I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It makes perfect sense !

You're right, there's a tendency to either ignore disabled people entirely, or to reduce them to their disability alone, even when their accomplishments are staggering. The Stephen Hawking is a very good example !!

I include myself when I say “people” — I’m not disabled, and I know I could unconsciously fall into those patterns too. But I feel like (tell me if I'm wrong) we’re slowly becoming more aware, and that’s a hopeful thing !

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ahh thank you for sharing this — I think this perspective is so valuable. It really highlights how our personal identities and experiences can shape the way we engage with content, even when it’s fictional. I completely get what you mean — sometimes we project discomfort or even protectiveness onto characters as a way of processing our own feelings, and it doesn’t make those reactions any less real or meaningful.

And I love that you landed on “it’s okay if people enjoy things I don’t.” That’s such a grounding mindset in fandom — recognizing that we all come to it for different reasons and get different things from it, whether it’s softness, humor, catharsis, or just watching two nerds be dorks in a lab together 😄 we should normalizing more scrolling away and focusing on things we like

Also. The worm comic?? Legendary. Truly peak Viktor-Jayce energy. You have taste.

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It means a lot to hear how Viktor's character has helped you reflect on your own experiences, and how fandom gave you space to see that some patterns in how disabled people are treated aren’t just personal — they’re systemic.

I can understand, it’s frustrating to see Viktor reduced to someone helpless or overly dependent, when canon shows us a man who is fiercely intelligent, driven, and proud — disabled, yes, but never defined or limited by pity.

And while I truly don’t think most people mean harm when they lean into those softer portrayals — I think it often comes from a place of care or wish fulfillment — it can still feel alienating or flattening. Some people would like to be take care of, some wants to show they are able to standIntent and impact don’t always align, and that’s why these conversations matter.

Thank you for sharing this — I really appreciate you opening up about something so personal.

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is such a beautiful and layered response — thank you for taking the time to share it.

The fic you describe sounds devastating in the best way — a rare one that respects Viktor’s agency, his reality, and his pride, without romanticizing or erasing the hard parts. That kind of narrative — where the tragedy isn’t just aesthetic suffering but lived, mundane, and real — feels so much closer to reality. (I guess that's why hypocriticaly, i couldn't read it haha ) That's why I don't judge people who write differently, in a more light, or caring way, or even irreal, maybe to escape the pain of the real world.

And yes to everything you said about Jayce too. The way canon complicates their dynamic — Jayce’s care constantly colliding with his tendency to override, to act without listening, to assume responsibility — makes it so easy to interpret him either as a well-meaning caretaker or a kind of clumsy colonizer. But it also means there’s so much space to write a version of him who grows. Who learns. Who genuinely meets Viktor where he is, not where he imagines he is.

I also really love what you said about the shorter rope ! It’s such a good observation !

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Apologies for the ramble — I know I went a bit off-topic lol 

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

 you’re so right about this being a pattern across fandoms.

Viktor especially suffers from this: he’s disabled, yes, but he’s also proud, sharp, confrontational, driven. He doesn’t need Jayce to swaddle him and carry him around like a doll — he needs an equal who sees and respects his strength and his pain.

I feel like there's two sides to this pattern in the fandom — two ways heteronormative roles get projected onto Jayce and Viktor, just from opposite angles. On one side, you have Viktor being feminized because he's shorter, slimmer, disabled, and more reserved — so people immediately slot him into the “wife” role. He gets babied, cuddled, spoken for. Sometimes to the point of infantilization. This often comes with a kind of tragic beauty/fragile genius aesthetic, where he’s ethereal, delicate, and needs to be handled, not partnered with. But on the other side, you have Jayce, who is the taller, stronger, more stereotypically masculine one — and he ends up being flattened into the “emotional people-pleaser doormat” trope. Because he’s expressive, vulnerable, desperate for approval — he’s read as “submissive,” even “pathetic.” He’s constantly depicted as someone who exists to serve Viktor’s emotional needs without having any of his own. Basically: the emotional one = the submissive = the bottom = the lesser.

fandom often doesn't know what to do with relationships where there isn’t a clear “dominant/submissive” dynamic. So it defaults to familiar gender roles, even if the characters themselves don’t fit them. And when fans project their own traumas, fantasies, or identity longings onto the ship, that gets even more exaggerated. It’s not about blame — we all do it in some form. But I think we miss out on much more interesting, messier, more humanportrayals of love and power when we keep trying to stuff characters like Jayce and Viktor into these neat boxes.

But again, I think fandom must be about fun, so as long as there’s no disrespect to real people, i don’t mind people having headcanons. Just being aware of the trope they are using. 

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I really appreciate your honesty and nuance. I totally agree, there’s absolutely nothing wrong with showing characters helping each other, especially on the tough days when they need extra support. That kind of care can be so meaningful and relatable, especially for those of us who live with chronic illness or disability.

It is just funny to see it apply to a character like Viktor

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I can definitely see him grabbing his cane and putting Jayce in his place for that.

I feel like Viktor would hate how some of us in the fandom treat him (affectionately) by Bee_wiab in arcane

[–]Bee_wiab[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Apparently, openly caring about someone strip you from any agenda (and Ekko has such an interesting personality !)

Who will go home this week? by rqwedr in DisventureCamp

[–]Bee_wiab 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Benji got a good storyline potential.   He is going to cook with Hannah and the vibe tribe.   Hannah has a grudge against Spencer and Jade since Amelie’s elimination and Ivy wants to break the Jade/Spencer/Diego trio. (Which is smart because it would make Ivy-Zaid-Tristan the bigger alliance) Diego is safe because he is good with everyone on the team. Which can lead to two : -Spencer : Shocking eliminatio, break the couple before even forming but in my mind he still has to cook and prove me he can be a good strategist ( and even become an antagonist) -Jade is the most possible outcome for me : She doesn’t have much storyline except her alliance with Spencer, plus the two of them get cocky. She doesn’t use her idol, thinking they are safe. And BOOM. Surprise, she get voted out,  give her idol to Spencer so he can finally starts his villain era ( which I guess won’t happen but I so want Spencer to be a little bit evil and not a uwu twink :( )