#he's not a red flag

[jez-bez]

"I'm a robot. A machine bound by commands."

'Cir is a stalker!' 'Cir is a red flag!' 'Cir is manipulating!'

Sorta novel spoilers:

Cir, in fact, is mentally ill and a victim of abuse.

He doesn't know how to human. Does he make mistakes because of that? Yes. But he does so because he doesn't know the healthy way to do it.

Cir's never had anything of his own. His life wasn't even his own. He calls himself a robot and it's true because that's what he was raised like. His life has been nothing more than following orders. A tool used for revenge in his parents' divorce. Used for nothing more than power and control. Stretching, stretching, stretching the rubber band that symbolizes his life and sanity.

He had no autonomy. None. Zero. Because of that, he's never allowed himself anything.

But all humans (even those who are just 'tools') have hopes and wants. Ways that they wish they could be like, live like, act like. There's no way around the want aching deep in your very core. At some point, that rubber band will snap and they act out.

Is it then weird that Cir doesn't know a healthy way to do so? No. No, it is not. Cir doesn't know how to human, but he's trying. For the first time in… well, probably ever he's allowing himself to want something (someone!) He's just going about it the wrong way. But I can't fault him for that because he never a healthy example.

[pangur-and-grim]

Belphie feels good enough to climb!!! that's actually huge

[assiraphales]

remembering the time I called american psycho (a satirical film about toxic masculinity) a dark comedy and the overwhelming response was 'oh so u think men killing sex workers is funny? u think THAT'S funny?' like no I find a patrick batemen listening to 'i'm walking on sunshine', killing jared leto while wearing a clear raincoat and giving a dissertation on huey lewis n the news, using 'I need to return some video tapes' to get out of awkward situations, throwing a hissy fit about business cards, dropping a chainsaw down a flight of stairs, thinking an atm is telling him to feed it cats, and crying hysterically under a desk is funny. but thank u for ur wonderful insight

[tossawary]

This is petty fandom salt, BUT... I've been chewing on this phenomenon that I've been calling "Fandom's Darling". It is related to things like "Author's Darling" and "Mary Sue / Gary Stu" and "Protagonist Halo" and all that jazz, where one character gains a peculiar narrative weight in a story.

"Author's Darling" is when a writer has a favorite character, and the world and all other characters sort of get... warped to put the Darling in the spotlight. It's most noticeable in TV shows with multiple writers, when a character you personally like suddenly has their previous characterization destroyed to make another character look good somehow. Every other character might become weirdly incompetent. The Darling's feelings are treated as The Most Important Feelings in any given situation. The logic of the fictional world seems broken past suspension of disbelief in order to validate this one character's beliefs or skillset or some other fantasy. And so on.

"Fandom's Darling" is what I've been calling the pattern where a fandom essentially crowns a New Protagonist for their fanfiction stories (it's often a side character rather than the original protagonist, but it can also happen to protagonists). This character becomes the self-insert for all sorts of indulgent fantasies, gaining special powers or backstories, and/or becoming the focus of extreme whump, and/or hooking up with all the various hotties, starring in all sorts of tropey AUs, and so on. They're not always an obvious Mary Sue version of themselves, but the character's original personality and interpersonal relationships tend to get warped or dropped completely, and other characters tend to become a little flat around them. I call it "Fandom's Darling" because it's not just one self-indulgent fantasy fic (you do you! Have fun!) with characterization choices that I don't vibe with (I have neither the time nor the desire nor the authority to police anything, I am just venting), but rather a prolific mini-fandom of sorts revolving around this empty doll / fanon version of the chosen vessel character, so it becomes a little unavoidable.

I am salty about this (mildly frustrated) (imagine a soft sigh of disappointment before I just go do something else) because you are FUCKED if you actually liked the canonical version of this character and their interpersonal relationships. It's almost worse than liking an obscure character that no one cares about. There's about a thousand fics starring your fave, but maybe only about a dozen of them are actually rooted in any kind of recognisable canon.

[starscream-is-my-wife]

Tfw when ur ex bf turns out to be a psychopath and now you remember all of the red flags

Edit: I made a little comic on this

[baepsays]

Gojo Satoru sees you for the first time at a mutual friend's party—and immediately his eyes get stuck on you. the entire time he's watching you drink leisurely at the end of the couch, and roll your eyes at the dude bros attempting to flirt with you, while you ignored them.

after 40 mins of staring, he comes up to you and shoves the guy —pathetically trying to get you to sleep with him— off the armrest of the couch you're sitting on. Satoru just ignores the guy shouting at him and and throwing a fit on the floor. he takes a seat on the armrest instead and looks you dead in the eyes, and goes;

"you look like someone who thinks men ain't shit and would probably make a face that alone would make me cry."

you raise one of your eyebrows at him just a bit amused. confused whether he was trying to pick a fight or what else was he trying at. he goes on and continues what he was saying;

"so please fuck me."

.

.

a/n: divider by @/enchanthings-a. to access more of my works-click here.

[ravenkings]

this is not the most important takeaway from that article, but we really, really need to talk more about scientology as an organization and how deeply evil, abusive, and exploitative it is. like truly any public figure associated with it on any level who doesn't publicly disavow it or speak out about it deserves an extremely high level of scrutiny.

[hajimedics]

I'M NOT YOUR DOLL AND I'LL THINK FOR MYSELF AND I'LL LIVE FOR MYSELF

[lotus-pear]

listen persona fivers u guys can all personally hate morgana but to fabricate that joker also dislikes him is absolutely insane. that cat went missing for THREE DAYS and akira was literally going through all five stages of grief. literally picked up his schoolbag and started crying bc he was like “oh it’s so light without mona in it………where is he where are you where is my cat”

that bratty little cat is literally his BABY yes of fucking course he loves him he can’t properly function without that little brat cat

[hyunpic]

HYUNJIN | SO GOOD

[strawberryscare]

buddy suggesting his evangelical sol-worshipping grandfather replace yolanda and excusing the clear issues with bias by saying “well all clerics have some deity, it’s never going to be completely neutral” sits VERY wrong with me when remembering that yolanda literally gave up her divinity to become a teacher??

[bunnysnared]

"meat is meat. i can butcher it all the same."

[cw knives, blood, implied violence/murder, dark!au] happy spooky szn everyone!! here is a sketch of a butcher!ghost au that @bressynonym has cooked up that i am obsessed with... have a fun and safe halloween everyone!

[hypertechnica]

did it mean anything to you?

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Normal Friend Behaviour.

[First] Prev <–-> Next

[7nuh]

I HC Scarletella is smart enough to figure out MC's language and I'm currently brainrotting over an AU wherein he attempts to adapt a normal, human life. As normal as he can pretend to be, though, while getting closer to you. MC is a completely unassuming person by day and a serial killer by night who is freaked out by this random tall and mute redhead suddenly appearing in the oddest places. Simple coincidence doesn't explain any of it anymore. MC starts seriously considering murdering him too lest he foil their secret hobby, only to realize he may just be as fucked up as them...

[galoogamelady]

They're the same. I won't elaborate

Okay but only if Buttons is a shitty coyote instead of a wolf