#and i believe he'll make it!

[apollos-boyfriend]

so my younger cousin is flying in to visit from brazil on sunday, and will be staying here for like, the entirety of july. which, don't get me wrong, is super cool! i love the kid! but it felt like a super weird move, considering his parents are the SUPER strict and borderline helicopter parents. even the smallest prank/roughousing with him/his little sister would lead to a strict talking to from his parents, he couldn't ever do anything without their clear permission, that sort of stuff. so letting him fly at alone at 16 to a whole different country and stay there for a whole month seemed WILDLY out of character. additionally, it just felt like a super last-minute trip. it's not like we have any plans to do when he gets here, and the flight itself and stuff only got booked like, midway through june.

and i was talking to my mom about it, kind of trying to nudge some answers out of her, and after a while she went, "yeah, i think they're sending him over here to get away for his boyfriend. see if the distance breaks them off." which, first of all, surprised me because last i checked, they didn't KNOW he had a boyfriend. literally everyone in the family did EXCEPT for them because while that entire side of the family being semi-conservative, his parents (mostly his dad) are EXTREMELY old-fashioned. so clearly something already went wrong. and considering the only reason the rest of the family knew is because one person found out and it spread like wildfire, i have a sneaking suspicion he wasn't the one to tell them, either.

and second of all. they're sending him HERE. to try to make him forget his homosexuality. i couldn't do anything but just wordlessly gesture to the multiple pride flags scattered around my room, then to myself, because really? he has like two other cousins in the us and they're sending him to me? honey i am about to introduce this kid to queer scenes you have never even heard of. he'll be returning home with labels only shrimp can perceive

[asharaks]

it is, i think, symptomatic of the way larian has built this brand: bg3 was always marketed as being mature (read: sexual), and that was one of the big draws for players - myself included! especially as media pulls more towards extremes, with mainstream video games starting to get increasingly graphically sexual, graphically violent, and the vogue for 'grey morality' becomes the norm, those boundaries get pushed, and it becomes more and more of a selling point.

larian obviously focused on this, along with the How Do You Do, Fellow Kids brand, the increased accessibility of game devs on twitter, and adopted it heavily into their marketing strategy, and are now pretty reliant on the horny gamer crowd for a lot of their audience, and more importantly, they're doing this on purpose.

which is how you end up in situations like this.

characters (white men) the players want to fuck get centred: they get updates, they get more content, they get favoured. halsin's gone from a side character in EA to a half-fledged romance option, to a full romance option: he shows up in the promotional material, is larian's poster boy for the sex scenes, he gets more content with every update.

now gortash gets more heavily implied situationship lines with the dark urge, because players are horny for him. nevermind that some people aren't playing that way, or that he was originally set up to be a lower-level antagonist; nevermind that if the durge's storyline needed expansion, it should've been with orin and sarevok and bhaal, or that it muddies the writing for the rest of gortash's arc + characterisation: people want to fuck him, so it gets put in the game. it's not even to do with karlach, whose quest so desperately needs expansion! it's specifically catering to the people who want their character to have a Relationship with the slaver, because they're either not interested in or not able to focus on strengthening the weak spots in the narrative: they're just doing things that will net the 'my favourite dating sim' people lmfao.

meanwhile, literal main character wyll gets his quest demoted to a subquest, doesn't get bugfixes, doesn't get a single unique romance greeting after 6 patches and months of requests. he's not a Horny character, so he doesn't get the focus: he's not a player favourite, so he gets nothing. it's just... so unbelievably, indisputably racist, and it's incredibly grim and disappointing to watch it happen in real-time.

[aunmenosheteroenespanol]

2.12 Chimney Begins - 2.09 Hen Begins - 2.16 Bobby Begins Again - 7.04 Buck, Bothered and Bewildered

Tommy's family arc

[rimatsu]

obsessed with baby queer buck and the hang-ups he probably doesn't even realize he has, let alone acknowledge.. newly realized bisexual evan buckley who didn't stop once to consider long-term commitment to a man he dated for 6 months as a viable option until josh spelled it out for him. and we've seen buck navigate romantic relationships before. he didn't do things by half-measure or shy away from grandiose declarations with abby or taylor. he knew he loved them without the need for an outsider's perspective. i don't think the cautiousness displayed in 806 was linked to tommy as an individual/lover so much as it was about building a life with a man — still a foreign concept, still a bit alien. not something buck could really envision for himself and by himself, unprompted (just like he remained unaware of his attraction to men until he was made to confront it with a kiss). that moment of hesitation wasn't because he was unattached to tommy or their relationship, quite the opposite according to the follow-up questions: if buck wasn't in love already, he was at least willing to be. yeah, he needed a little nudge from josh to reassess his feelings, to jump over that last barrier, but the very moment things clicked in his mind, buck was ready to cement their relationship, ready to wholeheartedly pursue a future with tommy, serious enough that he brought up the possibility of marriage someday (another first! not just first potential husband, but first potential spouse ever!!) — because buck doesn't see much value in waiting once he figures out what he wants.

[ruporas]

asking and receiving (bonus below readmore)

[ID: A black and white, digital Trigun comic of Vash and Wolfwood. In the first panel is a close up of Wolfwood's mouth as he says, "Vash". Accompanying it is a close up shot of Vash's eye, widen and cheeks flushed. Wolfwood presses a knee against the open space between Vash's legs and says, "Tell me everything you want from me." Wolfwood's face is equally as flushed. He continues to say, "I'll give it to you. Everything." As he talks, a wide shot shows the both of them in white space. Vash is sitting, leaning a little back with both hands pressed against the surface he's sitting on. Wolfwood is in his white dress shirt, stripped of the blazer. He's still leaning in with one knee in between Vash's spread legs, his right hand touching Vash's lips and his left hand behind his back.

The shot closes in on Vash's mouth and Wolfwood's hand against it, pressing down on the lower lip as he says, "You have to ask though. Go on." His hand moves down to Vash's chin, gently holding it. With a shy and uncertain expression, Vash hesitantly asks, "Um... K... Kiss... Please?" Wolfwood, without wasting a second, leans in and kisses him and indulges by pressing deeper, eliciting a small noise of surprise from Vash.

Wolfwood moves away from Vash first and with a smile, asks, "What else?" Vash tugs on Wolfwood's left sleeve, wordlessly budging Wolfwood to give him his hand that was still behind his back. In the next panel, Vash utters, "Hold me..?" He's holding Wolfwood's left hand with his own while his right hand is reaching for his waist. Wolfwood complies, moving his left hand to Vash's shoulder and his right hand continues to touch Vash's cheek. Wolfwood asks again, "What else?"

More comfortable now, Vash leans in to kiss Wolfwood. Wolfwood catches him immediately, pressing his thumb against Vash's lips to stop him before demanding, "Hey. Ask." Vash looks back in surprise and Wolfwood meets his eye with a quiet, insistent look. They're quiet for a moment before Vash leans in again and curtly requests, "Kiss. Me." Wolfwood says "Good", smiling as he lifts his hand away, and meets Vash's lips. In the next shot, Wolfwood had adjusted his position, sitting on Vash's thigh. The hand that was once on Vash's cheek has moved its way to Vash's nape, pushing away the collar of his jacket with his pinky. His other hand continues to grip on Vash's shoulder. Still kissing, Wolfwood asks again, "What else?"

In the next shot, Vash is starting to turn, moving Wolfwood with him. Vash asks, "Let me on top of you?" Wolfwood says, "Mhm" before asking again, "What else?" The next panel shows a close look of Vash's face. He's looking down, flushed and shy just as he had been at the beginning, but now, more decisive. Vash asks, "Wolfwood... Let me have you..?" A panel of Wolfwood taking Vash's hand into his, pulling it towards his chest. The next panel shows Wolfwood lying down where Vash had laid him. Vash's hand is on Wolfwood's chest, covering the cross of his rosary while Wolfwood's hand lingers against his, loosely pressing Vash's hand in place. He looks up at Vash with a shy smile of his own, flushed cheeks. He says, "All yours."

A panel shows a close up of Vash's tender gaze before he leans down to be closer to Wolfwood. The final shot is a front view of their positions, Vash's face turned away from the viewer; Vash is leaning over Wolfwood who's lying down with his right leg draped over Vash's legs. Wolfwood's left hand holds onto Vash's left arm. With finality, Vash says, "...Mine." End ID]

[ID: A follow up bonus comic in a looser, sketchier style. They're laying comfortably in bed when Vash asks, "What was that earlier?" referecing to the start of the previous comic. Wolfwood glances away and says, "To get you used to it. Asking. And getting what you ask for. Since you're alwasy hesitant about it." Vash's eyes widen, tight lipped. Wolfwood continues, "Knowing you, it'll be a tough habit to break..." When he says this, Vash can't help but laugh, unable to deny it. Wolfwood slowly brings a hand to Vash's cheek and continues to say, "So I'll keep trying -- whatever ways I can... to get it through your thick skull." Vash takes Wolfwood's hand with his, kissing the the palm gently. Wolfwood's eyes soften and holding onto Vash's cheek, he leans in to try for a kiss. Vash says, "Hey..." before stopping Wolfwood's lips with the back of his hand, a smug look on his face, "Ask." Wolfwood's embarrassed and with little irritation, asks, "Really?" Vash smiles, saying, "You're in need of practice too." They pause for a moment, Wolfwood looking contemplatively, before he's leaning in again, asking, "May I please kiss you?" Vash looks him in the eyes and says, "Yes." The comic ends with a "chu", indicating an off-panel kiss. End ID]

[dilfmobius]

Loki season 2 deleted scene | Roll Call |

“How can there be more?” “Mobius, there are so many people who said I was the problem.”

[temeyes]

How’s my baby’s father? (Gaz)

gasp.... he got u pregegant?!

[casualavocados]

You've never done that when I got close to you before. Why? None of your business. Tell me, or you can't leave.

KISEKI: DEAR TO ME Ep. 10

[haze-of-hyperfixations]

a concept. to consider. what if. what if there was a Remember Them reprise after the Thunder Saga. "We are not to let them die in vain" except he's the only one left so it's "I am not to let them die in vain." and there's no backing chorus of his men. because. they're all dead.

and the line takes on a whole new meaning now that he's the one who chose to let them die.

(not in vain. it can't have been in vain, it can't have been for nothing. i have to see her. i have to see her, because if i don't make it home, those men died for nothing. the ends always justify the means. i can justify anything as long as it ends with Penelope and Telemachus both in my arms again. but if it doesn't-

but it will. it will. it has to.)

and our- ... -and my comrades will not die in vain...

[palossssssand]

grief paralysis

[arthursfuckinghat]

"I was gonna say you're like a son to me.. but you're more than that."

"It ain't that complicated!"

How quickly that shoulder pat of comfort turned into a condescending one.

[byfulcrums]

SEASON 5 SEASON 5 SEASON 5!!!!!!!!

I think it'd be cool if this season showed MK internalizing the negative stuff people have said about him but instead of it being “I'm not good enough to be Monkey King's successor :(”, him showing more and more concern over the possibility that he'll turn out to be an exact copy of SWK (wouldn't it be really fucking funny if he was just Nuwa's attempt to create smth as powerful as the Monkey King lol)

The thing with MK is, everyone compares him to the Monkey King. From one point of view, that's great! He's his mentor, and being compared to a literal legend you looked up to throughout your entire childhood must feel great. From the other, though...

Ignoring that "MK didn't read JTTW" joke (nope, out of character, don't like it). MK knows about the bad stuff Sun Wukong has done and he's more aware than anyone else that Sun Wukong has changed. He knows that the point of the Monkey King's story, of his journey, was that he was a bad person and became better. It's a positive view on it (that kid loves SWK so much there's no way he'd think of him as a terrible person)

However, while MK is definitely aware of the fact that SWK is way more good now and would be living his best life if it weren't for people who don't understand that, he is also very much aware that SWK's actions ruined his life

The entire plot of JTTW is that a group of not-so-good people get together to help a much-better-but-still-not-perfect person deliver some scrolls while also earning redemption in the process. MK knows (or at least the rational part of his brain that isn't clouded by pure negative feelings and trauma and probably PTSD and also his self-doubt that having ADHD doesn't help with does) that if he truly was just like Monkey King, he'd grow and eventually end up better than where he started

But! As I said before, SWK's actions made everything go to shit in the past. He may be good now, but he still fucked up so badly that he's still facing the consequences of what he did and didn't do

SWK was alone for thousands of years. If MK turns out to be just like him, then what does that mean for him? He doesn't want to lose his friends, couldn't stand to live without his family

Sun Wukong lost everything back then and he might've gotten something different later (better in the sense that his past friendships were pretty fucking toxic. But MK's aren't — they're the best of the best! Does that mean that, unlike SWK, he'll end up alone forever?), but he still suffered and made other people suffer. MK doesn't want that to be him

So! I think it'd be cool for season 5 to be mostly centered around MK going down a similar path as SWK's past self, but realizing it before it can get too bad

Basically what I'm saying is that I want season 5 to explicitly say that no, SWK and MK are two different people with different minds and support networks, and the decisions MK will make won't lead him to where SWK is but instead to something entirely different, because unlike SWK, he already knows many of the lessons SWK had to learn throughout his journey (namely not killing people)

SEASON 5 THEORY (S1-4 SPOILERS)

You guys have probably already heard this but I cannot stress enough how much this is definitely a foreshadow to season five, possibly.

In the season 4 special after they defeat Azure, Yellow tusk says that they look like real heroes. BUT MKS NOT THERE WHEN HE SAYS THAT???

So either, 1: I'm mega delulu, or 2: MK turns into the mirror image of JTTW SWK. Because in majority of the instances where MK does a big hero scene on his own, there always HAS to be a like SWK reference. ARE WE GONNA IGNORE THAT HE'S WEARING THE FRICKIN CIRCLET IN THIS SCENE??

Also, to all the people saying that Meis gonna be the Macaque in MKs story; no hate but I just don't see that. Meis a descendant of Ao Lie. From what we've been shown in LMK so far, Ao Lie and SWK are chill guys. So unless MK hits her with the staff 3000, I just don't see it happening without any beef prior.

Maybe MK just won't take anyone's eye out guys, maybe he'll just cook them all and hit Pigsy with the "you're not my dad!" Then run away or smth silly.

Also, MACAQUE LITERALLY SAID MK AND SWK HAVE A LOT IN COMMON GUYS.

[fleshwerks]

spiridon lavellan rising from his grave just to get the last word in

[ruporas]

only human

[ID: Two page comic in color of Vash and Wolfwood from Trigun Maximum. The first page has a black background and the upper half, behind the panels, is splattered with stylized red blood, scattered bullets, and lifeless hands. In the first panel, it focuses on Vash's boots, showing him stepping through the panel and into the bloody scene. The second panel shows his bloody footprints and the third panel shows his face, his down-turned eyes looking downwards. It's a neutral, vague expression with confliction. At the bottom of the page, the back of Wolfwood's head and shoulder is seen, blood dirtying the white color of his shirt and side of his face. Vash's hand reaches out to him from the right side of the page.

The second page shows the entire scene in full, half the page in light and the other in solid black. At the center, Vash leans down onto his knees as he wraps his arms around Wolfwood's shoulders into a hug. Wolfwood's back is turned away from the viewer, his left arm holds onto his bloodied punisher and his right hand sits on his lap. Light casts from the left side of the page, showing the bloodied surrounding, but the held up punisher casts a shadow on the both of them, shielding them from the light. END ID]

[tending-the-hearth]

broke: hunter is going to be pissed at crosshair for "letting" omega go and crosshair is going to get pissed back and they're going to argue

woke: hunter is going to recognize the choice that crosshair had to make, understand that omega is omega, and that crosshair is not to blame for missing the shot because he got attacked by an entire group of troopers, and is still suffering from ptsd and tremors from his time on tantiss and crosshair is able to convey his concerns and guilt without fear that his brothers will hate him

[starscr0ss]

im thinking about celestia and the abyss being literal opposites (chaos and order) and im thinking about childe and lumine being sort of embodiments of that, just not in the way we think. after the latest natlan quest its clear to us what the fatui intends and what they want- i think the tsaritsa more than anything loves humanity, which is why she directly opposes celestia who are known for bringing down different civilizations. childe, as Her weapon and Her blade is an extenction of that: he's a blade forged by the abyss, bathed in Her holyness, meant to strike down those who sin. lumine (talking solely about traveler lumine) is the literal sister of the prince of the abyss, she has clear ties to it and at this point in the story still is hesitant about fully opposing him (i love angst). her entire story revolves around chaose and disrupting celestia's (and the fatui's) order. isnt that fun

i think what childe longs for the most is control- control of himself, his life, his powers, his story, his fate. i think what lumine wants the most is freedom, which is just another phacet of chaos

anyways. you see it. the themes are theming