot eyes were glued to her screen, cackling away at forums about Jeff, or curled up sobbing and begging Christopher to get the fuck out of her room. 

❥Nina took one of her weekly showers halfway through her senior year. She was in there for so long, and the shower had long been turned off. Christopher needed to use the bathroom. First, it was a timid little knock, asking if she was almost done. She said to wait, so he did. He asked again, and she said to wait. It happened again and again until he was banging on the door, whining and telling her to get out of the bathroom. She was being so annoying, always doing her makeup for hours at a time.

❥That’s what he figured, at least. He didn’t think anything of grabbing his mom’s card and using it to unlock the door, just like he’d done several times before when Nina was hogging the bathroom.

❥He screamed at the sight. Nina sat on the edge of the bathtub. She was in her underwear, blood smeared all over her figure. Her biceps, stomach, and thighs were littered with hundreds of shallow, messy wounds. Nina threw her head up, big doe eyes widened in horror. Similar to the shallow cuts across her body, there were jagged scars across her cheeks. Blood bubbled and rolled off her chin, mixing with tears and snot. A foul smell came from her before he realized she had repeatedly thrown up into the tub. 

❥"GET THE FUCK OUT" was all she could manage, but Christophers cries brought him to his mother’s room. Nina desperately threw back on her pajamas, rushing to turn on the shower and make up any excuse she could.

❥There wasn’t really a defense for any of this. 

MISSISSIPPI 

❥February 13, 2015 Nina was sent to her grandparents home in Mississippi. It was her 17th birthday, right before her graduation. Her grandparents were retired and strict. Unlike her parents, they had all the time in the world to focus on Nina. They heavily monitored everything she did. Kept track of her location, her card, her friends. Made sure she put vitamin E oil on her scars and concealer before going out. They made her get a job working with their friend’s niece. Nina didn’t connect to anyone. She simply filed in and out of work and school, finishing up whatever had to be done and barely scraping by at graduation.

❥ Her grandparents barely permitted a gap year, but she began working full time. She got better at putting on a clean, sweet persona for them. She’d often come home and ramble to her grandparents about work, receiving firm advice to stay away from anyone causing Nina trouble. 

❥They couldn’t monitor her internet access the same way, though. Nina spent the next year obsessively researching Jeff all the same, but she kept it all contained to her laptop. Hundreds of hours of information compiled into thousands of different files. She had grown quite notorious in true crime communities, with her username being littered about several forums. ‘Nina the Killer’ was a silly but fitting screen name. 

❥She grew incredibly close to new people, all of which just as infatuated with Jeff. They all shared similar stories of being beaten and bruised their entire life, constantly daydreaming to exhibit the strength Jeff did that fatal day. Nina felt seen, for once. 

❥There was an especially interesting guy online. He went by Mark, and would email Nina very often, always asking her about her thoughts on Jeff’s latest move. Asked Nina for advice on how to kill his parents, too. She’d ramble on about several methods, and would completely melt when he praised her creativity. How sweet. He even spent time encouraging Nina’s curiosity on Liu, someone the community often disregarded. But Nina was fixated on him as well, just to a lesser extent. It felt so good to have someone care about her interests like that. Someone who engaged and encouraged her morbid thoughts.

❥A year went by. Her grandparents were so proud of her, genuinely believing she was getting better. They gave her a beautiful 18th birthday party, and quickly began registering her for their local community college. They wanted to keep her on this great path.

❥Before she could even select classes, Mark messaged her with a new rumor. Jeff was allegedly in Alabama. Only a state away from her. 

❥It was crazy, and it was unrealistic, and she should have dropped it. There was no fucking shot she’d meet him, right? But…

❥Nina Hopkins was pathetic. She rummaged through her grandparents' belongings one night, grateful for their poor hearing. She stuffed everything she could into a few massive suitcases, including her grandparents' cash. After withdrawing all her savings, she hopped on a train.

COINS

❥Nina stayed in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. She began working two jobs, waiting tables at a dingy little restaurant and at a Hot Topic in the local mall. It was difficult for a while, staying in dingy motels before she could finally find a cheap apartment to rent. 

❥She got along with most of the people she worked with now. The year with her grandparents genuinely helped with her rapidly deteriorating social skills, and it seemed everyone liked Nina’s spunk. She was chatty, sweet, and very pretty. Tips always found their way tucked into her back pocket. 

❥Her favorite coworker was a girl named Natalie. Natalie was the opposite of Nina. Tall, lanky, with long straight hair and a mean expression. She knew how to stand up for herself from the start. Natalie didn’t let her anger boil over until she made horrible decisions, not like Nina. The speed at which Natalie would get difficult customers off Nina’s back was startling. She was protective over all the girls in the restaurant, but especially little Nina.

❥Natalie was an odd one, too. Nina could tell. She saw tiny scars littered on Natalie’s cheeks, always covered with foundation, but never fully hiding them away. She usually wore a medical eyepatch over one eye. This only drew Nina to her all the more, until they eventually began getting lunch together every now and again. Nina was 19 by then.

❥Nina would nonsensically ramble about this boy she met online, earning a raised brow from Natalie. 

❥It was the same guy she met on a forum about Jeff the Killer, Mark. The one who always came to Nina for a hypothetical murder method. The one who shared gross, gorey images that he ‘found online.’ The one who told her that Jeff was in Alabama. Recently, Nina had been making plans to meet Mark. She shared this with Natalie.

❥But Nina had no clue Natalie knew Jeff. They were quite close, actually, living in the same damn abandoned farmhouse. Natalie caught lazy glances at Jeff’s phone, and she was quick to connect the dots. 

❥”Don’t fucking meet him. You’re being stupid.” Natalie was blunt, as usual.

❥”You’re so dramatic, oh my god. It’s not like I-”

❥”I said don’t.” Natalie was insistent. Nina never listened to good advice.

PT. 3: NEW MESSAGE

[adelinamoteru]

short of bruce (and possibly maybe dick on the greatest of great days) jason does not actually give a fuck about receiving forgiveness for hurting batfam (in whatever capacity of hurt ur addressing). so for all jason antis who are vehemently against jason having any type of good relationship with batfam whether fanon or canon, please stop holding that over jason or his fans heads as some sort of gotcha.

[myfairkatiecat]

NOT TRYING TO BE RUDE, BUT i HATE KEEFE SO SO MUCH AND IM WONDERING (GENUINELY) WHAT YOU LIKE ABOUT HIM BECAUSE I CAN'T SEE THE APPEAL

ALSO YOU DON'T HAVE TO ANSWER THIS IF IT MAKES YOU UNCOMFORTABLE OR BUGS YOU SORRY IF IT DOES EITHER/BOTH

Hey anon! Those are some strong feelings you've got there!

This is a tricky question to answer since a lot of the things that make me like Keefe's character make some people dislike his character, so you might be about to get a list of all the things you despise about him by asking me what I like about him. I like him because I think he's a good character, and way better written than people give him (or Shannon) credit for. I don't always love Wattpad Fanon Keefe (perfect boyfriend, super sweet, always says the right thing) because it erases so much of his character. I like canon Keefe. He's a raw character with a lot going on and a whole slew of well-developed character traits.

Before I jump into this post, however, I want to say one thing: I think a lot of people who dislike Keefe are mostly frustrated with Shannon's portrayal of his character flaws, and I don't think they give Shannon enough credit for the way she's intentionally written Sophie as an unreliable narrator. It's rather clear during different parts of the series that Sophie isn't the most reliable narrator, and Shannon also explicitly writes in the margins of her annotated KOTLC book that she used a certain scene as an example of when Keefe takes his jokes too far. Sophie forgives him without even an outright apology in that scene, but Shannon makes it clear in her annotations that she, the author, isn't writing it off. I don't own the annotated so I can't remember the exact quote, but it's my biggest case for why I think Shannon has intentionally written Keefe with these character flaws, as character flaws, and yes, Shannon sees them as character flaws and has said so, so for the purposes of this ask response here, let's assume Shannon Messenger is aware she's writing a flawed character, because I do think it's rather unfair to her how often the people of the fandom accuse her of brushing by Keefe's actions when in reality she's just writing Sophie Foster as true to her character as she can.

With that, let's jump into this little essay about Why Keefe Is An Awesome Character And I Love Him that I've writtten for you!

My AP English teacher always used to say, "characters are more human than humans." I believe the purpose of this quote was that well-written characters exemplify what makes us human—our love, our experiences, our regret, our strengths and flaws—in ways that connect strongly to the audience. Part of the reason so many people like Keefe's character, I believe, is because they are able to connect strongly to him. This is because he is written as "more human than humans," as my AP English teacher would say—even though technically, he's not a human, but an elf.

One major strong point of Keefe Sencen's character is that his strengths and weaknesses are often wrapped up in the same character traits. This is something that is true for many people. For example, my politeness in real life social situations makes me a lot of friends, but too often can turn to people-pleasing. A good character, in my opinion, should have both strengths and flaws stemming from all of their major character traits. Here are a few of Keefe's:

His humor

One major aspect of Keefe's character is his humor. Whether you personally find it funny or not (I think I found it a little funnier when I was eleven... I'm sorta growing out of some of it, though his wittier comments in the latest books are more my style, which might be a sign of both me and the character maturing) it's an enormous part of his character. As a major character trait, it presents both strengths and flaws.

Often, he brings levity to heavy situations that the other characters appreciate. One instance I remember is in Flashback. They were preparing for a confrontation, and I don't remember what it was that Keefe said, but Sophie narrates that she appreciated the moment of comedic relief, because it eased some of her anxiety. Keefe is able to take intense moments and settle them with quick-witted (or hilariously not funny) comments. This is likely a skill he adopted in order to handle the crushing pressure of being in his own home as a kid. (Fitz, contrastingly, adapted the skill of just holding lots and lots of weight, bending and bending and bending until he finally breaks. Not to make my Keefe essay about Fitz, of course, but I know someone is going to point out that Fitz also dealt with a lot of pressure at home, and wanted to point out that he developed somewhat unhealthy coping mechanisms as well, they're just different from Keefe's.)

However, sometimes his jokes are unwanted or go too far. Shannon comments on this specifically at the end of the first book, where Keefe makes a joke about how he helped save her when she almost died, and then sorta trailed of when he realized he was talking about her almost-death. Shannon commented in the margins that this was a moment of Keefe experiencing awareness that his joking has gone a little too far. She hasn't released annotated editions of any later books, but I'm confident that at least a few other scenes are examples of this as well. Sometimes I run across them during a read through and I'm like "huh, it's interesting to have a good idea as to what Shannon was thinking writing this." Sometimes, his constant making light of serious situations really isn't funny to anyone, and it keeps him from accepting the gravity of what they're doing, likely contributing to his reckless behavior.

2. His intuitive communication

Something to notice about Keefe is that even though he's often socially unaware, either in ways that indicate his childhood trauma or just his emotionally immaturity as a teenager, he's very good at knowing exactly what to say for his intended goal. That intended goal isn't always necessarily something he should want, mind you—we just talked about how his need to lighten the mood sometimes causes problems, and he knows enough about some of his friends (cough Fitz cough) to know exactly what words will hurt them the most in an argument as well.

This can be a strength for him, especially when he's comforting Sophie. Since he can feel her emotions instinctively, he often knows exactly what she needs to hear. He's actually incredibly sweet at times, especially in Legacy (I mean... there are other issues there, which I'll get into another time). For example, when he's telling her the reasons Bronte isn't the worst possible father for her to have. There's nothing inherently great about the specific way he comforted her, but it did ease some of Sophie's queasiness, because he knew what she needed to hear. Also, there are the scenes in Legacy where he's telling her that Sophie Foster is all she needs to be, or the scene in Everblaze where he reminds her that no matter who her parents are, she's still going to be exactly the same person she is, and they can't change her. Keefe is really good at knowing the right thing to say. (This might have stemmed from walking on eggshells his entire life aroud his parents!)

However, this also makes it really easy for Keefe to be manipulative, or lie, or say the completely wrong thing on purpose. The best example of the first two was when he somehow convinced everyone in just a few sentences that he totally wasn't going to go to Loamnore with them. Somehow, the guy famous for not doing what he's told convinced everyone he was going to do what he was told, and the thing is, it wasn't even unrealistic. He gave really good reasons that it made sense for him to stay back, and even made jokes about it, about how he and the others not going were "too cool for Loamnore." He had everyone convinced he really wasn't going to be reckless this time, when he totally knew his plan the whole time. The famous Unlocked healing center scene is a great example of the last one, because Keefe got upset with Fitz and knew exactly what to say to make him the most upset and embarassed in that situation. He only even took back the words when Sophie became upset as well. He and Fitz are in... not an awesome place in the latest books, and his POV reflects that.

3. His courage

Let's be honest. Is Keefe a runner? Yes. But when he runs, is he running from a fight? Nope. Never. One of the major instances of this guy running away actually put himself in a ton of danger. He doesn't run for cover, or safety. He runs usually out of fear of himself, his relationships, or that he isn't able to help in any other way. If we really look at his character, Keefe is incredibly brave. All of the KOTLC main cast is. They've got guts. But a lot of the others have a more guarded sort of courage, while Keefe's is... well. Not guarded.

Keefe doesn't think things through, and sometimes, there isn't time for that. Sometimes, immediate action is necessary, and Keefe is great with that. Quick, in-the-moment plans are his specialty. He's not afraid to stand up to people who want to hurt him (*cough* Dimitar scene *cough*).

But he's also extremely reckless (*cough* Dimitar scene *cough*). Because his courage is less guarded than his friends (such as Sophie's or Biana's) he may be more inclined to carry out his plans quickly, but he's also more likely to not think things through fully and end up putting his own life at risk, and sometimes even his friends' lives, even when he's trying to help.

4. His caution and fight or flight instinct

To everyone who ever said Keefe's character is flat and his strengths and flaws never develop or change, what version of KOTLC are you even reading?! Like I mentioned above, Keefe's recklessness is a huge part of his character since book one, but now I'm here about to talk about his caution/obsessive worrying/the famous running away, specifically the second time. This is a relatively new character trait for him. It develops slightly after Lodestar/the first half of Nightfall. Keefe truly did learn a lot from leaving for the Neverseen and lying to Sophie before going to Ravagog. We're given an extremely limited window into this process, since Sophie had other things going on and Keefe's short story focused a lot on his crush on her, but Keefe noticeably steps back and stops trying to turn things into a "Keefe show" (as Sophie puts it in Nightfall) and attempts to work more as a team, which is definitely character development again. However, where he really learned his lesson was Loamnore. He showed up, again going behind Sophie's back and coming up with a plan of his own, and it ended with Sophie tied up on the ground and him being forced to undergo a transformation that gave him powers he's terrified of. While his recklessness didn't entirely vanish after this (his response in the end was to run away to the literal Forbidden Cities) but is definitely flavored with siginificantly more caution and an attempt to be genuinely responsible.

In Unlocked, Keefe noticeably asks for people to be kept away from him, including Sophie, so that he can keep from accidentally controlling anybody. He also stops using his voice entirely. These are actually incredibly selfless things for him to do. He loves to be with his friends (particularly Sophie for reasons) and he loves to talk! And neither of those things are bad! But he isn't willing to put them in danger. In fact, he actually sort of overdoes it in Unlocked, even asking for Dex to make him an ability restrictor. (While he's well-intentioned here, I think Keefe brushes past the idea that making one of those again might be something of a traumatic experience for Dex.) In the end, he's so worried about it that he runs away, but he does it with considerably more of a plan than he did when he joined the Neverseen. He knew he'd know the languages, he arranged a way to get his hands on human currency, and while Unraveled isn't out yet, the state in which they found Keefe along with some of the things Keefe described about his experience make it clear that Keefe purposefully learned a lot about human cultures and successfully blended in and made his life work.

His newfound carefulness paired with his classic instinct to run really encapsulate a lot of his character strengths and flaws. In the later books, it's actually a sign that he's developing as a character and moving away from some of his past character flaws, but like all well-written major character traits, it comes with its own drawbacks.

Another important aspect of Keefe's character is the way he is noticeably shaped by his own experiences. I mentioned the whole "being more human than human" thing earlier, and while yes, he's still not human, I think this is part of what makes so many people connect to his character. He's realistic. He has even more strengths and flaws than the ones I've mentioned above, and all of them obviously come from somewhere specific in his past.

Why is he so chronically unserious? Because he couldn't be serious enough for his family. Before he met Fitz and started spending time with the Vackers, he didn't even really have friends. He had a suffocated home and impossible expectations, and when he tried to live up to them, he just wasn't good enough. So he adapted to break the tension. He adapted to just... not try ("those who don't try never look foolish" -Fiyero in "Dancing Through Life," from Wicked. I think Fiyero is... very Keefe coded) and started skipping classes, breaking the rules, playing pranks and doing anything to cut through the tension. He dealt with pressure by tossing it off his shoulders and just deciding to not deal with it. Obviously, deciding to Just Not Deal With Things eventually began to hurt him, and he slowly and painfully begins to learn to have difficult conversations (but hey, at least he's getting there? I think Neverseen is where his development in that particular area becomes apparent, with the way he opens up more and even admits where he's really beginning to feel guilty).

Why is he such a master of knowing what to say? Because he grew up walking on eggshells around his parents. And when he decided to stop caring about his parents, he weaseled his way out of trouble whenever possible, and learned to use other people's emotions to learn things from them and get his way. "But Katie," you say, "reading other people's emotions without permission and using them to get his way is a very not good thing to do!" You're very correct! And it's an enormous indication of how skewed his view of normal is. What's the one Empath he grew up observing? His father. Look, he knows his parents suck, but because his parents suck, he has no way of knowing what is and isn't normal. Is his father doing this particular thing because he's a horrible person or because that's a normal thing to do? How on Earth is Keefe supposed to know?! Well, there are rules about telepathy, and there aren't any rules about empathy, so the external indications seem to tell him that this particular thing is normal. This is yet another example of Keefe's life experiences having a huge impact on his character.

Why is he so reckless? Because he doesn't care. Even his his most noble moments of bravery stem from the same place of not caring what happens to his life. It's the same reason his deep care for his friends' lives turns to quickly into self-sacrificial tendencies (which show themselves in canon on numerous occasions and usually don't even help). He has this "better me than any of them" mindset that's deeply rooted in his childhood trauma. Even though he's fought tooth and nail against everything his parents have ever said about him, he still has this ingrained sense of worthlessness. The way he says he "doesn't care about permanent damage" and tells Sophie that he's going to make sure he's always the one who ends up wrapped up in bandages and also has that moment in Unlocked where he wants to retreat into the darkness and never wake up? Look, we all know he needs therapy, but maybe reread that last sentence. ...Keep reading it until you get it.

And finally, what makes him finally learn to be cautious? Because he sees firsthand how his reckless plans are impacting the lives of other people around him, and if there's any negative trait that Keefe is NOT, it's selfish. Keefe may be occasionally selfish—you know, case by case basis, like most people—but it isn't a character trait of his by any means. He struggles significantly more with not caring about himself than he struggles with not caring about others. So when he realizes it isn't only his own life he's putting on the line, and sees the way it's hurting his friends, he takes an enormous step back, and even runs away for a time. Now, it would be great if he would start caring about himself too, because this poor guy needs therapy and his level of self-deprecation at this point is way out of control. But it is the case that he cares about his friends a lot (if someone quotes this part and brings up Fitz, I'm going to point out that their friendship has fallen way out due to actions and reactions on both sides of that relationship) and ultimately it ends up adjusting the balance in his character traits and their related strengths and flaws.

In short, Keefe is a lot of things. He's good things, he's bad things, he's consistent things. He reads like a real person—someone who frequently makes the same style of mistakes but does learn and grow over the course of his life. Every character trait of him stems from some aspect of his past. Shannon didn't write him with a slew of random personality traits—each and every one of them ties down to who he is and how he's shaped by his experiences. He can be a truly amazing friend. He can be a really horrible friend. He can be sweet and amazing and say the perfect thing. He can say the wrong-est possible thing with the intention of cutting the other person deep. He's a slow learner, but he learns nonetheless. His character development isn't a smooth arc in which he has trait A, event B happens and at the end he has trait C. That's common in storytelling, but not real life. Keefe learns, grows, then makes the same mistake again, then learns stronger. His character development sees both growth and setbacks, and the changes are subtle. He's still the same person even when he changes.

He's good things, he's bad things, he's consistent things, and I think it is out of an awareness of our own humanity that so many people relate to him and therefore enjoy his character.

I hope you enjoyed this essay, anon. Believe it or not, I actually have plenty more to say about any of these topics, and some other topics that I didn't even bring up, so if you want to see even more, just direct me towards what you want to hear and I assure you I'll have thoughts. Have a wonderful day!