#but to act like you need to “”“approve”“” a character's actions to enjoy them is just i don't have words for it

[azathothweirdo]

"Do you approve of yukio--" He's fake. He's fictional. He does not exist. Aoex is not real. He's a anime character.

I don't need to "approve" anything about a character's behavior or personality to like them. It's a story. It's entertainment. No one needs to defend their enjoyment of a fictional character.

[gffa]

So, I fucking loved The Living Force, I found it to be one of the most Jedi-positive books out there, and look I can't guarantee you that you'll feel the same way, this book only gets the Lumi stamp of approval, not the "you'll definitely love this as a fan of the Jedi" stamp of approval, so take that as you will. But this book took such care to give the Jedi Council members different fun personalities, that even when Saesee was a total grump, he was a funny grump and one who clearly dove right into helping people, that even when it was Qui-Gon who issued the challenge, the book showed it as an excuse for the Jedi Council members to take some time off to go do what they were choosing to do, that their good acts were their own, not Qui-Gon's. This book took such care to give moments to the Jedi discussing why they put their efforts where they did and showed that they all loved helping people, none of them felt this was beneath them for a moment, only that they felt they could help more people by doing their regular Council duties most of the time. The discussions they had weren't about castigating themselves, but about discussing where their balance should be, that their work as a Council was always seen as necessary, that they very much did need to look towards the future, but that they as individual Jedi sometimes needed a reason to do something more individual. Because of that good-faith feeling in the narrative, other things also came off really good-naturedly, like Ki-Adi-Mundi often was stilted or just did not understand the point of some of this ridiculousness, but he was never painted as uncaring, but instead very much came off to me like he was on the spectrum and that that was fine, it was part of the feeling of how each of these characters is allowed a different personality and allowed to see duty and the Force and their lives differently, that there was emphasis put on how the Council prized those differences because it helped make them stronger.

And the author clearly had an absolute blast writing Yarael and Even Piell especially, they were hilariously fun and there is SO MUCH FUNNY BANTER, like there's so much friendly teasing between characters, there's so many little moments that show these people care about each other and have fun with each other, that there's no doubt that this Council is full of life and light. I also really enjoyed Mace and Depa's dynamic, that it's clear he cared about her and still worried about her, but he trusted her to take care of herself, that Depa's part of the storyline was a bit more subdued in a lot of ways, but she was thoroughly competent and trusted to understand what she was getting into. Mace does fuss over her a bit in the end, but she's strong enough to stand up for herself and he takes it in stride because she's a Jedi Master now and knows what she's doing, that she's trusted to be right about what's going on and how this should be handled, as well as her deep care for the people she gets involved with around her.

The only real heads up I would give (other than to caution that the opening chapters might make you side-eye a bit, but I ask a little patience with the book) is that it's in a specific worldbuilding genre, that it's not really about the spiritual aspect of the Jedi Order worldbuilding, but instead more about administrative worldbuilding and the action plot. But if you're into that (and I was so into that because I love worldbuilding detail!) and into the Jedi Council being hilarious and getting time to basically take a vacation, then I hope you'll enjoy this book with me, too. I know what the interview from the author said, but honestly I felt none of that with the book, it felt like a story that really understood the increasing complexity of the galaxy around them and that there weren't any easy answers, that the future does matter, even if so too does the present, that what the Council does as a Council is vital to the good work the Jedi Order does, but that this provides them with the breathing space to balance it with their own individual ways of being a Jedi, which is simply giving them some breathing room and letting them flourish on their own!

[mias-blogs]

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆, 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋 𝐒𝐄𝐍𝐒𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐍𝐓 𝐀𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐃.

𝐒𝐀/𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐄 𝐂𝐎𝐌𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐓.

(I'm writing this as a victim myself, if your not comfortable, please click out. this is comfort from SA by Record of Ragnarok characters, this may be triggering to some but I'm only writing this as comfort since I've been having flashbacks from the invent, please be careful, I don't want to accidently trigger a victim.)

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬: 𝐀𝐝𝐚𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐝𝐡𝐚.

𝐀𝐃𝐀𝐌.

He first noticed your behavior when you were more comfortable around Eve then you were with him, of course, it's not like it bothered him, but you would act like you were scared of him, avoid him, scared of his touch, he then picked up on how you weren't doing this to only him but also towards any man or male god, it seemed strange to him on why you were acting like this around them when you were seemingly fine with any woman or female goddess.

He asked Eve about, seeking her help to understand what was wrong, Eve hesitated to actually tell him but eventually did. He was in horror to stay the least, as well as in rage, he fully well knew that life can be cruel, but he wasn't expecting that you went through something that vile, he felt his stomach twist in that moment, slightly afraid that he might have reminded you of the invent with any of his actions.

You were sitting by a cliff, looking up at Valhalla's sunset, feeling the breeze against your face, your feet slightly tangling by the edge of the floating island, that had many of them all around Valhalla, your hands touching the soft grass as you enjoyed the peace, you hear foot steps approaching you slowly from behind, excepting to see Eve, your body slightly froze when you saw Adam approaching.

“May I sit next to you?” the father of humanity asked quietly, you hesitated for a moment before you nodded, moving a bit so he wouldn't sit close to you, you were slightly surprised when the man sat a good distance away from you, enough for you to be comfortable, making your shoulders slightly relax. “ I... heard what.. happened to you.” those words made your body tense up once again, he noticed that and hesitated with his next words.

“I'm aware you probably see me as a threat, but I can tell you, I would never hurt you, you are my child just like the rest of humanity, I know that seems hard to believe when you've been through a nightmare, but I would like for you to warm up to me, if you think it's possible.” the man's fatherly voice almost makes you tear up, you've never heard those words from a man, both his words and voice was comforting.

The man smiled gently as he extended his hand out to you slowly, wanting to see if you'd take it or not, understanding you need your space and you wouldn't quite like physical touch from a man. Your eyes glanced up at his, his gaze was gentle and fatherly, for once, you didn't feel threatened by someone's touch, you hesitated, but you know understood that he wasn't like the person who hurt you, he isn't.

You took his hand, a smiled bloomed on your face, he isn't going to hurt you and that fact was almost comforting, he smiled back as he extended his other arm for a hug but stopped. “May I?” he asked, looking down at you and waiting if you'd approve or not, this was a bigger step, but he gave you time and space to think, you nodded in acceptance once again as he pulled you close for a hug, careful not to startle you.

His hug was fatherly and gentle yet warm, you let out a breath of relief, this was comforting, like a father hugging his young child. “It's alright, your father is here now, he'll protect you.”

𝐁𝐔𝐃𝐃𝐇𝐀.

Buddha had always noticed that you were much more comfortable around him then any other man or male god, he thought it was the same reason as him at first, not quite liking the gods are they're personality, but you also behaved like that around mortal men so it confused him at first on your behavior, he asks you about it but noticed you seemed uncomfortable, so he backed off on the topic

When the friendship slowly started to grow into something more comfortable and romantic for the both of you, Buddha had himself asking the same question to himself, you seemed more comfortable with women and goddesses and you personality completely shifted when around any man that wasn't him, which confused him once again, so he decided to ask for a second time.

“ Hey, [nickname], why do ya act so different around gods and men?” The question left the lips of the god as he stopped sucking on his lollipop for a second, his eyes glancing back at you as he patiently waiting for you to answer his question, blinking a couple of times as you greatly hesitated to speak up, you mind flooding with many thoughts, would he think any different of you? was he going to believe you? will he think that your dirty?

You decided to swallow the lump in your throat as you talked to him about what happened and what made you act this way, you could feel the tears coming to your eyes, your voice stopping in its tracks as you could barely talk without stuttering, Buddha's eyes looked down at you before reaching forward and hugging you close, hiding your face in his chest so you could sob.

You were shocked for a moment before you wrapped your arms around the god, sobbing in his chest as he held you tightly and stroked your hair, his teeth pressed together tightly as he looked slightly angry, not at you, how could he be angry at you? he was angry he wasn't there to stop it, angry that the person that did this got away with it like nothing happened, but here you were sobbing in his chest.

“It's alright.. no need to worry, nothin’ is gonna happen to you while I'm here.” he kissed the top of your head gently, his eyes shut tightly as he hugged you close to his chest, he's not going to let anyone touch you ever again.

[ms--lobotomy]

Since you tagged me in this poll I feel the need to answer with my thoughts for all of them. You know, for funsies.

40k Guilliman: pretty good option. He’s (somewhat) mentally stable and has talked it out with you beforehand. Though I am curious on where he acquired primarch-grade bondage equipment. Is that why it was planned months in advance? Was he spending all that time just trying out different kinds of ropes and chains that could hold him like some sort of kinky parody of Fenrir from norse mythology?? Also, he deserves sex that has him relax and not possibly shatter his partner’s pelvis, let that man rest. 8/10.

Corrupted Horus: We all enjoy a very evil and very charismatic man from time to time. And the chaos gods which are currently kinda wearing Horus’ body like a condom are one of the options presented in this poll. But before your mind gets carried away with the fantasy of hot mean DILF, we have to think: He’s still a DILF. And so his taste in music will be that of a Dad. So get ready for him to blast Imagine Dragons while sexily taking his shirt off. You plead for him to strip faster, not because you’re horny but because you hope that when he does so he’ll turn the rock & roll cover of Thunder off and fuck you properly. He won’t. 1/10.

Jaghatai: No words other than those of approval. No thoughts other than those of lust. 9/10.

Ferrus Manus pre-heresy: Not sure why you specified pre-heresy but maybe I don’t have enough imagination for a post-heresy lewding scenario, but I digress. So I feel that the sex wouldn’t be the main draw of the situation here, instead it’s more to do with trying to make a guy feel better about a body part that he wants to peel his metal-skin off of. Ferrus is a dude that has simultaneously given all of his children body dysmorphia (that they try to fix by replacing their body parts with tech) while also wanting to get rid of the most technological part of himself. And he won’t even tell people a direct answer about where he got the technological metal hands from anyway. This man is an enigma and the sex is just a backdrop for the true scenario; which is the Ferrus Manus character exploration that’s going on. So to judge purely by the sex itself it’s a solid 5/10.

Daemon Magnus: This dude will not only do all of what you specified. But he’ll also add Gale from bg3 astral plane type sex into the mix. The only limit is your imagination Babey!!! 11/10 (he may have used his psychic powers to mess with the rating).

Leman Russ: What’s not to love about a big scary man in a collar? What’s not to love about a living war machine getting restrained like they’re a simple animal?? Though him eventually breaking out of it would imply that my skills in Husband husbandry are poor, and that might make me kind of sad. 7/10 (would change it to 8/10 if you also put a muzzle on him)

Pre-Heresy Fulgrim: The number one rule of kink fantasy is that nothing will work out as perfectly as you want it to, something will always go differently than it did in your imagination because, fun fact, your partner is not a mind reader (and even if they were it’s not like they can control every action/reaction they do/have). If you fuck him he will be very very very disappointed in you and will act like a bitch about it. 3/10 (the sex stops midway through because you ruined his expectations too many times).

Rogal Dorn: The way im about to sexualise that middle aged man. Oh boy… well first of all I’ll- [REDACTED BY THE INQUISITION. SUMMONS A DAEMON OF SLAANESH IF THE TEXT IS READ OUT LOUD]. 9.5/10.

30k Corvus Corax: Now while he can’t be perceived, I can. In fact I am very perceivable. Unlike Corvus’ furtive emo outfits my fashion sense consists of wearing the most sparkly and shiny accessories all the time and in very large quantities. I dress as though I’m trying to sound like one of santa’s reindeer or a sentient human windchime. And my penchant to talk very loudly knows no bounds. So combining his extreme stealth with my extreme unstealth gives us the average of The Normal Amount Of Noticeability. Which would get us both arrested for indecent exposure. 0/10 because i don’t want to go to jail.

Sanguinius: also a pretty good option. Though I question how a man who had big issues with being deified by the mortal populace would feel about having his more “angelic” features worshipped. But I’m sure I can make it work. 7.5/10.

In conclusion: the vote goes to Magnus, but if he wasn’t there then Dorn would be attaining the title of “babygirl” real fucking fast.

Time to /finally/ answer some asks. This isn't a knock on you by any means, or anyone who's sent asks. I'm just not very good at it lol

Robby G: Listen. L i s t e n. This man is 1. the type to have a schedule for sex (nothing wrong with that if thats what people are into) and 2. the type to take it in the butt. He deserves it in the butt. Yes, he is a space war criminal. But wouldn't it be nice to put it in him?

Horse: I'm sorry, the image of an Imagine Dragons striptease is... enlightening as to the individual Horus is. He's the dad that hosts the barbecue parties. He's the dad that falls asleep watching TV. Hell, he probably wears Hawaiian shirts. (That last one's got me bricked up. Shit)

Jagh: This one got me. He fucking would be into leather, be it on him or his partner. May write a fic about it in the future. Dead serious

Ferrus: Ok, I'll admit it, this one was self-indulgent for me. Yes, Ferrus is an ass in canon. I also want him so bad, and that also entails helping him through some shit. (It's the "I can fix him" instinct.) Also, if his partner isn't ok with 17 inches, that's understandable. (Also also, I specified pre-Heresy because him coming back headless horseman style is kind of a pipe dream of mine)

Mags: Monsters are hot. Next guy

Russ: This one was a bit of a gift for my Russ fucker friend. You know who you are! And if you're a Russ fucker anyways, please be my friend

Fulgrim: This man has been through so many partners and he still doesn't understand kink very well, bless his heart. He's still gotta make sure everything goes the way he thought it would, otherwise what's even the point? Mm. Maybe he can be put with someone who makes him realize that it doesn't need to be that way.. ;v

Doorknob: Go ahead, sexualize the brick wall man. Put him in a maid dress. He'd like his partner to be a little rough, especially during... ahem. Encounters. Remember the Rogal Dorn position? Maybe not all the time, but fuck, this man needs to take it like his life depends on it.

Corax: Not for everyone, I get it. Especially if your clothes are like that. I applaud your fashion sense, you dress how I've always wanted to. But that fic's still rattling around in my mind. Thank you Raven Lady we all say in unison

Sang: You raise a very good point. I don't know how comfortable he'd be with focus on his more non-human qualities. But it can work. I have faith in you, battle brother.

[anzynai]

Idiot

Tsukasa & Nene (Project Sekai)

a/n: @thatonetickleblog PAYTON IT WAS REALLY HARD KEEPING IT A SECRET FROM YOU, BUT GUESS WHOS UR SQUEALING SANTA! i was really happy that i got you, especially we have similar interests and i originally planned to get this done for christmas but things came up… anyways, i kinda struggled characterizing nene so sorry if she’s ooc, BUT I HOPE U ENJOY PAYTON ILYSM

summary: when nene and tsukasa are left alone to practice for a show, things end up turning in a way neither of them expected.

word count: 1.2k

——

Nene stood awkwardly as Tsukasa prattled on and on about their next show. He was clearly and very vocal about his excitement. Of course, she was excited too, but… did he have to be. so loud?!

The two were at Tsukasa’s house. Rui realized he forgot an important prop and went to go get it, Emu deciding to tag along. This left Nene and Tsukasa all alone, which Nene didn’t mind, but she wasn’t used to dealing with the other’s seemingly infinite amount of energy.

“So what do you think, Nene?!” Tsukasa shouted, after a few minutes. Nene flinched at being addressed all of a sudden.

“It’s.. an idea, alright..” She started, but trailed off. “But…”

“But..?” This caught Tsukasa’s attention as he slowed down his movements, intent on listening to her completely.

“I think if we reveal who the culprit was at the end… it might leave the audience feeling unsatisfied? It kinda.. takes out the magical feel to it…” She mumbled, feeling shy. “I-I mean, it’s a good idea but the kind of story we are acting feels like an open ending would fit better.”

Tsukasa was silent for a few moments and Nene wondered if he didn’t like what he said.

“Hah!” Tsukasa yelled out, suddenly, hitting his fist to his palm. “You’re right, Nene!”

Tsukasa pulled out a pencil and began marking on the script. Nene, on the other hand, watched. She didn’t respond to his words, but she could feel happiness swelling up in her chest. She was afraid he wouldn’t like her changing the script, but she forgot what kind of person Tsukasa was.

“There we go! How’s that?” Tsukasa exclaimed, handing her the script. She read over it and skimmed through the notes, before giving an approving nod.

“It’s good.” She said, giving it back to the other.

“Great! Let’s practice!”

“N-now?! Shouldn’t we wait until Emu and Rui come back?” She asked, though she stood up anyway.

“We’ll practice when they are here too, but no harm in getting a head start!” Tsukasa explained, standing alongside her. He stretched his arms up for a moment, but pointed at a certain scene. “Let’s start here!”

“Okay..”

——

And so, they practiced. Since Tsukasa was the star of the show this time, that meant there were more scenes were Nene wasn’t as present or kinda just… stood there awkwardly. She didn’t mind, though. She didn’t want a lead spot like Tsukasa, anyway. Still, the role she was in, as the main character’s magical fairy guide, was a bit more out there than her previous roles.

“Hi-yah!” Tsukasa shouted, thrusting his palm out to the side and…

“Ow!” Nene gasped, holding her nose.

“Nene! I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to do that!” Tsukasa all but lept at her, concern painted on his face.

“You..” Nene said, voice a bit nasally from covering her nose.

“How can I make it up to you?!”

“You idiot!” Nene let her impulses get the best of her as she pounced on Tsukasa, feeling a sudden desire for payback. She wasn’t exactly sure what fo do, thouugh, until she landed on top of him. Tsukasa, clearly not prepared for this uncharacteristic action, toppled over, landing on the sofa. A small squeal slipped from his mouth and it didn’t take a genius to figure out why. Nene looked down, her hands gripping each side of Tsukasa’s ribs.

“NenEHEHEHE?!” He blurted, but was interrupted by his own laughter. Nene didn’t really know exactly what she was doing, but now that she started, she felt she couldn’t stop.

“You need to be more careful wifh your actions.” She pouted, annoyed, but kneaded her small hands into the other’s sides.

“Whahahat ahahahare y-you dohohohoing?!” Tsukasa screeched, shocked and embarrassed. Nene felt embarrassed too, but she pushed that feeling away.

“Payback..” She said, simply, not trusting herself to say any more. It was hard to admit, but Tsukasa actually.. looked quite cute like this. She was used to his boastful smiles and laughter, but this.. felt more genuine, like a side of Tsukasa she rarely got to see.

“Pahahahay bahahack?! I sahahahaid I wahahahas s-sohohorry!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have been so reckless!” Nene spat, pinching in between each of the bones in his ribs. His ribs seemed like a sensitive area, but they couldn’t ellicit anything more than giggles and Nene had the urge to incite laughter out of the blond.

Instead, she began squeezing at his sides, light and barely there, but enough for yet another squeal to pass Tsukasa’s lips.

“NOHOHOHO N-nohohot thEHehere!”

Oh. This seemed like a good spot. Nene decided to linger there for a couple seconds, testingly trying different areas of his sides, different pressures, anything to see what gave her the most reactions.

“You’re so sensitive. It’s fitting for you…” She muttered, pressing at his sides like they were buttons on a controller.

“W-whAHAHAt is thAHAHAHAt s-sUHPOSehehed tohoho mean?!” Tsukasa cackled. “Just pihick sohohomewhere else!”

“If you say so.” And so, somewhere else became his stomach, including his belly button. She scribbled over his ticklish skin, though she could tell the clothing he was wearing offered some protection, but still drove him mad nonetheless.

“EhEHEHEHEh..!” Tsukasa shrieked, giggling and laughing. He seemed to squirm a lot, but didn’t put up much of a fight. Nene decided to store that in her mind for later, but then she thought about how stupid it would be to do that, so she erased it from her mind. (She would still remember.)

“Everywhere is just so.. sensitive, isn’t it?” Tsukasa blushed at that. It was true. Tsukasa was one of the most ticklish people she knew, even among her troupe, which were embarrassingly ticklish themselves. She was sure it was her and Tsukasa who held the record. Though, it was only Rui who knew about this fact compared to everyone being aware of Tsukasa’s ticklishness, through the fours’ countless tickle fights. Nene usually stayed out of those, though.

“Stohohohop..!” Tsukasa mumbled, through his laughter, holding his hands up to his face.

“…” Nene dipped her finger into his bellybutton. At least, as far as it could go through his clothes, and vibrated her fingers.

“AHHHAHHAAHA!”” Tsukasa laughed and laughed and Nene smiled along with him, resisting the urge to laugh to show him just how much she was enjoying this. But, she could indulge herself in a smile at the very least, she thought to herself.

“Ah, looks like you two had fun without us, huh?” Rui’s smirk could be heard in his voice and just like a cat, Nene jumped from her current position to almost all across on the other side of the room, her blush matching Tsukasa’s for being caught. Tsukasa stayed where he was, residual giggles leaving his mouth.

“Nene, you tickled Tsukasa?! No fair!” Emu pouted, though she seemed happy that they seemed to have a good time.

“Shut up..” Nene muttered, quietly, crossing her arms.

“Yeah, she got me pretty good…” Tsukasa sighed, the laughter and tingles finally leaving his system.

“I wanna tickle Tsukasa too!” Emu exclaimed, wiggling her fingers. Tsukasa only responded with a gulp.

“It has been a while, hasn’t it?” Rui pondered, almost as if he was feeling nostalgic.

“It’s only been two days!” Tsukasa squawked, panic and anticipation in his face, but before he could say any more, Emu was already tickling him, Rui following shortly after.

Idiots, Nene thought, as she smiled and decided to join in.

[highfantasy-soul]

So can I talk about Kemen for a sec?

His character is so frustratingly compelling to me because everything he does, I want to hate his guts and see him get his just deserts soooooo badly, BUT there's this little part of me that can't write him off as a Joffrey.

He's the victim of incredible amounts of abuse.

Does that excuse his actions? Hell no. But he's not just some maniacal evil villain who's sole interest is in himself and his own comfort. Joffrey had a loving parent. He was doted on by his mother and all his wants were fulfilled. Kemen doesn't have that.

His mother clearly died when he was a child and his father dangles connection to her in front of Kemen as a 'reward' for going above and beyond in his tasks - the current one being the wrangling of those faithful to the Queen, and manipulative abuse as a response to failure.

We saw back in season one, Kemen was desperate for his father's approval - wanting his father to see him as clever and intelligent and at every turn, his father insults him and makes it clear he views Kemen as far beneath him.

Kemen isn't maniacally sadistic, he's a very real product of alt-right rabbit holes egged on by hateful parents. He does what he does not because he just enjoys causing pain, he does it because he thinks he's being smart, he thinks he's being clever, and those who don't think like him must not be as smart, clever, or deserving of respect as he and those who think like him are (as modeled by his father).

Kemen is so much more REAL than Joffrey. We SEE people like Kemen all around us. We see the effects of their actions. And then when we look at their home life/what went on in their childhood (and what's still happening to them) our hearts (at least mine) breaks for them. Their actions are indefensible, wrong, and they need to be held to account. But no one just springs from the womb a bigot. A path led them there, and a lot of the time, that path was one of a lot of abuse and manipulation (even if the abuser wouldn't label it as such) that's still ongoing.

Kemen is one of those characters you wish could be removed from his situation and taught differently - that there is an actual chance he COULD change. That's what makes him so different from your run-of-the-mill villains. His actions are the vile and fascist, but we watch his father prod him to it and his violence stems from humiliation.

Understanding that, I think, is a step toward cutting off the alt-right before it can grow. Attack the root - desire for acceptance and fear of humiliation and worthlessness. But in the mean time, what do we do with those who commit violent, fascist acts? It's a question we have to grapple with in the real world and because of these topics it's raising, the stuff on Numenor is one of my favorite sub-plots in The Rings of Power.

[cozage]

A few people have asked…

So here’s the 2.5 things that I didn’t love about the OPLA

[SPOILERS FOR OPLA BELOW]

Again, just to reiterate: I LOVED the Live Action. It was beautiful, lovely storytelling. Everyone involved put everything they had in it and you can really see that.  But there were some changes that I didn’t think were justified, and they were both in Arlong Park.  

1. The Cocoyasi Village Residents genuinely hating Nami. In the manga and anime it’s very heavily implied (and maybe outright said? I can’t remember) that the residents of Cocoyasi Village are AWARE that Nami is trying to save their town. They only act like they hate her to try and get her to stop sacrificing herself. I’m not entirely sure why the call to change that was made, but it made me really sad the way Nojiko treated her in the OPLA (especially after seeing the moment in the manga where she tells Nami that “tattoos are just decoration; they don’t actually mean anything!”). A lot of the decisions to cut scenes with young Nami and Nojiko (and just young Nami in general) really took the punch out of her backstory. 

2. Garp and Koby meeting up with Luffy in the East Blue. I actually REALLY loved the Garp/Koby/Helmeppo storyline up until the last moment. I think it added to the world building and showed us very early on how the World Government is morally questionable and how the world operates. It also helped close the gap of how Koby and Garp got to know each other and how he falls under his command. I really enjoyed following them along for the ride. Until Cocoyasi Village. There was something about that moment that felt…off? I don’t even know why. Maybe it was because Garp has NEVER approved of Luffy being a pirate. He knows Luffys resolve, but he would never say “I was testing you to make sure you wanted this path” and then basically grant his blessing. I know there had to be some kind of resolution between them, but I didn’t like the way it ended. I wish it had been more like the Water 7 moment. Garp felt far too serious the entire time (the only time i really remember him laughing was when Luffy fired the cannonball back at the marine ship).

Impel Down spoilers

2.5 This is so small but we KNOW that Buggy cannot travel without his feet (unless I’m misremembering?). He has a range and cannot move out of it. So his head hitching a ride to the Baratie is just so canon-breaking it HURT ME. I know it’s unlikely we’ll ever make it to Impel Down for that to be a problem (I genuinely think Skypiea would probably be the last arc the LA could cover, but Water 7/Enie’s Lobby could be done if the budget was big enough) but it just BOTHERED ME. WHY. WHY DID THEY DO THAT. I know there’s ways to fix it (maybe he can’t MOVE after a certain range, but can still be carried?) but STILL. 

That’s really it, honestly. I know a lot of people had gripes about Usopp and Syrup Village, but I liked the changes. I never felt like Usopp was overshadowed (plus, background character is the way he likes it honestly, keeps him away from danger). I liked that Kaya was so welcoming and a part of the bigger storyline, and I loved the way it took place in the mansion instead of on the beach. I was OBSESSED with the way they did the Baratie, Sanji’s interactions, Mihawk's reasoning for going to the Baratie, and how he left Zoro and Luffy. 

I. ATE. UP. the zolu content during the Baratie and Nami/Zoro sibling dynamic really coming out there. Oda approved the absolute BEST changes during Baratie specifically, hes so real for that. 

I’m going to watch it again with my family, maybe I’ll feel differently after I rewatch.  Again it’s imperative you guys understand I ADORED this show, and I NEED a season two IMMEDIATELY. It was fantastic and if you haven’t watched it, go do that right NOW. 

[seraphtrevs]

As previously threatened, here are the BrBa-only characters' love languages (BCS can be found here)

Walt - acts of service It's kind of like his entire identity! He is intensely uncomfortable with people expressing themselves with words, like when Flynn was telling the reporter how great he was. Part of that was the hypocrisy of accepting that praise was a little too much even for Walt, but in general he seems uncomfortable with mushy words. He prefers actions. But I think this is mostly outwardly directed - he's not looking for someone to do something for him, because then he would owe them. His acts of service are as much about control as they are genuine expressions of love (and it is both - I'm not on the Walt-is-incapable of love train. He loves! It's just toxic and destructive!)

Jesse - words of affirmation Jesse's face lights up every time Walt says something even vaguely approving to him. He also reacts very negatively to being told he's stupid - he takes words to heart. I'm sure his parents let him know pretty often how much of a disappointment he was to them, so he needs reassurance of his worth. Too bad no one gives it to him :(

Skyler - quality time Skyler was big on having Hank and Marie over often. She made sure her family ate their meals together. Which is why it was so painful to her when Walt withdrew from their lives - she wants time with him, which she believes she is running out of because of the cancer, and all of a sudden he's gone all the time?

Hank and Marie - gifts From Marie's shoplifting to Hank's minerals, they are both people who clearly enjoy stuff. Marie in particular places a lot of feeling in objects - like the diamond baby tiara was such a silly gift, but you could tell she just felt so much love for her sister and her sister's baby that she had to get something spectacular to show it, even if she had to steal it. Skyler is not a gifts person at all so she is just exasperated by the gesture even before she knew it was stolen

Flynn - quality time He also just wants time with his dad. He's really close to Hank because Hank takes a big interest in him and is seemingly always taking him out and enjoying his company. I disagree that Walt was a terrible father before BrBa - he and Flynn seem to have a pretty good relationship - I don't think Flynn was lying when he wrote this. So just like for Skyler, Walt's sudden disappearance from their lives post-diagnosis really hurt him

[yenabeans]

this is for my previous reblog doing the Baldur's Gate 3 Companion!Tav Ask List 👀👀👀

this was so fun to write, I highly encourage giving it a try with your beloved tavs/durges. I'd like to see what this would look like with my completely separate evil durge Melantha, but this is Kate's

I did every one for my girl because I had time to spare, that was fun and challenging. Not completely accurate to my AU, but still fun nonetheless to wonder what would happen if she was in that timeline. Enjooooy ⏬️⏬️

if you want me to elaborate on any, pls let me knowwwww I love talking about Kate.

for notes going in, she's paired with Astarion and Raphael

General

1. Where can your Tav be recruited?  Are they first encountered on the Nautiloid, or in the Nautiloid crash region?  Or are they not recruitable until a later act?

A. Her first appearance would be in Act 1 when Raphael teleports the PC to the House of Hope. She wouldn't interact with the PC, but she could probably be seen eating at the table or watching from afar in the inner balcony. She would later be recruitable in Act 3 in Sharess' Caress only if the PC accepts Raphael's deal.

2. Do the other companions have special comments or reactions upon recruiting your Tav?

A. They would most likely be wary and more on the untrustworthy side of her in the beginning given her devilish background. Given that though, they wouldn't help but feel an overpowering charm come from her that compells them to trust and listen to her.

3. Does your Tav have any comments or advice when you recruit other companions?

A. She's good at reading people (and their minds) so she would give her honest opinion based on wether the companion would be helpful or a hindrance.

She's wary of Shadowheart. Keeps her distance from Lae'zel. Has respect for Karlach and Wyll, and enjoys conversations with Gale. She adores Halsin and isn't too fond of Minthara.

4. What sort of general actions raise or lower their approval?

A. This will be a long one. Despite her history of being in the hells and around Raphael, she's actually pretty good aligned, to an extent. She'd sacrifice 1000+ people to save one animal any day of the week, so she's no saint. But usually, she'll try to do her best to help all she can, so good deeds will gain her approval. But above all else, how animals/creatures are treated dictates how she thinks. Pet a cat? 5 approval easy. Help an animal in need? +10 every time. The same is 10x worse if actions are taken against animals. Any help to a person who has a history of harming animals/nature, she'll disapprove of (or worse). Even if said history happened a long time ago. Other things she would disapprove of are being blatantly rude for no reason, especially to people who are genuinely kind (like Alfira for example).

5. Are there any instances where your Tav can permanently leave the party, depending on player character actions?

A. Like I touched on in the last question, animal treatment is her biggest thing. If the PC were to cause any harm to an animal themselves, she would permanently leave or even start combat considering how bad the action was. Yes she would get Raphael involved, enjoy that fight

6. Do they have any secrets that can be revealed?  What are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light?

A. She has a pretty dark past, and unironically, her back is full of scars and brands that she keeps hidden away as well. She wouldn't openly talk about her past to anyone unless they were romantically involved, so unless that happens, it is unlikely.

Other than that, she has some pretty insane powers given to her from Raphael/the crown. But she wouldn't use them unless absolutely necessary, say the party is about to be obliterated. She would swoop in and save the party before then

7. Do they have their own personal quest that spans the course of the game?  Can it take different branching paths depending on the choices the Player Character makes?

A. Honestly, probably not too much since most of her time is spent in Avernus/the rest of Baator. In my AU, the Crown of Karsus is already in their possession so it doesn't really align with the BG3 timeline. Unless it's changed in this case and the crown was stolen from her and Raphael rather than Mephistopheles and the deal is for the PC to return the crown to the rightful owners 👀 Help her finish taking over Baator and maybe you'll get rewarded handsomely.

8. What do they say when the Player Character asks them to stay in camp?  How about when the Player Character asks them to come adventuring again?

A. Staying: "Wonderful, I will be with Scratch and the Owlbear if you need me. If I am no where to be found, call my name and I will find you."

if she's not with the animals, she's back in Avernus tending to Raphael lmao

Joining (space in party): "My flames are yours. Lead the way."

Joining (no space): "Your group is too crowded. My wings need space to stretch, so lose someone already."

9. Does your Tav have any escalating conflicts with one of the other companions, like Lae’zel and Shadowheart’s knife-fight?

A. She would keep to herself and mind her business as long as everyone respected nature. If they want to kill each other, she would silently watch from afar. In my AU she's also paired with Astarion so she'd be in his tent minding her business. (and about him and the previous animal quarrels, she makes sure he only feeds on her or enemies. or the companions, whatever baby wants)

10. Are there any unique NPCs associated with your Tav that can show up during the course of the game?

A. She deeply respects Halsin to no surprise. They have never physically met before, but they have spoken together through his meditations or her telepathy. And through the animal's gossip. She was deeply elated to finally meet him and the grove she heard so much about. Raphael is another obvious one. He would pop in from time to time to check on her and get updates. Her and Haarlep have a fun potential interaction with the PC *wink*

11. Are there any moments in the game that trigger unique dialogue for your character? (Like Gale’s anecdote about the barfight after you save the goblin prisoner) 

A. She would probably have some dialogue in the circus, especially with the caged displacer beast and dinosaur. I also think she would help the party talk down Nessa from the fight with Yurgir and get the eagles to give back the nest without the unnecessary killing. Pretty much anything animal related, she's there.

Story Specific

1. How does your Tav advise the player character when it comes to the Dream Visitor?

A. Much to Raphael's influence she would stress not to trust them and be very wary that they do not have the players best interest at heart. Trust in her and Raphael, they are your saviours.

2. How do they advise the player character on Raphael?

A. During the first interaction in the HoH, she would just sit there watching the player silently grinning, no doubt. Later in Act 3, if the deal is accepted, Raphael offers her to the player to aid them along (and to keep an eye on them. Korrilla needs a break sometimes)

She would sing his praises and urge them to trust in what he says. If the Player fully intends to take his deal, great. She'll play along and help. If the player intends to break into the house and break the contract, she'll be there waiting.

3. How do they react to Astarion biting the Player Character?

A. She keeps a close eye on things to make sure the player doesn't attack him. If the Player is drained and perishes, she'll express her disappointment in the spawn and prompty revive them before Raphael has a chance to know what happened.

4. How do they react to the Player Character letting Abdirak whip them?

A. She would probably keep her distance, since seeing that would potentially bring up some bad memories. But her best friend is an incubus and her lover is Raphael so she's pretty unphased to the sight by now.

5. How do they react to the Player Character taking their first tadpole power?

A. She would be fascinated and would enjoy watching the new powers in action. She would comment on how it must feel to have so many worms crawling around in their brain. (she is not tadpoled)

6. Will they stay with the Player Character regardless of siding with the goblins or the tieflings, or is it possible for them to leave the party permanently?

A. Hmmm she's not recruitable until Act 3, but she is definitely watching them from the beginning, so it would definitely have a big impact.

Siding with the tieflings would obviously be the correct path to get her recruitable. I think if the grove was betrayed, she would throw a Mephistopheles sized fit and most likely talk Raphael into killing them, but since that's not a plausible game choice, it would probably continue how the game is without her. But the later interaction with Haarlep would only result in a fight, as she would be there. (this is touched on in a later question)

7. What can they be found doing at the tiefling/goblin party?

A. Like Korrilla, she would be there keeping an eye on things. She would make sure the animals are tended to and being well taken care of after the battle.

8. Do they have comments on who the Player Character chooses to spend the night with? 

A. this is tricky with Astarion since he wouldn't really be a romance option with my AU. If the Player sought him out, she would definitely be listening in to hear his response.

Lae'zel she would joke not to get too crazy and kill each other

She thinks a night with Gale would be full of magic and an unforgettable experience

A night with Shadowheart would be interesting. She senses a lot is locked behind her facade, many deep conversations would be told one day.

She believes anyone would be lucky to be with a gentleman like Wyll, he's devoted, sweet, not to mention the dancing.

Her and Karlach would have an interesting relationship. Rocky at first, for sure, given Karlach's hatred for the hells and devils. but I think they would be good friends after some conversations. Kate would be happy for Karlach finally having someone to hold and care for her.

9. Do they have unique dialogue if the Player Character lets them die when they steal the Blood of Lathander?

A. No, but I think Raphael would show up and chew the player out which is hilarious

10. How do they react if the PC licks the dead spider in the Gauntlet of Shar?

A. name any creature of the material plane or Baator and she will communicate and be best friends with it, but nearly any bug or insect and she will run away screaming. She is shuttering and judging the PC greatly from afar.

11. What do they say if the PC tries to force them to go up on stage with Dribbles the Clown?

A. She has prior history with circuses so she will have no trouble going up and entertaining! Until they try to kill her, of course.

12. Is it possible for your Tav to be kidnapped and replaced by Orin?  How is Orin's deception revealed?  How do they react to the PC rescuing them in the Temple of Bhaal?

A. I think that would be really interesting to write about, but I don't think Raphael would ever allow that to happen. If for some super off chance it did happen, Orin's deception would most likely be broken by her mannerisms, she's very dog like in how she acts/stands idle, etc. Always tilting her head/ears in directions of noises. Alerts to squirrels/small animals passing. Her ears and nose also wiggle a lot, and her tongue has a mind of its own. She will pant if overheated. The tail is always wagging. I could go on

13. How do they react to the PC either allowing Astarion to ascend or convincing him to spare the 7000 spawn?

A. Again, this interferes with my timeline in the AU. They were alone when facing Cazador. Plus, Stari becomes a full vampire without ascending in mine 👀. based on the game, though, if the PC was there and they had control, she would be relieved to see him stay a spawn and incredibly proud. But would be intimidated/greatly upset to see him ascend and take Cazador's place and would probably leave him.

14. How does Tav react to the PC becoming a mind flayer?  Can they offer to become one themselves?  Does their reaction change if they’re romanced?

A. She wouldn't treat them any differently, appearances change just as hers did when she used the crown for the first time. She would defend them against Raphael's disgust.

She would not offer to become one, as Astarion and Raphael would both probably leave her lmao.

If the PC did enter a romance with her, she would still love them the same and would be open to the joys of the new appendages. But she would greatly miss their old self. Hopefully, Haarlep could help with that.

15. How do they react when the Dark Urge first reveals their amnesia and murderous thoughts to them?

A. She is no stranger to dark thoughts, her mind is her greatest enemy. Her thoughts are not of bloodlust but they always convince her that she is incable of being loved, ugly, not good enough etc. She knows it is not the same as their thoughts so she can't understand how exactly they feel, but she greatly sympathises with them.

16. How do they react to the Dark Urge killing Alfira?

A. She's heartbroken, honestly. She had high hopes and respect for the bard. She is furious at first for the murder, but (depending on the durge) learns to accept that their thoughts were too loud. However, if the durge acts upon their urges with pride, she is less to forgive, and the disapproval would be piling up.

17. If romanced, how do they react to the Dark Urge trying to kill them in Act 2?

A. More similar to Astarion's reaction. Her urge is to help. She'll likely use some magic to restrict their movements until their mind has quietened down. She would remain by their side, gently talking and trying different grounding methods with them.

Romance

1. Is your Tav a romanceable character?  Are there any specific requirements to romancing them?

A. It would probably be a quick fling or just another method for her to use to secure the contract in getting the crown back. Though, the more the player shows respect for nature, the harder she will fall.

2. Does your Tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the PC themselves if approval is high enough?

A. She will not make the first move, no matter how high approval is. She is in relationships already, so she only uses her charm if it's necessary. The PC would have to provoke the first move.

3. Are they a polyamorous or a monogamous option?

A. She is polyamorous

4. Do they have a special romance scene at the tiefling/goblin party?

A. Nope, since she's just there to spy at that moment.

5. Does the romance have different branching paths, or just one route to take?

A. If the romance did get serious, the PC probably has the option to stay in the palace in Baldur's Gate or they could take up residence in the House of Hope in Avernus. Or they could travel to and from like Astarion does.

6. How do they react to the player character breaking up with them, or choosing another character over them?

A. She would be a bit surprised to be broken up with honestly. She always has people flaunting over her, never breaking off from her. She would be curious to the reason why but respect the decision in the end.

The same goes for choosing someone over her. Though, her mind will tell her she wasn't good enough and that she shouldn't be surprised no matter the reason given.

7. What questions can Zethino ask the PC about Tav in the Love Test? 

going all out in this one

Question 1. Out of all the creatures in the realms who were or still are, which are her favourites?

Answer 1 (wrong): oh, that's easy. Humans

Response: Is that supposed to be a joke? Please tell me that is a joke.

Answer 2 (correct): she seemed pretty fond of the hyenas and cattle.

Response: You are quite perceptive. I adore those creatures very much. Though best to adore them separately for safety reasons.

Answer 3 (correct): she favours and cares for all creatures, no matter where they are from. Or how dangerous..

Response: I could not think of a better answer than that. You know me perfectly well, it seems.

Question 2. In the time a battle arises, what position would she take?

Answer 1 (wrong): She hides in the back while we do the hard work.

Response: Hilarious truly, who was it that saved your arse last time again?

Answer 2 (medium): The frontlines, she does most of the fighting for us.

Response: Sweet as that is, it is hardly fair or true. Everyone does their equal part when the time arises.

Answer 3 (correct): If she can't talk the battle down, she plays both offence and defence. Whatever part we need.

Response: You flatterer. It is an honour to fight alongside you when the time comes.

Question 3. Behind all power and authority, there is vulnerability. What does Kate fear most?

Answer 1 (wrong): the day that devil will betray and kill her.

Response: You are projecting, darling. Raphael does not stand a chance against me.

Answer 2 (correct, but disapproves): Seeing an animal get brutally killed would shut her down pretty quick.

Response: Are you serious? Yes..but did you have to be so blunt about it? You have no idea the pictures you just put in my head for the next week.

Answer 3 (correct): Seeing harm come to anyone she holds dear.

Response: That would destroy me. That is why I will protect the ones I love with everything I have until the day I die.

8. If they’re poly, do they have a reaction to the PC engaging in a relationship with Halsin?

A. She is allllll for it. Just please invite her. Please

9. How do they react if the PC has sex with Mizora? The Emperor?  Haarlep?

A. Mizora: she would be disappointed. Are you really choosing another devil over her??? She would joke about it more than anything though, no big deal

Emperor: don't worry, sign a contract with her and she'll keep this a secret from Raphael. Do you really want to sit through that lecture?

Haarlep: oh Haarlep, I've been waiting for this one. It depends on the choices the PC has made. Sooo:

Betrayed grove: sorry, no play time with Haarlep. They are both awaiting your arrival into the boudoir to kill you.

Accepted deal, here to break contract: she is all for indulging, have your fun with Haarlep, she'll even join if you wish. But make no mistake, she will gladly join Raphael when it's time to kill you.

No deal, here to steal hammer: pretty much the same as if you accepted the deal, but with different dialogue as Kate would not have been recruitable this path.

-Bonus- Accepted deal, not here to break contract, just here for a good time: she'll laugh at your ambition, breaking into her home and all. As long as you don't touch anything besides her and Haarlep, she'll gladly keep this little escapade a secret from Raphael. (she has her fingers crossed, though, but you don't know that)

10. Will they join in with the PC and the Drow Twins, or no?

A. Respectfully no. She'll let the PC have their fun with them but she will use the time to get some work done in the Devil's Den.

11. What are Tav’s plans for the future?  Do they propose to the PC, or is marriage not something they’re interested in?

A. If the romance develops into something real and the contract is fulfilled, marriage is totally an option. Raphael might even allow them a room in the House of Hope as they take over the hells.

12. Free space! Share anything from your companion!Tav au!

A. quick summary of my AU timelinethe way my timeline works is that Astarion got tadpoled and escaped from Cazador. but instead of waiting on the beach, he fled and ran as far as he could until he ran into Kate. He just wanted her blood at first but it developed into real feelings which terrified him. After opening up to each other, they set out to Baldur's Gate to confront Cazador. Before that though they knew they had to figure out what Astarion's scars said when -poof- they meet Raphael for the first time. They take care of Yurgir, Raph gives them the answers and they set off to the city. All is well until the devil realises he can't get that annoying mutt off his mind so he follows them and watches their journey as she frees Astarion, he makes his move, bang bong boom now they're all in love. Kate managed to sneak off to Cania with the help of Haarlep to weasel her way in to get Mephistopheles to hand over the crown. what can I say her charisma is like 30 or something lmaooooo

a lot of details were left out but that's the basic basic gist. a lot of its probably not accurate to real dnd lore especially around her relationships with some of the archdevils but it's my world. this was so fun to write, I've never actually written her story like this before

Bonus: might throw in some greetings based on approval 👀

Low Approval Greetings:

"what in the hells do you want."

"to what do I owe the displeasure?"

if she didn't speak, she would just begin to grab her sword and glare until they spoke

Medium Approval Greetings:

"Raphael is over there, please go see him instead"

"speak plainly"

"hm?"

High Approval Greetings:

"oh, hello. Can I help you with something?"

"there you are, yes?"

"come to chat, have you?"

Exceptional Approval Greetings:

"oh, I was hoping I would get to see you today"

"you cleared my clouds away. What can I do?"

"you always make me smile, please speak to me"

Romanced Greetings:

"hello, you. come to me"

"I am most delighted to see your face. Now let me hear your voice"

"say the word, and I am yours, my love"

[bengiyo]

Bed Friend Ep 2 Stray Thoughts

Last time, Bed Friend surprised me with his much more there was to this than just two dudes having sex on a table (looking at you, Check Out). Uea is a mess from the abuse his mom inflicted upon him, and decided to punish himself after a drunken encounter with King. I don't think King should have had sex with Uea in those circumstances. I love Jade, and am anticipating Middleman's Love now.

Do cars not come with spare tires in Thailand??

I'm really gonna need King to stop locking himself in rooms with Uea.

The way time moves in Thai BL is so weird. The sun was up when they left work, but now it's after dark.

I don't like Uea's mom. I'll probably say this a lot, but I hate the way she talks to him and expects him to give her money.

Okay, I admit I really like these two getting tested after that encounter. I've been catching up on Gay OK Bangkok, and I'm sure the TestBKK folks will be curious about this. They're even committing to masks in a hospital.

Big fan of them going through a questionnaire separately and Uea asking follow up questions. This is really important. Thai LGBT people have some of the highest infection rates in the world.

Why are we taking the masks off??

I'm glad they're negative, but I'm fairly certain HIV wouldn't show up in a blood test for a few weeks at least from the encounter they had with each other? I suppose it would have given either a chance to make immediate choices about an exposure, even though King reminds us he used protection.

I am glad we got to see a small smile from Uea about King. Sometimes these shows don't do a good job assuring the audience that traumatized characters are actually enjoying someone pursuing them because they are acting as if they don't like the attention.

Net's eyes are so big.

I think it's good for King to speak plainly about his relationship history and his feelings on sex with Uea before leading into a proposition.

I really don't mind them being fuck buddies, but, like we saw on The Warp Effect with Kat's partners, I think both of them have feelings.

This action is not HR-approved, King.

I really like the Jade character for Yim.

I also like nepotism as a plotline in a workplace show.

I'm not surprised Uea is making mistakes at work. I suspect he's working all the overtime and not going out with folks because he has to send so much money to his mom.

I'm gonna need the fashionistas on here to talk about Uea's outfits, especially these purses.

I'm a fan of the way King is trying to establish trust with Uea.

Oh, I do like the way the entering the condo scene was shot.

Crotch touching in BL? It's more likely than you think!

I like Uea pushing King back on to the couch, redoing his buttons, and then undoing them. I got that he's asserting that they will proceed at his discretion.

James has a very nice body. That was actually pretty hot.

Drama with Pock next week, and some possessiveness from King!

[panda-puma]

I'm a little baffled by your post about the one piece anime, because while I would also recommend people read the manga instead, it still is a vastly more accurate adaption than the opla? like, opla is lovely for what it is, but oda being involved in it doesn't change the fact that they took huuuge liberties that the anime just... doesn't? which is perfectly fine for an adaption, I'm just mentioning it because it sounded like you were focused on the character dynamics, which are just... vastly, vastly different in the manga AND anime vs the live action. I'm thinking about Nami and Sanji in particular (and Usopp as well to a degree), who all kind of feel like watered-down versions of their actual selves (Nami isn't greedy enough, Usopp not cowardly enough, Sanji... well, I'm not saying Sanji being different is a bad thing asdf). Again, perfectly fine for an adaption that doesn't mean to adapt its source material beat for beat, but it just leaves me really confused over how the opla is possibly a more faithful/a better adaption than the anime? Which, as far as I can recall, has severe pacing issues, annoying fillers and leaves out things like the cover stories, but still sticks waaaay closer to the actual story and dynamics as they are in the manga.

(First of all: you can like the Anime. As I said before, I've watched the entire Anime 3 times this last year. But you can enjoy something and still know it's flawed. Very flawed, even.)

Uf, I will try to make this as short as possible xD If i sound dry or "angy", sorry, English is not my first language ^^

What baffles me is that most people really think the Anime of One Piece is a faithful 1 to 1 adaptation, or that everything on it is canon (except the fillers), or that Oda approves the changes they make. For context: it was very common in the 90s/2000s to just take a manga that was doing good and make an animation that took the characters and story and did whatever they wanted with it. One Piece is not the only victim of this treatment.

I respect the animators and Seiyuus, they do their jobs good and are what makes the Anime enjoyable. But I really can not understand the Directors and the changes they decided to make to the characters (and this applies to the whole series, not only 20 years ago).

The changes you see in OPLA are necessary to translate a drawing (Manga) to a series acted by real people. Also, condensing 95 chapters of Manga in 8 episodes and trying to bring the essence of the characters to the screen, translating Japanese funny gags to an International Audience and also having the input of 25 years of Oda thinking "huh, maybe this could have been explained better" it's obviously going to make things change.

The Anime has none of those excuses. It's also a drawing so no need to tone down, supposed to have the same Audience (even tho they really tried to make it for little kids and it shows), they clearly don't have an issue with the length of the series and they don't ask Oda for nearly any of the changes they make!

Pretending Oda being involved or not doesn't matter is just so weird to me. You know all One Piece characters are Oda's OCs, right? He is the original creator of the characters. He knows them better than anyone else. He knows where the story is going, what is acceptable, what is on character and what is not. Just because they are very famous characters it doesn't mean they are not someones Original Characters. He loves them and cares for them. Not respecting him as the only one that can say something is canon or not is completely disrespectful and dehumanizing.

About watering down characters in OPLA: again, they are real people acting the characters. In the Manga they are exaggerated to a comical effect that wouldn't translate as comical if it's real people who do it, it'd just be weird. That's because it's different mediums and different audience. But the core of the characters is very present, just less cartoony. On the other hand, the Anime reduces the characters to just this comical effect, taking away nearly everything else of the characters, making them just gags.

Answering to the specific points you make about OPLA:

Nami not being greedy enough: Nami's greed before Arlong Park Arc is just her trying to save enough to free her people. We don't really see her greed until after she is free. We haven't reached this point yet in OPLA, apart of her wanting to dress nice and enjoy a bath.

Usopp not being cowardly enough: they can not spend 5 minutes of an 50 minute episode showing him screaming around or running away. But they did show him running as first reaction in Kaya's Mansion, twice. They showed him wanting to go back home after encountering Garp. He does say cowardly things all the time, like wanting to leave, stay on the Merry, not fight the Fish Men, running away the second Chu payed attention to him… It's just less cartoony. They are also not showing inner dialogue of the characters, it's just shown by their acting.

Sanji not being a pervert: Not only is Sanji's perversion waaaay exaggerated in the Anime, to an unpalatable degree, it's also a very Japanese Funny Gag that wouldn't translate good to an International Audience. Sanji in the Manga has, on top of everything else, a friendly relationship with Nami. He can talk to her like a human being. They are friends that can agree or disagree without drama, that join forces to fix things very often and act very calm around each other unless something "special" happens and Sanji is lovestruck, but even so, he usually comes back to being normal pretty fast. Of course he likes her and he is attracted to her, but he also sees her as a person... unlike the Anime. This translated to into the Live Action to a man that tries to flirt and has no success, but that can take a no as an answer without being offended. Also, Oda probably wanted to show on the Live Action that the real reason Sanji is on the crew is no other than him following Luffy (that is also a thing that the Anime waters down: Sanji's dedication to Luffy)

The main point is: yes, OPLA is an Alternative Universe where things are shown a bit differently, but the core of the characters is the same. You see them and you see real people, just like in the Manga.

And let's see about the faithfulness of the Anime... just because the Arcs are called the same and things kind of happen the same, it doesn't mean it's a faithful adaptation. The most important thing in a story is the characters and how they interact and react to the world. These are just some differences between the Anime and the Manga that I can think of off the top of my head, just from the East Blue Saga. (without any particular order)

-- Zoro's real backstory (Manga) is that he had been in the Shimotsuki Dojo probably since birth, practicing his 2 Sword Style and only starting the 3 Sword Style to carry Kuina's Soul with him. [((spoilers from Wano: now we know Zoro is also a Shimotsuki, so he was training in his family's Dojo. It also explains why Koushirou gave Kuina's sword to Zoro so easily: they are family, and Zoro would carry the Shimotsuki name to the top of Swordmanship))].

Zoro's backstory in the Anime is completely changed to make it look like he is a random funny kid that came out of nowhere and one day appeared in the Dojo. His signature 3 sword style is also made like he just "wanted to use as many swords as possible".

I don't think it's very necessary to explain why this changes are just... terrible for the character and continuity.

[Edit: the following is not correct! Check the reblog for the correction :D] The Anime also makes Zoro's departure from Shimotsuki Village like something he planned to do, saying goodbye to Kuina's Grave and Koushiro… when in the Manga he literally tells Luffy he was kicking pirates out of his village and he got lost and didn't know how to get back. [/end of incorrect part]

Changing Zoro's character at every turn is something they love to do in the Anime.

--

Usopp in the Manga wants Luffy&co. to meet Kaya, because he cares about her well being. He wants her to make new friends, to be able help them and feel useful doing it. Usopp knows what Kaya needs is contact with the world and tries to bring it to her.

Usopp in the Anime is jealous and secretive of her. He doesn't want the others to go meet her, even knowing they are good people. He'd rather have her to himself.

This is a fatal change to the character of Usopp. He is a kind hearted lovely man that wants what's best for his friend... but the Anime just shows a jealous asshole.

--

In the battle against Cabaji, Zoro cuts his own wound, so his opponent can't use it as an advantage anymore.

In the Anime, he lowers his defense on purpose and lets Cabaji cut his wound.

The first one shows how far he can go to prove himself, also shows he is not at all worried because he doesn't consider Cabaji up to his level. I'm not sure what the second one is supposed to show apart from "children can not see self-harm".

--

Also in Orange Town in Manga, Luffy is fighting as much as possible against the cage he is trapped in, biting the bars. And afterwards he is very worried asking Zoro to leave him and not carry him or he will get worse from his wounds. In the Anime he is just surprised that Zoro can carry him like that. He doesn't really fight his predicament.

The Anime usually shows Luffy as an uncaring friend, which is sad when he is a character that cares so much and has so much empathy.

--

In the Manga, Zeff cuts his own leg and eats it to survive after giving all the food they have to Sanji.

In the Anime, Zeff lost his leg because it got caught in the ships broken pieces, and he had to cut it to survive. (i guess he survived 80 days thanks to the Holy Spirit or something) (again with being palatable to children)

--

In the Manga, the first encounter between Tashigi and Zoro is brief, Zoro gives her back the glasses and carries on (even tho tilted by her looking so similar to Kuina).

In the Anime, Zoro breaks Tashigi's glasses with the shock and she proceeds to be the meanest person ever insulting him in many ways (isn't she supposed to be a good person?) and forcing him to work for her to pay her glasses back, even tho she has no need for the money.

The Anime shows Zoro as a pushover, when in reality he is not. He was "pushed over" by Luffy out of the blue because it is Luffy, not because Zoro would let someone random do that to him. This type of "Zoro gets messed up easily by anyone" is very repeated through the Anime, taking away the importance of his relationship with Luffy and the other few he pays really attention to.

--

In the Manga, Sanji wants to be famous and have his face seen in the Newspaper. That's why he gets mad when Usopp is in Luffy's Wanted Poster and he isn't.

In the Anime, he is already a famous cook. We can see it in one of the many filler in Loguetown, where another cook has been wanting to surpass him for a long time.

[((spoiler of Whole Cake Island: This collides directly with how his Wanted Poster makes his bio Family looks for him to use him, after knowing he is still alive.))]

--

Also in Loguetown, in the Manga Luffy goes directly to the place Roger was executed.

In the Anime they make him get lost a hundred times for comical effect. He also meets Smoker, Buggy and others on the way… taking away all the surprise.

--

In the Manga, Zoro and Luffy are pretty confused with Sanji's romantic reaction to Nami. They don't get why she's getting special treatment. Zoro even wonders if she bewitched him somehow.

In the Anime, as soon as Sanji starts flirting with Nami, Zoro gets irritated and Luffy gets uncomfortable.

In the Anime they try hard to make Zoro have a romance with any girl that shows up, adding reactions that are never present in the Manga.

--

And well, a huge one that needs more elaboration, because it is the core of the Manga: Luffy is shown observing and judging situations and people constantly. Every time something is happening that shows the true nature of people, he is specifically shown paying attention.

In the Anime this is translated as him being an empty headed kid that barely thinks or cares about anyone. He is a shell of a man, who only repeats that he wants to be King of the Pirates...

--

This is a very tiny list of examples that explain themselves without going into extensive detail…

I can go on and on about more changes that make no sense or change characters personalities, but if I do, I will dedicate its own blog to it to not clutter this one. I need bigger posts to explain the changes I see in dynamics between the characters xD

And as I said: if all of these changes were approved by Oda, I would be happy to accept them. But sadly they are not.

So to me, the One Piece Anime is just a fan-made adaptation that takes too many liberties. Or, as Animes are really considered in Japan: just advertisement for the Mangas.

On the other hand, OPLA changes were approved after negotiations and struggles and years of back and forth. Oda was very invested in it, trying to really show his vision and his world as good as possible. That's why i consider the Live Action as a faithful adaptation of the story.

Of course you may not consider these things important, but they are for me. In the end, you are free to enjoy One Piece as you wish! ^^

Anyways, thanks for reading so much! xD This ended up not being short at all, but i controlled myself as much as possible, i swear uvuU

[fullofvexation]

A lil something for everyone! :D Haven- A13, K6 Nona Paloma- A2, L2 Roka- F2, C8 Kittiwake Tern- F11, B9 Edmond Du Bogue- A24, D4

Ahh thank you for asking about my characters!!! Yippee!

I'm putting a readmore here cus there's a lot of them! Anyone who reads all of these you're my new bff now I am weeping and crying

Haven

a13. Does your OC have any phobias? If so, where did they come from?

Haven is terrified of getting wet and water! He's an undead guy who was mummified when we has first killed, and he's very afraid that he'll start to rot if he gets wet. He doesn't know how to swim and avoids boats and any sort of water at all costs.

k6. Does their paranormal aspect cause issues in daily life? If so, how do they feel about it?

Even within the fantasy world where he lives, Haven is "paranormal" in that he's undead, and looks like a desiccated corpse. This causes him issues in his daily life because the undead are generally feared and hated, so he's always hiding that, mostly by wearing clothes that hide the huge hole in his chest and a mask that hides his lack of eyes. He's got complicated feelings about his situation, but generally dislikes it. He's very aware that he's ugly and monstrous, and still trying to decide whether he is a monster or not, and generally struggles to accept his situation.

Nimona-Paloma Charrata aka Nona

a2. What alignment are they? Chaotic neutral, lawful evil, et cetera…

Nona is chaotic neutral! She generally acts this way due to being deeply and consistently out of touch with what is normal and acceptable, and what's going on in general. She is offputting and nosy and generally just does whatever she wants, in a way that's very childish and clueless.

l2. What do you consider the biggest themes in your character, if any?

Nona's whole concept is based around the idea of an NPC suddenly granted PC-style capabilities and agency. She spent her whole existence standing outside her house asking passersby to help her with tasks before suddenly acquiring magical powers and getting thrown into the life of an adventurer. Nona's main themes are being a fish out of water and needing to learn how exist as a person! It's tough to know how to be someone when you've never had to make any choices for yourself or interacted with anyone in a meaningful way.

Roka

f2. What’s their ideal home look like? Where is it?

Roka's ideal home is the one she currently lives in with her wife and daughter! After losing everyone she knew when her community was destroyed and a series of pretty traumatic events in the fallout of that, all she wants is her new start, and in this case, that looks like a little house with a few apple trees located in a small village.

c8. Is your OC more practical or ideal morally?

Roka is a deeply practical person. As a young woman, she was raised to be a priestess in a death cult and did things out of a deep sense of moral righteousness. When she realized her goddess wasn't real and her religion was a manipulation tactic to convince people to sacrifice each other, she fully threw all that out of the window. She became someone who twists her morals to achieve her goals, and is convinced that her goals justify her actions, even if those include being cruel or manipulative or violent.

Prof. Kittiwake Tern

f11. What are some of their favorite things to do for recreation?

Kittiwake Tern is a stuffy and proper man who's sense of fun has been generally shredded by years of being in academia (and being the pawn of a malevolent arctic being). In his free time, he likes to read books that would be impressive to people if anyone asked him what he was reading, and drink tea (if he's having a good day) or brandy (if he's having a bad one).

b9. What kind of humor does your OC like the most?

Kittiwake Tern does not approve of humor in general, though he does enjoy a well thought out play on words, or any sort of comedy that's appropriately literary.

Edmond Du Bogue

a24. What are some of your OC’s biggest personal obstacles?

Edmond wants to be a folk hero knight, but he's a sheltered 20 year old rich boy who's leaving the house for the first time. His biggest obstacles are that he has zero experience with "real life" (or anything else) and that it isn't much like all those novels he read growing up. He's working to get that experience, though sometime, he isn't sure he really wants it...

d4. Would they like to be immortal? Why, why not?

Edmond wouldn't particularly like being immortal. He's very concerned with his life and practical problems, and the idea of being immortal would absolutely stress him out to an impossible degree. Edmond is a very small fish who is just now realizing that he's in an ocean, not a pond, and the last thing he needs right now is for the scope of things to get bigger and more complicated.

[jiangwanyinscatmom]

hi

I'll start this by saying you can ignore this ask if it's too annoying bc valid

but I just saw some absolutely bullshit takes when I was scrolling through mdzs posts

some people claimed that:

- jin guangyao and wei wuxian are the same and both killed for revenge so if wwx isn't evil then jgy can't be either (I- excuse me??)

- jgy did so much good for people and wwx just........ saved some wens (lmaoo???)

- jgy killed nmj out of self defense (ok so why did he keep coming back and acting nice playing/poisoning him for probably weeks if not months then????????)

- (this one is just crazy) wang lingjiao was just some poor commoner woman who couldn't fight back so wwx is awful for what he did to her

....

I'm sorry am I the crazy one here because these takes sound straight up INSANE to me like did the people who wrote it read the same novel I did??

"wwx stans are so hypocritical how can they say my baby's evil while they stan this cruel murderer who doesn't let his corpses reincarnate :((((" bitch????

I'm fairly new to the fandom and I can be wrong so can you tell me if I'm missing something (I doubt that i do tbh) but you seem very sensible and I just needed to get it off my chest

I'm not even saying people can't enjoy characters that are evil/morally gray bc some of my faves from other works are just that... but if you have to pretend these characters are some saints who didn't deserve what they got and drag down the main character just because you're salty then I don't think you like your "fave" all that much tbh

I hope you don't mind me ranting in your askbox, if you read my message then thank you for your time! Have a nice day! (I hope I didn't ruin it too much haha)

Hello anon! No I don't mind at all for this, rant away if you need to as I make my inbox open for it.

As to the idea that Wei Wuxian are similar, in terms of their status they had been born to, yes. But that's about as much of their similarity as they get. Just as how Jiang Cheng and Lan Wangji are literary mirrors due to similarities in circumstance, but not mind or ideals. Yes, Wei Wuxian did kill in revenge, but he never denies this. He fully admits to this unlike Jin Guangyao, who continues to say he had no choice but to kill those that wronged him. The difference there is that, Wei Wuxian had been tortured, his guardians killed cruelly, his own sect almost was decimated by the ones he killed. Where as with Jin Guangyao, he killed many that endangered his political position or, verbally insulted him in some way. Between the two one's actions of revenge was foremost for the ones that had been wronged. For Jin Guangyao it was concerning his own ego.

Jin Guangyao never did anything for the common people. We are told several times in story that Lan Wangji, and the Lans are the outliers for this sort of thing. The watchtowers are nothing more than a repainting of the Wen's Advisory Offices and keep in mind, it was still under the approval of Jin Guangshan that they even were created. From a Jin Guangyao who wanted to please his father foremost. He also burned down a brothel of prostitute women, where in that, shows he cares for commoners of his own background?

A scum of a person, can be human and sympathetic, but it does not change that they themselves are in the end selfish, cruel and manipulative. That's what makes them terrifying, they use that sympathy to cause more hurt. Wei Wuxian never holds others hate of what he had done as unfair, just that he would not take rebuttal for what he never did and stands by what he did. Jin Guangyao never takes any sort of responsibility towards the ones he drags into his schemes and continues to say he needed to with no sympathy for the ones who had been innocent, saying that he should be the one pitied and forgiven.

You can like and enjoy an evil, just don't paint it as a saint when that is what the very work is against and criticizing. We are told that Wei Wuxian is meant as an ideal of morality, who this is still argued about and he is labeled "morally grey" and "just as wrong as the others" is just wrong from a literary and plot point of the book.

[loosingmoreletters]

TW- SA

Hey I'm sorry if your seeing this 2 times im not sure if it went in the first time cause the wifi wasn't working properly😭😭

Can you do a fic where wei ying was sa'ed by some wen soldiers before being thrown into the burial mounds set during the sunshot campaign. after he cones back as the yilling patriarch they captured one of the soldiers who sa'ed him and interrogate him,the soldeir makes comnent on wei ying and they(nie mingie,jiang cheng,jin ziuxunl,lan xichchen) find out and they confront him about ,but hes nonchalant about it.They also end up finding about his lost golden core.

Sry if its too uncomfortable❤ don't do it if it is💜

The prompt, if I wrote that all, would be more the 10k type of fic, but I hope you enjoy this scene! Also are you the anon who sent the other dark fic prompts??? My guy (gnc) I continue to be curious why you picked me of all people for them.

CW: derogatory language, mentioned past rape, WWX is dissociating pretty hard but the POV character doesn’t realize

Lan Xichen stared at the boy—the man his brother loved and found Wei Wuxian look at their captive like all the vile comments he was spewing were beneath his notice. He sounded bored of them, his expression not dissimilar to the one he used to wear at the Cloud Recesses, paying no attention to Lan Qiren’s lectures. This only seemed to enrage the Wen General more as he shouted, not stopping even when Jiang Wanyin demanded he ceased his lying. If not for the silencing talismans in the room, drawn by Wei Wuxian, quicker with his blood than anyone could procure ink, you’d be able to hear it at the other end of the camp.

Lan Xichen isn’t sure how to take control of the situation again. He’d gone because they needed someone to play Inquiry in case the prisoner died, Jiang Wanyin was there as the Jiang had long since staked claim on every Wen from Wen Chao’s posse, their blood was Yunmeng Jiang’s right to spill. Nie Mingjue could hardly be left out of the interrogation of such a high-ranking Wen soldier and excluding the Jin, even when Jin Zixuan looked like he might lose his breakfast any moment now, was a political nightmare waiting to happen.

And yet, the nightmare happened anyway, Wei Wuxian standing impassively as the soldier spoke of acts so depraved that Lan Xichen wished they were nothing but a taunt.

“Are you done?” Wei Wuxian interrupted finally.

He moved past his sect leader, hardly seemed to notice Jiang Wanyin at all, even when his martial brother reached for him. It was, Lan Xichen realized, as if none of them seemed to be there for Wei Wuxian. In the corner of the room, a shadow flashed red. It had to be one of Wei Wuxian’s brides, they never strayed far from their master, even when unseen. It should disturb Lan Xichen that even at the camps they surrounded by barriers, Wei Wuxian’s ghosts slipped in and out and yet—

“You’re nothing but Wen Chao’s whore, good for a quick fuck—”

The soldier hadn’t finished his sentence before the bride in red had her hand to his throat, bloody fingernails digging into his throat, squeezing it just hard enough to leave the man choking.

“I asked if you’re done,” Wei Wuxian repeated, his voice lacking all inflection. “Where are your troops stationed?”

“You—”

The bride in red squeezed harder before letting go of the man’s throat to pull his head back by his short hair. She grinned, teeth as sharp as blades, looking proud of herself, like a child endearing herself to her mother, waiting for Wei Wuxian’s benign approval of her actions.

The soldier spat at their feet. “You won’t be able to stop them, boy. You’ll be left begging again.”

Wei Wuxian tilted his head. “I didn’t beg then, I had no need to, unlike your Master when I tore him apart.”

Lan Xichen hadn’t been present for Wen Chao’s murder, but the stories following his execution hadn’t been kind. If even the least of the brutalities the soldier had tossed at them was true, it was understandable why Wei Wuxian would’ve lashed out so much at Wen Chao, if it was not just to avenge his sect, but also the hurt dealt to him personally.

“Besides,” Wei Wuxian continued, seemingly unbothered. “All Wen Chao did to me? Do you think the dead did any less? They repaid any hurt twice over and I told you what I’d do to you when I returned.”

And then, the soldier’s eyes widened. He wasn’t given the chance speak as the bride in red plunged her hand into his throat, effortlessly ripping it out. The solider choked, once, then drowned in his own blood.

“Be good and quiet now,” Wei Wuxian said, sounding faintly as if he were echoing another’s words. “Your screams are ruining my mood.”

The soldier’s corpse dropped to the ground and Wei Wuxian’s bride left it to return to her master’s side, handing off him like one would imagine a living bride, clinging to… not her husband. Someone she’d be less shy around. A sister perhaps, someone who might have understood.

“Wei Wuxian—”

Jiang Wanyin reached out, but when his hand touched Wei Wuxian’s shoulder, the other man pushed him away. His eyes widened and, though Lan Xichen hadn’t realized it before, it was as if a fog cleared in them. Wei Wuxian’s gaze drifted to the corpse he’d left behind and all neutrality of before washed away by pure horror. He took a step back, then another, a next one, and rushed from the room in a panic.

Jiang Wanyin didn’t even hesitate, chasing after his martial brother without another look at the slaughter behind him.

“Xichen?”

Lan Xichen tore himself from the empty hallway and faced Nie Mingjue. “I’ll play Inquiry,” Lan Xichen said and settled on interrogating the spirit. It hadn’t been torn apart, though had Wei Wuxian thought of it, perhaps he would’ve done it.

Out of respect for the Jiang Head Disciple, Lan Xichen never allowed himself to ask, is it true? All you did to Wei Wuxian?

It wasn’t for him to know.

[shera-dnd]

I'm deeply sorry for coming off a rude. I was simply angry at the author for being a creep.

I also want to assure You that I didnt create an alternate account but simply logged in from another device.

My first point of clarification is simple and involve both contextual and steteotypical takes regarding lesbians and lesbianism.

Varvara's being established into women only from the get go sets in motion this harmful belief that lesbians can be turned by right guy and his dick. Considering said scene is also rife with indirect mockery of her feelings for Kyouka I personally find that disgusting (both the slap and the smitten eyes).

And I can assure You that the author knew what he was doing, because there were a great amout of comments consisting of subtle and overt jokes regarding lesbian conversion etc.

My second take revolves around Yuuki's latent desires and the way in which they shape this reward. To clarify once again, he knew how Varvara felt about Kyouka and approved of that, yet he indirectly selfishly demanded her to strip and to give him a kiss. Plus also a sexual act implied by the bonus mini chapter. It is indicated that these actions were forced on Varvara by him by him being totally passive and not into them at all.

So I, once again, view these scenes not as something positive but as a form of "wholesome" conversion. Not overtly creepy, but with this underlying messages that lesbians can be turned by a right guy.

And thank You for the linka - I've already contacted both organizations and am now simply waiting.

And this is my question: are You okay with the other same-sex attracted characters in Mato Seihei (Yakumo, Yachiyo and Ema)?

Look I assumed this was an alternate account because it has no posts, no follows, and no likes. Which is profoundly sus, my dude

Not gonna argue on our interpretations of the scene, because I genuinely don't see what you're seeing and if we keep this circular conversation we're getting nowhere

as for everything else

I wasn't aware the author made any fucked up comments and if so then he can go die in a fucking pit

and well if those are comments made by fans then ugh. Yeah no that's what I get for enjoying this manga, I have to share space with fucking creeps and weirdos, and I hate that they feel validated by this bullshit

and on that last point

Yakumo is like genuinely the worst and is shown to be a fucked up pervert

I don't remember when Yachiyo was shown to have any sort of attraction for women, unless you consider her "driven by sisterly love" thing to mean she wants to do a Citrus with her sister

and uh I forgot Ema existed

so yeah no this manga isn't exactly doing wonders on the queer rep, but also like NO SHIT

like seriously if a manga or anime isn't explicitly about queerness then the chances of it having queer rep are microscopic

Which fucking sucks and shouldn't be that way, but honestly did we really expect Chained Soldier of all series to break that trend?

When My Hero Academia is over there killing a trans character a hand full of chapters after she's introduced, and then killing its bi character moments after she has her love reciprocated by another woman

When JJK keeps throwing its female characters into the blender for drama

When One Piece fans would rather start a fight than use Yamato's correct pronouns and recognize him as a man

When the bar is set so low the Devil is playing limbo with it

Yeah it sucks, but let's be honest here, Japan has much MUCH bigger problems with queer people and there's far more pressing shit to deal with

All our times are better spent helping queer people in need than arguing with people online

[bloodiedrogue]

6 general, 17 story specific, and 2 romance for the tav companion asks!

ahhhh, thank you <3 i've been dying to gush about my new gal.

6. do they have any secrets that can be revealed? what are the prerequisites for this secret coming to light?

slymáre definitely likes to keep her nobility a secret. not necessarily because they're awful people, but because oftentimes she's immediately perceived as weak due to the nature of her upbringing. so, a lot of the time when asked about her family, she usually just gives minor details, focusing more on their characters rather than their titles.

she's also very adamant about hiding the identity of her patron due to nature of his actions, as well as how known he is. because she's a more chaotic-good aligned individual, she finds it quite difficult to process some of the things she's done for him. resulting in a lot of underlying guilt.

to reveal the latter secret, the player would find out her patron during a camp cutscene where she's seen secretly communicating with him at the edge of camp. depending on the player's choices, this would either result in sylmáre telling you more about her quest line and what it is she needs to do for her patron or leaving the party all together due to high intolerance of judgement.

17. if romanced, how do they react to the dark urge trying to kill them in act 2?

sylmáre would definitely be angry. due to knowing what it feels like to have a lack of control over your body (her patron often possesses her in order to check in), she'd do whatever it takes to make sure the player is comfortable. as well as keep them company, she'd try to remind them of all the good in them. relaying all the various times they enjoyed each others company; making sure they know that despite the violence that she still feels safe around them. anything to bring them back in the calmest way possible.

2. does your tav need to be flirted with to start the romance, or will they approach the pc themselves if approval is high enough?

the player would definitely have to flirt with her. not because she's oblivious per se, but because she tends to steer herself clear of romance thanks to her patron. he doesn't like distractions and in the past has often forced her out of potential relationships, claiming that she's his and his alone. which obviously causes some unfortunate conflicts.