#can't argue with stupid

[shotmrmiller]

asking kyle if you've wronged ghost somehow because any time you glance up his way, his gaze is always on you and wherever you are, he's there too, his thigh a breath away from your hip. does he not trust you? your skills? yeah, you're a green boot but you know how to follow orders. know which way to aim your gun. (whenever you try to move away, attempting to keep a polite distance, ghost is quick to counter and step in that gap.)

kyle clarifies that ghost's not watching, he's marking. claiming. keeping you where you need to be- at his side, and nowhere else.

and yes, the others are aware. they all just know better than to say anything.

(your very first mission with us, ghost had sharply told you that you were to be with him. do ya not remember, doll?)

[dreadark]

so why is Luka obsessed with Hyuna anyway?

(mostly just trying to get my thoughts on Luka down before blink gone rewires my brain)

every pet human is extremely limited in freedom, but Luka's case is definitely the worst literally even his birth was by Heperu's design... he can't control any aspect of his own life, from his participation of ALNST (twice!) to what he eats on a daily basis

*translations all by whatafruit

humans have no power over segyein, and Luka doesn't even have any power over own his own body so what can he have power over, then?

other humans, of course

most obvious in round 5: Luka would've had an easy win even if he barely tried, but he goes out of his way to provoke Mizi anyway until she finally snaps... and he smiles as he's beaten

because this is his "power." he successfully manipulated Mizi into reacting, proving he has some control over the situation no matter how pointless it is in the grand scheme of things, this is all he can influence, so he makes the absolute most of it and this control is so important to him he doesn't care about his own physical injuries

it's Hyuna talking in this comic, but clearly reflecting Luka's own mentality

while for Hyuna it's likely just her love for singing and performing (whatever happens, they can't take this away from her) for Luka I imagine it's the ability to influence others from the stage (crushing his opponents, but also shaping his fanbase?)

...so back to Luka -> Hyuna

it’s mentioned more than a few times that Hyuna’s a really talented performer, but seeing their respective stat pages really drives it in

(think the “superiority test” Hyuna was put through relates to this also)

Hyuna doesn't seem to have been created in any special way like Luka was… she just has a natural affinity to performing. and that's enough that she’s considered a real rival to Luka—Luka, who was literally made for this, and put through constant hellish training on top (the pain of having your heart stopped...) to mold him into the perfect idol

to Luka… if he can’t dominate Hyuna, he can't even take pride in his own ability (that everything he's forced to go through amounts to something?). and power over other humans is all he has, so he needs to overpower Hyuna (also he likely admires Hyuna’s talents at the same time, which just adds to his twisted feelings)

so since his ability isn't enough... by making someone think of you, only you… that’s another way of having power over someone, isn’t it

“your life is mine” “I told you I only wanted one thing”

whatever exactly happened with Hyunwoo… well that certainly worked. both removing Hyuna's most important person and making Luka someone she can't not think of (oh and he doesn't seem particularly interested in Hyunwoo despite how similar the siblings are in personality? Hyunwoo was even the first to approach Luka, not Hyuna so it's likely because he doesn't have his sister's talents)

but you know how his intimacy(?) value for her is only 70% I figure that's because she escaped, so they could never actually face off onstage... maybe he's disappointed in her "wasting" her ability

what all this amounts to is that she did end up escaping his control, and he never even got to compete against her. so until he can somehow completely overpower her, he'll be obsessed with her

I wonder if this represents his final effort to that... ultimately, he values control over his own well-being, so if he can goad Hyuna into killing him, then doesn't that cement his power over her?

and maybe "saves" him from this hellish life too

kind of a tangent, but I really like how their designs contrast this dynamic Luka looks really angelic and androgynous, so from appearance he seems fragile and like someone to be protected (which even Hyuna seemed to be tricked by when they were younger) and Hyuna obviously looks the stronger one in comparison (very #girlboss (lol...))

but their relationship is one where Luka's trying to control her and Hyuna's trying to escape it... that "beautiful lady" line of ruler of my heart always felt somewhat uncomfortable, and then learning it's actually pitiful (가련한) instead of beautiful is... ...it's a very gendered dynamic, if you get what I mean. despite their surface-level appearances going against what's considered typical

[this-user-is-new]

it’s crazy how most of caitlyn’s fandom is divided into two categories when people complain about her happy ending. first, you’ve got the delusional ones who think she totally changed for the better when it comes to zaun, that she’s just so "complex" and "morally grey" that we’re all just too dumb to get it, so of course she deserves her happy ending. and then there’s the other half, the ones who at least admit she didn’t change but excuse her ending anyway with, "well, it’s realistic. privileged people win."

let’s be real: caitlyn doesn’t change. not once does she question gassing "criminals," allowing police brutality, or keeping stillwater open, especially that torture cell she brags about to singed. enforcers still throw children from zaun into stillwater (i.e. isha), and she never stops to reconsider any of it. her view of zaun never actually evolves, and the show never gives us a moment where she meaningfully reckons with her biases.

she never acknowledges the conditions that led to the memorial attack. she never reckons with piltover’s role in keeping zaun oppressed.

but then you have people who assume she’s changed just because she lets go of her revenge on jinx and because sevika ends up on the council. but neither of those things reflect a shift in caitlyn’s worldview.

letting go of jinx????? that affects her relationship with vi at best, but not her views on zaun. and the whole "she gave her council seat to sevika" argument is just straight-up false. that was never her seat to give. salo literally tells her to gtfo during a council meeting because she didn’t inherit her mother’s position. so yeah, sevika’s seat wasn’t even some noble gesture from caitlyn.

and for the people who do admit she didn’t change but still brush it off with "it’s realistic. privileged people win." well, that argument doesn’t work, because arcane isn’t actually telling that kind of story. if it were, the ending would feel tragic or at least bittersweet. instead, it presents caitlyn and vi’s ending and the whole thing with noxus as a win, a triumphant resolution, instead of the inevitable result of the oppression the show claims to be exploring (at least in season 1).

the privileged side gets to maintain control, but the show never interrogates what that actually means for the people who lost. sevika is outnumbered on the council, and they throw in a little "maybe it won’t be easy for her" moment. but they don’t even explore it, because the show is over. so what was the point? just a vague hint at struggle with no actual payoff?

and then there’s ekko, who should be the heart of zaun’s future. but instead of showing us whether his people survived, whether the tree still stands, whether zaun has any future at all, we get one single shot of him mourning someone. and most likely his supposed love interest???? because apparently, his personal grief is more important than the larger tragedy of zaun’s oppression. either the tree is dead, meaning the last safe place for zaunite orphans is gone, or it's still standing, which would remind us that the undercity is still so hopeless that one tiny refuge is all they have. and that would make a huge contrast with caitlyn still living in her big mansion. but the show doesn’t care to address any of that anyway.

if arcane wanted to be a story about how privilege ultimately wins, then it should feel like a tragedy. instead, it indulges in the power fantasy of piltover keeping control while throwing in just enough "maybe things will change" crumbs to keep people from questioning it too hard. it’s not making a bold statement about injustice. it’s flinching away from the full weight of its own themes.

so yeah, season 2 lets her off too easy, not in a way that forces the audience to sit with the discomfort of real-world injustice. so since the ending presents itself as mostly happy, people are still (rightfully) gonna point out that she should have changed to make the ending work.

[bread-wizards]

I actually think Dorian and Orym should fight more.

Remember when their slowly building tension over and entire episode (full of passive aggressive remarks and blame throwing) led to threats? And how after, Orym thanked Dorian for handing over the crown sadly because he knew Dorian would be mad at him? And Dorian couldn't even look at him because he was legitimately hurt, thinking Orym was disappointed in him for doing what he thought was right? That was peak.

The fact they went from that to their current closeness and trust is the best part of their entire dynamic. Their relationship was hard fought and still will be. They will fight for it because they respect and care for one another deeply, and their disagreements don't change that, only improve it.

[crimeronan]

it's sometimes so silly to look in the notes of a polyamory art/post and see people like "is this cheating art....?" when the characters in canon are all extremely close friends. i know it's not malicious because most people think of monogamy as the default and anything outside that Must be cheating, but truly i'm always like. guys. guys Please.

please think about this for like 2 seconds.

under what circumstances do we think this non-canon couple might hold hands directly in front of their canon partners. and under what circumstances do we think the canon partners might be okay with this. do we Truly think this is a secret relationship. do we Truly think these guys would sneak around behind their canon partners' backs when all of them are extremely close friends with a high level of trust and commitment to each other.

would assuming that these extremely close friends have actually communicated with one another Exactly The Same Way They Do In The Canon Source Material perhaps cause less despair.....

[fireflysugarpie]

cumplane au but they both keep accidentally dom-ing each other

[the-fandom-queenxox]

The ratchanting divorce isn't gonna happen because, Ren is overly friendly/trusting & doesn't know what the word "no" means and Martyn doesn't ever communicate his feelings/thoughts about anything that bothers him(because gods forbid we have healthy communications in minecraft smps/j)

It's gonna happen because Martyn was never even supposed to come back to the rats world in the first place and even so he still has a mission given to him to complete and at the end of every mission he has to leave the world he completed it in. So even if it wasn't rats but another world where everything played out exactly the same, the ultimate outcome of the situation would have been the same, that's just how it's supposed to be. No matter how long he has stayed there, no matter how attached he gets to everyone he meets, he still has to leave it all behind if he wants to make it back to his own world/reality(<<<idk???)

So in short, it was always gonna happen but it is only now hitting us all cause it's happening right now and it's as sad & angsty as we could have predicted

18/02/25 edit/update: Post canceled...

23/02/25 edit: the previous cancellation is no longer viable

[amandamadeathing]

[unmechanism]

how I look at my driving instructor (a woman) after she tells me the car I'm driving is : "truly a ✨️girl's car✨️ cause it's very easy to handle and everything is as simple as can be " with a smile on her face

[airanke]

One of the dumbest things I've ever drawn 🤣🤣🤣

Please appreciate these two idiots if their story was a Rom-Com! It's a scene from a manga called "Do-Chokkyuu Kareshi x Do-Chokkyuu Kanojo (Super Straightforward Boyfriend x Super Straightforward Girlfriend)"!!! The panel is under the cut (also that's why you read it <<<<<<<<< that way)

Props to @celest-star-collection for sending me the panel!

[hsslilly-blog]

claire should be allowed to engage in psychological warfare against hunt. and my god if she isn't the greatest psyop of them all

[ridiasfangirlings]

Misaru taking a bath together to save money (except they get distracted)

Imagine this right when they move in together, when they’re both just out of middle school and totally unaware of their mutual crushes and what a bad idea this whole thing probably is. Like they’ve been in their apartment maybe a month and the water bill is higher than expected, they’ve been trying hard to save money but Fushimi refuses to save electricity by unplugging his computer and he complains if Yata turns the lights out while he’s working. Yata’s like okay but we need to be able to pay all these bills Saru, Yata didn’t realize that living on your own would be so difficult. Fushimi doesn’t see what the problem is, just wash clothes less and you take less baths, Yata glares like just because you don’t do any chores and anyway why am I the only one who should take less baths. Yata wonders if they should just find a cheap public bath house and Fushimi immediately refuses, he doesn’t want to bathe with other people. Yata’s exasperated like what are you a little kid, then he’s like well I’m not just ‘other people,’ so the two of us can bathe together at least. Fushimi sulks about it a little but finally he shrugs and says fine, they can bathe together.

At first there’s not really any distraction because the two of them are probably arguing about the right temperature for the water, Fushimi keeps complaining that Yata likes it too hot and Yata says Fushimi keeps it too cold and no wonder he gets sick so much. Finally they settle on lukewarm water that neither one is happy about and then they both climb inside the bathtub, it’s not very big so of course now they’re arguing about who’s taking up too much room. Fushimi grumbles that this is stupid and Yata should just use the same water Fushimi does after Fushimi’s done with his bath, Yata’s like why am I always the one who has to go second or go without baths. Fushimi claims that this was Yata’s idea in the first place to move out and imagine Yata looking in the water and his feet are just like idly playing with Fushimi’s a little as he says it’s fine isn’t it, he said he would give Fushimi a home and he did.

Fushimi looks away and clicks his tongue but imagine him giving Yata a little sidelong glance through his bangs and he finds himself just looking at Yata because he’s never really been this close to Yata while naked before. He finds himself thinking that Yata’s a shrimp but did he always have muscles like that, like he can kinda see how Yata’s started growing into himself. Yata’s staring at Fushimi too meanwhile, at first thinking that geez this guy is always so particular but then he finds himself thinking about was Saruhiko’s skin always this pale and look how smooth it is, it’s probably really soft too. He can feel his cheeks getting hot and Yata shakes his head quickly, like can’t catch me gay thoughts stop thinking about your best friend’s skin. Fushimi’s hair is wet and Yata can’t see his eyes but he’s just watching as a drop of water slides down Fushimi’s cheek and imagine Yata moves as if to brush it away at the exact moment Fushimi stands up and declares that he’s done. Yata finds himself staring at parts he didn’t intend to stare at and he quickly looks away, thus totally missing the blush that’s clear on Fushimi’s face as Fushimi grabs his clothes and towel and makes a retreat. Yata holds his breath and ducks under the water as he’s trying to tell himself to calm down, it’s just Saruhiko, unaware that at the same time Fushimi is crouched on the other side of the door telling himself to stop thinking about stupid Misaki like that, don’t be an idiot.

[dapiando]

what I want to know is, now that the villain can create a portal into camp whenever, are we planning on just skipping books 2 and 4 entirely, Richard?

Ik it's an easy thing to forget (esp if you haven't read the books in a while, cause why would you? you're just writing a whole show based on them who cares abt knowing what happens), but the entire plot of those books is finding a way into camp. They poison the tree to weaken the barrier and they use the labyrinth door to get in regardless of the barrier, so ??

[mokeonn]

Before I go to sleep I leave you all with this piece of advice: sometimes you don't actually have to answer big political questions, sometimes you can just say "I am not smart enough to know that, I just know the small things I do to help." Like you can often times completely avoid making a fool of yourself if you just say you don't know.

[pseudophan]

i think people on twitter have a fighting fetish because otherwise what explains this nonsense

it's genuinely unbelievable at this point i swear they're inventing new things to argue about

[tortoise-teapot]

heartbreaking: tumblr user makes a great point but ends it with calling their target audience stupid.