#but that's not to say that i agree with a lot of the criticisms in the tags

[abyssalzones]

apologies if i'm interpreting wrong, but do you not like the family aspects in gravity falls?

I enjoy the family aspects in gravity falls in terms of surface level enjoyment... but even then I do agree wholeheartedly with the post I reblogged and I think it's definitely applicable to a critical examination of the story, as it would be in Any story. mainly in terms of stan and ford's dynamic.

I've thought before about how stan's tumultuous relationship with ford really comes down to the failings of "the family" and particularly masculinity and the concept of The Family Man as a breadwinner and every time it frustrates me for what it is and intrigues me for what it potentially says as a deconstruction, even if an unintentional one. stan's core values are familial in nature, which to the audience is a purely noble goal. therefore, when stan does the things she (and I'm using she/her as always for stan because I interpret her as a trans woman) does, it's "all for this family", which is a very empathetic goal. but it's also one that snowballs into the devastating rift between her and ford: ford wanting to go to college and remove himself from The Family is implicitly depicted as a betrayal, if not to the audience then at least to stan. and yet it's perfectly understandable Why he does this if you actually examine the stan twins' childhood, which is that of two siblings being forced to compete in a black sheep/golden child dynamic in a poor household, overseen by the abusive patriarch figure that is their father. when ford refers to his dynamic with stan as "suffocating" (expecting dipper to relate), it's simultaneously insight we're meant to read as selfish and anti-family, as well as being perfectly logical. stan and ford depend on one another for survival and recognition as they deal with both the trappings of their home life and peer abuse at school- and, at the same time, are locked into their roles as "potential breadwinner" and "the fuck-up twin". would that not be suffocating? would you really feel secure trying to maintain a close relationship with your twin like that, even if you did love them?

I refer to this as a matter of masculinity because at its core the trappings of the (american, western, whatever you want to call it) family are often patriarchal in nature: everything revolves around the authority of The Father, who is succeeded by The Son. stan's lack of success in terms of bringing money to the family reflect her failures to perform as a man. the only time she begins to succeed in this role is when she's impersonating ford. (and here you can kind of see the foundations of my headcanon for her as a trans woman... but that's off topic) at the end of the day, ford's desires for agency outside of his family are punished by the story: "you care about some dumb mysteries more than your own family? well then-- you can have 'em." and this is only truly rectified when ford relents, admits the true importance of family, and gets on a boat with his twin. even if I think it's elaborated on in ways that lend itself towards a more complex story, even if I think it could work perfectly well as a deconstruction if you were to read it that way, I think this is the type of story they're trying to tell and the one that is most commonly related to by an american audience.

I say that this frustrates me because as much as I wish it were the case, I don't believe gravity falls intends to make a critical commentary on the nature of the family. I think it says a lot about how those dynamics can be strained or muddled by factors such as miscommunication, trauma, abuse, etc- but at the end of the day it's intending to be a very "familial love surpasses all" type of story. does that mean it's unwatchable garbage? not really. I obviously love the show and still enjoy familial dynamics for a lot of reasons and think there's good to come of those kinds of stories. however I also think there is a lot to be said about how dangerous the idea of "family comes first" is, both in terms of justifying violence and absolving or enabling abuse.

*note that my specifications of the structure as "american" or "western" are due purely to a lack of perspective. I'm sure there are examples of these types of trappings across various cultures I just can't confidently elaborate, and in the context of the show we're talking about a story that takes place with american characters. kind of a pointless amendment but just in case.

[burning2know]

I agree wholeheartedly with OP and these tags from prev. prefacing that I will be ignoring the game that shall not be named and probably repeating some points.

There's nothing quite like the interactive medium of a video game that makes you examine your own choices and beliefs. And when it comes to politics, there's often a disconnect between ideology and lived experience. My favorite thing about DA was always the fact the it tried to bridge the two. Whether it's showing that various individuals in similar circumstances can have completely different ideologies, or it can be to explore what happens to individuals and their experiences after reshaping the world according to the player's ideology. That bridge, albeit implicit, has been formative in the way I think about my own world. When it comes to the lore and world building, it demands the player to use critical thinking, much like a historian might, to make sense of it. And I did end up feeling like I needed to make sense of the world to make my choices.

Even though DA has argued both sides, it does it incredibly well. The arguments it presents come from character perspectives that makes sense in the universe, and it makes it all feel real. I think a lot of credit should go to origin's writers for providing those arguments. It feels like the writers talking amongst themselves trying to hash out what each action means for the world and to eachother using the NPCs, and in the spaces of these discussions, I get to reflect on where I agree and disagree and what that means for me as a player. The experience reminds me of me watching Contrapoints videos in which she has a conversation with various parts of her own beliefs about her gender identity, and engaging with her inner-discourse lead me to a deeper understanding of my own identity.

That's the true value of arguing both sides. It lets the audience decide for themselves without being prescriptive. And while it does demand the audience construct their own reasons and values to explain their choices, it also provides a window into possible viewpoints that the audience might or might not agree with. And not in a judgmental way. That process shows how one character may arrive there, not through insanity or stupidity, but through various circumstances and experiences.

DA's goal was always to challenge the player. That isn't to say that there's no bias, or a particular perspective that the writers are coming from. But the point is that it opens a space for exploration. It takes a certain kind of person to be able to do that without falling into the hole of appearing contrarian or troll-ish. And to some extent the writers themselves had to treat each argument with equal respect and legitimacy to display its outcomes in the game according to the rules of the world rather than their own ideals. And that itself is not easy. It doesn't surprise me that that world view and capacity disappears when the series changed hands.

And underlying all of that is a philosophy about how individuals operate, and how they operate when they come together into groups of individuals (many different words to say power and hierarchy). And that underlying philosophy is what resonated with me so much with over time. It's very compassionate to be able to hold space for these other perspectives. Not only rare to see due to the complexity required to show it, but easy to lose and difficult to gain back once you've lost it. And at this moment in the history of DA, we have lost it.

In some ways, I think the timing of this happening Makes Sense. We live in a tumultuous time where reality is uncertain and volatile due to the nature of new modes of information exchange. We see all kinds of people sharing things on social media that could easily be interpreted as lived experience or disinformation. And more than ever, our shared reality is being shattered into a million pieces by personalized content. (I too have felt the "we live in parallel universes" thought creeping up on me). In this chaotic environment, we Need the psychological comfort of certainty, of knowing what the world is like. The easiest and most familiar way is to find an authoritative voice and trust that single voice as the guiding star. That voice is only strengthened by others' agreement, and we contribute to this strengthening with our own psychological needs for certainty and stability. And we become resistant to dissent and critical analysis, because the amount of information to sort through gets very overwhelming very quickly.

What DA does has always been the opposite of that, it demands the player to confront multiple perspectives (albeit in a much more curated and coherent way). And it is logical to me that the game goes against such a primary psychological need in these trying times, perhaps now more than ever. But this theme has always gone against the grain, and media that goes against the grain in this way is so rare and So Badly Needed. We Need people to be able to think through and cobsider multiple perspectives, because there are so many perspectives accessible to us. At the same time I understand the draw of never ever having to do that. And I also understand that a lot of people just don't think that deeply ever. And that's why losing DA hits extra hard for me. Because it is another piece of resistance swept away with the torrent of greater trends that push us away from shared understanding with the people around us.

i feel like all of my pondering and analyzing and criticizing veilguard over the past few months has actually truly given me a better understanding of what dragon age meant to me, what about it specifically was so meaningful, and why, as a result, veilguard felt so wrong. it took a while for me to figure it out. about three full months of relentless essay writing, actually. but i think if you had asked me a few years ago what the core of my love for dragon age was, whatever answer i gave would not have truly gotten to the root of it, because i think i had to experience the disappointment of veilguard to fully understand why i love dragon age. and ive realized that core is that i loved how the previous dragon age entries demand so much of the player, and deliberately prompt introspection and critical, often political, thought.

dragon age games have historically forced the player to be self-reflective and introspective about their worldview and beliefs. solas is obviously a fantastic example, as he was deliberately written to be a reflection of the player in order to prompt them to reflect on how they treat people, how our expectations of people influence their behavior, and how people are pushed to extremes and turned into monsters or saved by love and kindness. how do people become monsters? what drives them to blow up buildings or start rebellions or destroy the world as you know it? are they right or wrong? does it even matter? how did you contribute to this? are you innocent? it puts these insane, politically and morally charged situations in your face and forces you to confront them. slavery, a refugee crisis, poverty, class disparities, racism, foreign occupation, the list goes on, and you are not given the option to look away or be a bystander. you have to ACT. you have to choose, you have to make judgements, you have to take responsibility and explore your role in this world as someone with the capacity to act upon it, to make your will a reality, to fail, to make mistakes. i honestly can't think of any other video game that does this to the same extent? nor any media at all because the act of being IN the world as one of it's people through the act of role-playing is essential to how it provokes this experience in the player. its ballsy. they deliberately try to make you uncomfortable. these games are full of liars, deceivers, betrayers. the games themselves lie to you. its character try to deceive you. did you catch it? or were you fooled? what else might you be fooled by? who else might be lying to you? in the game? in real life? and then you get to play it again knowing the end, and what the game prompts changes with your new knowledge. now it asks, do you forgive them? what makes someone worthy of forgiveness? where do you draw the line? what do you think?

i dont think i realized until recently how impactful this was for me considering how i first got into dragon age at 16 years old. i dont think i had experienced anything up to that point that would put a situation like judging a war criminal who ordered the deaths of children or another war criminal who just left me to die and orchestrated a near-coup or a traumatized terrorist who just blew up a church right in my face, and said MAKE A DECISION. and i didnt know it at the time, but looking back i can see how valuable it was for me at that age to have what was effectively an avenue of exploration and self-expression of all of these moral and political issues that i was grappling with as a young adult. i played inquisition for the first time just months before i voted in my first presidential primary. i already had a political consciousness at this point, but it was nonetheless new and vulnerable and still blossoming into something more concrete. inquisition, then, almost provided a sort of political, moral and personal sandbox for me from ages 16-20 to better help me understand myself in relation to the world. the RPG-ness allowed me to put myself into these situations - like the mage-templar war and its metaphor for mass incarceration and police brutality - while i was also simultaneously grappling with and trying to understand these issues in real life. having dragon age to help me further unpack my own beliefs and conception of these issues was undeniably impactful. it provided a space, through a narrative i enjoyed and cared about, to make choices and judgement calls and better understand who i was, and what felt right to me. it asked, "what do you think?"

veilguard lacks this. completely. and lets be clear that the previous games did not always do a perfect job. many of these depictions are messy and harmful and problematic, but they at least, by extension of their own existence in a narrative that forces you to THINK and JUDGE and DECIDE, give me the space and opportunity to judge them as messy, as problematic, as harmful. i can confidently say that i think da2 is too sympathetic to the templars as an organization because the fact that da2 presents me with so many narrative conflicts regarding the templar organization allows me to not just make in-game decisions and play as a staunch advocate for mage freedom and circle abolition, but to form opinions on the game itself by extension. i can confidently say that i believe the qunari's portrayal is islamophobic because the game has prompted me so many times; what do i think about the qunari? what do i think about the oppression of the elves? what do i think about dorian being a seemingly good person but defending the practice of slavery? who should rule orzammar; the progressive asshole or the conservative traditionalist? do i forgive loghain? do i forgive anders? do i forgive solas? this in-world critical thinking about issues in thedas leads to meta critical thinking. further questions naturally follow -> what message did the writers intend to send through anders? how can i notice the echoes of how this story came into fruition in the shadow of 9/11? what do solas's endings tell me about the writers view of retributive punishment? how is bioware's portrayal of the dalish, as inspired by indigenous north americans, reflective of deep-seated anti-indigenous canadian sentiment? why did the writers stop prompting these hard questions at all in veilguard? did they only like it when it was about characters, not when it led to critical thinking about them and the company as a whole? through these processes of in-world interrogation, i am inevitably invited to analyze the effectiveness of their narrative portrayals and the writing itself. perhaps this is why dragon age is so famous for its discourse lol.

ive said before that im not sure that veilguard could ever have been as impactful for me as the previous games, partly because when you are 16 everything is more impactful because your brain is an eager sponge, unless it did something that really resonated with me as an adult. but what it should have been, at the very least, is something that could have been as impactful and formative on a current 16 year old that sees a gif on tumblr and decides to check out the game, as inquisition was to me 10 years ago. and im sure there are teenagers and younger adults out there playing this game and loving it and loving the characters and the world and thinking its great, good fun. thats great. however it fundamentally cannot have the same profound, developmentally catalytic experience it had on me because it simply does not challenge the player. it does not prompt them to question their own beliefs and the power structures within their lives. it does not prompt them to reflect on the political narratives they may have been fed all their lives. it does not confront them with the sorts of topics that get books on banned lists in florida and force them to bear witness, to think deeper, to feel guilt or horror at the outcome of your own poorly-made decision, to make moral judgements, to make mistakes, and to live with the consequences.

i think i now understand why veilguard was so disappointing to me and ultimately would be a failure in my eyes no matter if i enjoyed the combat or the exploration or whatever other shiny coat of paint sits atop it. veilguard does not ask much of you. it does not prompt any sort of introspection or interrogation of your presently held beliefs. it does not demand anything from the player except to dodge at the right moment. this is a fundamental, core departure from what made me fall in love with dragon age in the first place. if you love dragon age because you want "fantasy escapism" and fun characters to smooch, then i am happy for you. but i would remind you that can find fantasy escapism all over the steam library - farming sims, cozy games, a witch looking for her cat in the alps, etc. what you cannot find are games that are willing and brave enough to challenge and provoke the player into a better, more thorough understanding of themselves in relation to our world and it's many, complex and daunting political and moral issues. to have lost such a thing, when media like this has become so few and far between, and during a time when we need it more than ever, is a devastating loss.

[angelsdean]

I agree with your Mary posts! I also think Dean asking her to "be a mom" in that scene is not about wanting her to baby them but simply just wanting her to choose her sons over the organization that let one of its members literally torture and r*pe Sam only a few episodes before that!

Literally Dean is so very clear in that scene that what he's upset abt is her choosing the BMOL over them. Not abt her not "parenting" them or playing "mommy." He's just upset that she doesn't seem to want to be around them, and that she instead has been working with their enemies. And even if that wasn't her intention, even if she was in fact doing it "for" them and trying to protect them by working with the enemy they're still allowed to be hurt by her decision.

She tells them that she's been struggling, trying to play three decades of catch up and Dean tells her they have been struggling too. They have been grieving her their whole lives. But now that she's here they want her there. She's finally alive, they finally have a chance to be together, and she keeps leaving. And that hurts. But he also understands and sympathizes. He tells her, "You said that you needed time. No, you said you need space. So we gave you your space." They have been patient with her. Dean understands very well needing time and space to process things. But what hurts is that, from his perspective, it seems like she is choosing anyone but them. So when he says, "No, you needed space from us," and when she says she's "trying" and he cuts in with "How 'bout for once, you just try to be a mom?" IMO it's less about wanting her to "mother" them and play mommy and more about wanting her to be present in their lives, to choose them, to unconditionally love and support them and shoulder some of the pain and burdens they have been carrying on their own their whole lives. He wants, for once, to have a parent that CHOOSES him over the "mission." Like, don't people think that maybe seeing another parent walk out on him and choose hunting / work over being present in his life is a little bit upsetting / salting old wounds?

Anyways, I love Mary, though some may think it's a hashtag Crime to sympathize with Dean in this scene but like ??? Some people are projecting a lot of stuff Dean did not say or express in that scene. His upset and main criticism is about her choosing the BMOL over them, that's made clear in this exchange:

Dean: So between us and them – Mary: It's not like that. Dean: Yeah, Mary, it is. And you made your choice. So there's the door.

It's not about wanting her to play some "mom" role as if they were children. He wants her to choose them over their adversaries, and to be around them, get to know them, something both Dean and Sam want to do.

Anyways, I am always saying I would have loved more from this arc esp re: Mary's grief over losing her "babies." I think a lot of what Mary's feeling would've hit harder if they'd showed us more of her grief. (The "I need you to see me" scene hits so good for me bc it's tied up with this complicated grief. Mary finally acknowledging that adult Dean IS her baby. Truly SEEING him, instead of the perpetual 4 yr old that lives in her mind). But I don't blame her for wanting / needing space to process (deancoded!) or for throwing herself into hunting to Cope (john-and-sam coded!). Or for struggling with her identity in this new life. I enjoy all the tension and her being flawed and real and messy.

[miizuzu]

“How did??” You couldn't even finish your question. Your voice was caught in your throat.

“Come on, you really thought you could run from me? Even destiny brought us together. I was visiting my uncle and cousin when your packages arrived. I even helped you sign for them. Aren't I the best boyfriend?”

“Zenin, we broke up a long time ago.”

“Naoya. Also I never agreed to breaking up. Only allow you to have some time alone, and you dare to try and run from me.” 

He cages you in with both his arms next to your head, you've backed yourself along the wall and now you have nowhere to run. You were shivering in fear, couldn't help but get Flash back from the past.

Naoya Zenin was your first relationship. Right after moving to Tokyo, you transfered into his class. You were very friendly and active so you ended up with a lot of friends. Naoya was one of your closest friends, he helped you get used to your new life in Tokyo. You used to tell him about your friends from before you moved and he would enjoy listening to your stories. He would easily get jealous when other boys got your attention. It wasn't too bad at first but it gradually got worse. 

He asked you out on your 16th birthday, and you agreed. His family was rich, and they went away on vacation a lot, even throughout the school year. He was pretty smart in school, so the teachers didn't have much to say for him going away. He would be so nice whenever he comes back, but as soon as he realized there are guys close to you he would get mad. He would yell at you like it was your fault, you shouldn't be so friendly towards everyone. He would constantly make you choose between him and your friends, to a point you stopped talking to others just so he wouldn't be mad at you. 

He would never be there when you needed him, always away on vacation and when you called him while he's away, he would call you clingy and tell you to grow up. By the time you noticed how bad it was, it was already too late. All your friends had left you, you had no one else. 

You stayed with him, thinking you had no one else. You couldn't talk to anyone without him getting mad at you. On your 18th birthday, he asked for your virginity and you gave it to him, not because of love, but because of fear. Fear that you would lose the last person who matters to you. 

After taking your first time, everything went downhill. Nothing you do ever satisfies him. Even in bed, he would criticize you for every little thing. How you always make him use a condom and never let him finish inside you. Saying your moans sounds forced and you should keep quiet, or you just lay there like a dead fish. 

You finally had enough of him and said you needed time. He said fine and went on his family vacation. That's when you finally decided to run from him. You packed all your things and moved away, found another city and that's how you ended up here. 

You find that you could no longer talk to people normally if it is not work related, it felt awkward every time you tried talking to someone. Your only escape was your feline friends. 

You stood there, frozen in fear. You do not want to go back to those dark days, you managed to avoid him for 4 years, changing your phone number multiple times, only to be dragged back into his life. 

You were saved by your coworker who came looking for you when your break time was over. You got back to work, but you couldn't help your hands from shaking. Naoya never left, he tugged himself at the back of the sitting area, watching your every move. He would get frustrated when you help male customers. He tapped his foot loudly and got a lot of attention. Your coworkers were so close to asking your manager to send you home early just because they didn't want him to cause problems. 

You were trying to think of ways to get away, and as if it was right on que, Satoru walks in with a bouquet of flowers. Naoya eyed him down right away, Satoru didn't notice him, his attention was on you, and how he could see something was wrong. Satoru walked in front of you with a worried look.

“Y/N? Is everything ok? You don't look so good.” 

“......help me.” You whispered.

Satoru turned serious, he reached for your hand only to be yanked back by Naoya.

“What are you trying to do?” Naoya questions Satoru.

“None of your business.” Satoru calmly glares at Naoya.

“It is my business. I am her boyfriend.” Naoya smirks at Satoru.

Satoru looked at you and you shook your head. He knows it's not true. He has never even seen a single picture of them at your house. Never seen him or even heard you talk about having a boyfriend. 

“Well it doesn't seem that way, plus, we are currently dating.” Satoru grabs your hand over the counter. 

Naoya was about to punch Satoru when he was stopped by the store manager. She kicked him out for disturbing the other customers and her employee. Your coworkers actually stood by your side and tried to protect you from Naoya. That one girl feeling bad for not checking with you first before letting him in to see you. 

Your manager told you to take the rest of the day off, telling Satoru to get you home safely which he instantly agreed. The 2 of you took the back door to avoid Naoya, but not sure where you should go since he knows where you live. 

“We could go to my place? Only if you are comfortable with it. I could get you a hotel room if you like.” 

“Anywhere is fine. I just want to get out of here.”

Satoru nods and leads the way to one of his homes. He told you to go in front of him, keeping a safe distance between the 2 of you, wanting you to feel more relaxed. He told you where to go and you followed his instructions, arriving at the building of his penthouse. 

You didn't really speak during the whole way here, the only thing said was Satoru telling you directions. He got you settled down inside. He offered you some hot cocoa and sat you down on the couch. He then disappeared into his room, you didn't even have time to thank him. You were grateful for his help, you also appreciate him giving you space and not questioning you like others would. 

Even though you didn't want to talk, you do want some company, you are just not sure how you should ask, since things ended a bit awkward between you and Satoru. 

It was as if Satoru read your mind, he came out of his room, not as his human form, but his cat form. He slowly walked towards you, and when he saw you petting the couch next to you to invite him over, he quickly hopped onto the spot, nugging your forearm with his head. 

You pet his head gently and scratched his chin. “Thank you for helping me. I don't know what I would have done if you weren't there today.” 

You could hear him pur as you kept petting him. You suddenly remembered your friend while you were young. Almost as if the memories Naoya made you suppressed come rushing back. 

“You know, I used to have a best friend who was like you. He could also turn into a cat and would always comfort me when I'm down.” 

Satoru stiffens, before jumping off the couch and running back into his room. 

You were confused why he suddenly went away, you went after him but he locked himself in his room.

“Satoru? Are you ok? Did I say something wrong?”

“......” No answer.

“Hey… you're worrying me now. What happened?”

“So you really don't remember me…” he pouts as he swings the door open, he's turned back into human form, well not completely. His ears and tail were still showing, he got a towel and wrapped his lower body so you wouldn't see him naked.

That's when it finally struck you. His hair and eye color, merging with the memory of your best friend from the past. Finally remembering him. 

“So… you were him all along…”

“Mmhmm…”

“Wait, so you knew it was me?”

“Mmhmm.”

“How? I couldn't even remember after everything that's happened.” 

“You've never once left my mind. I promised that I would be your cat, I have every intention to keep my promise to always be with you.”

You could feel tears threatening to spill from your eyes. After his whole heartedly confession you hugged him in your arms tightly. 

“I'm sorry, Satoru! I'm so sorry for forgetting about you! So much had happened. I'm sorry!” 

You started bawling, Satoru held you tight in his embrace. You felt safe, everything felt right. This is where you belong.

He lets you go when you finally calmed down. He excused himself to put on some clothes as he got you to wait in the living room. 

You were sitting back on the couch, everything happened all at once. Your mind was going on overload. Satoru made his way over to you and kneeled down in front of you, grabbing hold of your hands.

“You can count on me. I will always be there for you. You are welcome to stay here as long as you like. As long as you're comfortable.”

You nodded and thanked him again. You could hear Satoru's stomach growling, he hadn't eaten anything yet. He turned away embarrassed, which made you laugh at him. 

“Can I see what's in your kitchen?”

“Sure, my fridge is pretty well stocked.”

He wasn't kidding. You could find anything in there, and everything seems fresh. He had people who would come and clean and cook for him. There was also a full shelf of sweets and cakes. You know he had a sweet tooth from his cup of cream and sugar with a drop of coffee. 

You asked him for an apron before pulling things out of the fridge to prepare for a meal. Satoru always hoped that there would be a day where he could be around you while you cook with him staying close to you in his human form. He was so happy his wish came true. 

“Is there anything you want me to make?”

“Sweet Tamago!” 

Of course he would pick a sweet dish. You sighed and laughed at him. You got the ingredients out and cracked the eggs into a bowl, you put in the sugar and soy and a hint of fish sauce and you asked him to whisk everything together. He enjoyed being your helper as you prep the other ingredients. His kitchen had everything, if you could put your mind to it, he had it. It made it so easy to cook everything. The sweet tamago was made perfectly with the square pan. You always make them weird looking since you only have a round pan at home. 

You set the dinner table, you could see Satoru's eyes glittering. He pinched his cheeks as if he was trying to see if he was dreaming. You told him to sit and eat while it was still hot. He loves your cooking, eating so fast he almost choked. 

“Slow down, I can always make more. No need to rush.” 

“You cook so well. I've been wanting to tell you.” 

Satoru hits you with a childlike toothy smile, your heart beating out of your chest, finally remembering he was your first crush. You wanted to keep in touch but didn't know how. You and your mother left in a rush and you were sad for a long time. Even after meeting Naoya, you would talk about your fun times with Satoru, which made Naoya brainwash you into actually suppressing all your memories of him. 

Satoru helped with cleaning up after dinner. It was the first time he got to help, he offered to wash the dishes and asked if you like to shower and just relax. You took his offer for a shower and he lent you his t-shirt and a pair of shorts.

Satoru focused hard on the dishes as he heard the shower running, he couldn't help but be reminded of how you look naked and could feel his blood rushing south. He didn't want to be a creep about it but you just have this effect on him. He wanted to touch himself so bad but held it in, thinking of everything and anything for his buddy to calm down. 

“I'm done with my shower, it's your turn.”

You walked out, wearing his oversized clothes on your tiny body, his eyes linger a bit longer than they should. Satoru started nose bleeding, he quickly grabbed the washcloth and covered his nose. He excuses himself again as he sprinted to his room and slammed the door behind him. ‘How can someone look this adorable in baggy clothes???!!’ You were pretty well covered but he thought that was the sexiest thing you've ever worn. 

Satoru didn't want to be rude so he shouted from his room, telling you he will be taking his shower now and that you could find something to watch while you wait. He quickly slipped into the showers, his hands making quick work to relieve the throbbing pain on his cock, squeezing tight around the base before furiously stroking himself, picturing how cute you looked just now. He let out a pornographic moan before shooting his thick load, wishing someday you would be on the receiving end. 

You watched TV as you waited, not sure what tomorrow would bring. What could you do? Naoya knows where you live and where you work, how can you continue hiding from him? You could feel another headache every time he occupied your mind. You were lost in deep thoughts when Satoru came out, he saw you laying on the couch, your brows furrowed and your eyes were closed. He pokes at the spot between your eyebrows, something you used to do to him long ago when he was overthinking. 

“You must be tired, I have spare rooms you can stay in. It would be more comfortable than sleeping on the couch.”

His smile was so gentle it was making you melt. You nodded your head and followed him to a room close to his own. 

“Well then, good night, Y/N.”

“Good night, Satoru.” 

He turns to walk towards his own room but your arm moves on its own, grabbing the bottom of his t-shirt. 

Satoru's eyes widened and kept blinking at you with a semi confused look. You let go of him and apologize, “Sorry! I don't know what came over me! Good night!!” You tried to close the door only for Satoru to intercept. 

“If you want me to stay, you only have to ask.” Satoru smirks as he enters the room. You stumbled backwards towards the bed, your legs hit the side of the bed and you ended up sitting on the bed. 

He walked closer and started taking his shirt off.

“???! What are you doing??” Your hands fly to your face and you cover your eyes as you squeeze them shut. “Don't worry, I'll take care of you.” 

You could tell he was taking off his pants too but you kept your eyes covered. Next thing you felt was Satoru rubbing against you, in cat form. He thought you wanted his company, which he wasn't wrong, but you didn't know how you should ask him to stay. He hopped onto the bed and patted on the pillow with his paw, telling you to go lay down. You moved toward the pillow and laid your head on it, Satoru lay beside you, not as close as he did before, but close enough for you to feel his presence. 

“Thank you Satoru, sweet dreams.”

You closed your eyes and could hear his soft purrs, it lulled you to sleep soon after. You haven't had a good night's rest for a while, the same goes for Satoru, his worst fear was that you would hate him and never let him see you again. You both had a sweet dream, dreaming of when you both used to play together, always having one another.

Satoru woke up before your alarm went off, he always does. He just likes to pretend to be asleep and hear you giggle at his silly sleeping poses. He's still in cat form, but he wished he was in human form. He wants to touch you so badly, not in a sexual way, just feeling you in general. Your hair falls perfectly over your features, cheeks look so smooth and soft and your lips look oh so, so, So sweet. 

Maybe he could have a taste before you get up? He leaned in slowly, his heart was beating out of his chest, he could hear the ba-thumps ringing in his ear. He was SO close, he could almost taste you, his whiskers accidentally touched you and you turned away. He didn't have the courage to try again, since your alarm will go off soon. He laid himself down, just watching your peaceful sleeping face. This is all he wishes for right now, he shouldn't be greedy and scare you away again. 

Your alarm finally rings, you reach for it and turn it off. You turned your head and saw Satoru staring at you, instead of resisting or hiding, your arm moved to pet him.

“Good morning Satoru, You're up early.”

Satoru purrs to your touch before jumping off the bed, walking towards his clothes and dragging them outside with him. He returned shortly after, fully dressed. 

“Good morning. How was your sleep?” 

“Great! Haven't had a good night's sleep for a while.”

“... I'm sorry, it was all because of me wasn't it?”

“Don't worry about it, I already forgave you. A while ago actually… I just wanted to prank you a bit more.”

Satoru was shocked, he could sense things were getting better but he didn't want to jump to conclusions. 

“I promise I won't lie to you ever again.” 

He looks so sincere, just kneeling down by your bed, keeping himself away because he wasn't sure what you feel about him being close. You thought he was very thoughtful, always keeping you in mind, nothing like the person you used to be with, so arrogant and selfish, only thinking of himself. 

You could feel your heart racing, your old memories of how much you enjoyed his company floods your mind. With him always putting you first, and with him being your first love, he had you crushing like a school girl all over again. 

You listened to your heart, your hands reached to cup his face, his eyes widened before you surprised him by pulling his face towards your own, capturing his lips. 

Satoru never would have expected that, he wasn't sure what you thought of him right now, but this? He couldn't resist at all, the moment your lips touched his, his eyes were rolled back so far in bliss. He felt like he was melting, you taste so much sweeter than he could ever imagine. He responds back by seeking access with his tongue, you parting your lips and even extending yours to meet him halfway had him moaning as both of your tongues danced in harmony. 

You and Satoru lost the sense of time, losing your mind on each other's kisses. Satoru was drowning in pleasure, he had wished for this day to come a lifetime ago. Both you and Satoru became a drooling mess, both still unwilling to let the other go. Just as Satoru was leaning in, about to push you down to the bed, your phone started ringing. 

You both snapped out of your trance, wiping the drool that seeped out from the corners of your mouth, you picked up the phone and realized it was your manager calling. 

“Hello?”

“Hey Y/N, I just wanted to let you know, the guy who showed up yesterday is here again. You might want to take a day off, you have vacation saved up too if you would like to use them. Just let me know.”

“Thank you so much Uraume, I'll take some time off then. I'll have this figured out before returning to work. Thanks for your understanding. Help me thank the others as well.”

You hung up the phone and sighed. Not sure what you should do next. Satoru knows something is up, it is written all over your face. 

“Is it him again?”

You nodded. 

“What's his problem anyway? Why is he acting like he's your boyfriend?”

You sighed but decided it was best to tell him what had happened between you and Naoya.

Satoru sat there, processing all the information that you've just given him. He thought Naoya was an asshole and he never deserved you. He was hurting to hear that your first was given to him.

“Y/N.” Satoru said with a very serious face.

“Let me protect you from now on. I won't let him hurt you anymore. You shouldn't have to change for anyone. You can be yourself when you're with me. Let me take care of you. Will you be my girlfriend?”

You were shocked from his sudden confession, you were overwhelmed with happiness, tears were flowing from your eyes, you haven't felt this way for a long time. You eagerly nodded, your arms flung around the back of his head, his arms held your middle protectively as he was also overjoyed. 

With your feelings finally reaching each other, Satoru thought you could stay at his place for now, at least until the Naoya issue is settled. He suggested for you to stay over, since he has the space and you both could use each other's company. Your only problem was you not having any personal belongings other than your wallet and your phone. You haven't had the chance to get home since Naoya’s sudden appearance. Right now the 2 of you were just enjoying being in each other's embrace. 

The tender moment was cut short by your grumbling tummy. You turned away embarrassed while Satoru chuckled. He suggested going to the mall to pick up some things for you to stay over, since he wasn't sure if you should go grab them from your place since Naoya could also be waiting for you there. You agreed and you both went to get ready to head out, you changed back into your uniform, since it was just a white blouse and black pants, it looked better than wearing Satoru's oversized t-shirt.

Satoru was in one of his fancier dress shirts and dark pants. Your gaze stayed on him for a bit longer as you felt your cheeks starting to burn. You don't want to admit it but he did look good in everything he wore, you thought that before as well, even when you couldn't remember him and thought he was just acting like a thorn in your sides. 

“Like what you see?”

“Yup.” 

Your straightforwardness actually caught him off guard, he's now blushing and looking away, fiddling with his hair as you giggled. He extended his hand for you to hold, you reached for it with no hesitation. The 2 of you left his penthouse and headed for the mall in his car. You 2 held onto each other's hands every opportunity you got. 

You had a meal together, went to buy a matching toothbrush and towel, even a few sets of matching pajamas. Satoru insisted he paid everything, he knew you could afford everything you want but he just wants to spoil you rotten. He was going overboard, to a point where if you just look at something a second longer, he would buy it. He bought you different outfits and dresses, some he just picked out thinking they would look good on you. He was carrying so many bags it was starting to get difficult walking, he didn't want to stop buying things for you though, wanting to put everything he bought so far in the car so he could get more. 

You 2 walked by a lingerie shop and Satoru stopped for a second, eyes landing on the set on display. He quickly shook his head and started walking again. You told him to bring the items to the car, and that you had to use the bathroom first. Satoru insisted he wait for you but you told him it wouldn't take long and that he is carrying too much stuff, so he sighed and agreed. 

Satoru went to the parking area, putting all the bags in the trunk, it could hardly fit with the amount of bags there were. It took him a while to finally put everything away and you went to the parking lot right after. 

On the way back to Satoru's apartment, you told him to think of what he wanted for dinner, as a thank you for buying you all the things. He doesn't really know what he likes most since he loves everything you made him. He suggested you make him dessert, and you thought you could make him some cupcakes. 

When you arrived back at the parking of the penthouse, Satoru asked some of the receptionists in the front to help carry stuff back upstairs. The ladies were all fond of Satoru, so young and rich, too bad he was never interested in anyone other than you. They envied you when he carried most of the bags, while the ladies carried some and you just stood there empty handed other than your personal bag. You kind of felt bad for them, you could have carried your own things but Satoru wouldn't let you. 

After putting everything inside, Satoru gave the girls a generous tip for helping with the bags, they thanked them happily and went back downstairs. The bags were everywhere, it would take a while to sort everything. You appointed Satoru to do the sorting while you prepared to make his dinner and dessert. 

He brought the bags in the spare room and started filling the drawers and closet with the new items. His thoughts went back to the lingerie shop, he looked up the site with his phone and scrolled through sets he thought would look nice on you. Would you wear it for him? He couldn't help but think how nice you would look in them, he had already marked a few and had them added to the online shopping cart. He thought it wouldn't hurt to have a few extra sets of undergarments, right?

It took him a while but he finally got everything sorted. The closet and drawers were already full of clothing. You have months worth of new clothes, he thought maybe you could do a mini fashion show for him. 

The yummy smell of dinner had caught his attention and he came out of the room, going to the kitchen and hugging you from behind while you cooked. He loves just being there with you, and you don't mind him being there as well. You asked him to set the table and he gladly does it. Helping you bring the finished dishes to the table. 

“Your cooking is so much better than the chefs I used to hire. Maybe you should consider living here and being my personal chef.” Satoru jokingly said even though there was 90% truth and the rest of the 10% was wishful thinking. 

You didn't give him an answer, you thought it was too soon to live together, it hasn't even been 24 hours since you got together. You thought of what could have happened, if you didn't move away, would you be together with Satoru? Would you be dating each other sooner? It feels like so much time has already been wasted and you should just do what you want to be happy. 

“We’ll see~” you teased.

Satoru had enough of not being with you, he would marry you right away if you told him yes. He's tired of waiting but he knows he cannot rush you, he respects you too much to not consider how you feel. 

You both finished dinner and you told Satoru to go wash up first while you finish with the desserts. He agreed and went to take his shower. You cleaned up and did the dishes, finishing up with the final touches of his dessert. 

Satoru came out of the shower, wearing the new pajamas that you bought together, he was excited for his desserts but you told him to wait until after you finish with your shower, wanting to savor them together. He patiently waited, looking at his phone once again and buying more outfits for you. (This man needs to stop…) His heart was racing when he saw you come out, wearing the matching pajamas, you left the first button loose on purpose, he could feel heat building up between his legs.

You brought the cupcakes over to the coffee table and grabbed one before sitting yourself down on his lap, making him flinch and stiffen his posture. You turned to face him and began feeding him the cupcake, the blue icing smeared on his lips for him to lick off, moaning at the delicious treat as you fed him more. There was a bit of icing left at the corner of his mouth and you licked it off. 

Satoru was feeling flustered, you must be doing this on purpose right? Were you inviting him to touch you by sitting on his lap? You were driving him insane, he wasn't sure if he should be taking this as a chance to advance or not. You could almost hear the gears spinning in overdrive. 

Satoru's eyes were glued to you, how you took a bite of his cupcake as big chunks fell on your semi exposed chest. 

“Hey Satoru, could you get that for me?” you acted all innocent but you were anything but.

“Umm… Ca-can I?” He started stuttering.

“Yea, help me please?” You changed your position, having one of each leg on his side, semi saddling him as you lean your chest towards his face. 

“You're gonna be the death of me.” He tried to eat the chunk of cake but it fell further into your bra, he looked up at you as if he was waiting for your instructions.

“What are you waiting for? Aren't you going to help me get it out? I thought you wanted your dessert?” You playfully teased him. 

He lets out a sound that was a mix of a whine and a moan. His fingers work to unbutton your pajama top to get to the bra, his eyes widened as he sees you wearing the set of lingerie he was eyeing earlier at the mall.

“!!!” his mouth gape open and he was at a loss of words, his Adam's apple bobbing as his eyes tried to burn the image into his brain. You even picked his favorite color. 

“Do you not like it? You're being awfully quiet.” you continue to tease. 

“You tricked me! You told me you were going to the bathroom. I wanted to buy everything for you!” He starts pouting. 

You put the rest of the cupcake back down and licked your fingers, “Well I wanted to do something for you, since you were so nice to me.” 

“Wait, you got this for me???” 

“Mmhmm, do you like it?”

“Like it? I love it!! Does this mean I get to…”

“Mmhm-” you couldn't even finish as he had already popped your breasts out of its refines, he had one hand on each of your breasts as he rolled his fingers on the hardened nipples, making you whine, before taking one side and sucking it in his mouth. His tongue swirls hungrily on your nipple as his other hand squeezes your other breast. He eats up the piece of cupcake which was stuck between your breasts before moving to suck the other side. 

“So yummy, best dessert ever.”

You were starting to feel a little embarrassed, feeling your whole body was heating up, especially down at your core. You are slightly wiggling awkwardly, Satoru noticed and you could FEEL the smirk on his face. 

“You teased me long enough, now it's my turn.” He abruptly got up, his hands grabbing onto your under thighs as he carried you off to his room. 

“Get ready babe, our fun is just about to begin.”

sorry it was getting way too long so im cutting it off at the BEST PART. look forward to the next part n3n~♥

@moonchhu @non-artistic-license @entr4p3 @prtty-pink-angel @nonamevenus @victoria1676 @haithamsbb @jotarohat @birbwithhat @hel1nn @undercooked-chaos-noodle @akiraneedstobefixed @soozeu @sukunadckrider

[waltwhitmansbeard]

why are you paying for a service that you don't enjoy? beacon has not been around long enough for there to be any meaningful change in quality or content from what came before it, so if you're paying for it now and you don't like what they're doing, then you almost certainly didn't like it before you started paying for it.

at no point did i say that viewers didn't have the right to criticize critical role. critical role is art, and all art is subject to criticism. that being said, having been in the fandom for quite a while, i have seen quite a lot of criticism that is, in my opinion, unfair and unrealistic, and i think it's important to call that out when it happens.

there is a difference between finding entertainment and demanding entertainment. i have spoken before about the fact that i, personally, wasn't super entertained by the aeor arc of c2. it wasn't bad, i didn't hate it, when i do my rewatch of c2 i certainly won't be skipping it. but my personal tastes made me more interested by the political and piratical plots of that campaign and not so much the wizard ruin one. that's okay. that's my preference. but i know when i sit down to watch critical role every week what i'm signing up for. i'm signing up to watch SOMEONE ELSE'S D&D CAMPAIGN. it was not created or played with my interests in mind. when i dm for my group, it is my responsibility to keep my players' interests and needs in mind. it is NOT matt mercer's responsibility to keep my interests and needs in mind, nor yours, nor anyone's, unless they're sitting at his table. cr does not work like, for example, dimension 20. dimension 20 was ALWAYS an entertainment show first, and therefore the entertainment of its viewing audience has always been a primary concern. that is very much not true of critical role. critical role was a group of friends' home game first, and we were invited in to watch. do i think matt considers the entertainment of the home audience when he plans? absolutely! do i think the players consider that entertainment when they make their choices at the table? absolutely! but i do not think they do or should make those considerations first. this is what makes critical role different than other actual plays d&d shows (at least the big ones; i cannot comment on shows other than cr, d20, naddpod, and dungeons & daddies). we are watching a home game that, yes, has a high production value, but is still a home game nonetheless.

how you invest your time and money is your business, and if you feel like either was wasted by this finale or by c3 in general, you are entitled to feel that way. i encourage you think about your expectations, though, and whether it was reasonable to expect this particular medium to meet them in the first place.

it is not condescending, dismissive, or belittling to suggest that some of the real-life criticisms of cr's narrative storytelling style that i have witnessed with my own two eyes in my time in this community are unwarranted and unfair, for reasons i have stated here and elsewhere on my blog. you certainly don't have to agree with me—i clearly do not agree with you—but you're not being insulted if someone challenges your opinions.

generally speaking, if you got to the end of c3 and are this disappointed with how things shook out, i think you might just...not like critical role. and that's okay! i know it sucks to spend a lot of time with a piece of media only to realize you don't actually like what that media is—this happened to me with dungeons & daddies, which i didn't realize that i didn't really like until i was well into season three. but again, i don't think the core of what cr is and how they tell their stories has changed that drastically between c1 and c3, so i do believe that people who pay for beacon are getting exactly what they thought they were paying for: a group of friends sitting around a table playing d&d and telling an expansive, complicated story that spans in-world decades. if you didn't like that story, that's fine, but you did get a story nonetheless.

i know some people are going to be upset by how much time vox machina and the mighty nein took up during this finale, so i want to say a couple of things

these campaigns have always been and will always be for the entertainment and enjoyment of matt and his players, first and foremost. their good time has always been and will always been more important than that of the audience, which has been invited in to watch something that existed before we even knew about it. we are of course entitled to our opinions about what we watch, but it's important to remember that those opinions will never, ever matter as much as those of the people around the table.

it is an unspeakable feat of storytelling, collaboration, creativity, and friendship for these people to have done what they just did. over ten years (well over, including the time they played pre-stream) of building a narrative that spanned decades and continents and planes and celestials bodies, of making decisions and seeing their consequences out to the fullest, of bringing to life characters that felt more genuine and real than anything one can find on the silver screen—this is the kind of expansive storytelling that marvel thought it was doing with the mcu. to be able to tell a story so powerful that it cannot reasonably contained within the confines of distinct d&d campaigns is a staggering accomplishment, and we're all lucky to bear witness to it.

it is no one else's fault if you only watched c3, or weren't caught up on c1/2 when you watched the finale, or if you didn't like c1/2 but did like c3. again, you're entitled to your opinions and to how you spend your time, but this story did not begin in jrusar, so it is unreasonable to expect it to end there.

no one, including you, benefits by being salty that these people were having fun. no one, including you, is made better by your dissatisfaction with how these people chose together to tell this story. i have read countless books and watched countless tv shows and films in my life, and none of the stories therein have been told exactly the way i would have told them, and that's what i love so much about being human. if i'd been at that table, of course i would have made different decisions, and of course you would have too. but we got to see these decisions, and these consequences, and the ephemeralness of that is so beautiful i could cry.

as i have i said eight billion times before, and will probably have to say eight billion times again, critical role is not a tv show. critical role is not a novel. critical role does not have a writer's room or a five-year plan. (well, matt might, but not in the moment.) critical role is a story that happens in the moment, a story built on matt's careful planning and the players' in-the-moment decisions and, of course, the rolls of the dice. if you are holding this kind of story to the narrative standards of something crafted for the sole purpose of entertaining an audience, you are always, always going to be disappointed.

[thegoldenhoof]

After reading multiple metas on all sides, I think the biggest problem with OFMD, specially Season 2 is that it is almost entirely built on tell don't show. Worse sometimes it is hint, don't tell or show. This is not great writing in itself but it is made worse when the POV characters are all shown to have a rather unstable relationship with reality and memory.

Stede is self-centered enough to just not acknowledge or even notice things around him that don't actively interact with his focus which is mostly just Ed. He is self-centered to the point of being delusional about other people and reality of circumstances. Season 2 sees him doing better and his rescue of the crew is his highest point. But we see this even through Season 2 in his interactions with Lucius and during Ed's apology his interactions with Zheng Yi Sao.. Basically anyone not Ed.

Ed is shown to have a negotiable understanding of truth - seen with his Ed/Blackbears/Kraken split, his "I didn't kill them, the fire killed them" dissociation with his own actions, his rewriting of the context of his own memories (Knife parade) or just straight up forgetting shit (Talent show). And yes all of these are trauma responses but that does not dismiss the fact that his perception is far from objective.

Izzy is straight up shown to be lying in his first interaction with Ed regarding Stede. He is aware of his surroundings better than Stede and Ed but he is also supremely blind to himself and his interpersonal relationships. Where Stede is delusional about the world he can be interpreted as delusional about himself.

We as the audience ofcourse can put context to their words from their actions and this worked ok in season 1 (not always but mostly and that becomes important later) But Season 2 leans much more heavily on tell without show. (Yes yes budget cuts...but that doesn't change the final product).

Where season 1 added some flavour of back story with tell dont show, Season 2 expects dialogue to do all the heavy lifting (none more than Izzy's death speech) without this dialogue being backed up by action. Worse (or better) this dialogue isn't exposition which makes the scene better but which also means more often then not it is merely hinting at a meaning.

So we have half explained dialogues, sometimes with dubious context, used as a substitute for action given to us by characters with established unreliable perspectives. The heavy lifting of understanding the meaning of these dialogues, their significance and weigtt, has then been shifted to the audience interpretation. This interpretation is of course done per individual interest and bias. This is not bad in itself but remember this has been happening since season 1. Which means the new interpretations are being built on older interpretations. Those little flavour back story hints have now become the lens through which the entire season 2 is meant to be understood.

We are all watching a different show in a sense and that us not a failure of the audience. It is, rather, an accidental byproduct (and a failure) of the show's design because of the combination of all the above factors which was (made worse by the budget cuts leaving less time/space for action)

The show then unfortunately comes down to whose POV are you accepting (and certain fans have turned this into an exercise of moralizing self righteousness.) and to what extant.

A true understanding, imo, can only be by accepting that none of their perspectives are absolutely true and trying to center the objective narrative between all of them in a way that best fits all their perspectives AND accounts for all their blind spots, rather than lift any one POV as the absolute uncritical truth. (And fans on all sides have been guilty of this)

(P.S. I think this may also have worked positively towards making this show so huge is season one because it left enough ambiguity for us all to project on it multiple complex and sometimes contradicting interpretations creating an Illusion of much greater complexity that was more in our collective heads than in the actual show.)

[skyheld]

I feel like now is a good time to mention that when I criticize veilguard (or any dragon age game tbh) I try to avoid putting the blame on anyone specific unless they've explicitly said they're responsible for a particular piece of writing being the way it is. I criticize the writing, I don't want to criticize the writers. They're not incompetent and I'm certain they do care about the lore of previous games. Most of the time when the writing falls short I believe it's due to studio interference or time constraints.

I have a lot of thoughts, I might post some of them eventually because it's somewhat cathartic to talk about the bigger issues i have even if no one needs to hear every little thing. But I can be mad at how the game turned out and sad for the people who worked on it and i am

[milfcamilanoceda]

I feel like a lot of "Camila shouldnt have been a nerd, it should have been Manny and Camila should have been the neurotypical one." Criticism fail to take into account the inter generational trauma that exists in POC families especially POC neurodivergent families. Like the criticism boils down to this- "Luz comes across more of a jerk as she wasnt That lonely. Camila would have been more understanding of Luz if she was actually neurodivergent and would not have try and send her to the camp" and i am like no, no she wouldnt have. Neurodivergency in people of colour often goes undiagnosed especially if they are women of colour and especially if they are from older generation. And often times these older folks grow up to believe that the neurodivergent issues that they dealt with was a failure on their part rather than you know, them being neurodivergent. Which is how we get adult parents who say shit like, "Oh everybody has [a very specific symptom of a neurodivergent brain]. You just got to go through it [aka i did not get any support growing up and had to deal with this on my own]."

And this to me fits Camila and Luz. The way i interpret the problem was that it was never that Camila didnt understand Luz, but rather that she did understand her while not understanding herself. She saw her own self in Luz, her own isolation and years dealing with bullying and treated as an outcast but never stopped to examine WHY it happened to her. She didnt want Luz to go through what she went through so she turned to what worked for her, trying to change yourself to fit even if it meant hiding parts of herself. And this is ultimately what caused their relationship to falter. Add Manny's death and them being new in town further resulted in both of them, especially Luz being isolated and outcast, from the town and from each other. And ultimately them coming to an understanding, with Camila admitting her nerdy side to Luz and to herself was what helped their relationship and truly let Luz to discover what she truly want and thus hatching her palisman.

Should toh have had explored Luz's loneliness and isolation better? Absolutely! Did Camila try her best especially as a single mother? Yes! Has Camila contributed to said loneliness and isolation? Also yes! Camila to me is the opposite of Eda. Where Eda was the neurodivergent kid who grew up fighting the system to be herself, Camila was the neurodivergent kid who grew up to accept the system thus rejecting herself. Which was why Luz flourished much more and felt more accepted under Eda's tutelege than she did with Camila, and i wish this is the angle toh explored more.

And look i dont want to begrudge anyone who feels the other way and doesnt agree with me. They have the right to their own interpretation which are based on their own valid experiences. But i prefer this interpretation a lot more to theirs.

[deathnguts]

Sirius and Severus’ hate for each other is personal because Severus is what Walburga wanted Sirius to be and Sirius is what Tobias wanted Severus to be

[gauzestarr]

Does anyone know of any lefty YouTubers who experience/talk about psychosis & schizophrenia? We've got a module on it coming up in college and I'm not expecting it to be good so I wanna see what psychotic people & disability activists have to say about their experiences before we get to it lmao

[fayewoodss]

I like irl George streams.

[badolmen]

*biting my arm off*

[woundlingus]

Gabriel moments that make me ragingly feral (1)

The Noose;

I think for this to be emphasised best it’s missing a little extra context, not that it’s needed but it certainly adds to the direness of the situation and Dean’s intentions with Gabriel.

Gabriel is not their friend. Gabriel is not even their ally. Freshly freed from torture and imprisonment, Gabriel has run off to try and break the last of his chains which proves more difficult than anticipated when he’s as weak and vulnerable as he is (physically and mentally). His choice to seek out the Winchesters isn’t born of trust or love but pure desperation, and Gabriel wasn’t around to witness Dean’s temper tantrum over him exercising his freedom to go deal with his own personal dramas- because that’s what this is for the Winchesters as well, they can talk big game about Michael but things would be fine if they left it alone, they want their mom. It’s understandable, they love her. But let’s not pretend anything about wanting to break open rifts between worlds in s13 is anything but them refusing to mourn a mother that never existed. Gabriel’s motives are no more petty than Dean’s, and I stand by that. If they had righteous motives they would leave their mother and keep the wall between worlds sealed.

So Gabriel doesn’t know that he is not walking back into a tense but still there allyship, like how he left things after Sam nursed him back and to return the favour Gabriel snapped out of his stupor to fight back to save him and Castiel. Sure he ran away and this is not friendship, but it’s something. He doesn’t know things have changed personally, because of Mary, because of a woman that looks like a friend Dean used to have but isn’t.

So when Sleipnir and Narfi come kicking in their door and start attacking the Winchesters, Gabriel (after taking a brief respite to panic in the bathroom) again steps between Sam and the enemy. Could simply be that he acknowledges he needs numbers on his side and if Sam and Dean die now it’ll be 1v2, or he’s still trying to pay Sam back for his kindness. Either way, he fights alongside them again.

After a little camaraderie, Dean is quick to pull out binding cuffs he’d been stashing which could be considered pretty overkill when Gabriel is already powerless and bleeding out, and the frame centers the cuff around Gabriel’s throat like he’s caught in a noose. Along with the framing of Gabriel as captured and subdued here they’ve also set Dean alone and Sam side by side with Gabriel, since he’s going to be the one fighting for Gabriel’s autonomy and recovery in upcoming scenes against Dean’s harsh Take What We “Deserve” method.

Here he’s trading one master for another potential one if Dean were to get his way here (restraining him, beating him, taking what Dean feels he deserves from body while he’s too weak to fight back), all because he came back to ask for help.

Ironically, it’s the exact same thing he did when he ran back to another old friend and asked him for help only to wind up contained, powerless, and stripped of his grace for someone else’s personal use.

Seems Gabriel is the worst of them all at learning his lesson.

[funhouse-mirror-barbie]

Okay. So I talked briefly about it here but I just want to say this as well.

I think people are missing the point of a lot of discussion and criticisms surrounding the depiction of sexual assault in Hazbin.

And. Well. Based on multiple multi-day internet arguments between Hazbin’s creator and survivors of sexual assault, it seems like the creator may have missed the point as well…

Regardless of how the episode is widely received, the episode coming out isn’t going to magically “validate” or prove that the portrayal of sexual assault was well done.

It won’t prove that it was completely poorly done either.

It is something that is entirely subjective and whether or not it’s “done well” is also subjective.

I personally have a feeling on where I’ll stand when the episode comes out, but that is entirely my own opinion. It won’t take away from anyone else’s opinion. People may disagree with me or agree with me, but my opinion doesn’t somehow bolster or diminish their’s.

And based on the reaction of some of the Hazbin fans, and even the creator and team members, it’s really seeming like they believe they can prove the episode to be objectively “respectful” of survivors once it comes out.

That’s not something anyone gets to decide once and for all.

There will ALWAYS be heated discussions and disagreements on how sensitive topics should be depicted and handled in media and art. That is part of being an artist and making art about difficult subjects.

And it’s genuinely VERY frustrating to see people paint this as completely black and white. When you do so, you’ll end up speaking over survivors no matter what your intention is.

People are weird and messy and grey and contain multitudes upon multitudes. There are going to be survivors who deal with their trauma in all sorts of ways, and NO MATTER WHAT their opinion is on this particular portrayal, whether they think it’s handled well or not, they don’t need randos weighing in and telling them their feelings are wrong or invalid.

And, to be honest, I think it’s really gross to try and use someone’s personal trauma to try and justify your own opinions on whether a show is “good” or “bad”.

[seventh-district]

not even gonna tag this properly bc i don't wanna get Involved but i do have some Thoughts i need to get out into the void so here we go

(aaa quick edit: CW for mention/discussion of Boothill leaks)

[indigospyder]

I know my blog doesn’t have like, any followers, but I wanna make it clear that transmisogynists are not welcome here. I also know for a fact I have some people I need to unfollow for being transmisogynists. The last few months I’ve been very, very confused by wtf “transandrophobia” was, and I had only ever seen the “good” side of it, and never the side of it being used to actively hurt trans women. I’ll admit I’m still confused on certain things, but I’m not above admitting that I might be wrong and I’m willing to learn, so thank you for your patience.

To any trans women/trans fems who follow me: I support you, and I want you to feel safe here.

Edit: I’m retracting the bit about transandrophobia, since some of y’all have been really kind (genuinely) and helped explain the theory to me (as well as the antisemitism behind the “truther” term, which I apologize for).

To any fellow trans men/trans mascs that follow me: I want you to ALSO feel safe here. Even if my original message came from a good place, it was still worded poorly and painted us in a bad light. I won’t delete this post cause I don’t want to hide from my misconceptions and help others like me who are confused, and because I want to stand behind the message that transphobia of any kind is NOT welcome here. Thank you 😊