#Aligned continuity is unhinged and I love that

[tfp-is-my-lifeblood-lol]

Can we talk about this Rescue Bots episode (Spellbound) because I need to appreciate how TERRIFYING it is??? Especially considering it's cannon in the Aligned Universe. This is some A+ horror.

Like damn, some of Griffin Rock's technology is more powerful than even the Decepticon's tech.

Can you IMAGINE if those creepy mind-control cell phones were used in TFP?

Legit mind control that effects humans AND Cybertronians?

And it's SO UNSETTLINGLY subtle, too. The victim's voices sound like their normal selves but just SLIGHTLY off. *shutter* The voice actors did such a good job.

Just IMAGINE that in Prime.

I feel like Optimus would probably be immune (because the Matrix of Leadership is goated) but can you imagine the Jasper Trio getting mind-controlled, and all their guardians + Ratchet know SOMETHING is off, but not what? Then, slowly, the mind control spreads to the Bots? Or vice versa, the Bots go first, and the humans are like: "Something's up with my guardian."

Kinda wild that Invasion of the Body Snatchers shit 100% exists in TFP's world. Felt like I needed to acknowledge that.

Is this gonna be my next TFP headcanons post? Feeling inspired.🤔

[ask-the-rag-dolly]

ok the askbox is open. im taking this opportunity to say ohhhhh im going crazy over the narrative constructed here. specifically with how audience (anon) interaction is intertwined with the main conflict.

because its like.. we are inherently a BAD THING. yes, some of us are actually malicious, but even if we do have kind intentions, and only want the best for ragatha.. just being there is a negative impact that outweighs any positives. we are a parasite, after all. and technically, the only positive action we could do is to simply.. stop engaging. leave the askblog alone. leave ragatha alone. except we could never do that, because we're too curious now, too attached- we want to see how the story continues, how it ends. we cant leave well enough alone, we just have to know. we need to know. so the cycle will continue nonetheless due to our nature. and we have to watch as our main character, the person we're rooting for, gets worse and worse. knowing that its our fault, because we're choosing to engage. we're choosing this path of pain. because we're curious, and that curiosity would kill us if we didn't feed it.

and of course its on a tadc tumblr ask blog of all things lol. no hate btw. im here enjoying it after all! though honestly i say that like this had any opportunity of existing outside of the askblog genre... or even the tumblr landscape itself- i feel like the anon feature itself is also a big part of this sort of narrative, as it allows those actively malicious anons to be even nastier. because it distances us from our actions. like.. we're given a mask, something that obscures our true identities (both to the other askers.. and to ragatha to an extent, as most all look the same to her. who knows, maybe that one supportive anon trying to cheer her up is the same one also encouraging her downfall! she cant tell!)- a thing that wipes our hands free of any consequences. a chance to become faceless and untraceable- so of course some people will indulge. be as horrible as possible. because, hey, its not like you'll be getting any consequences for it! no way to trace it back to you! no way to be held accountable! you can just sit back and watch the fire you made grow higher. more bright. thats the main goal, after all- to make a spectacle! to move the story along and make it exciting! thats the only thing that matters to you. that its entertaining. not the people you'll be harming in the process.

anyways sorry for the fucking. essay. in your askbox. i like talking and also i fucking love dissecting meta-aligned narratives like this. gggrrggrgrgrrrr chewing on this blog like a chewtoy. i hope everyone gets worse and this whole blog blows up!!!!!!!

i can't stop giggling at ' its on a tadc tumblr ask blog of all things ' . this was really originally supposed to just be a silly blog with little story but here we are . you really won't get this anywhere else

i get pretty happy when someone dissects this silly thing so no need to apologize !! i'm my own harshest critic when it comes to this blog so it's often difficult for me to grasp what meaning people get out of this lol truly thank you guys for wanting to see my insane , Unhinged ideas come through

and i love the dissection on the mean anons - a lot of this thing hinges on actions having consequences after all ! every little thing will have an impact on ragatha's mental state . i'll say i think the anons have potential to not be as harmful - as there was a point in the blog's time where they acted more like inner therapists to ragatha than reality-bending beings of chaos ( good times ) . it just really depends on being patient with an actually mentally ill person like ragatha - it does fascinate me how people's frustration with her echoes real life mental health situations .

but yeah thanks !!! i'll be kissing this essay and pinning it on the refrigerator that i call my brain (:

[saturnville]

yes, mr. snow.

pairing: young!coriolanus snow x black fem oc (illia furdoix). warning: book accurate snow, arranged marriage, toxic!coriolanus. trigger warning: choking. content: coriolanus and illia are in an arranged marriage. coriolanus seems like a decent man to the public, but behind closed doors, she sees a different side to him. an: I saw someone say that wanted to see a more accurate description of coriolanus based on the books. and in the books, the man is an unhinged, classless, selfish human being. here we go.

tags: @snowlandsontopp @babyzzlove @hlstead @rosewine-5 @unicornqueen05 @thegabbyh @neeville @fastlikealambo @urfavesimto keep your spot on the tag list, you are expected to interact!

She cursed the day she was born. She'd spit on the birth certificate and burn it in the coal-infused fireplace if it meant her existence was a mere wrinkle in time. If the conception of her very being had been unsuccessful, she would have been saved. Saved from the monster that bore the name Coriolanus Snow.

He was just that indeed. A man with the nature of Zeus--arrogant and proud. Expectant of his subjects to adhere to his every command. To fall at his feet like peasants and utter his praises with each breath he took. Like Medusa, his eyes were cold and struck fear in the souls of those who were brave enough to look into them. She never looked in his eyes. They were a beautiful shade of blue, yes, but they were deadly. Stone-cold and deadly.

From their childhood, they were destined to marry. A North magnent and a South magnent forced to attract though they were born to repel.

Her husband was a mean man. How had she been stuck with him, she wondered. Why did the stars have to align the way they did. She carried the name of a monster and laid next to a man she feared. Surely, that was never how marriage was intended to be. It was to be loving, honorable. She was supposed to be adored by her husband as she supported him in his endeavors. What did she get though?

A man who trudged home during the early hours of the morning, clothed in anger and misery, an aroma of scotch and lingering cologne following him with every step he took.

Even still, as time went on, she found ways to love him. He had his moments where she had hope. When he made her soup when she fell ill, how he had a tulip garden put on the roof because he knew they were her favorite flowers. They were rare moments, but she found ways to cherish them.

Illia was afraid to speak as his heavy footsteps echoed throughout the bedroom. His features were frozen in place; furrowed eyesbrows, a deep frown, and a clenched jaw. A walking manifestation of bitterness.

Her eyes were stuck on his swift movements as he floateda around the like a moth. His chest was exposed, as he unfastened the buttons on his short journey up the stairs and to their bedroom. Lean and strong. He tossed his crimson coat on the ottoman on the farthest side of the room. She winced. That was a gift she had made for him.

The sigh he released was heavy. He uttered words beneath his breath as he continued to pace around the room, searching. For what? She did not know.

"You're staring." His voice was low. Icy. Illia jumped and dropped her eyes. "What are you thinking about?"

How you don't come home. Why don't you touch me like you care for me? Will you ever learn to love me? "Where were you, Coriolanus?" Hardly a second passed before flames rose in his eyes. Who knew a simple question could turn a cub into a preying lion an instant.

However, her husband had a keen sense of self control. So rather than yelling like she assumed he would, he instructed her to stand in front of him. "Come here." Her legs carried her to him. They were close in height so her eyes were almost adjacent to his. Their lips, so close, that she could feel the ghost of them.

Slowly, Coriolanus dragged a hand from her bare thigh, up her stomach that was covered by a lace slip, to her breasts which he gave a tight squeeze. It finally landed around her neck. Coriolanus hummed and cocked his head to the side. Illia's breathing was heavy, her lips were parted, and her eyes fluttered closed.

Until he tightened his grip. She gasped in horror. Coriolanus ignored her fingers scratching as his hand as he brought his lips to her hear. "You don't question me, do you understand? I come home when I come home. All that matters is that you are here when I arrive. Do I make myself clear?"

The fear in her eyes would make any man retract and beg for her forgiveness. He was not any man. Illia let out a strained yes, tears welling in her eyes.

It was not enough. "Yes, what?"

She coughed. "Yes, Mr. Snow." He released her from his grip and watched as she fell toward the floor in agony. She crawled away from him in fear. He stared at her with those icy eyes, emotionless and bare. Her husband, he was indeed. The monstor who bore the name Coriolanus Snow.

[coelacanth-designs]

Hi I don’t know who u r but ur apparently friends w a few of my friends so im gripping you shaking you and i want to know everything about your AU also sorry if im sounding unhinged im sending this ask at 4am bc im not scared to send asks at this time

WOA, I mean to be fair its 3 AM for me and I’ve been up reading the staple “silly things” ao3 fic LMAO.

But also yeah I’m assuming you mean Blood and Ichor! Which in that case I won’t say everything since I’d want to reveal more of that plot on here through art. HOWEVER! Allow me to explain!

To start:

Soul - Stratos

Mind - Kairos

Heart - Ichor

This AU as a synopsis deals with the opposition that, instead of heart and mind fighting. It’s Mind and Soul, continuously arguing over who could run the Whole better. Meanwhile Heart being more withdrawn and avoidant of arguments and fights.

I wanted this to deal with a couple of things such as characters that are these big and stunning ethereal creatures that live/ have these human -esk shells/ skins they live within. The idea that they just want to either understand, or be human, and the maddening aspect when they have to accept they can’t.

Thus it being called Blood and Ichor as I like the juxtaposition of Blood being what flows through human bodies and Ichor being depicted as what flows through the gods veins. This being part of the argument and discourse between Stratos and Kairos. Both aside from being inherently arrogant and prideful jerks, hate the idea they aren’t truly human, they can never fully relate to the Whole and so they take it out on one another.

What about Ichor though? Well Ichor they don’t particularly like. Not for things Ichor has done mind you, but for the fact that Ichor doesn’t seem to have the same issues if not tries to have them embrace their inhumanity. Ichor also being a slight nod to Icarus and his wax wings since, *symbolism we love it*. Ichor is actually quite a bit softer spoken then the other two, understanding that if he tries to argue it can spell disaster for him. (So he is at fault partially due to avoidance of action)

Oh, I will say some little notes I do find funny even if I won’t explain all of the things I’ve planned for them :00

-Stratos is short, like 5’5 and I can and will make them shorter. He HATES that Kairos is taller than them and will never tell this to Kairos (Kairos is 6’2 btw)

- Stratos cares, ALOT, for their appearance, it helps them feel secure in who they are if they like how they look. Kairos seeing this, reflected it a bit in his own appearance if you look at them side by side.

Meanwhile Ichor (whenever I finish theirs lol) I tried to show Kairos and Stratos’ designs as still being aligned and cohesive between the three. Ichor’s outfit is while a bit more regal akin to the others, but is softer to reflect that separation!

(This kind of moment actually happening between the three of them is rare so take this as a treat LMAO)

Anywho, I’m always happy to answer more questions about them, I absolutely a d o r e these three and they will not leave my mind-

[cafiffle]

ok it's time to be cringe on main (like I ever wasn't)

in honor of the new game finally maybe happening, here is a collection of the Dragon Age OCs I've developed over the last decade or so. only two of them were my actual video game protags and have evolved a lot from there, SEE IF YOU CAN GUESS WHO (or don't, I'm not your dad)

(L to R, top to bottom)

Sina, Keeper's First of Clan Dahlasanor and baby lesbian who had to leave her clan in search of healing for the anime wasting sickness that claimed her life in her early twenties. She was all about that good good Dalish nature magic and thought of it as a sort of healing. A gentle soul with strong convictions, she spent her last months securing the union of her (small, decimated) clan with a larger, thriving one by marrying their male First.

Cade Harimann of Starkhaven, the second son of a noble family who gave him to the Chantry at a young age. He endured Some Bullshit at the monastery, leaving him already somewhat unhinged before he served in Kirkwall prior to the Mage-Templar war. He was kicked out of the Templars "for his own good" due to his massive PTSD-induced emotional problems, and now lives in the woods with his chill elf gf who doms him when he needs it.

Teren von Skraedder*, from a po-dunk town on the border of Nevarra and Orlais, is every bit the Grey Warden stereotype: a liar, a convict, and just generally kind of an asshole. She was recruited in her early 40's as an alternative to being executed for treason against the Nevarran crown, and has settled into Wardening over the last twenty or so years. She loves her younger siblings-in-arms, even if she's mean to them, and she gets a little more deranged every time one of them gets their Calling or dies in combat while she continues to grow older.

Benedict Quintus Artemaeus is an Altus mage from Minrathous who preferred to spend his days getting high and fooling around with other rich boys, shirking his studies and the politics of his Magister mother, nearly into his twenties. He finally had to get serious when his tutor aligned with the Venatori and got them both captured by The Enemy (the canon good guys), leading to a rocky but gradual ascent from hedonistic fuckup to Sort of Competent Guy Who Cares Occasionally. he's been compared to Emperor Kuzco and that's not inaccurate ok

Josephine "Fifi" Mariette* is a regular ol elf from Val Royeaux who, after failing to make it in the city ballet/opera/ye olde whatever, made her way as a cabaret dancer and prostitute until her marriage to a human accountant, Jacques. His family never accepted her, so when he was drafted and killed in the War of the Lions, she left town to briefly join the Freemen of the Dales. Finding that she was as invisible there as anywhere else, she opted to put her status to use and become a spy for (and on) the Good Guys while working as their housekeeper.

Obeisance "Just Barrow Please" Barrow*, a farmer's son from Crestwood, went off to join the Templar Order as a means of finding adventure, leaving home, and making his extremely religious parents happy without having to take over the farm. He served in the Jainen Circle for many years without incident, but very casually deserted when the Mage-Templar war began (hit da bricks, just walk out etc). He spent some time afterward as a mercenary, and his MO is to bop around being helpful where he can while also absolutely never talking about what he used to do. it's none of your business

*if you think you know her/him from somewhere else: you do, I recycle these shitheads constantly

there have been a few more but they didn't Take in the same way, so just these for now. ok byyyeee

[violetasteracademic]

Can I beseech the SJM internet space for a moment of consideration?

The mean girl energy in this fandom is WILD.

Reading should never be gate-kept. I think it is INCREDIBLE that a hard working, talented author in fantasy, a genre long held down by men, has changed the reading landscape. I'm so happy people who haven't picked up a book in years are getting back into it because of SJM. She deserves all her success, and everyone deserves the joy of reading an incredible book.

But damn. Some of you never sat in the back of the classroom with cheap box dye purple hair, ripped thumb holes in your black hoodie wardrobe, aggressively hiding your shitty poetry and god awful doodles of dragons and elves and of Daughters of the Moon characters when it was not cool and it shows 🤣

I'm tired of artists, writers, and content creators getting bullied out of this fandom. It's getting worse than white men in the Star Wars fandom when they went *GASP* "woke," by casting women and BIPOC actors. And that's embarrassing. We should all feel embarrassed. Does it not embarrass you to be mean to other women on the internet or harass artists because they want different faeries to fuck each other than you? Does that not unsettle you deep in your bones?

Is it even possible to steer this ship back to a place of kindness, respect, fun and fantasy? I feel like it isn't much to ask to have some basic etiquette for how we speak to artists. Personally, I'm sick of AI. After a while it all starts to look the same. I have so much respect for the time and energy artists continue to contribute to this fandom FOR FREE only to see them get run out by rabid fans who only want to see a character portrayed the way they expect them to be portrayed, or who will literally send death threats for pairings of characters that they do not want to see together. The entitlement is so far behind unhinged I don't even know if there is a word for it.

It's disheartening. I don't know if there is anything to be done. And I know all sides do it. So I am just imploring those who I know will see this in my safe little Elriel bubble, be kind. Stay out of anti spaces. Leave artists who don't portray the art you are hoping to see alone, because someone else might love their work. If the art space is welcoming, we are more likely to find those who have an aesthetic and style we vibe with. If it is unwelcoming, everyone loses.

For a book series written by women for women, with an actual meaningful focus on female friendship, sometimes I wonder what exactly it is people are taking away from these books. This fandom does not behave in a way that is in alignment with the message of the author's books.

Fantasy fandoms should not be a safe space for bullying artists and creators.

[blindmagdalena]

Hi!! Have you seen the s4 trailer yet?? 👀 Homie looks even more unhinged. Will you still be able to write him the way you do even if he goes completely off the rails in the show? I love him so (no matter what and I can always pretend what I don’t like doesn’t happen 🤪) and I love the way you write him. I’m just curious if it will affect how you write him in the future?

i have indeed seen the trailer!!! i agree, our boy really seems to be, uh... in a state. i'm hoping we get more nuance to him than what the trailers have so far implied. i've yet to see a single frame where he doesn't look manic.

rest assured that either way i'll continue to evolve my own characterization of homelander. if there are aspects i like in s4, i'll utilize them. if not, i won't. i don't see myself ever completely abandoning the homelander i've established in my works so far or anything. tbh, i think i already align myself a lot closer to his s1 characterization than anything, but i'd be curious to know how other people view that.

thank you so much btw! i'm glad you like my take on him. 🖤

[alicelufenia]

In celebration of the BG3 anniversary, I thought I'd relive some memories from my first run

Last thing done in act 1. In hindsight I could have at least arrived earlier, and gotten to meet the dream visitor a few times before everything goes down, but hey.

Heeey Dream Visitor Crystal Exarch! (and yes she would)

I think the likeness is pretty good all things considered. For Durge!Alice run I'm doing something different, but this proved to be real funny later.

I know I'm not the only one to notice this, right? Anyway I'll definitely be using this detail in my fanfic... Especially since Durge!Alice wakes up in the Nautiloid with her oath broken, and no memory of even what it was, so any bond she can share with a fellow paladin over oaths lost, of course I'm gonna delve into that!

Speaking of Oathbreaker...

Hahaha! Silly Tav!Alice. This is why you break your oath BEFORE agreeing to raid the grove! Choking like that in front of the raid leader, embarrassing. I expected better of my FFXIV main.

Dark Knight unlocked.

^ The backup save I made before deciding whether to go through with the raid or not.

The original plan was for Alice to fight on the grove's side after restoring her oath, with a level of Shadow Sorcerer to represent the darkness that seeped into her heart.

Instead:

"You're mad. How did I not see it...?"

Told ya it would be funny.

Listen, past Alice: Yes. Yes it was all worth it and you'll do it again.

For some reason she has her eyes open here, I'm pretty sure that changes in a future patch (maybe the one where her intro cutscene changes too? I don't remember)

I had just gotten the Dream Visitor scene where they explain the True Souls are being controlled right before this, so the continuity really helped this scene.

oh nuuuuuu

🗡️Find me a more iconic shot of Minthara than this, you wont🗡️

The game just loves to keep giving the Evil-aligned characters the wettest puppy eyes, it's genuinely much appreciated.

Yeah I said it, Tavs/Durges who raid the grove are Evil-aligned, at least at the time, I'm not delusional and never said it was a bad thing either :p

Wow that was a journey. There's a reason it's still one of, if not my favorite questline in the game.

HahaHAA! Oh you poor naive girl, you had no idea didn't you

Seriously though, imagine going on to kill her after all that. Unhinged behavior imo, can't relate

Yeaaaah no, fuck that noise, fuck them druids, and fuck them tieflings too. I'm ride or die now.

It would take me another 2 weeks before finally continuing though, during which I started and halted three other playthroughs on different characters, and none of it stuck. I knew I had to see where this would take me.

Thus, my journey would continue with Alice, and the rest is now history.

[syn0vial]

Apologies for the long take/response/reblog thing from your JF post. But I'd like to hear more about your thoughts about the Fett dynamic ♥

no problem at all! lord knows i'm a rambler, too, haha.

as for the dynamic between jango and boba, my personal interpretation is that jango felt pulled between two ways of relating to boba, his clone: one, as a son, and two, as a carefully-crafted extension of his own self and legacy. we get stories and scenes where he is simply a doting, loving father—when he first receives boba as an infant from the kaminoans in the republic commando novels, for example, or in the dark horse comics where we see him making time to play with boba before a mission. and we get stories and scenes where he treats boba much more callously, like when he forces boba to fight a monster alone in the blood ties comic or gives boba posthumous orders to seek out people he knows will be a danger to him in the junior novels.

now, if i'm being honest, i think that oftentimes, the actual, "doylist" reason for this is that different expanded universe writers had different ideas about jango''s moral alignment and personality and this shines through in how they write about jango treating boba. at others, however, i think this ambiguity is very much intentional. in these moments, i think we're supposed to see jango as someone who requested a clone of himself for his own, fairly selfish reasons but who, maybe unexpectedly, ended up loving that clone as a son as well. but rather than the latter overriding the former, jango tries to have it both ways and it makes for a pretty unhinged upbringing for poor boba.

some moments in particular that come to mind when contemplating this dynamic:

in open seasons, jango explicitly denies to dooku that he intends to raise his unaltered clone as a son and instead refers to him as an apprentice and a means to continue jaster's legacy. while one could assume he's lying, it's curious that when taun we tells an adult boba about his father's words, boba feels hurt by them. that implies to me that there is at least some truth to them, because if it was ridiculous or beyond belief, why would boba entertain the notion enough for it to hurt? for this reason, i think jango really did mean it when he told dooku his intentions—even if his feelings evolved once said clone was actually a reality.

(my personal headcanon is that he was forced to reconsider the second he actually held a baby boba in his arms. we see a moment in republic commando where he's holding boba and he's very clearly totally bowled over by love for the kid)

in the posthumous recording jango makes for boba in the junior novels, jango tells boba that he loves him. he also tells boba that he was "more than a parent to you" and goes on to give him orders for who to find next—people who jango knows to be dangerous individuals who will force boba to become more self-sufficient and mistrustful to survive or die trying. i think it's interesting that jango calls himself "more than a parent" in this context bc it calls into question how jango himself sees his relationship with boba. like, what else are you then, jango?

in the attack of the clones novelization, we do get some thoughts from jango's POV about this question and they're interesting, to say the least. here, jango reflects that raising boba is an opportunity to see "all that he [himself] might have become" if circumstances had been different—if there had been someone in his life "to force him to perfection." here, i think we get some insight into the "more than a parent" remark. boba is jango's son, yes, but in jango's eyes, he's also jango himself—a version of him that jango can mold to be without his flaws and setbacks, a version of him he can perfect. in this way, jango is indeed more than boba's father—he is that person who can "force [boba] to perfection," as he says, and the prototype whom boba must surpass.

(extremely ironic then that, as an adult, boba is quite astutely accused of constantly self-sabotaging because he's afraid of ever surpassing his father. in enlarging his own importance in boba's life, jango actually prevents boba from fulfilling the purpose he was created for: being a perfected version of jango)

as for how this affected how he treated boba, i think this excerpt from the same novelization sums it up pretty well: "With Boba, there was pride and there was love, and Jango had to work constantly to keep both of those potential weaknesses at a minimum. While he loved his son dearly-because he loved his son dearly-Jango had been teaching him those same attributes of dispassion, even callousness, from his earliest days." this ties into what i was saying in my earlier post: though jango's actions towards his son may at times seem unloving or even callous to the reader, in jango's mind, even those actions are acts of love.

as for how it affected boba's view of jango, i think boba's reflections on his father in legacy of the force offer a pretty believable picture of how this kind of treatment would affect the child's psyche as an adult: boba loves his father and cherishes his memory, but also very much fears it as well. he conceptualizes his dead father as constantly watching him, judging him—and finding him wanting.

tl;dr: jango loves boba but he also has a destiny in mind for him and while a more good-aligned, well-adjusted character might have ultimately decided that the love is more important, jango pretty much just grit his teeth, dug his heels in, and went, "i can do both."

[spiritsong]

hi hello appearing unhinged in your ask box again on main like a young, wide-eyed and willing to learn page asking questions of their philosopher master:

where do you think all the companions align on a submissive/dominant scale (esp with your characters)?

i trust your judgment WITH MY LIFe

LMAOOO you put me on the spot with this one and I love you for it

the way I had to pull out pen and paper just to get my thoughts in order 💀

SO obligatory preface — the only romance I've completed is spawn!Astarion's, so I'm sure my headcanons will change in the future when I've played through the others and don't have to only base my opinion on the snippets I've seen, how their platonic relationships are, their personalities, etc.

overly long explanations continued under cut; nsfw obviously (plus cw for brief discussions of trauma and also story spoilers)

Companions:

Astarion: I personally believe Astarion is a dom, judging by his personality, his history, and his behavior in his romance scenes. I think even without his experience as a vampire spawn, he'd still employ the dominant role; however, after the 200 years of trauma he's suffered, the need for it increases a hundredfold. I don't think he had the freedom to choose pre-tadpole. Astarion did whatever he had to do to ensure he had a victim to take back to Cazador, which is heartbreaking.

Post-tadpole, I think being the one in control when seducing Tav/Durge/one of the companions helps him feel a modicum of safety in a situation that he might not necessarily put himself in if he knew he didn't have to. I absolutely think he'd eventually (like post-game) be comfortable as a switch with the right kind of emotional processing and preparation, done both on his own and as a couple. Shadowheart: Shadowheart is a tried and true switch. She says in Act 1 that she prefers casual sexual relationships over long-term ones; I think in such situations she'd probably prefer the more dominant role (the Sharran coming through). However, in the future (especially in the Selunite path), if she's with someone she loves and feels safe with, she'd enjoy letting someone else take care of her. She comes across as someone who needs the catharsis that letting go of control can bring. Gale: IMO Gale is a switch who is incredibly accommodating to the needs of his partner, so I think he can play both roles with much enjoyment and enthusiasm. He likely has more experience on the submissive side of the scale considering his one serious relationship was with a whole ass goddess, and I doubt Mystra was letting him like. lead her around on a leash or something lmfao The thing is I don't think it would take much for him to feel comfortable being the dom becauseit's clear he has a desire for power; he is resentful about what happened between him and Mystra (though he tries to hide it behind his *genuine* regret), he wants to scurry out from under the thumb of gods, and he wants to become a formidable wizard (again), if not a god himself. Gale has a darker (dark =/= bad) side that would take pleasure in being the one in control. He struggles with his self-worth; knowing that his partner trusts him in such a way would be a huge deal to him. Ultimately I think his natural inclination would be to put his partner first however; he wants to wow and worship them. Lae'zel: I see Lae'zel as a dom; she's clear and transparent and a warrior in both the battlefield and the bedroom. She knows what she wants and she will be aggressive in her taking of it. However, she doesn't want a partner that is constantly bowing their head at her; she wants an equal - someone she can trust at her back, someone she believes is powerful and formidable. That is the mark of a worthy lover to her. So perhaps she's at her happiest when there's a push-and-pull dynamic going on. I think with the right person she would totally be a worshipping sub type (cough cough Shadowheart), and also she would really enjoy being praised and worshipped in turn (she deserves some softness pls). Minthara: Skipping Minthara because I've only had her as a companion in one playthrough that is still on Act 2 😂 (I will know more about you soon my love... one day...) Wyll: I think Wyll would technically be a switch, though because he's more traditional when it comes to sexual matters (and is still young), he'd explore those roles in a much more subtle way. He needs time to figure out what he enjoys and feels comfortable with. Karlach: Karlach is a switch IMO; however, her most important goal is to have fun and feel close to her sexual partner, so whatever facilitates that is what goes. Though I do think she leans a bit more dominant. Despite her being very open with her sexuality, she probably doesn't have much in the way of sexual experience due to her youth (like Wyll) and her particular circumstances. I can't speak for her time before Avernus, but I believe at one point she says she kept everyone at a distance during her ten years in the Hells.

Though she puts up a front in the beginning of the game, I think emotional connection and intimacy is very important to her. Halsin: My headcanon is that Halsin is a switch, but he falls into the extreme of both sides; when he's subbing, he's devoting every little bit of his energy in making sure his partner is has an earth-shattering experience, with little care for his own pleasure; when he's domming, he's in full primal mode and he's going to take what he wants. 💀 (But at the end of the day, even that animalistic desire that drives him is in service to his partner; their enthusiastic consent, safety, and comfort is most important to him.)

My characters:

tav!Aune: In the beginning (pre Act 2 confession), I think her and Astarion would actually butt heads when it comes to vying for control. Aune has a similar background in regards to loss of free will, so she's also reluctant to be in the submissive role. (funnily enough I already took character building notes on this, so this following bit is from that lmao)

By the time she realizes the depth of her feelings for Astarion, all of that fighting falls away for her, and she's completely okay with placing herself in his hands. It actually ends up being very cathartic to give up control; to know she can trust him to respect her sovereignty and keep her safe. It ends up being a lesson about submission by force vs. submission by choice. It's a profound experience for her. So basically both Astarion and Aune start as doms and end up as switches, but the former still prefers the dom role more.

Idk how it worked out this way, but despite tav!Aune being the "most" polyamorous of my characters, she has the least amount of sexual interaction with the other companions adfkljfdl so the only other person I can comment on with her in particular is Shadowheart. They never sleep together but they have that homoerotic besties thing going on 😂 Hypothetically, if they were to have sex... because they're both clerics they come with the complementary worship kink lmao so I think they'd both be switches with each other and take turns being heretical 💀

durge!Aune: She is demisexual and not polyamorous. Her relationship to sex is practically non-existent post-tadpole as a result of losing her memories, as as well as the trauma of dealing with the Urge. Ironically, (and perhaps tragically), it's the Urge's influence & desire for Astarion that brings that part of herself back to life. Still, in the beginning, she actually finds it repulsive to be close to him, much less entertain the idea of sleeping with him. But eventually she does (as a spur of the moment decision) and finds that it wasn't nearly as bad as she thought it would be. One substantial reason for that is that she feels "desire" and "hunger" when she's intimate with him for the first time; two emotions she thought exclusive to the Urge. It's a relief to her that it isn't, and she wants to chase that feeling.

When the pair go through the Act 2 night when she tries to kill him, everything changes. (This is pre-confession.) Aune's disgusted with herself for her actions and is scared it will happen again, but she also realizes that Astarion cares for her; she puts her emotional guard down at last.

Both versions of Aune had the same upbringing up until they were 12 years old, so they have a lot of the same baggage and don't like to give up power. However, weirdly enough, durge!Aune finds it easier to completely and totally release control to Astarion at this point. Exercising TOTAL control over herself is her ~thing~ due to being Durge, and yet, with him, she doesn't feel like she has to. (well she still needs to control the murderous urges but I mean everything else 😂) So, essentially, durge!Aune does not have a dominant bone in her body when it comes to Astarion lmao. She is the subbiest sub to ever live. Which is hilarious because she isn't like that with the only other people she's slept with:

Gale - They slept together once. There wasn't much of a dom/sub dynamic that night, but the actual sex was good for both of them. (The aftermath, however, was not.)

Gortash - 😏 ldfjd;lf Though Aune and Gortash fooled around a LOT much to the disappointment of the three daddies (Bhaal, Bane, and Ketheric), they only had sex a couple of times. Aune would never ever let Gortash be anything but her sub. If he gets a little feisty or bratty (in or out of the bedroom), it's because she's allowing him. 💀 In general I am a sub Gortash truther tbh but I can see him as a dom as well and understand/enjoy the appeal of that!

Lae'zel - The pair don't have a sexual relationship. However!!! Aune is very much a "Whatever I say goes, we're doing what I think is the best idea, and if anyone has any qualms about that, they can meet the end of my blade" kind of person, EXCEPT when it comes to Lae'zel. She will defer to Lae'zel in almost all matters (and it perplexes the other companions endlessly). So if they were to sleep together, Aune would be a sub with her.

Minthara - Aune doesn't have very many approval points with her yet but I totally see them with the same sort of homoeroticism between tav!Aune and Shadowheart 😂 (okay I'm now coming to the realization that even though durge!Aune is technically a dom (minus with Astarion) and prefers men/masc people (but is bi/pan!), in all the hypothetical situations with women she is always a sub. LMAO this says nothing about me at all, nope)

Lethe: Lethe is pan and polyamorous but thinks Gale is the best thing ever invented and will kiss the ground he walks on. So they have no problem whatsoever with Gale being their one and only. Like genuinely Lethe somehow simultaneously has starry-eyes and heart-eyes for the wizard. If you couldn't tell, they would absolutely default to being submissive with Gale, but in truth they are a switch so I think the pair would have fun going back and forth.

BONUS ROUND: My blue tiefling Vir (I still owe you an introduction to him!!!) who romances Lae'zel is a lot like Lethe is with Gale. He fell for Lae'zel within minutes of meeting her. Like head over heels. He will do anything to make her happy as long as it means he can metaphorically put a ring on that finger 😂 Literally the picture that just popped into mind is Vir being Lae'zel's step stool so she can reach something on a high shelf and he just has the biggest dumbest smile on his face because OF COURSE he is happy to be a piece of furniture for his heart's desire 🥰 lmaooo

Soluwae!! She's definitely a dom and that comes entirely from her role as the head of her cult. She's practically revered by the other cultists and has been trained to feel most at home in a position of leadership; taking control, being assertive, and staying calm and cool throughout it all. Giving orders comes naturally to her, and receiving them does not feel "right" in the slightest. She does not take well to being commanded. Soluwae has had a lot of sexual relationships in her years but no romantic ones; she's never fallen in love (specifically, has never allowed herself to). Of course ALL of this changes when she meets one Minthara Baenre.... 😌

[vizthedatum]

The idealization goes both ways.

When I've been idealized at the beginning of a relationship, the really big problem from my end is... I idealize them, too.

I want to believe in the chemistry, intense attraction, the "alignment," etc. SO SO BAD - and I wear extremely rose-colored glasses hoping I've found a person I could build a life with.

It's hard for me to see the person they are because I'm falling for the person they *could* be or the person they *want* to be (often mirroring me to varying degrees).

I get swept up, you know? It feels so good, and I'm craving the love and attention so badly - I can't resist it - I dive right in.

And I do think that my love is genuine. When the initial fire starts going down, I do justify to myself that I'm in love with a person, not a caricature... and often, I end up loving them more, when I see their humanity.

I think that's when I can't apply all my previous lessons - what do I accept as part of the process of relationship and connection? what do I NOT accept?

Something I'm really understanding/realizing now: I need to accept a person for who they are at the current moment, with the information I know from past experiences, throughout the whole relationship.

When you're a person who often had to set aside their own feelings and needs (especially in childhood) to keep the peace, it becomes SO EASY to just let things slide in a relationship (and I'm not talking about when someone is sick or has a legitimate excuse for something... I'm talking about when someone feels hurt or feels like their trust in the other person goes down - stuff like that).

You justify to yourself that it won't happen again, or it was a mistake, or even that the issue is resolved...

That's why it's so important to feel what you're feeling, EVEN IF YOU FEEL ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED AND UNSAVORY. Losing connection with who you are, your values, and how you're feeling... only snowballs all of this.

--

Then, when you can share your hurt with your partner (which is something all people in a relationship will have to do at some point), that's when the real test comes in: how do they react?

Remember how they react and how you feel afterward.

--

And honestly? If the other person thinks you've hurt them or something... and they're not satisfied with the resolution both of you came up with? Ask yourself why they want to be with you if you can't necessarily change that behavior. Ask yourself if you're okay with continuing to impact their trust and/or hurting them?

[alexilulu]

The Bear Season 3

I gotta talk about this season real quick, having finished it tonight after a few seatings with the gf who briefly walked out on the show (episode 8) and i gotta try to work through this b/c i was feeling it too.

I'm gonna keep it 100 with you, there'll be spoilers but im going to keep it broad and avoid ruining bits, but you're warned.

The phrase we landed on is 'vibes-based'.

Part of the joy of The Bear is that it is a show deeply, deeply about Chicago. The so-on-the-nose-bit is that Chicago is a character in the show and people always say this shit but you get the feeling that the creators really care about the city. Its about a sandwich shop specializing in the specific Chicago italian sandwich, so it kind of has to. But there are times that veer from a love and care for the city they're in and straight into...music video stuff.

Episode 1 is pure music video. It's songs and shots of the city and shows of the shop and shots of characters in scenic locales. It's a retrospective and aftermath on Carmy's journey with food and the end of season 2 to such an extent that it genuinely feels like a trailer. Theres like 10 new shots, and 3 of them are the aftermath, the rest is bits of him in copenhagen, learning and gently being eased into the world of haute cuisine.

It feels like...not fake. it's real, in the way that only someone with an obsessive level of love for something can make something real. but its...theres something new in the mix, and it's lost in the gravy. After the wild success of season 1 and 2, it feels like they're really just noodling and its producing things that don't quite align with the theory of the show before now.

Part of the entire thing with The Bear is that the early seasons were about the messy, dysfunctional way that people can be brought together by food and a desire to produce something they can share with others through the medium of a restaurant. And there's an understanding that the thing they're doing is kind of insane, and that it makes them insane, but it's also the only thing they care about on one level or another. The personality that seeks out working in a kitchen is obsessive, more than a little unhinged, and wants nothing else in the world but to be there, right now.

There was a minor transition away from that understanding of the restaurant world in season 2, but there was still that undercurrent of 'the thing we are doing is insane and we're going to ruin our lives chasing this', but there's a sense that the show has taken on a truly reverent tone towards the world of fine dining. In season 1, it was a trauma for Carmy, something that broke him. In season 2, he's trapped between the temporal world (Claire) and his own (the restaurant), and it's all he yearns for even as he waffles and hedges on diving all the way back into his old self. Season 3 really wants to have it both ways. Carmy is returning to the old self, and it's clearly breaking him, but also every inch of the fine dining world shown outside of The Bear is so reverential, I can't tell if it knows what its doing here.

The plot is paper-thin across the entire season. There's flashes of it, but so much of each episode is devoted to luxuriating in the dysfunction of The Bear that it just cannot find a real beginning, middle and end here. And it knows it, too, with the To Be Continued non-ending in the last episode. 10 episodes, and they managed to have multiple episodes devoted entirely to flashbacks I frankly did not need even a little bit or that could have been 5-10 minute segments in another episode instead of 30-40 minute meditations on the life of Tina before she met Mickey. The Natalie and DD episode was...man. I dunno.

There are flashes of The Bear in its most classical mode, the snappy one-two and asides and the anxiety-flash nightmare as everything falls down around their ears. The first few episodes after the first episode music video are phenomenal. But it just...keeps repeating itself.

I don't know who to lay it down on. We counted 12 Executive Producers and 4 Producers or co-producers during the credits. They got billing before the cast! What is going on?

I did enjoy it for the most part. I did check out more than I did in season 2, absolutely, though. I can only hope that this was planned through, because otherwise...man. Hate to see a good thing drown itself out in its own gravy.

[melishade]

U know, of all TFP characters that you imagine how they feel if they in AOP story, why dont u try shockwave ? I probably missed it when u did mention him. If u cant define how he would adapted in this story, here's the reference for u. Its from fanfic Professor Shockwave, a RWBY and TFP xover story. Apologize if I do this based on my personal suggestion, cause I kinda liked him. Apologize too for my bad English, since its not my mother language. Thx

It's okay if English isn't your first language. I do get the gist of your question. However, I'm not really a fan of the show RWBY. Sometimes I'll keep tabs on what's going on, but I've never watched the series in full. So I don't think I'd connect with the crossover your talking about.

However, if there are any of you who are fans of RWBY and TFP, Professor Shockwave is a fanfiction recommendation. Give the author some views and love.

But about TFP Shockwave,

He’s a bit of a mystery to me in regards to his emotions. In the aligned continuity, like Transformers Exodus and Exile, he emotes more than what we see in comparison to the show. The times that Shockwave is in the series, he dictates many of his actions and other people’s actions through logic. Are actions and responses logical or illogical? He was clearly hurt for being left behind, but immediately decides that Starscream’s response was logical. The one time I remember really emoting, really being angry, was when he called out Starscream for his treachery for the destruction of Project Predacon and 0.5 seconds away from taking out his optic. Even Megatron has considered Shockwave an anomaly and someone untrustworthy in Exodus, but he considered Shockwave useful.

We also know that Shockwave values his experimentations and his pet projects and will defy Primus on a regular basis to get what he wants. The Decepticons would give him the resources to do that, the Autobots would not. Which begs the overall question:

Would TFP Shockwave care enough about TFP Megatron’s defection and exile from Cybertron? Let’s find out.

So here’s how we start this story: once TFP Shockwave realizes that the Unicron threat is gone, and his creation have defected from him, he decides to leave Cybertron with a predacon bone he managed to salvage. He has no place there, and it would be illogical to remain on a world controlled by the Autobots. He’s off, doing his own thing, finding peace in his experimentation. That is until he stumbles across a few powerful readings on his vessel, followed by another reading that was tainted with energon. Shockwave follows it to the AOT world, but instead of going to Paradis, he goes to Marley, because there are more surges there.

He hides his ship and find himself near a battlefield, with an energon-powered Zeke Jaeger demolishing Middle Eastern forces. Shockwave, decides to use this to his advantage. He wants to know more about Zeke and the power he holds (possibly to replicate it for himself) and decides to aid Zeke in destroying Middle Eastern forces. The Marleyans are startled and grateful for Shockwave’s help, but Zeke is understandably suspicious, especially with the cannon for an arm. And Shockwave may think based on logic, but he can lie. He can use deception. He proclaims he was a former scientist who his government tortured and maimed for questioning the system that killed so many Cybertronians. He managed to escape them, but the damage was already done, and he now looks like this. Marleyans see the reward is worth more than the risk and decide to do an uneasy alliance with him.

Zeke keeps it from Megatron, but Megatron get suspicious at the technological advancements surging from Marley at an unsteady rate. It’s throwing him off. Shockwave is given free reign to experiment on the pure energon titans. Calvi and the other Marleyans are excited at the prospects, but Magath is nervous about Shockwave’s methods. They are unhinged, unethical. Magath brings this up to Calvi, but Calvi is content with the results and lets Shockwave work.

Meanwhile, Shockwave, is gathering every single piece of information about the titans and titan shifters. Their powers, skills, weaknesses, regenerative abilities, all of it. And he’s conducting his own experiments behind the scenes to see if he can apply the regenerative abilities to Cybertronian metal. Make a new creation under his control that will obey his every command. But...his direction is aimless. Why is he even creating it? What is it for? He then hears about the intel of Paradis having Optimus Prime and a Flying Titan, and Shockwave thinks this is illogical. He doesn’t care about a ‘Flying Titan’ half of all of Cybertron can fly. So he doesn’t think twice about it being Megatron. Hell, he’ll probably think it’s Windblade or something. No, what’s illogical is the fact that Optimus is supposedly alive and on the island. He voices his theory that this Optimus is a fraud, since Autobot chatter had reported him deceased, and unless he can crawl out of the core of their planet and grab a ship, the Optimus is a fraud. Shockwave also brings up the fact that the title of ‘Prime’ is the highest honor anyone on Cybertron can receive and compares it to being ordained by God (which it technically is).

However, the ruse doesn’t last, because Megatron does his own digging and discovers the new models that look eerily similar to Shockwave’s designs. Megatron can’t trust Zeke with this information; he’s certain that he’s been keeping secrets, so he decides to tail the Marleyan Military, including the Warriors, and spots them with Shockwave’s even more fucked up titan experiment and screams in his regular voice:

Because first of all, HOW THE FUCK DO YOU GET TRICKED INTO HELPING SHOCKWAVE?! Second, SHIT, IT’S SHOCKWAVE! Shockwave is stunned because he recognizes Megatron’s voice, and Megatron has no choice but to come flying down in his actual form and ram into Shockwave. And Shockwave is still trying to compute because, he’s the Flying Titan? He’s helping humans? He’s helping Optimus Prime? He’s no longer working with the Decepticons? What happened to Starscream then? All their endeavors? It’s all illogical, and the fact that it’s illogical gets him mad. Shockwave decides to say fuck it and betrays the Marleyans right then and there. He got what he wanted anyway.

Shockwave releases one of his own experiments, and he was successful in creating a Predacon clone with the regenerative properties of a titan shifter. The Predacon kills majority of Marleyan Military save for Magath since Pieck managed to save his life before the Predacon got to him. Zeke and Reiner try to fight the Predacon off but are easily beaten, and Megatron is currently dealing with Shockwave. And Shockwave is demanding an explanation out of him, but Megatron refuses to give him one. It’s not like Shockwave would care about that anyway. All you cared about were your botched experiments and tampering with creation. 

“That may be true, but I did not waste the time of other Decepticons with an illogical conquest that resulted in the exile of our planet,” Shockwave declared.

He’s not mad with Megatron in particular; he’s mad at the time wasted. But the Predacon is a problem, and Zeke is out. Megatron can’t do it on his own. So he makes a decision: He cuts Zeke and grabs him and Reiner and transforms before ordering Pieck to climb on, with Magath still in her mouth. But the Predacon manages to grab Porco before Pieck can get him and they have no choice but to flee. Megatron carries all of them back to Paradis which shocks the Survey Corps because what the hell are they doing here. But Megatron is still pissed and grabs Pieck by the throat and slams her into the ground, calling Magath out for his complete and utter foolishness. Optimus has to pry Megatron off of Pieck.

“What the hell is going on?!” Hanji demanded, “Why the fuck are they here?!”

“Shockwave!” Megatron shouts, causing Optimus to freeze and let him go. “Those slagging fools were working with Shockwave! That’s why their technology had gotten so advanced!”

“We were working against you devils! We took the-!”

Megatron slams his fist into the ground. “You think Shockwave cares about what you want! You were a means to an end! It was only a matter of time before he betrayed you! Because of you, he’s managed to create a Predacon with regenerative properties!”

“What?!” Optimus exclaimed.

“He’s going to hold this entire world hostage because of your arrogance and idiocy!” Megatron yells, “Damn it all!”

“W-who is Shockwave?” Armin trembled.

Optimus looked back at Megatron, who was still fuming in anger. “Megatron’s key scientist during the great war. Devoid of emotion and guided by his own definition of logic, Shockwave has been well known for his infamous and unethical experiments. The Cortical Psychic Patch, which allows one to see into the minds of another Cybertronian by force. The creation of the space bridge: a mode of transportation lost to Cybertron for eons. And his most recent experiment.”

Optimus turns to the Marleyans. “Which you all saw-,”

“The Predacon,” Megatron explained, “An ancient beast that fed off of Cybertronians. They went extinct during the Great Cataclysm that befell our world. With mere scraps on our dead planet, he brought Predacons back, with the ability to transform and have sentience like the rest of modern day Cybertronians. Shockwave tampers with creation because he wants to. It’s the one thing that drives him, and you just gave someone who defies Primus’ wishes information about the power of the titans! Your arrogance has doomed Marley and this world!”

“Our family,” Reiner finally managed to muster.

“Consider them dead until further notice,” Megatron declared coldly, “With the entirety of Marleyan military dead, and an enormous supply of titan serums and Eldians in Marley, Shockwave will continue what he started. Mourn your loved ones. They are gone.”

And…the Marleyans are devastated by the response. They turn to Optimus, hoping this is some kind of joke, but even Optimus’ face looks grim. Reiner and Pieck just break down crying, and Magath and Zeke are in stunned horror. Porco, Annie, the Warrior Cadets, their families are doomed, and they were helpless to do anything about it.

The 104th…don’t know how to feel about this. Because Reiner and Zeke have been the cause of their pain. They should be getting what they deserve, but the fact that Optimus and Megatron look concerned, makes them reconsider.

SO WELCOME TO THE DARK TIMELINE FOLKS!!!! Which include:

-Shockwave holding the entire world hostage with his creation, along with him creating new botched experiments. Also, Shockwave is ordering Marleyan scientists to hand over Eldians and the energon serum to experiment on pure titans. Some of whom include Zeke’s grandparents and Pieck’s father. Marley decided to give the weaker Eldians first. However, Shockwave is not stupid, and demands that a Warrior Cadet is given to him for further analysis or the Predacon is unleashed. And guess who got a little impulsive and couldn’t keep her mouth shut: Gabi, you dumb little shit!

-Paradis doesn’t know exactly what to do here because they fucking weren’t expecting this! Because Shockwave is fucking psycho! Optimus and Megatron are literally explaining what the hell Shockwave’s capable of and how he has no moral compass.

“Your moral compass is a fucking spinning pistol!” Hanji shouts at Megatron.

“At least mine slagging exists!” Megatron shot back.

-Meanwhile, the Warriors are a complicated case. They ultimately decide to grant immunity in exchange for their help in defeating Shockwave, but they are being watched like hawks, and Reiner is taking the full brunt of Paradis’ anger for the Shinganshina attack. Pieck is the only one that has the most free reign (if you can call it that) because she technically hasn’t done anything wrong to them. Although Megatron is fucking pissed at Zeke for keeping this shit from him. He doesn’t call Zeke outright or expose him right then and there, but he does tell the Survey Corps about his deception. They still need him, or at the very least they need him out of Shockwave’s hands. Also Megatron still hasn’t discovered Zeke’s intentions and whether or not there’s a plan to betray the island long term.

-Actually that’s another thing, Megatron didn’t save the remaining warriors because he was being kind. He needed them out of Shockwave’s hands because who knows what else Shockwave would accomplish.

-There is some good news to this somehow: Annie, who was kept underground for the duration of this for energon experiments from Marley, manages to get out due to the chaos. She manages to grab her father, the remaining warrior cadets, and a few others from Liberio and are now on the run. Willy ends up finding out about this and aids Annie and the others. A resistance against Shockwave begins to form in Marley.

-Meanwhile, Porco is just being put through the ringer of torture and experimentation with Gabi watching in horror. She begs Shockwave to stop and tries to say that they are good Eldians.

“Illogical. There are no good Eldians or bad Eldians,” Shockwave explains, “All of you are Eldians, all of you will be feared and hated until this world collapses in on itself or is destroyed by an outside force.”

“We just wanted to be free,” Gabi pleads with tears coming down her face.

“You were never going to be free,” Shockwave declares, “After the destruction of Paradis, the world leaders had a secret agreement to execute all remaining Eldians throughout the world.”

“Liar!” Gabi screamed at him.

“It is the only logical solution to peace on your world,” Shockwave reasoned, “Good or evil, which is a quite subjective notion, you can transform into a mindless beast that eats insects. The world would not feel safe unless all Eldians are gone. Your idea of a world where good Eldians can live freely is illogical and impractical.”

Gabi is just screaming liar at this point and Shockwave activated the shock system he has for Gabi’s cage to knock her out and shut her up.

(I might actually continue this timeline. The dark timeline is super fun. Lol.)

[cheeriecherrymain]

i love your writing and your story ideas, but it's also a little bit annoying that mischaracterize viktor a bit. i dunno, his whole character arc is kind of depressing and unhinged, and you make him so kind and uplifting. no hate or anything, i just wonder why?

hoo boy

i debated not answering this and just deleting, bc I really don't need this kind of negativity in my life, but! Here goes.

The fun thing about characters is that they are always up to interpretation. Some people are gonna think one thing, while you are gonna think another thing, and a whole other group is gonna think a third thing - that's just how it works.

Are his character and arc(s) fucking heartbreaking? Yes. Am I going to let canon stop me from smashing this man and my/other people's OCs together like barbies? No.

Personally, I think I'm a very gentle person - I'm sensitive, I'm emotional, I'm a little bit dumb (affectionate). One of my things is that I just...love to love. I love my readers, and I love the people who are always saying nice things to me and leaving comments on my fics, and i love the people who dissect my work and pick out the things they like.

I also love my blorbos. They're an artistic outlet, and a huge source of creativity for me.

And when I love someone/something, I want to give it good things. I want to treat it with a soft hand and a soothing voice, and I want to give it love and affection. So yeah, Viktor is a tragic story and a tragic character (and I can't wait to see how much more tragic he gets), but I! Am going to continue writing him in my silly little love stories.

I'm going to keep making him love the reader, because I like how happy it makes people. And more than that, writing my silly little love stories makes me happy. I spent twenty four years of my life so riddled with anxiety about what other people thought of me that it put me in the hospital.

I've worked too hard, and I've come too far to not do what makes me happy.

And if you don't like the way I write him? That's totally okay. Because people have preferences, and our interests won't always align - that's just how things are sometimes. But I'd much rather you block me and not interact with my content, than come into my inbox and try to phrase criticism as a question.

Seriously, if you don't like the way I do something, that's okay. But it's up to you to curate your online experience and make it into a good time, not me.

TL;DR - I do what I want, and if you do not like it, then it's okay to go somewhere else.

[sanstropfremir]

Hey! I hops life has been treating you well! And warning for a long and convoluted ask incoming (which is pretty par for the course for me). I’ve been going down a Yunho (U-Know Yunho to be precise lol) rabbit hole and I’m curious how you think he compares to other male SM solo artists especially Taemin (though I think it would be interesting to compare all SM solo artists like BOA or Taeyeon and Hyoyeon for the purpose of this ask im just thinking about the dudes). Cause I feel like him, Taemin, and Kai all fall on different ends of the same spectrum that’s distinct from some of the other SM solos like the other Exos (except I might add Baekhyun in there but I’m just not familiar enough with him) as they tend to tackle that darker sexier sound. I’ve been thinking about how when people say a male solo artists is making taemin lite music it’s usually actually closer to Yunho’s more recent stuff. Like taemin has kind of become short hand for dark male solo concept especially if it’s on the sexier or high concept side when that’s not always an accurate comparison. I’ve seen this especially with Wonho which is really interesting to me cause in my mind he falls way more on the Yunho end of the spectrum than Taemin (by like a long shot). And this could also be cause the kpop circles I run in are way less familiar with Yunho to make that comparison in the first place, I was just wondering if others like you that knew Yunho would agree with me. I also found it interesting that Taemin went solo before Yunho even though TVXQ are the older group so I wonder he affected Yunho’s music at all. Cause Yunho kind of seems like a more, I don’t want to say masculine, definitely more of a player, conventionally sexy foil to taemin’s more unhinged (satanic?? Fantasy? Horror-adjacent? I can’t really describe it accurately but I mean TVXQ has down their share of that too) sensual side and I can’t tell if it’s cause of the age difference between them, their group concepts (I mean TVXQ are the grown men of the kpop industry in my mind and I have no doubt they play a role in inspiring any “manly” or mature concept and Yunho’s concepts seems to follow pretty closely to TVXQ’s image in a way that Taemin doesn’t at all with Shinee), or their own artist personas and careers- taemin has always been viewed as the “feminine” one and you’ve talked a lot about how he’s both rejected and embraced that image overtime in his career. And to further complicate this I don’t really know where to put Kai between them cause he has the more overt sex appeal in Mmmh, and in his image over all, that Yunho has but also is more sensual and softer (subtle?) dance style that seems closer to taemin (or at least taemin’s image I’ll be the first to admit that my understanding of him as an artists doesnt always align with his actual output and the expectations I project on him) so I guess he goes in the middle. But peaches does really stand out as a sort of softer lighter storybook concept (which I love cause I feel like we don’t see traditional concepts that are more feel good) so that kind of throws a wrench into my theory and I guess thats what I get for treating artists’ output as a monolith and for comparing them😅. This ask is getting very very long and I’m late for class so I won’t continue but I did have some idea about where Xiumin’s recent comeback fits into this roster of artists but I’ll save that for another day lol. As always thanks for your input and I hope this makes at least some sense to you!

i stopped photo editing to answer this lmao bc i think this a very interesting question/thought experiment etc etc

firstly, most people will make the taemin comparison for male soloist because he is significantly more well known as a soloist, and part of that is that he's famous for being a soloist; an extension of which is the disparity between his solo work and his group work. now there are two points i want to fork off into from here:

-> the first is that it's a flawed comparison to place yunho, taemin, and kai on a spectrum because they're not derivatives of each other in the way that a spectrum would imply; what they all are is derivatives of rain. every dance-based male soloist is, via some lineage, a descendant of rain, whether it's through the skills line (taemin) or the 'masculinity' line (yunho) or a mix (kai). baekhyun doesn't factor in here because he's almost purely rnb based and therefore a kangta derivative.

-> the second is that it is valid for people to be making that comparison to taemin because most younger idols are going to be using him as reference, and because a lot of these younger idols are following his method of creating a separate solo persona from their group. yunho does not have that distinction. he is quite literally the face of tvxq, and therefore inextricably bound to the group's identity because there are literally only two of them. if they were, for example, still a five member group, he might have had more a chance to diversify himself a bit, but that's a bygone point because we don't live in that world. the reason tvxq made it through the split and maintained being an extremely successful group is very likely because of yunho's singlehanded determination. obviously changmin does care about the group, but as we've seen with his solo work, he's much more of a musical chameleon; he's more focused on dabbling in widely different genres that interest him. yunho's solo music however, is pretty consistent in sound and also not all that surprising of a leap from who he is in tvxq. so by that observation, i would say there isn't actually a difference between uknow yunho and uknow the soloist. his artistic identity is tvxq, in a way that he can't separate, unlike how taemin can separate from shinee. and following that point through, no younger soloist can really be compared to him because his history and group image are so integral to what he does. that's why there's like a negative number of young idols that every attempt to cover a yunho song, bc the vibes of something like follow or thank u would OBLITERATE anyone under the age of 30.

if you were to look at just aesthetics and music styles, sure on the surface there are some younger idols that unintentionally skew more towards some of the stuff that yunho has done, but in the end that's because they're all under the rain umbrella.

[anotherghoul666]

Dude! (I always use this word in a gender neutral way by the way, but if you dislike it still just let me know)

I got a question, cause I’m really unsure of your opinion on something. Either you like them and find them funny or you dislike/hate them, but I somehow got the feeling you know them.

What‘s your opinion on Steel Panther?

~owlish anon

Ooooh now we're just trading special interests back and forthhhh XD You hit me with that sweet owl knowledge, now it's my turn to hit you back with some metal history and Opinions hahahaha (I also use dude for everybody in a gender neutral way, you're good!)

Steel Motherfucking Panther dude. I have so much to say about these guys xD The tl;dr version of my answer is this: it's nuanced XD Because everything is with me hahaha. I loved Steel Panther in the early 2010s. I have had some of the wildest, completely unhinged, off the wall crazy VIP parties with those guys. Some of my most fun "hagning out with bands" memories. Plus they give one hell of a live show. They have a special place in my heart. That being said, I fell off of the SP wagon around 2015-2016, and it's not a band that I can see myself going back to or continuing to support in the future. I'm a very different person that I was over a decade ago, my values have changed, I'm not a party person anymore, and I just don't align with this kind of act or message anymore.

I shall now proceed to write an entire damn essay, as I do, to detail my journey with the band and explain my takes, if you're interested XD

Typically when I hear people hate on Steep Panther, the dislike stems from one of three things:

The music reason: people don't like them because they legitimately don't like 80s glam rock / glam metal. They don't like the sound, they don't like power ballads, etc. That's 100% a valid reason, it's musical taste, you gotta be into the 80s cheesiness to like SP because they dial that shit to the max. If you don't like bands like Motley Crew and Poison and Guns N' Roses, etc. you're just not gonna like SP, the music's the same.

The toxic masculinity reason: people (and by that I mean straight, white, cis men 99% of the time) think the band is "gay" (used as the derogatory term) and they can't get over their internalized issues. Insecure men see other men on stage, very secure men who are not afraid to wear glitter and barbie pink and makeup and nail polish and heels and spandex, and they feel threatened. They see the confidence the SP guys have, they don't see it in themselves, they hate themselves for it but because of cognitive dissonance they have no clue, so they spew hatred and insults and derogatory terms at the band. And it makes them loose their shit even more when they see women respond to the vulnerability and feminine side the SP guys display and be attracted to it. Glam rock in the 80s (and by extension SP today) are seen as "girl things" and vehemently shat on by cishet men the same way "girl media" like Twilight for example is. It's a desperate and quite pathetic attempt at covering up their insecurities and it stinks from miles away. 0% validity, unpack your shit, man, and go to therapy.

The "they're inappropriate / problematic" reason: people think Steel Panther are tacky or unfunny or they take the joke too far. SP are a parody band. They are a caricature, an exaggerated to the extreme version of 80s glam rock / glam metal bands and groupie culture. Whether you find the joke funny or not is entirely gonna depend on your sense of humor and what genre of humor you like. If you think sex jokes are gross and uncalled for, stay away from SP, that's the whole shtick. If you think penis jokes are funny, stay around because there will be a million more of those. It's a taste thing. 50/50 valid and invalid reason here, and I can see both sides. I myself have straddled the line of both of these sides throughout my life.

People get angry at SP because they say their lyrics and skits, on stage and in their videos, are misogynistic, abelist, racist, homophobic, fatphobic, etc. There is so stuff that people can accuse this band of, and they think the band members themselves are making fun of women and other marginalized communities. If you think that, that's alright and I respect that your feelings were hurt. But dude. You missed the joke. You didn't understand what the band is doing. SP themselves are not shitting on women. They are shitting on 80s glam rock and groupie culture. They are magnifying the issues that this culture had and putting them under a modern microscope and light. The point is to be shocking, because groupie culture was shocking. It's as much of a celebration of the music as it's a criticism of the over the top way of life of these bands, and humor is the vehicle for the lessons. If you think any exposure of these topics is dangerous, then sure, absolutely you'll hate the band. If you see the value of poking fun at the type of shit that went down in the 80s, then you'll love SP. It's a matter of sensibility I feel, and whether you're able as a listener to sit with your inner discomfort to find the joke and find value in the caricature / exposure of problems through humor, or if the discomfort is too strong and you wanna leave. Both reactions are ok.

Ghost does the exact same thing as Steel Panther, but they target the christian religion instead of tour bus sex orgies and cocaine. We've seen how wildly uncomfortable Ghost can make people with their easter jesus talk / the new video. Discourse has exploded and it's the exact same thing: there are those of us that get the joke, and those of us that take it too seriously. Anyone that takes Ghost seriously, just as anyone that takes Steel Panther seriously, is bound to get offended. That's the point. SP does not allow for indifference. They'll make you laugh to tears or they'll shock you and put you in an outrage, but either way you're gonna feel something about them.

Now, personally, I used to be in on the joke. I found them hilarious in 2010. I have also changed, my values have changed, my levels of tolerance for things being "just funny" versus things veering into problematic territory has changed. Am I down today for some of the language Steel Panther use in their songs? Nope. Are there songs from theirs I still adore and will unapologetically blast / sing to / drum to? Abso-fucking-lutely dude. Not all the songs have what I personally consider problematic content or language. But I wouldn't buy their albums anymore or buy merch or pay to go to their concerts. I'd go if they were in town and my mag sent me to cover the show, but I wouldn't support them monetarily anymore.

I was born in '91. I was just a bit too late to live through the '85-'88 hay day of glam metal, but I was steeped in the culture from when I was a baby. My dad's a rocker, his whole "old life" before my parents had me was touring with bands and importing music. He's lived through the creation of rock and prog in the 60s. He's been instrumental in importing international (and mostly British cause the UK scene was popping back then) prog and rock bands for the first time in the country in the 70s. He's played with bands throughout the 70s and 80s where he was the one having groupies crawling over him. That was his world. So I grew up on his stories and memories of the sexual liberation and living in communes, of flower power and Woodstock-like festivals, of the glam rock life. That was my ideal, that was my childhood dream, this world, and back then the social discourse was very very different from how it is today.

So when I discovered Steel Panther around 2010 (I think it was with the release of the first singles for the Balls Out album that came out the year after, with 17 Girls in a Row), that band sounded like it was 1987 but in 2010, all day every day. The sound, the look, the attitude, it was spot on. And of course it was played up for the joke, the lyrics and themes were crazy blown out of proportion, but I also felt like these raunchy lyrics in 2010 must've been how the relatively tame (to my ears) lyrics from Poison and Def Leppard etc. felt to people in the 80s. What shocks a population 2-3 decades apart won't be the same. I felt Steel Panther upped the absurdity and raunchiness of the themes to shock the modern crowd at a similar level. I thought it was brilliant.

I caught up with their previous album Feel the Steel from 2009, I liked it ok, some songs were great, some were meh. Nowadays I can see how Feel the Steel is by far the most problematic SP album in terms of content so it doesn't right with me so much anymore. I'm attached to tracks like Community Property because 2010 me (who still identified as a woman and monogamous at the time because I didn't know I hadthe right to be anything else) felt a deep, deep satisfaction singing about how "my cock is community property / my dick's a free spirit" for some reason (ha haha hahaha turned out the reason was probably because I was Not A Woman and also Not Monogamous XD In the end my cock is indeed somewhat community property today XD). I'm also attached to Death to All but Metal cause I basically learned how to double bass drum on that song, and the dig on early 2000s MTV culture is hella funny, but there are lines of lyrics in there dude, wheew. Nope. Anyway.

Balls Out in 2011 was one of my favorite albums of that year. Supersonic Sex Machine, 17 Girls in a Row, It Won't Suck Itself dude? That song FUCKS!!! People can say whatever they want about Chad Kroger and Nickelback, I also grew up on that band and I think they get unecessary hate. From then I was all in. Went to shows, hung out with them, VIP parties (I could talk for an hour about what a VIP with Steel Panther looks like, if you wanna but in another ask cause this one is Too Long already XD ), and so much hype for the next album.

2014's All you Can Eat blew me away, also one of my best albums of that year. Pussywhipped and its femdom vibes; Party like Tomorrow is the End of the World dude what a stellar single and video; Gloryhole is a catchy motherfuckewr; Gangbang at the Old Folks Home actually spreads the message that old people still have a sex life which is legit a good message; The Burden of Being Wonderful is the perfect stupid egotistical power ballad and I adore it, listennnn. Bangers across the board.

The true talent of these guys was was that, behind the stupid jokes, they were super talented musicians. Legit good musicians across the board, because to recreate a song from 2-3 decades ago this perfectly, to pinpoint guitar tone and amps and song writing structures and vocal techniques like a damn time machine? That takes so much talent. The guys joke around, but they don't play with their music quality.

2015 I did start to notice the band was getting stale. They didn't renew the jokes as much, they started to recycle songs and themes, I wondered where it was gonna go. Lower the Bar came out in 2017 and I was not about it. I found it very boring and, I don't have another word for it, stale. That's when I started to loose interest. Lexxi leaving in 2018 was kinda the nail in the coffin for me. He was a huge part of the band for me, a bit part of the balance of the band's energy especially on stage, and who they replaced him with just felt cheap and overplayed. Good on the guys for still doing their thing today, but past 2018 I have not touched Steel Panther and I have no clue what they're doing anymore. So to loop back around, today SP is not, as I said before, a band I'd spend money on nor keep listening to. But it doesn't negate the wonderful years and memories I have with there guys. I'm just not down for their message and vibe anymore. I learned, I evolved, I changed, the past still holds value, but I'm not doubling back to 2010 me anytime soon.

And that, my dear Owl, is my unecessarily long opinion about Steel Panther XD Thanks for asking, this was a fun blast from the past to revisit!