#anything that's not essential to the narrative

[big-tiddy-goth-gremlin]

Okay so the finale of Arcane was great in a lot of ways but I feel I need to voice a little bit of disappointment/resentment for Act III.

First of all, Ekko and Sevika deserved better than the endings they got. Ekko did more in that battle than anyone else, and yet he ends up alone and sad. Sevika is the only Zaunite put on a council that will probably be classist asf to her.

Second, the total neglect of Isha (both her life and her death). Acts I and II built a narrative of found family with Isha, Jinx, and Sevika, only for it to not contribute to the greater narrative at all and to be completely thrown out in Act III.

Third, and probably most controversially, I do not think Caitlyn deserved Vi in the end. For reference, I really really liked CaitVi in the first season. I liked seeing a complex dynamic between two well-done lesbian characters. And then in the second season, Caitlyn takes her trauma and misery out on Vi. She essentially becomes a fascist dictator, floods the undercity with poisonous gas, increases imprisonment of Zaunites, works closely with Ambessa, and nearly kills Isha. And I was willing to hear out a redemption arc if it was good enough. But it wasn’t. There was never a decent apology to Vi, never any form of apology or regret for what she did to Zaun, no remorse over pointing a gun at a child. Just a vague air of “my bad” along with killing Ambessa. After everything she did to Vi and her people, I do not think Caitlyn remotely deserved to be with Vi, who spent the season coping, doing damage control, and tirelessly trying to fix her family. I am a wlw with an amazing girlfriend, and I love that we saw an endgame lesbian relationship, but I don’t like their dynamic or the way Caitlyn treats Vi.

Finally, the lack of any kind of conclusion to the Zaun/Piltover conflict. I understand that they were able to unite to fight Noxus, but aside from that, hardly anything has changed. ONE Zaunite was put on the council, and that’s all. No redistribution of wealth, no reparations, no sovereignty for Zaun, no apology for the decades of suffering Piltover caused Zaun. Ekko must return alone to a desolate undercity while Caitlyn and Vi live in the massive, luxurious Kiramman mansion.

My main issues here can be boiled down to this: Act III felt rushed. Very few stories were fully developed and satisfyingly concluded. The ones we did get (Viktor & Jayce, Mel returning to Noxus) were fantastic, but it left much to be desired for the other characters and storylines.

[sapphiresaphics]

I think 3 years between seasons caused a lot of people to have extraordinarily high expectations for a show that was already extraordinarily high quality.

I think also think that the natural progression of rising action where more and more stuff happens the closer you get to the climax of your narrative caused a lot of people to struggle with the faster pace of season 2 compared to season 1.

Additionally I think the wait between each arc caused a lot of people to get apprehensive and nervous about plot points going unresolved or sidelined and that caused them to lash out even more about less important storylines not getting the focus they personally wanted.

And finally I think that the League of Legends characters are all so well designed and beloved that people just wanted to see more of them and having them getting less screen time than other main characters pissed them off.

Season 2 didn’t really do anything differently from season 1. They utilized music in every episode to do montages to progress the story, just like season 1. They had a lot of interesting side characters that got not development or were killed off unceremoniously, just like in Season 1 (Greyson and Benzo anyone?). They focused on weird magic stuff without explaining what was going on, just like season 1.

But somehow… people’s tolerance for this form of storytelling has just dwindled in the past 3 years I guess? I don’t really know what to think tbh. I get where people are coming from, but at the same time I feel like a LOT of the criticisms are extremely low stakes nitpicks or willful misinterpretations of really simple concepts in an otherwise AMAZING show.

No media is perfect. Everyone is allowed to feel how they feel about a show… but this unusually high NEGATIVITY just feels weird to me. Did we all watch the same show? Cuz I felt elated after it ended.

I got essentially everything I wanted and expected out of the characters and the storylines. Do I wish some elements were expanded upon? Sure. But I’m extremely satisfied with what Arcane turned out to be.

I genuinely can’t wait to rewatch the show and see all of the parallels and hidden moments we didn’t realize were important in season 1 now. I think ultimately despite how some people are feeling about it now, this is a show that will get better and better upon rewatch and time.

[miquella-everywhere]

Actually y'know what

Instead of screaming my salt into the void I want to go over why I heavily dislike the new Shaman lore and why I believe it is a rewrite/retcon of the Black Knives lore:

So the base game lore establishes that the Black Knives were all Numen women who had very close ties with Marika, whatever these ties were is not revealed but we can assume that at one point that the Black Knives and Marika may have been close friends/family/kin, anything was possible. And so Ranni, Marikas step-daughter, recruited these Numen women to carry out an assassination plot which would literally change the social/political landscape for the world.

The Black Knives killed Godwyn, Godwyns death broke Marika, and so Marika broke the Elden Ring, ushering in the start of the War that would end the world.

And even more dramatically enough the Black Knives actually turned on Ranni and at the end of her quest killed her retainer Iji, but were felled by Blaidd who was going mad and one can assume that the Black Knives were there to kill Ranni.

Juicy stuff.

So getting into the new Shaman lore we learn that these guys were essentially Jar-genocided by the Hornsent.

And that the Shaman Village where Marika was born is THE Shaman Village, that is where they all lived. And you could argue that Bonney Village was also a Shaman settlement, what with the O' Mother statue, but it is now filled with Jars and Potentates and a Gaol down the road. The Shamans there are dead, they are all dead, there are no Shamans left alive.

The Shamans were all Genocided. They are all either dead or suffering meatball women who want to be dead.

And then when you do get to the Shaman village you get the Minor Erdtree spell where it states: "Marika bathed her home in Gold, knowing full well there was no one left to heal."

This lore blurb along with the empty village and the decimated Bonney village heavily implies that Marika is the last of the Shamans and the sole survivor of their genocide, and the narrative itself heavily pushes towards this stance.

So either Marika is the sole survivor of the Shaman genocide like the narrative wants us to believe, or that the Black Knives are also Shamans who survived.

So which is it? The serious problem that I have with this is that the DLC outright ignores/pretends the Black Knives and their connection to Marika doesn't exist in favor of making Marika a tragic victim.

And the Black Knives lore and their connection with Marika was so intriguing in the base game and many people wondered and speculated what could've gone down between them. But now, with the new Shaman lore we get Marika's tragic beginning, but nothing regarding the Black Knives, or what happened between all of this.

From the Shaman Genocide to the Night of the Dire Plot, what happened here?

If the Black Knives are supposed to be Numens/Shamans who went through the exact same horrific genocide as Marika, why in the world do they resent/oppose her enough to go through with a conspiracy to murder her children????

We do not get any answers to this. Not even the slightest off-hand blurb about the Black Knives and what their connection was to Marika. And this extreme leap; from genocide survivors to murdering the children of the woman, who by all means saved them/brought retribution to their genociders, with absolutely nothing in between... It just makes absolutely zero sense to me.

Moving on to my next point, everyone who has tried to contest my rewrite stance goes for the angle that the Numens are indeed the Shamans just with a new term defining them. But you see the problem that I have with this is that from what I've seen/know is there is absolutely no mention of the Numens in the dlc. It's all Shaman this, Shaman that, Marika is a Shaman now, no Numens anywhere and I don't even think that there are any Numen Runes in the DLC. (checked the fextralife rune-finding guide and yup there are zero Numen Runes in the DLC. you'd think that if the RoS is where the Numens originated that there would be a fair amount of their runes here. but nope. nothing :/)

And that really rubs me the wrong way because it genuinely feels like they are trying to bury/forget about previously established lore all in favor of pushing the new Shaman lore, and like... guys fr this is the literal definition and act of a rewrite, like c'mon... its bad writing at best and a shameless rewrite at worst

So to summarize here is my main issues with the contradicting Numen/Shaman/Black Knives lore:

The heavy narrative/implications that Marika is the last surviving Shaman.

The Black Knives fr went through the same genocide as Marika but apparently dislike her enough to murder her children and bring about to end of the world.

The DLC acts like the Numens were never a thing. It's all Shamans now.

Like.... huh??????

But I digress.

So however you feel about the new Shaman lore: whether you do think it's a rewrite/retcon, or just new lore to be accepted, you cannot deny that said new lore leaves behind MASSIVE plotholes and has a severe disconnect to the main lore of ER that was established in the base game.

I for one will never be able to look past it. And the new Shaman lore is just one of many many things in the DLC that has sadly nuked my enjoyment of ER, turning my joy and wonder for the lore into an absolute head-scratching "what the fuck is all of this???" headache of despair.

I just....

😔

Edit:

This too 👆

The new dlc lore is just so extremely contradictory to what's established in the base game and it is so incredibly frustrating.

WOW WHAT COOL LORE

I sure hope the DLC doesn't Retcon this important piece of information about Marika!!!!

o h w a i t

[sholmeser]

ary scheffer / justus knetch / snake & ocelot

[ganondoodle]

i am being so brave trying so hard to hold back writing a rant about that 'minimizing narrative noise' comment on totk sage concept art bc its actively flying around in my head like the worlds most annoying fly

[faithfromanewperspective]

what’s there not to understand about hypomania? you know when you get overtired, and like a toddler, you get all hyperactive and also want to cry or do Every Fun Thing you can think of and it actually becomes harder to sleep? like as a result of too much overwhelm or being so emotionally exhausted that’s how your body makes you able to cope, the aftereffects of too much adrenaline? just imagine being stuck like that. and every day it triggers itself more, overload of emotional whiplash and energy and you’ve lost all ability to think rationally and you can do anything at this point, because why not? you’ve got nothing left in you to hold back on any idea that could be exciting and stop you from falling into the void where the wiredness you feel has nothing to latch onto to burn off that nervous energy in a positive way, emotionally. for days or weeks or months on end. you don’t need to have ever experienced this fully to extrapolate and be like. yeah. I can see how it would suck eventually to get stuck like that

[firegiftlouis]

This fandom’s constant push to make Louis out to be the sexual predator of the series is gross enough as is when he’s the only Black male lead (never mind the fact that he is ALSO a victim of sexual violence but you guys conveniently ignore), but I know none of y’all give a fuck about racism 😒

Instead, I just wanted to point out how fucking wild it is that so many of you are constantly and uncritically painting the only man in the main cast so far who is confirmed to be exclusively attracted to men as sexually predatory. Like that doesn’t come off as I don’t know…homophobic as fuck to y’all???

[sammygender]

there's something really easy to me about writing precanon spn fanfiction (not writing GOOD fanfiction necessarily. but. just having an idea and turning it into a 5kish vaguely completed story in its own right. which is normally something i struggle with). and i think i just clocked why while reading something about how to write short stories (i am notoriously bad at writing original short stories i just write novels and scenes from novels instead lol).

so much of writing flowing well is about motivation... characters wanting something. and i specifically find the young winchesters so good to write for because they have these motivations so built into them.

sam wants to get free & have autonomy & stop hunting & make dad understand and all that is sooo written into his younger self and therefore to write a lil fic about him you just have to like... isolate an incident that lets you really show that. which is what ive been doing without realising it. and dean wants... not much for himself, which is just as key of a character detail! but he still has intensely strong motivations, to keep the family together and to protect sam.

this is such a testament to the character work on spn lol their motivations even precanon are so clear and they're still such complex characters and it makes them so so so fun to write. its making me realise. i think some of the failures of my own character writing is that they dont always Want things

[nullcoast]

Why can't we just love eachother and help eachother and cry for eachother when we hurt and laugh for eachother when we're happy. What happened to radical acceptance and beauty. Why are we self-separating using white suppremist ideas about identity. The idea someone needs some pure property to be worthy of adopting a community is point blank a white suprematist idea. Where is the understanding of mistake and pain.

We are so alone and isolated in this generation and we are playing directly into the interests of those in power by further self-separating. Focus on some important fucking shit.

[craig960114]

why craig are take over world

essay by me (craig)

As much as Craig may seem like a simple doodle of a cat, his potential for world domination should not be underestimated. Despite his crude appearance, Craig embodies the essence of adaptability and resilience, traits that are essential for any aspiring ruler.

Firstly, Craig's simplicity works to his advantage. Underestimation is a powerful tool in warfare, and many would dismiss Craig as inconsequential. However, this oversight allows Craig to operate in the shadows, biding his time until the perfect moment to strike.

Secondly, Craig's lack of defined features makes him a versatile symbol. He can represent anything from innocence to cunning, depending on the narrative spun around him. This ambiguity allows Craig to appeal to a wide range of followers, from disillusioned citizens seeking change to opportunistic power-seekers.

Thirdly, Craig's handwritten signature adds a personal touch to his endeavors. In a world increasingly dominated by digital signatures and impersonal interactions, Craig's handwritten mark harkens back to a simpler time, fostering a sense of nostalgia and authenticity among his followers.

In conclusion, Craig may appear unassuming at first glance, but beneath his simplistic exterior lies the potential for world domination. Through adaptability, versatility, and a personal touch, Craig has the tools necessary to rally followers and reshape the world in his image. Beware the power of Craig, for his ascent to global dominance may be closer than we think.

[designernishiki]

as much as a i understand and respect ace kiryu truthers, i really feel like kiryu is the type to really take the idea to heart that sex is something vulnerable and meaningful and thus reserved for someone completely trusted and special to him– someone who feels right. after years and years he’s still never legitimately voluntarily slept with someone, always tries to turn women away or is at least apathetic when they try to get physical with him, never feels that deep and specific bond with a woman– nothing compared to some of his bonds with other men throughout his life. and maybe, hopefully, one day it’ll hit him that there’s a pretty big, glaring reason why no women have ever felt “right” to him.

[selfinflictedgunshotwound]

how do terfs grapple with the fact that they're white supremacist losers who think that women are weak essentially like adult babies but that they also bear the apparent brunt of all human pain... liiike ok which narrative are we going with

[psalmsofpsychosis]

I dont think at this point i can even start on classic literature if i tried, like, i have absolutely zero patience for stories that take their goddamn time "building up" to things. "give exposition talk and show your characters doing everyday things" girl only if the everyday things contribute to the theme of the story! I dont have an ounce of interest in traditional idle starting points, "this story takes awhile to warm up and nothing happens for 45 pages" lmao bye

[fondcrimes]

idk anything about fantasy games but I keep running into comments and posts online that r essentially like “fantasy racism is completely different to irl racism because [insert mechanism or trait that is essential to perpetuating irl racism]”

[sunhalf]

kairi has been dead since the beginning. btw.

[nobodymitskigabriel]

I want to like Gabriel's scene with Lucifer in 13x22 bc he's right obviously but all I can think of is how much more interesting that scene and dialogue could've been if Lucifer were characterized like he was in season 5.