LAYLA

Link to the Pinterest Post I got the template from <3

RIP Charlie Dalton, you would’ve loved saying “freaking PACKET yo” and “Five BIG BOOMS💥💥💥💥💥” just to piss Cameron off bc you know damn well he hates those memes

TW: Pedophilia

Teenagers are rarely taught the reason why they can't consent to sex with adults.

And that's because teaching them that would completely unravel our coercion-based society.

It can be difficult to explain in detail the exact reason and all the specifics in a way that they will understand. But the simplest way to phrase it is that in some cases, even when someone agrees to something and even when they appear enthusiastic about it, there's too much of a power imbalance that it's no different than forcing them. Also, having power and being abusive doesn't require a conscious expectation to be obeyed.

Imagine a world in which every teenager understood that and was easily able to call out anyone who tried to convince them otherwise.

They'd know that there's no such thing as an employee consenting to working for a poverty wage, working in unsafe conditions, working long hours, or working without taking breaks. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to paying a bank overdraft fee. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to student loan debt. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to medical bills. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to generating profit for banks or landlords in order to have a place to live and being evicted or foreclosed when you lose your source of income. They'd know that there's no such thing as consenting to a police search. They'd know that there's no such thing as a child who's okay with their parents spanking them. They'd know that being dependent on someone does not mean that you can never criticize them. They'd know that if it's considered abusive to simply play along when someone obeys, then it has to be much more abusive to actively expect to be obeyed, which many adults do to them.

And people who benefit from a society based on coercion masquerading as freedom wouldn't like that.

So instead, teenagers are taught something dismissive. They're taught that what they want doesn't matter. They're taught that they're too young to know what love is. They're taught "it's the law". They're taught things that are insulting to their intelligence, which they'll naturally rebel against.

I love Charlie and Cameron angst.

Autistic people sometimes struggle with apologizing, because they're never taught how to do it the right way.

When autistic people are taught how to apologize, they're often taught that the sincerity of the apology is determined by how well they can hide their disability.

Not enough eye contact = insincere apology

Struggling to phrase it = insincere apology

Wrong tone = insincere apology

Asking questions to figure out how to prevent doing it again = insincere apology (and "arguing" or "making excuses")

Meanwhile, neurotypical people can continue their patterns while still being considered sincere by these standards.

rip todd anderson, you would have loved animal crossing new horizons

but i was going to say i think charlie often sees his worst traits reflected in him and really is more aware than he wants to be. its most obvious to me when neil tells him he shouldnt have published the article, he says "but do we really mean what we say?" he says theyre just "messing around" but thats. just charlie. he's talking about himself. he's the one messing around and saying things he doesnt really mean. he doesnt really grasp keatings teachings, he only sees the outer shell of it and wants to be that, but so much of it is hollow. that's why he snaps at neil.

i also think this is why he hates cameron so much!! cameron and charlie do have similarities actually - the biggest one being that they never want to give up on something. thats why cameron tried to stay with the poets till literally the very end, even when he started realizing they were being cruel to him. he knew he shouldve left. charlie knew he shouldnt have published the paper, he knows hes reckless. and they both want approval from people they respect - the difference is who gets it. neither of them really know what theyre doing or what they want to do, either. and i think charlie sees those aspects of himself in cameron and thats why he's so cruel to him. not out of a desire to hurt.

Cowbird, acrylic on canvas

perfection