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randommusingsstuff · 1 year

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Devi, Ben, and the Power of Happy Endings

Never Have I Ever is about to go down in the history books as one of the most thematically rich coming of age stories produced in the streaming era.

While the thought of parting from my beloved, Devi Vishwakumar, makes me want to curl into a fetal position, I’ve been struck with the sudden inspiration to document my predictions. Every wild, outrageous opinion.

Maybe this post will be nothing more than fodder for your morning coffee Tumblr scroll, but my hope is that it will convey a sense of optimism. Not only do I think that Never Have I Ever will have an explicitly romantic ending for Ben and Devi, I think that it fundamentally has to. But we still have a long journey ahead.

1. Devi: T-minus 5 Seconds to Heartbreak

This is Devi Vishwakumar, walking into school for her first day of senior year, smiling like the lovestruck nerd that she is, having finally figured out that she wants to be with Ben.

I mean, just look at her gloat! This is the gloat of someone who is ready to join forces with her soulmate so they can terrorize the school with their combined obnoxiousness!

Only to walk in and see this:

Oh Ben... To quote the great Logan Echolls, “no one writes songs about the ones that come easy”.

2. To boink, or not to boink?

I’m not convinced that Ben and Devi had sex.

Now, hold on-

Let me first caveat and say that Never Have I Ever always manages to surprise me. While I can pick out the broad narrative strokes and character arcs they are aiming for, they manage to awe and delight me with the details.

I think that following through on the “one free boink” scene is the more interesting route, but it also makes the writers’ jobs much, much harder.

I cannot fathom Ben and Devi having sex and then Ben immediately rebounding to Margot. That level of womanizing would make Paxton Hall-Yoshida tremble in his tiny swim shorts. In order to keep the audience on Ben’s side, the writers would have to spend a considerable amount of time unpacking his trauma and explaining his perspective. It’s not impossible, but I’m dubious.

The show never rewards Devi for making a decision based on her own insecurities. She wants to have sex with Ben, but her catalyst for getting there is the sext Fabiola accidently sends to her instead of Addison (i.e Devi is insecure about being the only virgin in her friend group left).

Maitreyi confirmed that season 4 would pick up immediately where season 3 left off. Do I think we’re getting play-by-play? An under-the-cover post boink scene? Them starting to make-out then something happening? I’m betting on the latter.

3. The Ben Problem

Picture this:

Mid make-out, Devi casually lets slip that she is staying at Sherman Oaks for senior year. Suddenly, sex with the love of his life is an actual relationship that he has to contend with. All the trauma and pain from season 2 comes flooding back. And it’s important to remember that Ben was deeply traumatized from the events of season 2.

His actual brain catches up with his er… primal instincts, and they agree to see where things go. It's just vague enough that Devi thinks they’re going to be together, but Ben is scared. Scared of being more in love with her than he already is and scared of being hurt again. He goes with the safer option of neglecting his feelings, because his arc of vulnerability has yet to be fully actualized.

This manages to set up the same conflict and angst between Ben and Devi and give Ben a starting point to make amends without having him abandon Devi right after she has sex for the first time.

It’s a much more palatable fallout for the “one free boink scene”, but I digress.

4. Never Have I Ever... Been a Wallflower

We catch up with Paxton in episode 3, narrated by Gigi Hadid, and he’s kind of shy?

He has always used his popularity as a crutch and now has to grapple with his new identity. Much like Devi and Ben, Paxton’s insecurities are an ongoing battle, as he realizes that his choice to go to college was partially defined by his desire to escape the “dumb jock” label. Tucked away in his dorm room, watching life pass him by, he realizes that he doesn’t need to prove anything to anyone else. He can pursue his athletic aspirations and still defy the labels that people have placed on him. By the end of the episode, Paxton makes the decision to come back to Sherman Oaks as a swim coach assistant.

I’ll admit, I think it’s a strange choice to reignite Devi and Paxton’s romance by making him a faculty member at the school. The writers might as well hold up a big red sign that says, “The only reason we can think of for Devi and Paxton to interact is if they are stuck in high school together”.

But I want to make one thing clear: I do not think this undoes his arc from season 3. To realize that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you have to is a very natural extension of gaining personal liberty.

And I, for one, am proud of him.

Also, I’m getting season 2 vibes from this scene.

Devi and Paxton fans can probably expect callbacks, sweet moments, a kiss, and an emphasis on how important they have been to each other's personal growth.

5. Where are Ben and Devi?

Hidden behind a Michael Cimino-sized red herring. They are going to give us as little as they possibly can about Ben and Devi during promo season. The same way they have in *checks notes* every single season prior.

I’ve written about this before, but it is integral to their individual arcs that they are honest about their love for each other. It is the bedrock of the story. But between Michael Cimino’s washboard abs and closing out Paxton and Devi’s arc in a way that feels satisfying and emotionally resonant, I don’t think we’ll be seeing Ben and Devi’s domestic bliss phase.

Put another way: The love triangle and push-and-pull romance is not a side story, it’s a source of narrative conflict that’s integral to the plot. Would you resolve the final battle in a fantasy series three episodes before the finale? Resolving the Ben and Devi plot early would be like sucking all of the tension out of the story. It would not give us the euphoric high of Ben and Devi blurting out that they love each other at the eleventh hour after trying to suppress their feelings. The show has always saved these big moments for finales, and this season will be no different.

But for anyone worried that Ben and Devi will be fighting the entire season, I think we’re in for our most Benvi-centric season yet, filled with great moments and their trademark banter.

They go to New York to visit colleges. Neither of them admits it, but they are relieved to know that they will remain constants in each others’ lives.

They study for finals together while bantering, skirting around the topic of prom, and just generally being the only two idiots who don’t know they are in love. *Buries self under 10 pounds of cement*

This time, Ben asks her to dance. The angst, unspoken feelings and tension are palpable.

They fight over valedictorian and it’s practically foreplay. Devi wins, and Ben is proud of her, underscoring his growth and ability to put aside his competitive nature to be supportive.

And that is just a fraction of what’s in store for our obnoxious, loveable nerds.

6. 🎶 It's the circle of life 🎶

“Hey, gods. It's Devi Vishwakumar, your favorite Hindu girl in the San Fernando Valley. What's a-poppin'? It's the first day of school, and I thought we should have a check in. I think we can all agree that last year sucked for a number of reasons. So I thought of a few ways you guys can make it up to me.”

“One: I'd like to be invited to a party with alcohol and hard drugs. I'm not gonna do them. I'd just like the opportunity to say: ‘No cocaine for me, thanks. I'm good.’”

John Mcenroe Voice: Devi, you seem a little drunk.

“Two: I'd love for my arm hair to thin out. I know it's an Indian thing, but my forearms look like the frigging floor of a barber shop.”

The mehndi on her hands symbolizes her love for her family and heritage. Juxtaposed with her western clothes, it signifies her acceptance of her intersectionality.

“And lastly, most importantly, I'd really, really like a boyfriend, but not some nerd from one of AP classes.”

The picture that I want to get my hands on is currently stashed away in Netflix’s top-secret headquarters, but I’ll settle for this one of Ben’s adorable, dopey smile.

7. The Finale: Why Devi and Ben Must Have an Unambiguously Happy Ending

For the longest time, I believed that Never Have I Ever would go the way of its spiritual successor Crazy-Ex Girlfriend and give Devi the “I choose myself” ending” with hints of her ending up with Ben in the future.

It was only when watching the season 3 finale that I realized how wrong I was. In fact, I was so fundamentally wrong that I overlooked the obvious: Never Have I Ever has never done anything halfway. The writers of Never Have I Ever know something about the audience that we often fail to recognize ourselves, which is that we desperately want a happy ending.

Season one could have ended with Devi’s heartfelt goodbye to her father and reconciliation with her mother. What do we get instead? A sweeping, romantic shot of Malibu while Devi and Ben share their first kiss.

In the season 2 finale, Devi proclaims that she will not settle for “some weird secret thing behind closed doors” and that she wants to be “someone's public girlfriend.” And what does she get? Exactly what she wants.

But it’s only in season 3 when this pattern becomes apparent. The season could have easily ended with her deciding to stay at Sherman Oaks. We had already said our farewell to Paxton, and gotten this chemistry-choked, almost-love-confession between our favourite dorks:

And we think that maybe, just maybe, the season will end with Devi single and ready for her senior year. But the show says “subtlety be damned”. It demands a triumphant ending, with Devi showing up at Ben’s door, leading to what will certainly be one of the most intimate moments in the entire show.

Tonally, the story makes bold choices, and the reaction from fans is always electric. In a world of being told “no” and being conditioned to temper our expectations, Never Have I Ever is like a warm hug reminding us that even the most broken people can heal and find love.

And this brings us back to “the Ben problem”, the idea is that he must overcome his fear and confess his love to Devi. And Devi, in turn, must love herself before being able to embrace her narrative mirror.

On a show that prides itself on big endings, escapism, and romance it seems unfathomable, and almost cruel, for Devi and Ben to be in love and not be together.

The writers do not want people finishing the show, shrugging, and saying “that was a realistic ending.” They want us to watch the finale with grins too big for our faces, our hearts bursting with excitement. They want us to know that all of Ben and Devi’s suffering over the past four seasons meant something, that when Devi finally makes the right decisions, she “will find someone who loves her exactly as she is.”

Love, unvarnished and without fear. That is the true narrative promise of Never Have I Ever.

#never have i ever #benvi #ben x devi #nhie #benvi meta #devi vishwakumar #ben gross

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whereismymindnow · 5 months

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Twin Hearts Chapter 5

Author's Note: An extra long chapter to make up for the wait. I’ve started a new therapy-type-thing and I explained that I’d lost interest in so many things that I used to enjoy – writing being one of them. So, I now have weekly/monthly goals involving my writing to try and get my mojo back and to heal some parts of me that I’ve neglected.

Anyway, on with the chapter!

Pairing: Niklaus Mikaelson x Twin!Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+ due to mature, darker themes. Twincest. Smut. Strong language. Death. Miscarriage. Murder. Vampire/Hybrid violence. Please read responsibly.

If this work is found anywhere other than Tumblr (@whereismymindnow) or Archive of Our Own (Mikki19) then it has been posted without my permission.

Twin Hearts Masterlist

---

Chapter 5: Just A Little Game

Pia thanked Kol sarcastically as he opened the door to The Grill and motioned for her to step through.

“Of course, my lady.” He snickered behind her.

Pia froze immediately after entering the establishment. Her heightened senses were instantly assaulted on all fronts; cheap lighting made her scrunch her eyes, the smell of onions cooking in the kitchen made her grimace, the noise of the 23 customers grated on her nerves, the feeling of a slightly sticky floor from a spilt drink under her expensive red bottomed shoes caused her to sigh in disgust, the taste of the cheap beer being served turned her stomach… but most of all?

The sound of the little doppelganger made her blood boil.

She quickly had to remind herself that it wasn’t her, but one glance over to the booth that the teenager occupied with her friends made her want to vamp over there and rip out her pretty eyes. Those pretty eyes that had haunted her for centuries. Those pretty eyes that had fooled her brothers on multiple occasions. Those pretty eyes that had caused so much heartbreak.

Kol, who noticed how tense his sister suddenly was, wrapped his arm around her waist and squeezed lightly. He eyed up the table that had caught her attention as he spoke. “We can leave, if you aren’t ready.”

“No.” Pia painted on a smile and sauntered over to the table, inwardly laughing at the dark-haired vampire that stood protectively in front of the brunette girl. She bit her lip and looked him up and down. “Hello.” She said calmly and extended her hand in greeting as he clenched his fists.

“Let me guess, you’re the rejected sister?”

“Oh, ouch. That almost hurt my feelings… let me guess, you’re the weak-willed vampire that decided he’d go for the human since Katerina wasn’t interested any longer?”

“Let’s just g-”

“Ah, Caroline. Of course, you’re here.” The young vampire paused as Pia addressed her. She didn’t want any trouble, she just wanted to get Elena out of here. “You do get around, don’t you?” Pia teased with a wicked grin.

"I'm surprised that your lover-brother has let you out." Pia let out a laugh as Damon's sarcastic tone made bubbles of excitement rise in her stomach. She could already tell that he would be fun to play with. He acted like he was invincible, but he had proven on numerous occasions that his heart was delicate and easily wounded – from what Rebekah had told her. Kol, sensing that his sister’s playful nature had just been triggered, walked over to the nearest humans and began compelling them to leave. They didn’t need an audience for this.

"Why did you come here? Surely you can see that you're outnumbered." Stefan's even tone interrupted her thoughts and she cocked her head to the side and observed him. He was quite attractive, but something told Pia that he was already back under the influence of his group of friends.

"Already back on the bunny hunts, Stefan? That is disappointing. With everything Nik told me, I was expecting someone with a bit more oomph!" She walked closer to him and put her hand on his chest; his heart pounded beneath his skin and revealed his current stress-filled state. He was hanging on to humanity by his fingernails. He just needed a push in the right direction. "You know, I've never really turned it off. There’s just another part of me that starts to scratch inside my skull after a while… I think you’ve heard of her. I cannot imagine what it must have been like as Nik took away all of your control… perhaps you can become my little friend and show me how dastardly cruel you can be?"

It was the clenching of Stefan's fists that made Damon vamp forward, grab Pia by the throat and throw her across the bar. Pia's laughter rang out from the heap of wood that had once been a table until her body had crashed into it. She pulled shards of wood from her hair and sat up with a grin as a deep laceration in her forehead was already knitting itself together.

"That was great!" She applauded the oldest Salvatore making him frown. Why wasn't she attacking him yet? "Oh, Damon, you do not disappoint. Perhaps it would be better if Nik had his best friend back and then you can become my pet? I think we could have a lot of fun together.” With that her smile dropped and she raced forward to stand in front of the two siblings; Kol appeared by her side seconds later with a dark glare.

"You truly are stupid, aren't you? You think that you are important enough to place your hands upon my sister, Damon? Do you wish for me to kill you slowly?" By this point Elena had been ushered out of the grill by Caroline and Bonnie, Pia did not miss this and sent the doppelganger a look over her shoulder.

Pia glanced back up at Damon in wonder and bit her lip whilst swaying from side to side like a cat about to jump on a mouse. We really could have some fun, darling. As though she agreed with her own thought, Pia nodded and pounced on the dark-haired brother. Kol immediately grabbed Stefan's shoulder and threw him into the bar; bottles and glasses rained down on top of him as Kol leisurely strolled over to where he was.

Pia aimed a hard punch to the side of Damon's head which was returned shortly after. The hybrid quickly got to her feet as did Damon; a growl left her lips before she dove at him again. Her legs clenched around his waist and she locked his head under her arm. Damon tried to shake off the small female but found it impossible to get her to let go as she squeezed her knees into his ribcage. Pia tightened her grip and smashed her fist into his back a few times with a smile. This was fun!

"Agh!" Kol and Stefan exchanged punches before Kol picked up some of the broken glass and threw it at his opponent's face. Stefan fell backwards against the bar and struggled to clear his vision. Kol gave him no chance to recover and sent a powerful fist to the side of his head; as Stefan hit the floor, a second hit made him gasp as Kol kicked him so hard that he slid a few feet away from him.

“I expected mor-” Stefan cut off the Original’s taunt and dived forward, spearing Kol into one of the tables. Both men panted and scrambled up off the floor whilst holding their sides as their ribs healed themselves.

"Come on!" Stefan met Kol halfway and blocked the blow that would have knocked him back down. "Is that all you've got?" Stefan taunted as he broke the hand that Kol seemed to favour when fighting; he followed up his attack with a rough uppercut and this time the older vampire was the one that was sent back into the bar and onto the broken glass.

Pia's body crashed into another table, breaking it into pieces as Damon stumbled backwards away from her. She was breathless for a few seconds as pain shot up her spine like a red hot poker. Now, she was annoyed. "You can do better than that." She hissed before quickly standing up and landing a hard kick to the man's abdomen. His body was propelled backwards and he let out a yell of pain as he met the hard ground and skidded back into a wall. Pia gave him no time to recuperate, pulled him back up to his feet and threw him in the opposite direction. Damon groaned in pain as he hit the floor and landed precariously close to a broken table leg that threatened to pierce straight into his side. He heard the click of heels approach him and quickly tucked the makeshift weapon under him for future use. The hybrid appeared in an instant and straddled his waist. "I thought you'd do better." She smiled as her amber eyes broke through the blue and her fangs dropped. Tauntingly she pressed her lips to Damon's throat and laughed to herself as he swallowed hard; his hands came up beside his head as he made no move to touch her and begrudgingly surrendered. This was far too close for comfort.

"Okay, let's talk about this…" Damon's voice had lost its confidence as he mentally relived the last time he had felt werewolf venom run through his veins. He did not want to repeat that experience if he could help it.

"Talk? Okay, then." Pia did not remove herself from his neck and instead licked some blood that dripped down his jawline. She giggled to herself as his stubble tickled her tongue. "Why Elena? Don't you think it's weird after all of the Katerina business?"

"Elena is not like Katherine." Pia hummed and sat up so she could look down into his blue eyes.

"Hmm, let's see about that. She's got in-between two brothers? Check! She's already had them both in her bed? Check! She thinks the world revolves around her and her problems? Check! People have died trying to protect her? Check! She sounds pretty damn similar to me."

"Elena is not like Katherine." Damon repeated, although his voice had lost some of its conviction. He wasn't blind; he could see the similarities just as much as he could see the differences. "There's one thing that is drastically different: Elena doesn't enjoy breaking hearts and causing misery."

"Neither did Kit for a time." Pia couldn't even believe that she was defending the bitch, but somehow she felt like she had to. Other than Elijah and herself, no one else would ever remember the innocence that Katerina had once possessed. "It's my mother's fault, you know? She destroyed our humanity, and because of Nik's need to break his curse; we in turn destroyed Katerina's. It's a vicious cycle and I have no doubt that we will somehow be the cause of your precious Elena's humanity crumbling as well."

"I won't let that happen." Damon took her moment of distraction to plunge the shard of wood into her side. Pia cried out in pain and stumbled away from the younger vampire as her hands grasped at the stake lodged into her ribcage. "I won't let you win." He jolted to his feet as the hybrid let out a vicious laugh, pulling out the stake as blood gushed down her dress.

"Oh, really?" Before Damon could blink Pia kicked his legs out from underneath him and sat on his waist yet again. She grabbed his right hand, the one that had grabbed the table leg, and bent it back until a satisfying crunch echoed around the room and it dangled at an awkward angle completely dislocated. "I was trying to be civil."

“Enough!” Elijah’s voice rang out through the destroyed bar causing Pia to huff petulantly. Nik appeared beside her with a frown; he outstretched his hand and motioned for her to take it. Unfortunately, Pia wasn’t in the mood to obey, and so with the elegance of a feline, Pia rose to stand by herself. She sent a wink to the Salvatore at her feet and walked towards her elder brother. Her innocent smile made Elijah's blood boil so much so that he pinned her to a table by her throat in a blink of an eye. "Leave, Damon." His cool stare bore into Pia who squirmed underneath her brother's tight grip.

Klaus, unable to believe how his sister had snuck out from under his nose, turned his attention to Kol who had let go of Stefan and thrown him in the direction of the exit. "How dare you! You know that she was not allowed out of the house yet!" Klaus shouted at Kol who smirked from where he was perched on the dishevelled bar; the younger sibling took a sip of bourbon from one of the few intact bottles and shrugged his shoulders. "She could have been hurt!"

"Oh, please, Nik! We both know that Pia is more than capable of looking after herself… besides, Damon threw the first punch at our beloved sister."

"He did what?!"

"Now, is not the time, Niklaus." Elijah interrupted the conflict and made his way over to his brothers; his hand was still around Pia's throat as he kept her pressed back against his chest. "You should not have allowed our sister to lose control, Kol."

"She hasn't lost control, she was merely letting off steam. Don't be such a killjoy, Elijah. No was going to die. It was a game. We were making sure that Team Doppelganger knew exactly who they were up against. They need to be kept on their toes. This is the only way we’d make sure they knew we were serious."

"And, you…" Elijah turned Pia to face him, his hands harshly gripping the tops of her arms. "…was this just a game to you also?"

"Well, I may have wanted to nip Damon to see what he was made of, but he looks like far too much fun to kill. I wouldn't have let him suffer for very long."

'I wouldn't have let him suffer for very long.' Elijah swallowed and stared down at his sister in disbelief. Was that supposed to make him feel better? "Do you apologise for causing such a mess?"

“Kol compelled all the humans and we can replace all of this. I need to be allowed to breathe, Elijah. I didn't slaughter an entire village!"

"Don't you see how much danger you put yourself in?"

"Oh, why don't you just dagger me and get it over with? That is what our family does best, right?" Her uncaring tone and look of defiance in her eyes proved to be the last straw. A loud crack echoed around the grill as her neck was broken and Pia's body fell. Elijah caught her in his arms before she could hit the ground.

"Rebekah, help Kol to clean up this mess. Myself and Niklaus will take care of Pia." Elijah gave his youngest brother a disappointed look before disappearing from the grill with Klaus in tow.

"Why on earth did you allow for this to happen? Everything was just getting back to normal." Rebekah frowned and huffed as she began to clear away one of the tables.

"Pia was climbing the walls at that mansion. She needed her freedom."

"Had you only asked then we would have come out together. She needs stability.”

"So, you're taking Elijah's side?"

"Elijah knew that the distraction of getting her relationship back on track with Nik was blocking any thoughts of leaving the mansion and confronting Elena and her merry band. She needs us to help control the outside world so that she can ease herself back into normal life; she may hate being under house arrest but you know that it is for the best. There are far too many dangers out here for Pia to just be let loose."

"You never took such precautions with me."

"We did not let you just run outside though, did we? Kol, we can’t just let this happen. It will be like decades ago when Mikael was tracking us and you were causing havoc. It risks exposing us to him. We all know that he will go after Pia in order to break Nik. We need to be smart.”

Kol looked at his feet for a second before helping Rebekah move a large chunk of wood.

"Shut up." Rebekah smiled slightly. That was as close to Kol saying sorry as she was going to get.

-----

Pia groaned and rubbed the back of her neck as she woke up. She moved her head from side to side and let out a deep breath as the soothing crack evened out the awkward pain that had been shooting through her bones.

"How do you feel?" Elijah's voice echoed from beside her. She was in her room, lying on the bed with Klaus perched next to her and Elijah in a chair to her right. She glanced down, in an effort to avoid Elijah’s stare, and noted that she was now dressed in her silk pyjamas and the blood had been cleaned from her skin.

“I just couldn’t resist. The pull I felt when looking into Damon’s eyes became too much. I just wanted to…”

“You wanted to what?” Klaus asked despite being nervous of the answer.

"I just- I needed- no, I wanted to feel free again. I have been daggered for centuries and then when I wake up, you keep me under lock and key. I'm only allowed to go out to exercise my wolf but as soon as I am back in my body again, my need to be free as a vampire is still there. So, yes, maybe I made a mistake in going out with Kol, but he gave me a chance to not feel detained so I grabbed it! Can you blame me for wanting to go outside again? I wanted to feel the breeze on my cheeks and the sun caressing my hair. It's not enough to just be let out into the gardens no matter how many beautiful flowers you put around the gazebo."

"Yes, but we have so many enemies here; Elena and her friends would do anything to destroy us, Mikael is still out there somewhere and then… then there is the beast that our mother created to kill us. We can see and keep watch on Elena, but how are we supposed to know when Mikael or Alaric will suddenly appear? What if you were out there on your own and none of us knew where you were? We could lose you within seconds and not even know about it."

"Do you want me to lose you so soon after getting you back?" Klaus was so close that his lips touched her ear as he spoke; his arms encircled her so that she could not wriggle away.

"No, I know…" Pia was exhausted as she felt the pure emotion that was pouring out of her brothers' pores and soaking into her skin.

"I'm sorry for breaking your neck." Elijah murmured as silence fell over the room.

"I'm sorry for not thinking." Pia muttered with a shy smile that her brother returned.

"Let's forget about what happened today."

"Agreed." Pia whispered as she felt Klaus cuddle her even tighter. She just wanted to sleep now. A yawn left her lips before she could stop it.

"I will leave you both." Elijah kept his voice quiet as his brother seemed transfixed with how close Pia was letting him be with her. It had been a long while since he had seen such a happy, untainted smile grace his face. As long as Pia remained true to her word, then he would let this one incident go.

-----

“Come on. This is the perfect opportunity! We take out the newest sibling and go from there.” The eldest Salvatore seemed certain that they could take down the Originals once and for all, but as always, his little brother was there to stop his fun.

“Damon, it’s not that simple. We did not see what happened when we left!”

“Elijah burst a blood vessel, that’s what happened.” His sarcastic tone rang out as he argued with his brother.

“Look, we’ve fought before and somehow managed to make it back to being on the same page. Who is to say that they can’t? It’s not the first time that they’ve seemingly broken apart in front of us!”

“This is different. You saw the look on Elijah’s face.”

“Yeah, I recognised that expression for the amount of times I’ve aimed it at you!” Stefan clenched his hands into fists and took a deep breath before releasing them. Damon could be so frustrating when he wanted to be. “Let’s just wait until Bonnie figures something out, alright? Lashing out now because they’ve had an argument will only put everyone in danger. For all we know, they could have reunited as soon as they got home.”

“Or they could have pushed each other further away…” Damon drawled as he left the kitchen with a lazy smile on his face.

“Don’t do anything!” Stefan’s voice rang out full of frustration making his brother laugh.

Siblings… who needs them?

-----

Pia had been fretting all night. She had spent a few hours resting with Klaus, but ever since she had awoken she had been anxious. Her brother sat on her bed watching as she paced around her bedroom; her fingers fiddled with the ends of her hair and she bit at her lip.

“Pia--”

“I know that you are disappointed, but I can’t say that I did not enjoy myself earlier. I-I understand that you think keeping me here is for the best… but I cannot stay within these walls until you deem it safe for me to be let out. My urges shall only get stronger and it will be harder for me to fight them.”

"I understand. I’ve trapped you and I shouldn’t have. You’ve always been a free spirit.” He caught Pia’s hand and pulled her to stand between his legs. “I’ve also met Damon on multiple unfortunate occasions and I understand just how frustrating he can be.” His dimpled grin made Pia let out a soft laugh.

"Why are you so calm?"

"Because you are my mate and I have failed you far too many times. My wolf is beside himself to see you so upset when you need not be. It's not the first time that they have witnessed us fight each other… and we shouldn't have kept you locked away here... I should have known that Kol would do something to set you free." Immediately her gaze locked onto Klaus, pinning him in place as he became enraptured by her amber eyes.

"Don't blame Kol. I was just as much at fault." She hissed at him before willing away her hybrid features.

There were a few moments of silence in which they both just looked at each other. Klaus wanted nothing more than to wrap her in his arms, but judging by how tense her body was, that was the last thing she needed. So, instead, he kept the conversation flowing and asked a question that had been burning within him for a while. "If you had wanted to go out, why did you not ask me?" His voice was quiet making Pia’s shoulders slump forward. It was one of the rare times that he sounded vulnerable and worried about the reply she would give.

"I- I wanted to be free for a little while. I would not have been free with you because you would have been looking over your shoulder at every moment to see if someone was coming too close to me. Kol was the simpler choice out of all of you.” Nik exhaled as he listened to her words.

“I always thought that I would be your first choice for everything.”

“There was a time when that was true, but much has happened since then.” Klaus nodded solemnly.

“I shall make it up to you. I swear it.” Pia smiled softly and cupped his cheek with her hand.

“One day at a time. Niko. Let us take it one day at a time.”

Pia left her brother in her room, allowing him to have a moment to gather his thoughts, and made the journey to the living room where she had heard whispering. Kol and Rebekah were both sat on the same couch and speaking quietly. All talking stopped as she entered the area.

"Well, if it isn't troublemaker number 2."

"Number 2? You know that I am number 1, Rebekah." Pia dropped onto the sofa opposite them. "What happened today must never be repeated."

"Ugh, don't tell me that the fun police got to you?" Kol, as always, seemed annoyed by his older brothers’ attempts to make them all behave.

"Kol, I shouldn't have done that today. We shouldn't have done that."

"Why not? It's not like you didn't enjoy it."

"I did enjoy it, but that isn't the point. Just because we can do something, doesn't mean that we should."

"Honestly, I am looking at you Elijah, but you look an awful lot like Pia these days." Kol joked as he saw the familiar scowl cross her face; Rebekah hid her laughter behind her hand as Pia raised a brow at her younger brother. They all knew how serious it was, but somehow, Kol always wanted to find the funny side.

"This isn't a laughing matter." Pia smoothed down her skirt and looked at her brother seriously. "We have so many enemies beyond these walls that losing control like that is not an option anymore."

Klaus and Elijah silently approached their siblings. Klaus sat next to Pia and gripped her hand; he gave a single squeeze which she returned just as tightly. Elijah sat on another chair to the left.

"We had made so much progress over the last few weeks. Let us get back to that.” Elijah spoke up as he watched his youngest brother carefully. He was fidgeting which meant he was either ready to get up and run or begrudgingly agree with them all.

“I do not believe it will last.” Kol argued with a frown.

“If it doesn’t, then at least we tried.” Pia sent him a smile that made him groan. “We said ‘always and forever’ so let’s show everyone that we actually mean it.” Rebekah nudged him as he huffed and nodded to them all.

Pia looked to Klaus and saw him staring back at her. He slowly moved forward and pressed a single kiss to her forehead before leaning back. She sat still for a moment as he waited for her reaction. Pia let out a deep breath and moved her head to his shoulder; nuzzling herself against his warm skin.

Let’s try again. No one ever got it right immediately.

I see a bad moon rising I see trouble on the way I see earthquakes and lightning I see bad times today Don't go around tonight Well, it's bound to take your life There's a bad moon on the rise ---Bad Moon Rising by Mourning Ritual---

#the vampire diaries fanfiction #klaus mikaelson x ofc #twin hearts #klaus mikaelson x oc #twin hearts masterlist #tvd fanfiction #twin hearts fanfiction

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spyrkle4 · 1 year

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Since ep 8 of despair time is almost here ima scream about my thoughts on ep 7

read more contains major chapter 2 spoilers, esp for the end of the ep!

Teruko even when she’s being a grumpy cat is a big mood

*sleeps in four hours in* “I’M GONNA BE LATE FOR SCHOOL!” “Wait I’m in a killing game I don’t have school”

and then nopes out of drama much to the audience’s dismay (these eps being livestreamed makes the meta of Despair Time being a tv show 10x hilarious, it’s like v3 all over again)

Part of me expected Ace to damage his vocal chords or lose his voice due to him neglecting his throat wound, but it must’ve been surface level since he’s still at 110% volume, Eden must’ve dragged him to the infirmary, she’s got willpower, she could do it

and Nico being oddly quiet makes me think that they regret trying to kill Ace and it was a “I am in so much stress I’m going to express it in a very unhealthy way” and that way was attempted murder

Doesn’t make what Nico did okay... but I get why they tried to kill Ace, they have really bad experiences with getting bullied and Ace constantly picking on them in an environment like the killing game is not good for one’s mental health, (plus getting outed w/o their consent DAVID--)

the convo with Rose at the gym makes me think of the vine of “I thought you could do a kickflip--” “I can! I did one this morning!”

Wonder why J was in the gym, hmmmmmmmm

and then Rose realizing Nico stole her art supplies to commit murder--

*shakes Nico* I love you but *points to Rose* you gave her anxiety, apologize asap

I think they’re genuine friends but Nico def made some bad choices and should apologize

Best part of the ep is no doubt the charwhit shenanigans, everything else is on fire and they are vibing, I also love that Whit is helping Charles learn how to cook and they both are finding things they have in common

Veronika is an interesting character for sure, she reminds me a bit of Junko but if Junko dealt with her despair addiction in a healthy matter (aka horror movies)

I don’t think Veronika is like the mastermind or secretly a serial killer (please god do not let us have another chapter 3 serial killer), she is just a little Unhinged like your everyday tumblr user

and then the BDA happens this ep and *sigh*

...Arei : (

Was really terrified once David noticed she was missing and the way she died... wtf to whomever killed her I have words for you

It really sucks bc (a. the playground of all places?! b. She had a really bad hand in life and C. I wanted to see her be happy!)

I’ve seen a lot of people debate it being David or Hu or Eden (I doubt it’s Eden since the BDA went off and I think she has some part to play) but I’m not sure, but it def wasn’t an accident like Xander

and it’s def gonna be a long trial since bda files aren’t a thing in this game, which is super cool and it made the first trial really interesting as part of the mystery was the cast assumed Xander died from a throat wound but in reality he died from electrocution

who knows what’ll happen next ep but I am def scared for the investigation

#danganronpa #despair time #danganronpa despair time #drdt #drdt spoilers #sparky talks danganronpa

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grandhotelabyss · 2 years

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Updates

I know I’ve been neglecting Tumblr. I’ve been focused mostly on Substack, which is undeniably where the audience and the engagement are today. Also, politically illegible weirdos and aesthetes had Tumblr to themselves (ourselves) since the porn ban, but self-righteous radical youth seem to have made a comeback, which tends to chill the atmosphere, as it did 10 years ago. I don’t expect youth not to be self-righteous or radical—you should have read my Livejournal in 2003—but I don’t always want to hear about it.

Anyway, if you’re not subscribed to my Substack you really should be. I also now cross-post my literary essays that appear at johnpistelli.com and on Goodreads there too, so it’s a one-stop shop for all things John. From the last week or so, you can find a review of Midnight’s Children in ambiguous tribute to the nearly martyred Rushdie, and two expansive “Weekly Readings” posts with such mini-essays as:

“On the Greatness of Problematic Authors”

“The Devil and the Deep State”

“Iconoclasm vs. Juvenescence in American Politics”

“Visionary Politics, Visionary Poetry”

“Bringing Light: Alexander Dugin, Salman Rushdie, and Liberal Freedoms”

“From Counterculture to Hegemony: Was Sandman Always Woke?”

I will continue to use this Tumblr as notebook and commonplace book for things I’ve read online, a kind of source book for more detailed writing elsewhere, but will probably save extensive commentary for Substack.

#literary criticism #cultural criticism #salman rushdie #alexander dugin #neil gaiman #tumblr #substack #liberalism #literary theory #cultural theory

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no1ryomafan · 1 year

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happy new year!

I don’t sent New Years Resolutions because I always fail them, I feel the process of change is something that can only come naturally even if effort has to be put in-it’s why a lot of people also fail their resolutions, because they force a idea only to not commit to it or let the process come naturally-that said: I want to use my tumblr more for potential getter rants as this is the perfect site in all but audience for me to eat my heart out and rant to my content. I’ve already done some screenshot posts from Google docs but from here on out, you’ll be getting actual full length posts from me. As for when and what subjects? Well, that’ll take some time, but I’ve ever so desperately needed some place to rant and I’ve been neglecting here for to long.

#New Years #getter robo #if all my rants end up being arma sorry not sorry #But I’ll get one new rant in there eventually

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optimistic-violinist · 1 year

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I posted 2,193 times in 2022

14 posts created (1%)

2,179 posts reblogged (99%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@anistarrose

@burnt-kloverfield

@impossiblefangirl0632

@eregyrn-falls

@captain-waddles

I tagged 1,685 of my posts in 2022

Only 23% of my posts had no tags

#encanto - 273 posts

#the owl house - 163 posts

#gravity falls - 141 posts

#amphibia - 141 posts

#taz - 100 posts

#video - 87 posts

#taz balance - 72 posts

#the owl house spoilers - 70 posts

#cats - 58 posts

#dc - 54 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#i personally liked wolves of the beyond better than guardians of gahoole but it was probably the age difference of when i read them

My Top Posts in 2022:

Chapters: 1/1 Fandom: Encanto (2021)

Rating: General Audiences

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Relationships: Mirabel Madrigal & Dolores Madrigal, Mirabel Madrigal & Isabela Madrigal, Mirabel Madrigal & Dolores Madrigal & Isabela Madrigal, Bruno Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal, Antonio & Camilo & Dolores & Isabela & Luisa & Mirabel Madrigal (Disney), Agustín Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal, Félix Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal, Mirabel Madrigal & Pepa Madrigal, Julieta Madrigal & Mirabel Madrigal

Characters: Mirabel Madrigal, Isabela Madrigal, Dolores Madrigal, Camilo Madrigal, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal, Bruno Madrigal, Luisa Madrigal, Antonio Madrigal, Julieta Madrigal, Agustín Madrigal, Félix Madrigal, Pepa Madrigal, Original Female Character(s)

Additional Tags: Mirabel Madrigal Angst, Mirabel Madrigal Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Bullying, Neglect, Gaslighting, kind of?, a little bit, Good Cousin Dolores Madrigal, Good Sibling Isabela Madrigal, Good Uncle Bruno Madrigal, Non-Consensual Haircuts, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal Makes Mistakes, "Abuela" Alma Madrigal Apologizes

Summary:

“You didn’t hear them at all? Or feel them tug on your hair?”

Mirabel shook her head. “No. I was focused on my letters…”

Abuela sighed. “I know it’s almost your birthday and that it must be hard, but just because you didn’t get a gift last year doesn’t mean you can act out like this for attention.”

:::::::::::::::

Mirabel has spent almost ten years dealing with her problems by herself, choosing to suffer in silence rather than be the cause of a scene. But after Casita is rebuilt, she begins to believe that just maybe her family might be willing to help her.

For Encantober Day 27: Comfort!

@encantober-official

11 notes - Posted October 27, 2022

Posted yesterday for Encantober Day 20 : Prophecy!

Bruno is six when he has his first vision of someone dying and runs to Alma in the middle of the night. Comfort and cuddles ensue.

12 notes - Posted October 21, 2022

Anyone else horribly messed up by today’s Owl House episode?

Have a one-shot!

Summary: Set directly after S2EP16, Hollow Mind, the enormity of what Luz and Hunter witnessed inside Belos' mind hits them. Overcome by a panic attack, Eda and King help out Luz while Hunter is taken care of by some unexpected friends waiting in the woods. Title comes from Full-Metal Alchemist.

19 notes - Posted April 23, 2022

Spranne against the world!

Watercolors are fun ☺️

35 notes - Posted August 20, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

A “Short” Comparison of The Owl House and FMA:B

OKAY SO, Hollow Mind gave me MAD FMA:B vibes today, so here is a breakdown of what I’ve noticed and potential theories I have. Major spoilers ahead obviously.

Let’s start with some blatant comparisons. Glyphs vs transmutation circles and how they’re activated.

See the full post

43 notes - Posted April 23, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

#tumblr2022 #year in review #my 2022 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review #long post #brittany rambles #nice nice nice #i'm happy with my top tags #aka what i spent the most time thinking about this year XD

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38across · 2 years

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uhhhh okay so. a few things. like...MANY a few things. btw this isn’t an indictment of anyone who’s reported/blocked the user (i’m encouraging you to do this as you see fit, actually), nor is this condoning/excusing what the user’s said.

tl;dr a person who mostly uses personal tags on a personal blog and neglects to tag things for others to find, whose about me blurb is pulled from adrian fanart, who has explicitly posted about their own mental illness, and who has (from my glance at their blog) had positive interactions with the peacemaker fandom at large, being panned as a bad/violent person by an audience of hundreds all at once uhh seems concerning.

and feel free to message/pop into my asks if i’ve got anything skewed here, if there’s something i’ve missed, if i need to clarify anything, etc. i love to be fact-checked and corrected.

i support liberally blocking people to your heart’s content!! if you see a bad take and/or you don’t like the vibe, then by all means, block a user! that’s the nicest thing about tumblr - we get to curate the content we take in.

that being said, i cannot in good conscience be like “yeah posts about wanting to kill and hurt others is bad” after i’ve spent two days waist deep in “we have to start assassinating politicians again” and “if you aren’t pro-choice/pro-abortion, die” posts. and i’m not equating the subjects at hand here, but rather, the explicit expression of wanting to do harm to others.

(to be clear, i’m saying all this as someone who hasn’t seen the post that’s mentioned by anon in the user’s asks.)

yeah, their responses to the recent anons were super glib and gross, and if that shit didn’t sit right with you or you found it concerning, then by all means go report the posts/user!! you’re valid in feeling freaked by that user’s responses/behaviour anon. do what you will with that - block them, report them, close the tab and never think about them again, etc.

(also, their about me blurb is pulled from adrian fanart that they’ve rb’ed recently, but at a glance, yeah i can see why this would be immediately concerning. you’re entirely in your right to go report that as well.)

i’m just like. really concerned about how someone has anonymously drawn attention to a user who for the most part, has purposefully and expressively shared their desire to not engage.

and the ableist and mocking towards people with mental illness part... i can’t find any evidence of this? someone please drop a link because as far as i can tell, this user has stated they are autistic, and that’s about it??

idk! sorry if this isn’t what you or anyone wants to hear (and this is just the tl;dr), but a person in their early twenties who mostly uses personal tags on a personal blog, who has explicitly posted about their own mental illness, and who has had positive interactions with the peacemaker fandom at large, being panned as a bad/violent person by an entire fandom in one fell swoop just. idk. i feel weird about it.

#this is long and i just woke up. so. sorry if anything's incoherent.#i hate this tho. i woke up to watch looping images of a man and his antics.#fuck it i'm just. HITTING POST i'm writing in circles #lmk if anyone wants me to tag this w anything #asks #anon

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upsidedownwithsteve · 2 years

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alright, after debating it with one of my good friends, i’ve finally decided to give tumblr a shot and post one of my neglected steve drafts just to see if i like it and whatnot

i’m currently editing (or beta-ing? is that the word i use now?) it as we speak and i was just curious, any tips on gaining attraction? or just how to navigate tumblr generally?

obviously, view counts and whatnot really shouldn’t matter and it’s pretty rare to get a lot of attention right away, but i think i’d simply die of embarrassment if i posted something and only two people read it (that being myself twice HAHA).

but i’m such a lost cause it’s borderline embarrassing, emmy. like, i only just recently found out that you can change fonts and colour text.

but yeah, was wondering if you’d spare some advice! also, feel free to ignore this! there’s absolutely no pressure for you to reveal the secret formula of how one slays on tumblr i hate that i just typed that.

anywho, much love

anon ali :)

Ali! Hi! That’s exciting, I’m glad to hear you decided to go for it!

Honestly I wish there was a secret to it but honestly, just make you tag everything correctly so your audience can find you and making sure it’s formatted it’s always good! Makes it so much easier to read. I tend to find what time works best for me too?

Later in the evening is always when my dash is more active! But you might be different depending on your time zone ☺️🧡

#Ali anon #ask

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ao3feed-brucewayne · 8 months

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The Phantom Bat

by Avid_Book_Reader “‘You have to go soon.’ ‘We can’t stay for long, there’s still a chance the GIW will catch up to us and I- we- can’t let that happen.’ She reminded him. ‘I’ve already created the necessary documents needed, all we need to do is fill in names.’ Tucker informed them. ‘How about,’ Danny started, ‘we have a phrase to tell each other when we meet again? Something that only we three will know.’ ‘That sounds like a plan.’ Sam smiled. It was then that Christopher Green, Selina Kyle, and Bruce Wayne were introduced to the world.” Just a fun little self indulgent fic that I finally decided to post. It’s based on this tumblr prompt: https://ift.tt/Vr7DQTR Words: 1034, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English Fandoms: Danny Phantom, Batman - All Media Types Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: F/F, M/M, Multi, F/M Characters: Bruce Wayne, Selina Kyle, Dick Grayson, Jason Todd, Tim Drake, Damian Wayne, Danny Fenton, Sam Manson, Tucker Foley, Clark Kent, Diana (Wonder Woman), Cassandra Cain, Stephanie Brown, Barbara Gordon, Guys in White (Danny Phantom) Relationships: Danny Fenton/Tucker Foley/Sam Manson, Danny Fenton/Sam Manson, Danny Fenton/Tucker Foley, Tucker Foley/Sam Manson, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson & Jason Todd & Bruce Wayne & Damian Wayne, Clark Kent & Bruce Wayne, Diana (Wonder Woman) & Bruce Wayne, Cassandra Cain & Bruce Wayne, Tim Drake & Dick Grayson, Dick Grayson & Jason Todd, Dick Grayson & Damian Wayne Additional Tags: Bruce Wayne is Danny Fenton, Selina Kyle is Sam Manson, Tucker Foley is not an existing DC character, Solely because author has no clue who he’d be, Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Identity Reveal, this fic is very self indulgent, Bruce Wayne is a Good Parent, he does try, Bruce Wayne is Emotionally Constipated, LITERALLY, Random concepts I’ve made up at 1 in the morning, Selina Kyle is So Done, she had explained the same thing. multiple times, no beta we die like danny, And my sanity, the author wishes they could use the sleep deprived excuse, but unfortunately they do in fact have good sleeping habits, The Batclan has more or less good relationships, nothing that is done or said can change that, DC stands for Disregard Canon, Not Phantom Planet Compliant (Danny Phantom), The Fentons B+ Parenting, they're not horrible. just kinda neglectful, The Author Regrets Everything, Rated teen for swearing via https://ift.tt/jBGTIQu

#IFTTT #bruce wayne #batman #the dark knight #the caped crusader #gotham #dcu #dc #ao3 #ao3feed

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sn33z3s · 2 years

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stan’s indulgence, kyle’s reliance

or: revisiting the “unrequited” question, talking about kyle and his soft underbelly and stan’s assertiveness, or lack thereof. (once again, this is a twitter thread i’ve turned into a tumblr post. please pardon any mess)

my starting point here is: kyle rarely willingly exposes his vulnerability to anyone except stan. kyle wants to prove himself in front of as many people as possible, but only seeks approval from stan. that is, stan’s approval, specifically, indicates success for kyle. of course, there are times kyle is pretty clearly in the wrong.

a fanon view i struggle with is the portrayal of stan as a pushover; pitiful and neglected by kyle. now, there is a difference between having a weakness and being a pushover, but i’ll elaborate on that under the cut.

stan often does not let up when he feels wronged by kyle. in the Console Wars, in The Fractured but Whole, in the Vaccination Special, after kyle fucks up, kyle is dejected, folding faster than stan to regain stan’s well-regard:

in my first post about stan and kyle’s consistent character traits, i talked a little bit about kyle’s excessive idealization of stan. kyle has a desire to see stan reach his full potential and becomes frustrated when stan falls through the cracks. (i’ve also discussed certain parts of YGO & Assburgers, including those which i feel are focused on in a way that exaggerates why the episode goes down how it does.) whether kyle is coming from a “good” place or not is up to the viewer’s definition, but regardless, kyle needs stan as much as stan needs kyle.

stan’s dedication - weakness, habit, call it what you will - to kyle is often read as the indicator that their friendship is uneven, that stan puts more into the dynamic than kyle, who does not reciprocate stan’s feelings in turn (or reciprocates less of them, or is unaware, and so on). here’s me linking a thing i made again; this time, it’s the video of kyle expressing his affection for stan.

cartman has a line from the Vaccination Special (to Stan): “I don't know why you don't stand up to [Kyle] more, it's really disappointing.” here, cartman is half a stand-in for the audience and half speaking uniquely, as a character, out of resentment. narratively, cartman’s line was inserted partially to build the “surprising” moment of stan doing just that: standing up to kyle, culminating in the broship’s deterioration.

so it’s clear that stan follows kyle happily most of the time; he can easily be described as very puppy-like. kyle is skilled at getting what he wants out of stan. at the same time, though, stan asserting himself is not really anything new.

stan, the empathetic type, the person on the other side of kyle’s red string, simply wants to be there for the mercurial kyle, only desiring kyle’s companionship in return. however, stan is also the protagonist, and arguably the the character of the main four that goes through the most meaningful arcs, while kyle is reactionary. this is very important when considering how stan and kyle fight and how their best friendship has gone from representing youth and inseparability to the realism of growing up.

in episodes like You’re Getting Old, Assburgers (will i ever shut up about them), and even Guitar Queer-O, i find the initial “wronging” was on stan’s end - though i stand by my interpretation that neither stan or kyle are better or worse during the YGO arc at least. the order of events in those episodes reads to me as stan going to kyle before vice-versa. however, when stan and kyle are on opposite sides of a thing, almost any thing, stan does not always ask kyle for forgiveness first.

i’ve talked in decent length about how i see neither stan nor kyle as more dependent and instead just dependent in different ways. i think the places stan and kyle come from are misconstrued when not individualized. in my opinion, stan runs on empathy, responding accordingly. in contrast, kyle pointedly runs not on empathy but on sympathy instead and the ability to eventually recognize what is objectively correct. in other words, kyle occasionally struggles to put himself in other people's shoes. however, he'll often know what is morally right. stan can quickly put himself in others' shoes and is likely to give people the benefit of the doubt, but it's never guaranteed that he will - and when he doesn't, he removes himself.

so, from the same angle, i see stan being kyle’s keeper (his protector, his vassal, we can get fancy with this) as the prelude to how much kyle needs stan. the show expresses this frequently and parallels that in their Stick of Truth dynamic, post-YGO arc. kyle’s position as the one who relies on stan is not insignificant. if stan is the knight, then it’s critical to note that a king will injure himself without his retainer, the person who could defend [kyle] with his own life.

kyle’s goal is to be an upstanding individual, but stan is the one person whose validation matters deeply to kyle. ultimately, it’s a validation he would have no reason to worry over if he did not need stan just as much as stan needs him.

#south park #south park meta #south park analysis #stan marsh #kyle broflovski #sp stan #sp kyle #every time i post new meta #i just end up linking back to old meta #but it's for a reason i swear #sneeze writes

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violetlunette · 2 years

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Is Aizawa a bad teacher?

This is a question I’ve seen a lot in the BNHA fandom, and it’s one I debated on with myself. And the conclusion is—

Let’s look a little deeper into this.

Before we begin, some notes;

1: I’m trying to be as unbiased as possible, so there will be both Aizawa Critical and Aizawa Defense ahead.

2: Speaking of being critical, I’ll be touching on some Bakugou Critical stuff, though some stuff will annoy my anti-Bakugou peeps as well, so they may not get the enjoyment they want. There is also some All Might Critical because as much as I love him, he is still a baby teacher trying to find his footing.

3: I am aware that this is a Manga made in eastern Japan and, as I am Western USA, there may be some value dissonance going on when judging. If someone with knowledge of Japanese culture—or better yet IS Japanese—can explain some things that Westerns don’t seem to understand about Aizawa’s actions and such, please do so!

4: I dunno how, but this became super long, so RIP mobile users.

5: Tumblr ruined the format in places.

Now before we dive into this deep sea of a rant, I want to make some things very clear;

1: I am only addressing the Manga—Vigilantes and the Main Series—and School Briefs, as I have not seen the anime.

2: I'm NOT to take meta things into account—or try not to—only what’s presented in the story. I’ll explain my reasoning for this in a bit.

3: There are over 300 chapters in the main series, over a hundred in the Vigilante series, and 35 in School Briefs, so if I happen to overlook something or get it wrong, please be patient and polite in your correction. With that said, grab your scuba gear, and let's start swimming.

First, let’s list all the things Aizawa tends to get flack for;

Expelling students

Threatening to expel Izuku after one lesson for not being able to control his quirk

Stating he would have expelled the entire class minus the few that were knocked out when they moved into the dorms

Coddling and playing favorites with Bakagou

Not scolding or punishing Bakagou for attacking Izuku

Partnering Bakagou with Izuku for the finals

In addition setting them against All Might

Assigning equal blame for Izuku and Bakagou “not getting along” despite it obviously being Bakugou’s fault

Not recognizing that Bakagou might have some PTSD after his kidnapping

His “logical ruses”

I mentioned before the list above that I don’t intend to take meta things--reality reasons--into consideration here. The reason for this is that stories tend to take place in their own universes with their rules and logic depending on genre, the medium, and the world it takes place.

The meta things are interesting to learn but not really that important unless the story takes place in our reality and is non-fiction. Everything else audiences should give a little leeway due to Hollywood rules. Plus, our worlds' rules don’t always apply to a story's universe or make sense there.

For example, “Dora the Explorer;”

In her medium and world, it’s perfectly safe for a little girl to go running around the jungle with her pet monkey and talking backpack, occasionally speaking to invisible people. In our world, Dora’s parents would be arrested for child neglect and endangerment, while Boots would be carted off to a zoo. Not to mention, Dora would be dead because the jungle has dangerous animals that eat children. Also, Dora would have a drug problem or an overactive imagination.

See what I mean? Dora’s world is where animals talk and where children are just as intelligent as adults. Not to mention, because it’s a preschool show, Dora never has to worry about getting hurt. So, judging it by our logic doesn't make a lot of sense.

In the case of “My Hero Academia,” the medium is Anime, the Genre is action/Shounen, and—this is very important now—the story takes place in a world where everyone has a superpower. This is a world where Heroes and villains fight constantly with each other. Why is this important? Because even though MHA is a bit of an off-shoot of our world, it’s not our world. The people there have a different mindset than us.

It’s kinda like Australia and the USA—hear me out;

Now in the USA, where I reside, most people are horrified at the idea of a “spider season” where spiders and their webs literally rain out of the sky and coat the ground like snow. In Australia though, it’s just an average occurrence. Now does that make it okay? NO. Spiders raining out of the sky is never a good thing! It’s awful (viva la fight me, bitch!)! But in Australia, raining spiders are the least of their problems. For they have to worry about one of Shelob’s children breaking in to eat their cat daily, angry kangaroos wanting their crackers and baseball hail with spikes. (Seriously, what divine/paranormal/cosmic entity did that country piss off?! I swear the only thing NOT trying to kill everybody over there are some of the sheep.)

In the BNHA universe, villains attack people with their powers, not daily but hourly, causing all sorts of havoc and destruction. Buildings are destroyed, people are injured, taken hostage, and yes, kidnapped. Are any of these a good thing? No! And the story never shows that it is, but it’s such a common occurrence that people are expected to get over it right away. Going back to the Australia example, is it a good thing that a spider the size of a cat breaks into the house? No. But is it out of the ordinary? Apparently not. But most people are used to it, so they toss the spider, check on Kitty, and move on.

This is shown to be one of the flaws of the superhero world in BNHA.

That would explain why Aizawa never stops to think about Bakagou’s potential PTSD. After he saved Bakagou was safe, so Aizawa assumed he would get over it. It’s just not something people in the BNHA world think about. That being said, it would have been nice to have Aizawa acknowledge his lapse in judgment and take steps to do better. And he was able to recognize Eri’s issues easily despite not knowing her very well, so I will say this is a point against him.

Speaking of Bakagou, let’s move on to the next complaint; Aizawa and his coddling of Bakagou. Right, I fully agree that Aizawa lets Bakagou get away with way too much, but I am going to play devil’s advocate in the spirit of fairness.

First off, EVERYONE coddles Bakagou. When it comes to Bakagou everyone’s personality changes to put Bakagou in a brighter light, despite it being otherwise. That’s just a writing failure.

However, I will be fair and say that from Aizawa POV, Bakagou isn’t acting too awful. (And there goes my anti-Bakagou followers, but hear me out.)

Remember, in the BNHA world, the kids are brats with their powers. This is seen during Shoto and Bakagou’s make-up exams and at the start of the story in Izuku’s class in chapter one. Bakagou’s attitude is immature but nothing out of the norm for that world. (Please note I am talking about Aizawa’s perspective on things. I am in no way condoning Bakagou’s behavior, nor do I think it’s okay Meta-wise or by the rules of the world. However, that’s a different post that I intend to tackle when the manga is finished.)

And readers seem to forget time and again that, unlike us, Aizawa has NO idea of Izuku and Bakagou’s history together.

Aizawa never saw Bakagou gang up on Izuku when he was unable to defend himself. He never saw Bakagou use his knowledge of Kanji to turn Izuku’s name into an insult that would haunt him throughout childhood. Aizawa never saw Bakagou rallying the entire class around him to mock Izuku. (Okay, that last one was just Bakagou’s charisma working and not an intentional act of Bakagou’s, but the point stands). Aizawa never saw Bakagou destroying Izuku’s hero notebook, a symbol of his dreams. Aizawa never saw Bakagou telling Izuku to kill himself. Nor did he see Bakagou charge at the villains to fight, knowing that they were after him, or that he dragged Izuku out of bed after hours to have a fight talk.

In fact, what Aizawa does see of Bakagou is pretty tame—by the standards of their world. Bakagou may have insulted Izuku once in awhile but it was nothing too bad. And yes, Bakagou essentially tried to MURDER Izuku in training but that can be passed off as getting carried away, something that wouldn’t be out of line with the world. (Keep in mind Todoroki creates ice walls and freezes people all the time.) In that case the blame partly falls to All Might—the teacher—for not stopping the fight when it got out of hand (more on this later). Hell, Bakugou barely even uses his quirk in school any more and when he does it’s seen as no big deal because—as we’ve seen with other kids—this behavior isn’t out of the ordinary. (It’s frowned upon like a kid screaming all the time but nothing major.) All of the actions Aizawa has seen from Bakagou are bratty but nothing extremely major, especially by their world’s standards.

Again WE, the audience, know the deal with Izuku and Bakagou, but Aizawa doesn’t. Part of the reason is that there’s not a lot that has prompted Aizawa to look into their history. And even if he did look into the school records, I don’t think they would say anything as Bakagou attacked Izuku in class and backed him into a wall and the teacher didn’t do anything, despite the fact it was all happening right in front of him. I’m willing to bet that the middle school and elementary school records say bump-kiss.

So, all in all, it’s pretty fair that Aizawa would just assume that Izuku and Bakagou “don’t get along” (but I will come back to this).

Speaking of Izuku, let’s move onto his part now;

A lot of folks tend to get upset that Izuku is called a “problem child,” but--

Look, I love Izuku, but who’s ALWAYS damaging his body and throwing himself into danger with no sense of personal safety? When there’s trouble, Izuku is usually placing himself right in harm’s way. I mean, hypocritical, but Aizawa is a pro, Izuku is a student.

Some think that Bakagou deserves that title however, keep in mind that to Aizawa, Bakagou has shown himself just to be an arrogant brat but nothing to get too worked up about—aside from the near murder on the first day of class, but I digress. That being said, I dunno if Izuku deserves the title of problem child either as Mineta causes more havoc than he does. However, the name is clearly affectionate, so I let it pass myself.

People are also bothered by the fact that Aizawa was going to expel Izuku on the first day of school, which allows me to tackle the complaint about expelling students in general. Oh boy.

Now before I move on to the next point, I would like to point out something I think people tend to overlook;

U.A is a school for heroes. What does that mean? THEY’RE LEARNING TO FIGHT VILLAINS.

This isn’t an ordinary high school with normal high school rules. It’s a school to teach them to deal with disasters, murders, thieves, etc. They’re basically getting these kids ready to be soldiers with celebrity status.

Now I’m not saying that Aizawa should be pulling a St. Slaughter or a Major Payne anytime soon, but pussyfooting around and coddling will do more harm than good (more on this later).

People have an issue with Aizawa expelling students, and I’m a bit confused as well. If I understand correctly, Aizawa does this because he wants them to experience a “death.” What he means to say, is that he wants the students to realize what it’s like to lose everything and have their dreams die. This is harsh I’ll grant you—especially in Japanese culture from the very little I know—but I see the merit in seeing how a person reacts when something tragic happens, especially when you’re a hero. It’s also a way to wake the students up and make them realize that being a hero isn’t a game. It’s serious business, and you can’t play around, or you’ll lose everything. (I like the idea, but the method is a bit odd and confusing.)

Anyway, reasons aside, I think threatening to expel the students on the first day was a good idea. It was a fair way to make sure everyone showed their all, giving him an idea of what he was working with in the long run.

This leads me into the second part of this; threatening to expel Izuku after one lesson for not being able to control his quirk. Again, I like Izuku, and I’m going to get hate for saying this, but—I see Aizawa’s point.

Keep in mind Aizawa has ZERO clue that Izuku was quirkless all his life and that he only had his quirk for less than a year. For all Aizawa knew, Izuku had it his entire life and never took quirk therapy or learned to properly use it. From his POV, Izuku was not only putting himself at risk but others as well. Aizawa had a valid point in expelling Izuku if he couldn’t control his quirk. He was also valid in only changing his mind when Izuku showed that he could regulate it, or learn to. Izuku’s quirk is dangerous, not just to himself but to others. There’s also the fact Izuku did poorly on the other tests which showed that not only that Izuku had poor control of his quirk, but had nothing else to make up for it. Even in the army and the police, you have to meet the physical requirements.

“But Aizawa never bothered to give Aizawa side classes or anything!” Ah, this brings to something that I never see brought up in his relation to being a teacher; Aizawa’s relationship with All Might.

It's a bit difficult to explain but Aizawa trusts All Might too much in matters of teaching, despite All Might being new. Sure Aizawa throws a jab at All Might here there, but overall he trusts his digression. Aizawa acknowledges—and in his own way admires--All Might’s brains and skills, so it’s not out of character for him to assume—like everyone else—that he knows what he’s doing. This brings me to this;

“Why isn’t Aizawa giving Izuku extra classes to control his quirk?” Because he’s assuming that All Might is handling it. They’re together all the time and have the same quirk, not to mention All Might is stating that he’s helping Midoriya when he can, so it’s a fair assumption. And since Izuku is improving his control, it’s not unlikely for Aizawa to think that All Might is actually helping out. The audience knows that while All Might tries to assist, Izuku’s figuring things out by himself but Aizawa doesn’t.

Look, All Might is a genius and basically an ace all around but as a teacher, All Might is still learning. He’s trying but he has no idea how about how to properly teach others.

The biggest example of this is the final exam.

Aizawa gets a lot of guff for teaming Izuku up with Bakagou for the finals because they “don’t along.” Now, when I first saw that scene, I was as irritated as quite a few people, then I thought about it and, from a story—and most importantly here Aizawa’s--perspective, it makes sense.

Aside from his “fragile ego,” Bakagou’s biggest weakness is that he has trouble working with others (though he did okay with Kirishima during the sports festival and the USJ). To help Bakagou get over this, he had to be placed with the person he hated most against an impossible foe that he couldn’t beat alone.

As for Izuku, Izuku isn’t very assertive at this point, nor does he stand up for himself very well. The thought process was that an impossible odd would force Izuku to stand up for himself to get Bakagou to work with him.

The biggest issue, in this case, was All Might.

In the final exams, Aizawa has entrusted the boys to All Might. In theory, this is a good idea; All Might is intelligent and knows both Izuku and Bakagou the best. Therefore, it should have been no issue for him to get the two to overcome their weaknesses. The problem was that All Might didn’t hold back enough and nearly did permanent damage to the other two. Even Recovery Girl called All Might out for that. So, all in all, I don’t think Aizawa is to blame for the final exam.

In relation to Izuku and Bakagou, let’s quickly talk about another complaint concerning the two; “Aizawa punishes Izuku for Bakagou dragging him out to fight.”

Aizawa didn’t know the full story, just what All Might told him.

Izuku admitted to being just as involved in the fight. Plus, Aizawa did go easy on Izuku.

He only grounded him for three days for being out of bed after hours and fighting. Aizawa even held off on the internships till Izuku was able to rejoin the class. Not a big deal.

Speaking of class, we jump into the final arguments of Aizawa as a teacher; Stating he would have expelled the entire class minus the few that were knocked out about the Bakagou rescue.

I don’t agree with this but--yet again--I see his point.

People say it’s hypocritical considering all his logical ruses, but here’s the difference; no one was in danger with his ruses. As stated lying to them about expulsion forced them to do their best, same with the lie about the finals. As for the lie in BNHA briefs on Parents Day, it was a way to teach the students about a very important part of being a hero; how to deal with a villain with hostages. Not to mention everything was happening in a safe environment where no one was at risk.

That was NOT the case with the Bakagou rescue. The students were charging into danger where they could have been taken captive, gotten Bakagou, or themselves killed. Not to mention they could have hindered the heroes who would have had to focus on protecting them. Yes, Bakagou was saved, and no one was hurt. However, it was a hell of a gamble that could have gone wrong in so many ways and caused several casualties. Maybe Aizawa was harsh by threatening those not a part of the rescue but again, we know they tried to talk the others out of going and thought they succeeded, but Aizawa didn’t. As far as he was aware they knew the plan was going down and decided not to say anything which, once again, placed everyone in danger. So while I don’t agree with Aizawa here, I do see why he scolded everyone.

No segway to this one, but I’ve seen people state that he sleeps during class, however, he’s only done that when others are teaching. It’s not professional, but as he’s aware of what’s going on and quips in here and there, I don’t hold it against him.

Now before I move on, I would like to go over some personal gripes I have;

1: His failure with Tenya

*As his teacher Aizawa should have been informed about Tenya’s brother, if only to explain his absence and why he left the sports festival early. As a hero, a teacher, and someone who lost his friend, there was no reason for Aizawa not to know how Tenya was feeling and what he might do. It would have been rational for Aizawa to pull Tenya aside and try to talk to him. Would it have done any good? No, but it would show that he was trying, and not ignoring his student's emotional woes. (And yes, I know that I used the world to explain why he didn’t notice Bakagou’s issues. However, this is a little different as Aizawa has personal experience in the loss of a loved one, not being kidnapped. [And I know Tensei didn’t die but close enough.])

I could have forgiven him if he didn't realize that Stain was in Hosu till it was too late, but we see that he figures it out right away. I think there should have at least been a scene where it shows that Aizawa called Manuel to explain Tenya’s situation and told him to keep an eye on the boy. But nope. He doesn’t even give Tenya his sympathies and does nothing when he puts 2 and 2 together about Stain and Hosu. This is bad for me because, in this case, Aizawa is aware of a situation he’s sympathetic to and is aware of the possible consequences and does nothing.

2: How he failed Bakagou

*YMMV as this all opinion and everyone falls into this—again, that’s bad story framing--but Aizawa failed Bakagou by not scolding him more. I’ll be fair and say that by what Aizawa actually sees and the rules of the world, Bakagou isn’t that bad—from AIZAWA’S POV.

That being said, there were still many moments that Bakagou should have received a hell of a talking to. Here are some examples off the top of my head;

On the first day after All Might’s lesson, Bakagou should have received a lecture from Aizawa and detention, at least. Why? Because no matter how you look at it, Bakagou was in the wrong. He used a move that he knew was dangerous and endangered a fellow student with the intent to do serious harm. (A premeditated action, btw.)

Another reason is that action warranted punishment is that—despite what Bakagou thinks--it’s been established over and over that while heroes fight villains, they don’t do any more damage than necessary UNLESS there are special circumstances. Bakagou needed to be pulled aside and have this explained to him.

Now there’s the argument that he assumed that Bakagou got carried away. If that’s the case, the boy should have had it explained to him how heroes can’t afford to let themselves get carried away like that. Why? Again, heroes aren't supposed to inflict more harm than necessary, and his quirk could end up hurting innocent people, even killing them. These are things a HERO school should be teaching.

But nope. All we got from Aizawa was, “Stop wasting your talent.” How about a, “Stop being a brat, and if you try to kill or maim your classmates again, you’re expelled,” Aizawa!

Again, in the spirit of fairness, Aizawa could have assumed All Might handled it, but more on this later.

Another thing Bakagou should have received scolding was for his general attitude. In the BNHA universe, how a hero presents themselves is important, and his attitude was so bad it made people think he was a villain. Bakagou needed to be pulled aside and explained that his attitude was not okay—then again Endeavor was popular enough to become #2 before his “development”, so this is a bit iffy.

And then there are the finals;

Now, as I stated, I don’t hold anything that happened in the finals against Aizawa. What I do hold against him is what happened after.

For the third time, Bakagou attacked a classmate, something that was recorded and witnessed by Recovery Girl, yet we never see him get scolded for it. And this is the second time Bakagou has injured a classmate. Now as I’ve covered, we can maybe let the first time from Aizawa’s perspective. Bakagou got carried away, it was the first week, he assumed All Might handled it, and he didn’t know the two well enough to figure out what was going on, blah, blah. This time Bakagou and Izuku weren’t even fighting one another, so there was zero reason for Bakagou to lash out the way he did against Izuku. On top of that, this is the third time Aizawa has witnessed unprovoked violence towards Izuku. The first time was on the first day of school, the second was the class with All Might—which again, we’ll be generous and give a pass for previously stated reasons—and now this time. This shows a pattern that should have been addressed. Why? Because not only was it hindering Bakagou's growth, but it was endangering Izuku! Aizawa needed to figure out what was going on for the safety of his student. He could have talked to All Might—who knew full and well the situation—or Izuku, or Bakagou himself. Something that showed he wasn’t ignoring it and was trying to do something to de-escalate things. And speaking of All Might;

3: The lack of communication with All Might. *A bit hard to explain, but an issue that I’ve noticed is that Aizawa never seems to question All Might or his actions. “But Aizawa criticizes All Might all the time!” Not really. He makes a comment here and there but never really talks to him. Aizawa clearly respects All Might, but he never communicates with All Might. Such as, “Hey, what went on in your first lesson, and did you talk to Bakagou about his actions? Do I need to do anything? Are you teaching Midoriya how to use his quirk properly? Is he making any improvement? Not much? Then we may need to explore other options. What the hell were you thinking when you nearly did permanent damage to our students?” (Okay, the last can slide as Recovery Girl may have healed the injuries before he knew the extent of the damage but I digress.) All of these are basic questions that I believe that as co-teachers—That’s All Might’s job at UA, right? Co-teacher to Class A?--the two should have discussed, but never did. (That we’ve seen.) The only thing Aizawa ever really gets on All Might about is his favoritism towards Izuku, and that’s because he wants the other students to benefit from All Might’s knowledge as well. Other than that, Aizawa lets All Might slide on a lot of things. I get that it would be disrespectful if Aizawa questioned everything All Might did, especially since U.A. gives their teachers a lot of freedom on how to teach, but still. Just a bit of communication to show they’re on the same page, at least.

4: Allowing Toru and Momo’s costumes (Meta reasons aside) *Now in the spirit of fairness, these guys live in a world where people dress provocatively all the time, so it’s not AS big an issue there as it is in our reality. HOWEVER, there is a legal limit in-universe to it which Momo and Toru have crossed. Even if we argue that Momo’s is on the cusp, Toru’s is not. Her “costume” is not only dangerous and irrational, but it’s illegal. Aizawa should not be allowing it, especially when Mirio’s costume removes any justification for Toru NOT to have a costume.

5: Spending more time with a Gen-Ed student than his own class. *Look, I’m going to be blunt—I don’t like Shinsou (not hate, just not like). I am forever an outcast of the Erasermic community for not liking Shinsou and Eri. (And fellow Present Mic fans who un-followed as soon as they read that. Bye-bye, my Mic mutuals...) BUT I do see why people see them as father and son because, aside from the mini-zawa elements, we see more of Aizawa interacting with Shinsou than most of his own students. But fan feelings aside it is a problem that we see Aizawa teaching a Gen-Ed student more than his own. Not to mention it makes him look like a hypocrite when lecturing All Might about his relationship with Izuku. Aizawa's role in the story is Class 1-A's teacher, we should see him teaching them more.

6: We never see Aizawa teach

Think about it, how many times do we actually see Aizawa Sensei teach? In most of the lessons, we see Aizawa is usually just supervising as the other teachers do their thing or offer exposition. Even with his favorite not-student, we never actually saw Aizawa teach Shinsou anything. For all we know Aizawa dragged him into the woods one night and said, “Here. You’re basically mini-me, so here’s a copy of my weapon. Now, try not to hang yourself while I stand over here doing nothing. Good luck, purple boy!” He doesn’t even say what Shinsou is doing wrong during training, just that it took him six years to get the hang of it.

Say what you will about All Might, but good or bad we see him teach. In his first lesson, he explains what Izuku, Ochako, and Bakagou did wrong to the class, and why Tenya did the best. Another example is when we see him offering advice to Izuku and the other students when they’re creating their signature moves. Hell, there’s an entire chapter of All Might training Izuku in a montage to build his muscles.

We don’t really get anything like that with Aizawa. And this is especially bad as being a teacher plays deeply into his character arc and who he is.

So with all that said, is Aizawa a bad teacher?

Well, he does his teacher duties well enough from paperwork to contacting parents. And Aizawa does seem to understand his students' strengths and weaknesses well enough, as seen in the final exam. Others argue about this, but he was good at spotting the areas they needed to work on and which teachers would do the best at doing so.

Also, when Aizawa actually interacts with the students, he seems to have a good balance of discipline and care for them. And he is good at giving advice, as seen with Todoroki, what they need at times, such as Momo who needed a confidence boost. The issue is that we don’t have more of those scenes.

Look, it’s obvious that Aizawa cares about his students and vice versa and that Aizawa is good daddy material—get out of the gutter right now, internet—but as far as being a good teacher? Honestly, we don’t have enough material to say. Almost everything about his skills as a teacher is left to headcanon or guesswork.

And the sad thing? A few montages or just scenes with Aizawa offering advice would have fixed this right up. But oh well.

But with what we have, is Aizawa as bad as some detractors say? By the in-universe logic and the genre? No, I don’t so. Do I think he’s a great teacher—well, I really, really want to say yes, but the lack of proof makes it hard. Let’s just say that the seeds were planted for him to be one of my favorite mentor characters but they never grew past sprouts as he didn't receive enough spotlight as a teacher. Anyway, that’s my longer than expected piece on things. Feel free to share your thoughts, but when making your arguments please keep in mind the world BNHA is in, its genre (shounen), and medium (anime). I’ve seen a lot of people use real-life examples of how “teachers can’t do this or that” and they forget this is an anime that takes place in a world that is not our own at all, so a lot of those arguments don’t seem fair. Also, please mind your manners.

#bnha #mha #aizawa shouta #shouta aizawa #eraserhead #Is Aizawa a good teacher #aizawa critical #aizawa defense #all might critical #Just pointing out his stumbles #bakugou critical #anti bakugou #not as anti as some would like but still #izuku midoriya #mine #long post #longer than expected #I love Aizawa btw #but I was trying to be as unbiased as possible to see the truth

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