#also i think realistically i would be a terrible person 2 be in a relationship with esp rn because i truly am so bad at being vulnerable

[justinefrischmanngf]

my issue is that i will never know what is/isn't platonic/romantic because 1) i had no friends for so long 2) i think there's so much crossover and interlacing of the two anyway 3) i'm bowled over any time someone is nice to me just in general

[atticmichaelangelo]

Junko: How patriarchy, time, and perception influence ( female ) friendships:

Junko is without a doubt a rather polarising figure within the Nana fandom. While some are inclined to view her as the epitome of a terrible friend, others find that there are aspects of her character that are not completely unreasonable. Some even argue that she is fully justified in her actions, interpreting them as a weary response to Nana Komatsu (Hachi’s) dependent and at times childish behaviour. 

I personally find her to be an extremely intriguing case study on female friendships - it is rare to find a depiction of female friendships that deviates from the endlessly supportive, forgiving, and nurturing portrayals of female relationships. Often times women are not as forgiving and sweet to each other as is often idealised in popular media, with dynamics often being fraught with internalised misogyny, societal perceptions, past experiences, and unhealthy attachment - so it is refreshing to see such a realistic, unorthodox, and complex portrayal of relationships dynamics between women—an topic that is often underrepresented and undervalued, yet crucial in order for people of any age to reflect on their own friendships and the factors that shape their beliefs and behaviours within them.

Firstly, I think that there is no point in disputing that Junko, in her own, often unconventional way, cares about Hachi. Throughout the early episodes and chapters of Nana, Junko frequently steps in to protect and comfort Hachi when she thinks the situation calls for it. This can be seen when she immediately leaps into action when Hachi breaks down in tears, drunk and distraught over memories of Asano in Episode 2, calming her down. This concern is seen again when Junko berates Shoji for hurting Hachi’s feelings and leaving Hachi alone in an unfamiliar place before rushing out to go find her. When Junko learns that Hachi plans to move in with Nana Osaki, who was practically a stranger at the time, she tries to convince (scare) Hachi into reconsidering the decision, concerned with how Hachi would manage and what kind of person Nana would turn out to be. Accepting defeat when Hachi stayed steadfast in her decision, she challenged (Hachi’s words) Yasu, trying to support Hachi by passive aggressively asserting Hachi’s right to the apartment when Hachi failed to do so to her standards.

Infantilisation and stifling growth

However, Junko’s protectiveness often crosses the line into infantilisation, an action which is a mixture of both care for Hachi and an unconscious subscription to societal perceptions of ‘femininity’, which ends up doing more harm than good.

Ai Yazawa makes a point of emphasising that Junko has known Hachi for a long time - she is familiar with her romantic struggles and emotionally dependent tendencies. But Yazawa also shows us from the start as well that Junko is immalleable. She is a character that does not bend to displays of emotion or whims - a foil to Hachi’s very passionate and dreamy personality. It becomes apparent from their interactions that Junko, after having been around Hachi a long time, internalised how Hachi behaves and acts to the point where she sees these traits as innate to Hachi as opposed to behaviours that have developed and formed over time. This strongly held perception of Hachi becomes a problem, as instead of encouraging growth ( which is what every healthy friendship accepts and promotes), Junko reinforces these observed traits, often treating Hachi as if she were a younger sibling or even a child. She seems “relieved” when someone else is there to “take care” of Hachi and even makes decisions on her behalf, such as revealing Hachi’s crush on Shoji despite Hachi making a conscious decision to not be romantically involved in anyone, assuming that Hachi does not have the scope to actually achieve the emotional goals she sets for herself.  

This dynamic consequently stifles and hinders Hachi’s ability to grow as an independent person throughout the anime, as Junko continues to see her through the lens of their shared past rather than as a peer. Even when Junko chastises Hachi for her lack of independence, she paradoxically expresses relief when someone else can ‘step in’ to care for her. This cycle of infantilisation keeps Hachi trapped in a dependent role within her friendships, and Junko’s inability to adjust her perception only reinforces these traits in Hachi. How people around you perceive and treat you influence how you subconsciously view yourself, and in Hachi’s case, she would see herself through Junko’s eyes as exasperating and hopelessly dependent. While Junko could very well believe her treatment stems from a deep and intimate understanding of Hachi, she in fact implies, most likely unintentionally, that Hachi is not capable of better. Junko's habit of infantilising Hachi repeatedly yet chastising her for the very thing Junko validates puts her in an endless pattern of being enabled, but not giving the genuine support when she does attempt to break the cycle. 

Internalised misogyny and and complicity to the status quo

At the root of Junko’s behaviour there is a subtle form of internalised misogyny that permeates throughout her interactions with Hachi. Hachi’s personality is characterised by dreaminess, emotionality, and dependence, and aligns with traditionally "feminine" traits that patriarchal societies often devalue. She is romantic, frivolous and dependent, and Junko, in contrast, is portrayed to be and see herself as more pragmatic and career-oriented, which she is shown to be aware of and even proud of in the anime and manga. She firmly corrects Hachi when Hachi hopes she will give up on her dreams of art school in Tokyo, and pursues her passions and career with dedication throughout the anime. Her more modern lifestyle ( living unmarried with her boyfriend and striving for her dream career) contrast heavily with her more conservative mindset with gender - through interactions between Hachi and Junko, we can see that she seems to have adopted a more ‘masculine’ role between the two of them, acting as the voice of reason and logic, traits which are stereotypically associated with masculinity ( haha). You can see that this patriarchal compartmentalisation of personality traits is something that Junko had internalised growing up through her interactions with Hachi, perceiving Hachi as hopeless and in need due to her personality, when in actuality we find out later that Hachi is perfectly capable of making decisions herself, and managing difficulty by herself (with more resilience that others can muster). While she surely does not always make the best options, she is able to adapt and persevere - not exactly the actions of a hopelessly dependent person.

This is a greatly nuanced decision on Yazawa’s front, as she perfectly depicts how growing up in a patriarchal society does not only influence male and female relations, but all - due to Junko growing up in a patriarchal society where women with ‘feminine’ traits are simultaneously taken care of and condescended, she too mimics and appropriates such beliefs and actions. The status quo in such societies ( like Japan in the time the manga is set)  are rigidly upheld yet at the same time result in the mocking and contempt of women who adhere to or fit the mould shaped and maintained by the same people who patronise them - and often times women are complicit in upholding harmful patriarchal ideals.  I think this is a refreshing (and depressingly realistic) depiction of relationships between women, as it perfectly captures the delicate and painful cognitive dissonance between caring for someone and not doing what is in their best interest due to internalised misogyny. 

A large aspect of internalised misogyny is putting male approval and attention on a pedestal, and Junko depicts such influences as well when she compares her love life to Hachi’s. She flaunts her alleged ability to form platonic male friendships without becoming romantically involved, ironically right before quickly entering into a relationship with Kyosuke. Junko then feels the need to justify her own quick decision of sleeping with and getting with Kyosuke to Hachi, showing a unconscious adherence to the notion that as a woman, getting with or attached to a relatively unknown man simply because of a desire to is a disdainful trait, and one that Junko makes a conscious effort to differentiate herself from - and not for Hachi. Hachi did not judge or even understand why Junko made such a fuss explaining; Junko’s attempts were more a form of self reassurance that she is not like the ‘others’ who are deemed undesirable and whorish ( a belief she holds due to her close interaction with patriarchy growing up). Junko is in fact not so different from Hachi, from what we can see from her actions in the anime and manga. We are told by her she does not attach herself romantically to men quickly, yet in the first instance possible we see otherwise. We see her look down on Hachi’s air-headed desire for a stereotypical, domestic relationship with a reliable man, while staying with Kyosuke throughout all the anime and manga, using him as a mode of support and guidance as well as a romantic and seemingly life partner. Her contempt of Hachi at times seems to be a reflection of her own insecurities with the aspects of her personality that do not fit the mould she wants - the aspects of her personality she was raised to see as less valuable and worthy and therefore grew up and internalised.

Junko’s internalised misogyny is also apparent in her loyalty to the men in her life, particularly in her defence of Shoji after he cheats on Hachi. Instead of holding Shoji accountable, Junko places the blame on Hachi, telling her that it was her fault for being too dependent, too self absorbed - too absent ( the very traits she was telling Hachi to adopt). This reaction reflects Junko’s struggle to justify her friendship with Shoji through her own internalised belief that women are responsible for men’s behaviour ( a common belief in patriarchal societies to take accountability away from men, instead vindicating and blaming the women involved). This scene serves to reveal Junko’s desire to preserve her own relationships and avoid conflict with male peers - by justifying Shoji’s actions, she maintains the comfort and security of her social circle, which includes her boyfriend Kyosuke, who is also Shoji’s best friend ( again rather similar to Hachi and her want of companionship) - she puts her male centred relationships on a pedestal at the expense of her female friendships and Hachi’s wellbeing.

Junko’s character serves as a window into the nuanced ways internalised misogyny, perception, and shared history can influence female friendships. Her dynamic with Hachi is shaped by her rigid perception of Hachi’s weaknesses and her own internalised biases about what traits are "acceptable" in women. While Junko is portrayed as a capable, independent woman—someone Hachi and other women can in some ways even looks up to—her patronising attitude ultimately undermines the potential of their relationship. Junko’s failure to see Hachi as an evolving, autonomous person perpetuates a cycle of dependence, preventing both women from growing as individuals and as friends, with Junko feeling equally responsible and burdened by Hachi but not allowing the relationship to develop beyond how it was in the past.

By portraying Junko, one of Hachi’s closest friends, as such a complex, multidimensional character, Ai Yazawa offers a compelling critique of the ways in which societal norms and internalised beliefs can distort relationships between women, and bring attention to topic that is often neglected yet experienced and lived by women universally. Junko’s story illustrates that it is not only overt sexism that influences women’s lives but also the more subtle, internalised forms of misogyny that shape how women perceive themselves and each other, and the pitfalls of relationships that remain stagnant in the past instead of allowing both parties to grow and flourish. 

[soaringwide]

PAC: What's next in your love life?

Here is my love ahead spread, where we're going to look into what is coming for you in your love life, having singles or people in non-committed or early stages of the relationship in mind.

The reading doesn't contain any info on gender or orientation.

As always, this is a general reading meant for multiple people, there are only 3 piles, so it might not apply 100% to you. Take what resonates and leave out the rest.

I'm available for private readings and have a ko-fi. Free readings are currently closed at the time of writing this.

PILE 1

Cards: 7 of Pentacles, 7 of Cups, Judgement, the Tower, Knight of Wands, 8 of Swords, the Sun, 4 of Wands, Ace of Cups

We'll start by looking at your current situation regarding your love life.

It seems something has been growing in your love life for a while now. I'm thinking the early stages of a relationship or a crush situation. Zooming out, the growth seems steady, but it's possible that it wasn't so smooth when you look at it on the day to day. Some days might have felt like take 2 steps backward, and the next day you would move forward again. As a result you might be loosing your patience a little, ignoring the fact that things are indeed moving forward, even though not as fast as you want them to, or not exactly the way you want them to. You're eagerly waiting for things to take up speed and finally reach some type of harvest that you've been craving for. I also see you as somewhat passive, waiting for something to happen on its own. You're not necessarily taking any decisive action, but rather going with the flow of things and observing your relationship build slowly. Overall you feel quite impatient.

With the 7 of Cups in the position of things going for you, I think you have a tendency to get lost in your daydreams and illusions, regarding love and love interests. However, you're fully aware of that and actively de-fogging the whole thing. I see you trying to remain realistic and not too much in your head. I think that's a process that you had to learn the hard way. You're learning to pick up on the truth and discard the lies, which is quite painful and not a growth that happens in a straight line. Inside all this mess, there are nuggets of wisdom you're determined to find. It's like, either it helps you clear the way for this specific relationship, or it just makes you a healthier human, which is a win win situation.

However for what's going against you, I think you still have a tendency to put the blame on others instead of understanding that the current situation is your doing. If you're unsatisfied with the pace of things, you have choices. You can either wait and find peace in that, or move on to pursue something else. Whatever it is, don't wallow in misery because you feel frustrated and let resentment boil within you against your person, yourself, or the situation. What I'm trying to say is that you're refusing to make the call and pick a path to follow with determination, and instead you keep going back and forth in your head and creating a terrible emotional state for yourself. If you keep waiting for a sign in a passive and hopeless way, things will not change.

For what to take in in this situation, I see the need for a big wake up call with the Tower. I know this card has a bad rep but I think here it's mostly an indication of the intensity of the shift you need to do. It is paired with the Knight of Wands which is a clear indication that you need to take the reign and pursue what you want, taking a risk that things might collapse as a result. Welcome illusions being stripped away, let go of lies and take the risk to reveal your true self.

I asked for a clarification and got the 8 of Swords, which shines light on this state you need to wake up from: the fact that you keep yourself in a state of powerlessness when you have the means to cut your bonds. Really, this state of stagnancy is your doing and you need to own up to the fact and get out of that hole. Whatever you decide to do, you need to shake things up drastically and take a more active part in your love life.

What you need to release with the Sun, I get the idea that you're a bit too childish and immature when it comes to love matters, or at least in this situation. The card shows a child on a horse, but unlike the knight of wands who is in full control of his mount, the sun-child is merely waving his arms around and not doing much. It looks quite comical and does not embody a serious partner one might want to pursue. So I'm getting again the idea of the need to be more serious and committed, and releasing this naive mindset that things are going to fall on your lap without you doing anything at all.

For the most probably outcome in this situation, with the Four of Wands I was drawn to look up the astrological correspondence of the card and I got Venus in Aries, which is quite funny since Venus is currently in Aries until April 29th 2024 (writing this on the 23rd). I don't necessarily think this means everyone will find an outcome within the next few days, however, it does point out at changes happening presently, or as a direct result of this Venus in Aries season. Which again puts the idea of acting and stop wasting time.

It's also fun because it points at a very fiery approach to love, much like what the Knight of Wands was suggesting. Instead of worrying whether they love you or not, whether you should move on or not, you're being advised to go and find out. With the 4 of Wands as this placement in the tarot, there is an idea of celebration and coming together. The characters on the card are inviting, as if to welcome you in their circle, or hinting at a festive event or a gathering. A positive outcome is definitely possible, and if not, it's the opportunity to move on from heartache and find a better future with your heart unburdened.

The underlying energy is presented by the Ace of Cups, which definitely speaks of an exciting time for romantic feelings, where feelings are being birthed and coming to light. There is opportunity for a renewal in this connection.

PILE 2

Cards: The Devil, the Lovers, the Queen of Swords, Ace of Swords, 8 of Wands, 9 of Cups, the Fool 10 of Cups, 2 of Wands, 6 of Swords, 3 of Cups, 3 of Wands

We'll start by looking at your current situation regarding your love life.

With the Devil as you current situation, it is possible that you're crushing on someone or are in a non-committed relationship with someone that is loaded with sexual energy. However, it also points at an obsessive dynamic in the relationship which fosters an unhealthy atmosphere. It is clarified by the Lovers and the Queen of Swords, so I think there might be someone in this relationship hoping for love, and someone with their walls up, appearing cold and distant, even if there is physical intimacy at play here. It's also possible that the one interested in committed love doesn't respect their own boundaries and let themselves being stringed along.

As to what's going for you, I see you embracing clarity and the desire to cut through bullshit at this point. A part of you wants to reach the truth of this situation and is willing to think about it deeply. Get your sense of agency back by either communicating your needs and fears or by taking the time by yourself to work on that. It's clarified by the 8 of Wands so I see quick communication, heated arguments perhaps but it's for the best because you need to get to the core of the issue.

For what's going against you, I see you clinging onto the good aspects of this relationship, as in, it's not perfect but there's enough pleasurable aspects to it that you don't want to let go of that. You're protective of what you have and I also see you being a bit too carefree by pretending the negative aspects of this situation don't affect you that much, that everything is find and good, even though it isn't. You might be a bit of a hopeless romantic and you just don't want to see that this situation is not bringing you the true happiness that you seek but rather putting you in a unstable and potentially threatening situation. I don't know how to put it but with this + the Devil as significator for this relationship I get toxic vibes from this, but that you're too addicted to it to really snap out of it.

What you need to take in is shown by the 10 of Cups, and I think here it means that you need to find hope again that you're deserving of true and untainted happiness in matters of love. This card is about commitment and romantic, even familial fulfillment, and I think it's important to remember that if that's what you want then you can't settle for less because then you'll never get what your heart truly desires. This card is here to remind you of your dream, stop settling for less and suffocating your true wish.

You need to release your hope that the situation will solve itself without making a choice. I get the idea that you keep imagining how things could be, or would be if X or Y happened, but you're not taking the necessary step towards your wish.

All of this is highlighted by the general energy of the reading, which is all about going back to decision making after a time of hesitation. It's going to be your role to know which decision you need to make and how though, but you need to leave the harbor at some point.

For the outcome of this situation, I see you moving on to better days, letting go of this situation that doesn't fulfill you and going through a very social phase where you're going to either form new connections, or get back in touch with friends and celebrate your newfound freedom. It seems this decision of moving on will bring you a lot more happiness than sorrow. Yes it is painful to let go, but you have much to gain, and seeking different social interactions will help you feel better and get back on track. Perhaps it would help to find the humor in the situation and have fun gossiping about this relationship with your friends in order to vent and get another perspective.

PILE 3

Cards: Wheel of Fortune, the Fool, 3 of Cups, 9 of Cups, Ace of Swords rx, 9 of Pentacles, 6 of Pentacles, Temperance, 10 of Swords, the High Priestess, 9 of Swords

First off, let's look at your current love life.

For this pile, I don't think there is anyone specific in the picture for you. I see two possible situations depending on the people. Some of you might have experienced a breakup and are now in your new chapter, having left behind that situation and being past that; for others, I see you waiting for a relationship to show up eventually like some big turn of events. In both cases, you have a very open and carefree attitude right now, enjoying the moment and I get the idea that you might be enjoying casual sex as well, for some of you at least. In any case, you are currently not bound to anyone.

For what's going for you, I see you being social, meeting new people or enjoying time with friends. You're just enjoying yourself and your freedom and it's what you feel called to do right now. It seems you really needed to go through that phase in order to feel happier with yourself and find your balance again.

For what's going against you, I see the idea of casual, or at least, superficial connections showing up once more. You might also not be super ready to get into a committed relationship at the moment because you still feel the need to enjoy your freedom and have either multiple partners, or you just want to enjoy your social life without having to compromise or divide the limited time you have in your hands for one person only. I also see that you lack clarity on what you want. Is a committed relationship really what you want, or do you want to keep what you have right now? And if a relationship is what you want, what would it look like? I think you need to take some time reflecting on what romantic happiness looks like to you to see if it aligns with what you're doing.

For what you need to welcome in, there is a message here of reminding yourself that love is not just about sex and intensity, but also about sweetness and complicity. Looking up to your partner because you find them incredible, because they make you feel like a giggly child you can be your true self with. I also see the need to value true and deep emotional connection. There is a need to be the guardian of your fulfillment, not in a warroir-like way, but rather, in a nurturing way. Be the gardener that takes care of their blooming plants with love and care, and by that I mean that you need to put in the energy of what you want to harvest in the future, not just what's easily available in the moment. You also need to be more independent and advocate for your needs.

It's is very important to make way before you can receive anything new. Which means that you need to get clear on what it is that you truly want and release what doesn't align with that. Perhaps you're also quite detached and would benefit from getting in touch with your deeper emotions again. I think you've somewhat been hiding your heavier emotions inside and ignoring them for a while now and that might be what needs to be released.

For outcome, I think there is a deep need for realizing the options you have to choose from regarding your love life, and really take a look at what you truly want. I think this very social phase will come to an end for now, that you will be more focused on yourself and your inner world. This may trigger intense negative feelings that you were ignoring up until now because you were distracting yourself from them. You may need to hit the bottom before you can rise again, but fear not because from there, the only way to go is up. Learn to look for answers within, I think this time has the opportunity to teach you a lot about yourself and help your grow as a person and to gain clarity on your life.

I also wanted to note that there is a striking lack of Wands in this reading, which to me indicates that the main point of work in your situation is not so much taking actions, but processing thoughts and emotions to get clear on what you want and how to get there. A time for self reflection and growth is coming up.

[dalekofchaos]

My thoughts on the Pricefield break up and why I think it's for the best

Now that the smoke cleared. Here's my take on the break up.

It's realistic. People change and people grow apart. Even Max and Chloe.

However. The reason for the break up they provided is bad writing.

Before I continue, apparently it was revealed that the reason for Chloe's omission was this was originally a Bay centric game only, The decision was a Zak Garriss decision before he left D9 and they refused to course correct to satisfy both endings. And Deck Nine's refusal to keep them together and the reasons why is terrible fucking writing.

"Chloe is a free spirit" and “she can't stay in one place for long”

You're not describing Chloe, you're not even describing Rachel. You're describing Cassidy from LIS 2.

Also. This one bit of Max's journal from the Bae timeline is not only cringe, but completely out of character for both Max and Chloe.

Not in Max's art style. Did they even PLAY LIS1? Max has her own unique art style.

What they chose to put in here is style over substance. Just because you can make hyperrealistic art, DOESN'T MEAN YOU SHOULD! Life Is Strange had a unique art style. There's something so charming about it's cartoonish art and has more appeal than the crap we've been spoonfed since D9 got their hands on the franchise.

And another thing is how Chloe talks. Joking about a three way(despite Chloe's a lesbian) it fetishises their sex life, Chloe acting possessive, toxic and joking about murder. You can clearly tell this was written by a man. Chloe has never called Max a bitch. She has never once claimed Max as hers. Not even in a BDSM way. She respects Max too much. Chloe wasn't even that possessive when Max answered Kate's call or told Warren she was on for going ape. "you're mine bitch" hahaha who wrote this shit? Cause that's not Chloe.

Not even when she was with Rachel was she like that. The writers are thinking of Cassidy, not Chloe. Chloe is like me in the sense that she loves deeply the people she's attached to.

Chloe is REALLY attached to the people she loves deeply because of her trauma of being left by the ones she loved.

To me it works because guilt, trauma and what happens after you survive, but your mother doesn't would really fuck a person up. You can try to make the relationship work and you can try to pretend everything is okay. But it's not. People grow up and people change. So realistically I can see Chloe ultimately realizing she can't continue the relationship, maybe Chloe talked to Steph, found out about Steph's mom/Drew and the guilt just consumed her and she just couldn't lie to herself anymore and chose to leave Max. And if we talk realistically, it is very obvious that such a decision as letting an ENTIRE community die, was not going to be a decision that would make a relationship last forever. It is just logic.

And honestly? Max and Chloe learning to survive without each other is a much more compelling story.

Max having to start over in Vermont because she has no one. Bae Max... is left with no one NO ONE, not Kate, not Warren, not Joyce, not even Victoria... and not even Chloe... she's ALONE! Her new life at that university is completely understandable.

But I can also see Max in this timeline coming terms of the guilt of her own decision. If Bay Max still struggles with sacrificing Chloe, I can't imagine the weight of the guilt that Bae Max struggles with. Her decision killed her friends, Joyce and at least 1000 people. Like you can say they are okay with each other, but it's not realistic.

And Chloe learning to live a life without Max, her family or Rachel. Getting her education, getting a job, setting her new life up, living off the grid and learning to cope via therapy and learning to be a better person.

Maybe they get back into contact eventually, try to get back together or at the very least try to be friends or part ways mutually.

I've learned the hard way that those old friendships don't always last. Things change, you drift apart and despite loving each other or things going wrong, you know it always won't work out and that's okay. That's life.

But in my honest petty opinion? This is karma. Before I continue I must preface my statement by saying not all Pricefield shippers, just the toxic ones.

Karma for having a fanbase acting like the biggest bullies in the world. Karma for victim blaming Rachel instead of her groomers. Karma for having a fanbase acting like the biggest whiny self-entitled brats that would make Dudley DUrsley go "wow, maybe 36 presents IS ENOUGH" karma for harassing Warren's voice actor to the point where he didn't appear at the Blackwell reunion nor was he mentioned. Karma for harassing Grahamfield shippers to the point where there is barely any content over the last fucking decade. Karma for flooding the Max/Warren ao3 tag with rape and murder fantasies and calling anyone who dares to like them together r-slurs and f-slurs. Like I'm sorry, I'm not trying to lump the whole fandom together, but when you harass me, my friends and harass Warren's and now Amanda's fucking voice actors over a fictional ship(Max and Chloe would hate these types of fans btw) sorry but not sorry.

You reap what you sow for acting like horrible bullies and believing a capitalistic company gave a shit about core spirit of LIS 1 and Max and Chloe as characters.

and The fact that some of ya'll can’t appreciate Max unless shes with Chloe says more than you could imagine if I'm honest

and at the end of the day, the fandom found more of a problem with Chloe's omission and Pricefield's breakup than Deck Nine cultivated a toxic work environment, rampant sexism, homophobia and transphobia and protected a fucking Nazi. Like how is Max and Chloe's break up MORE OFFENSIVE THAN PROTECTING A FUCKING NAZI???

Okay, rant over, just needed to get that off my chest.

It's clear this was a Max Bay centric game, but they were afraid of the backlash and kept up the suspense for as long as they could, now the cat is out of the bag. What they should have done was say "This is a continuation of the Bay timeline, if this does good we'll do a game about Max and Chloe in the Bae timeline." but they didn't and lied about respecting the endings.

I also feel like Ashly Burch being a SAG-AFTRA VA is mainly why Chloe's not in the game. SE doesn't want to do business with union actors and would rather reuse old voice lines or hire Rihanna than honor any of Ashly's requests.

Also? Max still hasn't learned anything. Max apparently formed another codependent relationship that she couldn't let go to the point where she's fucking up reality by creating yet another parallel world. Even in the bae timeline, Max choosing to use her powers to save someone she grew attached to, something that drove Chloe apart… That's bad writing.

I do think Max having a story to herself centered in the Bay timeline is a good idea, however. Making Max look unrecognizable, erasing Warren, Kate,(I literally just wanted to see Max and Warren Go Ape and Max and Kate having a fucking tea date) Victoria and anyone else from Arcadia Bay, Hannah not convincingly sounding like an older Max, the sterile change in art direction, turning a passion project to just "another franchise" and oh yeah keeping A FUCKING NAZI employed for a franchise that is supposedly a diverse celebration of queer people and POC. Prevents me from enjoying what would be the next chapter in Max's life.

At this point I just want the franchise to crash and burn with Deck Nine and Square Enix's terrible decision making. Not really respecting either ending, erasing the importance of Warren, Kate, Victoria, and Joyce, removing Chloe and not giving us the chance to save Rachel. Just a copy paste of LIS 1 in a more boring whodunit with forced love interests instead of giving us more time with Chloe or Warren. and oh yeah, PROTECTING A FUCKING NAZI!

I hope SE/D9's greed kills the franchise.

[listerbirdloml]

this was probably from ages ago but some fun asks for you; favorite lister headcannons? [I]

OOH idk man i’m shit at head cannons ALSO THIS WAS SAT IN MY DRAFTS FOR AGES IM SO SORRY I THOUGHT I POSTED IT

- well in my mind i always read him with a northern english accent and i’m not sure why. i know he’s from kent like Rowan + Jimmy but he just gives off northern vibes idk. and after learning that his dads scottish i can also see him using lots of Scottish slang terms.

- i think he’s a slag for a bit of pop too. Britney, Ariana, Taylor, Reneé, you name it. he gets a bit embarrassed though so he turns off his AirBuds when he wants to listen to girly pop music. he has the widest music taste out of the ark, so his Spotify wrapped is always mental. he posts them every year and not once has the same song appeared in his top listened to

- ik he’s not like blonde blonde but i think his natural hair is a lot darker but he’s been dying it blonder since he first met Jimmy and Rowan. when the ark are on hiatus he lets it grow out to his natural colour for a bit.

- he tried to grow a stache one time but Rowan shaved it while he slept. Also he didn’t know how to shave when he first met Jimmy and Rowan, so Pierro taught him. Pierro also taught him how to tie a real tie rather than use a clip on one.

- Joan LOVED lister. she would always fuss over him when he would come over. When he’d come round he would help her in the garden, but really he was terrible and Joan would always have to fix his mistakes. when he told her about how he and his mum would listen to albums together when he was little, she began showing him her collection of old records from when she was a teen/young adult. when she died she left Lister a few of his favourites. Lister keeps them hidden at all times so when he was hosting parties there was no chance they’d get damaged. after they stopped having so many people over Lister kept them displayed in the living room.

- i think that before he and Jimmy got together he had healthy and fun relationship with someone unrelated. it’s not anything ridiculously serious but it helps him see what he should realistically be looking for and what he deserves. it’s not like he’s using the person though, and he actually really likes them. they eventually end things amicably though, and stay good friends.

- it says on the WIKI article alice wrote for him that he has three half siblings. as far as i can think there’s no canon information about them other than that, so i like to HC that they are all from his dads second marriage and they don’t talk much since Lister hasn’t been to visit his dad in years. the ages are;

1.) Lister (19-20)

2.) a sister who’s like 17ish, she’s super embarrassed about the whole ark thing and is reluctant to rebuild a relationship with him again when he reaches out to her post IWBFT, because she remembers how he used to constantly fight with their dad when he’d come over for christmas / two weeks in the summer holidays. when they do start to reconnect and get closer she helps him bond with their dad too. (maybe she’s called Maya?)

3.) a younger brother who’s 13ish and a total TWAT. they look really similar and he’s just like how Lister was in school but he’s hilarious and really admires Lister. somehow he’s stupid smart though, even if he’s class clown. i think he reaches out to Lister when he’s still in the hospital after the incident. i also think it would be funny if the younger brother’s celebrity crush was Jimmy but his image of jimmy is completely shattered when he meets him properly. (i call him Brodie in my head)

4.) his youngest sister who’s like 7 who barely remembers lister but once they get closer she has him wrapped around her little finger. he almost bought her a horse once but Jimmy and Rowan had to remind him that a 7 year old who lives in a city centre can not logistically look after a whole horse. (i think her names Eilidh)

- the ark move from the flat into a house just outside london and he makes sure they all have a room so they can visit whenever they want to.

- after getting to know them better, he gets really close with Angel and Juliet. the three of them and Bliss have “girls” nights in the arks flat. when Listers hair grows they teach him how to pleat it. he gets really good and when he starts seeing his half siblings again he pleats his sisters hair for them)

sorry idk man i yapped a bit 🤷‍♀️

[supagogoman]

My thoughts on Shadow Generations

I played Shadow Generations. Here are my thoughts about it.

tl;dr it's amazing

Before it was released I was already expecting to enjoy Shadow Generations. It was, after all, a follow up to Sonic Generations, one of my favourite Sonic games, so more of that sounded good to me.

Of course, I'd been burned by this before; Sonic Forces also promised to be 'more Generations' and that game ended up being pretty mediocre. Still, things were clearly different this time. One of those differences was the huge focus on our antihero - Shadow the Hedgehog.

Before I go on, I should preface by admitting that I never liked Shadow the Hedgehog. I wasn't a big fan of Sonic Adventure 2, the game he debuted in, and was of the opinion that he should have stayed dead at the end of that game instead of being bought back for Heroes. He was a fine character in SA2, but the Shadow the Hedgehog game released in 2005, with it's dark, edgy writing, made Shadow a huge joke to me. I'm surprised anyone could take that character seriously after they thought it was a good idea to give a cartoon hedgehog realistic guns. His backstory seemed like the progenitor for those terrible deviantart era OC fan characters. He became a meme for years because of SEGA's seeming lack of self awareness. This edginess continued somewhat in Sonic 06, but after the disasterous result of that game it seems like SEGA tried to course correct, and since then Sonic became much more lighthearted in tone and they became much more self aware.

Perhaps they course corrected too much, as the self-awareness almost went a little too far - at the time, I remember thinking Sonic Colours' writing and simplicity was refreshing, but it seems these days people complain about the jokes and humour in that game, and the kids began to yearn for the wacky shonen anime plots of the earlier games. I didn't entirely agree with this sentinent (I was always worried about what would happen if Sonic went back to it's EDGY phase again), but in the end I didn't care how terrible the story was so long as the gameplay was FUN. I still hold Sonic Colours in high regard, but not because of it's plot, it's because it was one of the few Sonic games that didn't make me want to kill myself (which are surprisingly rare in the entire series).

Frontiers marked an apparent shift to direct the story back to taking itself more seriously, and this trend has continued in Shadow Generations. Actually, I guess Forces also tried to do this, but Frontiers clearly had more competent writers (namely Ian Flynn) at the helm. Compared to it's companion game, Shadow Gens is darker in tone, and way more serious and dramatic. Unlike Sonic Gens, which is a celebration of Sonic's past games and history, Shadow Gens is a story that basically acts as a sequel to the Shadow 2005 game, exploring the tragic backstory of Shadow and his relationship with Maria, Gerald and Black Doom.

From what I wrote earlier you might think that this return to it's edgy roots might be something I was opposed to, and I did have some reservations initially, but it has actually been executed incredibly well. It's dramatic, but not overly edgy. It's darker, but not devoid of personality or charm. They walked a fine balance of making Shadow a more serious character with additional nuance to avoid making him seem like a joke (competent writing and not giving him guns probably helped a lot with this). The game's story, as well as the Dark Beginnings animated short, actually made me like Shadow the Hedgehog as a character for the first time ever. That being said, Shadow has the luxury of being pretty much the only character in the series that has a dark, tragic backstory to flesh out. Sonic couldn't have a story like this because his backstory amounts to being a way past cool dude who like to go fast, and I can't see them doing something like this with any other character (as funny as a stand alone Chaotix game exploring their financial problems sounds) There's nothing wrong with that, but what I'm getting at is I'm hoping whatever the story of the next game is will show restraint and be of an appropriate tone.

Anyway, I have discussed at great lengths about the story. I just thought it was interesting as someone who wasn't a fan of Shadow that it would win me over. I think that speaks to how well it was written Taking plot points from shitty games and working them into something more palatable to me. Even so, none of that would have mattered if the game sucked. As I mentioned earlier, I liked Sonic Colours not for it's story, but for it's gameplay. Shadow 05 has a shitty plot, but I could forgive it if the gameplay was good (it wasn't). So if Shadow Generations was a game that sucked then having a good story wasn't going to save it.

Thankfully, not only is this a great companion to Sonic Generations, but in my view this is one of the best 3D Sonic games ever made. When I played Sonic Frontiers, I wrote how it was a good foundation for what the next Sonic game should be. Although I enjoyed traversing the open zones, I suggested that they could be downscaled, and have more effort be put into more traditional Sonic stages rather than bite sized Cyberspace missions. Shadow Generations does exactly that - it's hub world, rather than being a glorified level select as it was on Sonic Generations, is now expanded to be it's own mini open zone, filled with rails, springs, ramps and many collectables that make traversing and exploring the hub fun. It feels a more polished too - the pop in isn't particularly noticable unlike Sonic Frontiers, and though the scale isn't as impressive as Frontiers it more than makes up for that with it's main stages - each with 2 acts and several mini challenge missions. These are exactly what was missing from Frontiers - gone are the repeated themes and assets seen in the Cyberspace missions, and back are the intricately designed stages with plenty of alternate paths with cool set pieces and spectacles that are fun to experience over and over.

Also contributing to my enjoyment of the game are the controls. I already commended Frontiers for having pretty tight controls for Sonic, and these have only been refined further in Shadow Gens. Shadow just feels incredibly easy to control and being able to pull off those reactions and jumps needed to access those alt paths in the stages feels great. It also does away with the overly complex combat system, there are no crazy dodges, parries or combo moves to do, but Shadow does have his Doom Spear and launcher that mixes things up and ties into level traversal too.

In fact, it kind of makes Sonic Generations feel clunky in comparison. The original game has been 'remastered', but very little has changed, besides some rewritten dialogue and some hidden Chao to find in each level. Graphically it looks exactly the same, and the controls remain untouched. This is fine, the game was and still looks and plays great, but Sonic compared to Shadow feels a lot stiffer to control. The way Sonic handles has been refined in the years through Forces and Frontiers, so going back to a game from 11 years ago, packaged with a brand new game, unfortunately makes inevitable comparisons, and playing the two games back to back definitely takes some getting used to.

My main complaint about Shadow Generations is that there just isn't enough of it. Not that it was a short game, it's length is pretty comparable to Sonic Generations and I can see myself replaying more in the future, plus the hub world exploration certainly adds a lot to the experience. I also understand this is a smaller project, designed to be a companion to Sonic Generations and was clearly made to capitalize on the release of the Sonic 3 Movie, but part of me was hoping for something a little more comparible to the 9 levels Sonic Generations has, while Shadow Gens has just 5.

Supposedly Sonic Team are still working on their next game - possibly a follow up to Frontiers. I can only hope that they take the lessons they've learned and build upon them. They already have the framework of additional characters, introduced in the Final Horizons update for Frontiers. They could design a more intricately designed hub world in a similar scope to Shadow Generations, interconnecting fun, tightly designed traditional stages. There's a lot of potential here for the next game, and my hopes for the series haven't been this high since... well... since when Sonic Generations came out, I suppose...

[scrumptiousstuffs]

i may be on the other hand but i would find fascinating if kantbison and fadelstyle didnt end up together, we are so not used to it that sounds absurd but with the story we now on (we now nothing but what was shown on the trailer) would make so much sense if everything just colapses. imagine they killing each other? peak cinema i might say, would be so iconic, so out of everything.

i think these thai series are afraid of trying new things, i still remember how angry ppl was with OF (still this day and i don’t understand those who don’t like this show.) i think bc of that we don’t have diverse shows, just more sily ones. ppl can’t get a deep character, can’t understand their actions and what motivates them. it sucks actually, ppl want easy things, fluffy ones, they don’t like to think anymore. we all love to say how not me is incredible and what is so good about this one? it don’t do the ordinary! dk where i wanna get with this thought, just started thinking about one ask you answred about someone being mad bc (in their mind) fk is always doing the same, when is not even close! they are going outside the box and that is what is good about them.

Ok. Wow a lot to unpack here. I decide to answer these 2 asks together, cause they are kinda of similar?. Also, a complete 360 degrees from a recent ask that dislikes sad ending and wishing FK/JD a happy ending in THK 😬.

You both mentioned loving Only Friends and it's messy storyline. Like both of you, I love how Jojo/Ninew (and our fabulous actors/ actresses) portray them. We all know a Ray/Mew/Ton /Top/Nick etc. in real life (or shades of them!) and I think what makes the story compelling is people can relate to these characters (be it one aspect or more).

And yes, I remember very well how divisive the audience became with OF. I think part of it relates to the expectations of what they want for each character (and well, we can never please everyone!) - some watchers thinks OF was slut-shaming Ton while others got upset because TonNick were not an item. Others were dissatisfied with the way Mew/Ray handled their friendship with Ton. They were also grumbles on how the only reason SandRay + MewTop got together were because the actors are branded CPs.

To me, these viewers forget the characters are actually not very nice people. They are immature adults in their early 20s making terrible choices while navigating friendships & relationships. None of them are sweet angels (including Sand, as much as I love our boy). In fact, I think all of them are hypocritical at some level.

Personally, I think people who were dissatisfied with the particular ending (for a character) falls into 2 categories: They identified/ invested the most with a character in that show and feels personally attack or because they cannot fathom why a character acts the way they did. (Mew forgiving Top but not Ton? - viewers labeled Mew as sanctimonious bastard. Well, I think people forget that Mew never cared Ton was sleeping around before. He only started to care when the latter slept with his boyfriend. And why won't he forgive Top? Yes, he cheated but we all know someone in real-life (or heard from someone) who takes back their cheating partner. Whether or not it's advisable is beside the point. They are just portraying something can happen realistically. Similarly, why is Nick not allowed to dump Ton when they are on different wave length on what define their relationship? But people again interpret it as Nick slut-shaming Ton). And don't get me started on what people say about Ray.

And as for Thai BL (and GL) in general, I'm not going to call myself an expert. However, I get the impression the contents we have now are way better (and varied) then it used to! There is a genre for everyone out there! So, watch what you want - GMMTV tends to stick to light-hearted shows cause they mainly cater for the younger audiences but they are slowly branching out. Also, companies outside of GMMTV are flexing their creativity muscles (some that comes to mind include The Signs - fantasy; Manner of Death - crime/mystery; PitBabe - A/B/O; I feel you linger in the air - melodrama/time travel; the upcoming Goddess Bless You From Death - horror)

In terms of THK - I do not think we will have KantBison & StyleFadel all dying cause it's sold as rom-com (although it will certainly be a huge shock factor if KB and SF both died in a dramatic shootout. But what will I know, the recently finished 4minutes Thai BL had their second leads dying in each other arms).

I'm also not sure if THK is going to be as messy as OF (cause I think in terms of relationships, this will be straightforward - we probably won't have the boys swapping partners, that's for sure!). However, I'm sure we will get the backstory of how the brothers are adopted, their relationship with their adopted mom/handler and older brother (Pepper!!). And perhaps how Kant shifted gear from a criminal to a tattooist.

Whatever the journey will be with THK - I have faith FK and JD will bring their A-game and acting skills to the table. At the very least, we can be assured the soundtracks and cinematography will be on point. I mentioned on a previous ask I like happy endings for my leads, but I certainly won't mind seeing them suffer before that. So, I'm ready to go on a roller coaster journey as we have Kant/Style seducing our assassins while struggling morally to accept they love someone who kills for a living. Or the crushing agony when Fadel/Bison finds out about the betrayal.

[sullustangin]

Spoilers Ahoy: Consular Thoughts

I’m doing a quickie consular story  re-playthrough, and ... I have thoughts, mainly about the companions.

I do like the overall story arc until Chapter 3 when everyone except the Selkath thinks going to Belsavis to make friends is a great idea.  Awakening an imprisoned army is a terrible idea.  This is sort of how I feel about my OC confronting Malgus alone in prison recently: I don’t have a choice not to be stupid, and I HATE that.  LS is “Gonna get new friends for the Republic” and DS is more like “Gonna get new friends to serve me.”  THESE GUYS ARE NOT YOUR FRIENDS.  It’s a lot of risk and no guarantee of reward. I’d mark this as ‘a jump the shark’ moment. 

The Consular also has the inverse problem of the Bounty Hunter:  BH gets all the lighter companions first (Mako most of all) and then gets DS only at the end (death to Skadge).  Meanwhile, the consular gets a Hunt All The Things Uncle Lizard, Guy Who Literally Lives in the Basement with his Holo Girlfriend, and a politically inclined Murder!Noodle. Consular only gets LS Felix and LS Nadia as the last two companions, which results in some problems -- they’re also the romance options, which gives them the least amount of development in the vanilla game. 

To be fair, I think Felix Iresso is one of the least problematic guys in the SWTOR universe.  He’s so kriffin’ sweet.  He’s perfect for a young Jedi.  I totally think there was an attempt at a Jace/Satele parallel here. It’s not toxic and it’s well-paced... minus the fact that he doesn’t show up until Hoth.  Yes, I know what’s in his head...but he’s still a good person before and after the experience in Vanilla.  (I know how he was done dirty in his return -- poor sweet man.) 

For perspective, Hoth is when the smuggler gets their last companion, Guss Tuno.  Corso (f!smug romance option) was acquired in Chapter 1, and Risha (m!smug romance option 1) was acquired at Chapter 1′s end.  Akaavi was acquired in Chapter 2 after Balmorra (option 2).  Even then, Akaavi’s relationship feels better paced just by having her a whole planet early.  I know @swtorpadawan​ and others have commented on how fast the Nadia Grell romance is.  Pair that with her relative youth -- even with the consular being super young themselves, it still feels ‘yikes’, especially in the context you romance her.

I love and hate Qyzen.  He’s a great first companion, part of a cultural immersion experience for a young Jedi.  His hunting for the Scorekeeper works in contrast to the peace that the consular seeks to establish, and yet it does provide a path to that -- sometimes, you do have to fight for the 'greater good’ end result; compliance works for the enemy.   However, on a personal level, I have my political loyalties to Wookiees, and I would cheer for Bowdaar to kick his ass.

I do like Zenith, and not just because he’s voiced by Troy Baker.   There’s a very gritty, realist element to Zenith. After the hero moves on from a planet, what happens to it?  Great, Balmorra is liberated, but it doesn’t fix everything going on there. Should there be ‘necessary evils’ done in the name of politics and managing power? All of the war, death, and other baggage can screw a person up; I read Zenith as walking PTSD, having lived in a war zone all of his life (he was born 3 years after Jace and Satele reported the fall of Korriban, and Balmorra has been a mess since). Zenith is a great foil to a consular, regardless of alignment.  

...I have a really hard time justifying Tharan’s recruitment so early minus the fact he does fit on Nar Shaddaa better than anyone else.  I know the developers tried to keep all of the Pub and Imp players running on the same sets of planets in each chapter...but if there was ever an exception to be made, it should have been for the consular, because I feel like Tharan is taking up an important space that he really shouldn’t. He’s not actively evil, but he’s not a pleasant or honest person. Super skeevy vibes once Nadia joins the crew too.   I feel like a lot of time is spent on Tharan with not a lot of growth or character development to show for it.  I think I feel that way because there’s this weird ‘affair’ the consular is propositioned with early on -- it felt like filler from the start.  It’s not as well done as the Pierce one-night stand.  Some of his comp convos seem tacked on or “oh no we have to make more content for this guy.” 

Nadia’s acquisition as a companion hinges on certain late stage events, but I feel as if the romance would have felt ‘better’ if her father had let her go to be a padawan as soon as she manifested on Quesh.   Then, she could have grown up a little more before the later events and would have been on more equal footing and more familiar terms with the consular, romance or not. 

In sum, I think the consular’s personal story with the crew has great elements, but I feel like they got put together in the wrong order.  To me, companion order would be:  Qyzen, Felix (set him on Tatooine, the opposite temperature cesspit in the galaxy), Zenith, Nadia (on Quesh), and then... Tharan on Hoth because someone unloaded him there? or Belsavis for crimes related to unethical experiments?  Again, Tharan’s convos seem overstretched; the Vandrayk Generator could have really been done in two or three convos rather than the big thing it was in Chapters 2 and 3. 

[liminalmemories21]

Tag Game Tuesday: 911 Lone Star Fandom Edition

Tagged by @ladytessa74. Thank you!

When did you first start watching Lone Star? Who or what introduced you to the show?

What is time? Okay, so I have competing memories about this. I want to say we started watching 911 OG because of the pandemic. But, I also have vivid memories of watching Lonestar from episode 1 because it was a 911 spinoff. And, given when Lonestar started those are incompatible memories.

Which is to say I think we must have started watching 911 OG earlier than I remember.

Which season is your favorite?

Season 2. When they're really getting to know each other, and figure out how to talk to each other. I really love how they handled the whole farmer's market thing - Carlos telling TK about what coming out was like for him, and TK actually listening.

Who is your favorite character? (Bonus: If you answered TK or Carlos, who is your favorite besides them?)

Hard to choose, but I think a toss up between Judd and Grace. I just really love their marriage, and how much faith and trust they have in each other, and how much they just clearly love and like each other. Also, Judd's got a great kind of exasperated older brother energy, and his voice has a fantastic cadence to write.

Top five episodes. Go!

I am also terrible at remembering episode numbers. So.

the one with the farmer's market

the entire Marjan episode last season

the kidnapping arc - I love getting to see Carlos be smart about being a detective

the one with the kidnapped kid (my father-in-law more or less), because see above about watching Carlos be smart, and actually recognized for it this time

the Gwyn's death/airplane falling out of the sky episode - because everyone was so good in that episode, and you could feel how much everything ached, and I liked getting to see a glimpse of TK's relationship with his mother.

If you could pick any character to be given a "begins" episode, who would it be and what would that episode look like?

Paul. I know we've gotten hints, but I'd love to know more about why he picked firefighting, and what pushed him to leave Chicago in the end.

Also, Nancy, because we know almost nothing about her.

What is a scenario or storyline that you would like to see in season 5?

I'd like a chance to see TK be good at his job - we know he is because we've been told he is, but I don't feel like we've gotten to see it much.

I'd like a Halloween episode - small children in adorable costumes, and crazy calls, and so much teasing between the team about candy and costumes.

Also, I'd really like the show to remember that TK has a step-father(ish) type person, and a brother.

What do you think is going on in this still?

I mean, realistically I think it's probably nothing that any of us can guess. But, I think it looks like Carlos is doing something that TK doesn't want him to - either still pursuing his father's murderer, or agreeing to do something for work that scares TK (undercover?).

We all know about the elusive 5x05 spicy scene that has been teased, so what is your prediction for how it could possibly top 1x02?

I have no words for how much I want lazy making out on the couch that turns into something hotter and heavier. I want low soundtrack so you can hear the way fabric shifts together, and the couch squeaks a little under their weight. I want Carlos's hand gripping TK's hip (think the kiss from Some Kind of Wonderful - the way Eric Stoltz's hand just flexes on her hip, like he can't help himself).

I want them home, and comfortable with each other, but still so hot for each other.

Where was the Tarlos honeymoon in your mind?

Well, apparently they went to a resort somewhere? Given how much Carlos apparently dislikes traveling, we can only imagine the lengths TK had to go to persuade him of that. But, I think Owen and the Andrea upgraded their reservation to apologize for kind of taking over the wedding planning.

I think it wasn't quite what they imagined - because how could it be - but it was what they needed, a chance to be away, to be together, to regroup, and grieve, and not have to try and do it in front of anyone else. I think for the first few days Carlos tried to make it perfect, the way it was supposed to have been, and TK kept trying to say, it doesn't have to be that. And eventually Carlos let himself believe TK and took the time to really process what he lost - not just his father, but the potential for the relationship they were just starting to rebuild.

Shoutout one of your favorite fan creations.

I really liked the themed recc lists that @welcometololaland started. I always love a good recc list, and I like ones that come with summaries and personal endorsements.

tagging @carlos-tk, @chicgeekgirl89, @rmd-writes, @welcometololaland, and @jesuisici33

[gaychimera]

what I liked and disliked in chaos theory

So I’ve been seeing a lot of people posting about what stuff they liked and disliked in Chaos theory, so I’m just gonna do that! 

SPOILERS FOR CHAOS THEORY

For things that I liked:

I really liked how realistic yasammy was, and how they managed to work through their own issues as a couple, I love their ship so much 

Darius was so well written, he had such depth, and I know a lot of people didn’t like that he was in love with Brooklyn, but I think it was…fine? I was a dinostar shipper since the first season of cc though, so I may just be bias

Sammy is also really well written, I really like how her coping mechanisms were shown in the show

That raptor lady is FUCKING TERRIFYING. She unsettles me to no end, and I like how they don’t give her too much screen time, so her presence makes more of an impact. I also really like how she actually does seem to care for the atrociraptors instead of just controlling them

Mateo was pretty neat, he kinda surprised me by how he was a minor character but was given depth. I was PRAYING he wouldn’t die 😭 and luckily he didn’t 

Overall I like the portrayal of grief in the show and how all the different characters cope with it. 

Kenjis breakdown after his dad dies made me genuinely feel so bad for him, like he needs a hug, all of them do

Speaking of kenji, his relationship with his dad also felt realistic-His dad is STILL a bad person, and he hates him and wants to stay away From him, but he felt forced to work with him. And when he died, kenji felt that pain because, that was his dad, terrible or not.

The animation, especially for the dinosaurs was top notch, so gorgeous 

The plot twists were insane! 

I liked a lot of the show, I can’t list all, so just assume the things not listed I also liked

Ok these are what I disliked

I love Brooklyn, but I feel like her actually dying would be a bit more impactful, so that she can forever haunt the narrative. I still am excited to see what her role will be in the future though!

Bumpy randomly having a egg was a surprise, and didn’t make a lot of sense to me, but kids show gotta kids show, we need marketable baby dinosaurs!

I wished we got more flashbacks with the parents in them, like the kids adjusting after they escaped the island, instead of them hardly mentioning their parents 

I don’t like how they attempted to make you feel bad for kenjis dad, just so you’re sad when he dies. I still believe he’s a terrible person who shouldn’t be forgiven, and I think the show would try to forgive him hadn’t they killed him off

Darius being in love with Brooklyn and that being the reason he didn’t meet up with her that night felt really stupid. Like,doesn’t that make Brooklyn’s “death” actually his fault? Wouldn’t it make more sense if he was actually busy or doing something so he couldn’t be there?

That was kinda it, overall I think chaos theory was a 9/10! It was a wild ride, and I can’t wait for season 2!

[bisluthq]

you have such a weird approach to taylor and travis’ relationship. it’s so interesting to me that you base their level of knowledge about each other on how much you see them out in public - like if they’re not together, you immediately assume they don’t communicate, therefore they cannot know each other. meanwhile, you were writing borderline fanfiction about joe and taylor, despite them never being seen together. i’m well aware that they spent more time with each other as far as we knew but there was zero indication that joe one year in knew more about taylor than travis does now…

to insinuate that he’s with her for that 8 figure deal but then 2 asks later say that you’re rooting for them is just comical lmao

yes we all know you liked her better with joe but times change, PEOPLE change. idk it’s just super obvious to me that taylor is happy and content in this relationship - to question that and imply that she’s still hung up on her fuckass exes is just very strange. it’s her life, if she truly isn’t happy then we’ll find it eventually but there’s no need to speculate about her being miserable.

can you imagine finally getting to a place where you can enjoy your life, feel like you have your shit figured out only to have your fans be obsessed with the idea that you’re faking your happiness? i’d go absolutely insane - you guys are not better than the gaylor who are convinced that her entire life is just performance art…you’re essentially doing the exact same thing - she says something, you say she’s lying, she seems happy, she must be faking it, she has a man love her, he must be in it for the money like……..just stop

bruv I never ONCE said she’s hung up on an ex and have actively said I don’t think she is. I’ve actively said so when people have implied surprise songs are about an ex because that’s an insane thing to think. I don’t think she’s hung up on any ex and I would judge the absolute fuck out of her if she got back together with either of those guys. That’d be a terrible fucking idea.

but like the cupcakeing here is unreal. “Finally”? My sibling in christ, this woman has been single for like 6-9 weeks over the period of the last ten years. She left Calvin for Hiddles (while also lusting after Joe), she left Hiddles for Joe, she left Joe for Matty (who she’d been fucking when she’d met Calvin lol) and Matty left her. After which she was single for like 7 weeks and then she started dating Travis. She dated Travis for about a month before they went super public together and NEITHER of them have had a chance to fucking breathe because this has been an extremely busy time for them.

this has fuck all to do with Joe lol and it’s reminding me of whenever I’d say her and Joe don’t seem perfectly happy in every way, I’d have people say it’s because I’m a miserable Gaylor. Now apparently because I don’t think her and Travis have EVEN HAD A CHANCE TO DECIDE EITHER WAY, it’s because I’m a widow.

have you thought, just maybe, that I… am just quite realistic and know cognitively that she’s a real person and real people don’t get happily ever afters lmao, they just get more fucking life?? Come on.

I also think it’s fuck naive not to see that they’re both mining this relationship for money and positive publicity. Doesn’t make it fake or bad or mean that they’re miserable but totally utterly delusional to somehow claim they aren’t. Doesn’t mean they’re not happy! In fact it’s probably one of the things that makes them happy like it makes sense and it’s constructive to both of them.

I’m just not into cupcake takes, which this is, and if you want a source that deepthroats whichever guy she’s with rn that’s totally fair - that’s your preference - but then go follow those girls? Block and unfollow?

Come on. I don’t like acting like real people can ever be perfectly perfect in every way, because it’s silly - escapist and perhaps enjoyable for you and that’s SUPER FAIR, but ultimately quite silly.

also no I don’t think she’s lying and I don’t think she was lying the last fifty times she said she’s never been happier only to say that was in fact a miserable time. I think that makes her perfectly imperfect and human 🤷🏻‍♀️😘

[mikuni14]

Bake Me Please - Ep 4

I have no idea what it is about Bake Me Please, how it came to be my second favorite series that I'm currently watching.

A possible explanation is that while the show has this specific, over-the-top soap opera/Antique Bakery aesthetic, the characters and their behaviors are very human - and very imperfect. They all do stupid things… and I literally have an explanation for all of their idiocy and they all fit the plot to me 😀

There is a terrible, cartoonish mother who lives in the palace... who is terrible in this very ordinary, mundane way. There are her sons who are also realistic and their family dynamic is ultimately… very down to earth. For example, their conversations in this episode certainly take place in many homes. Just.. the way she behaves, or the brothers' conversation, it all feels very real. Shin melting in the presence of the grandmother, a motherly figure, is understandable considering his childhood. Peach and Shin's relationship is also very realistic, their mutual fascination overcoming common sense, good physical compatibility and lack of emotional compatibility. Their fights and reconciliations so far are consistent with the relationship of such personalities. Peach lying to Shin, Shin forbidding Peach from having contact with Guy - bad, but not surprising. I even understand Shin, who doesn't want to talk about their relationship at work because 1) he doesn't want drama 2) he avoids conflict 3) he knows that "flaunting" his relationship will actually hurt Oab. I would also prefer to keep such a relationship a secret, although I would tell Peach WHY 😤) Shin, who doesn't confide in Peach, doesn't tell him things - it fits his personality, his upbringing, even though it's so irritating. Peach, who simply went to a restaurant with Guy and lied, did something stupid, but he is still young and wants something very much and he has this dream and when an opportunity appears… he just takes it without thinking about the consequences. I get it. Shin, unable to take a proper care of his boyfriend, being a dick to him, ignoring his dreams and his words, acts as if he simply didn't know HOW to do it, as if he had not learned HOW to be considerate. Guy quitting his job, having complexes, blaming Shin, is acting stupid - this is still very human behavior, although annoying af. Shin being angry and feeling abandoned and betrayed by Guy also acts understandably, including feeling betrayed by Peach as well and taking it out on him - even though he acted like an asshole.

This series is so unique, there is so much stupid, irritating and uncool behavior in it, and it doesn't even bother me (I mean it does, but I'm cool with it lol). And I like the cast, Ohm plays the asshole like a pro, Guide plays the cutie as he should, they have a good dynamic together, and this is probably the first series in which seme character is not Mr. Perfect, but a real dick 😭 And then there is Poom, who is the perfect rival, the one I look at and I KNOW that he actually CAN mess up this relationship 😍 And tattoos, and a nice wake-up scene, and Peach anticipating that he won't be sleeping at Shin's house ✨

I CAN'T STAND THE KISS THAT LOOKS LIKE CHEATING TROPE, uuuughhhhhhhh 🤢, can it die already? I understand why Oab did it - although I absolutely do not approve! But I'm angry that Peach saw this. Will we ever see this trope in which the one who sees such a kiss WAITS until the end and sees the rejection and anger of the beloved kissed without their consent???? Is their love so weak that when they see such a scene they immediately assume cheating and not that someone is doing something wrong to their loved one? 😬

Anyway, so much drama! Can't wait for te next ep! 🤡

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

evidently i need to have at least three works rotating at my head at any one time, bc i just started on zombie apocalypse AU tes/hes

anyway does anyone have suggestions for the setting. the only thing i got going for it right now is that it literally takes the world ending for hestio to go "hey wait maybe i should do something about my feelings". normally i would redact homophobia out of a story altogether, but in the case of tes/hes i think them feeling like they can't realistically get together is an important part of their dynamic. in the canon universe i used the vatican's "sacred sheep can't get married" stance, but for this AU i replaced it with general modern-day homophobia (rip)

it's going to be a modern AU instead of being set in the canon universe, because canon universe tesilid already has enough problems without a zombie apocalypse and i can't deal with all that.

which 1) means that he won't have his stigmata restrictions? which means (gasp) he probably dated at some point?? some people would have asked him out - him being extremely handsome is an important part of his character after all. and with his pushover personality i think he would have gone out with some people and have had some extremely terrible experiences. which tbh is sad bc i do want this AU to be exploring the both of them having their first romantic relationship 🤔 so maybe i'll change that up idk

i think tesilid will still be very stuffy and proper even without the restrictions by having some crazy strict and controlling guardian. plus, tutorial era tesilid did have a very strong moral compass, he is intrinsically motivated to do good and help others.

2) tbh i also want them to be adults in this AU though because lowkey i don't want to deal with writing teenagers lmao, and they're already 20 in canon. we didn't really get to see their teenage years so i don't really know how to write them at that age.

i can't think of what jobs to give them though. all three of them are definitely tied to jobs they kind of hate, although tesilid doesn't outwardly show it and he's a top performer at whatever it is that he's doing. i thought of tying them down to a modern AU version of the vatican, but the only thing i can think of that takes in a bunch of children and milks them of their worth is uh. very criminal and illegal. and i'm not sure that such an unethical organisation would keep its children alive until adulthood. while i'm sure that tesilid could be made an exception, hestio & ephael would probably be too average to be spared.

oh and also ephael isn't in this AU because i don't know what to do with him. he wasn't with them when the zombies hit and they haven't seen hide nor hair of him since. i'm sure he's fine tho! 😀

[riddlerosehearts]

it's been so long since i last watched LOK that i honestly sort of forgot how much i don't like it. i'm on book 3 episode 7, i genuinely forgot that they just handed bumi airbending and brought back airbenders the weird way they did (when it would've been much more realistic that aang at some point found a group of very old survivors/descendants of survivors in hiding because genocide of a nomadic people who can fly just could not have caused a total extinction), i forgot how much mako doesn't have a personality, how much i dislike suyin and the way the narrative treats lin, and also... how little interaction korra and asami actually have with each other at this point??

like, you would think k*rrasami would be really important to me as a canon relationship between two bi women in the avatar universe, and i understand to an extent why it's written the way it is and won't deny how important it is overall as part of the history of LGBT representation in cartoons, but until now i sort of forgot why exactly i feel so little personal investment in it. i know they get more interactions later on but so far i wouldn't ship them if i didn't know what was coming because there's so little there. i don't even really like asami all that much outside of fanon stuff, nor do i particularly care about anyone at this point other than korra and bolin (and maybe kai and jinora too) and that's because everybody else either has extremely little personality imo, is annoying to me if they do have one, or is the product of the gaang being bad parents which is something i refuse to accept :(

and speaking of, the terrible way the show treated katara is actually pretty much the main thing i've always remembered about it and i have definitely ranted about that. the rest of it is just so incredibly meh for me that it doesn't even make me feel like angrily analyzing it and that's sad to me because there honestly was a lot of potential. like why don't we get an actual episode or two about mako and bolin's backstory instead of just hearing about it?? what happened with them actually does sound really interesting, but the show does nothing to make me care. it's like if ATLA had never given us any flashbacks about sokka and katara's backstory. and so much of books 1 and 2 is wasted on stupid annoying love triangle drama ajsjdjfkdk sometimes i wish i were more like my dad who is enjoying the show by simply not thinking very critically about it.

[cringefaildiaz]

For clarification, I was a Buddie shipper for the longest time, but because of recent episodes I’ve kinda abandoned ship.

I think that we (tumblr, reddit, Twitter) see the show differently than the general audience. I think there’s a lot of people who dig into things that don’t actually mean anything and call it in the name of Buddie. I shipped them because narratively it made the most sense, but I 100% think the shirt colors/water/beer theories aren’t complete and utter bullshit. Like, I enjoy reading them, but they aren’t anything. These are writers who 1: can’t remember their own details 2: are very open about any sort of metaphor, like the couch thing. The couch metaphor for a relationship was said on screen, it was real. Everything else is grasping. I’m an actor, I’ve gone through costume fittings before, I’ve seen wardrobe trailers, I’ve had a costumer. In a show that’s this expensive and that’s running this long, they will wear the same stuff a few times. Blue and green look best on screen. They can’t use product placement of real items. There’s a lot of reasons for stuff in the show that doesn’t have to do with Buddie and it makes me, and many others, not take Buddie seriously when people say things like “the lightning strike is the baking soda and it’s standing in the way of the beer which is their relationship” Nope. That’s just set dressing and props doing their job. “They made 3 s’mores because one represents Buck!” No… it represents Shannon, that was in the episode.

I also don’t think Buck and Eddie are a slowburn. Or if they are, and this is something they’ve planned out, they’ve done a terrible job. The point of a slowburn is for the audience to see, to feel, to root for the characters to get together. It has to be really obvious that it’s happening, albeit slowly. That it grows and they are so in love, and there’s feelings, and it’s a big will they won’t they. Buck and Eddie had a foundation for this, but the general audience can still call them brothers or platonic friends. Meaning that it’s not clearly romantic and therefore not a slowburn. It could be, if they wanna have Eddie really hate Natalia and openly reveal feelings for Buck even just to himself and let that drive them into season 7, then yes we would have an actual slowburn. It’s not impossible and it’s not too far gone, but if they keep down the path they’re on where it’s tumblr users grasping, it will be.

I also just think they’re writing the characters in circles and until they break out of that, there’s no hope for anything. I mean anything, romantically or not. Buck is currently a headache, at least Eddie seems to be having some growth, but his is also tied to a relationship and people telling him to date and him thinking he has to… ugh

so I actually mostly agree with you, but I think this might be a case of missing the forest for the trees.

I'm definitely with you that a lot of the fandom theories are...not realistic. I'm actually intimately familiar with how wardrobe and costume design operates on shows like 9-1-1 through my job, and I have never in my life heard of wardrobe operating on a set the way fans theorize they do. Not to say that things like color never mean anything, they can absolutely be used very intentionally (and are, by good designers), but they have very different reasons for making choices than what is popularly discussed here. (baby rant on costume metas->on a show like 9-1-1, the most important factor—beyond making your actors look good—is making their wardrobe choices believably human. It's about psychology and fleshing out character; it's rarely about storytelling. What would this real life person have in their closet? How would they choose to present themself in this setting? I'd also say there are some things the fandom DOES pick up on that I read as intentional, but on a show as big as 911, its a little silly to assume every outfit has a deeper meaning)

I also agree with your general point that people read a little too deep into metaphors and symbolism that aren't there on a textual level. You're right that the creators make it VERY obvious when those things are in play—because 911 wasn't a show that was made to be analyzed. Again, not saying that there's nothing to pick up on; I think it's pretty obvious Eddie's on the journey to find his soulmate, and I think it's pretty obvious Natalia isn't Buck's endgame, because they made it clear in the text. But that doesn't mean that every detail is put in to give hints on what's coming. It's a goofy procedural, it's not high art. I don't know how many people really believe those theories vs. how many people just have fun with them (like me), but I get what you're saying about it seeming really silly to anyone outside the bubble.

But re: missing the forest for the trees, I do think it's a little sad to get bogged down by the theories so much that it takes you out of digesting the actual media. You said that you "shipped them because narratively it made the most sense," and I guess I wonder if you don't think it makes narrative sense anymore, or if the popular theories seem so off the wall that you've written off any subtext that's actually coming from the show. And either is fine, but I remain firmly on the "it makes the most narrative sense" side of the aisle, although for more textual reasons than the goofy theories entertain (and I follow a lot of excellent blogs that do the same)

I think that you're really spot on with the slowburn aspect—s2-6a buddie was a developing close friendship, and a beautifully done one in my opinion. But it didn't read to me as romantic while watching casually, it read to me as a really significant platonic partnership. And I so agree that it's a really phenomenal foundation for an actual slowburn. After watching the episode last night, I think that might be the direction they're headed, and I don't think I'd feel that way if not for the couch of it all. But I've said it a few times on here, I don't see any way that this is the final act of their slowburn, because I don't feel there's been any burn yet. The fact that I'm starting to think there might be a reveal to the GA, a real will they/won't they, is what has me so firmly on the buddie canon train right now.

And yeah, Buck going in circles is how I'd put it, too. But as I said it to another anon, I get the feeling that this is the last circle for Buck before his series-long journey for happiness and self worth ends. I actually love the aspect of solving one problem with his perspective only to unearth another, deeper problem, but I can only watch that large man be sad in the exact same way so many times. As for Eddie's dating adventures, I'm feeling like they're making it clear that even though Pepa was the one to push him into it, he is actually interested in finding a partner for the right reasons.

Anyways, seems like we mostly agree and I'm either more optimistic or more delusional than you—only time will tell! Thanks for sharing your thoughts with me

drop your thoughts/theories/speculation on why you don't think buddie will go canon in my ask box because I'm curious (I'll be nice I promise)

I'm tagging all these posts with #anti-buddie and #buddie-neg if you want to filter

[purplesurveys]

1884

1. Did you wake up cranky? No, if anything I felt relief that I woke up from my alarm because I've been terrible with that lately.

2. Would you date an 18-year-old at the age you are now?  That doesn't sound very appealing, no thanks.

3. Do you prefer to be friends with girls or boys? Girls for me are more emotional and expressive, and I kind of need that energy. So it checks out – I definitely have more girl friends.

4. Would you ever smile at a stranger? If they do something or are in a situation that warrants me to give them a smile, then yes. Like if they have a dog with them or if I spot them sporting any kind of merch from a fandom I'm in.

5. Can you commit to one person? Yes.

6. How do you look right now? I liked how I look today, tbh. It's a relaxed look that still looks professional – my hair cooperated today too so that's a big win.

7. What exactly are you wearing right now? I have a royal blue oversized-ish polo, brown pants, sneakers.

8. How often do you listen to music? Mostly in the car, but I will sometimes turn on Spotify when I'm working. Has to be work I'm doing on the weekend where the atmosphere is more relaxed, though – I can't listen to music during a normal 9-6. Too distracting.

9. Do you wear jeans or sweats more? Jeans.

10. Do you think your life will change dramatically before 2014? Wow this is a whole decade ago, but no, it didn't really. I was only 15 going 16 at the time, and life wasn't throwing stuff at me yet. A good way to put it is that I was just on the cusp of major changes – by 2014 I got in my first relationship; the year after my grandfather died; the year after that I started college...everything pretty much snowballed from 2014, but not before it.

11. Are you a social or an antisocial person? Social. The professional field I'm in has definitely taught me how to enjoy social interactions more than I ever used to.

12. If the person you like says they like someone else, what would you say? I don't bother with dating and relationships anymore, but I imagine that I would realistically be crushed.

13. Are you good at hiding your feelings? No...I'm transparent as glass.

14. Can you drive a stick shift? Nope.

15. Do you care if people talk badly about you? I'd care in a sense that I'd be annoyed LOL. I barely bother with other people any more as it is – what could I have done for you to talk crap? I've graduated from the phase where I let it actively bother me though. So it's just petty annoyance, and then I let it go.

16. Are you going out of town soon? Not anymore. That's all I did this month but all those plans are done now, so I'm just focusing on getting used to a normal routine again. June alone I've been to Bulacan, Caloocan, Saigon, Da Nang, and Cavite. I'm TIREDDDDD hah and to think I was supposed to even go to Hong Kong with Angela and Hans before I backed out!

17. When was the last time you cried? Earlier this afternoon, in my ride to the office. Hans is proposing to Angela tomorrow and I've been emotional about it ever since he told me haha. We're not gonna be the same after tomorrow :'D

18. Have you ever liked someone you didn’t expect to? Yes.

19. If you could change your eye color, would you? I like what I have now.

20. Name something you have to do tomorrow? I have a bunch of meetings but I will also be paying close attention to my phone because Hans and Angela will 100% call any time.

21. Name something you dislike about the day you’re having. I had a meeting with that one client that irritates me to the ends of the world, and today's call was no different.

22. Have you ever liked one of your best friends of the opposite sex? Nope.

23. Are you nice to everyone? Yeah. You never know what anyone's going through, so I always prefer to just show kindness and patience to everyone – unless of course they give me a reason to take that away.

24. What are you sitting on right now? I'm sitting in my car. I want to wait out the traffic.

25. Do you think you can last in a relationship for 6 months and not cheat? Yes.

26. Have you ever wanted someone you couldn’t have? At one point, yeah.

27. Who was the last person you talked to before you went to bed last night? Reena and Angela, I think.

28. Do you get a lot of colds? No it doesn't happen often...but I do happen to have one now :( I have a sore throat as well and it's so uncomfortable and I hate that I don't know where and who I could have possibly caught it from, because no one else I know seems to have a cold.

29. Have your pants ever fallen down in public? I don't think they have!

30. Does anyone hate you? I can think of one person who might.

31. Do you have someone of the opposite sex you can tell everything to? I'm sure I can, I just prefer not to.

32. Do you like watching scary movies? Sure.

33. Are you a jealous person? Not really. I'm super nonchalant these days lol.

34. If you had to delete one year of your life completely, which would it be? I wish I can say 2020 because that year sucked ass, but my thought process about it is that year had to suck as much as it did to have led me to my happiness and peace today. So let's keep 2020.

My real answer to this would probably be 2017.

35. Did you have a dream last night? I probably did, but as always I forgot the dream as soon as I woke up.

36. Is there anyone you can tell EVERYTHING to? Yeah.

37. Do you think you’ll be married in 5 years? Nope.

38. Do you think someone has feelings for you? No.

39. Do you think someone is thinking about you right now? No.

40. Did you have a good day yesterday? Sure. It was an average day leaning on good.

41. Think back 2 months ago; were you in a relationship? Nope.

42. Is your life anything like it was two years ago? It's the same and different in so many ways. 20s can get very complicated like that.

43. If the person you wish to be with were with you, what would you be doing right now? I'm having a blast being alone right now, haha.

44. What’s the best part about school? The friends part.

45. Do you have any pictures on your Facebook? Sure, but I post very infrequently. Usually just for big big life events or special holidays – I posted pics from my Agust D concert, for example; and I also post greetings for my parents every Father's and Mother's Day.

46. Do you ever pass notes to your friends in school? I never started it. I was always the one being passed notes to, which infuriated me because I often ended up being the one getting caught and getting a stinkeye from the teacher.

47. Do you replay things that have happened in your head? Sure.

48. Were you single over the last summer? Yes.

49. What are you supposed to be doing right now? Nothing. I caught up with all my work backlogs so I'm feeling super satisfied right now haha.

50. Don’t tell me lies, is the last person you texted attractive? He is in a way but he wouldn't be my type.