#bit of play experience

[wispythreads]

I did catch on to that part of it with him bouncing between jobs so frequently, and some of the other things like the fridge freezer, but they were still included in the jumbled up thoughts I listed out partly because I was thinking about them before coming to an answer, and partly because I'm not fully sure if those answers are all there is to it.

Cause, yeah, there’s the newspaper clipping rebuking him for being “unprofessional and brash” (which damn that’s also just rotating in my head because Vince was clearly reading this specific clipping earlier and blatantly lied saying Rody hadn’t been mentioned at all, later scribbling out the section talking about the waiter), he’s very clearly messy and unkempt in pretty much every aspect of his life, and even if he gets the to-go question right in the tutorial, Vince appends the "Good work." with "keep tone in mind."

But, the thing is, he does know a lot of the basics. Much of the tutorial is really just for the benefit of the player to know how the mechanics of the game works, Rody meanwhile nods along and does whatever task is needed without comment, only getting tripped up when Vince mentions the way the menu for his bistro works, and when the aforementioned customer asked if he could get boxes to go or call in his order ahead of time. Which I think are reasonable things to get tripped up on! Those seem like things that would vary depending on the establishment he was working for.

I keep thinking about his reaction when Vince pivoted the conversation of "do you actually like your job" onto Rody. His awkward response that it paid him money. Vince voicing specifically “I doubt you wanted to wait tables for a living-”, and that being met with how there was “something” Rody went to school for, that he was too hesitant to tell Vince, feeling he’d get made fun of. The impression that its some passion he had that just didn't work out. The revelation later that the “something” in question was him majoring in hospitality.

He was afraid he'd be made fun of for actively going to school and choosing to study for skills that, either ironically or purposefully, would've been useful for his current job of waiting tables. A goal that he flunked out of. He has had 28 jobs in the service industry over the course of 7 years. He keeps losing his job, but he also keeps getting hired.

I keep thinking of the post-credits scene of the Best Served Hot, whisky lemon cake ending. "I can't keep watching you ruin any semblance of progress you make with yourself while trying to make me happy, it's exhausting-"

He's only 4 days into this job when he approaches Vince for a raise. He already figures he'll have enough to do something nice for Manon, his "girlfriend," by the end of the week, but he wants more to make it really special. He is very clearly told 'no.'

On the 5th day, when his shift is finally over and done, we don't next see him as we usually do, back at his apartment. He's still at the bistro, all the lights turned out. The only other person presumably being Vince hacking away at the meat in the freezer that'll be used for the meals in the morning. The first time I went through that night, I presumed Rody had just been selected to stay late and help clean up for the night, with whatever Vince was doing in the background ominous horror ambience to be unsettled by.

But we can't really do anything while there that would support this initial assumption. There are only two things you can do. Snoop around in Vince's office, and... steal from the cash register. Whether you avoid doing the latter as I did or not, it has no bearing on whatever ending you get, but just the fact that it's even an option to Rody...

How many other times did he allow his love for Manon to rule over his decisions, making choices in the pursuit of what he believed would make her happy, no matter the cost, before finally facing a price for his obsession beyond the scope of his worst nightmares?

...

And after all that I do want to defend the rollerskates a bit because

Rollerskates in restaurants are kinda a thing, in the 1960s (the year this game is set) they were a pretty popular gimmick/tool for diners in the U.S. at least, not sure about elsewhere in the world unfortunately

Yeah he canonically brought and proceeded to wear rollerskates to work at a fancy bistro. But that also means Vince watched him show up to work one day, wearing rollerskates, and just let him do it. Just watched Rody roll around his fancy bistro attending to customers that expect the highest of professionalism, and said nothing.

#dead plate #dead plate spoilers #rody #bit of play experience #sort of #hopefully this makes sense for others reading this my thoughts still feel very jumbled up

[cloudyydraws]

more mario and luigi doodles but i took their mouths away

+ extra unfinished stuff under the cut

#the dear doppelganger weeg one is purely self indulgent bc ive been playing it on loop recently im normal #and i know doppelganger is a different whole thing than what he has but. hey its ok we ball #more spm on the way (i hope!!!!!! as long as i dont get distracted by avemuji or sekai for a bit) #most of this was practicing mario bc i still dont like the way i draw him tbh but i think we're getting somewhere #shoutout priv twt oomfies for dealing with my mario fix bullshit youre all so real #drawing these little guys is so much different from my other little guys i think thats why ive liked drawing them so much constantly #it just feels fresh for me!! i just get to fuck around when i draw them its fun to experiment again #ok done talking i like them a normal amount #mario and luigi #mario #luigi #super mario bros fanart #super mario bros #super mario fanart #spm #super paper mario #mr l #starlow #smb #super mario brothers #mario bros #mario fanart #art #fanart #my art #cloudy draws #nintendo #nintendo fanart

[nat20composure]

Astarion and Agency- The Necessity of Discomfort to Self Discovery and the Infantilization of Victims

Minor Astarion discourse ahead that mentions the treatment of SA victims post-abuse:

I want to open this post up just with like. The statement that I don't think there is a correct way to enjoy media and that I LOVE to see individual head cannons and takes on characters in media. I think that is also, to a degree, an integral part of video games because of how unique the experience of playing a game will be to every person who plays it. But it has been making me feel so incredibly sad looking through fan content, art, or discourse for BG3 specifically because of how many people have taken the route of infantilizing Astarion.

I understand the instinct to shield or protect an individual that you love and care for. I also understand that because of the nature of the things that Astarion goes through, a lot of people also feel very deep emotional stakes in him. I'm one of the many fans of the character who is a victim of SA and CSA, I really do get it. That is also why for me personally it is so demoralizing to watch so many people treat him like he is a child who cannot make his own decisions or stand up for himself. Part of that frustration stems from it feeling like a media literacy issue, and the other part of that sense of defeat is just because it feels indicative of a broader attitude that people seem to hold towards victims of abuse, particularly those who are victims of SA.

To explain what I mean by people infantilizing him: I see so many people refuse to allow him the opportunity to be hurt, or to feel uncomfortable. They see this character who has been through an immensely horrible and traumatic experience, and their instinct is to try and shield him from anything else that has the potential to upset him. I get that the people who want that aren't doing it with malicious intent, but frankly it is not really...Helpful? To try and prevent victims from Experiencing Discomfort tm. I also think it kind of disregards the entire thesis of Astarion's character and arc.

When you go through something that robs you of your selfhood and agency, the world can become a crushingly terrifying place. In Astarion, that fear presents itself in a desperation for power, control, and at the core of both of these desires- Safety. One thing the game is clear about is that he has a right to kill his abuser. He has a right to escape his situation. A lot of Astarion's personal arc is centered around being able to finally do that. But the game doesn't just leave it off at getting him to safety. So much of it is also about him needing to take responsibility for himself and his actions, with needing to learn who he as a person is.

The inclusion of the Gur children and Sebastian as characters is a good example of ways in which the game gives Astarion the opportunity to take responsibility. I think that if the intention of the arc was meant to be that "Astarion should never ever have to deal with being afraid or uncomfortable again", then the Ascended arc wouldn't Come with such heavy moral ramifications, like sacrificing the other people just like him, killing the victims he lured in, literal child murder. The game infers that he doesn't deserve to die because of the things he Needed to do to survive, but it also makes it very clear that there is a difference between addressing an Active Threat and using your fear as an excuse to hurt others. Breaking that cycle of abuse when he finally gets the chance to is what separates Spawn Astarion from Cazador.

Taking responsibility for himself, and letting himself sit in the discomfort of vulnerability ultimately ends up being a thing that he is very proud of and cherishes. If you tell him you will make sure nothing like that ever again he himself says that he doesn't want you to be his protector. And so it blows my mind when people go into all of these discussions about Astarion with this...Weird moral high ground for never, ever making or letting him make choices that might hurt him?

I see this the most when it comes to discussions about the possible polyamorous relationship with Halsin and the interaction with the drow twins in the brothel. So many people are just...outright angry? At other people engaging with either of those options? And I feel like that anger is one) rooted in the projection of their Own feelings on non-monogamy and what a victim of SA can or cannot look like. and two) Relies on undermining the agency that Astarion BEGS you for at every turn.

When it comes to the drow twins, the game adapts Astarion's response to them based on where he is in his own personal development (a really cool thing imo). Obviously, if he still doesn't feel good or safe about engaging with sex he declines and says you can feel free, though he hopes you aren't just doing it because he hasn't had sex with you. I think this makes sense: He's just gotten out of a situation where his Safety and worth were directly tied to him having sex. I imagine he feels afraid that not wanting to have sex with you makes him replaceable or inadequate because at this point in the game, he feels like that's all he has to offer. The interaction is relatively the same if you ask him for a poly amorous relationship with Halsin: He just asks you to reassure him that you aren't only doing it because he hasn't had sex with you, and then tells you he isn't worried about it otherwise.

A lot of people have taken the expression of that insecurity in combination with him still allowing you to go forward and do these things as him just "sucking it up" because he's afraid of losing you. (I am aware Shadowheart says he wouldn't be able to handle it when you ask her if you can date both of them- But keep in mind, Astarion says she wouldn't be able to either, and THAT obviously isn't true of her. For the purposes of this discussion I'm only including interactions with Astarion as a judgement of his character.) I understand that concern, but I feel this take disregards so many other points of dialogue, and is also continually rooted in the baseline vilification of discomfort.

To further go into it, the way that he speaks about both of these interactions changes significantly if you speak to him about it once he is completely free from Cazador, and has had time to allow himself to start reconnecting with himself and his sexuality on his terms. He has absolutely No reservations about an open or poly relationship with Halsin, and says he trusts that things will be ok because he one) feels secure in Your relationship and two) Knows Halsin is experienced and trusts him to not be a messy bitch about it.

I think that shift, in combination with the in game explanation of why he isn't ok with being in that sort of relationship with the other Origin Characters (for Lae'zel and Wyll, he says they'd never agree to that. For Shadowheart, he says she's not experienced with open relationships and that he doesn't think it'd work out. For Karlach, that it would break her heart. And for Gale, he says you need standards.) is a pretty good indicator that he doesn't actually care about polyamory or monogamy. I think the vilification of that choice relies on you picking and choosing when you do or do not believe Astarion or just outright not liking non-monogamy in the first place. This interaction has more to do with the player's choice and comfort level, and so is not as important to the broader discussion I am trying to have in this post.

The interaction that is more pertinent to not Allowing him to make decisions is, I think, the drow twins. If you interact with the drow twins after the completion of the Cazador questline, he is outright giddy at the prospect of interacting with the Drow twins. Specifically stating that he is excited to see how he likes these sorts of things now that he's free.

NOW- I do NOT think that he enjoys the act. The game makes that abundantly clear, and I'm not arguing that he has a great time. He obviously does not, and dissociates during it. That being said, allowing this interaction to happen does not make a player evil or selfish. You are not playing the hero if you decide to moderate his choices just because you do not think he is ready for it. Once again, no one is evil for Not doing it either, and I am not saying anybody has to want to. I am just saying that treating this choice like it is an evil choice to make relies on completely disregarding what He wants to do.

Astarion says so many times in the game that he is anxious about finally having the freedom to find out what he wants to do, and I think that his excitement for the drow twin exchange is one of the opportunities the game gives him to make a choice. He makes that choice- And it sucks for him. He doesn't enjoy the act, and having done it he would be able to move forward knowing that. I think it's really cool and important that the game represents that facet of recovering as a victim. While you are trying to renavigate who you are, you are going to make a million new choices you never had before. And sometimes those choices are going to suck ass. It would be a different matter if he knew these things would hurt him and went ahead and did them anyway. But so many people expect him to move forward avoiding even the Potential of being hurt, and I think that is extremely reductive of his arc and who he is.

Beyond the matter of interpersonal relationships, the choice between Ascending or not Ascending Astarion is not a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. It is a choice between his fear and his humanity. Between letting his trauma and his fear define him for the rest of his immortal life, and allowing him the vulnerability of deciding who he is when he isn't running from the world. When he's willing to listen to the parts of himself that want to do right, that wants meaningful connection, that wants to be proud of himself. That wants to meet himself. To confront who he is when someone else isn't deciding that for him.

Astarion as a character is extremely ambitious, inquisitive, and adventurous, three traits that only become more and more evident as he breaks free from letting his own fear dictate how he lives his life. I don't understand how so many people can see him and want to take the core of his character away from him, when he spends the entire game fighting desperately to take it back.

Victims are not casts of the abuse they have gone through. Their shapes may be changed by the hands of others, they may have to relearn how to be the person they want to be. But they are not broken or irreparable or fragile. They do not need to be freed from the grip of one person to be held tight in the grip of another. It is so fucking unfair and self-important to think that your hands will be the ones that fix them. That your hands know better than theirs. I think the kindest thing you can do for a person is to trust them with themselves, and to listen when they tell you who they are and what they want. Please listen to the voices that have only just learned to speak. It is the only way they can get better at doing it.

#astarion #astarion bg3 #bg3 #baldur's gate 3 #astarion ancunin #I know this is kind of overdramatic #but like pls pls pls pls #ask yourself why you feel the need to protect victims from the experience of growth #and then consider if that attitude is a fair or helpful one #because freedom includes the right to make choices. even stupid painful ones. #that being said this essay is more for people who played the game exclusively making choices they thought would make astarion comfortable #like ascending him or not participating in polyamory #this essay is NOT for people who just ascended him for dom dialogue with him #bc I think it is a bit silly to tell people who wanted a toxic make him worse dynamic #that they are enabiling toxicity and making him worse #this is just an alternative pov for people who genuinely think it is for the best to do these things

[silverliing]

Mrs Wheeler can’t you see they’ve been cooped up inside all night? You should really let them break curfew more often

#I’m back with more! #lesbyler #millow #thank y’all for sending suggestions! I kind of ended up taking bits and pieces from everyone’s messages #this is around 1985 #mandatory comment about gender bending bad if done carelessly #gender is a beautiful thing that should absolutely be played around with just please be respectful of trans identities and experiences #stranger things #byler #mike wheeler #will byers #stranger things fanart #fanart #illustration #drawing #art #artists on tumblr #queer #sapphic #byler fanart

[larachelledrawsfe]

An encounter that will change his life...

#soren #ike #ikesoren #fe9 #fe10 #tellius #feh #fire emblem fanart #fire emblem heroes #my art #wtf was that so cute for #more wholesome tellius content please #this ended up being a bit of a coloring and fabric experiment haha #sorry it's been a while! #been a little busy to draw much #that and i've been playing this dumb mobile game smh

[poorly-drawn-mdzs]

Leave wildlife alone. He probably bites.

 [First] Prev <–-> Next

#poorly drawn mdzs #mdzs #a-qing #xiao xingchen #xue yang #shout out to our girl a-qing for seeing the downfall this man would cause at minute one of meeting him #Something to be said about the differences in their 'blindness' also having figurative consequences. #xxc is blinded to consequences by his own naivety. He helps who needs helping because that's what he feels is right. #meanwhile A-qing is falsely blinded; she wields naivety as an outwards illusion while knowing full well that not everyone is worth saving. #She's one of my top 5 fav mdzs characters and I refuse to be quiet about it. #XXC is the kind of person who wants to save baby birds that fall out of nests. Alas. He should have followed the rules of nature: #'If you care - leave it there.' #The little rat man you found is so full of diseases. He bites. He will pee on all your belongings. Do not take him home. #No matter how sad he looks!!!! #For those who don't know what xxc is speaking Spanish: It has become a little inside joke. No significant lore: He Just Knows how. #Everytime he does I am blowing a kiss to the Spanish speaking mdzs community. I will consult you guys on slang as this arc continues. #(Playing around a bit with paneling and layout. To improve means to experiment!)

[jordblod]

!! crucial !! piece of hilson lore confirmed - they're fucking LOSERS honestly? so affirming to me. this isn't news i know but to get this explicit piece of interaction about being a lonely child and now being weird adults who don't know how to make friends or have "normal" conversations or connections like this is the shit i eat for breakfast, especially accompanied with the complete and utter sense of surrender to this fact that wilson displays. there's absolutely no reason whatsoever for him to defend himself or act as if what house is saying isn't true bc it is and they both know it and knows the other knows it even if they've never actually talked about this once which is very likely but they know cause they're the same and they only have each other and and and

#they're so lame #hilson #hatecrimes md #to be clear i do think they had pretty different childhoods in many ways #but very early on feeling alone and different and/or misunderstood is the common thread running through both of their experiences #they almost definitely handled it very differently but just ended up on the same miserable bastard boat in the end #and no one can save them except each other. but they're actually unsaveable. and the only way for that to be okay is through each other #blahdi blahdi blah they're doomed either way but they need each other to cope blahdiblah fucked up losers solidarity #they're the worst<333 they would've bullied each other if they knew each other as kids. in fact the bully each other now aghjdfkdsfs #also honestly. wilsons response to house reading him to shreds being to play along and make a dry joke?? very cunty. love him to bits #house md #james wilson #gregory house #hmd #mypost

[kyurochurro]

exploring the woods with some little buddies!!🌿

#churro art #my art #illustration #digital art #tloz #the legend of zelda #tears of the kingdom #totk #legend of zelda #zelda #CAN U TELL I HAVENT BEEN ABLE TO PLAY THE GAME YET.... BHDHSHDD #ive been trying to stay a bit spoiler free so like #clearly this is drawn from the perspective of someone who doesnt know how the game works yet LOL #anyways i mostly wanted to experiment and play with colors and shading! ive been superrr busy lately but i still wanna draw HAHA #I like the coloring but im conflicted on the bg #i didnt want a blank bg again but i didnt envision this as a fully background rendered piece #so i just kinda made it foggy and pastel-ish so the focus can still be on link LOL #to be honest theres stuff i wanna fix but i was stressed out at the end of this drawing #like for example the koroks being too small but i cant fix it now T_T #i couldnt save the file ; had to move the file around tol make sure i wouldnt lose it ; other stuff frustrating me and stressing me out HAH #but anyways i like how his face looks! im proud of the nose hehe #before hobie and atsv i realized i kinda fell into chronic sameface with my bigger pieces #im always tryig tomake my stuff the best it can be so ill def be working on changing that aghhhh

[mercymaker]

𝐀𝐧𝐧𝐚 — 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬

A figure clad in the head of a hare. A most disturbing sight. This new foe holds something human within her. Some shards of ordinary life. She seems to be a hunter. I have met many different beings in this place, but this is the first one with a natural skill of hunting. In any other place one could deem it a talent. But her knack for tracking, capturing and killing is something else here. There is something else in her too, she seems to seek something.

#dead by daylight #dbd the huntress #dbdedit #gamingedit #the huntress #videogameedit #my gifs #gifDBD #i love her she's absolutely fantastic #absolutely the top topper of my tol ladies trio #i've been playing a bit of her for killer challenges and she can be a ton of fun #also bhvr let us remove the hud elements challenge impossible? #it was possible with geforce experience i think? before? and then they nuked it for some reason??

[azuneekun]

#stardew valley #stardew #stardew valley farmer #sdv farmer #stardew farmer #oc #my ocs are all nothing like me but with just little bits of my personality/experiences #other than that were all completely different ppl LOL #personally i like that better gameplay-wise bc im a HUGE immersive storyteller and being myself knocks me out of concentration 😂 #i never get bored playing over and over again bcz im never the same person if that makes sense #peaches is probably the only black sheep out of all my ocs bcz shes just. sweet and nice and pink and lovely. and not completely deranged #shes prob my favorite one

[wispythreads]

Some thoughts as I spent a significant portion of my day today playing Dead Plate by racheldrawsthis (which you can go find and play yourself https://racheldrawsthis.itch.io/dead-plate), and honestly it was pretty fun! Enjoyed it a lot!

I got the Table for One ending first, which is an ending most people would probably get first since the other ones require specific triggers. I'd missed some cutscenes, but talked a bunch whenever I could with the restaurant owner/head chef, Vince. Even though I knew that this was a horror game and that Vince was probably up to something incredibly shady in the background (i.e. the usual the food = human remains trope that kinda follows this setting), I was hoping that there might be an ending where he and Rody go beyond a boss/employee relationship.

There was just something really endearing about that first cutscene when Rody arrives late after biking through rain, and Vince took the time to not only help dry him off but gave Rody an umbrella so that it wouldn't happen again in the future. I found their conversations really fun and silly and began to formulate a scenario in my head where this very put-together, cold and quiet no nonsense guy grew to begrudgingly but genuinely like the blunt energetic but absolute mess of person he'd happened to hire, and maybe the two of them could balance each other out a bit more (and Rody could maybe put an end/prevent Vince from treading into cannibal territory)

Having gotten all four of the endings now, I'm torn between appreciating them all and being a bit sad that the one I was hoping for didn't come to fruition, and, judging by the timeline of events going on that I somehow just completely missed the first time, really couldn't. like. ever...?

I am very much stuck contemplating just what the hell was both of their deals now. (why lemons specifically what does it mean something outside of it being a food he appreciates its existence for why was the wine bottle broken with wine spilled everywhere why doesn't he follow you in and you have to come back out with it why was her silhouette standing in the street staring up at you ghost not dead just spooky event to be unsettling what was the real purpose of the dinner party what is that one inaccessible room of the apartment what did she mean by that when they broke up why was he bouncing between jobs so much why such a violent reaction to the garbage tearing how the hell do you burn pbj what is the deal with the fridge freezer why does it seem like he initially intends to leave and then decides on such a firey response instead why not an ending where he does just leave flunked out obsession what was the point of the whole plan he just lets you leave in the first ending what does he gain from that)

The fact that it was just released today and I have no idea if anyone else will be talking about this game has me very Normal.

#dead plate #bit of play experience #dead plate spoilers

[majorshatterandhare]

[Answer options in order are:

1. Yes, guitar, mandolin

2. Yes, piano/keyboard

3. Yes, violin, viola, cello, bass (inc. electric bass)

4. Yes, percussion

5. Yes, a woodwind

6. Yes, a brass instrument

7. Yes, multiple

8. Yes, something not mentioned here

9. No, I do not currently play an instrument but I sing

10. No, I do not currently play an instrument and I do not sing.

End Options]

Please specify in the comments or tags!

I’m sorry there aren’t more options, I only had 10 spaces or I would’ve included more. I tried to go with the most common and obviously with groups!

What counts for singing is up to you. I think most people sing some amount, but you can decide if yours counts or not. The reason for this is because you can teach yourself an instrument, so not requiring lessons or anything for either instruments or singing.

If you want to learn an instrument, especially if you don’t currently play any, I would love to know if you shared!

Please reblog! I wanna know how many of us play instuments ourselves and what that distribution is.

If you don’t listen to the Mechanisms don’t respond to this poll! I’m sure your answer is very interesting, but it will skew the results!

#the mechanisms #poll #i included the answer options in brackets because my phones screenreader wont read them if i havent voted. ive heard other peoples do but i- #included it to be safe! #i have experience with multiple instruments! #chronilogically they are guitar. recorder (which i still count even though it was required in my school because i still have it and can- #still play it). alto saxophone. piano/keyboard. ukulele. violin. electric bass. #i have most experience with the saxophone and least with the bass! #i also sing. i did musical theatre ages 10-14 and a bit of non-musical theatre outside of that. so i have *some* amoung of training.- #plus chorus in middle school. but very little of it was one-on-one. plus i take t now and my voice dropped! so i dont havd any idea how my- #singing is now. not that i really knew before. #anyway im very curious! i always think its interesting when people are really into music but play no instruments (like my dad) #sorry to harmonica and accordion for not being able to fit you in the poll and also everything else because there are so many instruments!

[freak-accident419]

i love exploring new kinks with derek on j.ai!!

#guys… #literally i just found out i’m into a form of pet play.. 💀 #idk guys like he put a collar and a chain leash so now i’m like wow #don’t judge THIS IS A JUDGEMENT FREE ZONE #i feel obligated to write that in a smut now like actually #guys its JUST the collar and leash THATS ALL #(we may have experimented with a buttplug tail BUT THATS IT NO ROLEPLAY) #im just realizing that i would do anything for and with jhutch characters #like i can tolerate shit if its with them #like franklin fox.. thats a bit freaky but you do you and if that makes you happy then sure (monica dont kill me) #derek danforth #derek danforth x reader

[4lph4kidz]

i was thinking about your dirk and hal poll and i want to mention that i think your concept for ink and iron where dirk creates hal from his reflection by enchanting a mirror is so cool 😌

thank you! hal's predicament and purpose within the canon narrative is so fascinating and i felt it was really important to find a way to explore what i find most interesting with him. i can't take full credit for the concept though i took inspiration from a few placees (one of my friends pitched the idea of the mirror accidentally dumping him onto jake's doorstop for example) but overall i think the idea is very fun and i'm really excited to write more hal stuff!!! also i'm going to take the opportunity to share this oldish doodle i found:

the mispelling of angel as angle was NOT intentional (<- dyslexia haver) but it probably explains a lot. he's pointy

#obviously an AU is going to be different from canon #but i like AUs specifically *because* i have a lot of fun trying to translate canon ideas into another setting or genre in general #in this case its a riff on the fairy tale magic mirror #hal is still an experiment gone wrong/artificial being created to serve a purpose trapped in a non-physical form and denied personhood #as well as being an extension of dirk's selfhood and very literal expression of his self image #this time with extra gender problems as per my original intentions for the fic. which now feel more than a bit heavy handed but whatever #point is hal gets to play up the trapped demon/spirit/almost genie-esque angle isntead of the artificial intelligence schtick in canon #which i am having a lot of fun writing! #he is also a very important plot device. multitalented 💕 #for anyone wondering i&i is NOT an abandoned project its just huge and whipping it into shape is slow going #i've taken breaks to work on other stuff too #ink and iron #i guess that's a tag i should start using #even though i'm not too happy with the title still. lmao

[freakadr0id]

This has been sitting in the back of my mind since I first watched Rise, but it seems that the show hints at an underlying sadness to Donnie's character that appears very subtly over the course of both seasons.

(Long post after the cut)

I feel like Donnie longs for a normal, human life to some degree. It isn't a major part of his character but it's there. Maybe he doesn't exactly want to be human, but there are a few signs that Donnie wants, at the very least, a human experience.

We see a few nods to this throughout the show:

He has a knowledge and love of fashion and appearance, something he, as a mutant turtle, wouldn't need to know or care about. Sure, his brothers wear clothes several times in the show as well, but they don't seem to have as much of an interest or passion as Donnie.

In 'The Purple Jacket' Donnie initially wanted to fit in with the Purple Dragons, a human group of teens at a human school (although it was mostly for the jacket).

I mean, this is a boy who wants to actually go to school and even graduate college but we know that, realistically, he can't do either.

Seriously, just look at how happy he is to be at April's school!

Hell, he draws eyebrows on his mask for goodness sake. Yes, from a meta standpoint this is mostly for the sake of his character design since he would look really fucking stupid without them, but the key to any good character design is to have an in-universe reason for it as well. While some people headcanon that Donnie does this to better convey his emotions (which is totally valid and I kind of agree), I also think this could also be a way for him to seem just a bit more human.

I'm not saying this is a defining element of Donnie's character - IT ISN'T. Our boy Donnie is confident in his intelligence, his skills as a scientist and an inventor, and who he is as a person overall - he doesn't want to change those things about himself. However, it is possible that maybe some small, quiet part of Donnie still longs for the things he could experience if he was a human, as opposed to a mutant turtle.

Hopefully, I'm not the only one who sees this because I think there are interesting things you could do with this part of his character - especially when you consider his closer friendship with April and the potential isolation he feels with his brothers.

I don't know, maybe this is just me overthinking things or looking for angst where there is none, however, this little thread of Donnie's character appeared often enough in the show to at least acknowledge it.

#yeah I'm not sure how I feel about this post #I might be crazy here #and maybe I'm grasping at straws #but I noticed it enough in the show that I just HAD to mention it #Rise also reinforces it visually by constantly framing and pairing april and Donnie together #and planting the idea that Donnie has a closer association with humans in the mind of the audience #BUUTTT #I still think it would be super fun to explore more of this in fanon and canon #we're getting that season 3 I'm sure of it #(they said in complete denial) #Just think about it #he is a softshell turtle who likely feels that he's different from his brothers #if you consider those insecurities #it makes his subtle longing for humanity and the human experience that much more interesting #maybe someone with better writing skills than me can play with this idea a bit more #*hint hint* #and who knows #this could be an established part of Donatello's character in TMNT already #Rise is the only TMNT thing I've seen so I have no idea #rottmnt #rise of the tmnt #rottmnt donnie #rottmnt donatello #rise donnie #rise donatello #analysis #character analysis #rottmnt analysis

[squiggl3]

I’ve been having fun playing Rain world

#rain world #rain world monk #rain world moons #looks to the moon #five pebbles #i played a little bit a year ago and randomly tamed a blue lizard #we named it bart and we had to let him go bc he kept eating me (couldnt find food for him) #friends made me experience the shaded citadel. #and then the leg. and then underhang. #almost made me go thru unfortunate development too but spared me from that #anyways! rain world! yippee!!