#also of all people to feel impacted by what they're forced to wear..... why was he so irrelevant

[0v3rcast]

Gnaw (5)

You drift in infinity, if only for a moment, in a place devoid of feeling. There is no heat or cold, no light or darkness, no life, no death. There is an overwhelming absence.

Hello, my maker, Says a voice into your ear.

Warm hands tug at your sleeve and turn you in place.

You make eye contact with a woman in perhaps her early twenties, wearing a simple black dress. She's somehow standing on the nothingness as if it's solid ground.

She gives you a smile.

I wish we'd have had any other way to meet. You a corpse, myself a stranger.

I am Nil. The Abyss Made Manifest. The first of your children. I'm sure you have no recollection of me from the... simulation of Teyvat. Genshin Impact, I believe they called it?

You nod, not quite sure what to say.

...or even if you can say anything, because this place probably doesn't have a way for your voice to travel.

She smiles, giving you a strangely abashed look.

Sorry. I'm not used to guests. Or anyone other than my children, the Abyssals. If I'd known you'd be coming, I'd have made you a chair or something.

You shrug. At this point, you'll settle for her not trying to maim you.

Which, in hindsight, is kind of pathetic to settle for.

She offers a hand. You take it, and she pulls you close for a brief hug before somehow sitting you down on a solid plane of nothingness, your legs dangling off the edge like you're both sitting on a pier.

I can't give you much help from here, and your body is much too feeble to sustain abyssal energies, but I've been putting you back together every time you die.

I know it hurts, and I know you probably don't want to be here if all it means is being miserable, but...

They know not what they do. To them, you're someone wearing their creator's face. And that's not a valid excuse for murder, but they're blind to the truth.

You don't understand. It's probably written all over your face, based on the sad, sympathetic look she gives you.

There's another you. Sort of. An unstable clone. Some alchemist made them when Khaenri'ah existed. They had been attempting to summon you and bind your soul to an immortal body so you could guide Teyvat as you did before. They managed to only summon a copy of your essence.

The elements and Celestia annihilated Khaenri'ah for playing with forces they had no right to control, and I devoured most of the survivors for supporting someone that was trying to pull you away from your rest.

You have many questions. And no way to ask them. She catches on.

Oh! Also, you can just talk in your head and I'll hear it. It's not quite telepathy, but you and I are closer than the elements are to you, since I was the first.

You ask why the people of Teyvat didn't kill them, or why the elements couldn't.

You didn't want us interfering with the world so directly. That's why you gave my siblings the ability to grant Visions and the Gnosis. So they could still shape the world and watch over the souls they cared for.

You didn't want them to rule Teyvat, or to terrorize it, so you set some limitations on them.

Let's just say vaporizing an entire civilization was the kind of thing that caused backlash, massively draining them. They've spent all the time since then regaining their strength.

As for the mortals, they were just happy to have who they thought was you back.

You ask what the past you was like.

I can't tell you that. You'll remember on your own time.

You tell her that's not helpful, and also kind of a dick move to get your hopes up like that. She giggles.

This you is much more feisty. I like that.

You ask for any advice she can give you, because you're pretty lost and more or less without a clue right now. She perks up a little.

You'll make some friends in Liyue. I promise. Not everyone on Teyvat is hostile.

She looks away awkwardly.

Just, um. Most of them. Sorry. And I can't tell you who.

You sigh. At least there's a chance for someone to not immediately murder you.

Our time is up for now. I'm sorry. The waking world calls for you.

You tell her that the two of you will meet again and give her a wink. She laughs.

(Her warm, bright laughter follows you up to the world above.)

You wake with a terrible pain in the neck, and a golden band around your throat where you were decapitated.

You're more than a bit pissed about having your head chopped off because of someone else that's wearing your face.

A shitty copy at that.

You hope you'll meet one of those friends you were promised soon, because right now there's very little attachment to Teyvat as a whole.

(You meet your new friend not even three minutes later when she trips over your prone form and drops all her herbs.)

You awkwardly stare at Qiqi, who stares back at you with a mildly perplexed look.

"You... are not familiar," she says, tilting her head slightly as if she was a curious puppy. "But you seem nice."

"I'd hope I seem nice. You're the first person to not immediately try and kill me." You say, defensively.

You think she looks concerned, but reading her face is... well, difficult. Since she's an undead and all.

She offers a hand to you, and with her help, you get back on your feet.

"Thanks, Qiqi," you say, and then immediately have an 'oh shit' because she hasn't even fucking introduced herself.

"Have we met?" She asks.

"Nope. You're just famous where I'm from," you hastily explain. "Lots of people like you and want to be your friend."

She seems to consider it, but about halfway through she forgets and stops caring.

"Do you want me to help you pick up your herbs?" You offer.

She nods.

Qiqi delicately retrieves the various plants that were in her basket, and you point out any she misses.

"Are you from Liyue?"

"No, I'm just passing through."

"...ah."

You have a sudden alarm ringing in the back of your head and hit the grass, grabbing Qiqi and yanking her down with you.

You give her a small smile. She smiles back and then seems surprised she can. Then her smile widens slightly as she smiles for the sake of smiling, too.

"I like you," she says simply, with all the confidence of a child zombie. "Would you like to be friends?"

"I'd like that." You say genuinely. "I don't have a lot of those here."

"Then we're friends," Qiqi says with all seriousness before pulling out a notebook. "I will write your name down so I always remember you are my friend."

An arrow covered in icy mist whizzes just barely over your head and explodes several yards away, freezing a large circle of grass.

"Fuck!" You hiss, looking up to see Ganyu in the distance.

The look on her face is nothing short of barely concealed hatred. Her face is nearly expressionless, but there's open aggression and hostility in her eyes.

If looks could kill, you'd be a smoking crater.

"Go, Qiqi," you urge gently, nudging the jiangshi in the back.

She may be a zombie child, but she is no fool, very clearly understanding what's about to occur.

She quickly makes herself scarce.

As soon as she's out of the way, your gift spins to life, and your hands crackle with arcs of electro.

Ganyu lets another arrow fly.

You launch towards her, the world slowing to a crawl as you accelerate, her arrow sluggishly spiraling by you.

Right as you're about to be in range with a weapon, she... disengages.

Leaving behind a fucking ice lotus.

A wash of pure cold carves into you, sapping your body heat and leaving you winded.

You manage to roll away from the lotus, but her next arrow gouges into your thigh. You cry out in pain, indigo blood oozing down your leg and staining your pants.

You slam into her shoulder-first with the aid of your gift, the two of you crashing into the dirt and grass with a brutal force that leaves Ganyu wheezing.

Her hands come up to grab your throat, her grip like iron and tighter than a vice.

You briefly claw at her wrists, but the edges of your vision are beginning to darken.

You reach out, grab a horn, and yank.

Snap.

Ganyu wails. Her hands instantly move from your throat as she scrambles back, clutching the bleeding stump of her left horn in one hand. She isn't even paying attention to you anymore, lost in the agony.

You gasp for breath, taking in deep lungfuls of air.

Ganyu doesn't move to re-engage. She seems to be having difficulty staying conscious.

When she stands, her legs are shaking, and her attempt to move in your direction ends with her toppling over.

It's likely her horns have nerves, given their nearness to her human brain, and who knows what kind of function they serve? Do they help her sense which way is upright or help her orientate her body?

Whatever the case, she's down by half and now struggling to keep her balance.

You pretend to throw the horn at her as a distraction tactic, and she scrambles for it, not quite realizing you never let it go.

You flee, the arrow still in your leg and sending bolts of searing agony through you, the Quilin horn clutched tight in your hand.

(You fall asleep beneath a tree, which begins to grow rapidly due to the blood oozing from your now-healed wounds. An Archon approaches your unconscious form.)

When you wake, it's to jeering. You're... on a boat near the Guyun Stone Forest. There's a crowd watching you from the docks and shorelines, spitting insults and calling for your death sentence to be hastened. You can only faintly hear them.

Your limbs are bound in heavy chain and weighted with dense iron locks.

Zhongli glares at you like you're nothing more than a particularly vile insect.

Ganyu keeps fidgeting with the band of gold holding her horn in place now. She seems unsteady on her feet, especially on this boat. She watches you with something between hostility and fear.

Ningguang snarls at you for a moment with raw hatred when you make eye contact, but she swiftly schools her expression into an icy glare.

Keqing doesn't bother to look at you.

Zhongli must not like the look you give them because he steps forward and backhands you so hard you pull something in your neck and lose a tooth.

How dare they do this to you?

Your lip is busted and throbbing with pain. You, in a fit of spite, spit your blood onto his boot.

You're swiftly tossed into the sea and immediately begin to drown.

Before the darkness can claim you, several stone spears pierce your torso and limbs and make you sink to the seafloor as if the stone was lead instead.

You are so very cold.

(The sea goes as still and flat as a sheet of glass.)

Your eyes open in the lightless depths of the ocean.

Before you lies an ancient, imprisoned serpent - Osial, the Overlord of the Vortex.

You lay next to one of his heads. A single massive eye is trained on you.

"...my creator?" He asks, hesitant. "Why - no, how - are you down here?"

"Morax."

His eyes narrow in anger. "Wretched lizard. Had I my freedom, I would skin him alive and offer his carcass as tribute to you."

You breathe out a sigh through the gills you didn't have before.

"I wouldn't stop you at this point." You murmur bitterly.

(You and Osial lay there in the darkness of the sea together, side by side, prisoners of the same Archon.)

((Taglist:

@the-dumber-scaramouche @thatdeadaquarius @ssak-i @imyme20 @fried-lotud @acacla @itz-luna @iruiji @crierofirony @itsredactedlove @sweetsthetik @leafanonsforest @oxyotl @kkazuyass @featuredtofu @resident-cryptid @d4y-dr3am3r @crimson-ashes @red1sg0n3 @the-real-fandom-person @code-roevember @yourlocalsourwolf @rhoswen-drake @minimari415 @reversearrowhead @call-me-shroom @evqnescents @valeriele3 @mochicurls21

[kiefbowl]

Would love to know how you feel about breast reductions. Like idrc what others do, and it's nice to not have back pain yea, but I also wonder if others with big breasts feel a bit trapped in presentation the way I do and thats why they do it. I keep seeing breast reduction videos and 70% of them are from masc women or nonbinaries and you can tell that people find masculine women with big chests to be a ridiculous contradiction so it does make me feel like I *have* to get one to be taken seriously in masculine outfits. And I also think people don't like fat women and breasts are fat and therefore unattractive unless they're being shown off sexually for men so the only thing that actually looks good on me and fits right are super revealing and feminine(maybe just me but i think i look best naked lol). So I wonder that if I get a breast reduction I will be "giving in" fatphobia and if I don't I'll continue to be forced into feminine skimpy outfits to feel comfortable

I think there are plenty of good reasons a woman would seek out a reduction that is going to be a very positive impact on her life, and is going to have more physical benefits than something "more" cosmetic like a breast implant. To some of your points, that doesn't mean that a breast reduction can't be a cosmetic decision, and ultimately surgery for purely cosmetic reasons is not going to provide the relief that person is seeking, as it's not addressing the root of the issue for them. I have large breasts, and I attempted many years ago to try to get them reduced, but my insurance wouldn't help me out so...went out the window.

I don't think that when you're seeking large and risky QoL changes, you should worry about if you're "giving in" to things like fatphobia, or other stigmas you're facing, you should only worry about if a) this change is actually going to change the quality of your life in both the short-term and long-term b) do you have the resources to actually commit to the change and trade in one problem for another problem, like debt c) have you fully considered all options and causes to the best of your ability. I don't think a 16-year-old can fully understand the ramifications of getting a rhinoplasty, but I think a 26-year-old has a better chance even if I don't think it's going to solve the body issues they're really facing - however I would ultimately want anyone to get a rhinoplasty than harm themselves.

Personally, I would suggest you stop watching videos of people who have gotten their breasts removed to be more masc, because obviously they are presenting a bias view that "people find masculine women with big chests to be a ridiculous contradiction." They believe that, and they assume others do, too - so that's how they're presenting their decision. But there's no reason to think "everyone" believes that. There are plenty of women on this app who will happily tell you they love butch women and they love breasts. Why not explore butch lesbian art and stories to see some ways women present more masculine in the world while having breasts? See if that doesn't give you enough perspective to question the need to get a reduction.

Additionally, I would challenge you to consider why you have to be masc? I mean, just dress how you want to dress, why does it need a label and why does it need to live up to an external validation? Wear suits, wear men's clothes, get a buzz cut, do whatever you want. You'll look like you no matter what. You can call it masc if you'd like, or you can just call it you :)

[jasmine-williams230]

Dark Lloyd (My Crystallized AU)

Story:

When Charlie aka Kura, got to the city of Ninjago without the ninjas and her sister and her father not knowing, until Lloyd found out she was back when he heard her haunted voice while getting kidnapped by her, Charlie was forcing Lloyd to make him watch everything burn around him and torment him, when Ember went on a search for Lloyd, Charlie captured her sister, after she got her sister, she told Ember about how Charlie was born and created that Lilith wasn't the one who made Charlie, it was Ember.

Ember has so much regrets about what she did to her sister, she tried to reach out to Kura and get her back home, but Charlie was unpredictable and has hurt a lot of people, when Ember saw Lloyd badly hurt by Charlie who tormented and torturing him, Ember confronted Charlie of what she has done and she was trying so hard to reach Kura and make up for everything and they can be sisters again, but the couldn't farther from what will happen next.

Ever since the day when Ember defeated Lilith who took her in when the time Ember thought her sister was dead, affirming her motherly love to as she died, and also because Ember doesn't get her trust when she chose to be with her team instead of her sister, Charlie embraced her nature and disowned her on the spot before she went off to Ninjago, everything went to a black rabbit hole of what she's gonna do next.

Charlie found Misako in her hideout, Misako tried to run away from her but it was too late, Charlie was much quicker due to her new speed abilities by the crystal king giving her some of his powers to her. Misako died from being stabbed in the back by Charlie, after she killed Misako, she burned the hideout and vanished to go back to the primeval's eye (the crystal temple).

The ambulance and the firefighters found the hideout on fire, when they took the fire out and got Misako out of the building but it was already to late, she's already dead. Wu, Drago and the ninja's found out in the news that Misako got murdered, they were all devastated, hurt and angry, they all found out that her murderer is Charlie, they're all so angry and couldn't believe that Charlie took someone's life away.

When Ember and Lloyd got back and found the Ninjas, Drago and Wu in the secret base where they can't be found, they found the group looking devastated and sad, they explained to Lloyd and Ember about what happened to Misako, Lloyd was devastated, grieving his loss of his mother and Ember also was sad for the loss of Misako but she was trying her best to comfort Lloyd. When Ember asked them who killed Misako, and she couldn't believe of what she is about to hear next.

It was Charlie who killed Lloyd's mother, they both could not believe what they heard, mostly Ember who didn't want to believe that her own sister could do something horrible just like how Lilith killed her mother, Agatha. Lloyd has became more dark and bitter and the death of his mother impacted him a lot and he is also planning to get revenge on Charlie for taking away his mother like that, his eyes were has turned from green to purple pink color and also wears a black headband to symbolize his character and also the grief of the loss of his mother.

Ember was also impacted a lot, she was going through so much from lack of sleep and rest and she was even overtraining herself, she feels like what happened to Misako was also her fault and everyone is suffering by Charlie because of something that she, Ember herself created a hundred years ago, she accepted the Kura is gone and only remains Charlie. After she, her father and the ninjags were ready to take down the overlord and Charlie, Ember and Lloyd has a conversation about why Ember is willing to face Charlie because she's her sister, but she explained that Lloyd, Micha and the ninjas were right, her sister is gone, there's only Charlie now.

[alarrytale]

I know there was a bigger debate yesterday about the more extreme Larry theorists, but I’ve usually just muted and moved on. I don’t like to block if I don’t have to because they are fellow Larries and I think especially with Liam’s passing people are doing what they think is helping by trying to force the investigation. Should they? No because it could be impeding the police & their work but everyone handles grief differently and accepting Liam had an addiction issue may be hard for some to face.

However, I do have a problem with Larries shouting Larry repeatedly and bringing Harry & Louis dolls to Liam’s memorial. That kind of Larrie I can’t be a part of. I was so disappointed this morning when I saw that footage. Unfortunately just because I’m a Larrie I’m now thrown in the same category and honestly they just makes me sad.

Also I know you were asking about neutrals. From what I’ve seen, most believe Harry & Louis were together at one point but they may or may not be in a relationship right now so they take a neutral stance on it. It appears that’s the most consensus anyways. Also they believe F is Louis’ son and not everything points to Larry. I thought at first they were more like shippers but the more Larries I see turning to neutrals and their explanations they sound like more like they’re ok if they’re together or not. I’ve seen a lot that don’t want to be associated with the theorist Larries and therefore, kind of evaluate themselves. I’ve seen too many mutuals do this lately so unfortunately I have to agree with previous anons that say neutrals are becoming more prevalent in the fandom now.

Hi, anon!

But do you really think anything a fan does (speculate on social media) will impede or in anyway impact the investigation? No, it won't. The investigators are professionals and know how to do their job.

Some of your fellow larries will do things that you find inappropriate, over the line, unneccessary, immature and embarrassing. But i think it's important to remember our history and where we come from, and why we are all here. We're here because we recognise two queer, closeted people in a relationship who wants freedom to be out as gay and publicly be together. We're working to make the industry a more queer friendly place, where you're not put in a closet and have to hide your flamboyance. The industry have gone far to hide H and L's relationship, and they've made larries the black sheep of fandom. We're seen as conspiracy theorist, we are silenced and we get bullied, harrassed and laughed at daily. We're surpressed, and get told Louis' hates us. Larries didn’t feel welcomed at Louis' shows, until we made it a safe space and people were brave enough to bring pride flags. We need to be extra brave and extra firm in our beliefs to survive in this fandom.

So when i see someone shouting larry, wearing blue and green, bringing dolls or someone does something else to show that they're proud to be a larrie, even if it's considered not the time, inappropriate or it's embarrassing, i need to remember how brave they are for openly and publicly showing they're a larrie, how larries as a community are strong as fuck for all we have to deal with, and how our voices has been attempted to be supressed time and time again. There is a need for some larries to show they're larries, litterally yell it out, and to show their pride, because of our history. I get it's hard to understand that if you weren't here to experience the fandom larrie witch hunt. But consider all this when you see other larries act this way.

About neutrals, ehh i think it's all a product of not having seen H and L together for years, combined with them both having time off now. There is no new "evidence" being provided. They're not being constantly fed like they're used to being. Some fans need to hear Louis sing about larry everyday in order to stay a larrie. They need constant validation of their beliefs. So now Louis is off tour they're all idk if larry is real lmao. I pity them a bit. Must be annoying to waffle back and forth like that all the time.

I also badly need former larries who think Louis is a dad to sit their ass down, and ask themselves if Louis is into women and if there is evidence of him not being into women (hint! There are way too much tbh), and ask themselves if it's easier to explain larry being real than Louis being a father (another hint! It's way easier to explain larry, and you have to do mental gymnastics to explain Louis being a dad, it's just not possible).

[positivelybeastly]

X-Men #2

Late, but who cares, let's do this.

So, will freely admit, this issue felt a little bit like filler to me. Good filler, mind you, I enjoyed it pretty decently, but unlike the first issue, which sketched out pretty interesting character trajectories, gave us a status quo, and introduced us to the general concept of what our team are going to be fighting - seemingly Orchis remnants that are turning themselves into mutants, possibly in conjunction with 3K - this issue is . . . mostly just kinda mindless fun?

Which, I don't mind, necessarily, it just feels like a bit of an odd choice for the second issue of your run that's coming off the collapse of the previous insanely popular status quo. You want to sell people on why they should still care about X-Men, and, for a lot of people, the answer that they should still care about X-Men because, look, there's the X-Men and they're doing X-Men things, isn't quite enough.

That being said, this is still fun!

I know that, objectively speaking, this is a bit of a waste of page space, dedicating basically a third of your page to credits and white space for visual contrast, but. I like it. This has impact, it demonstrates kinetic energy, it's a statement. I notice it. Generally speaking, if I'm noticing your panel composition, then that is a good thing.

Appreciate the callback to the San Francisco years of the X-Men, which I liked and still recall with some fondness, and I do appreciate the consistency of Scott's outlook towards humanity - yeah, sometimes they can be dicks and massive obstacles, but also, helping them generally makes mutant lives better and easier, and also, it's the right goddamn thing to do.

It's not quite classic boy scout Scott, he puts mutant lives front and centre here in a way that 60s-90s Scott wouldn't, but it's not 'did you really think we weren't going to just take what we were owed?' weirdo creepazoid Scott from House of X, either.

But. That's not what this issue is really about.

This issue is about Quentin Quire being lame.

Now, I understand that there are some people who care about Quentin Quire. I understand that for some, this book is a bit of a regression for Quentin, compared to where he was in X-Force and Wolverine.

Given that my favourite character is currently dealing with a 40 year regression in development, all I really have to say is, I'll get around to really caring about Quentin Quire's development when I've got time.

Also, I never really bought that Quentin developed all that much under Ben Percy anyway, given that he was doing gross, privacy invasive shit like keeping bright pink husks of his teammate's bodies around to wear, and confidently making entirely the wrong call in tactical decisions in such a way that he nearly doomed Mars to being eaten by a black hole gun because he didn't bother to psychically scan the Beast clone when X-Force brought him back.

He grew? Vertically, maybe.

Also, irrespective of whether or not you think Quentin grew as a person during X-Force, the Quentin I read there would also have forced a Neon Genesis Evangelion reference here that someone would have sandbagged.

Anyway, people are talking about Hank!!!

The implication that Hank came back to life, sorted out his dumb evil self, lived with Simon for a bit in LA, moved to Alaska to become part of Scott's X-Men, realised that Juggernaut was now a good guy and on the team, and immediately started working on a way to fire the man out of a cannon, is amazing. I have no notes.

I also appreciate Cain just. Being kinda cute and wholesome here? He's just a good dude. He's fistbumping, he's reassuring, he's just. Nice. This feels like the same guy that became good friends with Sammy Pare.

Maybe I'm old fashioned, but I just kinda like it when my heroes are nice and they like their teammates?

Amazing. Love it. Beautiful. This is what I read comic books for.

Hank's human rail gun. I love it, too, Illyana.

I also kind of enjoy this dialogue here because it reminds me of this little exchange from S.W.O.R.D.

I doubt it's an intentional reference, but it just makes me think that MacKay and Gillen share a kinda similar ethos when it comes to crafting dialogue, and that this mission and maybe this era, is maybe meant to be something other than what people are expecting it to be.

People are expecting it to be the next grand epoch of X-Men, as dramatic a turn in the world as House of X or New X-Men, and. It clearly isn't? And I don't really think it's trying to be? I think it's trying to be fun comic books. Which. Is not a crime, provided it's done in the right context. There's a difference between doing just some fun comics when the era is just getting started and things have yet to hit the fan, and doing just some fun comics when the era is coming to a close and people are expecting you to try and put a bow on some five year long character arcs.

Take a hint, Gerry Duggan.

I like this moment because it's basically the mission statement of the X-Men in general. We're here for you. We're here to help. I fucking hated Bendis' All-New X-Men with a passion, but one of the few things I didn't mind was Scott's rescue of the younger mutants in the first few issues, because that's what the X-Men should be doing. If I was picking this comic up as a launching point and I had never read X-Men before, this would be very good at communicating what they're about. What Scott is about. And that's good.

I am beyond tired of kill teams, gang. I am beyond tired of that shit.

I also appreciate the guy in the background with his phone out. Whether that'll be important or not, I have no idea, but I like it. It's a nice little detail.

Hank's only in the one panel here, but I do appreciate the gravitas of this. Scott's tactical genius got Ben out of danger and now Max and Hank have a piece of the puzzle to unravel, which is a dynamic I appreciate.

Even if Hank and Max didn't get a ton to do here, they at least feel like they're being afforded respect as other parts of the triangle that issue 1 set up, and . . . I realise that this may seem like a weird thing to compliment, I just appreciate these characters being respected?

Maybe it's just a shock after 5 years of X-Force, but that series never respected Beast, or a lot of its characters, to be honest, it treated them as props or ways to elevate Wolverine, the actual main character, and this . . . even though they haven't been on panel doing stuff, the positioning here makes it important that they have an effect on the narrative. I just appreciate it.

That being said, I do have to ask . . . who's taking care of Ben here? Because Hank ain't a medical doctor. This Hank doesn't have any of that medical expertise. Is Xorn hanging around? Did Scott or Max hook Ben up to the medical doodads he's got going here? Or did Hank do a load of catch up courses and now he's a doctor again? These are questions I need to know the answer to.

Finally, I did notice this in the back of the issue . . .

RIP, Don Perlin. I genuinely loved your work on Defenders, and you drew a very lovely Hank McCoy. You had a damned fine innings, and I hope you knew you're gonna be remembered for decades to come for your contributions to the comic book industry, though I doubt it brought you as much financial success as I think you deserved.

To commemorate your passing, here's one of my very favourite scenes you did the pencils for. I'll think of it, and you, for a long time to come.

[ghostlyhamburger]

Husband Watches Truth and Lies

they changed the opening theme?

They rerecorded the audio too. I don't know if I like it.

Wait Zoe's in the intro sequence? and Hawkmoth is using TWO miraculous?? What's with Ladybug's new outfit??

I don't know if I like it.

I do like that it's creating more visual interest in the outfit but I don't think that's how you should do it.

We're not even a minute in

Hm. So they gave the unify upgrade to the villain too. I like the outfit aaand he's phantom of the opera. He looks like more of a prick now.

Honestly I feel like the normal box is a lot more inconspicuous

so kwamis don't show up on things but we have seen evidence of their audio existing. in the kwami capture episode where Marinette put on all of them. also they can maintain sentience and awareness in the suit forms so they'd already ahve seen a lot of this stuff when she moved across the city wearing all of them.

I did not hear what Juleka said. I don't think there's any actual words in that.

I remember why I stopped watching this.

{Marinette is babbling to Luka about Adrien and husband is taking a lonnnnng drink}

What the fuck is happening here? "Marinette forgot everything and they're just" Being dicks about it?

This feels like there's an amount of time that has passed between the end of season 3 and the beginning of season 4 and none of it was covered. It clearly isn't the next day, I don't remember them dating, but also Alya didn't know so clearly they haven't been together long?

Also why is every episode with Luka so cringey?

It's like everything else with the show is so subtle and intriguing but the relationship stuff is so goddamn heavy handed. It's hard to enjoy it when it's being forced in our face. It's not even me disliking romantic stuff, some of the greatest stuff in shonen revolves around romance.

The donut of my life??

What is with this show and the stupid orange juice??

They're trying to show off their increased budget here

Bitches you are talking during a movie!

None of the things about Luka should really be flagging as he's an asshole, but so many things flag as he's an asshole!

(Luka got Mari to say "kiss me") That was actually really smooth. Props where props are due.

"I gotta keep my identity a secret more than ever!" So you shout it in the bathroom.

So there's been pretty much cartoon violence in the show so far. Season four opens up with THE BOMBING OF PARIS.

This feels more like first actual episode than first episode of a season. A lot of reestablishing who the characters are and what their relationships are.

He didn't impact the glass at the center where it would have fractured. Yes I will be that pedantic.

Plus he's not actually pressing up against it so it doesn't look like he shattered the glass

This is Mr Pigeon isn't it

(They're at Andre's) Fucking hell this episode has all the worst people.

Nino's wearing WWE shoes.

It's almost like the universe is telling Marinette not to date Luka because it keeps pushing her towards Chat Noir

God Luka's so pretentious

(Husband noticed a poster for Le Coquelicot in the background and asked me to look up what that meant and so I found out it means poppy, and the meaning of a poppy is remembrance and hope for the future) So the universe is reflecting her hope for the future here but also showing that she really can't have that with Luka?

what? THAT'S what akumatizes Luka? "I can't tell you the truth" THAT'S what breaks him?

(husband downed the rest of his drink)

What is this show? Why must it be so stupid? Why must it hurt me? No bitch is that dramatic!

So this is their way of stepping up the villain. Giving him TWO powers.

That seems like such a STUPID idea. putting the amok and the akuma into the same object? if you break one, you break both!

also dude you're literally wearing the thing that says that she cares about you, you are so fucking stupid oh my fucking god

This goes against the aloof nature they gave Luka in other episodes. so going back to the heavy handed bullshit

So he can force akumatization. (Actually I think on some level Luka gave in because he did want to know Marinette's secret) That makes more sense, plays into his duplicitous nature

Finally something more important to Luka than getting into Marinette's pants!

(Ladybug gags herself) The Totally Spies influence keeps rearing its head

So there's one thing I don't understand. In earlier episodes we've seen that Hawkmoth can force akumas to do things. Why isn't he doing that now?

Look at Tom being a good father!

Why do I recognize [Ziggy's] voice

Wow really showcasing the quick thinking abilities of Chat

Why did they make Chat more tan

Yeah putting the whole amok and akuma into the same object seems like a stupid idea. also is there a point to de-evilizing the amok when it has no sentience?

oh she doesn't say bye bye little butterfly anymore

That was a pretty good episode if you don't count the first 15 minutes

All right that's actually a really good moment for Jagged

All right so that to me says they're gonna stop with the romantic bullshit till the end of the series but I KNOW that's not the case.

and that's this episode!

Props to Jagged for actually confronting his own inadequacies and trying to do better for what he should be. Also I guess I kind of understand Luka a bit. It's not easy growing up without a father figure. It was hard enough not seeing my own often, it must be worse having NO father figure. It's probably why a lot of anime that are male centric with a lot of older male characters really hit home with me, because they could teach me paternal morals. Luka clearly didn't have that. Even though anime is more popular in France than it ever was in America.

(So what you're saying is Adrien is more well adjusted than Luka because he's a weeb.) Yes actually!

This really ties into my thoughts of Adrien and Luka being mirrors of each other, Kagami and Marinette being mirrors of each other, Adrien and Marinette being reflections, even Kagami and Luka being reflections.

Adrien and Kagami are obviously reflections with the isolation and fascination with anime and fencing but Adrien had a friend in Chloe and Kagami had no one.

I could keep going

(He is still going)

(so at the time I was pissed at Luka, because I thought it was shitty when a girl breaks up with a guy for his response to be "that's okay I'll wait"). I see it differently. So I disagree. I don't think that was their intent. I think they were trying to show Luka's emotional intent. Luka came out of the akumatization and realized he was being unfair to Marinette. He realized that with the gift and everything that she was trying to be there for him and that she just still couldn't tell him. So when she broke up with him, he understood that she was overwhelmed, and even though she didn't say she couldn't be with him right now, he understood what she meant. It just went over badly because the episode was so heavy handed at the beginning.

I don't like what they did to Juleka in basically making her mumble mouth, in previous seasons she was just shy and didn't talk much. also they changed her personality.

(TIME FOR LIES)

The weirdest thing about the series so far is they have random bits of speeding up people's dialogue to make it fit and it doesn't work.

Why didn't they start the first episode like this? We followed Marinette through the previous episode. We should've kept with that and followed Adrien through the first episode.

why is the camembert not stored in the fridge

Did Plagg just talk to him through the phone?

that's a stein of milk

those sneaky bitches

when did they give Kagami freckles?

I wish Kagami wasn't the only one who had a unique suit.

Considering Kagami hates lies, does she not use feints in fencing then? that would turn her episode point into an actual character quirk.

There could also be more characters in the fencing class that we knew besides Adrien and Kagami. it's cool that adrien wears the same thing as everyone else but it's forcing Kagami to stand out that she's wearing something different. Actually considering how controlling her mother is that may not be her choice.

The timing on this is just too weird. It made sense from the Ladybug perspective but the amount of time between things. They had a walk away from the boat and had a whole ass talk and a whole ass Hawkmoth thing and Ladybug having her transformation sequence in the time it took them to walk down the stairs

wow he really just nuked the entire Kagami/Adrien thing in this one episode

"I only ever have this much fun with you" YOU HAVE A GIRLFRIEND

It was bright as frickin day when they defeated Truth

See this actually makes a lot more sense because they are meant to be younger and less emotionally stable. I think it actually works really well.

Considering the fact that Hawkmoth is lying that would include him. and why didn't he give her a sentimonster?

Fang want cake

Are they actually gonna use Chloe to an effect? The most honest, brutally honest bitch?

FANG WANT CAKE

Fang the best

is her orb getting bigger?

Actually that was just a really good episode. the only things that don't work are the parts that conflict with the previous.

Yeah this episode hurts

Why did they give Ladybug such an ass

[wondermadeleine]

Thoughts on the Miraculous movie:

I'll go into details and spoilers under the cut but here's the meat of it:

Too many songs that weren't even that good

The dialogues often felt forced and empty

The animation was so pretty, like???? Their hair? All the time? So cool

We get it, the power of love and listening to your heart, you don't have to say it in every scene

Lots of changes compared to the show, some of them were great and it could have been even better BUT:

It was so fucking rushed wtf? Which kind of explains my second point

THEY ROBBED US OF THE TRANSFORMATION SEQUENCES

In conclusion:

I consider this movie as an alternative universe, a "what could have happened" simply because it derives from the TV show canon so much

I also would have enjoyed it a lot more if it weren't for the songs, they really ruined it for me

Spoilers ahead, I'm gonna tell you the WHOLE plot, you have been warned

The songs

Like... Why would they do that? Were they trying to give it a Disney movie vibe? Because it sure felt like it. Marinette/Ladybug felt very Frozen-inspired, and Hawk Moth's song (yes, Gabriel has a song, several in fact) was very Dr Facilier/Rasputin

And the songs themselves were just... Not Good. There were too many and they were so cheesy. We were maybe 20 in the room, most of us adults, and let me tell you after the first few songs the general reaction to a new one were groans. I ended up saying "please don't sing, please don't sing" several times during the movie but of course my prayers were never answered. And I usually love musicals

Cut out all of the songs, they have 0 emotional impact anyway, replace them with some dialogue and more interactions between the characters to make their relationships feel less rushed and it could have been a really good movie

The plot

We basically get a speedrun of 5 seasons in 1h40min: Marinette and Adrien get their miraculous, learn how to super-hero, we get a time skip with lots of fights against akumatized people, Hawk Moth loses his mind because of "the butterfly" (don't ask me, I don't get it either) and because he can't get LB and CN's miraculouses, so he akumatizes himself, which somehow makes him super powerful and he destroys Paris, manages to get Ladybug's miraculous and right as he's about to get Chat Noir's, he realises that that's his son under the mask and.... purifies? himself? because The Power of Love. So everyone learns who Hawk Moth is but they don't seem to realize who Chat is? That's unclear to me. They definitely don't know about Ladybug though, since the "last" scene of the movie is Marinette telling Adrien who she is and this surprises him somehow, even though Marinette de-transformed and re-transformed in front of everyone during the fight against Hawk Moth, but okay

In the background we of course get the love square, which doesn't stay as "CN/Adrien → LB LB/Marinette → Adrien" very long:

Chat Noir and Ladybug sing a whole ass duet together when he tries to confess but at the end she says no and then we're supposed to believe that she's torn between Adrien and Chat Noir all of a sudden. Marinette then tries to invite Adrien to a ball and he refuses (since he just got rejected by the girl he likes) so they're both dejected and heartbroken. But after the boss battle, as I said, Marinette reveals herself to Adrien and they kiss

Have I mentioned that this movie is 1h40min long?

HOWEVER. The scene cuts to Nathalie going into the basement where Emilie's body is because Gabriel asked her to, and we see that Emilie is wearing the peacock miraculous

So, I guess they're teasing a sequel? But Master Fu got the butterfly miraculous back so idk what they'll do and idk if I'll want to watch it if it's another musical

Also, about Hawk Moth/Gabriel: they tried to explain why he wants to destroy Paris by saying that the butterfly miraculous is evil and corrupts your mind the more you use it but... I don't buy it. I just don't. I'd rather have a Gabriel that is so hurt by the death of his wife that he's willing to hurt people of his own free will because he loves her that much and would do anything to bring her back than whatever the hell it is they tried to do here. It could have worked if I hadn't watched the show I think, but since I have...

[moodboardsbysarah]

honestly I am anti contraception. Like, I'm not gonna go on a campaign to ban it but it has undeniably had negative impacts on society.

Thanks to birth control there's way more people having sex willy-nilly because they can get away with it. This is leading to a rise in toxic and unstable relationships that often result in children anyway.

Promiscuous one-night stands aren't great, but they're also the least of my concerns. Relationships where people have sex before establishing commitment are much more concerning. I believe these sorts of relationships are the reason for the rise in single early parenthood (I'm making "early parenthood" clear because I don't care about seperated couples with older kids). imo such relationships didn't occur as frequently in a world before contraception, where every sexual encounter felt like an existential risk. On the rare occasions when such unstable relationships did occur... Well... a baby would be born and those people would be forced to either get their act together and marry, or split up. The dynamic of having sex on the third date wasn't normalised and encouraged like it is today.

The contraception lovers argue, "birth control gave women more freedom!" And yeah, I guess it did. It gave women more freedom to...

a) poison our bodies with artificial hormones and IUD complications

b) have sex with random strangers and men who want to use us for sex

c) get more strongly pressured into sex than we already are by boyfriends and dates, because muh condoms will solve everything

d) get pregnant to said men anyway because no form of birth control is 100% reliable

The only benefit I see to contraception is the Plan B pill allowing women who are raped to get protected from pregnancy. And the regular birth control pill is useful for treating some health problems, but there's no reason why this pill couldn't have been marketed as an endometriosis treatment or a period stopper. Instead they called it "birth control" and gave it to any woman who wanted to have more pregnancy-less sex with men. they also prescribe it for acne and depression and literally any hormonal problem a woman has, which is medical malpractice best discussed in another post.

Contraception lovers also argue, "but without birth control, so many more unwanted children would be born!" And I'm like er... That's not what I'm seeing at all. I'm seeing more unwanted children being born than ever before, more single motherhood, more of all that stuff in a pro-contraception world. Contraception is not 100% effective and as I went through, it is causing the formation of unstable relationships because people are having sex way too quickly. People in these unstable relationships might start out using contraception then choose to have unprotected sex and have kids.

The worst thing contraception has done is it has made people start to see sex as a human right and a necessity, when really it's something you should only do when you're lucky enough to have a deep loyal connection with someone. "Sex isn't that big of a deal!" Men cry nowadays because they have contraception "protecting" women from the consequences of sex. Men are acting more entitled to sex than ever. Now that they have condoms, women they're dating don't have as valid of an excuse to say no anymore. Before contraception you only had sex with men you felt comfortable getting pregnant and this was basic common sense. After contraception... Well this logic doesn't hold up anymore. if you don't feel fully comfortable with this guy, well suck it up girlie because he can just wear a condom, it's not like you might get pregnant or anything! Sex isn't a big deal! And if he hates condoms, then you're expected to mutilate your body with IUDs or birth control pills to cater to his needs. If you don't, some other girl will. So yeah, I don't see at all how contraception empowers women in relationships with men. All I see is it gives us less sexual bargaining power and more pressure to "put out" against our will.

And this isn't to say I want contraception banned, because we do need Plan B pills available in case women are raped. but I want the narrative that contraception is empowering and freeing to fucking stop.

If you are heterosexual... then don't have sex with people who you aren't willing to raise children with. End of story, point blank, period. I don't care if you used all the contraception or birth control in the world. If you lie down with the opposite sex and you or your partner gets pregnant, that's on you guys. Consenting to heterosex means consenting to pregnancy.

[just-a-honey-badger]

for the writing commentary ask game:

They look young, not much older than 20. They are sitting on an old yellow couch someone has thrown out.

"Hey, kid," Hades calls. The person looks up. "Are you okay? Do you need help?"

"Uh, not really. Why?"

"No to being okay, or needing help?" Hades counters suspiciously, running his hand through his black hair.

"Well, I- I guess both," they call back. "I’m in an abandoned alley. I’m smoking. I’m all by myself. Why are you asking?" This kid, whoever they are, is wearing an oversized, yellowy-beige hiking jacket over a worn Nirvana t-shirt, grey sweatpants and are- are those Crocs? Yeah, they need help.

"I dunno. You seem sad." Hades shrugs. He gestures for them to join him, though not expecting them to actually come over. They do, however.

"Okay. What now?"

ahhh tyty

i've edited this a couple times, so you get ~all the commentary~ (also as i'm writing this i realize the inconsistency of all this. sorry lol)

i had this bit—specifically the couch—very vividly in my head. it's a mustard yellow, covered in duct tape and lint.

i was trying to figure out how old rock should be. they're around eleanor and lionel's age, i think. eleanor and lionel could be in high school, working a summer job or whatever. i mention rock being 23, though this is a plot hole and i don't know if they've gone to uni or not. we'll see, i guess.

my first draft for hades involved him seeming a bit untrustworthy, according to my friend who read this part. i tried to make him a bit more down to earth, but i don't fully know where he's going.

i also picture rock's outfit rather vividly. i think i meant puffer jacket instead of hiking, here, but i don't know that it matters much. it makes a sound when you rub it that i can only describe as shiny. they're wearing green crocs like the ones i used to have, and they keep them with the strap backward, always rubbing against their ankles. the sweatpants have grey strings with frayed ends and the knots have been untied and re-tied several times because rocky fidgets with them when they're bored. their t-shirt, as far as i'm concerned, might not even exist, because it's got the wobbly smiley face in black on a grey, oversized jersey shirt that feels just like the one i love wearing so much.

also, hades is a people pleaser and never wants to disappoint anyone, so he forces himself to either have no opinion or just go with what's popular. he just makes neutral noises when asked for his opinion and shrugs when asked a question. he's unsure of himself because he's forced himself so far down this rabbit hole of thinking that his opinions aren't worth of being shared. seph has been helping him through this and rocky does have a positive impact on him in the future.

anyways ty for asking! sorry for the brain dump

[if-loki-was-a-fox]

I'm gonna bring aro/ace characters into the discussion real quick before we continue. For reasons

You know the argument that "not all aro/ace people hate romance/sex"/"some aro/ace people date/have sex"? That's the same thing. You can depict aro/ace characters in those relationships and situations, because canon is just as fictional as fan works are, and because aeo/ace people do in fact sometimes do that to, you just want to keep an eye on why and how you're doing it, and what impact it could have on people.

(Namely, will this makes aros/aces who date/have sex feel seen, or will it make aros/aces who don't feel erased? And will it reinforce unhealthy or incorrect biases in non-aros/aces?)

Which then leads into the fact that that also goes for gay characters, actually. The idea that a gay person can actually have sex/romance with someone of a different gender, in the same way aro/ace people do. Because of the whole "lack of attraction doesn't actually physically prevent you from doing anything" thing, and the whole "experiences and identities and emotions can't actually be forced into clearcut boxes" thing

You can even have a lesbian woman and a gay man date, marry, kiss, have sex, whatever. It's gonna look different then a heteronormative relationship tho, so you're gonna want to be careful with it and consider you're reasoning and what impact it might have, but that's how it is with aro/ace characters too, so if you're already shipping aro/ace characters then you hopefully already know that

And which specific identities, personalities, and lived experiences are involved will effect how or if you make that sort of fanwork too of course.

Like a character who wears an ace pin in one scenes but doesn't otherwise mention anything about asexuality or their relationship to sex, then that's a different situation than a character who says on screen that they don't like sex, which is also a different situation from a character who's whole character arc is about feeling pressured or overwhelmed by social expectations of sex/romance and only finds a way to exist happily in the world after discovering the aro/ace communities and disengaging from amatanormative expectations.

(which I should note, there are actually ways to depict even that final one as interested in sex/romance, it's just a lot more to keep in mind and avoid undermining than the others)

I will also admit that there is some difference between gay/lesbian vs aro/ace, in that aro/ace are a lot more often used as umbrella terms for whole spectrums, whereas with gay/lesbian the grey areas are usually called "bi", but for one: I don't actually think it's an issue for someone who technically sometimes feels attraction to multiple genders to just call themself gay for simplicity. For two: usually we aren't actually given labels we're given behaviors so maybe they are big! Who even knows! And three: people are sometimes very willing to interpret a character who says they don't do/like sex/romance as flexible on it and just making a loose statement, but also sometimes the moment a character's only on screen love interest is the same gender people like to say they're definitely 100% gay, no flexibility, definitely not bi. So I think it's only fair to flip the scripts occasionally.

People are messy and complicated and flexible, and fictional characters are so much more flexible because there's no concrete reality behind anything about them and they are just tools for telling stories or conveying ideas

Anyways. This was rambling brain dumps with Lokie, hope you enjoyed reading, or that this at least got you thinking / having opinions

I think I've mentioned before how much I dislike "it's not canon / it goes against canon" as an argument against various headcanons and fanworks, but another part of why is that it sometimes feels like it's basing itself off of the fact that it why that is sometimes an issue, but completely missing the point of why

'cus the issue isn't actually that it's different than canon. Fanworks are inherently not going to be perfectly the same as canon, a lot of fan works aren't even intending to be, and canon is just a fictional story about fictional characters anyways. The issue is that sometimes the things being changed are being changed in ways that betray and perpetuate biases and harmful beliefs and stereotypes

If someone's portraying a canonically gay character in a relationship with someone of a different gender, then the issues isn't just simply that it's different than canon — after all, people depict human characters as mermaids or vampires or whatever other AUs all the time and that's not an issue — the issue is that the reason why they're doing that is most likely to be homophobia.

Which, in my opinion, carries over to it not being inherently evil or wrong to depict a character who is canonically gay in a relationship with someone of a different gender. You just want to not be doing it in a homophobic way / for homophobic reasons.

For a very quick, light-hearted (and hopefully easy to agree on?) example: a crack fic where you make all the straight characters gay and all the gay characters straight (like a genderswap AU, or a roleswap AU, but for orientation/sexuality instead) (maybe just for the lols, or maybe as a sort of examination of heteronormativity, by flipping the script, or any other number of reasons)

[rainofaugustsith]

Rain Talks SWTOR: What I'd Like to Say

One more essay on 7.0, an official Rain Talks SWTOR thing. One of the things that is making me sad about 7.0 is how completely they are abandoning "play your way" in favor of "Group or GTFO." The devs are removing agency from so many aspects of the game. They plan to decide the weeklies and dailies players get, give them static gear they can't modify, remove choice from every class by removing abilities. and even decide how and when they group by forcing everything through group finder. In other words they seem to want to dictate how, where and when you play to an extreme level. In the process they're making regular content harder, which I'm sure they expect will lead to more grouping, but will likely just lead to players quitting. It's raised a lot of ire in the community, and I'll admit that I have slammed "dudebro NiM raiders" more than once. I'm talking about the players who very loudly say the things below and seem interested in nothing more than an elitist status quo. And I'd like to address some of the things they've said around the internet.

Solo players just want to faceroll everything. Really? Hang on to that thought, but here's a question: what does it matter if someone does want to one-shot or "faceroll" everything? What impact does that have on you? Why do you give two fucks how someone else plays their personal game when it has nothing to do with you? Because then they don't know how to play group content. Here's some simple logic. Do you really honestly think the same players who want a very simple class story/RPG experience are going to be in your queue for NiM content? Think hard about that for a second. Of course they might end up there even if they don't want to be - if the game's forcing them to play that content to finish a story arc or get gear they need. In which case, if you don't want to deal with those players, you should be completely against any efforts to force that content on people who don't want to play it. You're on board with that, right? But I want a harder experience. Cool. Thumbs-up. No sarcasm. I respect what you want here. YOU want a more difficult or challenging experience for YOURSELF as an INDIVIDUAL and you should have it. So don't get the datacrons, under-gear, send your companion away, get a White Acute module, don't buy the legacy leveling perks. Go play NiM content. Go do ranked PvP. There are a lot of ways you can arrange it for yourself. I meant in the regular content, dumbass. I get you and I agree. You should have that option. YOU. As an INDIVIDUAL player.

I'm all for difficulty toggles. I'm all for giving all content easy, medium and NiM modes, the same way games like Mass Effect do, the same way KOTFE/KOTET did. The thing with a difficulty toggle is that you choose for yourself and it's of no concern what someone else chooses. So someone else isn't playing the way you are? That's life, child. If you want the content to be harder overall for every single player I have to ask, again, why you're fussing so much over other people's gaming experience that is not all about you. If you aren't doing NiM content you don't need good gear. One more time: why are you concerning yourself with what other characters wear or do? Why should you? I very routinely overlevel and overgear my characters because when I'm doing the class story, SoR and KOTFE/ET I want to be able to focus on the story. My hand issues and slow internet have also influenced this decision. I don't want to sit there clicking and clicking for ten minutes to kill one mob. It affects no one but me. Having said that, I also like overgearing because it allows me to tackle harder content when I feel like it. I've soloed the Dread Seeds to completion on four different characters. I've soloed the Macrobinoculars to the end of the solo chain, including the Maki'voro fight. I've soloed more Veteran Star Fortresses than I can count. I've completed the solo Eternal Championships. I've soloed every single Uprising and many of the Veteran flashpoints. I did most of these things with really shitty internet and a ping of about 150 -200 and the gear made a difference.

All of those things have been challenging - although I'm sure there's someone in the audience who is currently scoffing as they boast that they did all of those things blindfolded while they had a 103 degree fever while dealing with a tornado and a ping of 400.

Point being, as a solo player I don't necessarily eschew challenge. I just want it on my terms. None of the things I just mentioned are critical to the story. Most of them didn't have great rewards (although the Covert speeders from the Uprisings and some of the Star Fortress companions, titles and decos are notable exceptions. How can you not love 'Fallen Knight' for your ex-Jedi, I ask?). I did them because I wanted to. Other players choose not to do them. We have no bearing on each other's decisions. We can both gear and complete the story as we wish.

In my opinion that is how everything in the game should be: you play because you want to. You play what you want. You're not pushed into content you really do not want to do, just for the sake of rewards or story progression you need to continue the game. Gear isn't held hostage to unpalatable grinds of old content. It's a game. One more time: It's. A. Game. It's not supposed to be homework or a job. But see, you can solo that stuff. You shouldn't be able to solo it. You should need to group. Mhmmm. See, here's what will happen with that. You won't force me to group by making it harder. You'll get me to walk away. The devs are trying to reward risk. Ops are risk. Okay. Let's take that at face value. So why aren't they also rewarding the solo players who take risks by going through group content, or the duos who are tackling NiM flashpoints, or the slightly larger groups tackling SM and VM Ops with fewer players, or those in PvP? Those things are risky too. Unlike an Op, some don't have lockouts so you have to go from the beginning if you take a break. If my hands hurt too much halfway through Athiss and I have to sign off for a few days , I'm SOL, I'll have to redo the whole thing. Every time my character died trying to get through the terrible barrier room with all the zombies in the Ilum H4 for Dread Seeds, she had to kill every mob in the damned thing again to get back to the point she was at. The devs aren't rewarding "risk" as much as they are rewarding the content they desperately want people to play, in the process alienating anyone who likes something different. That's not just solo players. It's also SM and VM raiders. It's NiM raiders who don't like this system. It's PvPers because from what I've heard the gear being offered to them seriously sucks, plus certain classes are getting really nerfed and therefore less viable in PvP. It's people who love running SM and VM flashpoints they choose with the friends they choose - not doing something random from group finder. But you don't need the better gear if you're not doing Ops. Better gear can compensate for shitty internet, which a lot of us have. It can assist players such as myself who have physical disabilities that make it hard or painful to play the same way other players do. It can allow solo players or duos to take on new challenges. They can make the story content easier - not everyone wants to spend ten minutes killing each mob. There's no challenge in that- it's just repeated button mashing to the point of mind-numbing boredom. If having 306 gear means I can get through an atrocity like Spirit of Vengeance in 40 minutes instead of 75, yes, I fucking need the gear. It's an MMO. People should group. We're not going to go into the fact that MMO has a lot of different meanings. I'm just going to say that it's a story-based MMO that has had solo players for its entire history. The entire original game was structured around class stories, not raids. The flashpoints could be soloed by anyone who was overleveled.

Solo players are not just going to line up to group because you think they should. It's a game. Not a job. The fact that the devs are making such strenuous efforts to force people to group kind of proves that most people don't actually want to do it and don't want that out of their game. Bioware's single player games like Fallen Order have thrived. Bioware's multiplayer games like Battlefront and Anthem have gone into maintenance mode. People still play single player titles that are over a decade old like the Mass Effect series, Dragon Age and KOTOR I and II. Dragon Age 4 was switched from MMO to single player. Assassin's Creed's series is single player and really popular. The writing is on the wall and they just choose to ignore it.

Those who want to group DO group. It's that simple. I know people who run Ops several times a week just for fun. It's fun for them so they do it. Why would anyone want you to play Ops if they are not fun for you? In addition the devs aren't just trying to encourage grouping - they are trying to push grouping HOW they want for the content they want players to engage with every week. That really goes against what many social players do when they group, as far as I've observed. Case in point, trying to force people into group finder. Most players I know who are social don't need group finder. They've usually got guilds and they've also got friends or family outside guilds, and if they want to do something they organize it and off they go. Some of my characters are in guilds. If I really wanted to group for something I'd ask the people I actually know, not go off to group finder. Forcing players to abandon their existing social groups and play with complete strangers instead is odd. In my mind that does not foster socialization and community in any way. It also fails to address a large reason why people avoid group finder in the first place: in addition to the fact that they'd rather be with friends, group finder has a reputation for being pretty toxic. They're also trying to force people to group by shoveling them all into the same daily and weekly areas. Newsflash: those maps are so small that groups won't help make it pleasant. CZ-198 is miserable when there are more than 15 players there. Now, since gear is tied to doing those areas to earn currency, it's going to be far worse all the time. The devs seem to think we will all enjoy experiencing Black Friday sales rushes every day. Players have generally asked for more instances, not less -it seems to be the polar opposite of what players want. At the end of the day it's a done deal. December 14 isn't too far away. We'll all get to see if this grand experiment of the devs will work out or fail spectacularly. I think it will be the latter. It's sad that SWTOR's devs have decided to throw away so much of their playerbase. But they have and it is what it is.

[squirrelno2]

this is the year in review thing but I reject the gif so. Here we are with whatever this is

I posted 107 times in 2022

19 posts created (18%)

88 posts reblogged (82%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@blackandblue13

@blueskiesandstarrynights

@kote-wan

@keldabekush

@imaginariumgeographica

I tagged 104 of my posts in 2022

Only 3% of my posts had no tags

#star wars - 39 posts

#clone wars - 18 posts

#julie and the phantoms - 17 posts

#gifset - 10 posts

#somebodys very good fanart - 9 posts

#andor - 8 posts

#fanfic - 6 posts

#julie molina - 5 posts

#fanfic related - 4 posts

#art - 4 posts

Longest Tag: 139 characters

#no but actually he looks so downtrodden and small and the looks they're wearing in the first one like they're wary of us the audience. ouch

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

Me at myself in the mirror at 3:50 in the afternoon one day: the thing about the sequel trilogy of star wars is that Finn was in the perfect position to be a foil to Kylo Ren and a hopeful spin on the character of Anakin Skywalker and the fact that nobody even noticed these parallels is a testament to the power of racism and the fact that bigotry actually makes you a worse writer

No but. Anakin’s out here with his introduction in the prequels as a slave, and it’s poorly done but implied that the pain and fear of that part of his life impacts how he interacts with… basically everything ever, and ultimately makes him susceptible to palpatine’s grooming; your mileage may vary on the ratio of canon to fanon in this interpretation but I think we can all agree being a slave from birth is gonna fuck a kid up and there’s a reason why George lucas chose this particular backstory for him.

So you’ve got Kylo Ren, eschewing a family that cares for him (please don’t talk to me about whatever the fuck was going on in those last jedi flashbacks first of all that’s bad writing babe and second, we’re talking solely about the expectations and possibilities established in force awakens because there’s not enough narrative or character consistency in the sequel trilogy to take. Anything as a whole there) in order to chase after this version of his grandfather that isn’t even the version he died as. Like! Whether you think Anakin/Vader achieved redemption or simply did one good thing at the end of his life, we all know that act of sacrifice on Luke’s behalf is. The definition of Star Wars. Vader choosing to do good in his last moments was what the original trilogy built towards and what the prequel trilogy always knew, and it’s this fucked up spectre over everything Kylo Ren says or does in Force Awakens because he’s out here pleading with the ghost of a man who is not real, he’s chasing Vader instead of Anakin Skywalker and ignoring the choices his own grandpa made in the name of… honouring him somehow???

And then there’s Finn. Finn who’s been raised since who knows when but definitely childhood given he has no name to remember to be a weapon for the First Order. Somehow I doubt they pay their stormtroopers, somehow I expect their education is more indoctrination than anything, somehow I doubt Finn was ever instilled with a sense that he as a person mattered – Finn’s a slave when we meet him. Unequivocally. And this man who’s known nothing else his entire life turns around and says “actually I think I will do good things or at least stop doing bad ones” and runs the fuck away, freeing himself. (and also Poe. Something something the act of saving others in turn saves you, this is my eternal soapbox but that’s not my point right now)

Finn is afraid, and very nearly runs away from the fight like “I’m safe so it doesn’t matter what happens to others” – when satisfied that Rey is safe (and under the impression that Poe is dead) he feels no strong compulsion to protect an ambiguous “rest of the galaxy” which honestly is exactly the vibes Anakin Skywalker has for pretty much all his life. Anakin would be a hero because the people he cared about wanted him to be. He fought for Padme and Obi-Wan and frigging Palpatine (and Ahsoka, I say, skipping outside the movies for a hot second because I love her) first and foremost, and the Jedi and the Republic because those were the causes his loved ones cared about. Finn has the opportunity to get away, to protect himself for the first time in his life, and he doesn’t have to worry about the few people he cares about so he very nearly goes for it.

Then the thing is, Finn, unlike Anakin, doesn’t let that fear rule him? He turns around and goes back for Rey, follows Poe, stays with the Resistance. He gets to be terrified but he also says that terror isn’t his only motivating factor, and that his self-interest matters less to him than the galaxy – a choice Anakin struggled to make until literally the end of his life.

In conclusion, if the sequel trilogy had stuck to its guns and been about the tragedy of history as a cycle and the way we cling to idealised pasts and torture ourselves over might-have-beens (and also how that inaction and obsession with history allows the rise of fascism bc we spend so much time patting ourselves on the back for defeating ‘the bad guy’ we ignore what gave the bad guy power) – if it had been a well written story Finn should have been a hopeful twist to the story of Darth Vader, a man who faced the same struggles as Anakin but made better, kinder choices, which would bring it nicely full circle considering George Lucas was like. Very into star wars as being about Vader

But nope we had to have whatever that poorly written racist tug-of-war was instead. I don’t know about you but I need better fandoms

6 notes - Posted August 19, 2022

#4

WAIT I stim by singing to myself and the boys canonically improvise with each other - they improvise to stim

That's it that's the post I'm just furthering my everybody-in-jatp-is-neurodivergent agenda

7 notes - Posted December 1, 2022

#3

The way two different people I followed years and years ago for completely different things have posted in the last three days about missing julie and the phantoms... Fucking hell Netflix do you see what you've done. This show was for everyone and you've ruined it. Can you imagine if these people had posted about jatp before now. I might have actually verbally interacted with people I've quietly awkwardly admired for years.

8 notes - Posted November 29, 2022

#2

Midway through Andor and I don't have very solid thoughts, at least not ones that haven't been said already by ppl much better at saying them, but something about seeing the ppl on Aldhani have this religious experience while all this shit goes on behind them. The way the whole chaos of the interspliced scenes quiets for a moment as the sky lights up - and then it's right back to the heist because they don't care because they can't afford to care and it's not their belief anyway

The empire sees the Eye as this thing to gawk at and Cassian and co are looking at the Eye as part asset part obstacle, just something to navigate through, and it would be easy to stay with their perspectives, but instead we get these moments of wonder and community, the culture that these people are trying to protect independently of all this galactic scale stuff - and then of course we also know that the empire is doing their level best to take that away too

I'm not phrasing any of this well but man that aspect of it really got to me and I'm not even sure why, fully

8 notes - Posted December 3, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

I wrote a Big Bang fic!!! the amazing @willexmagic was my partner and made some lovely moodboards which I will be reblogging in a hot second, and I had a lot of fun (and maybe some tears) working on this monstrosity of a Superman AU

If you’ve ever wanted Flynn and Carrie to be Clark Kent and Lois Lane (or even if you haven’t and just want superhero content?) then here is the fic! Featuring my usual favourite things of friend angst, sad Flynn hours, and ensemble cast shenanigans, as well as me wandering wildly through some of my favourite coomic book tropes.

15 notes - Posted July 31, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

[toujoursmiraculous]

Thoughts and Reaction to WISHMAKER

Oh I'm so excited about this one! Marinette's little soft looks she gives Adrien in recent episodes before snapping herself out of it is adorable. Not overwhelming, just nice. Poor Adrien doesn't know what he wants to do. But the thing that hurts me most (probably because I was always in the same position he is in, so understand more than hurt from it) is the fact he thinks that with Ladybug adding more people to the team, he won't be needed and thus won't be Chat Noir anymore. OOOF it hurts! Poor Adrien doesn't realize that if Ladybug didn't give these Miraculous out, Shadow Moth would've gotten their Miraculous from them a long time ago. I rewatched all episodes out now in chronological order, and it's so obvious she cares about him and could not be able to do what she does without him. What needs to happen is for her to not only tell him that, but express it somehow for him to believe it.

"Come on, Plagg. It's time to start thinking about our future." OUR future. He's including Plagg in that future. Good! I definitely understand what this episode is trying to get across about jobs and careers, but a majority of people can't and never end up doing a job or career they love and gives meaning. Some struggle just to find something they can do with their circumstances, much less something that'd make them happy. A very good message though to encourage young kids to look into many interests and try to find what you enjoy to life to end up doing that makes an impact on the world to spread the positivity and happiness. Hey hey hey Alec, how dare you go after Andre the Ice Cream Maker?! But good on him for not letting it affect him at all, he's doing what he loves so the criticism doesn't matter. "Pistachio and pecan for the clear-sighted young man!" "Who? What young man?" "Hello Marinette." I love Luka so much and Andrew's voice is so smooth. x3 I've wanted to learn the violin for years, I have one, but have never been able to do much with it. Luka having and playing his violin makes me incredibly happy (and adore him even more). "Whoa. You definitely have a gift for finding the right words at the right time." "Adrien." "Ah, well, most of the time." LOL But this entire scene. Luka saying you haven't told him about your feelings have you, her noticing he's sad, and Luka being like let's go talk to him and help him then! Just. AWWW! Poor Adrien has so much pressure to find something he wants to do or his dad will make him do what he wants instead. That's going to make it even harder for him to find something... I remember a spoiler from a long time ago, of Adrien baking with Marinette. What if he finds he loves it when that happens, and it's what he wants to do? :o Ahahahaha when Luka goes and sits next to Adrien, Adrien looks up at Marinette expectantly to sit down too. Probably thought by him. but she went the safe route and went next to Luka. xD Adrien, thinking he knew what Luka and Marinette want to do. Luka knows what he wants but it isn't what Adrien or the rest of us thought. Marinette thought she knew but now she's not sure at all. So all three are kind of confused and it's complicated. Life's complicated. Have you noticed, this is the most honest Marinette and Adrien have ever been about something so deep and personal to them? And they're able to do it around each other. Because Luka's there. He's like their emotional guide to help bring them closer and I love it. "Nothing, my mind is empty!" "I'm completely lost!" - Marinette and Adrien say together. Dang. When Luka explains Marinette and Adrien's "inner music" that felt like the most deep and personal scene this show has ever had. "You two will eventually find what's already in front of you," he says before he knew. As they look at each other. Oh lovely foreshadowing moment here. "But you can't hear it clearly, just let the melody flow." In other words, let things happen as they should. Don't force anything. If it feels right to do something, do it. If it doesn't, don't. Wow that violin is so beautiful. Adrien and Marinette's reactions in

sync, the surprise at the tune, the contentedness, and wordlessly looking at each other before getting up and sitting closer. Such a beautiful scene, this has me in awe honestly. "I've wasted my life!" oh I'm sure that hit hard with some of us older viewers. :c I have trouble sometimes not thinking this way, but there's always still time to change how things are. I love that everyone's dreams are either sweet and positive or just plain silly. Like CrocoJagged.

Hey, hi there, son! I absolutely lost it LOL this was brilliant! And the way he runs away on his hind legs it's too much XD "Hey Adrien, go hide behind that tree!" and then he drags Marinette along to hide her. So funny he's the one taking control in this situation. He's really shown his superhero potential in this and Optigami, even when not suited up. oooh Marinette wasn't where he brought her. That was sus. "HEEEELP I DON'T KNOW HOW TO SWIM!" "If we get hit, we'll reveal our secret identities!" "What do you mean, m'lady?" "When I was six I wanted to be the Knitting Fairy, and the Knitting Fairy didn't wear a mask!" The fact she's distracted and Chat Noir had to be paying attention to pull her to safety was such a Ladybug move. What do you mean you're not needed, Chat?! Obviously you are! Also she's giving you information about herself! LISTEN. She never used to and doesn't have to tell you these things, she's choosing to! And she even asked about you and your childhood! "You must have just forgotten!" or didn't have one. I honestly didn't have a dream as a kid, either. I don't know, I never wanted to grow up and be anything in particular that I thought I could do. I didn't have wishes of things I wanted to do for fun much either. I don't know why exactly, but I had a dad that's enough like Gabriel so maybe that's why. (My sister proceeded to tease me about being a sentimonster, since there's that "Adrien's a sentimonster" theory going around). "But Dad, crocodiles know how to swim..." "I didn't when I was a kid!" THIS SCENE XDD I love it! "If Chat Noir and I get hit, you must come back to this exact moment." Yeah it was at that point my suspicions of Luka finding out about them both seemed to be very likely to happen. "Nobody can know about our secret identities." At this point I was going omg omg omg omg the entire time lol The fact that Adrien would decide to have his identity revealed so he could learn more about himself to help him in the future. o.o This poor boy! And here's Luka finding out about Marinette being Ladybug! The dramatic zoom in! Viperion goes "Marinette?!" literally with Chat less than a foot away and he doesn't even budge. He's really that sad he's not even paying attention to what's going on Dx Okay, Ladybug calling on her Lucky Charm just to have the plushie squeak in her hand got me lol "My childhood dream is being what my parents wanted me to be!" Adrien seems happy. And he's himself, it looks like, so I don't know if we just got it cut off short or if he is exactly what his parents wanted him to be, so he's happy knowing that information?

This back and forth between a serious moment and a hilarious one! Shadow Moth's horrified Adrien's Chat Noir lolol not even the same kind of reaction that was in Chat Blanc when he found out . Okay but back to Luka. I think he was much too far away to hear what Adrien was actually saying, but he can see that it's Adrien standing where Chat Noir was.

He sees Adrien's where Chat Noir was.

The realization that Chat Noir is Adrien.

Understanding exactly what it means for Marinette to be Ladybug and Adrien to be Chat Noir. It's interesting how the people of Paris were able to still have jobs that was as close to their childhood dreams as possible. The man that wanted to be Santa makes toys. Mr. Banana wanted to be a cucumber and while he's not one, he wears a Banana suit every day. Jagged wanted to be a crocodile so the closest he could get was to have one as a pet. Marinette wanted to be the Knitting Fairy and look at all she can knit and sew! Alec: "When I was a kid, I just wanted people to be happy!" so sad that his bullying made him want to make others miserable instead. But it's nice that he wants to start now trying to make others smile and be happy c: "Sorry Alec, but when you're a superhero, even your dreams have to remain a secret." But she told Chat Noir hers. If that's not her going in the direction of outright telling him who she is....! Please let Luka be the one to help Ladybug with Chat Noir and Adrien with Marinette. Please. They need it. They have to have Ladybug realize her feelings for Chat and be willing to tell him everything. And they need Adrien to open his eyes and realize his feelings for Marinette. Once those things happen, they'll be okay. Except Adrien still doesn't know what his dream is because that was taken away by Second Chance. Personally, I think his dream of wanting what his parents wanted him to be, is what he already is. He just doesn't know it. As for his future, that can be up to him to start finding! "Thanks to you, our secret identities were persevered and nobody discovered who Chat Noir and I really are..... uh, not even you, right?" "Not even me. Luckily Wishmaker never hit you or Chat Noir." LIES Funny that he was "Truth" before, but now he's spitting lies. HOWEVER don't worry, I understand very much why he's lying and with the way Marinette is, this would be something she'd worry about and obsess over and Luka doesn't want that for her. He knows he can handle it, and she'll find out about it later when she's meant to. I just think it's ironic and funny lol And ooooof the way Luka's face fell after she left. Poor bb. "It was nothing, Marinette. You know you can always count on me." Luka's going to be Marinette and Adrien's best friend in a way that Nino and Alya just can't be. I can feel it. "We're all okay. Thanks to Ladybug and Chat Noir."

Oh. Oh you dorks! It's like they somehow know deep down they're Ladybug and Chat Noir with that look at that line. They're looking at each other like they know to some extent... I'm sure nothing happened in an episode we have yet to see but, it feels a bit weird, don't you think? "I may not remember my childhood dreams, but that's okay! It's time to focus on the future and find my inner music, like Luka said!" AWWW good for you my precious sunshine boy! Keep being you. Also Adrien's disturbed look at Plagg killed me again.

Marinette: "I'll do it all! .... I'll be Luka's best friend and I'll love Adrien!" Yeah see, that's it! You guys are best as best friends, and Luka will one day find someone else and he'll be happy to have you as his best friend when that time comes too. As far as all the other stuff, that sounds very busy and exhausting, but if it makes her happy! "How can you love other people if you don't love yourself?" Oh dang, that's such a good line to have put in this show honestly! Nicely done. So this is definitely one of if not my favorite episode. Chat Blanc's been my favorite but this is at least up there with it! There's so much to take from this episode, and so much that can come from this episode's events that I'm both extremely excited and scared to find out what happens next.

[eggnogtoast]

and i'd be more than happy to answer!

firstly, i knew i wanted to have cross details because of his upbringing in a devout catholic community (and the way that's impacted him, which is a whole other tangent i could go on). i thought that cufflinks would be a nice place to put something like that, seeing as they're small but still noticable.

so his cufflinks are an inverted cross (st. peter's cross) because i feel it represents luis' perception of himself of being unworthy, or undeserving of the same respect as leon and ashley, and perhaps other people in general. st. peter wanted to be crucified upside down because he deemed himself unworthy of being crucified in the same manner as jesus.

st. peter also wanted his manner of death to comment on the backwards or "upsidedown" views of those who killed him, which i feel could also speak to luis' character; he worked hard to right his wrongs and fight back against what he used to be/the people who still went along with the creation of b.o.w.s and viruses, and his ultimate goal was to bring an end to it all, even if it killed him.

additionally, st. peter was a martyr if i remember right, and luis' death was ultimately because his beliefs (albeit not entirely religious, but also moral) conflicted with los illumindos. he died to stop them, and his death was a symbol of resistance.

so i felt that st. peter's cross would add a little more of an insight into luis' character, and also just give me a fun detail to appreciate whenever i looked back on the art.

he also has a cross on the bead of his jabot, which is just another homage to his upbringing. it could also be interpreted as something of a choking/suffocating force in his life, seeing as it's around his neck/at his throat, but that's up to you.

lastly, there's the faixa around his waist. i wanted to incorporate something spanish into his outfit despite it following the typical victorian-esque gothic look, and i thought a faixa would look nice.

in my head, it reminded me of the fascia that a priest might wear, though it is worn lower than a fascia. so that one's more of an association i made in my own mind, but i figured i would mention it anyway since it was still a nod to his catholic roots.

but yeah, that's all the religious symbolism/homages/whatever you'd like to call them! it's become a running theme with me whenever i draw him to sprinkle in bits of catholic imagery, whether it's on his clothing, more camouflaged in the background, etc. i think it's fun and adds some depth, and i've always loved the aesthetic of it all, so why not include it.

vampires or just bisexual goths? you decide.

[autisticlenaluthor]

do not worry about not answering my ask right away! it's all good! it made me more excited for the eventual infodump :)

i actually did know the one about starbucks and childhood cancer! also, i'm curious what you'd have to say about lena and make a wish in your cancer au. i have Thoughts (either her parents would be super opposed bc "she's not that bad" or they'd be all for it and use it to be like "oh look how sick our daughter is, pity us") but i want to know what YOU think. unless it's spoilers, then you don't have to tell me.

okay i have soooo many things to say about this and I'm sorry I didn't respond earlier but prepare for the can of worms you've just opened because it is a big one (and ty for asking bc it gives me an excuse to infodump about this fic)

so in terms of lena being sick and when her symptoms are taken seriously- it all depends on when it can help the family and Luthor Corps image and that sort of thing. so like- lena's weight loss in the earlier childhood chapters wasn't taken seriously by Lillian because to her, it impacts nothing. just keeps lena in the hospital longer. and when lena is also refusing to eat, Lillian also views it as a moral shortcoming. in her eyes, lena is choosing to let her side effects impact her enough that she stops eating and loses enough weight to keep her in the hospital.

in the same vain, when lena is supposed to go to that gala in ch 10(?idk somewhere around there) the dress lionel buys her has spaghetti straps and has a lower neckline so that people will be able to see the wires and electrodes of the portable EKG lena's attached to. the medical device she's wearing makes her look even more visibly ill when photographed which brings more sympathy to the family which means more attention, donations, and monetary support.

so with a make-a-wish sort of thing, the thought process would be less about whether lena actually needs it or not, but how it would make the family look. make-a-wish and all other wish granting services or non profits for kids are free and typically run on fundraisers and donations. multi-millionaires taking advantage of that service when they could very easily afford to on their own grant a wish of lena's (or hire someone to do it for them) when there are other kids who depend on donations and non profits would not be a good look and Lillian knows that. it would look way better to the public eye if the family did some sort of big gesture for lena on their own but of course, they would never do that.

that doesn't mean they don't use the "oh she's so sick, pity us" angle in other ways. but typically, what they would do is have lena attend events or plaster her face across magazines and advertisements so people feel sorry for her and the Luthors look like they're super attentive and caring parents when really, all they're doing is forcing her to attend galas and photoshoots she isn't healthy enough to handle.

BUT when explaining these sorts of things to lena, (like telling her why she can't have a wish) they would tell her it is because she isn't sick enough. i feel like the explanations would vary by the day which makes lena skeptical as she gets older because clearly they care enough to withhold a wish but not enough to give her a solid reason as to why. some days lillian tells her she doesn't need one because she already has everything she could possibly want. some days it's because she isn't that bad and there are kids far sicker than she is. and some days it's because luthor's don't accept handouts and she's too good to want some sort of pity wish.

obvi that kinda thing wouldn't just apply to just wishes but any kind of thing where lena could get some sort of service that might help her or make her happy.

anyways that was a lot and idk if any of it made any sense- but I hope it at least kind of answered your question <3

[bigskydreaming]

Is it true that gymnasts can't work much when they're 30+ ? Is it like an Olympic gymnast thing or just stuntwork in general? I saw some people concerned over Dick's back causing him problems as he gets older. But then a lot of martial art guys like Donny Yen, Jet Lee are still pretty flexible aren't they?

I see this a lot in fandom too, anon, and as often happens, lol, I myself cater to the ‘fandom’s got it backwards’ take.

Fandom specifically focuses on Dick’s body giving out early on in life compared to the rest, due to acrobatics being ‘his niche’ but in reality - or as close to it as we can come in a universe that tbh really demands suspension of disbelief over the fact that any and all of the Batfam take as much punishment as they endure.....

Thing is, Dick is actually one of the family most likely to have the LONGEST longevity of physical fitness.

This is because fandom keeps correlating Dick’s niche as gymnastics, rather than what it IS - acrobatics.

Yes, gymnastics is typically considered a ‘young person’s game.’

ON AVERAGE.

But, something to keep in mind, is that there are different TYPES of gymnastics. There’s competitive artistic gymnastics, but also rhythmic gymnastics, aerobic gymnastics, and a few others. Olympics gymnasts are primarily competitive artistic gymnastics, but even there, there are specializations so to speak. All Olympic gymnasts are usually cross-trained on the various events/categories, but the teams overall put up their best gymnasts in each category to compete in that category when possible....because for the most part, someone who excels at say, floor routines, is not going to be the most optimal choice to do the high bars or the vault. That’s because floor routines emphasize more rhythmic gymnastics, whereas something like the vault is more in the arena of a power gymnast.

And these different areas of focus put different kinds of strains on the body.

So yes, while its true that a lot of gymnasts retire early and the Olympic teams as a whole tend to see their gymnasts exiting the game by 30 at the latest......the latter is because those gymnasts are expected to be at least capable and at elite levels in ALL events, so they can compete as needed for the overall team....BUT, in the case of the former, the gymnasts that retire early completely.....those are almost universally the power gymnasts, the ones who specialize and emphasize in the hard-hitting events like the vault, the beam, the uneven bars, etc.

I say hard-hitting, because I literally mean hard-hitting. 

Because these are the high impact events. The ones that see a gymnast land with the full weight and impact of their body on their feet at the end of a successful (and exponentially force-multiplying) flip, handspring, dismount, etc. 

That kind of impact puts TREMENDOUS strain on your joints....and that, specifically, is what leads to a lot of early retirements, and a lot of early wear and tear on the body. That’s the kind of punishment that the body can only withstand at elite levels for so long.

But that’s not the only kind of gymnastics, and its definitely not the thing that Dick’s known for specifically - that’s acrobatics. And while there’s similarities and crossover, that’s another ballgame entirely.

In fact, where the similarities and crossover tend to happen is in the areas of rhythmic gymastics, aerobic gymnastics.....the kind of things that you see in events like floor routines, the rings, the parallel bars, the pommel horse.

Those gymnasts, the ones who specialize primarily in those areas of focus......they tend to retire from the OLYMPICS around the same time as the others, because again, everyone on those teams needs to be on the top of their games and CAPABLE of being pitted against the power gymnasts of other teams on events like the vault if they need to fill in in a pinch.....BUT they don’t often retire at age 30 overall.

You wanna know where a lot of them end up going after that?

Cirque de Soleil.

Dead serious, I shit you not.....a ton of elite level gymnasts after leaving gymnastics end up....essentially running away to the circus, lol. A full third of Cirque de Soleil’s performers ARE former professional gymnasts.

And a lot of them end up....acrobats.

Because after all, there is a lot of crossover in the two, in terms of feats.....but the difference, the thing that lends acrobats more longevity than most power gymnasts and the like.....is the latter endure most of the abuse to their bodies and joints....when their bodies hit the ground at the end of their feats.

Acrobats, in contrast.....are kinda focused on.....not being on the ground.

A lot of the same wear and tear simply doesn’t happen on their bodies, and allows them to perform much further into life....because there’s simply less strain in the types of aerial feats acrobatics focus on, while suspended high up off the ground.

And we see this reflected in the Batfam and their various styles of fighting and focus, which is why I say despite people focusing on Dick’s body giving out soonest, as the quote unquote athlete of the family -

(Which tbh, I kinda...eh, about, because it feels often like one of those things where people NAME him ‘the athlete of the family’ just to give him his niche without having to acknowledge him as being the equal of any of the ‘brainy ones’ in that regard like Tim or Babs or Bruce, etc.....but honestly, when was the last time you saw any significant focus put on Dick being able to do something physically that the other members of his family COULDN’T do, because they’re not ‘the athlete’? Y’know what I mean? Like, there’s a lot of MENTION of how he’s the most athletic or acrobatic or all of that.....but that never seems to hold any of the others back from doing any of the equivalent physical feats one is inclined to write them doing, or allowing them to be written as sizably less skilled as fighters in any meaningful way. So focusing on Dick as being the most specifically physically minded and oriented of the family feels a bit performative, tbh, and that puts the focus on his body being specifically vulnerable to wear and tear, moreso than the others a bit.....suspect imo. BUT I DIGRESS).

My point is, regardless of that, my take is the focus on Dick’s body giving out soonest is ironically just....completely backwards. Because actually compare his form of physicality to some of the others, and you see what I’m saying:

Bruce and Jason for instance - they’re perfectly capable of high-level gymnastic feats when necessary, but their overall approach to flips and jumps and grappling swinging and the like is to use it as a means to an end. Its always in service to getting them ON THE GROUND as quickly and efficiently as possible....where they can use their brute strength and mass and physicality to its most effectiveness, wading in to brawl hand to hand with combatants anywhere possible (excepting of course when Jason is using guns from a distance, or Bruce his Batarangs, but you get what I mean in terms of overall styles).

But THAT kind of thing....is far more the realm of the power gymnast. The kind of high impact landings and force-multiplying jumps and flips meant to just....cut straight to it. Hone in like a heat-seeking missile. Deliver the full force of them as quickly and efficiently as possible.

In contrast....Dick’s style is entirely different, and hails directly from his origins and his strengths as an acrobat. He’s NOTED for basically spending as much time IN THE AIR during a fight as possible. He soars above when possible, rather than engage up front and hand to hand. He’s more likely to leap over criminals’ heads, kicking out and navigating upwards on his way to ‘tag’ the next one in any manner he can....dodging in and out, using confusion, weaponizing evasive maneuvers, getting his opponents to get tangled up in each other’s way...that’s HIS style.

Dick deliberately keeps himself at a distance as long as possible, not out of fear but out of basic awareness of his own strengths and weaknesses and his instinctive (due to being a born and raised athlete every bit as much as Damian and Cass are born and raised fighters) drive to look after his own body and keep it maintained and honed and efficient for as long as he can - something that I don’t doubt was drilled into him by his acrobats-as-their-livelihood-family from the very first moment they began training him. 

The less he HAS to engage hand to hand, the less he HAS to land feet flat on the ground after a flip rather than using the balls of his feet to simply spring off even further and then transition into firing his grappling hook mid-air, the less he HAS to block a strike with the side of his forearm or strike someone fist to face rather than block with an escrima stick and strike with the other.....

The longer Dick’s body stays in strong enough condition to remain his most effective weapon.

And that’s not something everyone in his family can claim, or even point to as a priority of any kind.

Which is why I maintain that focusing on Dick’s body giving out young is not only a bit....eh....given they all perform equivalent levels of physicality in their vigilantism day in and day out.....its also, IMO, focusing on the wrong family members entirely. 

(Overall, personally I’d rate Dick, Tim and Cass the ones most likely to retain their physical fitness the longest based on their respective styles and how they’re typically depicted in fight scenes).