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general-cyno · 6 months

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I'm caught up with manga rn so I wanted to share a few thoughts (ramblings) on egghead arc zolu too. first, this convo after the crew leave wano and find out abt what's gone down in the reverie, and wrt to vivi specifically,

I do agree with some stuff I've seen about how using ace here as an example was not exactly the best one since we know how that ended up. that said, I think it's lowkey sweet that zoro still remembers so clearly what luffy said back then and well, he's not entirely wrong.

as I've mentioned in other posts before, zoro takes the crew and his own role in it very seriously. these are his companions, his friends and family I daresay, and part of his duty as both crewmate and friend includes keeping them all check and safe whenever it's needed. especially luffy, as we've seen in different occasions (water 7, thriller bark, punk hazard, wano, just to name some arcs with relevant moments related to this). storming into marijoa, THE world government/navy stronghold, without any information and/or plan whatsoever is a bad idea all around.

luffy may be impulsive and stubborn at times, but he isn't really an idiot and he knows zoro's right even if he doesn't like it. hence this:

ngl I love how grumpy luffy is at zoro here. these two are usually on a similar wavelength but there are key moments where their approach to things differ, and it ultimately works bc it's kind of... a complementary thing. making up for what the other lacks or needs to hear in those moments. I believe they bicker relatively less than other straw hats do in comparison (precisely bc of how similar they are imo) but it's funny when it actually happens. I can so easily picture luffy here fuming and stomping like a brat also being seconds away from asking for a divorce

this one's perhaps on a more delulu note on my part, but I like that zoro brought up ace in specific bc he was there both times when ace and sabo asked the crew to take care of luffy. it was curious to me that in the former case, zoro was kinda shown with this "!" reaction sign and later when it came to sabo in dressrosa, he was the one to fondly point out he sounded just like ace did in alabasta (and the "!" is back).

(the fact that sabo handed zoro luffy's vivre card there also lives in my mind rent free btw)

so yeah. zoro's definitely not one to mess around when it comes to the crew and luffy's safety, though he may get a handful of grumpy straw hats (captain included!) for it.

another thing, and do bear with me bc I might be reaching once again is... the break up flashback between shanks and buggy. I pretty much forgot to make a post about water 7/enies lobby zolu bits (too busy crying over robin, I admit) but this actually reminded me of it.

the context and personalities involved differ from each other, yeah, but I believe this shows exactly how easily it could've been for luffy and zoro to have a bad ending of sorts under different circumstances.

I can't say for sure how much of whiskey peak was intended to affect zoro and luffy's relationship later in the manga (I personally find some parts of it kinda goofy), but it at least served as an early example that they're not immune to suffering from misunderstandings and miscommunication issues. though unlike shanks/buggy, the fact that they're more similar than they're different and their differences tend to complement each other's likely works more in zoro and luffy's favor. still,

if luffy hadn't listened to zoro here - if he'd failed to stay true to what's expected of him as the captain (and being the captain is related to his journey to become the pirate king), to stay true to the kind of man zoro believes him to be and that he chose to join in that marine base, we could've had a similar scenario to shanks and buggy's imo. more so when you consider that zoro's as headstrong as luffy is, that he's been mistaken for the captain and now has turned out to have the color of the supreme king too. hell, zoro used to be a bounty hunter, is still called the pirate hunter. I don't believe it'd be easy for zoro to leave despite what he says, or that they'd become enemies per se, but it isn't (or wasn't) out of the realm of possibilities. zoro has admitted that he sees no point in being a pirate unless he's part of luffy's crew as well.

as it is, the fact that luffy values zoro's imput and listens to him whenever the need arises is such an important part of their relationship. as loyal as zoro may be, as great as his displays of that loyalty are, they only exist bc luffy cares for him just as much and has earned them through his actions. I love it!

last thing before this gets too long is this:

the mobile app's pic upload limit is my enemy so I can't share it but I also liked the page before this one, where luffy asks zoro if he needs some help, to which zoro tells him to focus on kizaru instead.

this is such a great showcase of how much they've grown in terms of strength - that zoro can take on one of pre-timeskip luffy's strongest foes now, and that luffy himself is no longer unable to do anything against enemies like kizaru. and yknow, I find it special that luffy can go against him now considering kizaru was the one who almost killed zoro in sabaody - one of those instances in which luffy was genuinely worried, upset and feared for zoro's safety to the point he was actually all teary when rayleigh managed to save him.

I would've liked to see zoro's reaction to nika!luffy since he was knocked out in wano when it first happened, but I suppose he's already seen the wanted poster and his lack of reaction now isn't that out of character probably. godly power up or not, that's still his silly gremlin captain ig. can't wait to see what else is in store for these guys in this arc and onwards!

#zolu #tp #long post #back here again folks #this one is especially dedicated to the lovely anon who sent me an ask abt how they enjoyed reading my posts #and to everyone who's liked them: love y'all #zolu in my mind rent free as always #jay reads op

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icedragonlizard · 1 month

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Kirby AU talk: "Hope Within The Darkness"

Morpho Knight just about never brings anyone back from the dead, but he felt bad enough for someone to the point of being generous.

That someone being the Dark Matter Swordsman.

All dead dark matter exist in the afterlife's hades. DMS has, unfortunately, been horribly mistreated by Zero and the rest of the clan. Zero constantly blamed DMS for "getting the clan killed with his incompetence", and there have been numerous instances where he ordered the others in the clan to attack DMS for being a "failure".

DMS, of course, does not take well to this mistreatment, and he always tries to fight back, but keeps getting his butt kicked.

Upon observing this cruel spectacle, Morpho Knight began to feel bad. Especially when he learned that DMS just wanted a friend, but still can't even get it with the rest of the dark matter clan in hades.

Not just that, but nobody else in hades wanted to be his friend either. "Poor guy", Morpho Knight thinks, just keeps getting done dirty.

At least Sectonia and Max Haltmann are friends in the mortal plane.

Morpho Knight thinks this is rather too abhorrent of a fate, and gives DMS another chance. He drags DMS out of hades and, as something he'd most likely never do again, allows DMS to come back to life and wishes him good luck in finally finding a friend like he's long wanted.

DMS was grateful to Morpho Knight for doing this. During his time in hades, he finally began learning to say things like "be my friend!" and "can you be my friend?" but the rest of the dark matter clan had no interest in being his friend. However, as Morpho Knight ever so generously brings him back to life, he may finally have his chance.

As DMS gets brought back, he adopts the convenient alias Blade.

Popstar is his first destination. He's aware that he does not have good history with that planet, but he doesn't intend to cause problems again. He now just wants to try to ask for friends. He hopes that there will be people that are forgiving enough to be willing to be his friends.

He gets some luck early on. At the start, Blade becomes successful in making two friends: Kirby and Gooey. He encountered both of them strolling around in Dream Land, something they usually do.

Kirby is effectively unable to hold a grudge, as he's so easily forgiving. He was admittedly surprised to see Blade again, but once he saw the guy not wanting to be an enemy anymore and instead now wanting to be a friend, the pink puffball was glad to become Blade's friend.

Gooey is also unable to hold a grudge. He certainly did have issues with his kin in the past, but he was never really adamant about it, and he also mimics Kirby's behavior a lot by virtue of Kirby being an influence for him. He was more than willing to become friends with Blade. Both Blade and Gooey have been capable of finding solitude in being dark matter spawns that are no longer a part of the evil clan.

However, aside from those two friends, Blade's luck quickly shortens.

He was able to befriend Kirby and Gooey because they're so forgiving, but other people are not as easily forgiving. In fact, upon learning about Blade's return, a lot of people get nervous and uncomfortable. Some fear that Blade's return means that another dark matter invasion could be right around the corner to happen.

... He doesn't at all intend to do that. He just wants to make friends. But dark matter is one of the most infamous things in Popstar, and a lot of people have a very hard time trusting Blade upon his return.

King Dedede is the forefront of this. He's more distrustful of Blade than anyone else is, and feels especially uncomfortable around him. This is, of course, because he's been possessed by dark matter multiple times in the past, has had PTSD from it, and is very paranoid about the idea of getting possessed by dark matter for another time.

Dedede isn't usually much of a grudge holder. He forgave Magolor for the betrayal stuff, he forgave Taranza for the kidnapping and puppeteering stuff, and he even forgave Susie despite the HWC destroying his castle. But dark matter is different. Nothing has messed Dedede up as much as dark matter has. The first possession wasn't so bad, but the other two possession instances were traumatic for him. He underwent awful body horror from dark matter possessions. Dark matter learned to take advantage of the flaws he had back in the day. It painfully forced Dedede to change as a person.

The distrust for Blade upon his return doesn't end with Dedede. Other notable people in the cast are not trustful of Blade, either.

Bandana Waddle Dee and other waddle dees that serve Dedede are scared out of their minds when seeing Blade. Meta Knight is incredibly cautious and has his guard up. Adeleine is scared, since she's also a dark matter possession victim. Ribbon, while not as scared as Adeleine, is also nervous and distrustful as well upon learning about his return. The animal friends are all uncomfortable and nervous, too.

Some of them are terrified that he's going to hurt Gooey.

And unfortunately, Blade doesn't really help in easing their distrust. Despite wanting to make friends, he's... not very good at it. He doesn't really have the personality to be that good at making friends.

He's still got very, very grey morals going on at the start. He's still standoffish, rude, cold, brash, and is quick to respond with aggression when confronted. When people make their distrust clear to him, he perceives it as a threat. He thinks they're trying to take his friends away from him. And he's not willing to allow that to happen.

... He ends up getting into fights and arguments with people. Of course, it's largely based on misunderstandings, but this is not a great look for someone who was just trying to make friends at first.

He's going to need to change his behavior to be better at making friends. The good news is that Kirby is eager to help him out on that.

And eventually, Kirby isn't the only one to help him out.

For a little while, Blade has been unable to make anymore friends after Kirby and Gooey. But eventually, as he meets more of Kirby's friends, he does become able to make a third friend at one point.

The third friend that he makes is Magolor. Like many others, Magolor was wary and cautious at first, but he's been able to come around once he learned that Blade is merely just trying to make friends and realizes that the guy gets frustrated when met with confrontation.

Magolor knows what that's like, to an extent. He remembers when Meta Knight and Bandana Waddle Dee were still critical of him when he came back and apologized. It wasn't as quite as bad as what Blade is going through now, but he understands the struggle of being rejected when trying to make friends. It makes him want to help out.

He does believe that Blade needs changes to his personality, but he's glad to help him become a better person to make it easier to make more friends. He teaches Blade the concept of apologizing, something that Blade never knew about (it's not necessarily that he lacks remorse, he just didn't know how to make an apology beforehand).

Even when Blade becomes able to make apologies, some people are still uncomfortable and distrustful. Magolor, however, gives Blade some consolation and tells him to not feel bad when people don't forgive, as being friends with everyone isn't possible. And he tells him to not give up on his quest, and he's proud of the guy for being able to make any friends at all and gradually becoming better over time.

Magolor is quite helpful in this story. He eventually gets to consulting with some of his friends (Marx, Taranza, Susie, the mage sisters, etc.) to have them get to know Blade and if they can be friends with him. Right now, I won't disclose how successful Blade is at befriending those guys. Although I may do it in a separate post if someone comes to my inbox about it. Or if someone comes to my inbox about Blade's dynamics with all the dream friends in general. I could be willing to do that, just not on this synopsis if that makes sense.

Blade's got a big road ahead of him! He's got the right desire, just not the right personality and morals for it at first. It's clear that he's still in need of guidance. He's technically undergoing some kind of redemption of sorts, but it's a very slow and imperfect redemption.

But there's hope once the early friends that he makes are willing to help him out. There's a good chance that he'll be able to carve out a solid place for himself amongst Kirby's friends even if his reputation still isn't so great. Kirby himself seems glad to have Blade as a friend.

Let's wish Blade good luck as he continues his quest!

-----

That's it for the synopsis for this AU! Thank you so much if you've taken the time to read this. This is yet another AU that I've cooked up.

I really like the Dark Matter Swordsman. He's potentially within my top 10 favorite Kirby characters, maybe. The creation of this AU stems from that fact, as well as the fact that it was said in Dream Land 2's manual that the reason why he became evil is out of jealousy due to not having any friends, and that he literally didn't even know how to ask for friends. That's really interesting to me. In my opinion, that reeks of potential to make him a nuanced character of sorts.

In my normal headcanon universe, DMS is dead like the rest of the non-defective dark matter, so that's why this is an AU. I think this is a wonderful concept nonetheless. If you remember I made the poll "If you were allowed to add ONE more dream friend to Star Allies, who would you pick?" and I added the Dark Matter Swordsman as one of the poll's many options, because I thought it would've had potential! He didn't win the poll, as Prince Fluff did (congrats to him!) but I still like the idea of DMS becoming a friend to Kirby. Kirby is very forgiving, so I'm sure he'd be willing to be DMS' friend if he asked.

Allow me to link the other Kirby AUs that I've made synopses for: Dark Stormy Matters, a story where Kracko goes off the deep end and fuses with Dark Matter in a desperate attempt to finally get back at Kirby, and Memories Still At A Halt, a story where Susie revives her father by making a wish to a clockwork star, but it goes wrong as he still can't remember as his daughter, and she has to deal with that.

Thanks for reading! I'll see you all later.

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sukimas · 6 months

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As someone who is- at best- a Touhou secondary, can you offer any insight as to why there appears to be/is so much drama surrounding whether or not Merry is Yukari? “Seemingly Unrelated Character B grows up into/otherwise becomes Character A” is not an especially world-shattering story beat, and after reading your document it seems unbelievably obvious by 2005.

There's nothing that I can say is the overall reason as sadly I'm not a mind-reader, but I have some theories (some of which may be true in parallel, some of which may not be true at all):

A.) Touhou is a series that many fans believe is highly up to interpretation (due to the fact that they are otaku unused to literary elements such as the unreliable narrator; you can see this in, for example, responses to Umineko) so there's a degree of resistance to anything being "obviously intended".

B.) Many Touhou fans enjoy having opinions on things without reading the works that apply to these things; the music CDs in particular are a case where "fans of fans" are very common. This isn't necessarily a problem when discussing what people like, but it runs into issues when discussing, say, authorial intent.

C.) Youkai are kind of nasty, and Yukari is a particularly nasty variation. Many people don't like the idea of humans in Touhou becoming youkai in general.

D.) Due to B, as well as the obscurity of the two works that are written directly from Yukari's perspective, many people have an incorrect idea of Merry's personality, Yukari's personality, or both; this leads them to have an incorrect idea of the differences between the two. This is the "well, even if Yukari was Merry once, is there anything really left of her since she's so different?" objection.

E.) Many people see the idea of Merry ending up as a youkai as something tragic- they enjoy the idea of her and Renko going on adventures in their modern day forever. This is despite the fact that their sense of ennui in and disgust with the modern world is more apparent with each CD published.

F.) Also coming from E and B, people often have an interpretation of the club members as "innocent" and "childlike"; there's a general degree of belief in sweet, innocent, childish whimsy being what drives their actions in the CDs. Yukari being self-admittedly too tired to have stupid fun like the members of the Scarlet Devil Mansion going to the moon on their idiot rocket can seem like a contradiction in terms, and makes it seem "tragic".

G.) Also coming from E, many people seem to have the mistaken opinion that in order for Merry to have become a youkai, something terrible must have happened to Renko, and she's really torn up about it. Either that, or that she'll never see her again- this latter is common even in more level-headed interpretations, but makes little sense with, for example, the idea of Yuyuko Saigyouji existing. Anyway, people don't like to imagine the club being torn apart so rudely.

H.) An extension from G- people don't believe that Merry could ever be or become a youkai without harming Renko as they simply don't seem to have a strong metaphysical understanding of youkai from other Touhou works (and this idea is often played up for drama in popular fan media).

Generally speaking, it's mostly "she's so unlike this, so either this can't be true or if it was true it would be a terrible tragedy. and i can't stand terrible tragedies, so it can't be true" as large segments of the Hifuu fandom are a little bit immature about the idea of anything ever changing. In a sense, it's kind of treated like Class S yuri. Add to this a good helping of people not reading and not believing that anything not stated in so many words can be true, and you get a perfect storm of idiocy.

#yukaribel

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madcatlad · 9 months

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I doubt Jesson intended it but... why do I keep running into this really heavy theme throughout mcd.

Hear me out:

Children turning out to be monsters despite their parents efforts.

Let's start of with the obvious red flags

Zenix.

It is implied that he was very young when he was taken in by Garroth. It is also said outright that he was a shadowknight even before that. The dark implication of this is that Zenix became a shadowknight at a young age (children becoming shadowknights is rarely mentioned within mcd, it notably is only implied with Zenix, and Alexis.) Garroth took Zenix under his wing, so much so the kid was literally described as like a son to Garroth. But despite his efforts Zenix betrayed Phoenix Drop. The way they address this issue stands out to me as multiple characters seem to describe Zenix as "already gone" from his arrival to Phoenix Drop. Even Laurence. Now one could chalk this up to Jess being unable or unwilling to truly address Zenix as a tragic character, and simply paint him as the conniving villain the series needed at the time (before Zane). And i think there is some truth to that. However the fact that Zenix' motives have remained notably undefined and his actions seem to contradict from what we are told about him so insistently. Even for Jessica this is a clear sign that something is up. "Already gone"... because my writer brain loves parallels I automatically connected it to (again) the only place that this idea is brought up in the series: Zane.

Zane.

Zane in mcd is evil, his motives also seem a little unclear at times, but this is because he characterized to be power hungry, unpredictable, and- undeniably evil. But was it always this way? Zane would prefer to watch the world burn than rule it. He seems to just hate people, so what terrible event caused such a terrible person? Nothing apparently. As said by Zianna, he was "always that way".

Zenix' "Already Gone" hits far too close to Zane's "Always That Way" for me. And the parallels don't end there, Zenix and Zane mirror one another in interesting ways. Both have familial-like attachment to Garroth, and their nature/motivation seems to torment and confuse him endlessly. They both became shadowknights (both were chosen by the shadow lord despite being outside of his usual "type" - Zane:At twink, Zenix:A child.) And they both seem to be obsessed with power, yet both have some kind of trauma surrounding people in power (Zane:Garte, Zenix:Implied to have been wronged by a lord in some way.) All this being said I have to point out Zenix and Zane both start with Z. They are the only ones aside from Zoey with a Z starting name, and since they already share so many qualities I can see this being a way for Jess to foreshadow this.

Garroth, like he did with Zenix, he questions what led Zane on his path but Zianna seems to put this idea to rest entirely, and her word is taken as fact. Which is fair the idea isn't too shocking, considering the kind of person Zane was. But the fact that even Garroth thought to question the cause of Zane's nature and is immediately shut down by Zianna, and then it is never mentioned again. It's just to reminiscent to how Garroth compartmentalized Zenix' downfall and never mentioned it again. It's just too close.

Zianna at the end of the day is Zane's mother, which one could argue that she knows him best, however parents can be blind to the trauma that young children might face and the results that this may cause. Important to note is that Zianna is likely a victim. A constant state of fight or flight could absolutely block her from realizing or addressing the effects of prolonged trauma in her children. In her mind she was taking the blunt of the rather, a shield between harm and her children, but as in most cases, and as shown in both Garroth and Vylad this was not the reality, so it would be easy to connected that this would be the same with the middle son, Zane.

But in the misfortune of her situation Zianna did the best that she possibly could. But Zane ended up the way he did anyway. The way that Zianna is characterized in her short time on screen really encapsulates the backbone of this concept. Her guilt, and her grief are so compelling, and the manner in which she rationalize her traumatic experience is very believable... but identifying a child who was raised in a household that actively encouraged cruelty as just "always like that" is very suspicious to me. And the strong thematic intersections aligning between Zenix and Zane makes me believe that there is something going on here.

Brian

Last but not least.

This reveal was unexpected but impactful. It was shocking because of this concept. Despite Molly's best efforts Brian became a traitor anyway.

It came alongside Zenix' in a way which I think is interesting. It was implied that they had some kind of relationship. And they both ended up betraying Phoenix Drop.

I wonder where this guy is now...

But some honorable mentions since this concept is interesting to me. (Most of the arcs were put aside so it is interesting to think where they could have gone considering the circumstances, so I'm connecting it to this mini-theory.)

Season 1, when Baby Alexis was turned into an adult SHADOWKNIGHT! She was returned to normal of course but still... is that a possible destiny for her to be weary of?

Leona. Kiki is so sweet, and a great mom, bit... there is too much mystery and unanswered questions surrounding this child of her's. (Why did Zane even do this?) She is somewhat implied to kinda-but-not-really be Zane's? Regardless of the reality one way or another she is a result of Zane, a pawn in his plot, maybe one that died with him, maybe one that returned with him, we don't know.

Considering this thematic presence throughout MCD I wonder where this would have led in season three. It would be interesting if this heavier side to the series continued. Especially since Aphmau is raising the heir to a destroyer's relic. If this theme is to be believed then where would that lead to in Alina's destiny?

"Minecraft Diaries: Son and Daughters"

https://archiveofourown.org/works/46724815

#aphblr #aphmau #zianna ro'meave #zane ro'meave #garroth ro'meave #zenix mcd #brian mcd #leona mcd #shad the destroyer #mcd #minecraft diaries

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flower-boi16 · 3 months

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Hey, uh, is it okay if I like rant amd criticize for a bit? I want to post about it but I'm scared of getting harrassed.

I really should have seen this coming since I watched Helluva Boss and it's terrible 2nd season, but I blindly believed that HB sucked because Viv was too busy with Hazbin Hotel and I convinced myself that HH will be better but now here we are.

So, I just watched the first episode of Hazbin on YT, and I have some.... issues. First of all, it's the pacing. I think it went WAY too fast for the first episode and it got me seriously confused, like, the first episode is supposed to be the intro to the story, WHY IS IT SO FUCKING FAST?! Hell, if Viv intended the PILOT to be the introduction it's fine, but STILL, IT'S WAY TOO FAST! And this brings me to my next point : Hazbin Hotel is NOT newbie friendly. As someone who knew Hazbin lore for a while, the first episode already left me seriously confused, just IMAGINE how confused a new viewer, who has no idea about the lore and stuff, will be. Again, first episode = first intro, especially for NEW fans. Like LEGIT if a fan needs to get info from OUTSIDE the show itself, it isn't good.

Oh, and the whole plot of Charlie meeting with Adam? Should've been done in a DIFFERENT episode! Again, first episode = first introduction, WE SHOULD'VE USED THAT TO SHOW THE PROBLEMS IN THE HOTEL! THAT SHOULD'VE BEEN THE MAIN PRIORITY FIRST! If I could rewrite the episode, I'd do it like this :

Episode 1, it focuses SPECIFICALLY on shooting a new commercial. We can still have the whole call from Lucifer about the meeting with Adam, but instead the meeting will be held in about a week or two, which not only excites Charlie, but also adds fuel to the fire about the situation at the hotel since she wants to present the idea without any flaws to heaven. So then the episode focuses on Charlie and Vaggie trying to (force) shoot a better commercial and it can play out how it does in the canon episode. Ater that, the next three or four episodes then focuses on the problem IN hell while keeping Charlie's whole attempt at fixing the hotel's situation as a small side plot.

Then, come episode 5 or 6, we see Charlie meeting Adam and the angels about the project after she tries her best to make it work, only for Adam and the rest of heaven mocking her hard work because of their black and white mindset, and this would cause Charlie to have both some doubt in her mind about the project, along with frustration of not getting any respect despite her best efforts. And then the later episodes can be Charlie struggling with these thoughts and the season can end with Charlie regaining her confidence and motivation while accepting that even though it may not work, at least she TRIED.

Anyways, this is only my opinion and it's very much limited by the fact I've only watched the first episode (I saw some clips for the upcoming episodes and I don't think I want to watch HH anymore) so please just take it with a grain of salt. I thank you for reading this whole ordeal very much.

Well, this is definitely a LONG ask. But ya, good rewrite! I personally didn't find too many issues with the pacing, but I agree that HH isn't newbie-friendly, the show is written like a continuation of the pilot - it doesn't introduce the characters like the pilot, it just does what HGS did; just...have the characters there without telling us who they are.

I haven't seen the pilot myself but the only reason why I'm not too confused right now is because I absorbed information about it through reviews of it for a long time. So ya good rewrite!

#hazbin hotel critical #hazbin hotel criticism #vivziepop critical #vivziepop criticism

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utilitycaster · 10 months

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You nailed why I'm having trouble with Laudna. Another moment for me is her shortness with Orym when pleading to FCG, some of it potentially explained by Marisha in 4SD: how fucked up the lack of intervention + nod were, Laudna's feelings on it all, potential conflict down the road, etc. But when you see the episode itself, Marisha is pretty clear Laudna isn't really aware of her friends at all, that nothing was going to stop her from killing Bor'Dor. 1/2

I usually don't mind inconsistencies at all, because as people we are never realistically consistent 100% of the time, we aren't always in character, so to speak. But some of this feels inconsistent with what has actually happened and is happening, with the text itself, so it feels so jarring. Anyway, I understand if you don't want to post this, just happy you can put to words what I have trouble articulating myself. 2/2

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Hi anon, thanks! Yeah...I don't actually mind Laudna having conflicting feelings about Bor'Dor, but she doesn't know Orym's underlying motivations (I don't actually find the lack of intervention to be remotely fucked up. Nod kind of is, but I think that's the other thing. We're just guessing at who she's lashing out at, if anyone in particular.)

I think. if I may, the reason all this discussion of Laudna's weaknesses as a character is coming up now is because it was always an issue, but between how much stronger her concept seemed during the Team Issylra arc, the return of Delilah (always a weak point) and the fact that the story itself has hit its stride and a number of other characters have sharpened their focus while she's in many ways taken a step back, conceptually.

I think as others have pointed out, it's 65 episodes in and Marisha's answer in 4SD to any questions about the character concept is still "nightmare about creepy girl." Like, that's fine as a starting point, but what is Laudna trying to achieve? What are you exploring with this? What is she going to do about Delilah now? Will we get any sustained payoff of her grappling with the fact that not everything is fine, or will proximity to Imogen continue to act like a rapid dose of sedative?

What did she do in 30 years, because all we have is "made Pate", "got kicked out of a bunch of villages but also this hasn't been consistently backed up by people's responses to her during the campaign so it feels off", "and got to Marquet" (NO understanding of how she got here, which is pretty egregious). Again, the comparisons that keep being drawn in a matter intended to bolster her relationship with Imogen constantly keep detracting from it - Fjord and Jester had known each other for a few weeks or so prior to the campaign and it felt like it, as did Caleb and Veth's several-month friendship, as does even FCG and Ashton's vague cohabitation of convenience. There is simply no sense of knowing each other for two years. I talked about players who are masterful with negative space recently, and this is the opposite - the missing pieces do not suggest a shape we cannot fully discern. They just fall unused onto the floor.

Even the mechanical build feels mostly designed around a directionless aesthetic. Like, genuinely, why is her base level warlock if she showed signs of magical talent prior to Delilah possessing her? It's not even particularly mechanically superior for her to have done this! Warlock/Sorcerer isn't a strong multiclass anyway, and leaning into sorcerer in a party with a different sorcerer whose engaging with that thematically far more, and not really doing any other work into her opposition of Delilah makes it worse. When you add in that Pate is both one of the more recognizable aspects of the character but Marisha at one point said she had no original intentions of taking that third level in warlock (the one that granted him existence), it all becomes more baffling. And to be clear, characters can take unexpected turns; but there wasn't work done within the story that indicated a level of warlock would make sense (and in fact it would have made more sense to have fought it harder!) There's such a passivity to her warlock side - it's not even an open embrace of darker power, despite what she's said, it's just losing control, which to be honest destroys everything interesting about it, while simultaneously making the stakes of her breaking that pact low. Like, oh, you lose 3 levels and you still have 7 levels of sorcerer? Why haven't you done it then. You were level 7 like a month ago. You'll get better.

I know this all sounds harsh but I think the most recent episode just showed that, pun unintended, there is a hollowness to the characterization and when significant changes to the status quo or thorny philosophical conversations occur, there isn't a solid enough foundation to support the improvisation. There's no sign of intentionality beyond the initial "be spooky." Like, why bring in Whitestone and never consistently explore what it was like living under the Briarwood occupation as a commoner, or what it means to have Delilah in your head? Every piece of the arc feels like it's dropped and picked up when convenient and stops existing when it's not. Like...I don't dislike Laudna, and she has good scenes with characters other than Imogen, and there have been characters I have disliked either for a stretch of episodes early on, or for their entire run, but it just feels like an unprecedented lack of thought into how this character will actually exist and do things for a full campaign. I can't dislike her for her personality or ideology because there's not enough of it to dislike.

#answered #Anonymous #cr discourse

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morsesnotes · 9 months

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A little ramble about Joan and Morse...

[There will be spoilers if you haven't finished Endeavor]

A common take I've seen in this fandom is that Joan was waiting around for him. That Morse had all these chances he didn't take to express his feelings. So her shutting him down in S5/S6 was totally his own fault. I disagree with this and don't really understand it.

Here's why:

They only start getting to know each other properly in S2, and Morse has a girlfriend at that point.

Morse becomes aware of his feelings for Joan at the end of Coda, and he went to the Thursdays' house immediately after. It seemed like he intended to talk about it with Joan, but she was clearly traumatized, and not in a place to deal with romantic declarations. She'd already decided she was leaving. What if he said how much he cared and then she was gone? When you think about the abandonment issues this guy has, and the fact she is literally leaving him in that moment, can you blame him for being afraid?

Nevertheless, he's openly welling up in front of her (a very odd thing for a man in the mid-60s to do) and telling her if she needs anything to let him know. There's no way a woman wouldn't pick up on this. Not to mention constantly putting her life before his at the bank.

When Joan contacts him in the vaguest form possible, it's enough for him to do exactly what he said he would. He goes out of his way to find her and indicates there's something between them that can happen. He tells her he cares what happens to her and whether or not she's in his life. Joan makes him leave.

Morse proposes to her. She says no and specifically cites her dad as a reason it would be a bad idea. When the phone rings, Morse is willing to let it go. She's the one who picks it up, brings it to him, and leaves before he can do anything about it.

Even though he doesn't stay at the hospital, the Doctor presumably would've told her he stopped by.

When she moves back to Oxford, he gives her some space, which is entirely correct given what she's been through. He takes up her invitation to her party and makes sure he is there. He's clearly eager at the chance to spend time with her. But then she tells him she wants to set him up with someone else.

Eventually Morse can't take any more rejection, especially with Claudine having left him. He's gotten the message Joan was sending him and lets it go. This is when Joan decides to ask for a coffee. It's the first time she actually initiates something and given the context I think it's perfectly understandable for Morse to turn the offer down? It's fair enough if he doesn't want to get hurt again, isn't it? Idk, Joan's timing here rubbed me the wrong way. It was the mature thing for him to do and showed he saw her as more than a rebound.

Finally, a few weeks later Morse realizes in Icarus that life is too short and takes her up on it, but now she says she's sick of waiting around.

The fan reaction I saw with that moment was, "Yeah you tell him Joan! Fuck him!" And it made me go "???". It's true it wasn't the best timing on his part, but it's not as if he had a habit of turning up when it suited him. She was the one stringing him along, wanting his attention one minute and then rejecting it the next. She could've said she was busy and they could do it some other time in the week. Her reaction was way too harsh.

Don't get me wrong, I love Joan and am by no means the type to view Morse as a poor little Meow Meow who can do no wrong. However, I feel like it's super unfair to put it all on him when Joan was going through her own problems and has her own difficulties expressing herself. He gave her countless opportunities to open up, and she pushed him away. At a certain point, it'd be weird if he ignored her wishes and kept attempting to pursue her. It wouldn't be a good look if he tried stopping her from marrying his friend either. As far as he knows, she's moved on.

Morse may have had trouble saying it out loud, but his actions spoke volumes. Surely that counts for something? He also wrote her that incredibly romantic letter in Zenana and straight up said "Please believe me to have been yours, always". Keep in mind again this is a British man in the 60s-70s and the men around Joan so far have been deeply repressed. Seems pretty forward to me! I simply don't believe this wouldn't spark curiosity in Joan to figure out what he meant. That she'd just wait around until Morse came to visit her to ask about it, and that seeing him in the state he's in, she'd leave it there. This woman who wants passion, who's independent, who cares about the people in her life, who knows how it feels to be saving face while suffering inside, and her literal job involves helping children come to terms with their trauma. Her total passive behavior towards Morse doesn't make sense! Like it doesn't even have to be romantic! They can interact as friends!

He carries a ton of trauma and emotional baggage which makes him terrified of losing what he has with her. Not to mention his respect for Thursday. I don't see why we can't have empathy for both of them.

And yeah, he was being a dick in S6 but again, he's allowed to be angry and in fact it's healthy for him to actually let it out rather than having this idealized view of Joan forever or holding it in like he usually does.

Btw, with his previous behavior taken into account, him not showing up in Uniform was highly unusual and should've been a "What's happened to him?" moment for Joan. Not, "Classic Morse. Works comes first."

Anyway, sorry for the essay and thank you if you read all of it. I just wanted to get all my thoughts together in one place.

#endeavour #endeavour morse #joan thursday #morse x joan #itv endeavour #thinking thoughts

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quicksilverlightning · 2 years

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Thoughts on the Celestica People

I should probably preface this by admitting that I am not part of any marginalized group, nor particularly well-informed on issues concerning such, but I feel like some really interesting discourse concerning Pokemon Legends Arceus is being left by the wayside.

What we know about the Celestica is pretty sparse, so let me lay out a few points of interest:

The Celestica had some sort of relationship with Arceus; the exact nature of this relationship is unclear.

"To grief [they] f[e]ll" - some unknown tragedy befell the Celestica, and some of their people "quit their hearths, abandon[ed] hall," and when all of the Celestica are truly gone, "this land [Hisui] will be a home to none."

The Diamond and Pearl clans are from elsewhere, and took the name Celestica for themselves.

We know each clan worships it's own god, of time or space, but not why or how this came to be.

There are a ton of gaps in the narrative here, but there are some things that we can reasonably conclude. At best, the Celestica were written over by the people that took their name. At worst, the clans were active colonizers that directly contributed to the ruin of the native people.

Of the two, I find the second option considerably more likely; Hisui is a harsh region, and the game beats that fact into us over and over again throughout the course of the narrative. Resources are scarce, Alphas are terrifying, and no one trusts anyone not part of their group.

Which brings me to Volo; Volo, who knows the name Arceus. Volo, who is descended from the ancient Sinnoh people. Volo, who has apparently experienced something so horrible that resetting the world feels like a good idea.

There's a pretty awful conclusion to be drawn here, though how dark you'd like to make it is all up to you.

So let's jump right into pure speculation!

I find it really interesting that the clans each worship a different god, and neither one is the true Almighty SInnoh. While one might conclude that the clans took inspiration from the Celcestica statues, I have a different theory that ties into the above.

I think the clans once knew Dialga and Palkia by name and worshiped them directly, while the Celestica only worshiped Arceus. The clans absolutely have a history of animosity, but I believe it was much worse in the past - I think it was, at some point, all out war. And when their worshipers called, Dialga and Palkia answered.

Arceus, on the other hand, has a much more hands-off policy than His children. The ruins we see around Hisui aren't just weathered by time - parts of them have been destroyed. The only untouched places are Snowpoint Temple, located deeply in the regions most inhospitable climate, and the Temple of Sinnoh, which would have been sacred to both clans anyway.

And this ties neatly back in to what we know of Volo - why he needs to meet Arceus, why he is so desperate for answers. He isn't asking only on behalf of himself, but for his people as a whole. His obsession with ruins isn't only about knowledge, but about connection.

Yeah, it's just a kids game and I may be reading far deeper than intended into it, but I live for discourse and theorizing. At the very least, I think Volo's character has been done a disservice by ignoring his heritage and what it might mean for the lore as a whole. A number of things fall into place after only a bit of thought.

#not informed enough to make a super detailed post #but informed enough to be bothered by the lack of discourse #pokemon legends arceus #legends arceus #pla #pokemon legends arceus spoilers #legends arceus spoilers #pla spoilers #pokemon #volo #pokemon volo #celestica #meta #pokemon meta #pla volo #pokemon legends volo

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cosmicjoke · 11 months

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Hello, I am a recent fan of Saezuru and this story has me looking at every detail in the pictures. I saw your analysis of Chapter 52 and how gender plays into Yashiro's trauma. It made me realize something I noticed when I was re-reading the story again. Sorry that this ask may be more mature. As I look through the sex scenes again, I noticed that Yashiro's genitals are not present when he is having sex with other men, but are present during his sexual encounters with Doumeki. Do you think this is Yoneda-sensei's way of showing that only Doumeki has treated and seen Yashiro as a man? If it is, I think it brings a new meaning to contradiction.

Hi there,

That's a really interesting observation, and I'll have to keep an eye out for it when I reread the manga again!

I wouldn't at all be surprised if Yoneda did intend for that. This story has a lot of symbolism going on, and a lot of layers. In a lot of ways, of course, while Yashiro longs to be treated gently like a woman would be, and while Doumeki is the only person to ever give that to Yashiro, Doumeki is also the only one to ever acknowledge Yashiro as a man worthy of consideration and respect. At least initially in their relationship, he deferred to Yashiro and took him seriously, and didn't treat him as frivolous or silly or air-headed, which all the other men in Yashiro's life always had, and which many men tend to treat women like as well, as people less deserving of their respect or to be listened to, etc...

There's of course a lot of complexity involved in Yashiro's feelings towards being "womanly", or being treated like a woman. While his step-father told him he was really a woman, he also was physically abusive toward Yashiro, as we see in that one panel where he slaps him and then observes how Yashiro "likes" being beaten. But Yashiro later realizes that women, at least in his limited experience with them, don't enjoy being brutalized, or roughhoused. He even makes that remark to Kage at one point about how it's worse for women when they're raped. All of this flies directly in the face of what his step-father told Yashiro about him being a woman, and contradicts it in the way his step-father treated him too. Yashiro might have thought, subconsciously then, that his step-father had been wrong about him, because he "liked" being hurt during sex, unlike women. I think this plays a big factor in why Yashiro clung so desperately, for so long, to his self-image of masochism. Because it proved his step-father wrong and a liar. He might think 'See? I'm not a woman because I liked being abused.'.

But then Doumeki came around and tore that self-image down for Yashiro, and left him with the devastating reality that he DIDN'T like being abused, and in fact, that he responded more powerfully to being treated gently. All of this no doubt wreaked havoc on Yashiro's mental stability. Any thought that his step-father was right about him would just further drive home this idea that his step-father also possessed him, or owned him in a way. That he exerted a certain amount of control and understanding of Yashiro and his life.

But of course, Yashiro's step-father WASN'T right about him at all. Yashiro isn't a woman, and he isn't any less of a man for having a more feminine inclination when it comes to sex. In a lot of ways, Saezuru is also tackling issues of everyone's favorite term these days, "toxic masculinity", but it does so without turning it into a cliche. Yashiro is tougher, smarter, more capable and more of a man, I think, than just about anyone else in this series. He's courageous enough to give up what's best for him in order to help others. He's a protector, through and through. And really, what's more masculine than someone who protects others? Than someone who serves as a protector?

It's just, as you pointed out, nobody else other than Doumeki ever treated Yashiro as a man, in terms of showing him respect and acknowledgement.

Yashiro also spoke about how his being in love with Kage was proof of his own freakishness, because he saw himself as this sadistic, masochistic person who sort of encompassed what he was taught were normal behaviors for men. Violent, cruel, uncaring, etc... He couldn't reconcile his tender hearted emotions for Kage with what he had convinced himself he was. Not without also acknowledging that he was a victim and that his step-father had been right about him.

I think Yashiro is going to have to learn that he can be both masculine and feminine. That him wanting to be treated gently and kindly doesn't make him any less of a man, or any less of a human being, and most of all, that it doesn't at all prove his step-father right.

#saezuru tori wa habatakanai #twittering birds never fly #Yashiro #Doumeki

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uroboros-if · 1 year

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Hi, I'm the anon who asked this and I'm here to scream about my MC I am so sorry for how long this is gonna be

Okay, so I call my MC Pandora, I have a reason for it Now, the reason why I named my little MC Pandora was because of this line in the synopsis:

"Your investigations into a strange occurrence will lead you to know far more than you ever intended to, unravelling what may be the precursor to the collapse of the reign of gods…"

Which, to me, sounded a lot like the MC is opening Pandora’s box. Then I was like, “Wow, it would be silly If I named my MC Pandora, and throughout the story and her investigations, it’s like she’s slowly unlocking the box… wait-”

Ok characterization, in the myth “Pandora’s Box,” Pandora has various characterizations, sometimes being seen as clueless and letting her curiosity get the better of her and opening the box. Other times being seen as cunning, knowing exactly what is in the box yet opening it anyways. I wanted both of these for my baby, a happy middle with a leaning towards innocent curiosity, knowing what's in the box and the consequences of looking into it but letting the curiosity win and then realizing just how grave the consequences actually are partway through, yet instead of giving up and closing the “box” she keeps going because of all that pent up and hidden feelings she’s had about the way she’s been treated her whole life. Because oftentimes, when we do something that has consequences that we know of, we aren’t exactly aware of how bad those consequences are for us and others around us due to our innocence and lack of experience along with the feelings he had at the moment, especially if they are negative ones. In the case of the game, the “Box” would be the investigation and the downfall of the deities; this is what I strive for in how I play as her in later chapters btw.

In chapter one though she’s still in that innocence, she has negative feelings about the other gods, but it’s not to the point where if she was given the option to bring down the gods or leave things the way they were, she would pick bring down the gods, no she would turn her head and choose to keep the things the way they were. Most of her negative feelings are directed towards Salvatore, she really doesn't want to dislike them, but they are everything she isn't, and that pisses her off in a way she can't describe, and it pisses her off when other older gods call them "childhood friends" when in reality they know nothing of each other and in childhood she was just tolerating their presence because their mom is quite literally the Queen of the gods and she'd rather not get whatever punishment is given when you upset her child or whatever. With Luciel, on the other hand, it seems to be a completely different story. She is extremely fond of them, being the god of the only thing that ever be considered something that can last for eternity, death. (unless I missed something and there is a reincarnation system that you plan to add later or something) And also the fact that they gave her a purpose and their generally calming presence (and ofc they're pretty, which helps a great deal with likability) She was always a little curious about Ciocana, always feeling a little... drawn to them in a weird way, maybe it's the similarity of them being outcasts, but she wants to get closer to them, especially after that dance they had. Oh yes, that dance. She had always been fond of dancing; however, she'd never had that much fun doing it before, and the timing was even greater when she remembers bumping into that other god and that nasty numbness she felt afterward. She wouldn't mind dancing with them again. She has always adored humans in a weird way; they basically stood against her whole being, with how short their lifespans were, yet... they made her feel needed in their afterlife, and she has always been happy to help with whatever issue they ask of and the fact that they went to her about it too (even though she's the only option) it makes her feel all warm inside, and I imagine they're the ones who introduced her to dancing in the first place. I don't really want to write much about her opinions on Alessi because they haven't met yet💀

Pandora typically dresses in a mix of all the human-era fashion because her job is so tightly associated with humans it's impossible for them to not influence her in some way. She usually wears Greek and regency-era-inspired clothing, light and airy yet beautiful.

Thank you for reading about my silly I love them, and they can and probably will change quite a bit throughout the chapters, and I genuinely cannot wait to see where the story goes, but yeah, all of this is just based off of the first chapter 💀

My reply in the read more 💕💕

Pandora is such an amazing name and works so well symbolically/narrative-wise!! 😭 Especially in a setting that starts out once peaceful and then thrown into disarray when the "Box" is then opened, unleashing unto the world everything bad... but also Hope! You don't know much about Alessi yet, but I feel this also defines their character arc as well! Perhaps you'll see 💕

Oh, and I love how thoughtful you are with how you feel about the ROs! I was definitely trying to emphasize how completely different people view Salvatore versus the MC, which makes for super interesting character foils to one another! Salvatore, the golden child, and MC, "everything they are not." Even with that description, they are defined in relation to Salvatore, rather than evaluated independently. To add salt to wound, people assume you are friends...

Haha, I don't think reincarnation is part of the plan--resurrection or rebirth is against the order of the world! I am glad Pandora has someone she likes, in spite of her negative feelings towards other deities. Luciel is just as fond of her. (... And thinks Pandora is quite lovely, too!)

But 👀 they're also a little curious about Ciocana? Maybe loners just drift to each other!

So interesting to have an MC who is inclined towards mortals and a little against deities, although she would still choose to keep things as they are! I imagined that's actually how I'd feel in MC's situation 😭 begrudging against anyone who mistreats, happy to be of service, and yet not so extreme as to want to participate in overthrowing the gods... for now! 👀

Ahh, and I love the bit about the fashion! 🫶 Those two styles are so lovely, you should send some images of what you think she'd wear!!

But thank you so much for going into such detail and being so so thoughtful about your MC! I am astounded by the level of thought you put into Pandora, and in just one chapter!! I am starting to think I have the most amazing readers 😭😭 everyone has such deep thoughts about the story and I want to meet all those expectations!!

You inspired me so much with your ask to give more depth to the choices in the future! So again, thank you so so much for telling me about Pandora, I adore her!!!! 🥺🥺✨✨ Please let me know more of your thoughts if you ever come up with more, or if things change, or... anything!! 💕 I would be so so excited to know!

#jumping up and down at this ask #made me go on my computer and start drilling at the keyboard brrrrrr #uroboros-if #uroboros #asks #anon #mc #uroboros mc #deity of eternity #pandora

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livixbobbiex · 2 years

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The Depp v Heard Trial Verdict and What it Means

(TERFS and radfems DNI. Just block me and move on. I'm all for a healthy and rational discussion with people who just disagree though)

Once again coming in with my own unsolicited opinion but-

The thing about the Heard/Depp trial is that actually, some of the 'big issues' are quite specific to these events only. I've seen a lot of dialogue, largely in traditional media, about what it represents for women etc.

But, okay. I fail to see how this verdict is some kind of mass anti-women statement when:

There was audio of Heard literally admitting to physical assault.

There was also audio of Heard taunting Depp about telling people about his abuse and going before a jury.

You can make pretty strong inferences from Heard's testimony and the way she delivered it that there was some dishonesty there.

Heard's expert witnesses were unhelpful at best, arguably breaking ethical codes at worst.

The TMZ witness was a huge nail in the coffin. He essentially confirmed that Heard released an edited version of the cupboard tape, as well as leaked information to ensure she ended up caught at the courthouse. AKA, confirmed (at least to me) that there was some kind of set up.

The photos that Heard did show contradicted her own testimony, they did not depict the severity of IPV she described. As in, I would have believed her more if she HADN'T shown those photos. There was also evidence that they were filtered or otherwise edited to look worse.

And this is just to list the large points that stuck out to me at least. And I did watch the entire trial, not just compilations.

This is why I really don't think this specific trial can say much about the treatment of women at all. At least to me, it was never that Heard didn't have enough evidence (she actually claimed she had mountains, so...) or that she wasn't a 'perfect victim'. There's just pretty compelling evidence that she lied. I wouldn't even call it a grey area, in this case.

So, I don't think the jury essentially just... seeing an obvious lie... is anything to do with society and culture. Especially when, arguably, a portion of that culture and indeed 'toxic masculinity' is the idea that men cannot be victims.

I mean, feel free to disagree with me. For context, my personal experience with this entire thing was actually believing Heard without question when this first came to light in 2016. And like, I really don't care about Johnny Depp. I like Pirates, it pretty much starts and ends there. But I do personally remember uproar, keeping in mind I was a teenager at the time, but the air in the room felt very anti-Depp. I remember the petitions to remove him from Fantastic Beasts vividly.

Then a few years later I think the stuff about the Australia incident came to light. I remember feeling conflicted. At that time, I believe I wrote it off as a 'grey area'. But at that point I still believed Heard's account. Didn't say anything about The Sun trial, somehow. But anyway, I basically went into THIS trial with that background, and my opinion was changed entirely.

I believe this trial will make it harder for actual victims of abuse, whatever gender they may be. But that's no fault of the jury, the verdict, or the mass interest in the trial in my opinion. Honestly, I think it literally just comes down to Heard herself lying.

I also do think that it's valid that this leads to discussions about 'me too' etc. Though, I've always thought it's mostly a semantics issue. Maybe 'believe' from 'believe all women' is better put as 'take seriously', 'investigate claims of SA fairly and quickly', 'hear out'. As opposed to 'take instantly as fact', which I do think is how some people see it. And I absolutely think that being less gendered is a good idea. Basically, I think the idea of supporting SA survivors and 'innocent until proven guilty' can co-exist. But that's a whole other issue.

Anyway, sorry for the ramble, I just had a lot of Thoughts.

(btw, this isn't intended to be commentary on the internet attention, especially tiktok, surrounding the trial. I think that's a very complicated issue. Again, I watched the whole thing, and it was mostly out of interest than entertainment/memes for me)

#johnny depp #amber heard #anti amber heard #depp vs heard #johnny depp trial

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doomspiral · 8 months

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hello! I was the anon ask you received yesterday, and i wanted to send it to you off anon if that helps with resolving the issue properly and clarifying a few things. again, i stress that there is nothing wrong with facing the facts—i knew lithuania was going to win most likely because he's european, white and therefore more popular. what i meant was just how you referred to the other poc countries—i didn't have an issue until you used the word "sacrifices." i understand it may have seemed like a harmless joke and as if i am being overly sensitive over a small word, but it was hurtful—both to me and other poc friends who saw the post—because it seemed to perhaps confirm an unconscious thought by the fandom, which is that we exist as accessories to the popular characters and that we don't have much agency out of them...

for context, i remember browsing through the aph south korea tag to find the round 2 poll, and after voting for that round i looked at the reblogs to see what people had to say out of curiosity, after which i had seen the tag of your reblog. as a south korean and a poc it really stuck with me and felt like an unconscious admission: that pocs will always be unpopular, yet people seem to pretend that both are on an equal status

the small things that you can brush off your mind stick with us, because it relates to us and how we are seen in this fandom. but whenever we, the minority, voice these concerns, it usually ends with our voices being dismissed as "not being able to have fun and enjoy the fandom" or "raining on the parade."

i don't want to assume that the final post about how fandom must be treated was a vaguepost about the ask, but simple things such as "just have fun and don't be a party pooper" is on the similar vein as "they're just characters" or "hetalia is just an anime." now, this wouldn't be an issue if hetalia wasn't an anime about countries(meaning there is history and politics)! and so a lot of pocs struggle to have fun in the sense that you do because even though exclusion isn't upfront and obvious, it's all in the little things.

i don't wish to accuse or say that this is how you think of us, but rather a reminder. no matter how influential you are as a blog, being a small or big blog is not an obstacle to stepping back and seeing if what you do or say is inclusive to everyone!

Hey there, thank you for coming off anon for this. I’m sorry for how brash I am about anonymous messages, I’ve just been in online fandom spaces since 2006 and have been sent a lot of bait that reads as well-intended, and seen it get muddled and ugly within hours. I know that messaging someone like this can be intimidating so I hope my response reassures you that this is an okay and good way to go about things that have hurt you, regardless of who did it.

I agree actually, that my wording was not good. Ideally, someone who knows me would have said something by now but it's possible those are the people who know what I meant and let it slide bcs of that. I used excitable text about it, but the thought process was actually that I didn’t think the lineup was fair for a first round, and that the act of seeding a character we know damn well is popular among horny bloggers being lined up with notably less popular characters I very rarely see people going ham for. Did I say that? No lmao, that point was left to the wind and this was the result.

You are correct to not assume the fandom and fun post was related to my responses to the anon, it 100% was not. I had moved on by then and was thinking about how my favorite rarepairs now have people talking about them and telling me it's because I made it look fun or interesting. Back In My Day and frankly what I’m used to, it’s fandom that’s broken into little groups that talk about a character/ship/trope most often, while also branching out now and then into larger fandom when they catch an event the other group is doing. I do stand by the fact you have to make your own corner of this fandom, not just to convince anyone but because that’s what is going to make it worth participating in the first place.

This is a different topic than fans of color pointing out that the largest groups are for white m/m ships and made up of mainly white fans, and what that comes with in the larger scheme of things. I have 0 intention of speaking over that, which is why I make and share a lot of posts about fandom positivity, and roping your friends into a good time, while also sharing posts from fans of color outlining the problems they face in fandom.

TL,DR; If I do something shitty, anyone can pull me aside and say “hey dude, that sucked” and I will listen if they want to go into further detail. This has happened plenty of times already and will happen plenty more, does not hurt my feelings. I also do not trust anons to do this or actually care about the outcome. I’m sorry that I caused you distress with my response to the latter.

#As an aside I also believe character or ship popularity contest are causing way more problems than good times #thinking about the russia v romano one specifically right now

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fangsandfeels · 3 months

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So, after Jerra's encounter with the Hunters of Vengeance became pretty much a certainty in her personal story, I started thinking about all the edgy characters I could create because the lore gaps enable me.

My main headcanon for Hunters of Vengeance is based on the fact that they're not a traditional order, don't have an HQ, and roam the lands. That which probably means the following:

They aren't very rigid in their structure aside from following Hoar's main tenets and requiring all new members to be approved or initiated by most renowned members.

Their order includes a wide range of fighters and warriors: as long as you follow Hoar and his teachings, you're fine.

They keep tabs on the fellow Hunters just to make sure they aren't shaming the order with their deeds - and to avenge colleagues if they met an unjust death.

In Jerra's quest, both of the abovementioned things have happened. As a result, her unexpected reunion with her mentor's colleagues may either end in a tragedy...or not. It all depends on her choices and what she believes in.

Anyways, with all that said, meet the crew:

Grim Greycastle. Doombringer (battle cleric of Hoar). Leads the hunt and the investigation to keep matters orderly and gather as much information as possible to carry out the verdict.

In charge of key rituals and ceremonies, generally keeps tabs on the order members through the ways known only to him.

Was pals with Jerra's mentor, and tries not to let this fact affect his judgment.

---

Ethra Mistburn. Warlock, proficient in Necromancy and Medicine (which makes her the top forensic pathologist in the group). Cold, calculating, and suspiciously ageless. Nobody really knows who her patron is and just what kind of boons she got, but it certainly has something to do with her lifespan because after meeting her once again in nearly a decade Jerra is astonished to find out that she hasn't changed at all.

Ethra is the one who puts a very quest-relevant Revenant into stasis, preventing it from wandering aimlessly and falling apart due to losing its mark.

Was too, pals, with Jerra's mentor, but has no issues with not letting it affect her judgment. If the kid wants to prove her innocence and worth, she better not hope for indulgences born out of sentiment. This is not how true justice happens.

---

Ciro. Assassin. Wood elf on his father's side, violently denies having freckles. Looks like he bullied Jerra when she was a child, but not really because all conflicts between Hoarites are solved through duels, which don't last very long for obvious reasons.

Also, throwing hands with a 15-year-old is the opposite of cool. Is side-eyed by colleagues for being a show-off; at times looks like he isn't treating Hoar's dogmas seriously, but he manages to toe the line.

---

Leta. Shadow monk. Smiles and talks like the most optimistic, cheerful and playful person you've ever known, but will kill you with her bare hands, horns, and tail. Prefers to disarm her opponents and kill them with their own weapons, just like the Poet of Justice intended.

Hasn't met Jerra before, but is excited to fight her because she heard a lot about her mentor and the prospect of testing her skills against his student is delicious.

---

Sagar T'Yog. Secretive, talented, and always hungry for more knowledge.

If you find yourself in a hard fight while he found a neat tome to study, his only reply to your "Help us, we're dying!" will be "And I'm reading?...".

Don't worry though, he won't let you die. His time management skills are immaculate and if there is anything he learned by being around Hoarites is that being polite is the best way to avoid unnecessary duels.

Rumor has he joined the order because he is on the run from Thay and his worship of the Poet of Justice stems from hoping to settle personal grievances. Nevertheless, he is good at what he does and seems to care little about glory, power, or immortality. However, the true goal of his pursuit remains unknown. Jerra has only seen him a couple of times and found him to be a surprisingly patient and pleasant storyteller.

Selise Calabra. She has been there, she has done that, she can give you a detailed lecture on various martial styles and nearly any part of Faerun and even some of the Astral Plane. Practical, pragmatic, and always unbiased despite her chill attitude.

A mean cook and scary good with poisons. Actually has hobbies, and interests outside bounty hunting, apparently does gardening, and bought a neat home somewhere in Heartlands. Good like finding it though, she ain't telling where it is.

She is ready to kill Jerra if her guilt is proven but provides a supporting voice once she realizes Jerra is an Oathsworn (which means her vision and principles are literally engraved into her very being, to the point of gaslighting the Weave, which has to mean aomething). She is all about the spirit of the law and just retribution and she will always remind that.

---

Nym. Elven (???) ranger (???). Probably, certainly, is like that because he got fucked up by the Fey folk (particularly fey hunters who worship both Hoar and Sylvanus) in a classic "give us your firstborn we'll teach him our ways" scenario. No one is even sure that he is still just an elf.

Nobody knows anything about him or what the fuck he is even doing or what kind of bounties he is after. He just pops up, does his thing, and goes away, not to be seen or heard of in years. Has to speak in riddles and ambiguous meanings whenever he feels like speaking. Generally, he just stands there. Smiling. He is definitely aware of the effect he has on people and it amuses him.

Jerra had seen him only once in her life -- and remained unsure whether he was even real or a figment of her imagination.

---

Jhessail Malheur. Used to be a Flaming Fist but she quit shortly because if upholding justice or punishing actual criminals is secondary compared to the whims of the Upper City nobles or The Guild-puppeteered members of the Parliament of Peers then what's the fucking point.

Loves constructing traps and turning the terrain into her personal hunting grounds -- while that's the skill all Hunters of Vengeance have, she is very passionate about it. It's quite possible that first, she created several very ironically unfortunate accidents for the people her former Flaming Fist superiors ordered to leave alone - and then she found out she could make a living out of it while following her remaining convictions.

Another Hunter Jerra hasn't encountered before and probably the first one of the Hunters she comes across, probably by the end of Act I. Whether Jhessail survives the encounter depends on a successful Insight check (noticing the order's symbol).

#baldur's gate 3 #bg3 #bg3 oc: jerra #bg3 oc ramblings #hunters of vengeance #dnd hoar #astarion be like: so let's see if i understood it correctly. these people want to kill you - but you consider them family?#jerra: not family but...they had their influence. and they have their reasons - i just need to learn more #astarion: *looks at the camera like he is in The Office*

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thisbuildinghasfeelings · 1 year

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I don't mind that they cut the Nancy/Mateo scene either. It was such a heavy and packed episode already, and I like they kept the focus only on Marjan, she deserved it. Also this way there was no rift, however temporary, between them and we got to see a compact team coming together for their friend. It was a good choice.

But a part of me wanted to see that, because it might have been a cute scene with Mateo reassuring her (there was a still somewhere, if I remember right, with them sitting close with him taking her hand and it looked like they were talking).

I wonder if now we're going to ignore this issue ever existed or if we're going to address it at a later episode. I wish the latter because I think it would be a good way to explore their characters and the relationship between them further. Like, Nancy isn't an asshole, she probably comes from a place of self-doubt and maybe even some past trauma, and I'm so curious about it. Mateo too probably has some trauma too. But they do need a dedicated episode which isn't just a few throwaway lines but a proper plot line, we barely had any Nanteo yet this season.

I wonder if and how much Nancy will be involved in Double Trouble with Marvin thrown in the mix too.

I was a bit surprised that it was cut because they clearly left in all the build up to that scene. There were multiple instances of Mateo being extra upset about Marjan and then shots of the look on Nancy's face that were clearly intended to culminate in the waiting room scene we all speculated about for so long. The fact that they left in the build up definitely makes me wonder whether it will come up in a later episode.

I don't blame Nancy at all for feeling insecure. It's a pretty normal feeling to have and I think you're probably right about trauma potentially being part of it. Or if not something as serious as trauma, at least some past bad experiences. I am happy that they didn't have Nancy bring it up at the hospital, though. Even though it's something I can understand her feeling, and something she should absolutely talk to Mateo about, the hospital while waiting for Marjan to come out of surgery was not the time or the place for that conversation! Everyone was so upset and worried about Marjan that it would have just seemed insensitive and made Nancy look bad.

You're also right that we've barely had any Nanteo yet this season. Really just a couple lines and them being cute with each other. I feel pretty sure that there must be a Nanteo storyline with more substance coming. It's possible it may come from Nancy's insecurities. I think it's almost equally possible that they just decided to not go there and we won't ever hear about it again. I would ultimately be ok with that, especially if we get some other Nanteo storyline. There may be a possibility with Double Trouble. The synopsis says that Mateo "comes to regret" helping Marvin. Maybe something bad happens in his relationship with Nancy as a result of helping Marvin?

#answered ask #lone star speculation

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something-about-sunflowers · 1 year

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hi!! i'm the anon who sent the message abt ur post + victim-blaming. i just wanted to reiterate, i have no stake in that discourse and add that if anything, i agree with the broad points of your post at most (again, i only go here in a secondhand way. what the fuck is going on with someone's boss cutting off their subordinate's toe, making their subordinate eat it, and then being called the victim of that situation. help what the fuck).

to clarify, i sent that ask in good faith, and it was sent mainly because of the fact that the framing of "[character] is too competent to be abused by [other character]/you must think negatively about [character]'s competence to assume he could not get rid of a hypothetical attempted abuser" makes me very uncomfortable and i wanted to point out i thought ur wording may be harmful. i do not think that you are intending to make a point about irl victims of abuse and am not accusing you of anything — sorry if my original ask didn't make that clear enough! i don't think you are attempting to hurt anyone and i very much am not trying to get you to take down ur post (or anything similar?), i just believe it can be incredibly harmful to frame the subject of escaping or avoiding abuse as being about competency in any form, and at most i would ask you to reconsider that wording.

Right, so. I think the main issue here is: You're lacking the context. You say you're coming at this in good faith and, again, I'd like to believe that so I'll respond in kind.

I'm just gonna kind of rapid-fire some of the context and we'll go from there, we don't have to actually get into it and to be honest I'm probably not going to respond if you message me again because I really don't see this conversation going anywhere productive, since, we've established that I'm not talking about real people.

The boss who did the maiming (cutting off the toe) and forced autocannibalism is the one certain people say is being abused by the subordinate that he did it to. Said boss - Ed - is literally, essentially, the boss of everyone around him at any given point, he's well liked as well. The subordinate - Izzy - is supposed to be his second in command but has no way to enforce his own authority because Ed isn't enforcing it, he's significantly less well liked than Ed. He's literally nearly murdered by the people he's supposed to be in charge of and all it takes for it to stop is an absent request by Ed for Izzy to bring him tea. As an example of how well liked and respected Ed is in comparison to how disliked and disrespected Izzy is.

Izzy says some mean shit to Ed - which, arguably, doesn't really seem to faze him much? - and apologizes later for it. He makes some deals behind Ed's back - for what he thinks is Ed's own good (I'm inclined to say he's not entirely in the wrong, for what it's worth, not all good but not all bad either) - accepts what he considers to be fair punishment for it (a punch in the face, for the setting I'm inclined to agree it's fair). Imperatively, after he says the mean shit and apologizes, he's trying to leave. Ed is the one who insists that he stay.

Another important thing to note: Ed has experienced abuse. His father was abusive towards his mother and while it's never shown or directly implied on screen, it can be inferred fairly easily that he was abusive towards Ed as well. Ed murdered his father. And while he has some trauma centering on directly murdering people as a result he has no qualms about having other people do the murdering for him. He orders a man skinned with an escargot fork, tied to something 'very heavy', and thrown overboard for being racist at him (fair). He's, arguably, committed several other murders directly and simply rationalized away his own involvement in the resulting deaths 'technically, the fire killed those guys'. This is what I mean when I say he could easily get rid of someone in Izzy's position (social and professional standing) who was trying to abuse him.

I could go on.

Regardless. I'll admit that maybe my wording in my response wasn't the best, though I maintain that my original post has nothing wrong with it. A misunderstanding on your part due to lack of context and by way of it not being a conversation with you does not fall on me.

My issue with the idea of the characters' competence in relation to the possibility of an abusive relationship is, actually, that I don't believe there is that disparity in their respective competency levels - at least not as wide as all that. I don't believe they're in an abusive relationship but it's not because I think one is too competent to be a victim. My mentioning their competency at all is because the same people who insist that it is abusive also insist on the disparate competence levels. It's infantilizing Ed to say that, even though he's so much better than Izzy in every way, Izzy still has this power over him. And again, I have to stress, Ed is the one in a position of power over Izzy in multiple contexts. It does reflect poorly on their interpretation of Ed to imply that Izzy is abusing him.

All that aside? I am not responsible for your discomfort and discomfort is not harm. I do try to be considerate in my wording but, as I said: I cannot, will not, and should not have to preempt every potential read of the things that I say. We understand that I'm not talking about real people, but fictional ones, that should be the end of this. After that, if you are still made uncomfortable on my views or my wording, the onus is on you to remove yourself. You came to my ask box. Anonymously. I do not know who you are to block you - and I'm honestly not quite sure how reliably tumblr blocks accounts of anonymous askers - you are more than welcome to block me for the sake of your own comfort. I will take no offense. I am a strong advocate for curating your own spaces online and the block button is my best friend.

Again, I'm not likely to respond if you send another ask. I honestly can't see this conversation going anywhere productive, as, we're really just talking in circles. That said, I hope you have a nice day, genuinely. And I do recommend actually getting the context and watching Our Flag Means Death, it's really not as serious as all this, it's got its darker moments but - ultimately - it's a rom-com. I'd maybe advise avoiding the wider fandom though, find yourself a small group and stick to it (ideally one that understands that anon hate, harassment, death threats, sui-bait, and doxxing are bad things regardless of what the target thinks about fictional characters - there's some crazy people in this fandom and they're best avoided).

#the dork is being a dork #the dork answers #izzy hands #the izcourse #just wanna stress again though: discomfort is not harm #something making you uncomfortable is not (inherently) harming you - or anyone else for that matter

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