#david........... I DON'T KNOW HER!!!!!!!!

[defira85]

With the proviso that I have not finished the game and I in a really shitty mood about my Rook's body type breaking in the romance cut scene specifically, I have thoughts-

I saw a post that said that Veilguard is so fundamentally determined to say nothing that sometimes it comes out as incredibly offensive with just how aggressively noncommittal it is

and that's really it, isn't it

Shadow Dragon Rook got into trouble for saving slaves, and the Viper is a vigilante saving slaves, but we never SEE any slavery. We see poverty and abuse, but there's no talk about the rigid castes within Tevinter. Maybe the Venatori were drawn primarily from the lower classes of mages, those without family seats in the Magisterium, who were drawn to the promise that they could accumulate power instead of being trapped in a system that dooms them to failure and looks down its nose at them for being born not important enough

Tevinter's whole thing across the series has been slavery!!! And we get one or two codex entries about how Dorian gave such a nice speech about "slavery bad :c" and that's it

The Crows are so utterly toothless. Just an aggressively white-washed cool vigilante group, no hint of their child abuse or slavery practices, where's the acknowledgement that they make a lot of their money from slavery?

Lucanis' year in solitary confinement and torture is just window dressing. Again, haven't finished the game, but no examination of it at all 45 hours in. There's so much literature about what solitary confinement does to a person, how it's a form of torture, and just thinking about how much of Zevran's past abuses were woven into his characterisation so carefully... it's like chalk and cheese

Davrin once again filling the role of Bioware's obligatory "elf who hates being an elf and aggressively denies all elven heritage" companion

And like... every mini villain is just someone who was too ambitious and that made them eeeeevil. All the companions' rivals get dropped on Rook without any build-up, no casual conversations to say "oh I had this ex-friend/rival/foe who shaped me". Maybe I've been spoiled by Baldur's Gate 3 and how carefully all of the companions' abusers were woven into who they were as a character and how it shaped them and their story. Gortash didn't just come out of nowhere, Karlach was mentioning him in chapter 1! There were codex entries about him to be found weeks before you met him! But who the fuck is Johanna Hezenberouasertrousers or whatever the fuck her name is. She was ambitious, TOO ambitious, so she's evil and Emmrich's mirror. Cyrian joined the Forgotten Ones, and sure the Evanuris turned out to be super evil abusers that all the myths and religion was super wrong about but this is WORSE CYRIAN HOW COULD YOU

Don't get me started on whatever the fuck the game is trying to say about religion and about faith. Gods, it's so mid 2000s atheist edgelord memeing "unfortunately for you.... I have reason and logic on my side....... checkmate religion..." There's no nuance at all!!!!! Just "religion is a lie so faith dies now" no acknowledgement of faith as a cultural force!!! Of CULTURE being shaped by faith!!!! Okay I said don't get me started, I'll stop now

Whatever the fuck they're doing with the Qunari. They really just have gone back to their incredibly racist roots of "islamic borg" as David Gaider called it but they've made it even more offensive by making them all so... I don't know what word I'm looking for is, but it's about the sex appeal. How they've got their entire chiselled asses out. They look like they're trying to take part in Mister Bodybuilder Treviso, not a vaguely regimented army that was incredibly carefully structured up until about 5 minutes ago

This was more than what I intended to write lmfao. It's a fun game! I'm enjoying myself, as a fun action RPG. But after Baldur's Gate 3, it's just so utterly spineless. It has nothing to say. Evil people are evil, good people are good. It doesn't take a stand about anything. It is so determined not to be offensive to anyone at all that I find it gross

I'll finish it, and then I'll go back to BG3

[vivemonroi]

Can we talk about Hallelujah and how it represents Solavellan? We've long considered Hallelujah as the hymn for Solavellan, but I never fully realized how deeply it might reflect their love.

I combined lyrics from Leonard Cohen’s version and Rufus Wainwright’s rendition to get a "full picture."

Content spoilers!

I imagine that it’s Lavellan singing to Solas, sharing how she sees him and his story.

Now I′ve heard there was a secret chord That David played, and it pleased the Lord But you don't really care for music, do you? It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth The minor falls, the major lifts The baffled king composing Hallelujah

The "baffled king" could represent Solas and his god-like status during the Evanuris era. Even with his power and knowledge, Solas could be seen as someone vulnerable, struggling with the burdens of his choices. This reflects his grandeur and his inner conflict, showing that despite his god-like status, he was still susceptible to doubt, regret, and even love.

Your faith was strong but you needed proof You saw her bathing on the roof Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

Now that we know more about Solas and Mythal’s relationship, I think that the "her" mentioned is actually Mythal, and Solas was willing to do anything for her. This includes obtaining a physical body and standing by her side no matter what.

She tied you to a kitchen chair She broke your throne, and she cut your hair And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

But eventually, Mythal leaves Solas, who remains attached to her. She "broke his throne," meaning she pushed him to rebel; she made him cut his hair… and now the guy is bald. Clearly, this represents his betrayal.

The Hallelujah signifies the deepest, most sacred love — he still loved her, even then. But their relationship was ultimately toxic for both of them.

Maybe I've been here before I know this room, I've walked this floor I used to live alone before I knew you I've seen your flag on the marble arch Love is not a victory march It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Now Lavellan is singing about herself and her life before Solas. She was alone, especially after the Conclave and becoming the Herald of Andraste. The Dalish rejected her, and humans weren’t her people — much like Solas himself, upon awakening to a world that was no longer his.

With him, she discovers a love deeper than any she has known, she realizes that loving someone is not a "victory march." Her love for him is filled with pain and bittersweetness. It's hard to love him, yet she love him still.

There was a time you'd let me know What's real and going on below But now you never show it to me do you?

This is about the time they shared during the events of the Inquisition. He taught her about the Fade and the ancient gods, but after Trespasser, he vanished, concealing his true self beneath the mask of Fen’Harel.

And then there’s the line, “you’d let me know what’s real.” Remember what Solas said after they defeated Corypheus, just before he walked away forever?

“I want you to know that what we had was real.”

And remember when I moved in you? The holy dark was moving too And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Both could represent the time they shared or her attempts to reach him after Trespasser. The "holy dark"— maybe the Blight?

You say I took the name in vain I don′t even know the name But if I did, well, really, what's it to you?

She didn’t know his true title, the Dread Wolf, a part of his very nature and ancient past. Yet she wonders: if she had known, would it have changed anything?

Now there's a different versions for Lavellan who want to save Solas and Lavellan who want to stop him.

The redeemed and happy version.

There's a blaze of light in every word It doesn′t matter which you heard The holy or the broken Hallelujah

At first glance, it may seem like the holy love, the holy Hallelujah, represents his love for Mythal, and the broken one for Lavellan. But I think it's the opposite: Mythal is a god, yet their love is broken; Lavellan is mortal, but her love for him is divine. Both of them have the power to redeem him, in different ways — one through letting go, and the other through allowing him to be loved.

I did my best, it wasn′t much I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch I′ve told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

The words point directly to Solas, she tries to convince him, that their love can find a way to endure. She isn't like Mythal, she accepts him, his nature. But he's afraid, he's not allowing himself to move forward.

And even though it all went wrong I′ll stand before the Lord of Song With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah

Even in the end, Lavellan still holds onto her love for Solas, with nothing on her tongue but their sacred love.

She is his future.

Now to the grim and sad version

Maybe there's a God above And all I ever learned from love Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you

He deceives her, and all that love has taught her is sorrow. Mythal' and Solas' history confirms that.

She remains steadfast, standing in his path, even if it means his end, because her love and his history taught her "to shoot at someone who outdrew you."

And it′s not a cry you can hear at night It's not somebody who′s seen the light It's a cold and it′s a broken Hallelujah

In this version, their love is doomed to be cold and broken. There is no light. She has given up on him, yet the suffering remains, deep and unrelenting. Still, it is a Hallelujah.

He is all alone, facing his most terrible fear. Yet he believes he deserves it and it's the only thing that can redeem him.

Thank you for reading this! I know I’m being delusional, but it helps me sleep at night.

[drdtappreciation]

MY FAVORITE VOICED LINES FROM EVERY CHARACTER: (I'm aware that they often repeat the same phrases in different moments & in different ways, so I'll be putting the exact episode and timestamp) TERUKO: "SHUT UP, ACE!" Chapter 2 Episode 15. At 33:58 XANDER: "Haha, pretty cool, right?" Chapter 1 Episode 3. At 7:47 CHARLES: "Are you stupid?" Chapter 2 Episode 3. At 16:15 ACE: "You don't have any real evidence to pinpoint me! Shut the fuck up!" Chapter 2 Episode 15. At 29:20 AREI: "I want so badly for kind people to exist in this world, but they can't!" Chapter 2 Episode 5. At 9:30 ROSE: "Uwah--!" Chapter 2 Episode 7. At 2:12 HU: "That's enough! Stop yelling! You're not helping your case!" Chapter 2 Episode 15. At 29:03 EDEN: "I didn't hate her!" Chapter 2 Episode 14. At 37:28 LEVI: "You just said you know that you're in the wrong, so why do you still do it?!" Chapter 2 Episode 16. At 6:00 ARTURO: "Something like this! There's no way I can do it--" Chapter 2 Episode 16. At 17:51 MIN: "I'm so sorry. Please forgive me." Chapter 1 Episode 11. At 17:36 DAVID: "In other words, this does not prove Eden's innocence." Chapter 2 Episode 14. At 29:44 VERONIKA: "Gosh, you have quite a strong fight reflex. Oh, and a strong arm." Chapter 2 Episode 7. At 14:55 J: "David… You're so full of shit! That's such an obvious lie!" Chapter 2 Episode 14. At 31:08 WHIT: "Sorry!~" Chapter 1 Episode 9. At 16:56 MONOTV: "Naturally, with such a convincing reason, I told her NO" Chapter 2 Episode 7. At 2:37 Some characters here I had a hard time picking a favorite due to not really having any interest in most of their voice lines, while with others (mostly Ace & J) I had a hard time picking due to having too many favorites. I almost didn't add anything for David & Veronika for those reasons. So uhh.. take one of my favorite unvoiced lines

^

[13th-floor-in-moonstone]

My mom came into my room this morning before I'd crawled out once, just to see how I'm doing with the results, ask about it, and she sat down beside me, and barely managed an "I'm sorry, squishy." before she started crying for me. She told me how easy it is to get your passport, how I can put whatever gender I want on there, and said that one of her friends sent money for me to do it.

I've rarely seen or heard about her crying. I can count on one hand the number of times I've seen or heard about her crying.

The first was when my dad was trying to take me away from her, I heard her crying but didn't know if I should go up the stairs the rest of the way, so I didn't.

The second was when we all heard that David Bowie died. I don't remember if I was just told she cried then or if I caught a glimpse.

The third was when I told her I was suicidal at the time. She hugged me as close as she could and cried for me then too, much like she did today.

The fourth was when we heard that Sakurai Atsushi died. I didn't see her cry, I wasn't awake yet, but my grandma commented that the last time she saw my mom cry like that was over David Bowie.

And now today. Today she cried and clung to me and tried to comfort me when my only thought was how I could comfort her.

This shouldn't happen. Parents shouldn't sit there crying for their children who will be hurt by others' hate and lack of action.

No one should fear for their loved ones' safety after an election.

[ww2yaoi]

writing in web's pov is so weird for me solely because i'm referring to him as david like who is that!!!!!!! I never call him that but I don't think he would call himself web in his own head.... it's a problem honestly because his family called him kenyon (that's how he signed his letters to them anyway) and he was called ken or web at school (according to his taft yearbook) but in the show he always introduces himself as david webster so david it is I guess. also his wife called him dave or david (seen in web's file from those docs people dug up). like pick a fucking name......

[make-friends-with-the-rats]

bring him inside, David

---

[expelliarmus]

[casscainmainly]

Got an ask about my feelings on Cass being Bruce's favourite that I accidentally deleted so I'm gonna answer here.

Firstly I'm in the 'Dick is canonically Bruce's fav' camp (see fantastic-nonsense's post here), but I do believe Bruce has a special bond with Cass. So I don't think 'Cass being Bruce's fav' comes out of nowhere, especially since she is the closest to having his moral code, and he is definitely not normal about her.

However, this is the kind of statement where who is saying it matters. Comic fans can say Cass is Bruce's favourite because it's grounded in a genuine understanding of their dynamic. But when people who haven't engaged with comics say it, particularly as a rebuttal to one of the Batboys being Bruce's fav, it comes off like Cass is some 'other' option. She's allowed to be the fav because they don't see her as a real character, or because they view her as some paragon of perfection. This is where I really dislike the headcanon.

Because Cass being Bruce's favourite should be a bad thing. Bruce doesn't adopt her until 2008, and for me it's largely because it takes him that long to see her as a person. Early Bruce-Cass, where most of the 'Cass being Bruce's fav' moments come from, is marked by Bruce seeing Cass as an extension of himself. She is his model minority and there are racist undertones in him calling her perfect. His love gets less toxic over time, but this corresponds with his disillusionment over her (see him firing her in Batgirl #48; Cass, in the same issue, is becoming disillusioned with him).

The arc in Bruce and Cass' relationship is them recognising and deconstructing the pedestals they've put each other on. So when people say Cass is Bruce's favourite without context, it misses all the complexity in that dynamic. Personally I prefer what should be their endpoint: where Cass knows she doesn't need to be his favourite to be loved.

[isagrimorie]

Criminal Minds Evolution 17x02 - Contagion | 17x03 - Homesick

People use covert/spy techniques and Emily Prentiss immediately notices. Parts 1, 2, 3 (Don't con a conman -- don't use covert tactics around a former spy)

[dandelionjack]

(first time watcher here teehee) losing my mind over this exchange. the common consensus is apparently that this episode is below-mid grade filler, but i beg to differ, not even only because it would have been a lifeline to little withdrawn artistic autistic girl me had i watched it at chloe's age. just– look at the subtext. they're talking about themselves, each other, their own mutual codependency. sure, rose wasn't lonely before meeting him per se, but she had been living day-to-day unfulfilled and underappreciated. and four billion? that's close to the population of a decent sized planet. i don't know how many gallifreyans there were and i'm not delving into the wiki for this because it's about words, not numbers. words very particularly chosen. two lonely kids who needed each other, desperate to be loved. 'it' (the relationship, the symbiosis, the empathic link, the isolus as doctor and chloe as rose) will just keep pulling 'kids' in: people, lives. mostly strangers for now, apart from mickey, but it's as if the writers this whole series have been beating over the audience's head with the message... this is the story of a love doom(sday)ed by the narrative. the doctor gets more arrogant, rose gets more infatuated; the little inside jokes and side glances and sarcastic private detective duo dynamic they've got going on, so easygoing and carefree and invincible – it's all set to crash and burn.

[evan-buck]

russell t davies really will go to any lengths to make sure david tennant's doctor doesn't say he loves rose lmfaooo i'm laughing but i'm actually dying inside

[ingravinoveritas]

New Insta story from Georgia. Because nothing screams "supportive spouse" like "Can't wait to see you lose"...

[thegeorgiatennantblog]

I saw this video somewhere and you know what this reminded me of!

Bonus:

(Because I am unserious)

[queer-awakening-tourney]

These preliminary polls are larger polls made up of characters/people that were only submitted once or twice. To narrow down the choices for the actual polls, the lowest 4 results will be eliminated, and the rest will go on to compete in the main polls.

Vote for your queer awakening, or if none of them were, who you think could have had the chance of coming closest! Up to you!

Also, send in propaganda! Either through the ask box or by reblogging the poll!

[nostalgia-tblr]

one of my big cultural gaps is disney but i started typing out a beauty and the beast inspired thing anyway thinking well maybe if i dont know the story in its most popular form at least i might come up with something a wee bit different from other people doing it and then mine has a plot device a somewhat inaccurate painting as the basis on an agreement to marry and only now did i think 'fuck i've made him anne of cleves'*

*i mean in a pop culture sense. i do tend to agree that the holbein painting can't be that inaccurate and she probably actually did look like that (hot!) and i feel i should disclaimer this in the post itself not the tags because if i don't someone will object won't they

[aelswiths]

Aelswith and Alfred (eye fucking) in 2x01

For @kingslionheart, @thedarknone, @volvaaslaug, @garunsdottir