#TO YOUR OWN SHORTCOMINGS

[demonstars]

any pretence to take off responsability for things such as "toxicity" via throwing the blame to another subgroup only festers more toxicity inside the whole group since some people feel allowed to be mean as they already have the title, and the other subgroups continue their (possibly hateful) actitudes since they believe they're blameless. taking accountability individually and as groups is the only way communities can improve It IS that simple

[messiahzzz]

i’d briefly like to talk about the “it was fine” dialogue option that happens the morning after gale’s Last Night Alive scene in act ii and about the fandom's general reaction to it.

gale is a character who evidently enjoys the occasional teasing. taking the piss out of your partner every once in a while can certainly be a way of showing affection. however, it is important to consider the context of the situation: what is at stake for him and his current emotional state, as well as what exactly had transpired between the two of them prior to said conversation.

gale: forgive me. these were already trying times before elminster delivered his missive. now, for me at least, they are potentially end times.

after he and tav had spent the night together and confessed their love to each other, gale is once again showing himself utterly vulnerable and is carefully asking them for reassurance.

gale: [..] i hope that night meant as much to you as it did to me.

gale: but you - you led me away from the edge.

gale: without your words, your touch... i fear i would have sought purpose and solace in that void. you reminded me what living can feel like.

he wants to check in with them, after both of them have shared something tender and very intimate, something he might even consider life-altering.

gale: we didn't just make love. we bonded, body and soul. i got lost in you.

it’s not even about gale “not being able to read social cues” and “not recognizing the fact that it was meant in jest.” in fact, i’d argue it is a rather tone-deaf, inconsiderate response and just genuinely a REALLY BAD TIME to joke at your partner's expense when they are actively baring their feelings to you and are asking you for reassurance.

i have seen people write off his reaction as “unwarranted” or “overtly dramatic” but in my humble opinion, it is pretty understandable given the nature of their conversation and what he is asking of them. it's also sad how there seems to be a general pattern of gale's emotions and boundaries getting played off as a joke, while other companions get shown the courtesy of thorough analysis/understanding. he is proud of his skill as a lover and the fact that he was able to bring them pleasure, yet his inquiry is less about him wanting tav to stroke his ego and more about him, once again, asking if you indeed share the same feelings for each other… after the emotional high has now passed.

gale has an ever-present need for clarity in his relationships, very likely due to the fact that this was something he couldn’t request of mystra. he might appear more sensitive in that regard compared to the other companions. he doesn’t want to take himself too seriously, but this still often clashes with his general feeling of inadequacy. where he is able to take criticism as long as it isn’t related to his performance, overall prowess and usefulness.

yes, his response is passive-aggressive and yes, he IS obviously hurt by what tav said. yet merely repeating “it was fine” in response to a heartfelt, genuine question could’ve as well been interpreted in that manner. if tav does clarify that they have only been joking, he apologizes to them instead. otherwise his dialogue remains the same, albeit said in a more embarrassed & awkward tone.

gale is a character who is dealing with deep-rooted self-worth issues and yet that doesn’t mean that he wants to be handled with kid gloves, far from it. he craves a relationship in which his emotional needs are recognized, respected and cared for, where he can be unabashedly open and vulnerable without facing ridicule nor pity for it. and he is more than willing to give the same in return.

also y’know — there is a time and a place.

[nonbinarycharmybee]

sonic canon is a fucking mess why do people get so up in arms about what "really counts" as canon when literally everything has been retconned to hell and back. babe it's okay it's not real. take my hand let's enjoy everything for what it is together <3

[samarecharm]

People who really like shuake also seem to write themselves into a corner wrt Akechi and his relationship to Akiras team. Contrary to popular belief, the team, including Haru, does not hate Akechi. At worst, they tolerate him and deal with his attitude. Hes a good teammate and respectable fighter and the team recognizes that at the end of the day, he was a teenager who was manipulated and abused by a man who saw him as disposable. Just about every thief understands this intimately. They have the same mindset wrt adults who take advantage of the people beneath them. Under different circumstances they wouldve been friends. And if u approach it from that angle, it becomes less about Akechi being the sole person who ‘gets’ Akira, and more about the thieves being the only people in the world who ‘get’ Akechi.

When you expand your thoughts to include the thieves as members of his Team and not roadblocks that get in the way of your ideal shipping dynamic, you allow urself to give Akechi and Akira more depth and nuance to their own relationship.

Akira and Akechi are wildcards; both of them struggle with the face they choose to display to the world. Its the first time Akira interacts with someone who is, at a literal, technical level, his ‘equal’. But Akechi is one of many firsts for Akira yeah? Every thief has their bond with Akira thats completely unique and personal. Akechi will never be the person who witnesses Akiras Awakening, hes never the person who watches Akira have his restless nights alone in the attic, and hes never the person who realizes in real time that the teenager hes housing is just Some Kid, not the delinquent hes been warned about. Hes not Ann or Yusuke, or any of the thieves; he doesnt have the time or experience that they have with Akira, and I think its interesting to explore that part of their relationship, shippy or not.

Akechi is someone who is incredibly lonely and self depreciating despite his cockiness and attitude. He has no positive bonds to speak of save for his connection with Sae. To have him see a team that works together and cares for each other, how do you think he would feel? Out of place? Inferior in some way? Angry about how hes been alone for so long in this single minded quest for revenge? Wouldnt that be a point of struggle between the two of them? I think what makes shuake good for me is knowing that Akechi needs alot of time to heal, and the thieves would want to help with that process. They do it bc they care, bc Akira cares, and bc they trust Akiras opinion (and he trusts theirs in return); if Akira feels like Akechi is someone who can be trusted Now after everything thats happened, then the thieves would do their best to help. And how would Akechi feel about that? Angry about the show of pity? That even now, he has no real say in what happens to him? Or begrudgingly grateful that they are cordial with him? Because they do care, he KNOWS they care, they care TOO MUCH actually; but the one thing he values over brawn and wits is honesty- fighting for what you believe in without having to use soft words to justify it.

[warning-heckboop]

"Why did you make Peri mad at Dev instead of wanting to forgive him?" dunno. Vibes I guess

[wildernessuntothemselves]

Kpop stans talking about their fave: wow they sound so good literally they have the voice of an angel i'm gonna cry

Their fave: delivers the most mediocre vocal performance I've ever heard in my life

[muntasireen]

Your advice for the future Muhajiraat ..

جزاك الله خير الجزاء

I don't think me listing a few brief pieces of advice here would suffice any sister planning on traversing the path of sacrifice because I myself have seen that you learn the best through experience firsthand. Although there are so many things, so many details and so many tips that, now looking back, I wish I had known or was informed of prior to hijra, I still feel like I wouldn't have truly understood or have been equipped well enough until I went through some tests and trials.

However, I would want to tell you guys to place in front of yourselves high standards as believing women, take the anbiya and sahaba as role models, read about how much they willingly sacrificed from their families to their wealth to their security to their health, never ever feel like you have done enough for this deen but at the same time don't become pessimistic and consider yourself doomed, think well of Allah, hope for His reward in times of ease and hardship, hope for His Aid in times of urgency and desperation, and make seeking His Pleasure and obedience to Him the first and most important goal in everything you do, and before everyone else's approval.

Remember that this deen is the most valuable thing you have so be careful not to let it slip away from you and be careful not to let the dunya change you or dim your zeal to sacrifice. Remember this is not the final resting place and that you are only in the middle of the journey to the Akhirah. Keep your focus on the path and keep going forward, don't look back to the life you left behind nor those who retreat back to the lives they had once left behind also.

Things will get hard, but that's the beauty of this path, the sacrifices were never meant to be easy and neither are the rewards cheap.. the relief comes in waves but hardship will also come one after another since its the nature of this wordly life and what Allah has Decreed for us to purify us from our sins or reach a level in Jannah that we couldn't reach alone with our good deeds. And when you are given a choice between sacrificing fisabilillah and inclining to the dunya, no matter how much more convenient the latter seems and how much people try to make it appear as permissible and harmless, step on your heart and choose the pleasure of Allah, choose the state you want to die in, choose the deeds that bring you closer to the obedience of Allah and the haqq.

Perhaps you will see from people things you don't like, behaviours you don't agree with, speech that aggravates or upsets you, and know that no one is infallible and everyone will face Allah for any wrongdoing they do, so check and fear for yourself first lest you harm others the same way, and make dua that Allah guides those who fall in the same matter, advise them gently if you can with evidence from quran and sunnah clearly and if they continue, be content with having done your part towards them in front of Allah, and control your emotions from becoming reactive to people who are not going to recieve it well nor will you benefit yourself by doing so.

And know, that this path is not void of loss of wealth and lives, fear and hunger, losses in this dunya if handled with patience and the correct intentions will be abundance and rewards in the Akhira bi ithnillah, be militant with yourself when you feel weak in your imaan and shakey in your thabaat, hope for the imminent victory from Allah or shahada in His Cause trying to support His religion with your wealth and life and don't worry about the outcomes, hold yourself up with the last bit of strength in you for you are not responsible for anyone except yourself, and upon you is to serve this deen and then Allah Does what He Wants with His Kingdom, and He has promised those who do good that their rewards will not be lost.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

If I keep my motivation up with the animatic project, I plan to make ganondorf just. soooo uncomfortably correct about things. you know, in that event horizon of being both indefensible enough in his actions that you feel like he's just saying things to make himself look less bad, but also you can't really retort a proper counterargument without revealing huge biases in your own perception of reality

just riding that wind waker swagger to more extreme extremes

[clowndensation]

i'm literally constantly thinking about sam reid's "when does he change? how does he change? how does his character develop? progressively, as the episodes were coming in, i was realizing that lestat wasn't changing at all. he keeps going back to his same patterns" comment btw. because it's true. a cornerstone to lestat's character this season is that he is utterly, painfully static. which is fascinating, because that ironically makes him one of the most stable, reliable characters in the show, in spite of outwardly acting as one of the most impulsive, volatile ones. it's also the cornerstone to what makes him such a tragic character.

because lestat is aware, to a certain extent, that there's something about himself that leads to him being abandoned. he's alluring enough to captivate, sure, but fundamentally deficit in some undefinable area that will grant him genuine, committed love. he has a way about him, but he's a lot. he's not perfect. and his own imperfections terrify him, because whatever it is, he's sure that it's at the core of himself, that it's something he can't change. and so he chases after love by throwing the worst of himself at it - because if he can find someone who sees his ugliness and loves him anyway, he'll finally have a love that he can keep. and once he finds that love, he devotes himself to it. it can not disappear again, it can't slip through his fingers. it's his, and he won't allow it to be taken from him.

and it works - for a time. preternaturally charming, occasionally thoughtful, he is so incredibly easy to fall in love with. and then something changes. and it has to be an outside force, because he hasn't done anything. he's stayed exactly the same, he's been that same person who louis fell in love with, he's committed to this love with all of himself. he is seen and he is loved and he is wanted, and he won't let anyone or anything take this acceptance away from him. so he clings, and he lashes out.

and it all, ultimately, leads back to abandonment. he's so busy keeping louis in his life, he's so busy making sure nothing changes, that he can never allow himself to grow. because change is rejection. change is the acknowledgement that he'll never be enough, that there really is some part of himself so unacceptable, he'll never be able to be loved in his entirety. and it's not until those last moments of the show, when he finally acknowledges claudia as a person unto herself, with a will and autonomy of her own - when he sees louis agonizing over what has to be done, that he begins to understand his own role in their lives. there's a sort of acceptance that he's pushed them too far, that maybe it's not outside forces, or their own inability to accept him, that's at fault for where they've ended up. that maybe he has some responsibility in how all of this played out. it's the first time in the entire show where we really see that lestat could potentially accept that he's not the victim of things beyond his control forever barring him from love, but that he has some responsibility in how others see him. which could, eventually, lead to change.

[moonchild-in-blue]

Hi! I hope you internet comes back soon! I am late to the ask game party probably, but if you still feel like answering, may i ask 7? (i think it was 7.. the fatal flaw one)

Hiii helloooo you're so not late at all, my little Gandalf, you're arrive precisely at the right time 🥹🧙‍♂️

7 - what is your fatal flaw

Oh, easily lack of self discipline. I struggle a lot with motivation and procrastination, and while they are very much ingrained in me, they simply don't get resolved because of my lack of self discipline.

It'd be easy to blame / justify my problems on other factors, like my innate preference to work during night time, depression and anxiety making it difficult for me to perform certain tasks with ease, burn out, etc etc. But the truth is that a lot of my bad habits and wacky routine could be tackled and, while not solved, improved, if only I had better self discipline.

It's so very important to rest and allow yourself some grace for when things go wrong, absolutely. But at the end of the day you still have to put some effort, otherwise nothing is set in motion and you get stuck in the same place forever.

And that is my problem. I'm well aware I rely on my comfort zone a bit too much, and prevent myself from trying things and actively fight against whatever it is. It sucks, but I'm trying to be better 👍

That and refusing to show any sort of emotional vulnerability ever but we're not diving into that

[yew--berries]

Its so hard to properly articulate and even harder to find other places that are talking about it too but i feel like a big issue ive been facing recently, specifically with "Dungeons and Dragons" and "Minecraft" is that they both to me at least have been having very similar problems lately, namely that they are so big that they A. Cannot appeal to everybody and B. Are desperately attempting to

This then comes into a split where I feel with mojang its more the constant push to churn out more new things is bloating the game with stuff that has very few use cases, while D&D is suffering more from a place of the inspiration of the setting being so steeped in decades of not only iterations of the game but also the works that inspired it in a way that it is effectively incapable of shaking off any of the unfortunate tropes of the era of fantasy it was born in without disrupting the subsets of its playerbase that demand those aspects of the game go unchanged

Also within D&D specifically there tends to be a bunch of things on top of all that that make a hand at fixing the issues dnd has, but only really starts building the bridge it expects each individual game to complete, not that its always a bad thing to do that but in this case it just ends to make contradictory rulesets and solutions that dont actually really solve the inital problem in the first place

[witchcraftingboop]

Hii I would to know if I'll realize my dream of becoming a musician in the future and also acting. If not what do you see me doing in the future? Also I would like to know about my next lover and if he has potential to become my fs. My initials are GBDJF

I see you being a bit stupid. Check dates on posts in the future and maybe that'll lessen the burden of having to think so hard to reach a close-to-right answer.

[1eos]

Hope you dont mind me jumping on this bandwagon of hating on victor miss kendra but please tell me i wasnt the only one side eyeing him yuri perform that sexy when he was uncomfy with that? Like leave him alone??? Stop forcing your idea of sex appeal down on him??? Phichit would never fucking do this? Plus that blonde minor's kid pure love innocence routine....idk its like if jyp was a white russian to me.

WHITE RUSSIAN JYPOFAOPLFAFPA[FPAFKAVGJAJGJAFJFAFLKALKF IM HOLLERINGGGGGGGGGG. but yeah. i actually love the trope of more innocent characters having a killer sexy side but with yoi its not really hitting bc victor kinda shows up and pushes yuri into it. and the shy one + pushy bold one dynamic relies on the shy one having some initiative and the bold one being likeable and victor just was not likeable enough for me to enjoy their energy together kgakgkag. it was giving more 'im gonna steamroll over my fan and change him to my liking'. granted i didnt finish yoi so MAYBE it got better but eyedk that man showed up and was like you're fucking fat lose some weight and seduce me on ice like ofc the white guy is making it all abt him! 😭😭😭😭😭😭and iirc they even had parts where yuri was able to be alluring in his own way when he practiced alone have HIM want it! he the main character!

[xx-hail2theking-xx]

I know that myself, I've been unwilling to fully admit that someone I counted as a friend, was someone I was finding myself... uncertain of.

...While it's possible Michael is deliberately manipulating her, I definitely don't discount it, something else that was said seems possible as well. Not that she's a 'bad influence,' exactly, but- Also, exactly yes.

There is a great deal in both of their pasts that was never fully addressed. Things they convinced themselves of, when their wounds were new, an absolutism, a black and white view of everyone and everything, that Phenex at least partially hid.

But it remained a wound not addressed. And this honestly, reminds me of what I've seen in certain specific mortal circumstances. Addicts, drawn back into addiction, by returning to the same company they once had. Former criminals,doing the same.

Something that could be caught.

Something that could be, at the very least, contained.

-Duke Valefar.

[neverendingford]

.

[musical-chick-13]

MY FUCKING GOD, STOP MAKING ASSUMPTIONS ABOUT PEOPLE’S INTERNAL CHARACTER BASED ON THEIR OUTWARD PHYSICAL APPEARANCE I’M SO FUCKING TIRED OF THIS SHIT