#but to the characters themselves IN living in and reacting to it

[brynnsasha191]

“Rhaenyra's own fans will turn on her”

I’m thinking about Emma’s interview where they outright reject Rhaenicent, this is the first time they have ever done this and I can’t help but wonder if it’s because they’re aware of how fan’s were reacting to Rhaenyra’s character.

Actors don’t live in a bubble, they have access to social media and their PR teams would make them aware of public response.

So Emma would be made well aware that Rhaenyra was losing fans to Jace, her indecisiveness to avenge Luke was turning TB against her, no one was interested in supporting a Queen who didn’t actually want to be Queen etc.

Hell all they’d need to do is check out the dislikes for the Dragonstone scene on YouTube to know just how much the general audience appreciated the Rhaenicent reunion that just a few months ago the writers were bragging about being something fans were dying to see.

It’s probably why they asked for Rhaenyra to use a sword in S3, so she can actually do something other than stand around complaining whilst the men take charge.

If the writers do try to prioritise Rhaenicent over Jace I can’t see Emma supporting it, 2x08 was ironically enough Nyra’s saving grace because she demanded a son for a son, but like previous anon said, if she turns around and chooses Alicent again fans will drop her like a hot potato.

I've honestly decided I don't like Emma or Olivia that much. They are fabulous actors but alas. I firmly believe that Olivia never actually shipped Rhaenicent, and every time she mentioned it and interacted with Rhaenicents had nothing to do with shipping them. I had a conversation with @atopcat about this a little bit ago. Olivia only faked liking rhaenicent because it kept her popular with that portion of the fandom, and then when people were completely done with that and Alicent lost her fan base, Oliva backtracked and started to disavow the ship, by saying she was portraying Alicent like 'she wanted to spit in Rhaenyra's face' and stopping interaction with those fans.

Emma on the other hand was neutral on rhaenicent and didn't mention it much but then when Olivia/Alicent lost their fanbase, they started completely rejecting it in an attempt to save themselves from Olivia's fate. I don't trust Emma or Olivia with writing shit anymore. Emma was responsible for the queer baiting that was the kiss with Mysaria. And Olivia was responsible for the Rhaenicent meet ups. Hot take: actors shouldn't be able to just ask for a scene because this stuff happens. I know Emma is just trying to save their job but it still feels tacky to me

They are both clearly doing damage control. Because Emma probably does know their characters carelessness for her sons is more important than a badly written and toxic yuri ship. Rhaenyra's popularity has been almost entirely transferred to Jace. Because Jace can actually make decisions with crying and throwing a two episode tantrum over it. As the previous anon said, do you know how incompetent you made your leading lady if you left people preferring her 16 year old son over her??? Rhaenyra started losing fans the second they butchered Luke's death, just wanting Aemond's head, which she changed her mind about, when in the book she wanted all the greens dead. She lost more fans when she basically spat in Jace's face about him not wanting to dragonseeds. What finally stopped the leak was when she said a son for a son, which was the first time Luke had been mentioned in a couple episodes.

In the Sept scene in KL, Rhaenyra mentions Luke literally once and not nearly as ferociously as Book!Rhaenyra would've.

I wish I could say I believe the writers and actors will wise up and stop this but I honestly don't. I wouldn't put it past them to completely double down on it and have Rhaenyra chose Alicent over her babies. Hopefully, Emma could see how disliked that is and stop it but idk.

Here's a friendly reminder for the writers: the love Rhaenyra had for her babies was well written in s1! She loved them with all her heart. I have no idea why you changed that for Rhaenicent!!! Go back! Rhaenyra loves her babies. Don't ruin Jace's death the way you did Luke's

[blindtaleteller]

tags again.

Ok friends, this has bugged me for awhile now so help me solve it.

In LOTR we're giving two contradicting depictions of Elves and their horses: the Glorfindel approach and the Legolas approach.

In the Glorfindel approach, we're told through various references that he rides Asfaloth with a saddle, stirrups, and reins.

While in the Legolas approach, we're told instead that the "Elvish way with all good beasts" is to ride them with none of these items and direct them solely with the spoken word.

So how do we square these, friends?

Extra points if you give me your unhinged headcanons about this in the replies/tags. I want to hear all about those.

[sangrefae]

just two little guys burdened with the weight of an impossible task borne by their paternal figure's deepest fears, eventually leading to them being corrupted by the pressure of those expectations ❤️

[dykedvonte]

I feel like THOSE parts of the mouthwashing fandom would absolutely explode finding out that stuff like blood Meridian has a goofy fandom too

I think it’s less that the fandom is goofy and more people think people goofin around or with the sensitive subject matter don’t get the themes or plot or just avoid thinking about it.

I know a lot of people do but like it’s a fandom. People are gonna do weird or crazy shit and I just think we should use the block button more than openly inciting harassment towards something you don’t like vs trying to bring awareness to genuine problems. There is overlap but sometimes what people are saying or how they are going about it is a little crazy.

Then again I’m not used to how people talk about things on sites like twitter or in very popular spaces so maybe this is like normal there.

[arkiwii]

Gravel talk got me thinking, do you self-insert as the doctor or do you see them as separate from you the player?

When I'm reading the story where the Doctor is present, I tend to read it from their point of view - so the way I'm feeling will very likely change depending on them. For example, I will feel confused at the start of the story because of amnesia, or scared when in danger... Which made the whole reading part with the Preserver really exhausting in Lone Trail, because I was very much having a mini breakdown from just reading it xD

They certainly are a separate character, with their own backstory and such, and I don't want to say that I am the Doctor. But reading things this way helps a lot for immersion and general understanding to me!

And so about Gravel... Well I haven't read Near Light (I PROMISE one day I will I was just too busy when the rerun dropped, and I haven't read Maria Nearl neither so I was not going to understand anything), but when reading her dialogues, it does make me uncomfortable. Because well, it's just like she's talking to me when I read that, even if she's talking to the Doctor. I don't know how the Doctor feels like at the moment (because well, on characters voice lines they are rarely replying or interacting), but I personally feel uneased.

But funnily, even if I read the story like if I am the Doctor, I tend to not like to think I'm interacting with the story too much. I prefer to see myself as a witness of everything happening rather than playing a huge role. I do have a Doctorsona, and I do enjoy imagining interactions they could have with different characters based on my own experiences with the game (and just as I am obsessed with Liberi, so they are). Basically, see my experience reading the story as a huge roleplay in my head, where I am trying to stay in-character, all the while knowing that the Doctor is their own character.

[butchriptide]

Urges to script out a small comic piece as a partial rewrite/reimagining sort for arc 2's epilogue, versus the fact that I will likely never actually finish it...

[not-poignant]

I'm not sure if you've answered this before, but I've read a lot of your work, and Efnisien has kind of become a favorite of mine and seeing how he's developed in AUs like FFS and UtB have you ever thought about how he might have developed had he not died in Game Theory?

Also, how do think the versions of Efnisien, Augus, and Gwyn in Canon Fae Tales, FFS, UtB would react to each other if they ever met or were made aware of the other's existence?

Hi hi anon!

I've answered this before but probably quite a while ago, while writing Falling Falling Stars in particular.

Tbh, Efnisien would have developed in Fae Tales by becoming more evil, and more depraved, and more awful. He was and remains to me a completely irredeemable character who was so cruel even Crielle thought it was extreme.

If Fae Tales Efnisien ever met any other version of Efnisien, he'd murder him. He'd probably torture him first and laugh about it, while grinding into his revealed organs. His heartsong has been Joy/Glee, simply because he loves cruelty and evil that much. He's like a pure distillation of someone who just doesn't need anything else if he has a knife and a squealing victim.

One of the challenges of writing Spoils of the Spoiled was how to make Efnisien more believably human and give him a back story that justified that. But Fae Tales Efnisien doesn't have that. He wasn't brainwashed or conditioned into being evil, he tried killing someone within about two days of being alive and loved inflicting pain from the moment he was born. Efnisien's response to meeting anyone from any other universe would be to torture and murder them. And probably laugh at them and mock them. I don't think any version of a human Efnisien would have much of an opportunity to do much more than be horrified, scream, and then die.

Imho, to me Fae Tales Efnisien and human Efnisien are two kind of different characters who look the same and have family members with the same names. But their upbringing was very different, and their capacity for compassion is different (one for example, has a capacity for compassion, the other doesn't).

Also, how do think the versions of Efnisien, Augus, and Gwyn in Canon Fae Tales, FFS, UtB would react to each other if they ever met or were made aware of the other's existence?

I'm never quite sure how to answer stuff like this otherwise. Augus would see a human version of Augus as food. I don't even think he'd truly recognise the similarity otherwise and just be like 'how unfortunate for you that you're a vulnerable delicious sack of meat who looks like me, by the way are you vegan by any chance.'

Gwyn likewise looks down on humans as like...interesting but largely annoying creatures that he's glad to have nothing to do with, and I think he'd consider any version of his human self to be weak in nature. I think he'd find a peak alpha Gwyn obnoxious and kind of laughable sldakfja

I'm not generally writing characters with a view that they should ever meet versions of themselves, but like, Augus and Gwyn are varying degrees of 'loathe humans' to 'don't care about humans' on the spectrum.

I think of Gwyn and Augus met Lone Wolf Gwyn and Augus that would be interesting, but I also think they'd mostly just... semi-get along and think something was very broken with the world if they ever met, and probably be like 'we should fix this because this should not be happening and we should not be meeting each other like this' lol. I think canon GT Gwyn would find Lone Wolf Gwyn too soft-natured and a bit spoiled but post-TIP Gwyn might find his life fascinating, and Lone Wolf Gwyn would probably have a different reaction depending on whether we're talking about pre-GT Gwyn, GT-Gwyn, post-GT Gwyn, post-COFT Gwyn, TIP Gwyn, or post-TIP Gwyn because...I don't like my main characters to stay the same x.x

Thought exercises like this are ultimately baffling to me. The only one I know how to answer easily is FT Efnisien vs. human Efnisien because to me that is like two different characters meeting, and FT Efnisien is extremely predictable because 'be cruel, torture, and kill while having the time of his life' is basically his entire character aside from 'love my Aunt so much it's creepy.'

[firebirdeternal]

There is no hell quite like being emotionally obsessed with a character and their arc when that character is an OC you made for something and literally nobody else on the goddamn planet knows what the hell you’re going on about when you break down sobbing over it.

[ghostinthetumbchine]

i got spoilered about arcane ending and suddenly i dont want to finish it :(

[vault81]

Jack Cooke's Travel Log: Springvale - 17/08/2277

(prev) (next)

"First impressions of Springvale, it's a bit of dump. I mean it's not its fault, I'm sure a nuclear war would do that to any place, but I expected... more? more... recovery? more.. people! but it's just.. empty.. I wonder how many of these people made it to the Vault? if they were let in at all."

"There's only 3 'intact' buildings left in this entire town, well 3 buildings that don't look like a gentle breeze would knock them over. I also spotted what looks like a settlement to the south! must be this 'Megaton' Old Lady Palmer's logs mentioned! I'd guess its maybe.. an hour? an hour and a half walk? If he'd stop anywhere I'm guessing its there! I'll make my way over once I've had a look at this elementary school, If I'm lucky I can find some supplies there!"

"Well.. *huff* I.. *huff* didn't expect... *huff* there to be people in these ruins. They didn't even try and talk to me, they just charged at me! This one woman.. she... that look in her eyes.. I uh. I had to shoot her, shoot all of them.. It was self defence.. right? I... I.. didn't have any other choice right?! fuck I feel sick.. I think I'm gonna sit down for a while, then head to that settlement.. You know what? I was right, this place is a fucking dum-"

[anam-mana]

It fascinates me that Alistair gets lumped in with the “Chantry Boys” in discussions about Dragon Age Archetypes because it’s just. Very untrue. But it’s an idea the text actually pushes you to connect with in a way I think is purposeful.

This guy introduces us to the lore of the Blight by asking if we want “the chantry version or the truth.” If we ask if they’re not the same thing he smirks and says with some attitude “they rarely are.”

He sums up his religious beliefs saying he’s “not especially” Andrastian, and that “believes in the Maker well enough.”

He’s actually LESS religious than Zevran, who describes himself as fully Andrastian with a regular prayer routine in optional conversation branches.

The things that people use to categorize Alistair’s supposed “Chantry Boy” boy status all have non-religious motivations.

For example, the big one, his virginity, is because 1. He’s nervous around women, which is the gender he finds most attractive 2. He’s actually the youngest Party Member, being freshly 20 years old. 3. And most importantly, he correlates sex with love and was brought up to see them as requiring the other and so feels uncomfortable having sex without what he sees as “true love.” And he just hasn’t been in love yet.

Another example would be his reaction to the Urn of Sacred Ashes. He reacts with wonder akin to Leliana where many others react with a contrasting blasee attitude. Even the Andrastian Zevran.

But you gotta read between the lines here. Zevran doesn’t hold remains as sacred. He’s an assassin. So his prophet’s body is in that urn. It’s a body. The least remarkable and most mundane, perhaps even the hardest to swallow, thing she could ever be to Zevran is a corpse. Kinda takes the wonder out of faith for an assassin if she dies and rests just like any one else.

But Alistair is fascinated, in awe. 1, probably because the Chantry he doubts so much now has some kinda proof that something they said was true, unlike what he previously believed. 2, Alistair is WAY more patriotic than he is religious and we gotta remember that the Fereldans pride themselves on Alamari heritage, and Andraste was probably the most powerful and influential Alamari person to ever live. 3, he’s actually a giant history buff. He info dumps history on you often, with the memorized readings of whatever question you ask. If asked about the King and Loghain before the betrayal at Ostagar, he shows respect for Loghain’s service in the War for Independance, and knowledge of his tactics. And when speaking about his time in training with the chantry as a child, he says the education was actually what he liked most. And a lot of his gifts are things like replica soldiers, Fereldan historical things, maps, (along with his interest in magical artifacts but that’s for another day.) etc. Given his patriotism and love of learning history, yeah, the Urn is a big deal to him.

I have more things I could say, but really, I just find Alistair to be one of the most misrepresented by fandom characters. His character has a TON of subtext that challenges you to look beyond what others represent him as and the low opinion he holds of himself.

The perception of him as Andrastian and devout is one pushed on him by people like Morrigan (and others to some degree) who fights Alistair more like a straw man representing society than she engages with him as himself. She sees him as a Templar even though he left the order specifically because they abused him And he fundamentally disagreed with their practices, The Harrowing specifically being what pushed him to fight to leave.

There are, textually, two ways to interpret Alistair. Through face value aesthetics and symbolism pointing to association with the Chantry and by observing other’s opinion of him. Or through actually listening to what he says and watching what he does.

And it’s just interesting to me that a lot of people get caught in the trap of what he represents aesthetically rather than who he is.

[senseandaccountability]

HR department romance plots

I just… beyond the surface level of enjoying a new game with new relationship dynamics to explore, I really can’t feel much about the DAV companions or their romances.

They all just seem so disconnected from the story, from Rook (who in turn is entirely disconnected from all kinds of feelings because Rook is just Employee Of the Year), from the world, from themselves. I feel like Cole here, looking at them and saying in my gentle, fleeting voice: even the dwarves don’t really remember dwarves. It really feels like the interpersonal relationships are written by the HR person who sits with you as union rep to tell you that you should use a positive language, that "we are all simply employees here, it doesn't matter what title you have", give a little pep talk about teamwork and how to get the job done. That's what we're here for. Everyone's equal. We all want the same thing here, your boss is your friend. Have you tried talking to this person, see their side of things, mmmm? It's just... yeah, they're cute, all of them. But why do they like each other? Why do they want to be with Rook? Who are they even in relation to the world of Thedas, what do they believe in, what have they overcome, what do they hate, what sort of prejudices do they carry around? I have no idea.

And since I’m also replaying DAI again, I wanted to compare these romances to my canon romances in DAI.  With Blackwall, you immediately get a sense of attraction and a sort of flirting on his part that suggests this is something he falls into quite easily - “you know a lot about girls” to quote Cole - BUT it’s also something he really, really thinks he shouldn’t be doing now. Why? He is tied to the Warden plot, if you bring him along you get a sense of a man hiding shit but you don’t really understand what, and he still comes to see you (flying/climbing up your balcony wall idk) because he can’t step away. You get to tell him he’s a good man even though you know shit about that at this point, like with Anders in DA2 you can give your PC over to this passion/love despite knowing that there’s something off, something potentially harmful or dangerous. There is conflict, there are things that jar, that can even make you uncomfortable. 

Blackwall as a character is open and compassionate. He approves of mercy, shows mercy, he isn't judgmental of others. In sharp and delicious contrast Blackwall’s crime is vile. He isn’t bound by any sort of oath, he can back down, there is no greater good whatsoever in his actions. It’s inexcusable. And yet. YET. You can CONTINUE THE ROMANCE. He killed a wagon full of kids, THEN RAN AWAY AND LET HIS MEN TAKE THE BLAME and hates himself so much that he tries to become someone else by erasing his previous self from the face of the earth. You can still kiss him and tell him you want him to live and redeem himself. It’s fucking incredible to think about this in the light of Veilguard actually. Your LI, the child murdering coward. 

With Iron Bull you have the doubts all spread out on the table. He’s a spy, how could you ever trust him? He also doesn’t respond to your flirting, why the hell not when you hear through ambient dialogue that he’s fucking half the chantry, isn’t he supposed to be a fuckboy? But he’s fun, he’s a mystery, he’s got fascinating banter with everyone, he’s brought his found family along, he’s a Qunari who at least somewhat believes in the Qun - he’s got AMAZING conversations with Solas that characterizes Bull as deeply intelligent (and Solas as much more caring than he’d let on) and knowledgeable about surprising things like architecture. Cole, as always, gives us more insight into Bull’s mind along the way and even before the offer to ride the Bull, the idea of him has been through some adjustments. You change his idea about a lot of things and in return, Bull challenges your idea of him, your idea of the Qun, your idea of the world and possibly, depending on how you react to his romance, your idea of intimate relationships. The game’s writing allowed me to imagine a rather frumpy circle mage in her mid 30s reluctantly forming a friendship with this strange fellow, only to find herself very much attracted to him, only to find herself being cared for in a way she would never have let anyone do before simply because Bull told her that was the only way he’d be with her. This is how we’ll do it, are you in? Your LI, the service top Qunari spy who is terrified he’ll run mad without his belief system to dictate his actions. 

And Solas. I mean mythical love stories culminating in mythical endings aside, what I really fell for in this relationship was the refreshing dynamic not of enemies to lovers but of two souls just sort of connecting instantly during strange events, taking a few hard looks at each other and going oh shit it’s you, you get me HOW is it possible you get me when nobody else does? There’s so much external drama surrounding them, which is why I personally LOVE and ADORE how calm their internal connection actually is. They know, so early in the game, that this is it. You’re my home, you understand the bones of me, you ask questions no one else thinks of asking, you care about the world in a way I haven’t seen anyone else do. He is LITERALLY the only one who understands your Lavellan when they make her the herald, when she protests and they keep pushing and pulling and sing their song after Haven, and Solas is there to be sarcastic about it. If nothing else, I'd fall in love with that. And there’s this sense of impossibility from the very beginning, a sense of it being almost unreal because the first kiss is in the Fade, the second is in a frenzy where Solas goes from 0 to I LOVE YOU, MY HEART and then leaves and you know, you know how this is coded and YET - he seemed so wise and kind and sad, it goes like this, the fourth, the fifth. And even with this connection of souls, things chafe - he’s an absolute bastard about certain things, he mocks your heritage and you don’t know yet that it’s because a huge guilt blanket rests on top of him since thousands of years back, you can just argue back and receive his disapproval. He says it’s selfish of him to start anything with you yet he does - WHY DO YOU DO THAT, SAD EGG? Your LI, the ancient god of rebellion, treachery and lies, depending on the story. 

Even beyond my favourites, there are conflicts. Sera is A LOT (affectionate) if you're an elf, with Cullen you get a substance abuse story-line tied to his general dismay about his past as a really fucked up templar, Dorian has personal trauma and cultural prejudice he struggles with for the entire game, Vivienne is so complex half the fandom hates her and has very awkward and uncomfortable banters with almost everyone (save for Bull because he treats her like he would a tamassran), Cassandra is constantly challenged in her personal beliefs, very clearly reflected in her conversations with Solas and Cole has a whole personal plotline about deeply existentialist matters. What does it mean to be alive? Who is a person and who gets to decide that? He could have been a person, Varric says. Isn't he already? Does this unit have a soul? Not to mention that Cole functions chiefly as a speaker of truths, bringing a lot of complexity to the others. 

DAI is not perfect by any means but I feel like I know these bastards. I feel like my PC or even I could actively dislike some of them, because they are written to create dynamic conflicts inside and outside of their own arcs. I can write fic about them, I can imagine what they're doing during the events of DAV because I know them.

Because they are written like actual people in a world where some people have power over others and some people have been raised with a certain belief system and some people just have shitty takes on society, may they learn. 

[harmoonix]

🪄Dark Hour🖤

- Astrology Observations -

Having Venus in your 4th house can make you automatically to attract people with traditional values even if are not traditional yourself

Libra Risings can have it hard in relationship since their 7th house is ruled by Mars (Aries) which rules over war and conflicts

Cancer Placements can turn out to be manipulative if you do them wrong or if they simply just wake up and say 'lets be toxic today' and im not talking about all cancer placement natives

The dark side of a Venus in the 12th/Pisces Venus is that they tend to idolize their relationships/partners a lot, making a lot of scenarios in their head

Virgo or Cancer Venus may have a 'savior' complex in their love relationship, like trying to save themselves or trying to find someone who can save them

6th house Sun or Moon may have lots of encounters with animals, is like animals feel some kind of "calling' from you

Gemini/Leo/Taurus/ Venus may like to cosplay/playing the role of a character matches a lot with their personality

If you have unevolved Virgo Placements, you may hate when people disagree with you or when ppl come witn a counter-argument for you

Mars in the 8th house can get crazy if they don't get physical touch. Some might crave it and not have it 100% all the time

Moon in the 10th house feels like everyone is watching every single emotion of yours and may react to your sensitivity. You may get called 'over sensitive'

Moon in the 8th/12th house can struggle to talk about their feelings if they are surrounded by people with a toxic energy

Scorpio Moons can also struggle with 'feeling love' especially if they never experienced that properly. Don't press them to show their love for you early in a relationship let them feel safe first

Leo Chiron is a placement where they may nedd attention from others but not that type of "spotlight attention" rather just to be seen and understood by others

The dark side of Taurus Placements is that they tend to be very greedy and I talk here about their finances and money, of course if they are unevolved

Uranus in your 10H can make you change/switch your job more than once or twice, and can indicate having a confusing time with choosing the right job

Moon in your 2H can talk about 'working with love' and putting your heart into everything you do. You get rewards for your kindness

Unevolved 10th house placements can turn really materialistic if they have the chance, looking only for money and that's it

Capricorns are used to expect the worse in some situations since they have been thru multiple such situations in their lives

Uranus in Aquarius generation can be attached to technology 24/7. In love with technology, their phones are their world

Gemini and Virgo Moons are the first indicators of someone having anxiety/stress/panic attacks/overthinking

Pisces Placements but mostly Pisces Suns/Risings can use escapism a lot, trying to create their own reality in their head rather than living in the actual one

Scorpio Venus/Mars natives, some of their hidden fears can be betrayal/getting cheating on. This can possibly be one of the reasons why they can attach fast to people

Saturn/Pluto/Moon in the 8th/12th houses the planets become more dark in these houses, getting

Cardi B has a crazy chart because she has BOTH Jupiter and POF in the 7th house and is still still coming to the man who cheated on her??? (Never mind her Venus in the 8th house explaining everything)

A water sign in your 11th house can indicate you can understand people deeply and attach to them emotionally

Earth signs in the 1st house can indicate you tend to put a lot of pressure on themselves, being hard on themselves, criticizing themselves sometimes quite a lot

Mercury - Moon aspects natives can get therapeutic with other people, they like to talk about deep stuff with others and tend to share a lot from their live experiences

Jupiter in Sagittarius can be a good placement if you want to explore the whole world or just simply travel Jupiter can help you to manifest that

Jupiter - Mercury or Saturn in harsh aspects tend to be close-minded or afraid to open to new things/learning or knowing about them (I'm talking for the aspects generally not the people)

Moon or Venus at 5° or in the 5th house can make you have a baby fever more when you're young, like in your 20s. Wanting to be a young parent (this does not apply to all)

Mars or Neptune in the 11th house tend to attract people easily with their energy/personality. People get interested about you too

North Node aspecting Saturn in harsh aspects is not easy, actually is a very challenging position in your chart

North Node in the 8th or 12th house tends to live intense lives or have intense life situations, even near death situations

✨️🤍 Hope you all have a good Monday 🤍✨️

Harmoonix ✨️✨️✨️

[avelera]

I am literally so baffled by how so many people think the Viktor/Jayce separation in Arcane S2 was:

1. Rushed

2. Deserved, because Jayce ignored Viktor’s wishes and that’s what Viktor was reacting to

3. A choice Viktor was making, literally at all

Let’s go through these one at a time but they’re all related.

1. Yes it’s rushed. That’s because of time constraints per episode, sure, but forget that for a second. Viktor getting out of his goo cocoon and immediately leaving while still STARK NAKED is weird. It’s very weird. It’s meant to be a five alarm fire, red klaxons blaring, levels of really fucking WEIRD. The guy is LITERALLY NAKED he just walks out, barefoot, into the Undercity.

It’s weird and it’s meant to seem weird and indeed, inhuman, because that is not Viktor. Those are not Viktor’s choices. That is not who Viktor is. And the fact it is so rushed is part of the warnings, and meant to show us just how much something is very very wrong.

2. Tying into Point 1, if this was a real disagreement between Jayce and Viktor as we knew them through S1, Viktor would have stopped to get some damn trousers and shoes. I know it sounds like I’m joking but legitimately, there is no (or very little) conscious human thought going through Viktor’s head in that scene because a human being choosing to leave their partner of years over legitimate disagreements would have stopped to get fucking dressed before they left. That is not Viktor.

And to briefly launch into a defense of Jayce, he has spent literal years with Viktor doing science to address Viktor’s failing health. He knew about Viktor’s fear of dying. They’d both dedicated themselves to hextech in the hopes it would better people’s lives but the more selfish goal at the heart of that research for both of them was that it would save Viktor’s life.

Viktor only told Jayce one (1) time to destroy the hexcore and he didn’t explain why at all. Jayce didn’t know about the self experimentation. He didn’t know about Skye’s death because Viktor never told him.

Jayce spent years working on a cure for Viktor and in a moment of blind panic used their research to save his loved one’s life based on what 99% of his interactions with Viktor with one (1) outlier would have told him that this is what Viktor would have wanted, which was to live, and using their research to make sure he lives has always not only been on the table, it’s literally been the main focus of their overarching research goals minus one weird and unexplained thing Viktor said once while a zillion other things were going on in Jayce’s life.

Jayce using their research to save Viktor wasn’t a conscious defiance of Viktor’s wishes, it’s literally what 99.99% of Viktor’s wishes that Jayce knew about would have pointed towards. He was as far as he knew enacting Viktor’s wishes, the wishes Viktor had for years upon years. Without knowing about Sky, Viktor’s one request to destroy the hexcore was a weird and out of character request that had no explanation. It didn’t hold up when compared to everything else Jayce has ever known and experienced with Viktor.

3. Whew, anyway, the bigger point is that Viktor is a Hexcore puppet at this point so it doesn’t even matter if he had legitimate grievance against Jayce. He’s not leaving because of grievances, legitimate or otherwise. Viktor would never leave Jayce like that (or while STARK NAKED).

Literally in one of the last scenes we got that gave us a glimpse of Viktor’s inner life and motivations, he told Singed that Jayce would understand and stay by his side no matter his choices or transformations.

Singed is skeptical. But Viktor WAS RIGHT. Jayce didn’t even blink, didn’t hesitate at all to hug him after he was transformed so drastically. But my point is: real Viktor was actively worried about losing Jayce. Real Viktor would not take off like that.

And in one last defense of Jayce, I think the reason he just lets Viktor go there is that he has always respected Viktor’s autonomy.

Jayce notes in S1 that Viktor would often disappear without warning. He never tried to control Viktor’s movements. That’s what makes Jayce yelling at him for going to the Undercity so shocking to both of them in S1.

Jayce is also traumatized and shell shocked himself when Viktor leaves. He’s not prepared and he doesn’t argue. He doesn’t do what he probably should which is prevent Viktor from leaving (literally naked and barefoot!) because it doesn’t occur to him to control Viktor’s movements but also because he’s in shock.

But he really should because again, that’s not Viktor. That’s not Viktor making a conscious choice, that is another power and impulse puppeting what is left of Viktor, using his tenuous connections to his identity like his guilt over Sky and his/his + Sky’s overarching desire to help people in the Undercity.

It has nothing to do with Jayce. Jayce’s choices are not why Viktor is leaving. And the real Viktor would never leave Jayce under such abrupt and INHUMAN circumstances.

We are meant to be as alarmed and confused as Jayce was. It is a part of a pile of evidence that something is very wrong with Viktor and indeed, the Viktor we knew is not the one in charge of his actions right now. How much of him is even left in there is what remains to be seen, and if who he was can ever come back.

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Character Sheet Template

Basic Information

Name (aliases, nicknames etc.): Explain the significance or origin of their name. Do they have a story behind a nickname?

Age: How does their age affect their worldview and behavior?

Gender: How do they identify and how does that shape their experiences?

Place of birth: How has their birthplace influenced their personality and opportunities?

Residence(s): Where have they lived, and where do they live now? What does their living space look like? Describe their present accommodations.

Ethnicity: How does their ethnic background influence their interactions and experiences?

Culture: What cultural values do they uphold? Have they faced any cultural conflicts?

Occupation(s) or specialties: What are the specific duties or skills in their job? How do they feel about their work?

Socioeconomic status: Has their economic background influenced their opportunities and personality? Has their status changed over time?

Appearance

Defining facial features: What do these features say about their character? How would a friend describe them? An enemy?

Height, build, body type: How do they feel about their physical appearance?

Mannerisms and gestures: How do they express themselves physically? Are these mannerisms a result of their background, or personal quirks?

Style: How does their style reflect their personality or status?

Dress: Do they dress differently for different occasions? How do they choose their clothes?

Accessories: Are there any accessories they never leave home without?

Other visual features: Do they have scars, tattoos, or other unique markers?

Personality

Defining traits: List of traits and attributes. What are the origins of these traits? Have they changed over time?

Personality type: MBTI, Enneagram, astrological sign, etc.

Archetype: Which common tropes do they exhibit?

Strengths and weaknesses: How do their strengths help them achieve goals? How do their weaknesses hinder them?

Flaws: How do their flaws affect their relationships and decisions?

Beliefs and spirituality: Do they believe in a higher power?

Morals and values: What events shaped their outlook on life?

Hopes and dreams: What steps are they taking towards these dreams? What obstacles stand in their way?

Skills: Which skills are they most proud of? Are there any skills they wish they had?

Interests or hobbies: How did they encounter their interests? How do others react to them?

Powers (if any): What are the limits and costs of their powers? How do they balance them with “normal” life?

Intimacy: How do they feel about physical intimacy? Emotional intimacy? Have they ever been in love?

Tastes and preferences: How do their preferences shape their daily choices?

Fears, phobias, or prejudices: How do they cope with their fears? Have they tried to overcome them?

Contradictions: How do they reconcile these contradictions, if at all?

Pet peeves: How do they react when annoyed?

Habits and quirks: Are their quirks known to others, or are they hidden?

Focus and obsessions: When did they acquire this focus? Do their obsessions cause problems or provide solutions?

Possessions of value: What sentimental items do they keep and why?

Health: Do they have any illnesses or conditions?

What they like about themselves: How do these positive aspects help them in difficult situations?

What they dislike about themselves: How do these negative aspects create internal conflict?

What they admire in others: What traits or worldviews do they consider positive? What makes them notice somebody?

What they dislike in others: What traits or worldviews rubs them the wrong way, and why?

Relationships

Family or guardians: How has their relationship with family members/caregivers shaped their personality?

Found family (if applicable): What binds them together?

Pets: What are their pet's personalities?

Friends: How did they meet these friends? What are their strongest memories together?

Allies and enemies: How did they gain allies and make enemies?

Past and current partners/love interests: Have they ever been in love? Describe any partners through the character’s eyes.

Mentors and confidants: How have these figures influenced their decisions and growth?

Heroes: Do they have idols, or someone to look up to? Which behaviors or traits influenced them the most?

Trust: How did they come to trust or distrust these individuals?

Background

Upbringing or parenting style: How did their childhood experiences shape their current behavior?

Formative memories: Which memories are most vivid for them, and why?

Education: How do they view their educational experiences? What subjects did they find fascinating, and which did they hate?

Major life events: How have these events redirected their path?

External experiences: Have any world events, conflicts or changes affected them?

Accomplishments: What achievements are they most proud of?

Failures: How have their failures impacted their self-esteem and future decisions?

Disappointments: How do they cope with disappointment? Have they learned from it?

Motivations

Goals: What short-term and long-term goals drive them?

What do they want?: How do their desires align with their goals?

How do they try to get it?: What strategies do they use to achieve their goals?

What happens if they do/don't succeed?: How do they handle success or failure?

Internal conflicts: What are their inner struggles and how do they manifest?

External conflicts: Who or what stands in their way, and how do they deal with these obstacles?

What are they trying to hide?: Why are they hiding this aspect of themselves? How would they manage its exposure?

How do they wish to be perceived?: How do they work towards this perception?

What are they proud of?: How does this pride influence their actions?

What are they ashamed of?: How does this shame affect their decisions and relationships?

What do they regret?: How do their regrets shape their present actions?

What is their legacy?: What impact do they hope to leave behind?

Communication Style

Language(s) spoken: How proficient are they in each language? Do they switch languages in different contexts?

Literacy: Are they good with words, or do they struggle to get their point across?

Accent: How does their accent influence others' perceptions of them?

Vocabulary and cadence: What unique speech patterns do they have?

Common turns of phrase or catchphrases: Are they funny, morose, profane, etc.? How do others respond to them?

Emotional range: How does their communication style change with their emotions?

Body language: What are their most noticeable non-verbal cues?

Visual cues or “tells”: How do others read their true feelings?

Style of humor: What type of humor do they prefer, and how do they use it in various interactions?

Emotional range

How do they display and react to...

Affection:

Joy:

Sadness:

Fear:

Surprise:

Anger:

Disappointment:

Praise:

Criticism:

Irritation:

Antagonism:

Attacks:

Sources: 1 2 3 4 Writing References: Plot ⚜ Character ⚜ Worldbuilding

[elexuscal]

the longer i stay in fandom, the longer i think a huge amount of bad takes and discourse come from an... abundance of identifying with a character

to be clear, i don't think it's bad to identify with a character. far from it! i think that's part of what makes fiction so powerful.

and it's only logical people often attach to a blorbo because they're just like me, for real. a person will see some element of themselves-- their race, their gender, their sexuality, their hobbies, their family life, their specific flavour of neurodivergence-- and something just resonates. it gives them a way to explore and name this important part of themselves, a part they maybe didn't even know existed before it.

and everything is well and good until some split between them and the character shows up

because of course, no character, except an explicit self-insert written by yourself, will ever be a perfect 1:1 for your own experiences. so sooner or later-- maybe in canon, maybe in a fanwork-- your blorbo diverges from your lived experience in a huge way.

I think this is why shipping culture in particular gets so toxic. While it is by no means the only way to indulge with shipping, a significant portion is 'if i was in that character's shoes, i would choose X'. the fight becomes for your own self-identity.

but this gets expanded in other ways. a character who is revealed to be black when the majority of the fandom had just assumed they were white. or revealed to be queer, or maybe the 'wrong' flavour of queer. or fuck, even some more innocuous part of their backstory, one that's nonetheless so meaningful for SOMEONE, but now it feels like the story is saying, fuck you, we're doing something else

i don't know. i just feel acknowledging this perceived-attack-on-identity helps me understand why people react it what seems to be such outsized way to canon and fanworks alike.

at the same time, i think it's a really important thing to check in yourself.

it's nice, to see a character who you identify with. who resonates with for being like you. but it's also nice to acknowledge and appreciate the way characters are not like you at All. how great it is to get insight into this totally different lived experience. and to muse on how wonderful that recognition might be for someone who does have that background.