#But there are just so many of them that it adds up into a game that is so odd and disjointed that it's not good

[ofmdlovelyletters]

Prefacing this by saying this blog is adorable and I love that people are spreading love to their friends. That being said, it makes me (someone who doesn't really know how to start talking to strangers and is just kind of there in the fandom space) and I assume other people in the same situation feel so spectacularly alone and left out lmao

This is definitely hard. It can feel really lonely when it seems everyone else has already found their friends and/or their place in the fandom and you haven't. Your feelings are valid, and we hope things improve and you're able to find some great fandom friends soon. If seeing this blog gets to be too much, you can of course block or filter it so you'll no longer see the letters on your dash.

If you're looking for advice on how to start talking to strangers, here are some tips we've gathered, many from people who describe themselves as introverts who at one point also didn't have many friends in fandom. We also encourage people to reblog this post with their own advice.

Share your thoughts in tags in reblog of fandom posts. This is an easy way to show your personality and your interests without having to directly engage with someone, and may make others more comfortable and interested in engaging with you.

Participate in ask games, both by reblogging them and by sending in asks to others who do. It's always fun when the dash lights up with these so we can get to know each other better. The key is to both share your own answers and to send them to others to keep the game going. Can't find a good ask game? We may have something in the works. 👀

If you have a creative side (writing, art, gifs, fiber arts, whatever!), share it! And if you don't, show your appreciation of those who do by commenting or, back to that first point, reblogging with enthusiastic tags.

Never underestimate the power of a simple text post! It doesn't need to be some deep, analytical meta like you're writing an essay for school. You can share a detail from the show you've been obsessing over, or a personal head canon you have, or a song that makes you think of your favorite character. Drop it in the tags and see what happens!

And if you're feeling brave, DM somebody who you'd like to get to know better! You can try referencing a post they made, or something on your dash that made you think of them. It's not a guarantee you'll be immediately best friends, but you never know until you try.

We will add that all of these tips are simply a first step. Making friends in fandom does require consistency, putting yourself out there, and actively engaging with others. It can be scary, we know! But there's an old cliche that you get out of fandom what you put into it, and we've found that to be very true. It may not be easy, and it may take some time, but if that's really what you want, it's absolutely worth it. Take those steps for yourself. You deserve it.

We do also want to emphasize that even if you "only" are "just kind of there" in fandom, you are still valued and important. Love of the show is the only thing that keeps the fandom going, and if you have that, you're doing plenty.

And again, if anyone has any tips on how to start talking to other people in fandom to feel more engaged and find your place, please share them! We're eager to hear.

As a crew. 💌

[saaltskies]

Anthea and Concordia don’t show up or do much and it is very sad because they are so interesting. They only show up twice (one appearance in each game) but those appearances add some valuable and interesting context and information specifically about N’s upbringing.

Along with N, they were also children adopted by Ghetsis and are N’s adopted older sisters tasked with the role of being his caretakers which is kinda messed up because they were kids too. We don’t know their ages, but they would be only a few years older than N and were forced into the role of a mother when they were still children themselves. There is also an interesting thing in how they are girls and I would not be surprised if Ghetsis specifically picked girls to take care of N because he sees child rearing as a woman’s job and put them in charge of raising and taking care of him while Ghetsis served as a teacher of sorts to make him into a king. It is completely like him to do that.

A very interesting thing is how they had some level of awareness of what Ghetsis was doing. They clearly had stuff figured out by the time you met them in the castle, and two years later when you meet them in the ex Team Plasma safehouse, they know enough to call it grooming and to know what that is and that that is what Ghetsis was doing (and I loooooove how the game used that word and called it what it is and didn’t shy away from saying he was groomed), but I do wonder at what point in their lives they started figuring things out. They care a lot about N and when they met you they made sure to tell you that he is a good person, Ghetsis has just been manipulating him. They want to help him get out of there and break free from Ghetsis and his own ideals keeping him prisoner (haha prisoner of a formula). I wonder if they have tried telling him but it didn’t really work because N is so stuck in this mindset and Ghetsis had a lot of control over him and also they wouldn’t be able to say or do much to attempt to persuade him anyway because there is the risk of Ghetsis finding out what they are doing and punishing them (this is especially scary because Ghetsis is clearly not above killing children. He tried to kill both protagonists he would absolutely kill them or hurt them in some other horrific way if they defied him). There are also other things to consider like they probably didn’t know what to do with their doubts, and of course they were brainwashed too and are also in the cult mindset and probably supported Team Plasma a lot at least at first.

I do find it interesting that they don’t do much and don’t seem to have an identity outside of N. This is almost definitely not intentional and they probably just don’t do much in the games, but it is fun to get stuff out of it anyway. It is interesting because with the Team Plasma being a cult thing you kinda lose a sense of identity. The members are less their own people and more a collective whole. They all dress the exact same, all of their minds are focused on the liberation of pokemon and refusing any other ideas and outside forces, they all worship N like you would a god and think of him as this great savior, and they are isolated from the rest of the world to keep them under Ghetsis’s control. Many members who left after they found out what Ghetsis was doing couldn’t move on and split off to another Team Plasma faction where many continue to wear their uniforms and call N their lord and keep their beliefs but stop stealing and dedicate their lives to atoning for their wrongdoings and many are waiting and hoping for their Lord N to return (as if it’s Jesus’s second coming or something. yikes). Anthea and Concordia are among these. While they are separate from the rest of Team Plasma with their titles of goddesses, their lives since being adopted by Ghetsis as children has completely revolved around N and with that their identities. Even after leaving, the only thing they talk about to you is N and they remain in the broken off Team Plasma that follows N and hates Ghetsis. You could say that their characters completely revolve around N because THEY do. Their whole identities and lives are based around him and despite getting away from Ghetsis, they still won’t move on and start living their own lives like N has started doing. They voice their wishes for N to move on and do what he wants with his life but they won’t do it themselves and it’s very sad.

I really hope if a Unova legends game is ever made these two have a bigger role or at least show up more.

[revelboo]

Long time reblogged and lurker!

I wanted to add to the cat train

Here's Barley, yes he does sleep like this.

Cute!

Circles Pt 5

Rewind x Reader x Chromedome

• “How are you winning when you’ve asked me how the same piece moves five times?” Chromedome demands and you just shrug. Because honestly? You’re as mystified as he is. It’s not like you have any idea what you’re doing, you just keep moving pieces randomly, because unintelligible rules, alien chess makes no sense to you. Half your moves he or Rewind correct telling you that you can’t do that.

• “Boop,” you say, pushing a piece on the board and Chromedome swallows a growl. Boop? Are you mocking him somehow? Is that a human taunt? Gritting his denta behind his mask, he shoots Rewind a look. Because the cassette had suggested he play a game with you to distract you. And Rewind is enjoying this, he’s sure of it.

• Swallowing a laugh as Chromedome’s servos flex, Rewind watches his partner snatch up a piece and make his move. The wrong move, playing recklessly because he’s getting angry that you’re winning. And it seems to be sheer luck. Watching you pick a piece and move it, Rewind shakes his head. “You can’t move there,” he says. And you slide it. “Or there. No. Still no. Try again. You can move there.”

• “Don’t help them,” Chromedome growls at Rewind. “Whose side are you on?” And you grin at him, enjoying riling him up. You’re not all that competitive, but the fact that he’s acting like it’s killing him that you’re winning? Pretty hilarious. And he’s venting angrily as he grabs a piece and zigzags it across the board. That’s how that one moves?

• And you’re just grinning at him. How? How are you winning at a game you can’t even remember the rules to? Growling at you as you grab a piece and mimic his move, making little noises every time you change directions with the piece. Servos itching to just flip the board, he stares as Rewind starts laughing, making him realize what you just did. No. There’s no way he just lost to a dumb, little organic that don’t even understand the game and makes sound effects for the pieces. “What?” You ask, oblivious to make the loss hurt even worse. ‘Reset the board,’ he snarls as you just blink at him. ‘Best two out of three.’

Previous

I’m struggling so hard right now- got a new bottle for Jeep Jam so it and my purse match Sounders. I typically plaster these things with stickers and I have so many transformers stickers right now. None of which are Soundwave

[joeloverture]

tlou & enjoyment vs. conscious enjoyment

im currently in the deepest throes of finals season and looking down having to travel for two back to back residencies so ive been highkey spaced out on here, popping in and out at my own leisure. but im showing up to add to the conversation. reminder that ive studied all of these concepts at the collegiate level for years, have experience running workshops for poc, etc. i know what im saying. blah blah blah im vetty im mexican chilean / nahua & mayan

i do not fault anyone for enjoying tlou. in fact, i encourage them to. it’s one of the most popular medias of the time with a hit hbo show and it’s one of the most successful playstation games of all time. tlou is simply something that is meant to be enjoyed. this is good! finding comfort in these times is important for all of us. but simultaneously, we need to be aware of where this comfort comes from; i.e. is it at the expense of someone else’s discomfort? consuming any storytelling is an act that cannot be apolitical. everything about writing, art, and television is political from a story’s inception to its delivery.

these critiques about tlou are not new! they’ve existed for years. many call into question in the first game the deaths of poc as an engine that powers the white characters’ stories. this is a problem that persists into the second game and the second season. tlou is also inextricable from the zionist mindset of its creator neil druckmann. once you look for these things as an audience member in a critical way, they begin to pop up everywhere.

for example, martyr’s gate. in abbys part you come across a setup where seraphites leave written prayers to their martyred leader. if the player interacts with the environment in a specific way, abby picks up one of the letters that asks for the fighting to stop. she says, offhandedly, “easy. stay on your fucking island.” this is colonizer mindset turned to the highest degree. when layered with the themes of martyring and idealism that neil is clearly critiquing, this is just one example of horrific worldviews that have wedged their way into the storyline. she also announces to her friends that killing children seraphites is acceptable and necessary if they attack first. remind you of anything?

i’ve made a separate post about show joels death, which can be found in my pinned. poc trauma is especially prevalent with abbys character: her entire storyline centers white saviorism. her past sins can be forgiven because she saves two asian kids from their evil religion, whose trauma directly propels the plot. (yaras amputation, lev killing his mom, yaras death). the game never actually considers abby’s past actions. she changes in the course of about two days and we are expected to see this as a well rounded character arc as if she wasn’t the right hand woman of someone who yall watched brutally torture someone on live television last sunday. ive also heard a sound bite from the show: “i don’t care if they’re women kids or fucking babies look what they did! kill them all!” manny — a full blown stereotype of mexican culture — has his eye shot out by tommy. tommy later loses his eye to show consequences. neils pivotal ideology of “an eye for an eye”

and that’s just in abbys part. in ellies part, she tortures and then kills nora. jesse dies at abbys hand.

if i can write 3 entire paragraphs without even scratching the surface of the games intrinsic, racist properties, there’s a problem.

the issue is not engaging with this media. the issue lies in how it is consumed, and how it is addressed in internet spaces. this is not a dogshit take. the torture porn and racism is EMBEDDED into the plot. there is not a tlou without it. this is undeniable. attempting to deny it is to make attempts to save your own skin in lieu of poc begging you to experience this content with some level of consciousness about its origins.

it hurts to see the people we poc share this platform with brushing over our trauma and using it as fodder for their fanfiction and entertainment. it just does. especially when the vast majority of all of us have experienced this trauma firsthand or generationally to a degree that most white people have been lucky enough to be spared from.

denying that tlou is racist is simply a racist take. interacting with tlou is not something that is inherently racist in and of itself. this seems to be where the mix up has occurred. the mix up has also occurred on our end; for thinking that our experiences would be empathized with. or that certain members of the fandom would move forward with a larger degree of awareness. we know better than to think we’ll be taken seriously these days.

ive seen arguments like: the actors knew what they were getting themselves into! other poc disagree with you!

1- acting is an industry. many of the tlou hiring stories happened quickly without the specifics of the storyline being shared. pedro had the first 3 scripts and confirmation that he’d die; likely not HOW he would die.

2- poc are not a monolith. we can also be racist. we can also partake in racist ideology. we can also have differing views on this. i think most of us agree, though, that neil is a piece of shit whose perspective inundates the game.

that’s my piece. im missing some stuff but i typed this on my phone between finals. so 🐛

poc you will always be safe on my blog and with me. we can enjoy parts of tlou while disgracing other parts of it.

[x-i-l-verify]

Welp, I was tagged, I might as well give this my best attempt. Full disclaimer, all I know about the Links are from LU. I have never played any of the games, haven’t read any of the manga (though @kuraiacoris thoughtfully sent me 2 that are on my reading list), literally everything I know is from fanworks and the wikis and the occasional video essay. I don’t have any nostalgia for this franchise whatsoever. I am coming at this from the perspective of a LU fan first and foremost. Additional disclaimer is that I love all 9 of these characters v much, they are all blorbo material and I’m squishing all their cheeks, there’s not a one I actively dislike or think is uninteresting. I just think some are more interesting than others. XD

Also, fair warning, rankings 4-8 really depend on my mood and the day, I sat here literally for like 30 mins trying to rank them and going back and forth. >.<

1. Four – Four stuck out to me almost immediately upon looking through the LU concept sketches and eventually the comic just because of his design. It’s very striking and unique, and I love how small and tiny he is. We don’t have enough short kings in fiction imho. I love his hairstyle, too. But it was his personality that really intrigued me. He’s observant and clever, dramatic and very expressive, and so quietly caring. His love language is 100% acts of service, and it’s clear he loves doing things for people and making sure they’re taken care of. It’s no wonder he’s the Hero of the Minish, of quiet, simple, everyday kindnesses. I also find his placement in the timeline fascinating, like what do you mean he’s the second hero ever right after Sky, who never wielded the Triforce or Master Sword but still secured the peace and prosperity for Hyrule for years and years to come? *pokes fandom* Hey, hey fandom, where are all my fics where Four is absolutely awestruck by Sky and they have a relationship like Time and his successors or Downfall Duo, huh? Huh??? Fandom, you are slacking. >:[ I also am not quite sure why so many people seem to have such a hard time writing him or getting a handle on his character. He’s a complex little guy, sure, but not that complex, surely?

2. Warriors – I wasn’t sure what to make of him at first, but a dip into the fandom convinced me of what I was missing out on but also that the poor guy was incredibly maligned in some fanwork, made the villain in fic just because he sometimes clashed with fandom darlings Wild or Legend, and that made me determined to support him. And tbh I think the group really needs someone like him as one of its pillars. He’s one of the only Links who has a lot of experience working as a team, and it’s clear he cares a lot about the others and really tries to keep them safe. Yeah, sometimes he can get frustrated with some of the more independent or hairbrained of the lot, but coming from his background, that behavior gets you dead. It totally makes sense why he’d react that way. Add to that, I love his banter with Twilight and Legend in particular, and his semi-canon relationship with Time and Wind from the War of Eras makes me go 👀 👀 👀 👀 Speaking of the War of Eras, if you think about that conflict for more than about 10 seconds, the more horrifying it becomes. That man has baggage and no mistake. And it’s fun to unpack that baggage. B)

3. Time – Time duked it out with Warriors for my #2 spot for awhile before Warriors got a leg up on him, but make no mistake, I really do like Time a lot. I have a big soft spot for team dads, especially reluctant team dads who are like “Shit, I’m the adult in the room, oh no.” XD It’s really interesting to see the Link from OOT and MM in this in-between stage of his life, to see one of the Links all grown up as an adult who’s married and has a happy, peaceful life. Love his relationship with Malon, and the way he tries his best to look after the younger heroes while still encouraging independence is adorable. Plus, he’s clearly still a dramatic gremlin, and I think him being all cryptic with his past exploits is hilarious. XD He’s a cool guy, and I’m glad Jojo went this direction with his character.

4. Sky – Sky kinda fades into the background when he doesn’t have the spotlight directly on him so far, but I watched a cutscene compilation of Skyward Sword and instantly fell in love. <3 I adore how expressive and mellow he is, but also how fast he can turn on a dime and absolutely destroy any threat to his loved ones. He’s also just a huge little shit, and I love that such a sweet face hides such a gremlin. XD Sass king, this one. Also the prospective angst of his place in the timeline as the first Hero and founder of the royal line of Hyrule is choice. I love him. He’s great. If you don’t love him, please go watch some cutscenes of Skyward Sword.

5. Twilight – So now we’re getting into “oh boy, I have no idea how to rank these guys” territory, so take this ranking with a grain of salt. Twilight could be lower on any given day, but right now, he’s at 5 because I really enjoy big brother characters and LU!Twilight’s design is immaculate. I love the Twili markings so freaking much. But also, he’s just a unit, a brick, a fine, helpful young man. <3 You can tell he’s such a people person and has a lot of experience corralling people younger than him. XD His relationship with Time is very interesting, and while I do like his relationship with Wild, too, imho it's really been done to death in fanworks. I’m desperate to see him interact with other characters, which is why I’m so pumped that Jojo paired him with Sky. They will be such besties by the end of the dungeon, mark my words.

6. Wind – I am somewhat sheepish that Wind is this far down in my ranking, especially since I have a friend that blorbos him really hard, but it is what it is. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ I do like him! He’s a cute kid, and a good kid, helpful and sweet and impish as all Links are. I’m not a huge fan of the super foul-mouthed pirate that fanon tends to make him, as that has little basis in canon, either from the games or LU. Wind is a Good Boy. A big brother that’s now the youngest of nine, and there’s a lot you can do with that dynamic. He’s used to caring for others, not being cared for himself, so giving him eight overprotective older brothers is a fun twist. His dynamic with Time is intriguing, and I’m crossing my fingers and praying very hard that the common theory of him being Four’s descendant is true.

7. Hyrule – I was rather underwhelmed with Hyrule at first in the comic, since he’s so quiet and takes such a backseat to the rest of the characters, but now that he’s gotten more of a chance to shine, he’s grown on me a lot. He may be quiet, but he’s no pushover, and he’s so sweet and kind and optimistic in spite of how run down his own era is. His abilities are so unlike the other Links’, too, and he’s just really mysterious, which is intriguing.

8. Legend – Legend took by far the longest to grow on me during my first read of LU, where I found him annoying and unpleasant (I’m not usually a fan of tsunderes), but despite his placement on this list, he really has grown on me a lot. Despite his abrasive exterior, he really does love very deeply, and he’s been badly hurt in the past, so his abrasiveness makes sense. I think some people take that too extremes, though, especially in fanworks, where he can sometimes be pretty insufferable. Also, fanon Downfall Duo is out, canon Downfall Duo is in. Also Legend+Warriors is the best Legend dynamic ur arguments are invalid.

9. Wild – Yeah, sorry. I know BOTW/TOTK is super popular and all, and Wild is a very fun character to play with, I’m just kinda tired of him getting shoved front and center in everything. Twilight occasionally gets a pass because I have a weakness for his character archetype, but Wild does not have that luxury. I might also be a bit biased because of the mess his games (TOTK specifically) make of the timeline, which directly affects LU canon, since Jojo has to work with what she’s got. But also his recklessness makes me want to drub him over the head with a stick occasionally. Yes, it's funny, but also boi you are taking years off your brothers’ lifespans, stoppit.

Reiterating that all Links are good Links, though. Just throwing that out there.

Tagging @scarlettediscord and @silverne-nonsense, though of course no pressure

Gonna try and start a tag game, so let's go!

We've all got our favorite Links, but I wanna know how ALL the LU Links rank for you.

I'll start! And just to note, I've only played Sky, Wild, and Twilight's games so far.

1. Sky- My favorite Link, though his game is my second favorite

2. Wild- Second favorite Link, but his games are my favorite

3. Warriors- Haven't played his games, but @crazylittlejester has made him one of my top three

4. Time- Gives big Dad vibes, he's just trying to keep his children out of trouble

5. Twilight- Absolutely the big brother

6. Legend- Not as bitter as I often see him portrayed. He's just a (older) kid whose been through a lot

7. Hyrule- Played his games a LONG time ago, never made it past the first dungeon. I don't really have much to say about him though

8. Wind- Cute kid, I like him but don't have much to day about him either

9. Four- I unfortunately don't know anything about him beyond LU, sorry Four!

Tagging:

@skyloftian-nutcase @crazylittlejester @skyward-floored @sprite-and-the-bunnydragons and anyone else is welcome to join as well!

[purplesimmer455]

Nancy's been going through a loud phase lately, and because of that she curses loudly in front of everyone. Iseul and Aubrey bite back laughs, Haruo giggles, and Riley and Stephanie turn to look at their daughter. "Nancy Mei Takamura," Stephanie says in her disappointed mom voice. "Ma, I just said asshat. Simsus llama," Nancy grumbles, adding the last part under her breath. "Nancy, don't talk to your mom like that," Riley adds, giving her an equally stern parental look. "Oh my gods, I just cursed once and you guys are acting like I kicked a plant or something!" Nancy says, her temper flaring. Her face burns as both her grandpops and auntie Iseul give her concerned looks and Haruo's eyes widen, and she rushes to her room before she can cry in front of them all.

A silence falls, and Riley goes over to comfort Haruo, who's upset that his sister is upset, while Stephanie goes to Nancy’s room and knocks on the door. "Can I come in?" She asks. "Yeah," Nancy says, wiping quickly at her eyes. Stephanie enters and sits down on the bed, patting the space next to her, and Nancy sighs but sits down. "What happened, sweetpea?" Stephanie asks gently. "I don't know, I've just been feeling so grumpy lately about everything. I'm sorry for snapping at you and Ren," Nancy says. "It's okay, I know you're going through a lot of changes from becoming a teen. I was also grumpy with my dads and my aunt Nancy at your age, so I understand," Stephanie admits. "Really?" Nancy says, sniffling a bit. "Yeah, and I want to say I'm sorry if Ren or I were too harsh." Stephanie says softly. Nancy nods and leans in to hug her mom. "You weren't, I guess. I just feel embarrassed that auntie Iseul and grandpops saw that," Nancy says. "It's okay, I'm sure they've had grumpy moments too so they understand." Stephanie adds softly, and Nancy smiles. "Can we stay in here for a few minutes? I don't know if I can go back out yet." Nancy asks, and Stephanie nods, "Sure, let me just text your parent." She says, sending off a quick text before hugging Nancy close to her again.

Edit: Nancy automatically cursed in-game so I decided to work it into the story. I was a grumpy and emotional teen sometimes just like Nancy is shown as here, and I feel like it's realistic to being at that age and going through so many changes. Nancy will be alright though, she has loving and supportive family and friends, and soon enough this phase will pass and she'll learn to emotionally regulate. 😊

@abbysimsfun You brought up how well Nancy handled her parents saying no to hanging out with Emily at the beach, and I was thinking of that when Nancy had her moment in the game. I feel like maybe that contributed to her being grumpy. 🤔😅

[vldunchartedregions]

Hello dear vldunchartedregions! First of all I wanted to thank you for all the hard work you've been doing to uncover all these info about s08, it's super interesting! I just finished rewatching all of vld and I've been reading both your posts and The Purple Lion's metas and it's just insane how much has been edited/cut in the end! I actually wanted to ask you a question regarding Pidge and Allurance. The Purple Lion's team, from what I've seen, is pro Plance and during my re-watch I noticed that Pidge seems to be rather involved with Allura and Lance's relationship: she's the only one who seems to be upset about Allura having a date with Lance, she sacrifices her video-game to get Allura a dress and even wants to bring her a gift during "Clear Day". I'm a multishipper and I remember, back in the day, that the Plance fandom was quite convinced that their ship could be canon (I also remember Bex liking Plance and writing about it on Twitter, but I could be mistaken). I know you ship Klance and that this meta is going to be Klance centric and I am convinced that there are WAY more hints for an eventual KL endgame, but I still wanted to hear your opinion on what is Pidge's role in all of this. I personally believe that she was supposed to be the one to realize that Allura and Lance aren't happy together and that she would eventually help them both to break up and to be with whom they truly love (and, on the other side, Hunk is the one who helps Keith to open up). Considering that you're using The Purple Lion's metas as reference, what is your position on this? I hope my ask won't anger any shipper, this is just a plot point that I'm curious about (and I'm open to all interpretations).

Thank you for your time and have a nice weekend ❤️💙

Hi! Thank you for your lovely question and I hope you're having a marvelous day.

Firstly, we wanted to iterate that going into this meta, we had no intention in accounting for and placing our bets on a particular ship. We just opened the doors and did some investigating after a source told us what they knew about the show.

When we were told that 1) Lotor & Allura were endgame, and 2) Keith & Lance were Korrasami implied, we did a first watch through without even touching ships as a whole, and then went into the second with the information we had about said ships.

I cannot express how many doors burst wide open when we watched with the above information.

Honestly? We weren't surprised by this information, to be honest. It was the same team who worked on Legend of Korra and Avatar: the Last Airbender, so we knew there would be similarities on many fronts.

Naturally, we rolled with the information we had and did a rewatch of season 8 alongside watching other seasons to find those parallels, thematics, foreshadowing, etc. etc. (and we're finding more and more everyday).

What we uncovered about Lotura was pretty like yup, this makes total sense! They were endgame.

It's been talked about before, but yes, he would've received a redemption arc, and yes, they would've been endgame.

@leakinghate and the team covered a lot of Lotura pretty well (shoutouts to them) but we'll also add our perspectives to this meta as it will be very relevant when doing our deep dive. It's not far off from what Team Purple Lion have discussed previously, but hopefully we can add some new nuggets of information on that front, too.

What we WEREN'T accounting for was Keith & Lance being way more than implied, plausible deniability, space ranger partners.

Oh no. They were also endgame (allegedly).

To the point that the season was completed, and then had to be edited to the nines at the final lap.

I mean, did you see how he ranted at the family dinner table during his date with Allura?

Listen to it here, it's great. [x] It's also great in other dubs too.

Secondly, this show was genius in paralleling many couples and platonic relationships and rolling those patterns into identifiable analytical points, thematics, and symbolism within character arcs and dynamics throughout the show.

We have one team member who's also working on a huge analysis on relationships in the show and how they all parallel. They've been cooking in the background, and it's pretty delicious if we do say so ourselves.

Now with all that out the way, let's answer your question!

"I personally believe that she was supposed to be the one to realize that Allura and Lance aren't happy together and that she would eventually help them both to break up and to be with whom they truly love."

And you'd be darn tootin' because guess what?

This quote becomes RELEVANT in Season 8.

LEAVE THE MATH TO PIDGE.

Yup.

She is one of the defining keys; a lighthouse so the ships can find their way.

In short, she's meddling. She's not personally involving herself in their relationship but man, is she trying to show them a big ol' sign that says,

'DO NOT DATE. YOU ARE NOT RIGHT FOR EACH OTHER.'

'WE ARE IN AN INTERGALACTIC WAR.'

She thinks it's weird, but most importantly, she's worried the team dynamic will be rocked by their budding romance.

She knows it will probably affect the original team dynamic, forming Voltron, and ultimately, she knows human relationships can be messssssy.

Question for you, fellow readers: What do you think she was speaking to Keith off-screen about here before the MFE pilots bumped into their conversation?

We have an answer on our position but we'd love to hear your thoughts, too.

As Bex mentioned once upon a time, Pidge is Batman. It's true!

All through the season and throughout most of the show, she seems to know everything that's going on.

She accounts for everything and typically has a plan B. Heck, she had a self destruct button for the Castleship on the off chance something went wrong.

What's the hardest thing to tackle that isn't technology? Well, navigating Interpersonal relationships.

In the original season, we allegedly see her struggle with the dynamic shifts as Allura and Lance enter their temporary relationship in the original season. They don't agree on a lot of things, and the team gets rocked and/or involved with these disturbances.

This season explores family and found family on a much deeper level, and this applies to everyone, especially the paladins.

Pidge loves Allura like a sister (hence why she trades the video game). Pidge loves Lance like a brother (hence why she 'helps' find something shiny for Allura).

Naturally, she wants to let them know (in an out of the loop way) that they're not right for each other.

Pidge wants them to be happy in the end, but trust and believe when we say she doesn't want to be involved directly.

That being said, that doesn't stop Pidge from having Beezer meddle on their date, therefore interrupting their kiss in the original season lmao.

Pidge wants to be that guiding light in the right direction, but they also know that it's messy territory that they don't want to touch with a ten feet pole.

It's uncharted territory for Pidge.

Dare I say, Uncharted Regions. Dun, dun, duuuuuun.

See why we chose it as our meta name? haha.

TL;DR: You're on the money, honey. 🍯

Thank you for the question! This was a fun subject to touch on.

[echo-of-the-eye]

Things in sunrise on the reaping that fucked me up:

chapter 5. just. ending of chapter 5.

mags was haymitch's mentor and now I'm even sadder about catching fire (actually this whole book makes catching fire so much worse)

lou lou. what did they do to that poor child

ampert:( poor beetee

EFFIE!! effie and haymitch met (mostly by accident) right before his games. and she's kind. still brainwashed and full of propaganda but she's still kind in a way the others aren't. this adds so much to their relationship

they reuse the trackers!? like the ones that were in dead children!?

"sure, I'll be your sister" KILL ME NOW

the continuing dehumanization of the tributes. THE FUCKING CAGE!??!?!!! haymitch being told to show of his scar from the injury that almost killed him (having to pull down his pants to do it. he's sixteen). before and after photos of naked children that are used for the grade of university students

maysilee's refusal to let herself be dehumanized

ALL THE LUCY GRAY MENTIONS!! THE SONGS!! HAYMITCH REALIZING SNOW KNEW LUCY GRAY! FINDING HER GRAVE

(also snow still being hung up on his situationship from 40 years ago and taking it out on a child ...which he does again with katniss 25 years later. like chill out dude. "she seems to loves you" bitch lucy gray did love you! but you broke her trust and probably fucking murdered her! and was a shitty toxic possesive boyfriend anyway)

seeing haymitch fight and rebel so hard against the games cause he thinks he has no chance of surviving and has nothing to lose... knowing that HE DOES and his family are going to die

and then the building DREAD as he returns to twelve wondering how it's gonna happen. when he fed the candy to lenore dove... I knew

when they started singing the old therebefore at the funeral... broke me

haymitch pushing everyone away for their safety and being so so alone (including katniss' parents! if he hadn't would he have been part of her life? could he have been like an uncle to her?)

the editing of the games so that no one knew what really happened until haymitch told them AFTER THE WAR

THE EPILOGUE!! haymitch talking about katniss and peeta CALLING THEM HIS FAMILY! saying katniss is like him but luckier. finally getting to see a world where there's no sunrise on the reaping...

all the additional context this gives the original trilogy: haymitch calling katniss sweetheart, knowing her parents and where the pin came from, mags wiress and beetee lore, (beetee has only had one plan ever and no matter how many times it doesn't work he will try again), plutarch (what is his deal, what made him want to stop the games so bad, is he actually just that sympathetic to the districts? what's his stake in all this?), knowing that people have tried to stop the games and start a rebellion many times, haymitch raising geese in the epilogue...

[se0nghwaaa]

(platonic) san & younger!reader who is an idol under kq.

• headcanons

{ warnings? }

none! just fluff :)

( big brother & little sister type relationship)

just to put some little details in ur face (scroll if u want or don’t want to label the reader as this)

{ u are in global group! (u don’t speak korean and u aren’t korean, but u do have a member that is!)

{ u are the maknae & main vocalist of ur group!

{ ur groups concept is a cute vibe!

{ ur group debuted on may 6, 2025! (the day this was posted lmao)

_____________________________________

okay now to the headcanons!!

______________________________________

• when you guys first met (filming a tiktok to promote iomt) he found you so adorable. such a cute outfit and adorable hair! like he just automatically saw you as a little sister!

• oh y’all also recorded a tiktok to ur groups debut song and he never stopped listening to it since. he had to show his “little sister” some support!

• you soon started to see him as a big brother! since ur the maknae {or whatever role u want} of ur group, people see u as a little sister as well but this was just.. well.. different!

• whenever he saw u in kqs hallways he would say hi to you and dab u up! girl you even helped him with his english! oh and he always pats ur head, sometimes without reason.

• {just an example , if this were to happen} one day there was a thing called “KQ Game Caterers”! (inspired by hybe game caterers) and there was one of the games where you had to do the dance of the song that was playing (RPD) and if you didn’t know it, well, u were eliminated. since ur the maknae and your just better ig idfk you were one of the last people to be in the game! along with san, and hunter (of xikers). dude san literally got out on purpose so u could have a better chance of winning (and u did!)

• to add onto the whole game caterers thing, san grabbed an extra chair and called u over to sit with them. you sat between him and seonghwa and bro .. hwa might understand what san means bc your giggles at the smallest things, the way u act just gave him little sister fever (baby fever but for little sisters) ateez also won a watermelon somehow and they even cut two peices for u <3 i’m sobbing they would be the best brothers

__________________________________________

ok i’m done now but comment down if u want more or send requests hint hint wink wink nudge nudge

also idek if hunter or san know many kpop dances so if they were to do that rpd thing i’m not sure if they would be last lol

[vaguely-concerned]

tiny animation detail from this scene I really like: rook glances towards the locations of lucanis and bellara's rooms (and possibly where they're most likely to be found in this moment?) respectively when they deliver this line!

(honestly I expect that lucanis is hanging out somewhere other than the pantry during this to give everyone in this unfolding catastrophe some space, but consider: it's so much funnier if he IS sitting in the pantry hearing this all go down on the other side of the wall like

taash stomps in with thunder and trepidation in their eyes like 'hey. I need vegetables. can we make vegetables happen.' and lucanis already handing them a lettuce and tomato like i gotchu fam this is literally the only thing I know how to do for you in this situation go with the maker and these salad ingredients I resignedly already know you'll just put on a plate with no dressing no spices no nothing. just the most sleep deprived caffeinated to the point of vibrating gently in place awkward-yet-painfully-well-meaning man in the world standing there before his friend about to have one of the most difficult conversations of their life like '...can I offer you a turnip in these trying times' while rye desperately treads social water out in the dining room to buy time. amazing. our lives really all do touch each other. headcanon passionately embraced)

[moremysteries]

This ended up longer than I expected, so I apologize in advance if any of my points came out jumbled. I am also neurodivergent, so if I sound harsh, I assure you this is not my intent. I just struggle with tone at times.

Firstly, here's a thought I want to present to the table, one that's honestly made me grow a lot as a writer, and one that I think is relevant to this topic; why should readers read our works the way we want them to? Writing is a conversation, and though that conversation may begin with us, it certainly doesn't end that way. You may want to surprise your audience with this content, but shouldn't it be up to them whether they maintain that surprise or prepare for it? To you, the surprise is important and adds to the weight of the dark subject matters you cover. It might even be enjoyable and the way you view this content for yourself, but that will not always translate to your readers. Let's also not forget that, for some, a list of trigger warnings makes them more excited to read a work. In general, as writers, let's not forget how diverse our audiences can be, and that the reactions of our readers or what helps our readers feel more engaged will not always mirror our experiences.

Let me put this into another context. As someone who needs trigger warnings, I think this explains my experience rather well, and why I personally don't agree with the idea that trigger warnings ruin the surprise. It could also be argued that flashing lights and affects lose their surprise factor if they are warned about, but creators of visual media understand the risks of not warning viewers, and that this is more important than the surprise factor. As someone who isn't affected by flashing lights, I can assure you this warning leaves my mind almost the second after I read it (more of scan it like "yeah, yeah, take me to the game"), and I still end up surprised. The game Mi/side warning me about flashing and glitch affects did not stop me from nearly jumping out of my skin everytime I was suddenly met with one. The context is what makes these flashing lights so shocking moreso than whether someone knows about them ahead of time or not. Being suddenly triggered can make someone go to extremely dark places, and that's worth avoiding. Though I think how trigger warnings are presented can be more flexible than flashing light warnings.

In my opinion, at their best, trigger warnings are extra material readers can consult if they want to, but also something they can avoid if they want to go in completely blind. The important thing is that the audience member consented to either experience. Since I've used the word, let's discuss the matter of consent and art. I think it's often not discussed enough within creative spaces, despite how important it can be. In my opinion, it is everyone's right to have enough knowledge to be able to fully consent (engage with the work) or not consent (not engage with the work) to reading about certain sensitive subjects before being exposed to them. The thing is, when you're an indie creative, readers can't just use a site like doesthedogdie, or other similar tools. Providing optional trigger warnings can help readers have a better experience, as they are given more agency towards what they consume. Encouraging agency shows a respect for your readers time and energy. However, I do feel for writers that use websites like Wattpad, as, unlike AO3, there aren't many good places to put these warnings. So that's definitely worth acknowledging.

Secondly, as someone who had to deconstruct this notion within myself, I think it's worth acknowledging that trigger warnings are viewed as deflating the seriousness of something, or making something seem "childish", for two reasons (I know you only said the former, but the latter is an opinion I've seen as well). One, they are yet to be normalized, mainly for reason two. Two, the experiences of certain trauma victims are so terribly misunderstood that big parts of them are believed to be over exaggerated or "actually not that bad", which causes the tools we need to be treated as "not that important". I wish I was kidding when I say I have literally seen people laugh at accurate depictions of PTSD flashbacks, because they know so little about our experiences they think it's just a funny over exaggeration. I've even had some expect me to laugh with them before, because that " obviously can't be right".

Logically, there is no reason why trigger warnings should be seen as any different than a description or blurb about your story. For instance, writing an informative description about my horror works doesn't take away their scare factor, a description just requires me to put it into different packaging. It won't feel as poignant as the actual horrors within, but that's okay, because the point of a description is to intrigue and inform. They help future readers decide if they'd be interested in a work or not, and properly set their expectations walking in. They are a tool for drawing in audiences just as much as they are a tool for scaring away anyone who absolutely would not enjoy the experience.

And let me be clear, I personally believe it is impossible to warn against every possible trigger, as some triggers can be very personal or obscure. However, I do think it is important to offer a warning for the "obvious" triggers, such as the covering of sensitive topics like abuse. And yeah, I think trigger warnings can be that straight forward, such as "this work covers themes of abuse and may not be suitable for some audiences". You don't have to spoil the important parts of your works in trigger warnings, just make people aware certain content is there if they don't want to consume it. Us creators may overlook some things, as we're only human, but, for me personally, it's the effort that matters.

As for how bad being triggered by a work can be, I can speak to that, as someone who has been suddenly triggered before. It can ruin an entire week, sometimes more, and throughout I essentially have to deal with a plague of horrific memories, or experience several nightmares about my trauma. To summarize, it is extremely distressing and essentially makes me non operational. It feels like being put into a mental coma where the only thing you can have is nightmares, and when you eventually do wake up, you still understandably feel awful and extremely fatigued, emotionally and physically, from all the stress. I've literally been made bed ridden and physically ill from being triggered unexpectadly. I am now reminded of how little this experience is understood, and I am putting it into my latest writing project effective immediately. I do my best to make informed choices with the media I consume, but this recent trend I've noticed of surprising the audience as much as possible with sudden triggering content, these works often having no warnings whatsoever, makes it extremely difficult to do so. Because, you know, until that point, the work gave off the impression of not planning to cover that kind of content at all.

This got more wordy than I intended, and I apologize if my frustrations concerning the topic came through. My intent is to inform, not to ridicule, and I hope that was made clear, though I know my neurodivergent self can sometimes sound harsher than I intend. As a writer in the horror space, it can be rare to find another horror writer who uses trigger warnings, so I am usually wary towards reading their works. This can certainly make it harder to connect with fellow writers. And when I do try to read ones without warnings? Well, I am so prepared for anything to the point I end up focusing on that more than whatever I'm reading, and typically just end up dropping it altogether. So yeah, that's my experience, take it or leave it. At the end of the day, writers are free to add or not add trigger warnings, but, I personally strongly advocate for their use when it comes to sensitive subject matters. I will also always try to educate about how bad the experience of being triggered actually is whenever I am able.

Poll time!!

hihi, just posted a scene from a wip and figured i should add trigger warnings, but that made me curious so

my opinion about this may be a tad controversial, id prefer not add trigger warnings, but i do add them just out of understanding and to avoid triggering others.

all my WIPs include heavy themes, and i know that i will always be writing heavier angstier stuff, i dont like adding TWs on wattpad or wherever i publish my stuff because i feel like it takes away from the seriousness of my story. when youre going into it, i dont want you to know what to expect, i want you to be shocked and feel negatively about certain events or characters, and imo trigger warnings just take away from the shock value.

i will admit my privilige though, i have been through traumatic things but nothing that triggers me, so i dont understand how bad things could get for someone to be triggered about certain things in stories.

if you wanna discuss this or comments or reblogs please remain respectful, because this is a conversation i want to have and i want to be more educated on the topic of TWs, but i will not engage with things i deem as disrespectful.

[cloud-hymn]

I truly do not care if people hate a character I love so long as they hate them for the right reasons

[nikolas-ghostbusters-fixation]

Something I've been thinking a lot about lately is how everyone thought Egon had gone insane. What Happened that made them think that. They've fought a gigantic Stay Puft Marshmellow Man TWICE (counting the 2009 video game because iirc it's canon? Correct me if I'm wrong), fought an interdimensional god, fought a blood thirsty ruler that killed thousands and was hated by all that was trapped in a painting (and managed to get in to beat him by making THE STATUE OF LIBERTY start walking down the street with slime that reacted purely based on vibes), found an underground abandoned transit system full of the moodslime, had a bathtub try to eat Dana and her baby, fought a giant murderous black widow lady, fought the fisherman ghost who turned an entire hotel floor into the bottom of a ocean, and that's not even mentioning them getting trapped on an island that randomly raised up from underwater that had been abandoned for decades created by Ivor Shandor who worshipped Gozer. So what did he do or say that made everyone else think he'd gone insane?? All I can think is maybe he was acting strange / eratic before, but he's always been like that to some degree.

I don't know. It's something that I've been thinking about. The correct answer is 'it's not that deep and they needed a reason that the others weren't together anymore and weren't aware of Egons death or know what was going on,' but also. What Was He Saying that prompted everyone, including Ray, to think he lost his mind when he'd been right almost every time before that.

I'm genuinely so curious as to what he was up to before this. What was he doing. What insane idea was working on prior to this or was he even working on anything at all??

Also want to clarify this post isn't negative 😭 I really love the newer movies and their lore / the newer storyline / characters, I just like thinking about small stupid things like this. Gives me something to think about / speculate about / figure out an answer to.

[xxplastic-cubexx]

i see your 'rivals!Charles had to kill his Erik' headcanon to present the idea that his Erik told him to do it bc he was infected with something/ possessed while rivals!Erik lost his Charles bc he took on whatever was infecting Erik at the cost of his own life and when rival!Charles finds out he could've saved his Erik that way... well..

oh so thatd be diabolical......

[purplelea]

Something that just occurred to be is that is isn't extremely weird for Neku and Sho to only be allowed to use one pin at a time? Because we know for sure that in the og Neku was able to use six of them and we can easily guess that Sho could as well, given his Imagination level. It's likely that Beat could, too, but I'm not well versed enough in the og's gameplay to tell.

In any case, neither Neku nor Sho can use more than one pin at once. Another piece of dialogue from Sho also reveals that the level caps on the pins have been removed, making them usable by any player regardless of their level.

Those two factors are some pretty big changes—we see how surprised Sho is when he realizes the latter. My question is: how were they made possible?

There is no reason why Kariya or Uzuki, when in control of Shibuya, would make those changes. Joshua wouldn't have either, because they make no sense in Shibuya's Game. So that only leaves Shiba, who probably made them to fit Shinjuku's rules better. Only thing is, that Sho has been Conductor before, so he should have been aware that this was a possibility. Yet his reaction makes me believe that he never considered it possible (it is possible that he didn't consider it simply because he didn't think about it or because it wouldn't have helped him with his plans anyway, but I think he genuinely didn't know it could be done) which then leads to the logical conclusion of: only a higher power could've done this.

I believe Kubo's the one who made those changes to Shibuya's Game, or Shiba, but thanks to Kubo's powers—in any case, it's a intervention of the Higher Plane. Sho isn't stupid and probably guessed it right away. I am thus adding this to the list of hints he got in order to guess who was behind all of this

[microwavetoaster-selfships]

Stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid stupid I definitely didn't edit and cut this comp up myself I definitely didn't add the stupid ass music myself stupid stupid stupid I definitely found this online and just took it from there dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb dumb I want to banish him to sitting in a corner permenatly he doesn't. Shouldn't. Get. Take him OUT of the driver seat of my brain he doesn't need to be there he d9esnt get a say in this take away his seat at the table gone removed out of this he doesn't get rent free, in fact he has to pay the most massive fee conceivable and I know that if I said this out loud I'd probably sound exasperated and a little breathless and fumble my words and groan and sigh and huff and make incoherent things to where I almost sounded upset but really with each muttering and long sigh there'd be a hint of .nof. of ....mfif8fifuidis soossssssssom.ssson.mthibg. something.mor.e.more. something more. Than that. The way someone sighs when walking past the bakery section of the grocery store and trying to pretend and act like they don't want it. They sigh and mutter that they don't need it but you can hear it and see it in their expression. Alas. This is over TEXT. And clearly I. Have been nothing but oh so the upmost convincing in my endeavors that. Scrolls back up. Scrolls back down quickly. Blankley stares at my keyboard. I want to slam a plank of wood sideways horizontal-motion across the back of his head.