#but the fact that it IS up for interpretation in the first place is a problem
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I ADORE NakeyJakey but his Last of Us 2 just missed the mark in SO MANY WAYS for me here.
He'd bring up the supposed failures of the story / his care towards certain characters while simultaenously throwing out ANY thought towards their actual place and potential reasoning within the story outside of his first-impressions.
While I agreed with his general stance on gameplay it was infuriating to see someone go "eh who even cares about why (literal integral story character) was here, it was CLEARLY pointless" while ignoring the very fact that the fact any of them were there at all was 1. Very obvious and 2. Meant to make you reflect on how deep in the Trauma of it All Ellie is and how it affected them as well as how they treated/understood Ellie.
His implication that Dina was nothing more than a love-object was also patently false. We get SO MUCH insight on how she handles grief and the lengths she'd go to get her own revenge on the people who harmed her family - as well as literally HAVING THE STRENGTH TO LEAVE ELLIE when she bailed on their family aGAIN.
The facts and pieces to interpret were ALL RIGHT THERE but just because he CHOSE not to see any of them as anything other than filler he just kind of willingly removed like half the point of the story from himself and then complained about it for 40mins.
Part II was a complex and throroughly more interpretive story and anyone that simply looked at it face-value kind of ate-the-bait of poetic-irony / surface-level story motivations and what they appeared to be versus what they (quite obviously) actually were I feel. You just had to do more than play, you had to digest and actually think about it rather than wait for the game to explain it all with a pretty little bow.
"babbity kate made a samantha video" "savywritesbooks made an american girl video" cool! unfortunately i have been unable to watch any of them due to debilitating This
#the last of us#the last of us part 2#nakeyjakey#jakey#and jakey#ATTORNEYS AT LAW#tlou2#tlou#the last of us 2
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🌙 Moon Phases 🌙
Agatha Harkness X Fem!Reader
Chapter 34:
He pulled the first card, looking at it before he turned it so Agatha could see it too. "The Horse Drawn Carri..."
"The Chariot?" Agatha interrupted him, clearly wanting to get this over with. Plus, it was clear that Billy was not as knowledgeable about it as he claimed to be. "It's literally written on the card."
You looked at your lover. "Let him do it, Agatha. Unless you want to give it a try, " you scolded, knowing fully well how she looked down upon the tarot cards and tarot reading in general.
She would often call it lesser magic or circus tricks.
"Fine," she mumbled and motioned for Billy to continue.
Billy cleared his throst. "Right. So, obviously, you're
leaving somewhere behind, and you have these sphinxes with you, and they represent your... your... mysteriousness."
Agatha placed her elbows on the table and interlocked her fingers before resting her chin on them. "You have a real gift."
"This card hasn't really come up much for me." He confessed and placed the card on one of the carved empty spaces.
Immediately, the sound of metallic objects clanging with one another made you all look up; only then noticing the dozens upon dozens of hanged swords; attached to the ceiling by some sort of string?
You were not sure.
You could not see any details from that distance, but you were quite sure they were not props or fake. Something was telling you that they were real and very sharp swords, positioned in a way that would finish off any one of you.
Billy shallowed hard. "I'll try another one." He drew the next card. "Seven of Swords."
You could not help but scoff faintly. "At least you're on theme." You commented and earned a look from him, clearly not happy with your words. "Sorry," you apologised and gently lifted your hands up as a sign of surrender.
"I know this one. It's about deception and betrayal." He started to explain. "But it's reversed.
So that means the opposite. Are you being truthful?" He questioned and looked at Agatha.
He clearly did not believe her to be saying the truth cause well... she was Agatha Harkness. She won nothing by being honest, and Billy doubted she had ever been, at least with him.
He wasn't sure about you, but considering how you did not expect her visit back then, when they were gathering coven members, and this odd tension existing between the two of you... it was wise of him to assume that you hadn't talked in a while.
And he did wonder if you were even together or had this strange former romantic bond; like how Agatha seemed to have with Rio.
Agatha grew bored of this, not liking be judged or having cards trying to expose her in any way. She had been trying hard to keep that mask, that facade of a tough woman that cared for nothing other than herself.
She couldn't let a few stupid cards ruin that, and she wasn't going to let it happen.
"You know what, I think I will do it instead. My turn." She grabbed the card stack from Billy.
He tried to hold it back, but he was too slowly, and he quickly lost possession of it.
"Agatha," you started, feeling that this was about to turn into a really bad idea.
"Oh, don't you worry now. Tarot is a con like any other, remember?" She asked rhetorically, clearly not sharing your worries or caring about the rules. She never did. "There's no magic to it. There's no skill."
"That's not true." Billy argued. "It's about intuition.
Knowing which card to pull. And it's about interpretation, divining their meaning."
She paid him no mind as she grabbed one random card and placed it on top of the Chariot that he had pulled before.
Suddenly, one of the swords that was hanging from the ceiling was let loose. It pinned itself into the wooden floor, little too close to Billy for his liking.
You looked up with fearful eyes, losing count on how many swords were up there. Worse was the fact that they were so evently spread that it would be impossible to find a spot and be safe.
Agatha placed another card down and then another, clearly just doing it like that and not using any magic or intuition as one should.
She even cackled like a true evil witch as more and more swords started to fall, some closer and some further away from you.
"Agatha!" You called out her name as one sword landed too close to you, making your heart increase in beat at the fact that had you been stabbing one step to the left; you would not be alive and breathing right now.
Your shout made her stop, seeing you eyeing the sword with fear in your eyes. A quick check made her realize you were unharmed, and that was enough.
"Slow down! What is your problem?" Billy shouted, having moved from his chair to avoid a sword that almost hit him.
Agatha looked at the fearful duo. "This is a numbers game. We keep at it until we get the right cards in the right spots or the ceiling runs out of swords."
"This won't work, Ags," you said, shaking your head faintly to emphasise your disagreement.
"I'm not sure how much math you did back in Salem, but that will take forever." Billy argued.
"We still have some time."
"I wish Lilia was here."
And as if the Road had heard him, once again, it happened. The bookcase behind you was pulled open, and Jen with Lilia entered the room; their outfits also changed to fit the trial's theme and mood.
Jen had been affected the most with her evil queen hag outfit, coming along with grey big eyebrows and a nose; an enjoyable sight for you after all the times Jen's attitude had tested your pat
Lilia, on the other hand, seemed to be some sort of good witch based on her outfit; though you could not tell for sure.
What you could tell for sure was the fact that something was going on because Lilia was switching moods.
For example, how, at first, she said she was okay with Billy; holding no grudges, and then... she flipped.
She pointed a finger, harshly pressed against his chest. By instinct alone, Billy started to walk backwards, and Lilia simply kept advancing.
"Whoa! Ow! I thought we were cool!" He exclaimed, eyes daring to glance at you and Agatha for help.
"We are not cool, Teenager." Lilia said, surprising both Jen and Yoi.
"Damn, using his full name." Jen commented, and you nodded silently.
"She is definitely angry, " you commented next.
Lilia was always the calmest, even her threats being of a low tone; which was what was so unique about her.
This time, though, you could see the fire behind her eyes, and even you would not dare to stand in her way.
After all, one would be wise to fear the calm people when they stopped being calm. It was always them that held the most destructive rage.
Ironic, for the same had been told about you; at least until people realized you were never calm. You simply expressed your worry differently or passed phases when you were indiffirent to everything; the world around you sliding off your body and nothing capable of sticking on you.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have lashed out at you. You didn't deserve..." Billy started to apologize. "I wasn't hiding my power from you. I didn't know that I could... I'm not lying to you.
It was a surprise to me, too... if I'd have known, I would've..." he paused for a moment as his telepathic abilities started to work. "Yes, of course, I would have used it to save Alice."
Lilia looked at him, trying to study him behind her aged but expeencd eyes. "You're reading my mind." She picked up.
"Only because it's so loud. No offence." Billy offered a weak small smile to show he had no ill intentions.
And as Lilia started to remember how she had met Billy before, as William; you chose to interfere.
"I don't want to ruin any reunions, but we need you, Lilia," you said, moving to stand close and use your hands to separate them faintly. "This is your trial, and either we do it right, or we can kiss our lives goodbye."
#agatha all along#agatha harkness#agatha spoilers#agatha fanfic#agatha x reader#agatha harkness x reader#moon phases fanfic#kathryn hahn#aubrey plaza#marvel#billy maximoff
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it's probably decently obvious that my main lemon demon design was created BEFORE seeing any fandom depictions (or even really that much official art past the logo) because of how violently he stands out in comparison to other designs. it's a little obvious that my inspiration was self-contained and it granted me a bit of creative freedom along with a completely different train of thought while designing him. his three eyes however is very much a relic of 2022 because I was designing a lot of demons with asymmetrical faces at the time and well, why not make another
anyway here's a comparison of him to my most recent lemon demon original design (where it's a bit more obvious I was influenced by somewhat of a fandom culture)
extra bonus rambling under the cut
my general design process has actually stayed relatively contained with a few exceptions like soft fuzzy man's color and weirdly neil himself. yeah sorry chat neil is the first guy that was highly influenced by someone else's design you can shoot me too if you'd like. but I legitimately believe he's the only real example because every other character that has a design remotely similar to someone else is likely due to us both following a similar source material (like my cabinet design being based off polybius) or there being only so many ways to interpret the design (gef the mongoose would've fallen into this category if it wasn't for the fact I made him Joker colors)
in general I tend to follow a mindset of how "weird" I can make a design or how much I can push a lyric/implement it into a design. I also like to twist around the convention and try new things. a good example of both of these apply to my doctor amnesia design.
really the main things going through my head were "well he didn't state HOW many eyes", chosing an eye color that often is overlooked in conventional beauty standards to elevate them and cause you to think, while leaning into the somewhat otherworldly nature she's depicted in by giving her blue skin, a color I associate with the song.
another fun thing I'll do is create a "design pipeline" where I'll take an attribute and run it through a list of connections before we end up in a place long past where we started or just combining a bunch of traits that could be interpreted that way, resulting in designs like this.
though wolfgang isn't my weirdest design, he definitely did not start where we ended off. I believe before the wizard of oz theming for clown circus was set in stone (a choice that has EVERYTHING to do with oz explodes and an element I'll explain later), he was some kinda mirror object head that had absolutely nothing to do with his current namesake. since I wasn't satisfied with that design, I kept a relative aspect of the personality and shapes and thus ended up creating a really interesting take on a character who is largely depicted as... well there's no really good way to say this, but Bad.
since I was working with a new fresh aspect I started by making him a wolf... and then connecting him to "there's a robot in my head". this kind of connected the dots to ultimately make him associated to the tin man, since no one was connected to that character for the wizard of oz element and it was up for grabs (this is also how he somehow got associated with toasters via connecting the previously mentioned song to "what's in the toaster", etc etc). these pipelines of connecting songs that aren't normally related, but making them Work in a believable way makes designs more interesting for me and gives them a bit more purpose and personality. I think this is what ultimately makes people get a bit lost on my interpretations considering they aren't super simple by just being about One Song, but by being about multiple that aren't originally related in the source material. just like how I connected dr amnesia to when he died, explaining a bit of her more mildly supernatural or off-putting elements by making the man in that song her father.
the final real design element that I focus on is the strange rule I follow in terms of how these characters are shaped. there's a massive sort of "alice in wonderland" theming going on in terms of how human/humanoid designs look in contrast to designs that look less and less human. their proportions become more cartoon and shaped, their sizes are affected etc etc all while the human/humanoid characters stay relatively normal next to each other with more believable design elements.
here's the horrid long strip of nearly 100 different character renders next to each other to get a general idea on what I'm talking about
the silhouettes of the human characters "pop" less because they're supposed to contrast to their nonhuman counterparts. which isn't something I normally do, but given the source idea of a sort of "wonderland", I think it works in this specific context.
in conclusion: I'm design autistic and like to use designing to try new things, which is why I fucked that lemon up. sorry about that chat
#guy on the right is completely unaffiliated with the ncu which is why I don't think about him that much sorry ld#also imagine him with half circle black eyes like the logo design because that's legitimately the only colored art of him#nobody has ever actually asked me about this before so I will no longer wait for permission#debating whether or not I should even main tag this I want this self contained to my followers#but it's late so I'm sure no one will see this anyway erm#edit: fuck it it took like ten morbillion years to write the bonus stuff I'm main tagging#lemon demon#mos text post
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Apparently, people liked my demiromantic Vegas and demisexual Pete headcanon making VegasPete a demiromantic for a demisexual couple (which is the best dynamic), so here is a long winded version of what I think that would look like.
First, for those who don't know, demiromantic is an aromantic spectrum term that describes people who do not experience romantic attraction until they have formed a deep emotional connection or bond with someone. Demisexual is an asexual spectrum term that describe people who do not experience sexual attraction until they have formed a deep emotional connection or bond with someone.
My source for Vegas being demiromantic and Pete being demisexual is me, a demiromantic and demisexual who kept pointed at the screen every-time Vegas and Pete showed up and opened their mouths like that one reaction image.
Without a further ado I present-
DEMIROMANTIC VEGAS
Vegas grows up viewing romantic relationships like high risk high reward business transactions, not realizing there are supposed to be feelings and emotions attached to it.
(Now, I'm not saying that when Vegas got to the arranged marriage section of his historical textbook he agreed with it, but I am definitely saying Tankhun and Kinn were horrified Vegas was vaguely chill with the concept.)
In his defense, he wasn't raised around the healthiest relationships with his mother committing suicide and his aunts gone, so there was no one around to showcase a healthy romantic relationship and maybe clue him into the genuine emotion behind it.
This next part might get controversial, but I believe Vegas' silver tongue is greatly exaggerated. My evidence is the way Porsche and Pete cringe every time Vegas flirts with them. While I have no doubt Vegas is charismatic, I do think his looks and his wealth are doing a lot of heavy lifting.
To get even more controversial, while I know the intention of his love bombing is to showcase he is toxic, I can't help but interpret it a little as him using pattern recognition.
The most glaringly obvious example of this is when Vegas proposes to Tawan, then gets surprised when Tawan thinks it gives him the okay to change Vegas' plans. It is almost like Vegas doesn't realize the deeper emotion and symbolism behind an engagement ring other than it being the next step in a relationship.
Vegas is good at going through the motions without ever making the genuine connections even when there are glaringly genuine connections he can make.
(Hello our favorite frenemies, Vegas and Porsche who definitely developed a genuine friendship post-canon, fuck you, because they had so much they could have bonded over even though I don't believe they would have worked out in a long-term romantic relationship thanks to being fundamentally different people. Now I am sure there is something about demiplatonic in here, but I don't know enough to call that beyond Vegas seeming confused at the idea of simply having a friendship with Porsche without any side sexual benefits.)
The final but of set-up here is the fact Vegas only positive relationship (before Pete, of course) is Macau, but, obviously, Vegas isn't going to view Macau in a romantic light. Even disregarding that last little fact, it is a well-known thing among the aroace spectrums that you latch harder onto platonic and familial bonds when you don't need a romantic bond.
Alright, onto the VegasPete of it all.
*twirls my phantom hair because my head is shaved* So, there is this section of the narrative that perfectly encapsulates the deminess of the VegasPete relationship because the setting demands they forge an emotional bond and create an emotional connection.
When I am looking at whether a character is demi, I am looking for a clear shift of when their relationship with a character turns from its previous stage to romantic. I affectionately call this a marker, the place that marks the shift.
For example, if you don't mind a little side tangent, there is another Boys Love character I interpret heavily as demiromantic. His name is Q, he is from the GMMTV series We Are, and his marker is a pencil box given to him by his deceased grandfather, an important familial bond in Q's life who passed away prior to the series and it's story.
The reason I know the pencil box is the marker is because Toey, Q's love interest, finds it and that is what kick-starts their relationship and their emotional connection which continues over the course of the series. Including, sticking post-it notes on the back of an art piece Q has created (since art is like Q's thing).
Vegas' thing is torture, so he tortures Pete until his father comes in to slap Vegas around. At the end, Vegas takes Pete with him to the safehouse Vegas has been blacklisted to.
This is the perfect set-up for a demi for demi relationship because isolation is considered the most inhumane thing you can do to a person, and when it is two people in isolation (and a hedgehog, can't forget our strongest soldier Khun Spikes) those two people have to rely on each other to not go mental or more mental.
The impending loneliness can be felt when Vegas realizes he might cause Pete to die and then he would be truly isolated in the safehouse, so Vegas nurses Pete back to health which causes Pete to be so delirious on drugs and pain he reveals VegasPete's marker.
To put it simply, the moment VegasPete's relationship shifts from captive and hostage into prospective love interests is when Pete tells Vegas he is a victim of child abuse at the hand of his own father. The two form their deeper emotional connection over being abuse victims, and their bond deepens when Pete point-blank tells Vegas victory won't make his father stop hitting him because abuse isn't about them it is about the abuser feeling more powerful.
The shift is felt because later you see Vegas bantering with Pete over a book, feeding him multiple times, and, of course, sleeping with him which LEADS US INTO THE SEX SCENE-
Now, this would be better with pictures but I am not in a space where I can acquire those so you are going to have to bear with me.
Say what you want about Be On Cloud, but they understand sex scenes don't have to be pointless smut (outside of the smut book genre) and can serve as a narrative tool. Many people have already made jokes about the most vanilla sex scene being in the actual dungeon, but it isn't a completely vanilla scene because Pete ends up back in the chains and hands Vegas rope. However, the sex scene isn't the actual point of this point it is the build up to it.
After they bury our strongest soldier Khun Spikes, Vegas and Pete are on the dungeon bed where they are having another quiet moment, furthering that emotional bond, but Vegas hasn't realized he has romantic feelings for Pete yet. He knows he has feelings, but he has never felt these types of feelings before so he can't place them. You can see the evolution of this realization with the buildup to the VegasPete sex scene, where Vegas is content with Pete, then freaking out about the feelings, then defaulting to what he knows (sex), then goading Pete into giving him explicit consent.
The moment Vegas realizes what he feels is romantic? Come on, you know it, it is when Pete is holding a knife to his throat while Vegas is pleading with Pete to not leave him. If I remember correctly, Vegas flat out says he needs Pete in a vulnerability never seen before like you can see Vegas' heart being ripped out.
Afterwards, Vegas is a mess. He is moping in the little dungeon he has, staring at rice, and then he is anxious to see Pete again making it his sole demand in his agreement with Porsche. The alleyway scene. The motorcycle escape where he sees Pete coming and retreats rather than fights. The way he took blow after blow from Pete and confessed his love.
Simply put, this is a man's first experience with the severity of romantic feelings.
After all of that, Pete resigns and goes with Vegas and the pure glee Vegas has before the shots ring out and the way he promises to treat Pete well in the hospital is a lot.
Now that I have rambled all about how Vegas is totally demiromantic, here is how I think he figured it out and how that reveal shook a lot of the perceptions about him!
As I said in my previous post, Vegas doesn't learn he is demiromantic until, like, five years post-canon when everyone can be on reasonably good terms and he can be at a get together with the rest of the cast.
(The reason I say this is because for anyone to clock Vegas as demiromantic and inform him about it, Vegas must be delirious enough to let information about himself and his relationship with Pete to slip.)
In this scenario, Vegas is definitely tipsy and more loose lipped and Tankhun and Kinn zero in on it like hawks because free blackmail material on Vegas that isn't the whole coup thing. At first, it is like pulling teeth until they get on the topic of Vegas' relationship with Pete.
What happens is Vegas starts on a very drunken rant about how bullshit romance and love is, but not with Pete because Pete is different. Anyways, romance has caused him nothing but pain and suffering, not Pete though because Pete is different. Anyways, how the fuck did Kinn tolerate Tawan and Porsche enough to want to marry them because there was no reward high enough to match that risk, and why didn't Kinn go after Pete because Pete is different. Anyways, even if there was no reward to being with Pete Vegas would take that high risk again and again because Pete is different.
The more Vegas goes on the clearer it is to everyone Vegas' views on romance goes beyond regular concerning mafia-centric views to more why is this man using business terms to describe romantic relationships?
It ends with Kinn asking if the reason Vegas hasn't put a ring on Pete's finger (despite them probably having Venice at this point, so definitely parents) is because he finds traditionally romantic gestures repulsive to which Vegas, deeply offended, responds.
Vegas: Why would I propose to Pete? I'm not trying to manipulate him.
Pete: ...Thanks?
Porsche, bewildered: What do you mean?
Vegas: I mean, getting to the engagement ring stage was never worth the hassle because people thought it gave them the right to do things I would never permit.
Macau, way too invested and hasn't stopped recording: Hey, Hia, what do you think an engagement ring represents?
Vegas: You know, it is when the transaction is almost permanent but isn't.
Porchay: ...The engagement ring purchase?
Vegas: No, the romantic one.
Tankhun: Romance is not a transaction!
Vegas: Yes it is!
Pete:
Vegas: Except Pete. Pete is different.
Porchay, starting to pull out his phone and make a search: How is Pete different from the others?
Vegas: I feel things.
Kinn: Did you not feel things with Porsche?
Vegas: No.
Kim: Did you not feel things with Tawan?
Vegas: No, was I supposed to?
The worst part about that night is how genuine Vegas sounded about everything. Of course, Vegas wakes up hungover the next day and Pete is suspiciously quiet and looking at him but won't tell Vegas anything besides a lot of things about their relationship makes sense now.
Porchay is the first one to visit Vegas after that night and teams up with Macau to make a presentation about why Vegas might be demiromantic and why that is fine but also he has a lot of reevaluating and (potentially) apologizing to do-
It is a very eye-opening presentation, but what do you mean when Vegas was fucking around with whoever Kinn was romantically into at the time Kinn felt the same way towards that person the way Vegas feels about Pete?
Vegas: I get why you didn't kill Tawan now.
Kinn: Uh-huh.
Vegas: I mean, I couldn't figure out how you could stand him. I still can't figure out how you can stand Porsche, but at least he has redeeming assets. Tawan wasn't even good-looking-
Kinn, blood vein pulsing: Uh-huh.
It takes Kinn and Tankhun a while to rationalize one of the reasons Vegas was like that was because he didn't understand. Unfortunately for Vegas, this means Tankhun has dragged him in for a romance movie marathon since Vegas might finally understand which Pete has no interest in saving him from. Surprisingly, Vegas gets into the romantic dramas genre and becomes Tankhun's new discussion buddy.
With all of the demiromantic reveals, Pete asks if this means him and Vegas can get married since Vegas now knows what engagement ring actually means and symbolizes and Vegas confesses they have been legally married for years he just never told Pete because he didn't want to think he was manipulating him.
Pete: Wait, but if you thought romance was a business transaction why did you get us legally married?
Vegas: I didn't want you to be able to return me.
Pete: ...I am choosing to find that sweet instead of another indicator we need therapy.
DEMIROMANTIC PETE
What? You thought we were done? Ha.
Fortunately, demisexual Pete is less of an essay because Pete's whole deal is he is more comfortable with violence than intimacy. Genuinely, almost every scene he has in KinnPorsche the Series supports this in one way or another such as the iconic scene of him pummeling Vegas before kissing him.
The only way this intersects with canon is Pete is in a different page as Vegas at points throughout the story.
I believe Vegas fell first but Pete fell harder. Since Pete, for this thought experiment, isn't on the aromantic spectrum, this means he is aware of the emotions he feels towards Vegas. To me, he simply denies them for a long time until his breakdown over the noodle bowl. That is the moment I believe everything crashes into him and he realizes he genuinely loves Vegas but knows their situations would prevent that.
Until, you know, the coup and everything.
It is simply the sexual aspect of their relationship Pete is behind on.
Now, I go in-between Pete being a virgin and him having some sexual experience before the safehouse sex scene, but I tend to lean toward him being a virgin because it is funnier.
After all, the idea of asexual spectrum Pete vaguely knowing what he likes from, like, porn, and offering the rope on a silver platter? Delicious. I love it. It is great fun.
Also, it is fun when Pete reveals he lost his virginity to Vegas at the safehouse and everyone has a what the fuck moment.
Mainly, because I believe Pete wouldn't give a shit about the concept of virginity or the importance placed on it. He seems to have bigger fish to fry, but since he is demisexual he never found anyone he was into like that.
Which brings me to the revelation!
This one starts with Porchay who is nervous about his first time with Kim, so he asks the others about their first times (for bonus points make Porchay ask about it at a family dinner). Porsche refuses to answer. Kinn is frustratingly vague. Vegas is frustratingly vague. Eventually, Porchay gets to Pete who dodges around the question for a while until Pete admits his first term was with Vegas in the safehouse. (Bonus points if this is the first time people learn more about what went down in the safehouse).
Initially, Vegas is preening like a peacock because he was his partner's first and he was so good (ignore the chains and bondage and the overall hostage situation) and no one else has ever seen Pete in the throws of pleasure besides him and Pete is his, his, his-
Until Porsche goes blastic because he assumes it was nonconsensual because he saw those wounds, which isn't an unfair assumption to make considering the situation around it was still questionable even though Pete went for it. Tankhun assumes the same thing.
Pete is quick to say it was consensual, which relieves Porchay and Macau though Tankhun and Porsche are definitely throwing Vegas nasty looks across the table. Though, Vegas doesn't really care because he was Pete's first and his dick made Pete change allegiances, so his dick game is clearly superior to Kinn's.
Sorry this was so long, but Demiromantic Vegas and Demisexual Pete, you know?
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So your take is insane! Before anything else your arguments are terrible you are not referencing any official media you are just referencing your own biased work and one out of context photo from the game.
I have to say that I appreciate your choice to open your response with a slew of insults. Really sets the stage for a productive conversation.
Exactly what kind of official media am I supposed to be referencing in this case, if you don't mind me asking? Omocat's left toe?
"biased work" Classy. Is it biased because you don't agree with it? XD
The both of them are grabbing each other in this photo as you can see.
I can't see shit, actually. The photo is too blurry to see anything. What other sources for your claim do you have aside from a blurry photo? :)
The datamined captions for the Truth photos would've noted that she grabbed him if that actually was the intent. All she is said and seen to have done in the caption for Photo of a Fight and in the photo itself is blocking his path to the staircase's narrow passageway with her body and yelling at him.
Funny how quick Sunny is to interpret her scolding as a "fight", eh?
like when you’re restrained, you will fight back.
As I have explained above, it's not indicated that he was restrained.
I've explained that in the first post I linked ro in my response. Perhaps you would've kept that in mind had you bothered to read it.
he did not know what would happen if she fell,
Are you seriously insinuating Sunny's so stupid that he wouldn't know falling from a big height would be bad for the person who fell? lmao
He nearly died when he fell from a big height into the lake. That's why he has his fear of heights in the first place.
Because he is 12 and that is his sister and he loved her more than anything.
And yet he felt at peace when he saw her desecrated corpse.
That, interestingly enough, is a point of mine you didn't address.
Is this consistent pattern of assholery your referencing able to be explained by him being shy,
1) There's a difference between having trouble finding the right words and walking out on people while they're having a breakdown.
2) "Able to be excused" is a better way to phrase it. That's what you're doing, anyway.
him trying to repress his trauma,
Trauma is not an excuse for assholery either. That's pretty much what the game tries to say via Aubrey - her big rant near the stump on One Day Left has her admit the trauma of Mari's death was the reason she was an asshole to her friends and resolve to be better.
Judging by the fact you (and most of the fans) still readily use trauma as a defense, however, I think it's reasonable to assume the game has failed to communicate the message.
or a reaction to the immense pressure his sister put him under,
"Mari was mean!" is not a valid argument because the game only tells you she was without showing it throughout its runtime.
Quick development fact! Up until you’re about 25 you do not make decisions with the logical part of your brain basically at all!
The "fact" you're using as an argument is pop-culture psychology and has been disproven by clinical professionals. Despite that, it has been also used as an argument to prevent trans teens from transitioning.
This is not the defense you think it is.
(really weird of you to persecute this 12 year old like that but I digress)
1) You're talking about Sunny as if you're defending a real child. He's a fictional character. That means I'll talk about him however l please.
2) Sunny's age ceased to be a mitigating circumstance the instant he - and I have to emphasize that - felt at peace upon seeing his sister's desecrated corpse.
[it's] something he clearly regrets, that regret fuels the whole game.
He never does anything with it, though. It doesn't compel him to be a better friend to the group now that he has a chance to reconnect with them.
As for Jimmy, it seems that you've missed my point and took it as me arguing that he wasn't thinking clearly when he did what he did. What I was saying is that Jimmy's mindset is "irrational" in the sense he still believes he's always in the right and can fix everything even when it is clear the only thing he's doing is making shit worse. Thus, most of the decisions he makes are also influenced by his "irrational" mindset he's the "hero" of the story. At least, that's how I saw it.
lied to everyone about who had done it and what had happened because curly couldn’t defend his case,
Like Sunny lied about the cause of Mari's death to his friends to cover his own ass? :)
actively mocks and hedumanizes everyone on the ship due to his egoist and selfish nature
Because making your friends' pain - the pain you were responsible for - all about yourself is not selfish at all!
I do not see how you view this prepubescent child, and a monster with a horrific record of this behaviour who does nothing but continue it on the same regard
1) The logic I used to make my argument was yours.
2) Sunny's got a record too. I linked to it.
The only difference between those two is that you're willing to excuse Sunny's behavior.
Sunny is forgivable because he was a child who was not in a good rational mindset and made an impulsive decision with much more dire consequences than anticipated
Jimmy is not forgivable because he was an adult who had to make several conscious decisions to do what he did and does nothing but repeat his horrible behaviour
Both games are about forgiveness but two completely different ends of that spectrum. Omori is about how forgiveness can be healing and help those recover, and mouthwashing is about how sometimes forgiveness does nothing but enable horrible people to continue their abusive behaviour
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Sight of a Star - Blue-ish Star Ryōshū and Don Quixote
#HERES HOW BLUE-ISH STAR BELIEVERS CAN STILL WIN I PROMISE#Rendering sucks but I do like how these look very much. I hate drawing armour. big fan of dramatic shadows however.#but! as for justifications:#B-iS is an abno regarding what one so desperately wants but cannot have - possibly connecting to Blue Star and the paradise-like place-#people wish to reach by throwing themselves into it. though what is offered by B-iS is a much less refined yet as tantalising#given the text of 'The irresistible allure is almost tearing you apart' and the less refined bit being implied by both design#[jagged edges of the actual blue shape and legs like dolls - both unlike BS' much rounder and more naturalistic design]#in short it's the manifestation of impossible dreams - for Don this is her quest for a just knighthood in the City of all places#and for Ryōshū [though idk her source] it is her final work of art - the Hell Screen#when approached one's body is 'pushed away' as if a manifestation of how it is unachievable. at least it is for them#'To be truly blue the one with the true blue must be left alone in one’s blueness.'#is what I interpret as: 'to truly dream the dreamer must be left to one's fantasies'#dreams by nature do not intersect well with reality. all their flaws will be shown and they will crack under the pressure of the real world#it is why the dream pushes them away. to preserve itself. also probably has something to do with how DQ also has void dream#and this abno gives pride boosts in its event. and I personally see pride as a sort of 'self assurance' or 'self above others' so to speak#as to chase ones dreams one must think themselves the exception. as the one that can persevere over the City#plus the HP damage and the various juxtapositions in the 'forward' option may be in reference to how dreams and reality don't mix.#harming those who chase them. though all the same the 'backwards' option shows that simply tossing them aside shall hurt in its own way#to think oneself 'impure' enough to give up on chasing it is all the same resignation on your uniqueness#as for the gift: the name is possibly to do with how lower stars seem easier to reach. and the effect of damage at minus SP....#going insane dream chasing?#but to take ones leave allows for it to be left behind without any further effects. you did not look at your dreams. acknowledge them at al#but are you better off like that? not dreaming? forgetting that brilliantly unfinished star?#but anyways I hope you liked my rambles. also this abno and everything related to Blue Star is so tastefully C flavoured that I love them#and fun fact! when I was first generally mapping sinners to unfightable/EGOless abnos I entirely forgot Ryōshū somehow. which led to this.#they don't have weapons they just kick real hard and it works well enough#limbus company#ryōshū lcb#don quixote lcb#🎠🚬
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I kind of love how Zutara has two distinct ship dynamics
dynamic 1: “I will save you from the pirates,” enemies-to-lovers, Zuko is dangerous but sexy, bad boy x good girl, morally grey antihero, Dramione vibes etc
dynamic 2: Zuko is an awkward turtleduck, idiots-to-lovers, pining for your best friend, having each other’s backs, thinking she’s the coolest thing since sliced bread, Percabeth vibes etc
We can argue about which is the correct interpretation until the cows come home, but I love that the possibilities exist in the first place. From s1 to post-series headcanons there are such distinct stages in their relationship, and you can basically pick whichever point that appeals to you and run with it. There’s something for everyone. Yet another reason why they’re the best ship y’all
#In general I think women are shamed for liking the enemies to lovers dynamic bc toxic or whatever#And what I like about ZK is you don’t have to feel guilty for liking the bad boy x good girl because they get way healthier later on#but the belligerent romantic tension remains and that opens up a lot of possibilities for fan interpretation#Not that women should feel guilty for liking what they like in the first place esp in fiction#But fiction that allows you to reconcile what you should like vs what you actually like can be very cathartic#And ofc the fact that Bryke talk about ZK as if only dynamic 1 exists is baffling#I should embrace my destiny as a Bryke anti because really it’s getting out of hand#Zutara#Enemies to lovers#My meta#technically?
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I was fine with forgiving Greta Gerwig for splitting up Barbie and Ken and just believing that the two would reunite eventually, but today I remembered that this isn't the first time she breaks up a canon couple.
In 2019, Greta (at least implied that she) also broke up Jo March and Friedrich Bhaer, my literal OTP OF OTPS.
I get that the way the story in Barbie (2023) plays out means that Barbie and Ken's breakup makes sense and is almost something necessary, but it's really sad to me that Barbie is portrayed as never having loved Ken despite the fact that, oh I don't know, they were literally made for each other.
Once that is added to the Jo/Friedrich thing from Little Women (2019), I'm starting to think Greta doesn't believe in love 😔
#BARBIE SPOILERS#barbie and ken could've worked it out okay?!!#stop breaking up our otps greta#or give us a sequel where they've both matured as people and reunite#ik the lw ending is left up to interpretation which means she didn't TECHNICALLY break them up#but the fact that it IS up for interpretation in the first place is a problem#i still really love both of these movies#but i must say my piece about this subject#barbie x ken#barbie 2023#jo x friedrich#little women 2019#greta gerwig#elly's posts
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the fun thing about luoch.a is the realisation of how his defense isn't donning a mask, he's more of an actor instead. the version of him that you meet is typically the version of him that you, as a person, have interpreted in your head - and one in which he, in turn, will continue to play off as and, effectively complete that role.
like please think complete angelina joli.e girl interrupted rn: i'm playing the villain baby, just like you want.
#❛ ♡ › jupiter : 𝐨𝐨𝐜.#this was supposed to be a longer meta but chat its 9pm i was supposed to be here but ive been in and out of places all day helping out with#a family emergency ...#now i am hopefully getting settled in for the evening (WE HOPE)#lore enthusiasts hate luo.cha's CQ. but man do i LOVE it for the fact it proves this interpretation in a heartbeat.#when you listen to everyones about: luo.cha. youll note that NONE of them match up to one another.#hany.a mentions his coffin. eludes to him as someone who seems wary / chased by death#jing yu.an labels him as suspicious. but comments of his merchant appearance ...#jingl.u talks about how .... empty he is and how he doesnt wish to be.#qingqu.e accuses him of being an outsider who is simply seeking the possibility of being immortal#susha.ng calls him weak and someone very likely to get robbed#tingy.un mentions not remembering him ... nothing else#xeu.yi only comments on him being able to heal her#yangq.ing only recognises him as someone with battle prowess.#the identity of 'luo.cha' isn't always the business travelling merchant he dons.#did you know that the first time that dan hen.g ACTUALLY is told about this information is after luo.cha gets confirmation from him that th#luo.fu is his home and that he is IL's reincarnation?#i looked through all the scenes on my replay and was shocked to have this confirmation#he will be whatever role he has to be to ensure a level of trust with who he speaks to#hell let you judge him and play the role as much as he needs to. doesnt matter where it ends up#ill write more on this soon. trust me!
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Everyone's on about Miguel beefing with a 15 yo, which sure it's funny, but y'all are letting the Spot, "I now declare this child that MY INVENTION inflicted this anomalous occurrence on, my lifelong nemesis", the ULTIMATE beef haver, to go unchecked.
#spireverse spoilers#across the spiderverse spoilers#you know at least miguel has the excuse that 15yo or not Miles's actions might cause TWO whole dimensions to collapse#assuming both pavitr's and miles' own dimension have a similar population to ours#thats SIXTEEN BILLION LIVES at stake babes#yah like no i'd also be going kooky crazy in his shoes#ofc his handling of Miles' situation wasn't good but that's not. precisely his job? Breaking the news shouldve fallen on Peter and Gwen#yanno. his actual friends? but they skirted around the subject too much so woops it falls on Miguel now#the most emotionally unsuited for this task guy possible. woopsies.#get ready for the most projection filled fight of your life kid cause it sure is cheaper quicker and easier than therapy!#I jest and the projection part is true but tbh i think too many people in the tags are interpreting Miguel being antagonistic to the rest-#as him having personal beef with children instead of him focusing (too much) on the bigger picture. like..isnt that his entire personality?#the 'fate of the multiverse' guy? cmon now.#the main issue is that miles Does Have To TRY- that's part of the canon event in the first place#trying and failing. if his plan of keeping him trapped until jeff died had worked then his dimension would most likely also collapse#if anything the way things are set up rn is sooo interesting because miles IS precisely on the way to fulfill a canon event#the question is - are they going to play into that- or is there going to be a twist. Gwen's realization that Her dad could in fact Quit -#comes to mind#i for one would find it really funny if the plot of the next movie is trying to convince jeff to quit his job but i doubt it jxnsn#my guess is that since this is basically the variation of the trolley problem where the singular person on the tracks is one you care about#(but said person is simultaneously also on the 5 person rail because if they don't die everyone does)#and miles has decided to just go and stop the fucking trolley itself fnsjsj#the plot's gonna go a bit more all out . /Beyond/ the previous scope- if you will#the only sticking point i have with this movie in general though is pavitr sticking with the group like.#“obviously he would've stuck with miles- he wouldn't want the guy to die!”so you think he prefers the version of events where everyone does#his friends? his aunt - whatever family he has- his girlfriend? EVERYONE?#yeah like nah until he can solidly know that shits gonna be fine in his home world i don't think it makes sense for him to fuck around more#yanno?#not that I dont want to see more of him- on the contrary I fuckin love his design to bits#just saying if miguel drops the bomb that his universe collapsed and my guy switches sides i would not be surprised
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hey siri how do I stop feeling gutwrenchingly anxious in the guilt way for using the treatment methods available to me to not be in constant misery
#starlight personal#it’s very bizarre to have my life going objectively well - work is good! personal life is good! family is good!#and still be very mentally ill and feel like I’m faking it even though I know damn well I ain’t scream-sobbing every couple of days alone in#my apartment for attention because What Attention??? my cat????? Bug is never moved by my tears she cares only for string and wires#like I know that cannabis has been immensely helpful to getting me to fucking sleep on a regular schedule and that’s integral to -#my functioning and I know that having emergency klonopin in the event of a total breakout is helpful#and I KNOW that my PMDD and depression and anxiety are very treatment resistant and ketamine is the only thing that’s provided any -#meaningful relief and logically I know I’m not abusing any of these#I’m getting a promotion at work I still go out to see friends regularly I have hobbies I have a girlfriend (??? Wild right)#like clearly these things are working because i’m better now than i was for years leading up to now#SO LIKE. DON’T STOP USING THE THINGS THAT HELP. LOGICALLY THIS MEANS THESE ARE GOOD FOR ME#I always roll my eyes when ppl go off their meds b/c they’re feeling better like babes that’s what the meds are meant to do#if you stop taking them you stop feeling better - but it’s REALLY HARD to get past the cultural conditioning#the feeling that ‘but I can white knuckle my way through this I can force myself to live without’ like WHY BITCH#WE DON’T HAVE TO LIVE WITHOUT#AND ALSO. WE’RE STILL GENERALLY MISERABLE BRO. EVEN WITH OUR LIFE IN A BETTER PLACE!!!#DO YOU NOT THINK THIS MEANS THAT WE SHOULD USE WHAT WE KNOW WORKS TO BE LESS MISERABLE#basically it’s really hard to not feel like a loser when the only things that help are ‘fun’ drugs like weed and psychedelics#I feel like I’m being a hedonistic reprobate which 1) is actually kinda cool now that I wrote it out#2) @ myself were not a good enough liar-faker that every medical professional we see wouldn’t pick up on that if that was our motivation#time to remind myself that it’s arrogant to think I could trick many trained professionals without actively trying tbh#that generally helps me get out of my self-pitying ‘ohhhhh I’m awful and lazy and bad and abusing substances’ spiral#to be very mentally ill on main it is weirdly reassuring to be like ‘just as my fanon interpretation of obi wan kinda hates himself but is -#practical enough to take care of himself even when it makes him cringe and want to scratch his face off; I too am aware that self-care is -#radical and punk and In Fact Necessary to beat back the dark and live in the light with hope so yes even though I doubt and -#feel squiggly and guilty about it I’m not going to NOT prioritize my health and well-being b/c self-hatred and self-denial benefits no one’#thank you inner obi wan i love projecting my issues onto you mwah mwah mwah smooches for my favorite boy!!!!!#and smooches for me I’m going to be proud of myself gosh darn it even if I have to fake it at first#see I wouldn’t be able to be nice to myself like this if I hadn’t been doing ketamine treatment for a year IT WORKS BRO KEEP IT UP#SCHEDULE THE DAMN APPOINTMENT AND CLEAN YOUR BONG
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#I don't know anything about Vanitas no Carte other than by what I see from time to time on twitter or here by chance#but that character having a brooch of a broken mirror with wings reminded me a lot of Jack#Also apparently the new character is also an archiviste and is playing music on a music box and talking about the world/story again?#In a very Abysslooking place. That's interesting. I've seen she and the guy with the broken mirror#are talking as if they were watching the story of the world‚but as if they'd get different interpretation of the events as different people#I think to recall? Which is pretty interesting especially considering I think to recall the girl was an Archiviste#And doesn't the story start with Noé talking about Vanitas' death? I don't know. Very Crónicas de una muerte anunciada among others#But with the implication of‚ idk I don't read the story‚ but this Juror-like figures watching the story for amusement and interpreting it#differently‚ and then as archivists idk... writing it down? categorising it? is pretty interesting in its possible ramifications#and potential implications. The idea of the story/world becoming a story told‚ and the telling depending on interpretation#The idea of the story/world becoming a story/narration and becoming actually several different stories#A bit like that 1984 line but out of context. And there's something more... I don't think it's Kant or Wittgenstein#Perspectivism but I wasn't thinking of that. Oh maybe it was Unamuno#Which reminds me of that one line about Horatio remembering Hamlet so well it would as if he hadn't died at all#And idkif Noe is an archivist it could be very interesting if he ended up being one of those Juror-like beings telling the story of Vanitas#Which is again pretty interesting considering that he has killed him? I watched the first episode of the anime#and I think to recall he said that? And idk I think it is very interesting in the potential twisting of events that comes from relying#a story‚ even more so if Noe has lived alongside and killed Vanitas‚ and with how these characters in the new chapter have explicitly said#they'd have different interpretations of the story/world. Not to talk about the fact of how that worked in PH#with Jack‚ Arthur and the Glens among others. But yeah. The idea of a... god adjacent? being witnessing a story#and getting a personal interpretation of it and writing it down is very interesting in its own‚ but it is also very interesting#in an additional way the idea of that godlike being having feelings of any kind for the person at the center of the story they're relying#idk. Unrelated to this but it gives me a bit the vibes of Aphrodite making flowers out of Adonis#or everything happening with Turnus and Aeneas I guess. Also damnatio memoriae. It evokes me all those things among others#But what do I know. I know barely anything at all about VnC. But these concepts I've last seen seem really very interesting#I talk too much#I should probably delete this later#Hmm I hope this doesn't appear suggested to people following the tags of things I've mentioned here like the manga‚ Aeneas or Wittgenstein#It is so annoying when it happens. Maybe I should start 'censoring' words when I'm just making notes for myself to avoid that#I've seen some people do it. Really tumblr getting rid of the five tags things has ruined the way I posted a bit
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I was listening to chicago and it hit me (no it didn’t I’ve been thinking this ever since I figured out the lyrics but I decided to voice it today) but he’s singing and is your brother doing alright? is he still getting out of fights? and like, he is assuming that their brother is still getting into fights, that hasn’t changed. he’s just unsure whether or not he’s getting out of them. I wonder what the brother did to make him so sure he’s still getting into fights years later
#what do you think?#and we’re ignoring the fact that I might interpret it too literally and getting out of fights mean he doesn’t get into them#in the first place#maybe the brother is a gang member#yes that’s my first thought - gang member#it could be as simple as he has anger issues and is too impulsive for his own good#but no my mind went to gang member#that’s what growing up in an area with an active gang doing lots of bad stuff does to you#louis singing about someone whose brother is a member in a gang#anyway what are your theories?
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The Crowley and Amara thing as it was in canon was very much a complete disaster but part of the reason I so strongly prefer Amara as Crowley’s kid conceptually over him having anything to do with Gavin is because I really prefer the idea of Crowley choosing to be a parent on his own terms because he wants to have a relationship like that, and not out of any sort of forced obligation.
#Especially because to me Gavin only exists because Fergus MacLeod was a gay man who#had to force himself to marry and have children to hide that significant part of himself.#And that is why he resents Gavin so much in the first place. Not that it justifies the mistreatment but that’s at least WHY#It’s at least why Crowley feels that way. In my interpretation that is#So I think Crowley would have a LOT of parenting hang-ups related to that whole ordeal#Which I think is why he has Amara call him uncle instead of papa or something because he’s still not entirely comfortable#with fatherhood and his place in it and so the uncle thing is a way he can distance himself from that a little#But he very much was trying to parent Amara. Like in complete and total earnest too regardless of any initial intentions#I honestly believe that it became less about getting the Darkness on his side and more about him wanting a family#Wanting ANYONE. Love of any kind be it romantic platonic familial etc. He just wanted someone who would stand next to him#And maybe that’s kind of a woobie take but on my head be it I guess because I really do believe that#The show is atrociously written of course so like I said it’s an entire mess but he really did read parenting help books in the middle of#important meetings. Like. What am I supposed to do with that information other than think he is actually really trying here#ANYWAY to return to the point I’m trying to make with the post….. the fact that Crowley wanted to be a parent to Amara and clearly#did not want to have had Gavin is an important difference to me.#And I think if fan content is going to give Crowley any adventure in parenting then I’d much rather see him with Amara#Making the active choice to be someone for her#Rather than force himself to have anything to do with Gavin out of guilt at best and pure obligation at worst#(Due to Crowley and Rowena’s same person syndrome this is also why I think that while they could be friends that their#parent-child relationship is a ship that has LONG since sailed. Rowena is not a mother she’s not comfortable with it etc. So#they would stop trying to force that particular angle and just try and be amiable with each other and I think it would make it#genuinely easier for them to get along if they stopped trying to be Mother and Son and just tried to be people.)#My posts
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#full stop i feel like the odd one out with my personal interpretation of the Tsaritsa#like i usually see people theorize that she’s all very gentle and sweet on the outside but actually doesn’t truly care at all abt humans#i’m the exact opposite— i think she’s extremely cold and almost hostile on the outside#and seemingly has abandoned all pretenses of love that she may have once exhibited#but deep down inside we learn that she has never truly abandoned it— in fact it’s rhe very thing that fuels her motives in the first place#she tells herself that the war she’s preparing for against Celestia is all for the greater good#but in reality its just sheer grief and rage that she a god of love must follow the whims of an apathetic Celestia#like uh what’s that one phrase. ‘grief is just love lost’ or smth#i also think there’s two ways this can go— she’s either so caught up in her machinations that she doesn’t realize she still has love in her#heart. OR she’s fully aware that that she still loves humans and that is why she does the things she does with the Fatui#no matter how monstrous or damaging her actions are to the rest of teyvat goddammit she is wrong in the face kf the most unforgiveable crime#against humanity aka what happened with Khaenri’ah. she knows this and she has to go thru wifh it no matter how much it hurts her bc it’s#the only way out that she can see#maybe idk we dont know enough abt her to know for certain but it’s just got me thinking
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So a few months ago there was the discourse about would you rather meet a man or a bear in the woods. I didn't want to touch it while the discourse was hot and everyone dug in hard because those are not good conditions for nuance, but I waited until today, June 1st, for a specific reason.
I'm not going to take a position in the bear vs man debate because I don't think it matters. What is really being asked here is how afraid are you of men? Specifically, unexpected men who are, perhaps, strange.
People have a lot of very real fear of men that comes from a lot of very real places. Back when I was first transitioning in 2015 and 2016, I decided to start presenting as a woman in public even though I did not pass in the slightest.
I live in a red state. I knew other trans women who had been attacked by men, raped by men. I knew I was taking a risk by putting myself out there. I was the only visibly trans person in the area of campus I frequented, and people made sure I never forgot that. Most were harmless enough and the worst I got from them was curious stares. Others were more aggressive, even the occasional threat. I had to avoid public bathrooms, of course, and always be aware of my surroundings.
I know how frightening it is to be alone at night while a pair of men are following behind you and not knowing if they are just going in the same direction or if they want to start something - made all the worse for the constant low level threat I had been living under for over a year by just being visibly trans in a place where many are openly hostile to queer people. You have to remember, this was at the height of the first wave of bathroom law discussions, a lot of people were very angry about trans women in particular. My daily life was terrifying at times. I was never the subject of direct violence, but I knew trans women who had been.
I want you to keep all that in mind.
So man or bear is really the question "how afraid of men are you?", and the question that logically follows is "What if there was a strange man at night in a deserted parking lot?" or "What if you were alone in an elevator with a man?" or "What if you met a strange man in the woman's bathroom?"
My state recently passed an anti trans bathroom bill. The rhetoric they used was about protecting women and children from "strange men", aka trans women.
Conservatives hijack fear for their bigoted agenda.
When I first started presenting as a woman the campus apartment complex was designed for young families. The buildings were in a large square with playgrounds in the center, and there were often children playing. I quickly noticed that when I took my daughter out to play, often several children would immediately stop what they were doing and run back inside. It didn't take me long to confirm that the parents were so afraid of "the strange man who wears skirts" that their children were under strict instructions to literally run away as soon as they saw me.
"How afraid are you of a strange man being near your children?"
I mentioned above that I had to avoid public bathrooms. This was not because of men. It was because of women who were so afraid of random men that they might get violent or call someone like the police to be violent for them if I ever accidentally presented myself in a way that could be interpreted as threatening, when my mere presence could be seen as a threat. If I was in the library studying and I realized that it was just me and one other woman I would get up and leave because she might decide that stranger danger was happening.
Your fear is real. Your fear might even come from lived experiences. None of that prevents the fact that your fear can be violent. Women's fear of men is one of the driving forces of transmisogyny because it is so easy to hijack. And it isn't just trans women. Other trans people experience this, and other queer people too. Racial minorities, homeless people, neurodivergent people, disabled people.
When you uncritically engage with questions like man or bear, when you uncritically validate a culture of reactive fear, you are paving the way for conservatives and bigots to push their agenda. And that is why I waited until pride month. You cannot engage and contribute to the culture of reactive fear without contributing to queerphobia of all varieties. The sensationalist culture of reactive fear is a serious queer issue, and everyone just forgot that for a week as they argued over man or bear. I'm not saying that "man" is the right answer. I am saying that uncritically engaging with such obvious click bait trading on reactive fear is a problem. Everyone fucked up.
It is not a moral failing to experience fear, but it is a moral responsibility to keep a handle on that fear and know how it might harm others.
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