#electro tasm

[sootyships]

reminder to myself that max also TOTALLY thinks he should be more assertive. like. i'm too nice and polite. i wish i had stood up for myself. and then when he becomes electro he—well, once he owns it—he really tries to like. care less. cuz a lot of the politeness n niceness is enforced right. like y'know stand up for urself against the nasty superior, get fired typ. or at least get in trouble. so u dont do that. but like a lotta things after becoming electro theres this feeling of freedom right? i got no bonds FUCK EM ALL. so you can in theory do what u want. stand up for urself. be assertive. but how much is it really deeply ingrained? to what extent is ur first impulse to defer? how much do u gotta choose and choose and kinda larp the assertiveness? good luck!

[sootyships]

i do think electro would have some awareness of... basically, being vulnerable emotionally. i mean, we see in canon him rebuff harry's claims of friendship bc he's been hurt. so he might have this sense of "i'm lonely, i want friendship, but i have been lied to already so the odds are it'll happen again and i won't be able to tell because i'm too invested in having it be true". and then you get this clamming up against even people who really do want to be your friend, because you don't trust your perception.

yes i am projecting but i also genuinely think this reading is supported by canon ;)

[sootyships]

okay so. electro.

- uses zodiacs as a way to try to understand people. (come on he knew his superior's zodiac sign)

- talks to machines and humanizes them bc... why not?

- is kind of hyper-aware about other people. might be an old coping mechanism to avoid trouble

- forgets honorifics and such sometimes bc they're one of those things ppl expect that don't really make sense

- has dabbled in making electronic music in the past

- 100% had imaginary friends as a kid and fantasised of being a famous musician or smth, not realizing that those pretenses just... well, did not win any friends

- can control appearances when electro, but it's mostly subconscious. appearance (base shape!) as electro is basically a power fantasy

- is probably not the only child, but is the only one dutiful enough to take care of their abusive mother

- electro expresses care by a) touch (like trying to give his mom a kiss in a cut scene) and b) learning Everything about you

- fav color is green... obvs (the cake lol)

- likely is seen as someone who "acts white" by other black people, because max has spent a long time trying to be palatable and acceptable in the wasp-centric corporate world. kinda feels like he can drop the role after becoming electro, but there's this tension btwn how much of it's him playing a role and how much of it is just who he is/his comfort zone after grinding himself into that "waspy" role every day, so oscillates between behaviour patterns and can come off as awkward