“Is That All?” She Whispered.

The heart of catcher in the rye is that children do not need to be "worthy" of being cared for. "But hes an annoying whiny little rich kid" Hes a child. No child should be likable enough to your taste for you to give a shit about them

Hi Maggie, I'd really like to hear you say a bit more about why you wrote Adam trying to repair the relationship with his abusive parents in the Raven King. What is the merit in salvaging a relationship such as that, and do you think it is possible for Adam's parents to truly redeem themselves? P.S. Can't wait for Call Down The Hawk, hopefully by the time it comes out I'll quit accidentally calling it Call The Hawk Down (every time I do that I'm like SHIT...was that it? That wasn't it...)

Dear courageofhorses,

I have also seen CALM DOWN THE HAWK which is a perfectly appropriate title.

Following is spoilers for TRK

spoilers

spoilers

no seriously

spoilers

CAVEAT: I’m going to answer this with how I interpret Adam’s character, but in the end, the books live without me, so it’s what makes it on the page and into your interpretation that counts.

THAT SAID. I’m not sure I would call Adam’s final move in The Raven King an attempt to repair the relationship, because it’s not about his parents, it’s about him. It’s about what he needs to say and do in order to feel he has the moral high ground; it’s what he personally requires to allow himself freedom.

By the time we get to that final scene of his in TRK, he’s been living on his own for quite awhile, a high school senior who fled his childhood home under duress. In that time, he’s lived through a helluva lot of traumatic and brilliant events. He’s seen his mentor die, he’s fallen in love, he’s dreaded his best friend’s death, he’s learned that he can be a good friend. 

The only time he’s seen his father in that time is when he comes busting through the door of his apartment with violence and Cabeswater intervenes. 

Otherwise, it has been only Adam and his memories of his parents, and if there is anything Adam doesn’t trust throughout the series, it’s his own interpretation of events. He’s been trained his entire childhood to doubt himself. 

So him returning to TRK isn’t about him genuinely trying to repair a relationship, to accept his parents back into his life despite all the’ve done to him. Instead, it’s about him — for the first time, ever — walking back to the trailer he grew up in without fear. He’s just come from graduation, and he’s closing the books behind him. He’s choosing to be blunt with his parents, without fear, older, wiser, more powerful. He knows he can trust whatever he sees as he walks back through that door under his own steam. It will be the truth, not what his battered emotional thoughts whispered to him for 800 pages.

Adam returns to see if, now that he knows himself, these people he saw as monsters still look like monsters. He wants to see if he becomes monstrous in their presence. He wants to feel for the first time in his life the glorious glow of the absolutely certain high ground while looking at his father. 

He wants to exorcise the memory of a fearful man who controlled his life for 17 years by instead facing him with the full knowledge that he has no control over Adam whatsoever. 

And as to the rest: shit, man. Even if your parents beat the crap out of you, it can be hard to make the decision to walk away completely. The voices whisper that maybe it wasn’t that bad –

But Adam says what he came to say.

He came to see if he ever had parents. If, once he didn’t hate himself, they might be different. And guess what: he’s the only thing that changed. They didn’t. 

He fled that trailer last time he left. Like the scared kid he was. But now he just walks out, like the man he became.

So to me, that scene is about Adam coming back to the trailer to realize this about his past:

And this about his future:

And walking out as Adam Parrish, son of no one, only himself.

tl;dr: abuse is a complicated creature with many different roads to closure. Is what Adam does right? I can’t say that. Is what I think Adam did in that scene what you think he did in that scene? I can’t say that either.

But I reckon that’s what I was thinking when I walked him out that door for the last time.

urs,

Stiefvater

pynch with tongue

Okay fuck it all, here are some reasons to love the shit out of Gansey:

• the way he cares about his friends, like he just loves them so incredibly much and always feels like he doesn’t deserve them and he sees all that potential in them and just wants them all to be save and happy and healthy

• every time he calls one of his friends “marvelous creature”

• the yearning. The yearning for Glendower. The yearning for knowledge. The yearning for every single one of his friends. The yearning for blue

• the way he doesn’t do favorites. He loves all his friends so obviously equally and even when blue joins the group and he falls in love with her he’s still not choosing her over the guys or the guys over her

• the way he makes mistakes all the time and does his fucking best to learn from them and improve

• the way he does things just for the aesthetic. His journal? The Camaro? Monmouth manufacturing? The books laying around at Monmouth? His bed in the middle of the fucking room? None of it is really practical and there are way more modern and sensible alternatives he could use but NO bitch boy has got to be extra and live his 80 year old grandpa life for the a e s t h e t i c of it all

• his intelligence. I know we talk about how smart Adam is a lot (which duh! He is.) but guys!!! Gansey is so fucking smart. He’s close behind Adam in most classes and that all the while searching for Glendower and as opposed to Adam he doesn’t need to be good. (Also he never seems to study much in the books. It’s mentioned that Adam studies a lot. It’s mentioned that Ronan studies once. It’s never mentioned that Gansey studies. I mean sure, we can assume he does study a bit but by all means not even close as much as Adam and he’s still right behind Adam in most classes!!). But also, let alone all the research and shit he did for Glendower? All the random unnecessary facts he has floating around his brain?

• so he comes from a rich white family of Republicans. Red flag, right? But no, not with Gansey. You might thing a character with that background would probably be controversial and idk man racist and homophobic and what not. But not Gansey

• he literally couldn’t give any fucks about Ronan being gay. When he finds out about Ronan and Adam all he says is that Adam better not play with Ronan’s feelings because he’s vulnerable. Also, it’s to assume Gansey already knew about Ronan’s sexuality and he never made a big deal out of it (because it is no big deal).

• Also, when Ronan made slightly racist remarks about Henry, Gansey called him out on it (and that happened like twice at least)

• number one Adam Parrish stan

• number one Ronan Lynch stan

• number one Henry Cheng stan

• number one Blue Sargent stan

• number two Noah Czerny stan (sorry but I think blue and Ronan are fighting for first place so Gansey got pushed to second because he wouldn’t want to get into that war)

• the peacemaker!!! Literally such a pure boy who hates fights so much and all he ever tries is to solve them and get going

• all he ever tries is to help and support his friends and give them all the love and best life they deserve even if he’s pretty shit at it at times (i. e. whenever he tried to help Adam with money. We know you mean well Gansey but that’s not the way to go with Adam you should know that by now)

(• the way rarely sees fault in his friends. Ronan literally once thought about how Gansey always acts like Adam is such a saint while he’s really not (Ronan’s words, not mine) and literally Gansey would excuse any bullshit Ronan does in a heartbeat without even thinking about it twice)

• how he’s always worried about his friends. When he still thought Ronan tried to kill himself how he always worried about it happening again and he keeps blaming himself for not being able to help or Adam getting hit by his father and Gansey not being able to help him out of there

• all. he. wants. is. for. his. friends. to. be. happy

• his need to always please everyone no matter what

• “Gansey was just a guy with a lot of stuff and a hole inside him that chewed away more of his heart every year. They were always walking away from him. But he never seemed able to walk away from them.”

• the amount of times he thinks of Ronan and Adam as his brothers. The unconditional love he has for them

• it might not be evident at all times because Gansey is a clumsy mess around women (Blue) BUT he did drink his respect women juice. Sometimes he just says dumb shit he doesn’t mean and learns from it

(• all the emotions and thoughts he keeps on hiding and shoving down because he doesn’t want to burden his friends with his problems?? Like, baby this is not the way to go you gotta let it out but also super sweet you don’t want to put it on your friends (which you should tho because that’s kinda what they’re there for and you’re also always so eager to hear about their problems and help them with it). He already knows he’ll die soon but he tells no one because he knows they will try to help prevent it and that they’ll get hurt because of it so he never tells them.)

(• His panic attacks. His ptsd. His insomnia. He’s trying so hard to be the positive and supportive and helpful dad of the group while he himself has major problems but he always feels like his friends are more important than that.)

• “With force, Gansey kicked off his shoes. One flew over his miniature Henrietta and the other made it all the way to the side of his desk. It slammed off the old wood and slid to the ground. Under his breath, Gansey said, "Yee haw.”

• the poetry of his thoughts and speech. Like,,,, dream me the world,,,, safe as life,,,,, excelsior,,, that’s all there is

• his almost kisses with blue and just the way he always describes and thinks of her and he’s just so. in. love

• “And everywhere, everywhere there were books. Not the tidy stacks of an intellectual trying to impress, but the slumping piles of a scholar obsessed.”

• the way him and Declan just,,, raised Ronan??? And Gansey was the parent that made Ronan feel very loved and accepted while Declan was the strict parent who just wanted to protect without giving much freedom

• wanting to use the favor to bring Noah back to life??? Like??? He could use it for anything in the world but no if he gets it he wants to use it to bring Noah back because he just loves his friends so. much.

• he died to save his friends even though he was so so terrified about dying. I mean he did it once and never wanted back. He thought about not wanting to die so so so many times. So many conversations with his friends about just how scared he is to die and how easy it would be for him to die with his allergy and all and then he just puts his life on the line for them in the flicker of a heartbeat

#letdylanbite #singlehandedlythebestsceneoftheshow #ifuckingloveseverance

Dylan should start biting people again

someone said ‘you better not be more when you were alive when I get home’ me:

HOW DARE YOU BE FUNNIER THAN ME ON MY OWN POST 😭😭

starting off my tumblr strong with trc art 🫡

"This is the way I talk. I'm sorry your father never taught you the meaning of repugnant. He was too busy smashing your head against the wall of your trailer while you apologized for being alive."

- Gansey, probably

lowk gansey

realized some things today

Op I would watch your YouTube video essays

go on the rant GO ON THE RANT ANOUT MISCHARACTERISATION did I even spell that right

Sorry for taking so long oh my lord, I got a little intense with this. I wanted textual evidence, and I went on a few fanfiction-reading and tumblr sprees to really gather my points here. I treated this like a college essay. So consider this a sociological essay on fandom behavior and ill incorporate it into my thesis. So, Thank you for this opportunity to vent one of my biggest fandom pet peeves! I shan't squander it!

My issue with mischaracterization comes down to the characters being mischaracterized and the traits of theirs that are warped. Now don't get me wrong, OOC is a fandom-typical behavior. I did it a lot when I was younger, and I even engage in it now for goofy moments! Is exact characterization necessary for a fluffy AU or a goofy little dribble? No. Sometimes we just want to write something cute and fun.

My issue with it comes when we're writing something that does require accurate character interpretation. Now, I won't directly tell someone they're writing OOC - I usually just ignore it and keep reading or I just press the back tab because it's really not that deep. But it does bother me. I'm not the ultimate authority over how a character should be written - that changes based on the creator, narrative, how the creator interprets and even projects onto them.

To express why, allow me to do a bit of a case study of characters who are often mischaracterized in the (numerous) fandoms i participate in. I've seen some shit. If you don't know the character, don't worry, it'll tie into some cohesive point. Bare with me. Remember, this is just my opinion. I actively encourage intellectual conversation about things we disagree on! This isn't targeted at a specific person, it's just a list of some trends i see in fandom behavior. Also this isn't edited.

(If you want to skip down, there's a TL; DR at the end. But be warned I was just sleep deprived enough for this to be hilarious and you'd be missing out on my utter genius. Never ask an autistic to describe their favourite characters if you don't want a 20 page notes app essay.)

1. Wylan Van Eck - Six of Crows.

Now, this is the character that spurred my thoughts here. Wylan's mischaracterization in the SOC fandom is interesting because I think it just shows a misunderstanding of the character and his arc. Maybe you only read the first book or watched the show. The majority of his development happens in the second book, where his true personality is allowed to shine. But there are definitely hints throughout all his "screentime" if you will.

Wylan is often portrayed as a bit of a "sunshine boy", an understandable interpretation because several characters in universe seem to agree. It's one of the biggest commentaries on him from the rest of the cast - he's a little rich boy, he's innocent, he's barely qualified to be their demolitions expert. None of which is true, by the way, but that's the base level explanation given to Wylan. (Actually the unraveling of this portrayal is integral to his relationship with the other crows but more on that another time.)

Wylan did grow up relatively sheltered, which can make him pretty naive at the start of the story. He hasn't really been participating in the criminal world for long. But innocent he is not. Wylan is pretty quickly revealed to be remarkably intelligent, even a bit of a mad scientist. He's directly compared to Kaz on multiple occasions, and his backstory serves as a direct parallel to Kaz's. He's a well meaning kid, who expressed a deep empathy towards others on multiple occasions. Which, once again, isn't innocence - it could maybe be a product of him being a bit naive? But I've always interpreted that as a special strength of Wylan's. He blossoms into a bit of a mad genius, but one who still cares about people. The idea that caring about others makes you weak is one that we see being addressed with Kaz, actually, so I always find it interesting when that same concept isn't applied to Wylan? I love Kaz and I love Wylan and the thread between the two is one of my favourite aspects of the series.

Also, I think it's important to point out that in terms of sexuality, Wylan isn't some uwu innocent gay boy? He's heavily implied to have at least some degree of sexual experience, whether it's rumour or reality. And if you factor in the TV show, he's plenty confident in his sexuality and its expression thereof. So the strange interpretation of him as someone who's never engaged in any sexual activity is interesting to me?

His relationship with Jesper is often mischaracterized, as well. This weird depiction of Wylan woefully pining after Jesper with little confidence or desire to do anything about it came almost out of nowhere? And the whole Kuwei situation. It's been awhile since I read the books, but I distinctly remember Wylan being pretty pissed about that whole situation. Like, really pissed. And super abrasive about it. He knew he and Jesper liked each other and he put that boy through the WRINGER over that kiss. Like saying Wylan is an uwu soft sunshine boy when he actively threatens to throw people off a boat because they have a crush on their partner is kind of hilarious, to be honest. Wylan was locked the hell in when it came to Jesper. It was very much not a sad one sided crush. And as much as I like the TV adaptation (Jack Wolfe as Wylan is the definition of perfect casting btw) I do think it strips a lot of the nuance of the relationship. Or not. I like both portrayals, but Wylan is infinitely more assertive in the books. He actively challenges Jesper and pushes him. Jesper noticeably likes him more when he, for lack of better words, "bites back." When he stands up for himself. Which he is good at doing. He also lies to and manipulates Kaz. Before that, he frequently talked back to and challenged Kaz at every turn. Is he always right? No, but he has his principles and he puts his foot down. The kid is stubborn. I equate Wylan's arc to Parker's from the show Leverage, which has a lot in common with SOC. Namely that Wylan is almost being fashioned into someone who could take Kaz's place, if that makes sense? Actually, the Wylan/Kaz comparison is so important to me and that could be a separate post.

Anyway,

Wylan's mischaracterization is fascinating because it's less a gross misunderstanding of who he is, and more ignoring the depth and multiple facets to make him seem submissive (don't even tell me that's not what it is lmao) and soft and super sweet. Wylan is kind of a snarky shit! And that's ok! He's also stubborn and intelligent and yes, a little naive, and overall kindhearted, but he sticks to his guns He'll help hijack a tank and blow shit up, but he's also a highly empathetic and sweet artist. He's a little unnerving, if you think about it. He's cryptic about his background, he likes bombs, he plays the piano, he matches Kaz's freak, he lies constantly, he's sixteen and a member of the merchants council and attempting to overturn its entire structure. He built bombs for a living. He likes chemistry. Have you ever met a chemistry nerd? They're weird. In the best possible way. Wylan is weird. Please write him weird, please write him as a smartass. He's a sweet kid but he's mouthy.

Edit: I was rightfully called out for saying Wylan likes chemistry, and I was wrong. Which is really funny because this was meant to be about mischaracterization and I actively perpetuated a mischaracterization. Anyway.

2. Adam Parrish - The Raven Cycle

This one is personal. Not just because I was (affectionately?? I hope??) called the "Adam Parrish my friend group" (To this day, how am I supposed to take that?) or because Adam is probably my favourire book character of all time, but because the softening of Adam by fandom really ruins a lot of why he's such a well-written character? Idk, I know many people (including Maggie Stiefvater herself) have expressed that he's difficult to write. Which is fair. He's a walking contradiction. But reducing him to sad abused boy (which, like it or not, is what fucking happens) really bothers me. Because Adam's anger and his coping throughout The Dream Thieves cements him as one of the best examples of healing I've seen in awhile. Because it isn't pretty or enjoyable to watch. Adam is actively lashing out. Understandably so, btw. He's angry and he feels cornered and he's attempting to undo a lifetime of internalized hatred and trauma. And he's doing his damn best not to be like the people who hurt him. This portrayal means everything to me - as someone who, to start, is in constant fear of being like their abusers, and who hadn't ever seen abuse victims being angry before. I read this series when I was sixteen and filled with anger, and to read it again in my twenties when I've only just started to understand that this anger was a result of emotional and physical abuse. Anyway, it's difficult for me to not make this part a little personal, because Adam is a very personal character to me. And no, I have never murdered a man, but tbh I would if I had been in his position and I'm in full support of anything he does. Adam spends TDT attempting to reclaim agency. Because Adam is a little control freak and everything in his life has spiraled out of control, and he's grasping onto what little he can control. So he gets mean, and he's angry and scared and it's not pretty and it's not what people always want to see. But it's also very realistic, especially for a teenager with very little emotional intelligence. (Adam I love you. You are not emotionally aware.)

But once again, he's written as a lot softer by fandom. And not in the way he chooses to be softer (because Adam does actively fight and choose to be softer, especially when he loves someone - I think Opal is a great example.) but because it's easier to write. Which, fair, Adam isn't the easiest to write. I could reiterate and explain that Adam can kind of be an asshole and he's emotionally constipated and he is willing to malewife, manipulate, manslaughter his way out of a situation. Adam is willing to do what it takes to survive, even at his own expense. He's spent seventeen years in survival mode, and he never really learns how to turn it off?

Like with Wylan, who I compare to Kaz to emphasize how he's mischaracterized, need i remind the crowd that Adam and Declan would form a fascinating venn diagram? I'll never get over Adam being called a "creepily clever little fuck" or Adam admitting to studying Declan's behavior and imitating the behavior of people he actively dislikes because he wants to be respected and seen as one of them. While actively hating their guts, mind you. Also him and the Grey Man. Who Adam is also constantly compared to. I'm surprised more people don't talk about his active identity crisis in the Dreamer's Trilogy. He's only found one person he can be himself around. Adam has spent years and years building personalities and fabricated backstories and stretching truths. He's polite because people want him to be, he's gentle because it's what's expected. And I'm not saying these aren't parts of him, but it's almost like he's stretching these parts of himself to hide the parts of himself he finds less appealing. I think an integral part of Adam is having secrets, and as much as he'd like to known, he's too used to being unknowable to open up?

I also think his dynamic with Ronan is frequently mischaracterized. Which, by the way, I love p

Pynch so much? Like they make me physically ill. Ronan and Adam are, affectionately, two assholes who love each other very much. The fact that Adam is comfortable enough to fight with (i think I even recall a few allusions to some lighthearted physical fights, nothing full on) and bicker with and be abrasive Ronan is a big deal. He isn't worried saying the wrong thing is going to send him running? (I also think part of this is Ronan likes that a pretty boy is kinda mean to him which is very valid im not gonna lie) They've both gotten used to each other's jagged edges and they show the uglier sides of themselves because they know the other can handle it without judgement. Pre-series pynch is really fascinating to me and I wish we had gotten it more, actually. They had a really beautiful friendship dynamic, and seeing how comfortable Adam is around him really speaks to how well they work together. I bet if Ronan had kept it up at that pace, they'd have gotten together in ten years. He was just playing the long game, guys. He had a plan. This is often just scraped and turned into an enemies to lovers dynamic (which, i guess, was how Adam maybe perceived it? Ronan was doing a victorian slow burn.) And I wish I could speak on Adam's character without bringing up Ronan but these codependent motherfuckers make it impossible. Ronan's involvement in Adam's arc provides a lot of insight into who Adam really is, not who Adam desperately wishes he was.

Am I going somewhere with this? Maybe. Maybe not. Maybe I just want to gush about Adam Parrish. Can you blame me?

The pynch dynamic is where Adam is often miswritten, in my opinion. It's subtle, but the two aren't always written as equals, and them being and feeling like equals is a huge deal to why they work. Because they treat each other like people, not projects. Neither of them thinks the other needs fixing, neither does either of them expect everything to be easy. They're both relatively abrasive individuals, and it works because they're able to be openly abrasive with each other. Not because either of them is fixing the other. They slowly learn to be more vulnerable and depend on each other, but that's because they establish that by being their authentic, untempered selves. It's why the best Pynch fics involve them flirting by picking on each other.

Also, and this will seem petty, and it's probably a personal gripe of mine more than anything. In universe, Adam is not oblivious. (Like I said, everything is different and I have both written and ready oblivious Pynch!) He is fully aware that Ronan has a crush on him. It's actually my favourite part of that mid series dynamic. Adam knows. Ronan doesn't know that Adam knows. Adam doesn't know that Ronan doesn't know that Adam kno-

Adam chooses to be oblivious because he has poor self esteem and doesn't think he's worthy of being the object of Ronan's affection. Not because he can't tell. Because Ronan was being so obvious I picked up on it in the first chapter they showed up in together, but I digress. Adam is smart. But he's also really insecure. And has a huge fear of being overly reliant on other people. Which creates friction.

But when he locks the fuck in and decides "eh screw it im getting a boyfriend out of this" and just starts shamelessly flirting thats djsjdjsjdj. Like good on him. Adam just goes "fuck it someone needs to make shit happen." Which happens, mind you, after Adam has begin to reclaim his agency and sense of self directly after escaping an abusive situation. People grow and find themselves once they're in safety. Pynch progresses because Adam is able to heal on his own terms.

However, my biggest gripe with how Adam is written in his relationship with Ronan revolves entirely on the really odd gender roles people sometimes force on Adam? I like their relationship because it's a queer relationship where both characters are very masculine. (Assume I'm using the antiquated concept of masculinity). I mean they're both very obviously teenage boys. And they interact like two very dumb teenage boys who are in love with each other. I like seeing them be young and stupid and in love. I think of the grocery cart scene daily. Sometimes Adam is written in a way that almost feminizes him and ruins that refreshing element of their dynamic. Ignoring that out of the two, Ronan is probably the most unconventional in his masculinity. Just by the way. But I digress.

This turned into a meta analysis on Adam and Ronan but I hope my point was clear nonetheless: write Adam how he's written. Which is achingly complex, and difficult to simplify for a specific reason. He wouldn't work as a character if he was stripped of any of these details. Please don't reduce him to make him more palatable.

(I could rant about Adam more, specifically his bisexuality but Ive gone too far. Maybe another time.)

3. Akechi Goro - Persona 5

I have a Persona 5 icon and it's my duty to talk about Akechi Goro, my favourite little guy. My unhinged little man. What a little freak. What a delightful slap in the face.

I've compared Akechi to Adam before, which to many seems like a bit of a jump but rest assured when I lay it out side by side I'm kind of on to something.

I like Akechi a lot. Major comfort character. And he's a controversial character within the Persona fandom because he's done some pretty shitty stuff. Mostly because of the murder and blackmail and the betrayal and the-

But this isn't to defend Akechi. He needs no defending. He did it all and I don't care he should walk free anyway. Can we blame him? He's a Gemini. Also, he was SEVENTEEN. Probably younger when the (multiples) murders occurred. I feel like we ignore this a lot when talking about Akechi. Do you think his prefrontal cortex has been developed??? Look at him. He's got until at least thirty before his neural networks are refined. Also, and maybe this is controversial, as somebody with daddy issues, if I thought murdering someone would get people to care about me I probably would have as a teenager. Because guess what, the parent who cares about you literally dying, then not having parents, then having a parent who refuses to acknowledge you and uses you as a tool to achieve their own goals tends to send some people a little off the rails. Also, mathematically, that is a young teenager doing murder. A literal child. He doesn't need prison he needs therapy. Also sometimes murder is the answer and I think we should consider he was just doing what needed to be done. More of us should murder. And maybe he was just flirting? If you criticize the attempt, maybe you're just homophobic.

Ok, so all joking aside, yes Akechi did some appalling shit. Like. Enough for a life sentence. And when people jump through hoops to say what he did was ok ("oh he didn't have a choice" "oh he's just a victim uwu") it completely disregards why Akechi is such a well-written character. I dislike people trying to sanitize Akechi, because that directly contradicts what his arc is about - being authentically himself, after years of pretending to be something he isn't. (Are we seeing a trend here, folks?) Stop writing Akechi nice. Stop making him some sad misunderstood little boy. He's a teenager who, yes, did what he did by convincing himself it was how to survive and take back control of his life, but he also committed several unforgivable atrocities. We can understand, even sympathize with, his actions, while acknowledging they were horrible. Reducing him to an uwu sad victim ruins the nuance and intrigue of who he is. He's an asshole, he's cynical, he hates the world, he's never had anyone he can be himself around prior to meeting the protagonist, he won't accept help or support because free will is his greatest pride. He wants to be his own person. Also he's kind of funny. Just saying. I think we can forgive him a bit for being funny. As a treat.

Also, in regards to shipping (because poorly handled shipping is the bane of every nuanced characters good writing) Akechi is not only canonically very rude (i get a little jolt of happiness when writers make him rude, btw. it's like a little treat. here, mean!Akechi) when he's not playing a facade (even when he is, he's just passive aggressive), he also actively wants to be better than other people. Which affevts his dynamic with Akiren, who is the other side of the same coin. And he gets a little... uh....stabby when he's not. Maybe he hurts our feelings when we've spent hours befriending him only to be told he hates us-

But need I remind you a few details about Akechi fandom forgets that pisses me off: He's implied to regret some of the murder (not a justification, just a regret) but sees it as necessary, he likes that Akiren is willing to be combative and disagree with him, he appreciates honesty and authenticity, he doesn't believe when people like him, he's a little fucking unhinged, he trauma dumps every opportunity, he likes bouldering, and he is TALLER THAN AKIREN. Everytime we twink-ify Akechi an angel loses its wings. In my heart he's alive and he went to therapy and got the diagnosis he needs. I've read some gorgeous fic that really addresses the nuance of Akechi growing up and learning some healthy coping mechanisms. And getting a dog. I think Akechi should get a dog.

4. Tim Drake - DC Comics

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...

So.

You've made it this far. Congratulations, you've hit my peak brainrot. As a DC Comics fan, I'm accustomed to varying characterization. Tim Drake is a character almost no one can seem to write well. Because there's little to no consistency. So it's difficult to say "hey this is wrong or bad writing" in fan works because... well, there's probably a comic or show or cartoon with that characterization! Even his arguably best comic, Red Robin 2009, is out of character - though this out of character decision is thematic and works for the fact that his entire life has been tossed into a fucking blender on puree mode. So, it'd be easier to say how Tim shouldn't be written? And the biggest issue here is that the poor writing is an example of fanon bleeding into canon. Preaching to the choir here, I know. But seriously.

Tim Drake's feral wet cat energy seems to get thrown into an interpretation that he's some sad, simpering little guy who just bends over backwards and lets shit happen to him. Which is just... not my favourite writing of him. I think we forget that Tim Drake is kind of an asshole. Like, I've always compared him to Peter Parker in that regard. I'd actually encourage more people to lean into Tim being a messy, skateboarding, too-smart-for-his-own-good teenager. Because it's my favourite interpretation of him. Bro is too smart to finish high school. That's so funny to me. But guess what, because of that and dropping out of high school he's lost a significant amount of socializing time with people his own age.

Which brings me to my biggest gripe with how Tim is written: He has negligent parents. Like. Not full on abusive, according to most interpretations, but parents who either weren't there or didn't really give a damn, or who kind of gave a damn but didn't really understand him or really try. Which doesn't necessarily make them the worst parents in the world, of course, but depending on the severity upon which it's written Tim is easily a kid who grew up way too fast. It's probably why he developed the relationship with Bruce that he did - he's been trained to behave and act like an adult (though he chemically is incapable of that, mind you) and to take care of himself, and that has led to him being a little emotionally stunted. And a little isolated from people his own age. Is this a trauma like... say.... being beaten to death in a warehouse at fifteen then brought back to life? No. But it is a specific form of trauma people love to dismiss. Because as a post I recently reblogged pointed out: Normal teenagers with normal parents and healthy coping skills don't become vigilantes. I don't know where the hatred of Tim Drake comes from but calling Tim Drake well adjusted and self actualized is so fucking funny, actually. The closest we got was the end of the Red Robin run, which was immediately eradicated with the arrival of New 52. Idk, Tim wasn't properly loved or socialized with kids his own age and that can really mess a kid up. Just a thought to consider.

Also, Tim is snarky and maybe a little full of himself in a way teens tend to be. Like... he got his ass beat by his dead predecessor and not only held his own but continued to mouth off and insist he was better when he was being threatened with murder. Damian went "hey I'm gonna kill you" and Tim basically said "OK bet." Awkward little boy Tim Drake (WFA Tim Drake, to be fair) is fun! It's cute! But it leaves out how utterly unhinged and unsettling Tim can be. Depending on who you ask, Tim has a bit of a stalking problem. And if you read a different set of comics, at best he hyperfixates a little too hard. The usual points for why hes a weird dude stand, but most of those come from the Red Robin run (which, as I mentioned, is kind of OOC because of the trauma dump) and aren't typical Tim behavior. But I'd also argue most well adjusted people don't engage in half the actions Tim resorts to during periods of stress....?

(Not to mention he's canonically the Robin most likely to become a supervillain.)

(He's also a bad boyfriend. He's a better friend than a boyfriend.)

I did notice the mischaracterization took over when he was confirmed queer! Which is! :) Interesting! :) I wonder! :) What about him being :) queer :) could have POSSIBLY :) led to his mischaracterization as an :) awkward soft boy :)

I love gay panic Tim and I actually liked the foundation of his relationship with Bernard, but it came at the expense of everything else I like about Tim which is that he's messy and a little pretentious. And does shit like "hey i can have a girlfriend as Robin and a girlfriend as Tim". i also loved the idea of his identity crisis being tied to a sexuality crisis! Then it just fizzled out. Not the point, but I did notice an influx of mischaracterization when he was confirmed queer and they sanitized all his problematic traits because DC seems to be afraid of making their queer male characters interesting and messy. Messy bisexuals deserve representation too.

Tim can also legitimately be very sweet. His relationship with all his friends is a testament to that. I've never loved romantic Timsteph, but their sweet moments are very important to me. I love the idea of them developing a platonic relationship. And not because i want more gay stuff, but because i think they're healthier when they're platonic. They're better for each other as friends.

Also, his relationship with Bart and Kon. Believing in Bart when people dismiss him as being a hyperactive idiot. The emotional depth of his and Kon's friendship. Like, romantic or not WOW. it's incredibly well-written. Tim is legitimately just... a messy teenager. A well-meaning, snarky, emotionally stunted teenager with parental issues. Him being a teenage CEO does nothing to negate how messy he is. I'd argue he should be written messier. Let messy people be messy.

Also give me more overcomplicated plots to solve issues that really shouldn't be complicated? When I say Tim is too smart for his own good, I mean he's the type to plan a military coup to cover his coming into class late. Some of the best Tim characterization I've seen shows him being paranoid enough to set up a ridiculous amount of schemes for simple issues.

Basically, people like to dumb him down or they don't make him dumb enough. Because he's smart dumb. He's smart but he's stupid. He's a 90s dork. Alexa, play I'm Just A Kid by Simple Plan.

5. Nico Di Angelo - PJO

I could speak on any PJO character here, frankly, but I'm choosing Nico because he's been stuck in my head since I knew how to analyze characters. I took one look at that little gremlin and I weaved him into my identity for the rest of eternity.

I forgive people for this one because Rick Riordan can barely figure out how to write Nico, but it's ok because he's Uncle Rick and he tries. I figure the best way to explain Nico's writing is that when Rick is on his shit, it's some of the best writing I've ever seen. When he's off, it's almost unreadable. And I love Nico. He introduced me to gay people. I did not know you could be gay before Nico was gay. But OH MY GOD i need this fandom to write Nico with SOME depth, even when his author can't. And as a disclaimer: I like most Nico ships. I'm so pro shipping in almost every capacity. I think shipping is fun and goofy and should just be a good time. Jason and Nico? Hell yes. I love them. Nico and Leo? Underrated dynamic. Nico and Will? Did I mention learning about gay people??? Solangelo introduced me to Troye Sivan and it was all downhill from there. Now I'm trans and biromantic. The transitive property of homosexuality. But when I say shipping can mean the absolute downfall of a character? Yeah, I'm thinking about Nico.

When Nico gets shipped he can often be stripped of all his interesting qualities. Nico and Percy's relationship loses a lot of it's depth, the intrigue and the best parts of it are reduced to Nico having a crush. Nico and Jason is reduced to a gay crush. Nico and Will become a perfect, fluffy gay couple. This is, obviously, not for everyone! I follow some wonderful individuals who ship and create content for these ships who really nail it! But when people don't, it just dhshfhsjhfrjjr Do we not like interesting things????

I liked Will and Nico because they pushed at each other. Will had a backbone and he kind of calls Nico out on some bullshit. Now, if Nico had been given an opportunity to explain that he wasn't imagining his isolation and if Rick acknowledged it was a weird choice to retcon that....? But nevermind.

Going into Nico's character. I might get a little mean. Let's power through!

Nico is classified homosapien, category emo. Which is cool. I'm in my early twenties and I also wear black nail polish and old band t shirts! But the weird fixation on it by fandom is so weird to me. Specifically because if Nico shows an ounce of developing past that, fandom gets so weird about it? Like, TSATS is a flawed book. But I like Nico getting to be a little happier. If it was fleshed out a little longer, Nico could slowly become someone like who he was at the beginning of the series - not exactly the same, because that's not how healing works! But him joking around is a good thing. Him smiling and laughing and healing is good. He's still struggling tremendously, but he is healing. And there's some weird push against that idea. I don't love how it was portrayed, either, but I actually love the idea of Nico healing.

Nico, prior to the big splat, was awkwardly social. And probably autistic. But thats a conversation for another day. He was traumatized, yes, but he had interests and he got excited about things! The absolute trauma train that followed battered him down and warped him. And that was something I, and many others found comfort in. Seeing a mirror image of our trauma in a character is such a big deal, especially when you find out this character you adore and have latched onto for years is queer! But the second Nico shows any development past being sad and worn and beaten down the entire fandom seems to work itself into a frenzy??? He's not a sad boy all the time and for some reason that pisses people off.

Also, Nico is more multifaceted than fandom (or Rick??? for some reason???) gives him credit for? He's mouthy and self destructive and overconfident in his powers. He's self loathing and insecure and polite to adults. He gets along with Dionysus of all people. He's quiet and introspective and notices the little details. He befriends odd creatures no one else seems to like. He gets excited and infodumps. He's a dork. He's worked towards pride in his identity. He's still grappling with internalized homophobia.

He's short. He's gay. He's empathetic. He's also an incredible swordsman. He's creepy. He's tremendously powerful. He gets reduced to a gay stereotype by fandom all the time. And by Rick, sometimes. Which... don't get me wrong, Nico finding Anakin Skywalker hot is funny as all hell. But there's so much nuance in how Nico is portrayed as a queer character. Specifically because many people didn't see it coming because Nico is so much more than a gay guy. Or he was, to start. But surprise surprise, once he's confirmed queer fandom attitude just... shifted. In a weird direction. I think, once again, taking the parts of a character that maybe make them seem a little "unsavory" or "complicated" and reducing them so they're easier to like or write is just in poor taste and comes from a deep misunderstanding of the character.

I could go off longer about Nico, but I think I've made my point. Once again, I see fandom reducing him to a handful of stereotypes and making him softer and less complicated.

Honourable Mention to Oikawa Tooru, who didn't fit the theme. Megumi Fushiguro, who didn't fit the theme. Neil Josten, who i would've written too much about. And many more.

TL;DR:

"Wow, Jay, what an odd combination of characters you've selected! How could you possibly tie them together!?" What do these guys all have in common? They're almost all queer men in queer relationships who have dealt with trauma as crucial point within their individual arcs.

(Disclaimer that Akechi is not confirmed queer, but his VA and the game itself likes to poke at it, and fandom has almost unanimously decided it's canon. People who write him almost always write him as a queer man. And it's my post.)

My ultimate point here is, that while mischaracterization happens to characters in every area of fandom, the trend to make queer male characters who have suffered trauma into soft boys is a particular pet peeve of mine. And I don't think I'm reaching with that. Characters like Tim or Nico, who were treated differently pre and post queer arc, are examples of how them being in queer relationships alters how people think of them. They're stripped of their nuance and their personalities and their grit so can fit into a mold for their queer relationships. Which is a massive disservice to their character, and an even worse disservice to what their attitude and behavior when healing from trauma represents. Characters like Adam or Akechi, who have what many consider "unsavory" responses to trauma (and contradict the perfect victim mentality) get sanded down for shipping purposes.

I hope this is insightful. I went into several cans of monster and my fingers have gone numb, but I needed to get this out. If I made you angry, please tell me why. But also know it's fandom and I acknowledge that fandom culture and behavior is all in good fun! OOC isn't always a bad thing, it can be fun! But I find analyzing fan behavior and character analysis absolutely fascinating and love getting asks like this!