#character opinion ask game

[tildeathiwillread]

Abigail from Stardew Valley? :0 This game?

Ah, Abigail, the purple-haired resident goth girl of Pelican Town. Honestly pretty chill compared to some of the other npcs when you first meet her, casually admits to trespassing on your first meeting lol. We're kinda similar now that I think about it, we both like video games and swords and we both play the flute. Her four-heart cutscene is one of my favorites in the game, and I learned how to play the song A Stillness in the Rain bc I love it so much lol. The only thing I don't really vibe with is her obsession with spirits and stuff because of reasons, though I thought it was hilarious that the spirit board outs her about her feelings towards the farmer.

Romantic otp: honestly I headcanon her as aroace but I don't mind the basically canon ship of her and Sebastian, both romantically and platonically.

Non-romantic otp: the trio of her with Sebastian and Sam basically growing up together. She thinks Vincent is absolutely adorable despite Sam's protests (as siblings and their friends tend to be). I also want her to be friends with Penny and Maru idk what they'd bond over but yeah.

Unpopular opinion: uhhhhh honestly idk what the fandom thinks of her but I guess it would be the not vibing with the occult stuff

What I wish would happen in canon: DOES SHE EVER FIND OUT THE WIZARD IS HER REAL DAD?!?!? Caroline needs to fess up Abigail deserves to know. We need a group 10-heart event between the Wizard, Caroline and Abigail where the whole shebang is revealed. I also want her to join the adventurer's guild after her 10-heart event, like at least show up there from time to time. And I think she'd be besties with Krobus and the dwarf.

[lucabyte]

On autonomy, and what it means to be Obliged to Help.

Bonus:

[caesarflickermans]

Throughout the trilogy, Effie is a personification of what the average Capitol citizen is. It is Effie who Katniss thinks of when Gale mimics the Capitol accent (THG, 1). With little contact, Effie has come to be what 12's citizen envision when they think of the Capitol.

As readers, we receive an early glimpse into what the Capitol is like through her fashion style and persona during the reaping ceremony. Effie is bright, bubbly, has pinkish hair, and a spring green suit (THG, 2). When Katniss arrives in the Capitol, its citizens are eager to see the tributes. The Capitol's colours are artificial, "the pinks too deep, the greens too bright, the yellows painful to the eyes" (THG, 4).

As Effie views her previous tributes as "savages" (THG, 3), so does the Capitol commentary reflect a similar view when they refer to District 12 as "a bit backward but that local customs [the three-finger salute] can be charming" (THG, 3).

District 12 is an underdog whose chances to win the Games are marginal and who rarely receive sponsors (THG, 4). This unpopularity within the Capitol is represented by Effie's exclaim that she might be promoted to a "decent district next year!" which leaves Katniss uncertain whether Effie is "overcome with either the emotional parting or the possible improvement of her fortunes" (THG, 10).

Effie's emotions pertaining to the tributes are akin the feelings the Capitol citizens have of their tributes. The crowd "screams assent" (THG, 10) on the prospect of more information on the star-crossed lovers. The tributes are pawns in their entertainment system, and the prospect of an interesting storyline is emotional and exciting. There was no uproar to question the Games, no saving these two kids—this fascination relied on their inherent doom. Thus, while emotions alike Effie's might be at play here, they are not enough to question the legitimacy of the Games just yet.

Once victors, Katniss and Peeta are placed in a different rank to the Capitol society as the Capitol engages in a voyeuristic enjoyment in their lives (CF, 3). While much of this can be read in a sensational manner, and that is no false interpretation, the Capitol citizens are interested in the lives of their victors and receive Katniss' and Peeta's fresh love with interest—Katniss and Peeta are celebrities who they have built a relationship with, such as being emotionally involved in their wedding (CF, 12).

Effie's care for the victors can be understood as a symbolic interpretation here, too. She has come to care for Katniss and Peeta, and it is expressed by gestures such as offering Katniss sleeping pills (CF, 5). No more tributes associated with barbarianism, she, much like the Capitol, has uplifted Katniss and Peeta to a new status; now caring for them, because she assumes they are guaranteed a long life.

On the 3rd Quarter Quell reaping day, Effie gifts Peeta and Haymitch golden jewellery and wears golden hair. She is upset at Cecilia being reaped and has come to view the victors with a loving care despite their flaws, such as when expressing Chaff could not stay out of a fight. Overall, Effie cares for the victors and seems to be in visible distress at the Quarter Quell's prospect (CF, 14).

In much the same way, Peeta states that the people in the Capitol citizens are unhappy that the victors must return to the Games. In his words, the Capitol citizens got "attached to their champions" (CF, 14).

When the victors are being interviewed on Caesar's stage, their statements consist of appeals targeted at the audience, such as the victors' deep bonds created with the Capitol people. Once Katniss enters the stage, "the audience is an absolute wreck" and "the sight of me in my white silk bridal gown practically causes a riot" (CF, 17).

However, it is Peeta's statement that causes this riot. "As the bomb explodes, it sends accusations of injustice and barbarism and cruelty flying out in every direction. Even the most Capitol-loving, Games-hungry, bloodthirsty person out there can't ignore, at least for a moment, how horrific the whole thing is" (CF, 15).

The word "barbarism" is the Capitol's citizens journey—and by definition Effie's journey—they have had throughout the past year. From perceiving the tributes in such a manner to seeing the 75th Games for what they are, the reaping of the Capitol's champions, these who they have began to care for, is reason for great upset.

The implications for Effie have no villain-hero morality attached to them—she is marked by her representation—and is a morally grey character whose indoctrination is slowly shedding away. Her status as an oppressor are bound to her Capitol citizen status, as the Capitol reaps the fruits of the District's labour.

Like Effie, the Capitol citizen's had been indoctrinated and their beliefs around the Districts were shaped in their own understanding of being the peak of civilization, as their language expressed—"savages" (THG, 3) and charming local customs (THG, 4).

Their awakening, that of Effie and the Capitol, occurs simultaneously. Effie, remaining Katniss' frequent Capitol contact, is an expression and mirror of the Capitol society. Yet, her focus, similar to the audience's focus, on the victors alone remains a vital aspect to understanding her character. They system itself is not questioned. Instead, there is upset for having wronged the Capitol's "champions" (CF, 14). Their tears and upset do not evoke questioning the broader system. In that, the Capitol citizen and Effie herself are rendered in an ignorance about their own participation.

She is neither villain nor hero. Like her fellow citizens in the audience, she is a part of the system by being born into it. While her role as an escort has granted her a larger part in the Capitol's complicity, she remains a character whose upset is ultimately powerless and whose fear of the Capitol remains always present (CF, 17).

[tortilla-of-courage]

friendly reminder that you're completely allowed to have opinions of your own! but if you see a post talking positively about something and your first thought is "okay but i Need to let them know i hate [thing] about it so im going to write a comment about it on that post-" just don't. don't. go and make your own post instead. the person who made the post doesn't care.

[griem]

ijbol idk man releasing screenshots of very polarizing things said in a private discord server between friends in a public "callout" post is #the most #tumblrific thing ive ever seen LOL.

#opinion 😱 in tags

[mochinomnoms]

So, like out of curiosity, what are the cultural differences of child-rearing in English speaking countries vs. in Japanese society? You mentioned that in your Mrs. Rosehearts post, and now i'm curious.

I can't speak to much on it to be honest, as I only have my experience and the experiences that my friends have told me to compare. I also don't want to make huge assumptions, and since I can only compare between American and Latino child-rearing, I don't think I'm the best to ask 😓

My only opinion on Mrs. Rosehearts is that I think the TWST fandom, particularly the ones from the EN server, overly villainize her, rather than see her as a complicated character. I think that as a parent, she wants Riddle's best interests in mind but is so concerned about something ruining her son, even things out of her control, that she finds it easier to just keep him near and control everything to keep him safe and on the path that she believes will bring him the most success. She's not a good person, as she has absolutely done irreversible damage to Riddle and his social skills, but I think if you aren't raised in a similar situation as Riddle, or come from a culture where her type of child-rearing isn't normal, it's easy to just write her off as a bad parent and person. I'm of the opinion that it's a lot more complicated than that, which is why I'm more neutral about her and when I write her.

[kenobihater]

of all the star wars movies, which of them do y'all 1) enjoy the most 2) consider the best quality and 3) think you've rewatched the most. add your answers in the reblogs or replies, i'm genuinely curious how much of an overlap there is within everyone's three answers. mine don't overlap at all! they're revenge of the sith, empire strikes back, and the force awakens :^)

[necrotic-nephilim]

in lieu of having posted any writing/headcanons/asks in the past few days because i have been *so* busy and unable to do anything fandom-related which is terrible and evil, i have a poll out of morbid curiosity and self-indulgence. i've been meaning to ramble here about how i feel about DC's lack fo Deaf representation and which Batfam members i would personally make Deaf, but i am mildly curious about the larger opinion and now i will subject you all to the question, i would love to hear thoughts/opinions/headcanons on any specific choices. (would love d/Deaf/HoH opinions esp but i'm mostly expecting this to reach the hearing crowd, so opinions from hearing ppl are ones i'm very curious about. if you've never given it thought before you are going to now or else /lh)

[ashes-onthewind]

……loop from hit indie game in stars and time

it loop! for this ask game

idk much about this goober but they sure do Be a Goober /pos

[navree]

i request monetary compensation from all the bitches in season 4 who were whining at jon about how immoral it was for him to ask people questions when apparently he could have been making people run to death or otherwise kill them after forcing statements (without even having to ask a question). y'all got the nicest version of what the archivist could be and you were assholes about it for no reason, shame shame i know your name

[least-carpet]

also JC for the character meme if no-one else asks, but I'm sure someone will

Still suffering the Jiang Cheng brainrot in 2024, but so are the JC antis, so it's not just me! We're all going down together! (Except not really together, because that's what the block button is for. Gosh, at least I'm enjoying the brainrot.)

[smolgirlowo]

Happy Investigations collection day! Please give my wife your undivided attention.

[galedekarios]

that interview is driving me insane i've been thinking about it for the past hour and i still can't wrap my head around it. i think what really gets under my skin is it just... contradicts with the text of the game. the most positive possible reading of the ending where gale blows himself up is that it was an unavoidable tragedy dictated by fate but even that's a stretch. to say it's a good ending?? or a satisfying conclusion to his arc?? i call bull. it's more infuriating because there is such a clear good ending for gale's character arc and it's the professor ending! his arc was about learning to accept himself as he was, to value who he is as he is flaws and all, and he's done that in the professor ending! and the god of ambition ending is a bad end for him but still ties into his overall arc in a satisfying if sad way (imo). the ending where he dies just... doesn't. which is fine as a tragedy but to imply it isn't exactly that, a tragedy, is wild to me. and it being so blatantly contradictory to the actual events of the game makes me think that whole thing was just catering to people who hate gale which like... why? people who don't like him don't care about his story so why pander to them like this?

uhg. i am sorry for blowing up your inbox like this i just feel like i'm gonna rip my hair out and need to express that to a fellow gale appreciator. i love gale's epilogue SO MUCH it made me feel for a bit like maybe the writers had actually changed how they felt about him but. nope! silly of me to hope for that. wish i could memory wipe that whole interview from my brain dark urge style.

don't be sorry at all! 🖤 i feel the same way in a lot of ways. altho i feel the need to mention that gale's writer, jan van dosselaer, was not involved in this interview.

i started to make a meta post about this yesterday, but reading things like this from gale:

act ii [after elminster] Player: An old man with a craving for cheese. Hardly the great wizard of legend. Gale: A wizard doesn't reach Elminster's age without enjoying their home comforts. Those who seek danger over cheese don't tend to live as long. Gale: For Mystra to have sent him... The severity of her bidding could not be clearer. Or weigh more heavily on me. devnote: reflecting on mystra sending elminster, of all people - a powerful individual, becoming reflective. Gale: Time seems so infinite when you are young... a month is an age, a year is a lifetime... it is a strange feeling, to realise how little of it one might have left. Player: You're seriously considering doing what Elminster said?   Gale: Of course - he offered the clearest solution to our problem. All I have to do is find the right place and time, close my eyes, and let go... devnote: Trying to sound upbeat, not fully engaging with what he's saying (that he's going to kill himself). Gale: Then the slate will be clean, wrongs will be righted, the Absolute will be gone... devnote: Trying to sound upbeat, not fully engaging with what he's saying (that he's going to kill himself). Gale: ...and I along with it. devnote: Still trying to sound upbeat, though this time the reality that this means he will die weighs a bit heavier

and:

act ii [act ii romance scene] Gale: I am terrified - I will not claim otherwise. My face could scarcely conceal it even if my words sought to deny it. nodecontext: Hushed, vulnerable Gale: There is no point in running from the inevitable. Better to meet it, on my own terms. nodecontext: Resigned

as well as this:

act ii [act ii friendship version] Gale: Yes... but there is so much to live for, and so few moments in which to house it all. Gale: Damn you. Damn you for giving me so much to care about. Our friends, our adventures... this would have been so much easier if it was just me. But it isn't. Gale: If there is a way - any way - to save all that's grown dear to me, I want to seize it. I just cannot fathom what that might be, other than to fail Mystra and condemn the world. Gale: Stay with me, will you? I don't want to think of it any more, but I don't want to be alone either.

act iii [before the netherbrain] Player: Gale... I think we should consider using the orb as Mystra intended. To blow up the Netherbrain. Gale: I'm getting rather tired of how often those I care about seem to reach the same conclusion.

when you have this:

and i just... couldn't finish the meta.

it's absolutely beyond comprehension for me how anyone could try to frame this as an ending that is the right one in "many ways", as the "guy who starts off annoying everyone", eating your "most priced possessions", having to "give back to the world".

for the founder of the company to say he wasn't "ready" the "first time", but he's finally "ready" now.

gale's death isn't only unnecessary, an instruction given to him by his former mentor on the behalf of a goddess, who would've sacrificed not only him but thousands of others to achieve her own goals, he doesn't want to die. he's terrified. he wants to live. he is offering this because he believes that his time has run out. because he wants his death to have purpose if it must happen. because he feels he made a mistake far bigger than he can ever make up for. because he doesn't want others to waste their chance at life like he feels he has. the will he leaves behind in the epilogue if he sacrifices himself isn't finished because he thought there would be more time. i could go on and on.

and again, the question is too... for what exactly does he need to "give back to the world"?

being perceived as annoying after coming out of what is presented as isolation and depression? asking for help with a now chronic impairment that feeds on his very soul and wreaks havoc on his body? for making a mistake? by that logic every companion deserves the same fate.

which brings me to the contrast to how most of the other companions are framed in this interview: k*rlach, "the labrador of the party". l*e'zel, "she's so young". ast*rion, "much of what he does it out of fear". sh*dowheart, "the jason bourne" and "victim of religous trauma". w*ll, "the true baldur's gate hero".

the difference is staggering. there's empathy here. there's at least a surface level understanding and/or appreciation of the characters there.

...and then you have gale.

it's alienating and disappointing to see devs have so little respect and care for their own character, as well as for the parts of their fandom who have grown attached to the character exactly for the strengths and flaws he has, for the struggles he faces and for the healing journey he can have if he is helped and lives.

[raven-at-the-writing-desk]

final thoughts on the fox fella + new smol cat boi

What I find the most fascinating about Fellow isn't the character himself but rather the fandom reaction to just seeing his design. It was a tsunami of thirst unlike anything I had ever witnessed before. People were switching up oshis entirely, those who had never made a self-insert or yume before were suddenly making ones specifically to be shipped with Fellow, it was WILD. He's a homewrecker/j I support any and all Fellowives out there👍

That being said, I'm surprised that I feel so... lukewarm about him overall????? I'm usually all gung-ho for the smiling scammer types but for some reason Fellow just doesn't resonate with me. I'll admit that he's very good-looking (I love the colors of his suit, the cravat, the colorful patched up pants, and especially the silly little half capelet thing hanging off of him). His expressions are also very fun, with some favorites being his super smug smirk and the knowing, slightly-off kilter smile. However, there's just something about Fellow's personality that doesn't sit with me quite right. I know it's not the "he's a Red Flag!! RUN AWAY NOW!!!" thing either, because I love Love LOVE red flags in fictional characters 😭

Fellow is good at charming people off the cuff and using deceit to compensate for his low magical reserves, which in of itself is intriguing. It’s also admirable that he wants to start his own school for non-mages and low-magic mages to mingle, He’s an adult that still keeps the spirit of childlike wonder alive, and that makes him fun to follow. Those are the traits of his I like.

But I get the vibes that Fellow isn't as clever or as impressive as he likes to think he is...? He's full of himself but can't exactly back up his words with action. That's not meant to be a diss at his magical prowess, he's lacking in other areas as well. Like, he's a fully grown man picking fights with kids because of a personal vendetta... and he’s steering the kids home while the island is sinking and relying on them to rescue them in case anything goes wrong?? That’s just irresponsible. Not to mention he doesn’t seem to plan ahead?? How does he not know he’s kidnapping many famous and/or powerful people with families might come after his ass if they go missing?

I think that it doesn't help that the "pathetic" vibes were being conveyed in a lot of fan art well before the twist; it only adds to his "patheticness" and it gets to a point where it's too much for me and then is no longer appealing. I can get on board with him and gloating and wanting to crush kids’ dreams because same/j but not when he’s panting and wheezing and desperately tackling them for their tickets to tear up. He doesn’t feel like a genuine threat without the support of his backers. I would still say I like the character and will happily rag on him, but I wouldn't bark for him or anything (though I will grant him points for coming close to winning the cage makes it better/j).

What I appreciate about Fellow's character is that it shows us a darker side to Twisted Wonderland. I don't necessarily think his initial motives are that deep (he's after fat stacks), but I think the sentiment behind the motives are. It pulls back the curtain and reveals an ugly truth about his magical world and the roles that money and privilege play in it. We aren't exposed to many instances of this, but they are, in fact, there (like when Yuu was insulted by Riddle in book 1). It's finally getting attention front and center now—I just wish they had gone deeper with it.

What's currently got me invested in following Fellow is his relationship with Gidel. I love that they're a "found family" (they're "sworn brothers") and that Fellow seems to look after Gidel... Telling the NRC boys not to put stupid ideas in Gidel's head, walking off with Gidel at the end, recounting the times they scammed together, putting his arm out in battle to keep Gidel behind him... (or maybe I'm just delusional and want to believe the fan art LOL). I'm such a sucker for the trope of the protective big brother 💀 Unfortunately, we don't get a ton of canon moments in the event... Like damn, not even details on how they first met or how they found this job or why specifically Fellow cares for Gidel??? I don’t like that for all that we’re told about how hard the duo’s past was, we didn’t get to hear a lot of explicit detail about it (especially when it is so inherently important to their conflict with the NRC crew and their turn at the very end). I just gotta pray their eventual card next Halloween will give more insight into this.

He’s a character I like to think about mainly because his background as a failed mage student gives me a lot to chew on in terms of questioning the world’s lore and how their society is structured. Fellow himself is good for a few laughs, but it isn’t long before my mind strays, if that makes sense. I’m not chomping at the bit, but I don’t exactly detest the guy??? I guess you would call it ambivalence; I’m only fixated on certain aspects of him (the looks, the lore he provides, and the onii-sama potential).

I don't really have much to comment on for Gidel, but I have to say that I like having mute representation and more magicless characters in the cast at large. His outfit is also very fun; I like how it incorporates colors you don't normally see slapped together (that shade of yellow and purple) while still looking cohesive. I keep looking at Gidel's design and seeing a mix of Cheka and Ruggie though (because of the fluffy hair, eye shape, and stature). He very much reminds me of a smol doggo I'd bump into on a walk home and spend ten minutes standing there and considering adopting it.

As I said in my thoughts on Fellow, I think Gidel is at his best when he's in his little brother-big brother dynamic with Fellow. He's just a little guy trying his best while Fellow's trying to lead them. I think that's something the whole fandom can agree on, since I see sooo many people shading Fellow for his actions but the same people squealing and patting Gidel on the head and claiming he has done nothing wrong (despite being complicit in, and actively helping with, the trafficking operation). I guess it's because Gidel is still a child and may not fully understand the implications of it???

It's very sweet and genuine that Gidel demonstrates an interest in going to school and learning—but Fellow, who has been disappointed by the world of magic academia, warns Gidel against it. In his own way, he's keeping Gidel from what he sees as an uppity, shallow realm that will crush his hopes and dreams. That's Fellow's version of "protecting" him. It's a way of telling us about their relationship without outright stating how Fellow feels about Gidel. In return, Gidel also supports him and whacks him a good one when Fellow’s down in the dumps.

I'm sad that we didn't get to see more of their dynamic in the event (like we only see them having a meaningful interaction at the very end), but maybe that's just because the fandom works have set my expectations high. Unfortunately, all those sweet moments of Fellow and Gidel bonding are seemingly confined to just fanart and fanfiction, since very little is mentioned or even implied in the event itself. I'm hoping that (assuming they get a card together next year) we get to see more glimpses of their daily life in the associated vignettes.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

So let me get this straight. TOTK!Rauru had repeatedly requested that the Gerudo join the ‘protective embrace’ of his kingdom, to serve him. Protection from whom? The monster clans? If anything, the Gerudo seem at the peak of their power! They have some measure of control over the molduga, the fiercest of the desert’s monsters. It’s also established elsewhere that the Secret Stones merely amplify one’s existing power—that one would catapult Ganon to near-unstoppable heights speaks of his already formidable might. With him at the helm, the Gerudo were ready and willing to invade Hyrule. Until Rauru demonstrated a superweapon that quite literally vaporized any notion of a military assault—a superweapon that Rauru (and his cohort) brazenly wears. Ganon is entreating a party wearing nuclear launch codes around their necks! And those aren’t even the only Secret Stones in Rauru’s possession, later handing those out as he sees fit to the Sages. Of course, the narrative portrays Rauru as someone who would never abuse that kind of power—he’s a Good King. But that’s a terrifying Sword of Damocles.

Yep. Pretty much.

Also I'd like to point out that apparently, Rauru's "sin", and what passes off as his character arc (so far, I haven't finished the whole game yet), is that he was too confident that he'd keep Ganondorf under control as a vassal? Like, okay what were the options otherwise? What should he have done that he didn't do? Like in OoT/TP beforehand: was Rauru supposed to simply imprison the king of a foreign nation just because he didn't pass the vibe check --or worse, kill him off? And then what happens to the gerudo? I feel like we've gone down this road before, and it didn't lead anywhere pretty...

This is what I mean about the poor character writing in this game: I think Rauru is supposed to be the emotional core of the story, and he might be the only one with an "arc" so far, but his flaw/regret is... a whole bunch of nothing? Unless you think he should have commited genocide to protect his kingdom from evil, according to the game that refuses to examine his actions/power, there's nothing he should have done differently besides... not having his wife be murdered? That's not a character arc, that's just an unfortunate event you participated in unwillingly!! To make a comparaison that is worth being brought up: the king of Hyrule in BotW worked much better in that regard, because he is indeed partially responsible for the fall of his kingdom through the pressure he inflicted upon his daughter and the prideful belief that he could control a force of nature (Calamity Ganon being treated as such in that game) through technology; both of these attitudes costing him everything, condemning his daughter to a century-long fight and said technology ruling the lands through terror in his stead. As a ghost, he haunts the wreckage waiting for the hero to wake up to try and finally correct his mistakes through Link.

I think they kind of wanted to do that again in TotK, but it extremely doesn't land in my opinion because Rauru has no flaw --beyond, apparently, not being bigoted enough?