#can't wait to play it more

[aenthroppe]

Oughhhh I know we talk a lot about reliving the media of your childhood but truly it is just sooo fucking good sometimes

[theabigailthorn]

"Good" Acting

i have a theory that a lot of people say acting is "good" when they're emotionally moved by it, and a lot of cishet white people have a lifelong habit of not listening or empathising when minoritised people speak, so minority actors get called "bad" even when they display some pretty fucking amazing technical skill

[wildflowercryptid]

now that i've played the epilogue, i'm back on my gay shit.

[cheerioskid]

team buttercup.. holding them gently

i love drawing faces so much

[cicadatree]

the beginning of cicada

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Suddenly remembered something I wanted to say re:Akechi, because I think it's really core to his character (at least the way I interpreted him?) and I feel like it explains a lot of his contradictions. Essentially, he is incapable of seeing himself as just a person - he's either the greatest hero/detective ever, or he's some violent monster, and it's like there's no in-between. It's very in keeping with his obvious superiority-inferiority complex, but it goes deeper than that too; when he's in a role, it seems like his self-perception kind of changes too depending on how he is perceived by others. He really does get a confidence boost from being the Detective Prince. He really does shut down emotionally as the Black Mask.

They're masks that he's made, and it's not that aspects of them aren't based in truth to some extent, but I think it goes to show why he's not actually that fantastic a liar (imo, I found the outright lies pretty obvious), but he is a very good actor. He's either an angel or a demon, and never a person, but there are conditions to that. He is an angel when he is perfect - to society. He is a demon when he is vengeful - again, to society. He is never a person, because he never was seen as one - to society. He was disregarded. To be anything of value or notoriety, whether that's hero or villain, he has to be wildly more or less than who he actually is, and he's been building these masks up for so long that I really think he lost sight of the actual person behind it all. And I don't think he wanted to see that person anyways, because that person "wasn't good enough" and I do think he'd rather be anything other than himself. That trickery, that deflection from the person within, in itself brings him pride and satisfaction. He wants to be loved and needed instead of being cast aside, but I also think that if he can't have that then he'd much rather be hated than never have mattered at all. He weaponizes his own loneliness - if he can't ever be accepted then he'll build his own pedestal apart from everyone else.

It's so fascinating too, because I just wonder how much of this he was consciously aware of pre, during, and post engine room. There's this recurring thing with him where he goes "I can only be myself" etc but I just want to shake him because, well, who is that, Akechi??? Or, who do you think that is? Do you actually have an answer? Is it predicated on your actual feelings or solely on your success at fooling everyone around you? Is there any part of you that you actually like that isn't based on a painstakingly constructed mask? Isn't it all mostly lies to deflect from the truth? Isn't it all founded mostly on truth, nonetheless?

It drives me insane. And I think this is a big reason why he breaks so hard in the engine room, because so much of his mask requires his "audience" to perform in a particular way. And here he is, and the Thieves have beaten him, so there goes the first mask, because he's no longer "perfect". He swings wildly into the ugliest sides of him, but this mask is broken too, amidst him vehemently and desperately denying that he has any other emotions than hatred and rage, or any other needs or desires than vengeance. And after that, it's just him. And they should reject him, right? That's what happens. He's not useful, he's not needed or perfect, his hands are stained with blood. But the Thieves, again, don't play the role he expects them to. They, despite everything, relate to him - because he is in fact very similar in a lot of ways and they acknowledge him as a person - not a hero, or idol, or villain, or tool, or unwanted child - but as a damaged teen like the rest of them. And he does not know what to do with that. His identity is intrinsically dependent on getting the right reactions from other people as a form of ingratiating himself - if he does not get that reciprocal reaction he's looking for, his act falters, and, I really do believe that so does his self-perception. That's why you see different aspects of him seep out when he's spending time with Joker, because Joker does not react the way he expects, and Akechi both does and does not like this, because it leaves him feeling both intrigued and vulnerable.

I do think this particular aspect of his character is something a lot of the Thieves don't fully grasp - certainly, I think Joker "I need the mask" Persona 5 understands to a degree, but the sheer degree of reliance and the level of pride attached to it is something that confuses him a little, I think, especially in Mementos Mission. I think the thief that comes closest is actually Morgana, who has a similar superiority-inferiority complex and a desperate need to be seen as competent and useful lest he be discarded. (This is a big part of why the rather lackluster writing with Morgana's arc frustrates me so much because I really do feel it was meant to be contrasted with Akechi's, but I digress.) Morgana is the one to make that emotional appeal to Akechi, which makes a degree of sense - Morgana struggled all along with finding a place in the world. His form leads others to underestimate him; he visually doesn't fit in. He's acting out the role of a chivalrous and cool phantom thief but is more pragmatic with how he views relationships, at least at first. He wants a place to belong where he is appreciated more than anything but his pride won't let him spit it out. Accepting that he belongs and that he is loved even if he really did have nothing of value to provide is a big part of the resolution of his arc. He tries to offer that learned lesson to Akechi in turn ("Follow your true feelings. Even if you think people hate you, or don't want you around-"), but Akechi just wasn't in the right space to listen. There's also an important distinction between the two - Morgana envies humans and looks up to them. Akechi envies humans and looks down on them. Morgana is perfectly happy once he is assured a place amongst the group, but Akechi see-saws wildly between wanting to belong and wanting to be a step above the rest and separating himself further. So while Morgana actually really did cut to the core of the issue, his appeal would never have worked at this point because a) Akechi's pride is dependent on him maintaining his solo act, and b) he just got outed as not actually hating Joker in front of seven other people including Joker himself lmao.

So, uh, sorry, Morgana. Points for trying.

[ansburg]

not to soapbox but like. diasporic asians growing up the in the west were constantly told we were uncool, ugly, unfit for leading roles, and just so generally other that many of us still struggle with that self-hatred and deal with the material discrimination that comes with looking "different" from the default. so many diasporic asians have stories about how our creative accomplishments or potential were discounted because we were told we didn’t have enough “personality” – a judgment call that can’t be divorced from how racial triangulation has worked to alienate asian people from dominant cultures in the diaspora.

you know how asian people have been treated by western fantasy? we’re either

ugly and monstrous

exotified beyond recognition

or we don’t exist.

(thanks david. it’s not like thedas is the only continent the player can explore or anything. or that boats exist. where does solas get his tea btw? where do the silks in orlais originate from? why are there always asian aesthetics present without asian faces?)

when a game like bg3 comes along and the studio makes a decision to make an asian companion, it’s huge for us. that’s our crumb of representation. karlach is very obviously not “eurocentric” in her features – if anything, westernized beauty standards would have her face redone to comply with market demands.

she has monolids. she has a flat nose bridge. her cheeks are full and round, buccal fat very much in attendance. whatever she may have arguably been in previous patches, that is not what she is now. and pretending like her face – a face that, newsflash, asian people can relate to – is just a toy you can pop features out of because they don’t have enough “personality” to you, or because they’re too “soft," or because you don’t think a face like hers is “warrior-like” (whatever the fuck that means), is insensitive at best and willfully ignorant at worst. her asianness isn’t a setting to opt out of any more than wyll’s blackness is.

lastly, i’m exhausted that it even needs to be said, but being a person of color does not absolve somebody of intercommunity harm. minority status isn’t an excuse to get out of self-reflecting. it’s okay to step back and say, “wow, i didn’t think about how i’d affect members of this community,” without digging your heels in like one mistake on the internet is an extinction-level event.

studies:

[quirkwall]

Finally got the second romance scene with Lucanis and... This man made Rook a hazelnut torte. To go with the coffee. Why is Lucanis such an ideal man. Assassin on the streets then takes his coat off and becomes the most domestic, sweet househusband to ever live.

[mintjeru]

"With whom should Death belong, if not with Blood, with Life?" thank you @/kerrhylons for your donation to @hkvthm-action!!

open for better quality | no reposts

[squirting-sub]

Painful paddle

I'm not very sensitive when it comes to pain during impact play, but I am a masochist and love pain. My dom also loves hurting me, so we picked out a new paddle (pictured below). The cutouts have very sharp edges and light hits warm up the skin really fast.

First, my dom warmed me up with a flogger while I was bent over her desk. Then, she started with light taps with the new paddle, eventually telling me to get on all fours on the sofa. She cuffed my legs to a spreader bar and told me I'll be getting my previously earned reward of 92 (hard) spanks. Working her way up with the intensity, she waits for the moment I scream into the sofa before telling me to start counting. She tries different spots on my body, seeing which place makes me scream the most. About twenty hits in, after my skin is already red and swollen, she takes the split leather paddle. I've gotten used to it and it didn't hurt me as much anymore. However, with my skin already raw from the new paddle, it made everything more intense and painful. She didn't start out with a light slap either. She immediately went in with full force, making me scream into the sofa even louder, instinctively moving away from her. She throws a blanket over my head so I won't see the slaps coming and to muffle my screams so her neighbors won't hear. Sometimes, she wouldn't use as much force and those slaps didn't count.

30-40 slaps in, she takes the spreader bar and flips me around so I'm on my back. She tells me to remove the blanket so she can look at me. Pushing the bar back, she hits my inner thighs and right below my ass with the new wood paddle. It hurts really bad. For the first time since we started playing together, she sees actual fear in my eyes. I flinch when she raises the paddle to hit me again and she smirks, not hitting me when I expect it but then going even harder. Even though I'm scared and it hurts like never before, I get incredibly horny. The pain turns me on and I like the fear. I especially like how much she's enjoying it. I haven't seen her get this happy when hitting me in a while.

I'm struggling, but she keeps me from moving by holding onto the spreader bar. With the split leather paddle, she also hits my boobs. She hasn't done that before and it stings. After a couple of slaps, I cover my chest with my arms, trying to soothe the pain but also to prevent further slaps in that area. "Move your arms away this instant, or I'll tie them up for you.". I refuse and she hits my arm with the leather paddle. It hurts less than her hitting my chest, so I keep covering myself. Then she counts down from three. It's been an intense weekend and while I love getting her angry and her being rough with me, I don't want to overdo it. I'm thankful she's even trying the new paddle and not waiting. For the first time, I'm also scared what the punishment for not listening could be. So, at "one", I remove my arms, and of course, she immediately slaps my boobs again.

Eventually, she flips me around again and just has fun using all her tools on me. The wood paddle made me sensitive, so the riding crop hurts more than usual as well. A couple hits with a thin wood cane make it break. We both laugh and she continues using her other toys. At 72 she hits me so hard and fast, I can't count anymore and just struggle. I scream and try to get away but she keeps me in place with the spreader bar. After she stops, she checks on me and I smile. "That was good. I like it.". She takes that as an invitation to hit me more, with the same intensity. I never finished counting the 92 slaps.

Some (not so great) photos she took right after to show me the result. I've never bled like this from impact play before and she had to listen to my whining the rest of the night whenever I moved and changed my position. She did put lotion on me and got me ice packs though.

The next day, most of the swelling is gone, but bruises formed and the imprints from the paddle are still very much visible (pictures below). Sitting hurts, but not unbearably. I love being reminded of our sessions throughout the day like this and I keep looking at the interesting new bruises.

[tinypaperstar]

September 29th, Feast of the Archangels

[thanekrios]

[dirtytransmasc]

Spider better be allowed to connect with Eywa next movie for the sole reason that I need to see him sit with Neteyam in the spirit world. I need to see him hug his baby brother and tell him he loves him. it's literally causing me physical pain.

[gollygeedash]

Blonde man in scary game

[shannonsketches]

Why is the anime so weird, it's not even the same series dude?? It's like,

Anime:

GOKU: I have a great idea to bring peace to the universe, and my leadership and compassion alone will unite us all. I have No Flaws and am A True Relatable Everyman :)

VEGETA: NO! I AM THE BEST AND I WILL CAUSE PROBLEMS UNTIL I AM RECOGNIZED AS SUCH!!!!

Manga:

GOKU: Vegeta what's cornmeal made of? I know it's what the corn eats, but what's it made of? VEGETA: Hey Kakarot let's play the quiet game until one of us dies.

[pinkfey]

remember how in dao there were always like multiple flirty options u could just spring on ur love interest and it wasn't something that was brushed past it would stop a conversation dead in its tracks to have a cute secondary flirty offshoot with small variations dependent on the flirty option u initially chose with a unique course correction to get back on topic after...... yeah.