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wackywatchdotcom · 1 month ago

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something i genuinely adore about tadc is how painfully flawed everyone in the circus is. and not in a small way

everyone does SOMETHING that negatively impacts the others. but it makes the fact that you are supposed to sympathize with and really connect with them all the more potent. because its easy to want to put a bunch of characters in a bad situation together and to just have them all be nice to each other and everyone and never make mistakes because theres no reason to hurt each other, and most of them dont TRY to, but the way they cope is so, so realistic for each of their personalities, and it doesnt always mesh with the others, and sometimes it exceeds self destructive and Just Hurts Others, Too

they still generally care about each other and the mistakes they make and the ways they end up hurting each other dont lose their weight but like. it doesnt take away from their humanity and the fact that they are all trying so hard to manage in an awful situation

and the characters seem to have sooome sort of understanding of this too. not fully, because the characters dont tend to be 100% communicative, but when they hurt each other, it often makes EVERYONE uncomfortable. because these are the only people they have. these are their friends. and theyre all coping. but it doesnt change how much it affects them (best illustrated by ragathas lines at the start of ep 2 or gangles 'i love her, but after a while it gets kinda hard to tell how genuine shes actually being'). its not all like this, theres a good amnt of variety, but characters knowing this but not really knowing what to do about it is very painful in an effective way

(i think a subtle example of this is how zooble handles gangles situation in ep 4- they were so genuinely trying to help her because they care. but could tell as the day went on that oh, this is not working at all and its making things worse, and they leave gangle alone- something that very genuinely couldve been the moment she abstracted, because of the mask zooble gave her- and we dont get to have a super blatant explanation of zoobles thoughts on it, but they reach a fairly healthy conclusion about it that helps both of them, and i like that a lot, because on paper zooble could be placed at fault but the narrative doesnt dwell on it excessively, because thats not the point. i dont know if that tangent makes sense but i think about it sometimes. i think zooble wasnt 'to blame' but it was still a mistake, which is a hard balance to strike, and having them help at the end feels extremely effective at rounding it off!!!)

but like. in general its complicated balancing making characters in a bad situation act flawed because it can run the risk of seeming like the story is scolding them or blaming them for the situation theyre in, or like youre expected to not sympathize with them despite it (though the inverse also has complications- if characters in a bad situation never mess up, it feels unrealistic and hard to relate to, and can imply that their innocence is why whats happening to them is bad at all), but the show handles it so well

even the characters who are genuinely trying all try in different ways- some of them have similar outlooks or attitudes towards these thing but theres vital differences for ALL of them- sometimes it works and sometimes it doesnt. in fact some of the more painful mistakes characters have made in the show have come from them so genuinely trying (like the thing i mentioned w zooble, or basically Everything Ragatha Does, or pomnis first attempt at helping gangle, etc), which hits harder than if every mistake characters made had wholly selfish and cruel goals.

i mean, there is a selfishness to many of the characters' actions but imo not in a way thats not warranted. because all of them are in a horrible setting. its uncomfortable to watch characters be selfish. but it is a natural instinct to survive. its not the foundation of most of their actions, but when it is, its uncomfortable but hard to completely disparage them for in a way that makes you feel kinda conflicted

and like. it hurts to be doing your best and for that to make things worse, but its what happens often in the show. because no one in a bad situation is gonna handle it well. by the very nature of trying to survive something is gonna give, but it makes the themes of the show so much more powerful. that making sure the people around you dont feel unloved, cherishing them and finding meaning with others is no less important just because everyone is fucking up. it complicates things, for sure, but it doesnt make those characters exempt fromt this. theres a reason pomni tells gummigoo that she doesnt want "anyone" to feel like theyre nothing, and that kinger doesnt add ANY quallifiers to making sure people feel wanted and loved (not that i think either of them were thinking SUPER super hard, but it conveys smth from the perspective of the narrative

it gets complicated when you add in jax for sure, since i think on the surface he IS the exception to this concept- none of the characters like him, including pomni or kinger. but i think this is something thats gonna be examined further down the line, bc hes the main complicating factor in this reading of the show, but i feel like thats on purpose. hes universally disliked (and so is caine, in a different way) and his actions arent mistakes. they are him coping. the show has made it clear that he can be a complex person AND also a piece of shit. his actions dont detract from the fact that hes a person and the show reminds us of this. so it makes things so messy, but im genuinely super excited to see how the show examines that. where his character goes is, imo, going to be a massive piece of how this show fleshes out this concept

#tadc #it just makes me so... man #all of them are coping in a way that influences their mistakes #like. i think the best example i could name is ragatha. she highlights this aspect of the show so well #shes struggling so much. shes doing her best to stay optimistic and because the others dont feel as hopeful as she presents herself #it distances them from her #she wants people to like her SO bad which reads so hard as fawning. but this also puts people off and makes her harder to trust #even if her care for the others is genuine the issue is that how she copes tends to leave her a little isolated in some way shape or form #and thats *just* ragatha #i shoudl write smth properly breaking down how this is done w the whole cast #cus i cannot fit it in these tags #so i gotta put a pin in it.... but. have this #also ive said it before but i very genuinely think jax SHOULD get the chance to heal #i mean. i wouldnt like him if i had to know him in person. but i dont think thats . actually relevant #so how the show dissects his character going forward intrigues me and i wanna keep an eye on it so much #it is a BOLD move writing wise to establish him as a piece of shit and then to set up these ideas #cus theyre going somewhere im sure. they keep bringing it up #anywayyyyy. thats the post #sorry if any of it got confusing i have a lot of thoughts abt this but they get a tad jumbled bc theres just. so many factors #i need to make an essay outline before i make these posts LMAOOOOOO #OH YEAH WAIT #bonus:#i think abt how pomni abandons ragatha TWICE in ep 1 and i think it could make someone dislike her #but genuinely. makes me like her more. sometimes people get extremely selfish when theyre scared #its bad! but it makes sense. and it makes her feel so much more real #smth smth theres that saying that how someone acts under pressure says more abt them #but like. its complicated. because an easy way to get someone to act mean is to make them scared #esp since the phrase is more attributed to a crisis. but in tadc this is just their forever #and looong drawn out trauma makes people behave very differently #gestures. i dont have the words to break down that phrase wrt this show but maybe ill try later too. put a pin in that one as well

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tempestvista · 1 month ago

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I'm basically treating these freaks like barely-tethered-to-canon characters. At least in the case of 007n7, Chance and Guest 1337. I've known of and preferred other characterizations of 1x1x1x1 prior to Forsaken (no shade/not intended to be condescending, just info). Also note my interpretation of canon deviates a lot (to my knowledge).

Anywho, onwards!

007n7 centered headcanons + Some 1x1x1x1 (x 007n7.. hehfhr)

- Transmasculine/Agender. He finds any thought or idea of being seen as a woman deeply unpleasant.. Fortunately passes really well though, in my canon most people (aside from his closer friends / Chance and Guest 1337) do not even know due to how private he is

- - Also adding on/Obvious but I like the idea of Guest 1337 and Chance being the most amiable towards him. Chance because they have a history of being unreliable/flippant at times / truly struggling with a gambling addiction (recovered but still something they're heavily associated w/ by other survivors) and Guest 1337 because he's quite self-sacrificial and cares a great deal for anyone and has the ability to look past 007n7's past (doubly so because of his own demons and guilt haunting him) without excusing him/coddling him. Chance isn't a bad friend here to clarify; They just often used sleep as an escape and previously hid in their apartment or other locations when out of funds in their former life (not doublefedora related here.(not that theres anything wrong w that though lol)).

- Heavily projecting here but 007n7 is Jewish and is fluent in Hebrew, although again, most don't even know this about him. They might hear a slip of a curse or hostile wish if he thinks he's by himself and does smthn . Like stub his toe or whatever. (Or in rounds and gets shocked by a generator, trips, what have you..). C00lkidd has picked up some and speaks broken bits, but due to their current situation (+being separated from his dad for extended periods and not caring or remember to practice) he has forgotten most of it. Knows basic greetings, well wishes, etc.. He picked up on like two cursewords lol

- - It's more of a cultural/ethnic background for him, he's never been able to connect to most religions. I think he'd be a member reform synagogue. He probably stopped going after he got c00lkidd since his hands were full + attendance that progressively got more sporadic.

- A bit random but he likes spiders. Very much against flies / most insects and appreciates that the spiders keep then away. Might get mocked by his 2 bros for having a cobweb in a corner that he's just chill with. I doubt he could perform the upkeep to keep any pets, though. He likes dogs and cats equally, I'd say.

- Actually not a big fan of pizza due to getting sick of eating the same thing no matter what but unfortunately most options r limited.. I like to headcanon that the Spectre does restock their personal fridges at times though and he cooks for himself whenever he can

- - Two notes / piggybacking off that: Survivors have their own separate areas. There is the main/common building, and some do sleep there, but there aren't many rooms upstairs and it lacks privacy + more exposure to noise. Most of them have smaller buildings not too far from the main one, with 007n7's being the furthest possible.

And 2: Enjoys cooking and doing other small tasks because it makes him feel in control of his life. Similar things like cleaning are a comfort to him, shockingly. Most people assume he's a slop and when he's depressed.. it can get like that, however when you have an omnipresent entity tormenting you, you develop interesting/different coping mechanisms.

- Has vague medical knowledge from a previous mild fixation on medicine previously that would go away and come back since his freshman year. (I'm not projecting I swear)

- Actually working on healing himself as a person lol. I do enjoy the concept of him being pathetic and afraid (and I lean into it often) but I also like the idea of him developing some snark. Possibly a reason for 1x1x1x1 to develop interest in him, he jabs at 1x1x1x1 before getting killed /, running away or whatever lol.. he's still a bit of coward who VERY much feels pain, though, and does more running and fixing things in the shadows than direct confrontation. Slippery guy

- Feels guilt for what he did and the isolation he faces doesn't help. But he slowly tortures himself less and less, especially as a means to gain control over his life + a desire to stop constantly dissociating and intentionally triggering himself because he "believes he deserves it"

- Physical headcanons is that he's 5"8 and a bit stocky / broad guy. Sorta muscular dad bod? Hard 2 explain.. used to be insecure, still sometimes is. He has a sleeper build underneath lol

- A little obsessive. Fixates on certain details, sometimes people. Isn't weird about it but he has formed a heavy attachment to his two friends (and subsequently/later on 1x1x1x1.. I imagine 1x is as flattered by this as he is shocked/intrigued)

- Again projecting but big on tea. He's not a connoisseur by any means, however he knows what he likes and what he doesn't. Like some of the big staples (especially for health and herbal medicine reasons, has some books on that, too) such as green tea, lemon (+honey) ginger, chamomile, etc.

- Likes flowers to an extent. Has minor pollen allergies, though. For this reason he tends to favor Fall over Spring, though he truly loves Spring the most. Being out in the sun is a must for him after all the years of being a shut-in and depression. He enjoyed taking c00lkidd out whenever possible, though he stopped hiking (frequently did so before) since c00lkidd wasn't a big fan unless there was more stimulation (i.e racing, tag, constant chatting, etc.)

- His favorite kind of weather is a mildly sunny day with a lot of clouds and a deep blue sky. He doesn't enjoy excess heat or sunlight, though. Burns semi-easily after a bit as his skin never took to tanning, especially after, again, not going outside for periods of time.

- Also fond of those grey-sky days where it might rain some, might not. Slight breeze.

- If he had to pick a favorite natural disaster he would probably gravitate towards whirlpools and large bouts of lightning. Maybe dust devils.

- He likes Silent Hill and most old-style horror games. Gets nostalgic over the old Playstation intro. Enjoys terraria.

- He likes the smell of Wisteria oil if we're talking about flowers still. Fond of dandelions, especially since he carried over the little tradition with c00lkidd of wishing on them and blowing them (also tosses pennies into fountains).

- Likes the smell of smoke, campfires, and sometimes burnt sage. Most incense tends to be too strong for him, sadly.

- If you ask him for his sexuality he'll just say queer or something along those lines since it's too much thought for him. Doesn't have much reason to care beyond that, his preferences are fluid but more masculine and/or androgynous leaning.

1x1x1x1 headcanons (a bit less developed since I'm primarily ill over 007)

- Probably 6"8-6"10. Though imagine it's hard for majority of people to gauge his height beyond "holy shit that tall person is coming at me at Mach 40 with a sword"

- ^ Fast runner, can be silent if he wants to. Yet he can't resist being loud because he likes terrorizing others and being known.

- Gloats a little. Not entirely undeserved considering his strength but it can be hard for most to tolerate. I think 007n7 may challenge him on some things, yet flatter/agree on others. He does admire him to an extent, after all, especially with his own insecurities and also. Not Being Able To Generally Fight Back against killers 99% of the time

- Struggles with emotional regulation, picks up some skills throughout his time alive but does deal with intense loneliness that is masked as "anger."

- Very obsessive. Not in a gross way, but due to intense loneliness and trauma of some variation, he does not react well to being ignored or being left behind (or the perceived thought of it). Probably also why he is more willing to connect with 007n7 after developing some interest and lowering some walls. Rare is it that killers develop close bonds as they all sorta have their own issues and reside in their own areas.

- The closest "friends" he has would be John Doe and Azure (somewhat). Don't ask me why Azure specifically, ive yet to make a good reason for it aside from vague shared betrayal trauma </3 /lh j. Takes a fondness for c00lkidd in specific due to the small dudes naivety, but doesn't know how to react around kids, so he might appear standoffish.

- He isn't incompetent as far as domestic upkeep goes, but he's not too interested in doing much. Prefers to wander outside and explore, likes forests and the cover they provide.

- ok just hear me out. But if he was a more healthy and unburdened individual, he'd have a generous primadonna/self-assured personality. Think Lottie from the princess and the frog is she was a giant dude instead LMFAOO.. Ik this is irrelevant but I would like to explore a what-if idea someday and that's. Part of it. Lalalala I am cringe and free. I know this is very ooc but Hey.

- Gorgeous black hair.. how does he do it, we may never know.

- He doesn't care much about fashion. He enjoys some styles over others, but his main motive is what is:

1. Easy to move/run in, especially for extended periods.

2. Durable/Not cheaply made.

3. At minimum somewhat flattering on him. He doesn't wear much shirts or arm accessories, prefers range of motion + having his torso exposed.

- If he did wear accessories, he'd gravitate towards specific piercings. Absolutely would go for ear piercings, and the ornate / jeweled ones, too.

- Maybe rings.

- If they did more damage, I feel like he'd enjoy brass knuckles. (Tbf, I think he could do significant harm regardless of weapon type, it just comes down to preference and speed)

- He likes some of the poorly made horror tales that you'd tell to scare your friends at a sleepover. Dude is a fan of Bloody Mary. /pos

- He wouldn't admit it immediately, but he likes libraries, castles and Gothic churches. Very fond of previous Robloxia history, even if he sees unbecoming things said about him. Sometimes it upsets him, sometimes it amuses him. But most of the time he's annoyed (worst case: enraged) over how many details people got WRONG. If you're going to speak of his harrowing acts, at least get it right.

- In spite of this, rarely will he destroy a book. It's just wrong to him. And though he may indulge in the occasional fit of breaking things to cent frustration, something like that is too childish, even for him.

- Once in a rare moment, he will feel a deep sense of mourning and longing for what could've been. In the dead of night, where it's so dark that even his own hands and body are noticeably obscured from his vision, he grieves for a life he cannot even properly envision having. A world where he wasn't created. A world where he wasn't destined to be at odds with Shedletsky, wasn't forced to be a foil for him. A world where he could express emotions as strongly as he did hate and vengeance. Where maybe instead of seeking a false justice that's been beaten into the ground ten thousand and ten thousand more times over, he'd have advocated for something righteous. He doesn't talk or do much for a while after these moments, and does his best to forget they ever occur at all.

What's most hilarious is I'm not even big into the game. I just love the characters + roblox characters as a whole. I tried playing but most servers I joined were pretty toxic </333 and yet.. I still am fixated... I'm a fake fan /j

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