#traumatized characters

[siriuslyobsessedwithfiction]

Kaz Brekker is such an anomaly. Is he a well-written, well-rounded character? Yes. Did he learn his lesson in the end? No. Did he become either better or worse? No. Did he grow as a person? You could say that. Do we have even a remote understanding what he will do next? Absolutely not.

[int3r3st1ng]

Has this been done? Is it correct?

[sadiejosworld]

i love jason todd more than the next guy and love how his story has progressed. but like, willis todd was this big man who was mean, a drunk, and hit his family. if young jason saw older jason, a trained assassin with anger issues who tried to kill tim, drinks (i think?), and is built like a brick shithouse… would he not just see willis?

as a child of an alcoholic, it is my worst fear to become my parent. i hate everything related to alcohol, and i know sometimes the abused becomes the abuser and all, but would he not like hate himself? idk just a thought, cause im angsty and like making my fav characters more traumatized than they already are.

[reafuu]

Atleast he's still cheerful

more trauma

I love him

[molinaskies]

Lanolin: Designed to be Dislikable.

Hi friends. I’ve had a number of people in my digital face over the last few months trying to “show me the light of Lanolin,” but I’ve kept these interactions private because there’s no need to put them on blast. Of course, they're mostly respectful and I’m often reminded that I have a right to my opinion, but there is always an undercurrent that I might have just missed this one small tidbit that could blow the case wide open because how could I possibly not like her? How could I not understand her character and be empathetic to her plight?

But I’ve watched the videos. I’ve read the think pieces. I’ve seen it all. But my opinion hasn’t changed and that does not mean I’m wrong… nor does it mean I’m right! We have two different opinions that should be allowed to co-exist.

I’m being a touch cross here, I recognize. Please forgive me for that, this once. But frankly, I am frustrated—not because people like Lanolin, but because many seem incredulous to the fact that I dislike her. And I can only assume that means I simply have not made myself clear.

Consider this my final take on Lanolin the Sheep until there is some significant development for this character.

I am allowed to dislike Lanolin because she is a fictional character whom I’ve done the research on and have come to that conclusion. Done. That’s all she wrote. Go home.

That aside entirely for the sake of argument, I am allowed to dislike Lanolin because she is supposed to be unlikeable as per her role in this story. I dislike Lanolin because I dislike assholes, but I also like Lanolin because she is doing her job very fucking well! lol

Lanolin is not supposed to be in the right. She is a character who is making major mistakes due to her lack of experience combined with her arrogant dismissal of others, and she will eventually be punished by Mimic’s betrayal to teach the audience some sort of lesson. If half of this comic’s runtime has been about punishing Sonic—the titular character—for his mistakes, then Lanolin can get punished once. I would bet real world money that this will happen.

So many characters are sus of Duo by now and have tried to do something about it but Lanolin gets in the way because she can’t listen to reason. The only reason Silver and Whisper “go rogue” is because Lanolin wouldn’t listen to reason—and her response was still disproportionate because when Whisper tried again to explain herself, Lanolin made her hit the deck.

Lanolin is Sonic with some pieces missing. We know this because Lanolin directly cites Sonic as her inspiration for getting involved in the restoration. However, Lanolin looks at Sonic, sees his behaviour, and emulates it without any understanding or regard for how he has earned the right to do what he does. Sonic is insolent, not arrogant, because he only denies authority when it isn’t earned. Sonic is defiant, not self-righteous, because he believes there are multiple ways to solve a problem. Sonic is empathetic, not sympathetic, because he takes the time to learn and experience what it means to live on the other side. Lanolin has modelled herself off of Sonic because Sonic is a hero, but she’s missed the bigger picture of what that actually means.

Lanolin is cold, unkind, and unwilling to be wrong because she thinks she knows everything she needs to be in this game. That is inherently unlikable to some people and therefore justified.

But there’s more to this, isn’t there?

A huge defence of Lanolin as a character is that “she has baggage that makes her rough around the edges,” and you know what? Fair! You would not believe how empathetic I am to that, trust me. Imma get into it. But the reality of the case is that Lanolin is her own keeper, and if Sonic, Tails, Knuckles, Amy, Rouge, the Chaotix, Tangle, Whisper, Silver, Blaze, Jewel, Belle, and many others can carry their baggage around and still treat others with respect and without verbal and physical abuse, then there’s no excuse. Yes, it takes time to get there, and the whole point of Lanolin as a character is that she hasn’t learned the “everyone is useful just the way they are” and “a leader is nothing without her team” lessons, yet.

But allowing Lanolin to lash out at the world only to let her hide behind her trauma is a deeply reductive portrayal of trauma survivors that I find aggressively problematic. Further, it is a failure to Lanolin as a character because, again, that is not the fucking point of her.

This is the one time I will ever ask anyone here to just “take my word” for something. I’m not comfortable airing out too much of my personal issues on the internet. But below is what I can share.

I come from a very, very broken home that instilled a lot of unproductive defence mechanisms within me. In short, I used to be very mean because I was neglected, and acting out against my peers and showing off my skills gave me attention.

The big ticket, though, is I thought I was good. I thought I was Great. Awesome. Outstanding. AMAZING. I was a natural-born leader with a drive for justice who was good at a couple things. I thought I was doing everything right because teachers liked me and I was getting opportunities. What I never saw—never could have possibly seen until it was spit right in my face—was how I was treating everyone around me as beneath me because I thought I had it in the bag.

It wasn’t until I learned about a very public smear campaign against me that I got a wake up call. When I saw what people were saying, it shattered my entire paradigm not because of just how heinous it was, but because of how much of it was true—and that broke my heart. All I have ever wanted to do was help people. Fight for people. Protect people. Elevate people. Support people. For me to learn I was doing the exact opposite of what I set out to do absolutely destroyed me.

After that, I immediately switched up my game. I pulled out all the stops and really focused on being kinder, empathetic, and encouraging. I started to become more self-aware and mindful of how my emotions and behaviour impacted others, but it still took years to even start to comprehend that I was traumatized, let alone the ways my trauma impacted my relationships and behaviour.

I used to be Lanolin. I was a mean girl getting progressively meaner from ages 11-17, and I am still in active recovery. I still make mistakes. I still fall from grace occasionally, but I am working on it. I’m almost 24 now.

Remember when this used to be about a cartoon sheep? Back on track LOL.

I promise you that while Lanolin has some moments of clarity, she is not largely aware of what she’s doing. She’s not evil. She is not unworthy of love. She just needs time for the story to let her learn.

I am not saying Lanolin does not deserve a redemption. What I am saying is that down her current path and with her current behaviour, she has not yet earned one. And here’s the thing: even though what I’m about to say probably will not happen because this is a kids comic directed at 12 year olds, just because Lanolin might eventually get her punishment, see the light, and apologize for her wrongs while acting on solutions, no one she hurt owes her forgiveness. Whisper can still tell her to fuck off. Silver can send her to outer space, Sonic 06-style. Tangle can yeet her back to kingdom-wherever the fuck she-come from (hush, I know it’s Riverside). 

Why? Because the reality is that even if you are a changed person and have learned and grown from your past discretions, you still hurt people. Even if they do forgive you, they may never trust, and they will never forget. That is the reality I and many others like me live in daily, and to be frank: I think it’s entirely fair. I made mistakes, and I gotta pay the consequences. I deserve grace and patience, but that can only go so far. The people around me are human the exact same way I am.

I personally believe that I have never misunderstood Lanolin as a character. She’s snarky and inexperienced and abrasive entirely by design. She is meant to showcase the “wrong” ways to be a hero and will be corrected. But just because she is a rough-and-tumble person who had a bad day at work does not mean she can come home and treat the world as her personal shitter. No one has that right.

And if you disagree with me, good! Welcome to MolinaSkies.

[sarimsultan15]

The Anxiety Gangs

Based on the painting by Edvard Munch

[animalsalvationassociation]

[ DO NOT REPOST, ALL ART & CONCEPTS WERE MADE BY ME ]

Illustration Time: 14hr 56m

Apparently this was a much needed addition to the fandom. I said I would so here you go. It’s literally 11:56pm I have been at this all day. My eyes are literally burning, but at least it is finished.

(Are there phones in the ocean??? No? Well boo! He has one just to call his girlfriend! It’s a kids show! You can’t get mad at me because it’s cartoon logic! Also it matches his new cast! 😂🥺💙)

@karmel-queen @bunniincognito @thalassic-p4rk

[ This is an Octonauts AU, in no way is this canon to the OG storyline. ]

(It has literally been a week and I have tried to fix this post about TWENTY TIMES AND IT STILL—HOW DID I LEAVE OUT THE ART STAMP FOR A WEEK??? ALL YOU COULD SEE WAS THE DINKY LITTLE SYMBOL I ALWAYS SMACK ONTO IT, NOW ANYONE WHO’S SAVED MY PICTURES WON’T REMEMBER MY NAMEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!! I fixed it but I am still so upset . . . 😭)

[mscytic]

I’m making my own story on A03, of like my own original characters and stuff, but was also told to post here!!

it’s a passion project of mine, and hopefully i’ll get to animate them later on.

this is Daniel, he’s the narrator or I guess, the introducer of the story

[chilidog-man]

Me after reading 8980:

Seriously Jesus Christ

[coldflash-corner]

As a trauma haver myself, I deeply love Coldflash because it's two traumatized people being messily in love.

It isn't going to be simple. It isn't going to be easy. One of them is going to be convinced he has all the answers but honestly his coping strategy is just slightly less bad than the other guy and sometimes is just as bad but in a different font

They're going to be fighting their own minds and the ghosts of abusers past the whole way through, and they'll do it anyway

They'll have arguments where they're both screaming to be heard and so deep in their own pain they can't recognize that the other is saying the same damn thing and is on their side

They'll keep trying to keep the other safe and take the hits themself, take the pain themself, take the blame themself, because what are they supposed to do? Isn't this what love is? Wait don't do it BACK-

And sometimes they won't have the words to explain what triggered them about a situation, just have a bone deep "No. We Can't Do That. DANGER." and they'll still have to work through that together

The guy who saw trauma and went "If I just plan enough, if I just think enough, this can't hurt me" and the guy who saw trauma and went "If I just keep running, if I just turn off my brain and get the job done, it won't hurt anymore"

And it's messy. And it's hard. And Barry has just as much shit to work through as Len but simply won't acknowledge half of it because he has to be the Saint for everyone else and if he acknowledges it then what is he now?

But they work through it anyway

They love each other, anyway

There's a few messy "I can protect you" break ups in the middle, but they get to joy in the end

They find the peace they've been fighting and clawing and scratching for

[interact-if]

Hi, hello! Do you have IF recommendations where the MC is dealing with trauma? I've read and like Fallen Hero, The Exile and I, The Forgotten One. Thanks in advance!

Hi Anon! Here’s a long list of games fitting your request. If anyone else has further suggestions of IFs with this genre, feel free to reply below where we will add those that fit in the list.

Completed:

77 Oleander Avenue: Ghost House Investigation (VN) by @invocative

Deathless: City’s Thirst by Max Gladstone

The Fog Knows Your Name by Yeonsoo Julian Kim

Demos:

A Tale of Crowns by @ataleofcrowns

Advenio by @adveniogame

Aeterna: Rubra Plena (VN) by @quantumvelvet

An Angel's Song by @melkstudio

Better Off by @oscarwrites 

Defiled Hearts: The Barbarian by @defiledheartsblog

Exiled from Court by @beeanca-writing

Greenwarden by @fiddles-ifs

Hollowed Minds by @shai-manahan ​ 

I, The Forgotten One by bacondoneright

Invoker by @tomawrites

Larkin by @larkin-if

Ouroboros by @honeypeabrain

Prodigy by @prodigy-if

Respice Finem by @rf-interactive

Sinners and Saints by @sinnersandsaints-linwrites

Siren’s Call by @the-siren-call

The Archivist and the Revolution by @cyberpunklesbian

The Bastard of Camelot by @llamagirl28

The Exile by @exilethegame

The King's Hound by @the-kingshound​​​

The Numbers Game by @thenumbersgameif

The Spirited: Origins by @yuveim

The Watchwood by @compassroseproductions ​

Trails Lead Home by @trailshome

Throne of Ashes by @13leaguestories

Vespertines by @mondaysandwich​​​​​​

No Demo:

Haunt The Bodies by @hauntthebodies

Rehab by @rehabifiction

[raccoon-coded]

Sad that both Rocket and Peter fear they lose everyone they get close to but they've never talked about it with each other.

(Because of course they wouldn't. Peter only ever mentions it when he's spiralling and Rocket refuses to talk about his feelings at all.)

[absolute-fool-for-now]

Best traumatized Leo is in town: Neon Void, BABY!

Sorry I haven't been active for a bit. I'll be back with monkey stuff, I've just been really into this fic (Neon Void, AO3) and sonic games

[dragonshiemp]

More random sketches of stuff and things for an animus hunter story‼️🗿 and a random wolverine dragon I will never finish😭

[gweunthemisspelledname]

The girls

[sarimsultan15]

The Painful Traumatized Art