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where-theres-smoak-2 · 1 year

Note

I'm wondering what you think of darklina fans hating on the internet? Also do you think the ending would have been less impactful if they made Alina more sympathetic towards Aleks? I honestly think it's better writing to have the twist being that Alina(the heroine) thinking that the darkling was wrong about everything only that it turns in the end she was wrong about everything and the main villain was right (even in death).

I think everyone is entitled to their own opinions and everyone's feelings are valid, even if they are not the same as mine. Obviously I do think its sad that there are darklinas who didn't enjoy the season, and seeing negativity in the tag does bring the mood down which isn't fun for anyone, but then if that's how they feel they are entitled to express that.

I do kind of understand where the disappointment comes from, on my first watch through I'll admit that I picked up on Alina's lack of empathy towards Aleks and was a bit put out by it because in the books she does have alot more empathy towards him. I also picked up on how she was acting alot like Aleks but the cynic in me believed that this was purely coincidental and that the show was never going to acknowledge it. I still enjoyed the season and all the darklina scenes we did get, don't get me wrong, for me Alina's lack of empathy wasn't a deal breaker because her anger at him made sense to me. It was in those last moments with Alina using the cut that everything clicked into place for me, because it was at that moment that I realised it wasn't just me reading too much into it like I first thought, it was all deliberate and part of Alina's corruption arc. That was when I got excited and I went back and rewatched the whole series with that knowledge in mind and there were so many more things I noticed. It gave whole new level to all of darklina's scenes, and to Alina's characterisation itself. So I definitely think this is one of those seasons where it benefits from a rewatch post a reveal.

I do think that if Alina had been more empathetic it would have lessened the impact of the reveal at the end as it would have seemed alot more random if that makes sense. But also I personally don't think it was the case that Alina had no empathy for Aleks, you can see in scenes like in ep 2 when Aleks starts talking about his struggles with a long life and losing loved ones etc Alina turns her head away like she didn't want to see his suffering, like she couldn't. I think it is less that she felt no empathy for him and more that she didn't want to feel empathy for him, which to me is an important distinction. I think Alina's arc this season was very much her not seeing the forest for the trees. She focused so much on her anger at Aleks and was so overcome by the betrayal she felt that she let that drive her. It was like she put blinders on and was just staring at this one goal, if I tear down the fold, if I kill Aleks, then all of the bad things will go away, everything will be fixed, but she is so focused on this that she is unable to see the bigger picture until it is too late.

If this were the end of darklina's story maybe I would be more upset but it isn't. They are clearly going to bring him back in season 3 and I think that is when we will see Alina begin to feel that empathy towards him. I think season 1 very much set up their relationship and showed that their feelings for each other were true, it developed that trust between them and that deep bond and then they tore it down and broke it when he put the collar on her. Season 2 was dealing with that fall out, showing his regret and longing to have her back at his side, his frustration that the broken trust meant she wasn't listening to him, showing Alina's hurt and anger and how that is driving her towards a darker path. Season 3 will be bringing them back together again, it'll be Alina realising that Aleks wasn't wrong about the fold and the grisha, it'll be her understanding Aleks' loneliness and how he was turned on for trying to do the right thing, I also think we will see Aleks reflecting on some mistakes he made like trying to steal her power. So I'm not mad about darklina this season because we are only in act 2 of an, at least, 3 act story.

#darklina #s&b season 2 spoilers #answered

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takerfoxx · 3 years

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What Your Favorite Puella Magi Madoka Magica Ship Says About You

Inspired by DoubleCa5t's series, and since we're probably going to get an official video sooner or later, I'm putting my version out while I can.

Also, this is all in good fun, so don't take any teasing seriously.

...

MadoHomu (Madoka X Homura)

You are a firm believe in the inherent eroticism of this image.

You have episode ten memorized.

You have a very specific emotional reaction to “Time After Time” by Cyndi Lauper.

You have severe problems with The Rebellion Story, particularly in how it upended the optimistic note that the original series ended on and recontextualized Homura’s devotion to Madoka as something unhealthy and even toxic, but you still can’t bring yourself to reject the movie entirely, because at the end of the day, even you have to admit that damn, that dress.

The phrase, “X character did nothing wrong” pops up a lot in your internet discourse.

You ship CatraDora.

KyouSaya (Kyouko X Sayaka)

You’re always a sucker for how the dynamic of Enemies to Lovers shifts from antagonism to devotion without losing its obsessive intensity.

Your ideal date can best be summed up as Be Gay, Do Crimes…after which you have to call your responsible friend to come bail both of you out.

You know that important stuff happens after episode nine, but to be quite frank, at that point you were too emotionally traumatized to get invested and were only watching out of a feeling of obligation.

You were uncharacteristically smug after watching The Rebellion Story despite what disproportionately little screentime your ship received.

You also ship CatraDora.

MadoSaya (Madoka X Sayaka)

You don’t understand what all the fuss is about when it comes to Enemies to Lovers when there’s a perfectly good Friends to Lovers right there.

This is the same joke as the first part of MadoHomu, but with the Hot Topic switched out for a Footlocker.

You lost your mind on 4chan over Persephone’s Waltz on more than one occasion and for more than one reason (hey, ErinPtah!).

KyouMami (Kyouko X Mami)

You read A Different Story, and probably listened to that one audio drama.

You’re a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of exes that still long for one another.

You feel that a lot of the issues that both these characters struggle with stem from how messy their falling out was, and had Mami been more supportive and Kyouko not abandoned her after the death of Kyouko’s family, a whole lot of grief could have been avoided.

MamiSaya (Mami X Sayaka)

Your ideal date is getting sempai to notice you.

You have gotten into at least one altercation with Anticrack-Kun.

MadoMami (Madoka X Mami)

Your ideal date is getting kouhai to notice you.

You’re just here for some girls being friends, gals being pals.

MamiNagi (Mami X Nagisa)

You were already shipping Mami with the human form of Charlotte before The Rebellion Story came out, and even afterward you’re still unwilling to let go despite how uncomfortable it makes you now, to the point where “Aged Up Characters” is a regular tag in your ao3 searches.

Either that, or…

HomuMami (Homura X Mami)

You’re a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of passive-aggressiveness.

You were tilting your head in a particular manner during that scene where Mami ties up Homura, and feel that how it ended was a real missed opportunity.

You had to pause The Rebellion Story for about five minutes after the gunfight, and after you continued you shouted, “Goddamn it, Sayaka!” out loud.

HomuSaya (Homura X Sayaka)

This is the same joke as the first part of MadoHomu, but with the Sanrio switched out for a Footlocker.

Your favorite ao3 tag is “Hatesex.”

KyouHomu (Kyouko X Homura)

You know what's better than one edgy badass girl with a tragic past? Two edgy badass girls with a tragic past.

You felt that both these characters spent too much energy pursuing someone that just weren't into them as they were, and would better off settling with someone on more equal footing.

You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of game recognizing game.

You really wish that they reached that ramen shop in the movie.

KyouMado (Kyouko X Madoka)

Your favorite highschool relationship dynamic is edgy delinquent/ray of sunshine.

You are a firm believer in the inherent eroticism of “gap moe.”

HitoSuke (Hitomi X Kyousuke)

You feel that these two characters get way too much hate, and everything that happened wasn’t their fault. Like, come on, guys. How could they have known that their teenaged relationship drama would be exploited by a race of emotionless alien groomers?

Your main priority is keeping things canon…and you don’t have a whole lot else to work with.

HitoSaya (Hitomi X Sayaka)

You feel that the most effective way of resolving a love triangle is eliminating the heterosexual options.

You feel that when Hitomi declared, “Girls can’t love girls!”, Sayaka’s reaction ought to have been, “Challenged accepted.”

SayaSuke (Sayaka X Kyousuke)

You just want good things for Sayaka, but only in a first four episodes kind of way.

You are heterosexual.

SayaHitoSuke (Sayaka X Hitomi X Kyousuke)

You feel that the best way of resolving a love triangle is by connecting the bottom two axis.

You are heterosexual. Or possibly bisexual. Well, regardless, you are really horny.

HomuHito (Homura X Hitomi)

You’ve played the portable game.

MadoHito (Madoka X Hitomi)

You are constantly frustrated at how little attention this ship receives. After all, weren’t they friends too? But instead people seem to be more focused on shipping characters that don’t even like each other or never even interact in the show, and at this point you’re just glad that I acknowledged it in this silly meme post.

MamiHito (Mami X Hitomi)

You want to be a wealthy, unmarried Victorian duchess who is noted by history for your incredibly close relationship with your lovely companion who lives with you, does everything with you, up to and including sharing a bed, and after both of your deaths scholars will make note of what great friends you must have been.

KyouHito (Kyouko X Hitomi)

You were going out of your way to piss off Anticrack-kun. And really, who wouldn’t?

KyouSuke (Kyouko X Kyousuke)

You were going out of your way to piss off everybody, and I salute your courage.

HomuJun (Homura X Junko)

You are really into Pixar moms.

Also, obligatory…

KazuJun (Kazuko X Junko)

This is the same joke as the second part of MadoMami, but you’re also really into Pixar moms.

MadoKyu (Madoka X Kyubey)

I can’t say for certain whether or not you’re a monsterfucker, but you certainly enjoy the chaos that the very implication of this ship creates.

PolyMegucas (Madoka X Sayaka X Homura X Kyouko X Mami)

You don’t understand why there has to be so much drama between all these different pairings. All the girls are wonderful in their own ways, and they would be so much happier if they just stopped fighting, formed a loving and mutually supportive team dynamic as was seen in the first part of the movie, and possibly smooched one another.

Also, you are extremely horny.

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trashlie · 2 years

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Someone: why do you ship AeGi?

Trashlie: it's about THE FOILS!

And you are so right! How can I not compare every partner they have to the person who already fulfills most of their needs and fundamentally understands them in a way no one else can. You didn't even mention ShiTer 😭 even though Dieter is a good love interest unlike Alyssa. But they don't feel right, do they? Like they wouldn't quite get each other in the long run and are better off as friends. Shinae needs to discern that difference between platonic love and romantic love. I do believe Nol expected her as his girlfriend to pay more attention to him and hopefully really notice him. The slow disappointment must've taken several blows to his self-esteem. He needs to learn he deserves the love he nurtured. I still have your WHO WOULD I BE WITHOUT YOU?!!! tag stuck in my head just so you know!

I'm absolutely answering these out of order because I have been laughing ALL DAY at this because I CANNOT DENY THIS. IT'S TRUE. IT'S THE FOILS!!!! lmao ngl ILY has been really furthering my love for parallels and the way everyone lines up with a foil or mirror just makes me FERAL. Also I have to let you know: i could not remember what that tag was or from what post it was, even though I knew it def sounded like something I'd write lmao, but the point is: I CANNOT EXPRESS JUST HOW FLATTERED and dare I say AWED I am that a tag from that long ago has stuck around with you so long. Like. I cannot verbalize it, it's so hard, I'm SO SINCERELY overjoyed that my words stick with people, when half the time I feel like my tags are feel barf that didn't make it into my post. (And truly WHO WOULD they be without each other huh? WHO WOULD THEY? THE IMPACT THEY'VE HAD ON EACH OTHER, THE INFLUENCE, THE PUSHES. I'M CONVINCED SHINAE WILL MAKE SUCH AN IMPACT ON NOL BECAUSE THAT'S WHO THEY ARE THAT'S WHAT THEY DO WHO ARE THEY WITHOUT EACH OTHER? ROARS) But truly THANK YOU for telling me that it honestly made me happy all day long, I had to go tell a friend about it even though she doesn't read the webtoon because I needed someone to know how much it means to know my words just... stick lmao

But speaking of our beloved foils!

I didn't bring up Shieter because the main contrast we've had to Aegi is Nolyssa, but I do not deny that Shieter foils them in its own way, too. I was talking about this with a couple different people, I think, because if Nolyssa shows the more sound structure and foundation to Stalkyoo, Shieter highlights their mutual elevated importance.

Let's get into under the cut!

I know I've talked about this a lot in different posts but I'll go ahead and reiterate it: I still think there's an opportunity for Shinae and Dieter to date but after 153, I really started to change how I think about it. Dieter is one of the more perceptive characters of the story and I think he's the one with just enough neutrality (used loosely here lol) to see things more clearly than, say, Nol with his wounded self esteem or Shinae who is still learning to process how she feels about people. I don't think Shieter is constructed simply to be a love triangle (and I really do think there's still a likelihood that they will date for some time!) but to also provide some nice illumination about Stalkyoo.

We can already see that Dieter is starting to put things together - he knows he isn't the most important person in Shinae's life. There are numerous moments where Shinae runs into Dieter and Soushi and immediately asks after Yeonggi - even during times when he couldn't possibly be with them (like the night Kousuke took her to the arcade). I think there's also significant weight to Dieter being the one to console Shinae in 152 and 153, because even as a love interest (or maybe AS a love interest), Dieter picks up on things.

It's not difficult for him to understand the enormity of the pain Shinae is experiencing, to feel the weight of Yeonggi's betrayal, because Dieter has been getting to know Shinae over the course of several months. And while several months doesn't give him enough insight to know who she is as a person, there are some integral truths that people know about her. For one, Shinae does not easily express vulnerability. When he and Soushi found her paralyzed in the rain, face streaked with rain and tear tracks, desolate, Dieter was able to put two and two together.

To consider this foil, let's first consider another (lol just full of em aren't I?).

What other friendship did Dieter witness fall apart?

He was there with Shinae after she and Maya fought and Shinae was faced with the reality that Minhyuk made Maya and Rika promise to be her friend. Her suspicions were reality. I'm definitely not trying to downplay Shinae's hurt, because she outright tells Dieter she is. I think it's also worth noting that Shinae already suspected that her friends didn't really like her, so finding out everything was all "fake" isn't exactly the same as with Nol, but it's still worth comparing, because it's given Dieter a sort of benchmark of measure. The Shinae that he knows has never broken down in front of him and hasn't been QUITE this vulnerable. (This is not a dig at the times she HAS been. I think they still matter!)

The point I'm making is: the only other time Dieter has seen Shinae hurt/betrayed by friends wasn't to this same intensity. (Notably, both times Dieter has been the one to get her to stop beating up herself!) So to find Shinae in this state in the rain, to sit by as she mourns and grieves, as her hurt gives way to an anger she didn't express for Maya and Rika. Comparing these two scenarios, Dieter can see that Nol has a heightened level of importance to Shinae. His betrayal hurts more, because he means more, because she's opened up more of herself to him than she had to Maya and Rika.

And when you think about it, does Dieter even know the things that Shinae and Nol have been through? Does he even know she was a the Kim formal? Does he know about her fall? She's never told him, Nol likely wouldn't tell him.

Dieter himself doesn't really know about the experience that they shared that brings Shinae to value Nol as friend, but it's easy for him to tell that they have a deep bond. And it's not just the banter that he's envious of or the ease they have around each other - I think Dieter is able to deduce this based on the way he's known Shinae to act with others. Given that he had a crush on her back when Minhyuk was still in school, his crush has endured a long time, meaning he also knows that Shinae developing these friendships is pretty unusual for her.

Now, I don't want to sell our guy short! Like Nol, Shinae has had some experiences with Dieter that Nol has not been a part of, and they're often experiences that have lead to her opening up and being vulnerable with Dieter. Admitting to him her doubts about her friends at the amusement park, opening up to him when those doubts became truth and even expressing worry that Minhyuk was her friend out of pity, she called him when she caught her sister/the intruder. More and more, she and Dieter have been building up moments where she has also come to trust him. I do think this is probably deliberate, opposite her build up with Nol, due to how similar they are in theme: both of them are people Shinae is starting to trust more and be vulnerable with.

But I do think Dieter and this pairing is constructed as a foil to highlight the level of importance Nol and Shinae place upon each other.

Don't get me wrong - I think Shinae and Dieter could have a nice, cute, relationship, and I think he's a great first relationship for her for that reason! Someone who she can experience opening up to and pushing her own boundaries. Opening your heart to friendship and opening your heart to love are two similar but still different types of vulnerability, and with her lack of experience, it can be difficult to discern which is which. And I think a relationship with Dieter would help Shinae come to discern what is platonic and what is romantic - or more importantly, what is it she'd want out a relationship at all? Romantically, she DOES gravitate towards Dieter and I think the feelings she's developing are real but something to consider is also: are her developing feelings in response to his steady interest in her? Is she mirroring back his crush? That's not to like, downplay her feelings. I'm not implying they're fake, but rather that they may have been born BECAUSE of the interest he's taken in her, the way it makes her feel special, the way it comforts her to know that someone has been seeing these little exposed parts of her and still maintains interest. It helps her to see him that way, too, as someone who is capable and trustworthy with hot man hands lol.

This is obviously speculation but I do think Shinae gravitates towards trust and comfort, which is why both Nol and Dieter are the people who she is able to open up to the most in this manner. I mean, I'll admit that yes timing is a big aspect of it. Had Nol been the person to find Shinae when she was upset about Maya, he would have been the one comforting her. But that's the choice in writing - the writer deliberately chooses how those scenes unfold, and because it was Dieter who found her, their friendship deepened and strengthened, and that part of Dieter shook her romantically.

Still, I think a major point of issue in their friendship would probably be Nol, supposing, you know, we are talking about a point where Nol has reconciled with them. This is where we get really suppositional because I don't know where we are going plotwise: will Nol reconcile somehow before he goes off to jail, will it be at graduation, or worse, after a timeskip of some years? (The latter scenario obviously leaves the most room for a shake up: consider Shinae and Dieter dating somewhere down the road and out of the blue, Nol reappears. Would Shinae go through a myriad of emotions, hovering between fighting spirit and the urge to reconcile? Would they all meet and reconcile and she find herself in conflict? This is so dramatic lol bear with me.) But I think the whole point of their foils is to show that Nol is someone who has a higher level of importance in Shinae's life than a LOT of people. Even though he's blocked her and refusing to meet, she still messages him that she misses him. Shinae is still holding out hope he'll come back to them.

And I think 152 and 153 were moments of Dieter acknowledging this. I don't think it would stop him from pursuing her, or whatever, especially if Nol doesn't reconcile with them any time soon. And you know what? Even knowing this, I think Dieter might play with fire, especially if Shinae is the person to make the first move. I get the feeling that, like Nol, Dieter does not easily resist Shinae even when he knows better. There's other contrasts we can gather, though I don't know how much weight and bearing they hold. Compared to her relationship with Nol, Shinae's relationship with Dieter is quite mild and gentle, definitely not so tumultuous, which makes for a great first relationship where you explore what you like and want, indulging in the comfort of someone's affections while reflecting on if this and they are what you really want.

I don't think Shinae sees any of her moments with Nol as romantic, no matter how intimate and tender some of them have been, so it's not like I think they'd play at the back of her mind. But I wonder if, in a relationship, she would ever find herself comparing to something like that, anyway?

Something else of note worth mentioning is that in the same way Nol lives in Kousuke's shadow and feels invisible with everyone, I think to some degree Dieter feels like he's in Yeonggi's shadow. It's definitely not to the same degree and it's not like he has a chip on his shoulder or anything, but Dieter knows he does not have Yeonggi's easy charm and banter, his particular humor, his easy going demeanor. He knows that he is an easily overlooked kind of person and in his mind, is probably not special. I think there's even a sort of... I don't want to say expectation, but I don't think it's a surprise for Dieter to realize that Nol means so much to Shinae. Firstly, because Nol means so much to HIM so he gets it. If he couldn't resist him, how could Shinae? And secondly, compared to Nol, who would see anything in him?

Obviously, Dieter brings more to the table than he realizes, and I don't know if he's aware JUST HOW SOFT Shinae is on him, but when you're comparing yourself to your attraction, charming, funny friend who is just so good with people, of course you'll feel you fall short.

Also, let's not forget that Soushi has sometimes seemed to harbor a crush on Alyssa... but Nol was the one who ended up dating her. Definitely... something to that, if it ever turns out Soushi's crush was real and Nol and Shinae end up together.

Unexpectedly lol this is SO long and I haven't even gotten to the last part of your ask!! But yes, I think Dieter and Shinae have an incredible quality for friendship, but in the long run, I don't know if he'll be what she wants, if only because the level of importance that Nol possesses makes it so hard to compete with that. Maybe this will change, as time goes on, and we'll see Shinae well and truly fall in love with Dieter, and his confidence improve as their relationship grows. But you are right, I cannot ignore the parallels or the foils. the way Nol and Shinae echo each other in 152 after they part, feeling heavy, their throats hurting. HELLO what is that if not their mutual anguish over losing each other HUH? HUH????

One last point I'd like to make here, too, is that another example of Nol's impact on Shinae and his importance is the dream she has episode 111 seems indicative that on some subconscious level, Shinae is aware that Nol is drifting out of reach, becoming difficult to reach. She reaches out to the bird but it flies away - every time she's reaching out for Nol, he slips away from her. This isn't something so much foiled by Dieter and Shinae, but because I'm talking about evidence of importance, I feel like there is good weight to Shinae LITERALLY DREAMING about her fear of Nol slipping out of reach. He's become so important to her and means so much that she's uneasy about him being out of her reach.

But yes, thinking of Nol's hopes and expectations of a relationship makes me sad. It doesn't help that he and Alyssa are so inexperienced and he probably had thought maybe when they start dating all of that will come and form. Maybe he didn't have expectations feelings would develop at all but hoped merely that, as his friend, Alyssa being his girlfriend would make him feel less alone and invisible. I wonder what girlfriend Alyssa was like before she started her idol training. Did they talk more? Was it just an awkward fumbling of hoping they'd figure out the balance and before they ever had a chance she was shoved into this career, skyrocketed by Yui? Because Alyssa had no relationship experience and Nol never complained, did she just assume he was so easy going that not communicating was no problem because she had bigger things to deal with? (Was he just a stepping stone, or ever an actual friend?) For months to become years where your girlfriend never has time for you or reaches out or responds to you... god the weight of it hurts, because it only reinforces what everyone else has made him believe: no one cares about him, he doesn't matter, he's invisible.

(I think this is very in line with things like Shinae noticing the scuffs on his knuckles from his punching bag, details that maybe no one seems to notice - or at least not call out - that he's gotten used to no one paying mind to. Shinae picking up on details startles him. She seems more than others do - which means maybe she'd see through his mask.)

I'm just waiting, WAITING for Nol to finally accept that he deserves the love and care he wants. Maybe someone just needs to really drill it into him - hound him until he can't help but admit it through sheer persistence. But Nol himself has to be able to first grasp that he is not the cause of bad things that have happened to bad people, and idk if he can adopt that mindset without therapy first. Maybe there can be a happy medium, of him trying to accept the love he wants balanced as he tries to learn that he's not the monster he thinks he is. Idk I'm just.... seeing him go through hell wears me down man. Watching him avoid his friends hurts. His self-isolation is painful and I just want him to ACCEPT them, but it's easier said than done. :/

#I Love Yoo #Stalkyoo #Shieter #Shinae Yoo #Dieter Becker-Wulff #Yeonggi #Nol #Nolan Oliver T. Lochlainn #ILY Brainrot #Aegi #i still think that Dieter and Nol are the ones who are most contenders for end game with Shinae at this point #but unfortunately for Dieter I think he is first relationship material not forever boy stuff you know?#but maybe it's just cos i'm deep deep in my Stalkyoo feels these days lmaooooo #it's so funny how i waffle back and forth all HMMM DO I THINK IT CAN ACTUALLY HAPPEN OH NO I'M IN DESPAIR but i guess lately i am in my #PLS I WANT TO SEE THEM TOGETHER SO BADLY bullhsit #reread episode 93 and was overcome with Emoshuns lmao pls #i'm PMSing this is bad #this post took SO LONG to write cos even tho i took a nap i am dying for more sleep somehow AND i had to go and double check a lot of thing #i NEVER remember in what ep Shinae has that dream!!!!!#also there's a number of times Shinae runs into Dieter and Soushi sans Nol and in like half of those times she asks about Yeonggi #she never did ask about him when Dieter found her after her fight with Maya #and she doesn't ask about him after their exams when they go for ramen

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mirkwoodest · 3 years

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@fishwantmewomenfearme

[TL;DR: Tbh there’s some iffy stuff in lotr and I won’t defend it, but that has nothing to do with his interest in languages, history, and folklore. Tolkien denounced white supremacy and antisemitism in 1938 when a German publishing house wanted to translate his book. I compared that to how Taylor Swift handled her own white-supremacist fans in 2009-2019.]

I'm not going to be the guy to stand up and say that Tolkien's works are totally free of racist and antisemitic undertones, because that would be incorrect (sad to say, but facts are facts). Still, I think that the fuck-off letter he wrote to a German publisher in 1983 when they asked him to provide documentation of his Aryan heritage puts him at LEAST one step above Taylor Swift, as low as that bar is.

Actually, that’s a pretty good comparison. Taylor Swift and Tolkien both have qualities that make white supremacists fawn over them. Taylor, because she’s an “Aryan queen” or whatever bullshit, and Tolkien because he, as you mentioned, is “into german history and language” and weaves a lot of northern European mythology into his works. So they both had/have white supremacist fans. How should one handle this? Tolkien wrote:

"I am not of Aryan extraction: that is Indo-Iranian; as far as I am aware none of my ancestors spoke Hindustani, Persian, Gypsy, or any related dialects. But if I am to understand that you are enquiring whether I am of Jewish origin, I can only reply that I regret that I appear to have no ancestors of that gifted people. My great-great-grandfather came to England in the eighteenth century from Germany: the main part of my descent is therefore purely English, and I am an English subject — which should be sufficient. I have been accustomed, nonetheless, to regard my German name with pride, and continued to do so throughout the period of the late regrettable war, in which I served in the English army. I cannot, however, forbear to comment that if impertinent and irrelevant inquiries of this sort are to become the rule in matters of literature, then the time is not far distant when a German name will no longer be a source of pride. Your enquiry is doubtless made in order to comply with the laws of your own country, but that this should be held to apply to the subjects of another state would be improper, even if it had (as it has not) any bearing whatsoever on the merits of my work or its sustainability for publication, of which you appear to have satisfied yourselves without reference to my Abstammung."

[emphasis mine]

This letter alone isn’t the kind of “hey FUCK off” I would have preferred, but it’s at least a comfort that Tolkien stated outright that he thought Aryan purity and anti-semitism was, at the very least, nonsense, and that the rise of white supremacy in Germany was making him actively lose pride in his German heritage. There is also documentation that he was less diplomatic in private, telling his publisher that he despised the Nazi “race-doctrine” and found it “wholly pernicious and unscientific.”

Comparatively, Swift posed with Swastika Guy in 2009. It almost immediately went public, but the only comment made was by her publicist, who only said that “She doesn't know who this guy is and she didn't realize what was on his shirt.” Swift then became an alt-right icon in 2016, and didn’t comment on that until 2019, when she finally said “white supremacy is repulsive” with her whole chest, but brushed off criticism that she should have said so 4-10 years earlier. (I'm bringing up Swift not to make Tolkien look better, but because she’s the first person I could think of who was in a similar situation of suddenly encountering white supremacist fans.)

Once again, that’s a LOW bar, but I think it’s important to discuss how a person’s interests and characteristics (an interest in germanic history/mythology/languages for Tolkien, aesthetically appealing to Nazi beauty ideals for Swift) are not in themselves inherently racist or an indication of racism, but they do attract racists, and how these figures should respond to that attention. (Quickly and with strong language, in my opinion, which neither Tolkien or Swift managed to do, although I personally believe Tolkien gets more credit for saying what he did in the pre-internet era and while there were out-and-proud nazi sympathizers in Engand before Britain went to war with Germany.)

Anyway, my intention here isn’t to shield Tolkien from all criticism, because it’s really important to be critical of racism and antisemitism even in the works we love. But I do have an issue with you throwing these tags up so casually in the notes of a post where I was simply talking about celebrating Tolkien’s use of Old English, Old Norse, and germanic words and names. If you start to draw a direct line between studying linguistics, history, and mythology to being a white supremacist, you should possibly pause and reflect.

Once again, there are elements in Tolkien’s works that can and should be criticized and analyzed for racism and antisemitism, but his playful use of language and his merit as an academic and linguist are not it. Thank you for engaging with my post, however. It’s given me a chance to offer people potentially new information and encouraged fans of Tolkien and the fantasy genre to look at these important but difficult topics with care.

If anyone takes issue with any of the above points, I am open to hearing them. My goal is not to fight, but to talk, listen, learn, and grow in understanding.

#I’m not sure if I did this response justice at all #I thought about saying nothing but I feel like we should create a culture in the tolkien fandom #that can recognize and be open to criticism #while still recognizing nuances.#To say that there is no racism in tolkien’s works is wrong.#But to say that an interest in European languages and cultures is racist is also wrong.#racism mention #antisemitism mention #world war ii mention #nazi mention #talk #jirt

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scoobhead · 3 years

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Hey I took ur ouran quiz and the questions were awesome and I did indeed get dragged to filth, as has everyone in the tags, but I think we're all too embarrassed to post pictures of our results bc the callouts were so accurate kjshdfkjsdhf but im so curious abt the others,,, would you mind posting all the descriptions you did? I'm so curious. either way thanks for a banger of a quiz!

AH omg i’m so glad people are enjoying it!! and im sorry that people are getting called out lol but I did try to warn you. im mad that uquiz doesn’t have a “see all results” feature but here are all of the descriptions!!

haruhi:

you give off main character energy but also don't give a shit about being the main character. if you got this answer you probably also relate to tamaki or kyoya but ONLY one of them. you have mixed feelings about the other. you don't think you can experience love the way everyone else talks about it. you crave physical touch but your intimacy issues prevent you from seeking it out so you're stuck wishing anyone else would initiate it and anticipate your needs. people have said that they were drawn to you and a GOOD number of people have told you that they liked you. 9/10 times their crush was unrequited. you're still friends with all of them. hope ur doing well with that gender crisis you're going through!

tamaki:

wow. you're truly a dramatic bitch. maybe people find you a little grating but you're charming enough that they still hang around you for some reason??? ur a big romantic and your expectations will never match reality. every time you pass a mirror you get caught up in your own reflection, even if you don't consider yourself attractive. your self esteem swings WILDLY between "i'm a terrible person and no one really likes me" and "i'm perfect and everyone wants to be me". you definitely have SOME kind of parental complex and you projected way too hard on disney movies in your childhood. how is your hyperfixation with beauty and the beast treating you now? you genuinely want to be a good person but you find that your actions often have unintended consequences. being a wine mom (or your gender equivalent) is absolutely in your future. you're pretentious as fuck and your favorite book is probably pride and prejudice or the picture of dorian gray or some fruity shit. also you're in love with your best friend and im sorry

kyoya:

you have written PARAGRAPHS of analysis about whatever show or movie you're hyperfixated on and definitely talked about it with people who aren't familiar with the source material. you're just a little bit of an asshole (or at least you think you are) but you have a close group of friends nonetheless. you're a good liar and everyone hates playing among us with you. debate is your love language. you wonder constantly why anyone likes you at all. despite this, you're surprisingly loyal (even beyond your own expectations). you like being in charge of a situation even if people don't view you as the leader outright. you're never manipulative with malicious intent but you enjoy seeing the influence you have on others. usually this amounts to introducing them to a new show or hobby. people have told you that they've liked you and your first instinct was to say "thank you, but no you don't". you're just emotionally unavailable enough to be ~intriguing~ but consider swallowing your pride enough to tell the people in your life that you love them.

hikaru:

you know that feeling where you make a joke and maybe one or two people really laugh at it but everyone else doesn't know how to respond? of course you do. you have a very defined sense of humor and you feel like there are only a handful of people who really get you. in reality, part of this stems from the fact that you judge other people, make assumptions, and are slow to forgive. you've definitely given a friend the silent treatment for DAYS... and what was it for? are you happy living life this way? do you so love believing yourself to be misunderstood? i promise there are other people out there who like your obscure interests just as much as you do. pause your early 00s pop punk for a second and get over urself.

kaoru:

are you excited for the big recital coming up? you must be, since you've been playing second fiddle for so long. you're probably disappointed with this response. you wanted to be a main character. you feel like sometimes ur a background character in your own life. most of your friends are people you met through pre-existing friendships and you pretty exclusively hang out in groups. you're a good person and people enjoy your company, but there's maybe only one or two people who would call you their BEST friend. that's okay. you feel the same way. you rarely come up with plans or jokes, but you can "yes and" like there's no tomorrow. maybe your life is a little boring, but at least its comfortable. it's a shame, though. there are a lot of people who could help bring you out of your comfort zone, if you'd let yourself leave your bubble every now and again.

honey:

so. you have a complex. that's okay! most people do. you just HAVE to be the hottest person at the supermarket or the friend that EVERYONE loves. you have a lot of friends but only a few people who really, truly know you. you use humor or flirting or playing dumb to deflect from the fact that you have a SHIT ton of walls up around you and you're afraid to let anyone beyond the facade you put up. you aren't hurting anyone by doing this, but it does get a little lonely sometimes. you like the attention you get, even if it's pretty surface-level. you have a weird thing about crying in front of other people: either you do it too often or you absolutely REFUSE to. you just want to be held. and honestly? don't we all.

mori:

holy shit. you're SEXY. you know EXACTLY when to shut the fuck up and it's hot. it's a double-edged sword, though. when was the last time you let yourself be someone's shoulder to cry on? and when was the last time YOU cried on someone else's shoulder? hm. might want to work on that. you don't think too highly of yourself, but you recognize you're a kind person. bit of a doormat tho. perhaps you've even been called "subservient". it's a shame you're so emotionally closed off, because your friends would honestly love for you to open up more. if you did anything competitive in high school--choir, drama, band, sports, etc.--you were never a soloist or the star player. you played defense, didn't you? you were in the chorus, weren't you? i bet you were in percussion (not the quads tho). your biggest flaw is that you refuse to acknowledge how important you are to other people. there's a gardener and a flower in every relationship, and it's time you started being the flower.

#ohshc uquiz #ask

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rightnowyoucanttell · 4 years

Text

𝘼𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝘼𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣, 𝙉𝙖𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙮 || .G.D.

(This songs an oldie, but It popped up on my random artist playlist, and I was inspired. Haha, enjoy ig..)

Title: Alone Again, Naturally

Summary: Veronica Chandler seems to be only destined for heartbreak. After a failed attempt to rebound on her toxic ex, she makes a routine trip to her local 24 hour Starbucks, in which she meets a handsome stranger.. and oh, who happens to be the spitting image to the photo of the tinder date who stood her up....

Relationship: Grayson Dolan and Veronica Chandler

Word Count: 2,034

Tags (*updated*) : @dzoint @graysavant @blindedbythelightt @tadadolan @heartofalionxo @beatement-l @grayswhore @tattoogray @saggitariusagirl

Author’s note: First, this is total shit, i’m sorry. Second, I did the stupidest thing of all time. I gave my OC the same name as the main character in the novel i’m writing on wattpad (to self plug, or not to self plug that is the question; i’ll take self plug for 100, Alex) why am i so stupid? Well, i'm too lazy to change it so.

Third, i was inspired when the twins talked about dating apps and just like idk where this came from, must be out of my ass because it’s shit.

I actually laughed at that...

Fourth, feedback is like the most important thing to me, like ever? So, feel free to lmk what y’all think, if this becomes a series I will be taking concepts.

Veronica Chandler is destined for great things. Planning her future, modeling and working as a struggling actress, she could go off and marry some lawyer. But, the only thing she did seem destined for was heartbreak.

Ronnie knew it had been too soon. Not even a month ago she had broken up with her ex, Jonathan. She also knew this, when she was attracted to a man on tinder with the same name, mostly because of the name. She wasn’t over the man who man who ruined her life to all hell. But, the comfort of a relationship was all she needed and desperately strived for.

Jonathan, was an artist, mad at the world needing to find himself. So, each night he did just so. Jonathan would go out to ‘find himself’ and along the way he found, Roxanne, Malibu, Dianne and Eileen. Jonathan drank, and he would physically and mentally abuse a good strong woman, who for the longest time couldn’t bring herself to walk out of his life.

Each time, from the first to the third she was too lonely, desperate and down on herself to let him loose. But, after he cheated on her with a married forty-year-old woman with four children, that was when Mama Chandler intervened and scared him half to fucking hell. That woman raised no fool, and if she did it was Veronica’s older brother, Noah. Veronica was just a sad young woman who couldn’t keep a man because they used her.

This night in particular was her rebound date at a local vegan restaurant. A fancy one. With velvet rugs, chandeliers, expensive wines, however with decently sized portions. Veronica stood outside waiting for Jonathan. Who was described in his photo as muscular, a builder with brown hair and eyes and often in there messages boasted about such muscularity.

It was dark. He planned to meet her at 5:30. It was 7:30. Groups passed her. Parties on the street began talking, while the mannequins in store fronts slept under the lights. But, Ronnie was sure, this guy was genuine, and would be the best rebound.

But, her plans and dreams were foiled when 8:30 hit, she decided to leave embarrassed and ashamed she thought it would turn out differently, she should have known. Her mosquito allergy becoming aggravated just as much as her. She sulked. She never really dressed to impress others, she wore heels, a leather jacket paired with a silk revealing top and boot cuts black jeans. That’s when the heaven on earth shone down upon her, a burning bush of sorts.

A 24 hour starbucks.

As she walked down the sidewalk slowly, she was tired of being let down; tired of catering to the whims of others, ready to return home and make a stray of financially irresponsible choices online, she entered through the glass doors and into the small shop in Hollywood. The cool yet humid summer air from outside was left behind in the warmth of the shop, that’s when she saw him.

A tall handsome stranger, brown hair and eyes, with muscular arms. She fell for him immediately, he was gorgeous. But, then. Veronica realized something, the same man, the handsome stranger, was either the same person or a bicep by bicep replica of the man she was supposed to meet tonight, at that Vegan restaurant.

The fire fueled deep down, but she ignored it when she got in line to the left of him ready for her Pink Drink and croissant so she could run to the nearest Ralph’s and purchase two tubs of strawberry ice cream, she’d be needing it. The line shifted. She shifted on her feet, he did the same.

Veronica tapped her foot. That’s when the stranger started talking,”Whoah. Slow down there ‘Miss i’m on a mission’.”

His voice was deep and hoarse, he sounded like he had been having a night himself. Veronica ignored the voice that in some ways drew her closer.

“I’m Grayson, By the way..” the named stranger drifted. That’s when Veronica snapped. The man was Jonathan or she thought, and he was ignorant enough to poach the woman he stood up, again, she thought.

“How can you be so arrogant and glib, after everything you’ve done?” Veronica whipped her head to the right of him snapping out of anger and then with no response

“Ah, she’s brave. Calling me arrogant and glib, without even knowing me, cool.” Grayson scoffed and nodded, shrugging it off, and moving forward in the line before stopping yet again.

Ronnie tapped her foot miserable an angry…”Without knowing you? I know you. Your the kind of guy who’s shows up a girl, and breaks the rules because you think it’s cute.”

“Do You think it’s cute?” He lanced over to her smirking a devilish smirk. She scoffed and crossed her arms with her jacket draped over one of them, shaking her head as the crazily long late night line, shifted forward. ‘Grayson’ may have won the battle by showing her up, but his blatant lies would lose the war to Veronica.

“Spare me your routine, i assume that’s what this” she gestured to Grayson,”-cut it out okay? Or, i’ll make your life a living hell.”

“Sorry, not into a relationship at the moment,” he joked before turning back to face the options board, even though his order was almost always the same. Ronnie rolled her eyes. Ronnie's eyes were tired. She felt physically ready whoop this man;s ass, but mentally and emotionally drained.

“And, by the way. No. I do not think it’s fucking cute..” Veronica replied after a few moments of silence. Veronica mumbled cruising, barely audible to Grayson. Veronica was so confused, and so irritated, she didn’t no what to believe. She sighed and went for her phone fumbling for her back pocket, and opening the tinder profile of ‘Jonathan’, “Explain this.”

The screen illuminated a photo of Grayson with the name Jonathan below it. He had still had long hair at this point, right before it’s annoyance shaggy length.Grayson was shirtless in the photo with a chain necklace around his neck. Grayson squinted to examine the photo on the app and chuckled as he passed it back to Veronica.

“You, my dear, got catfished. By someone posing to be, yours truly. I’ve never had tinder and haven’t used a dating app since I was like, fourteen..” Veronica rolled her eyes at his comment before scrunching her brows in confusion but not enough to continue to pry,”..don’t believe me? Search ‘Grayson Dolan’ on instagram or twitter, you’ll owe me an apology.” Grayson snapped as hurt in reply and turned away from the fabric keeping a distance between the two.

Grayson felt for Veronica, he could hear the pain in her silence, the sadness in her eyes, the facade of a mask she put on, even if he didn’t know her name, like her he had been pining for love. The same night he had been dumped via text by his ex girlfriend, also his ghost of days of business past, ex- assistant, before Sterling. He should have known it was a mistake, and Ethan warned him several times, but much like Veronica with OG Jonathan, he blamed love for his feelings.

Grayson was tired, wanting to head home with a cup of joe, but this unidentified juliet, across from him caught his eye, and there was no turning back.

The line shifted. Hesitantly she opened instagram and search the name and she stopped, in her tracks. She owed this man apology, Grayson Dolan, he was a real guy, with a huge following however she never heard of him. She followed him, sighed and put her phone back into her pocket.And yes, he was good looking, she fell for the looks a little more than the name.

“..i--i’m sorry. Guess you were right, I was wrong..” Veronica managed to croak out. Grayson’s phone notified him from his pocket, he checked it smirked, followed her back and placed it back into his pocket.

Grayson looked over to the brunette Brazilian to the right of him. She tapped her foot nervously, as she picked her brain for a better apology. She felt herself loosen, knowing he was just trying to help, and didn’t stood up. Her demeanor changes, this man was a kind stranger who just happened to be the man in the photos she was catfished with, the real Grayson did nothing wrong.

“-., so this Jonathan, what happened?” He asked looking into her dark brown eyes, meaning it. Wanting to know everything about the stranger that made him want to know here. She laughed flashing a smile all the while. Her laugh, Grayson thought. The way she talked and laughed, when she was enjoying herself, it was all so lyrical, it made him want to laugh.

He looked at Veronica, like, really looked at her. The way the lighting reflected on her sparkly eyeshadow. Her dark green eyes, her long luscious and free riding dark brown hair, that had been straightened from its naturally curly form.

“..Well, I uh, met him on Tinder and he stood me up. I just got out of a nast relationship and he was my rebound, but he’s probably some weird guy living in his mother's basement-” she sighed opening up to him. She smiled at her own comedic relief comment. Hiding behind humour was something she did.

Grayson laughed, becoming serious,”I’m sorry, that sucks. What about your ex?”he pried further, there were only three people in front of them, all by themselves, swarmed by the world living in their phones.

“He was a cheater, a drinker and beater, who just so also happened to be named Jonathan..” the negative memories stirred up again in front of her. The pain on her shoulder came back, so did the reminiscence, drawing and pulling her into a melancholy flashback.

~~~

"Where would you like me to go, hmm? Ronnie!" he shoved her to the ground and she fell backwards dislocating her shoulder. She winced in pain, it had pulsated throughout her body. She knew she had to do this, for herself, the well being of herself for once. Did she want to? No. It scared her. He scared her.

Once he got the clout he wanted he changed, he was living off of her earnings, living in her apartment at the time, using her car, and she was forced to nod and smile along with it like some big ugly joke of a play.

"How about for starters-" she managed between heavy sobs of pain and trying to prop herself against the reclining part of the sofa she was thrown in front of,"..hell? Take your toothbrush and your shave kit, and try some bleach in your cereal, i'm done. Okay? Go away, J!"

~~~

Ronnie was back to reality when she heard Gray's voice,"..Safe to assume you have a type, then?"he asked really looking at the beautiful woman in front of his eyes.

“Yeah. I try so hard but,”Veronica felt sad,” but, i’m never the one.” she felt even sadder memories of her ex flashing before her, she shrugged it off and continued,”…alone again, naturally, I guess.”

Grayson and Veronica were now the first in line,”Hey, let me buy your drink. Maybe we could be alone again, together…” Veronica smiled, and nodded.

“I’d like that..”

~~~

Later that night the two walked into the humid, yet comfortingly cool, heat together side by side after a two-hour conversation just on life.

“I, uh, better walk to my car.” Veronica said in front of Grayson’s porsche. Her jacket was around her shoulders and covered her arms,”I had fun, tonight” she held out a starbucks napkin she secretly wrote her number on, the wind tossed it gently back and forward. He smiled and breathed out a friendly, good night. He hated to see her go so soon, but would love to watch her leave.

“Wait, I never got your name-”he hollered down into the cold night on the streets of Los Angeles. Veronica turned around and continued walking backwards, her hair following and tracing her every move.

“It’s Veronica.” she breathed before giving him one last look with her deep green eyes and turning back down the sidewalk, heading to her car and driving into the night.

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Should I make this a series? If so, what to name it, i’m thinking lyrical and each chapter is a song name? lmk.

AHH i'm nervous to post this, but fuck it, right? No day but today.

i’ll stop.

#grayson dolan #Ronnie loves Gray #grayson bailey dolan #grayson dolan au #grayson dolan x oc #grayson dolan imagine #dolan twins #ill probably delete this in the morning #grayson dolan fanfic #dolan twins fanfic #dolan twins fandom

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yeeyee-alumni · 3 years

Note

This will be my last response to these essays because I don’t think we’ll get to a point where there’s mutual ground and that’s okay lol. I did want to respond though because you offered some valid critiques on my post as well. This won’t be as long as the other for sure (at least I hope not).

You’re correct in that it’s up to interpretation of whether or not Abby feels guilt and if the small moments they provide us with are a indication of that. I can’t help but feel had she had a conversation with someone about guilt, it would have been met with resistance and notions of “so predictable” and not made a difference (not from you specifically. A lot of players of the game would have hated it no matter what because it didn’t live up to what they had in mind). Maybe I'm wrong with this and it would have been well received but no way to know.

As I stated in my previous response, the connection with Lev and Yara seemingly was brought on by them saving her and vice versa. Whether or not she feels obliged to help them because of this, there’s no reason to believe she would have gone back to the WLF after going AWOL. Owen couldn’t go back after Danny. Lev and Yara absolutely wouldn’t make it past the front gates. It goes back to the theory about purpose. If she’s found a new purpose in caring for the two of then, then why would she go back to the WLF? That’s not saying that after 4 years she wouldn’t have befriended anyone. We saw small interactions with a few characters but nothing that would lead us to believe she created deep connections with multiple people that weren’t a part of the Salt Lake Crew. Is it possible? Yes. Was there sufficient evidence given to support this? No. She had a choice though and after 48+ hours of hell and back with Lev and Yara, it doesn’t seem out of the box that she would choose them (Lev,Yara,Owen/Santa Barbara [again pre Mel conversation] over a group that wanted her dead). That ‘you’re my people” line feels like the most obvious indication that her allegiances have changed and that it had something to do with the bond she’d developed with them through their ‘adventures’ (putting that in parentheses because adventures should be fun and not messed up lol).

In no way shape or form did I say you are not allowed to criticize writers. People have every right to criticize. What I said was it’s not cool to resort to personal attacks. Criticizing a story that you find to be poorly written is different than calling the writers talentless and not creative. Bring up whatever issues you have with pacing/character choice/scene structure/lack of thoroughness/etc, but simply calling writers less talented and less creative isn’t conrtsuctive criticism. That’s lobbing personal insults at them, not offering any sort of feedback on their professional choices. That’s where I have issues. Not with offering criticism in general. There is a difference.

As for the theatre, I’m honestly not so sure why you continually dismiss the reality that Abby also had traumatic experiences, not just Lev. No ones trauma is greater than anothers. Trauma is trauma. Nearly everyone in this game with a substantial role in the story has experienced trauma. If we look at their 3 days and limit it to that time frame: Lev lost his sister, had to kill his mother in self defense, and was running from a group he grew up with. Abby was nearly hung, had Manny killed in front of her, and found Owen and Mel killed (Owen being of most importance). Those are just a few examples for each. I never said I didn’t care about her choices and whether or not they were questionable. That’s you assuming. What I did was offer up a possibility that Lev was aware of what would happen upon giving her the map.

Eye for an eye is a concept for retaliation/punishment at its very core so suggesting dhe should have let Joel go because he saved her doesn’t make sense as an eye for an eye scenario. That could be viewed as a reward or a compromise which by definition is not what eye for an eye is about.

The retort to the essay wasn’t intended to have any personal bias so if there were points of that, it wasn’t intentional. My response was based off what the game itself presented and the writing it gave us at face value. The whole point was playing devils advocate with offering counter arguments. I am very much a ‘devils advocate look at things from a neutral perspective’ person because I enjoy discussions.The whole point of me writing it was that aside from the bias, the writing came off as you knew better and that it was your way or the highway. That’s what was mentioned in the response to the Joel essay that I don’t think was posted, that the bias gave off a vibe that wasn’t approachable and that it seemed like an “I know better this is how it is” piece.

As for the add on reblog after the initial post, you are entitled to feel how you do. Once more, I never said that wasn’t allowed. Sort as I echoed above, I’ve pointed out multiple times that the main issue was the tone and how it came across and that it doesn’t necessarily feel like it offers up an environment that would foster a constructive discussion. This game is something lots of people get very emotional about. I’m simply saying if the intent is to write a persusasive essay vs an essay in general, bias and tone could be hurting you instead of helping. But if the intent was to get all the thoughts down on paper and out and not necessarily to try and ‘recruit’ (very loose use of the word), then having the bias/tone/emotion makes more sense. You have a very valid point that perhaps a verbal discussion can work better because some things get lost in translation through writing as it is quite often these days. Again, I enjoy reading different takes on different mediums and seeing that a couple of your essays had popped up in the tags, I went ahead and read them. Keep doing what you’re doing and I look forward to future essays. (this might have ended up just as long as the other, I honestly have no idea lol, my bad but I enjoyed this back and forth!)

I really did too!

And I think it's totally fine for us to not come to an agreement regarding this. I feel like discussions like these (especially about art that tend to be quite subjective) need more of "two people voicing their opinion, having an exchange and the conversation ending with both parties sticking to their point of view and accepting/respecting each other for that".

This discussion, at least for me, has been enriching, entertaining, and challenging even, which is exactly what I'd hoped I'd get out of posting my essay(s) in the first place. So thank you again for being so open-minded, critical, respectful, and for reaching out in the first place!

Regarding my future essays, I will from this point onward put even more effort into being less "high horse"-y and more neutral, as I do of course understand how that would be much more helpful in getting people to engage in an actual conversation/discussion.

#ask #critique #feedback #tlou #enjoyed this entire exchange #it's the mutual respect and well-informed opinions on both sides for me #hope there will be more of it in the future

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