#hoping for a true choice

[wingedblooms]

A true choice

@offtorivendell wrote an excellent meta on how the Asteri might have warped mating bonds, which I think is very likely since they warped Wyrd (who has been called a mother to all, a cauldron of life, a goddess of fate; she is actually a force that winds between worlds, and her language is one of creation). Specifically, they warped her Cauldron, which once blossomed with pure life, and @offtorivendell and others have suggested this may have changed how mating bonds were woven between beings, serving the Asteri’s appetite for magic rather than creation. What if there is even more we need to uncover in the next book? What if the mating bond was never predestined before the Asteri infiltrated their world? What if, instead of a bond chosen for the fae, the fae chose their own mate and had a ritual—an echo of their current ritual—that bound them together with Wyrd’s blessing (magic)? A true choice to bind souls and seal fates together in love. I can’t think of a better book to unravel the mysteries of the mating bond than in Elain “I belong to no one. But my heart belongs to you.”Archeron’s book.

Bonds & bridges | True Mates | Warped bonds | Unbound | The help of priestesses

[formulanni]

Daniel Ricciardo as Judgement:

The Judgement tarot card symbolizes the arrival of absolution and the culmination of a significant undertaking, often related to past and life lessons.

Judgement indicates the cusp of rebirth.

In order to achieve that, you must look back upon your deeds and come to an honest evaluation of yourself. This leads to the awakening that signals a new way of life.

Tag list: @st-leclerc @rubywingsracing @saviour-of-lord @three-days-time @the-wall-is-my-goal @albonoooo @ch3rubd0lls

[dykedvonte]

RE: Your post on the AU of Jimmy being in the cockpit rather than Curly.

I think that Curly would think that Jimmy was reaping what he had sown, but in a way would feel a twisted sense of relief that Jimmy was brought down by his own actions rather than Curly himself having to be the "executioner" in the situation, so to speak.

With "taking responsibility" and the fix-it mentality that he and Jimmy share being the overarching theme, compounded with Jimmy flat out insinuating that all of his crimes on the Tulpar will be "Curly's tragedy" in that one scene, I think Curly would almost find comfort in the irony that the choice was forcibly taken away from him. Which in itself is messed up, but it might be a bit cathartic. There's an interesting polarizing dynamic within Curly's relationship to his own responsibility in that it's his greatest burden and the thing he, too, avoids the most.

I don't think Curly would find any relief in this actually. While Curly didn't/doesn't like the responsibility he had, he defiantly doesn't avoid it, he just goes about it in a weird way.

A thing I noticed is that its less about taking responsibility with Curly and really what that responsibility meant objectively and then subjectively to Curly. The leniency that he applies to Jimmy also applies a bit to the others as well. He thinks his responsibility is more towards keeping the peace and things in order more than dolling out punishment. He has even more choices to make and responsibilities as he literally has to make sure they survive/ration long enough to be saved. Or figure out how to save them himself. The correct issue with Curly and responsibility is the prioritization in his head. He sees the big picture and prioritizes that. He doesn't notice the little things that he should but it's not a active dismissal, perhaps not even conscious despite how dismissive he seemed. He takes too much responsibility, espcially in regards to Jimmy, and I think this situation is when he realizes that is also a bad thing as he can't "fix" all of his wrongs.

I think he'd regret not making a choice, because in the end this happened because he wouldn't directly choose who to comfort and help. He tried to help both and ended up doing nothing for either and letting Jimmy fuck them all over. In this scenario/au he's thinking about all the times he let Jimmy inadvertently make his choice, and how he chose to let it happen. He regrets all of it and would be so bitter that he was giving his choice up for so long. He chose wrong and it affected everyone. The only thing he'd find cathartic is the fucked up truth it will never happen again, not with Jimmy at least.

But he's not happy he's getting joy from that. I think it's a point not a single character other than Jimmy is depicted at deriving joy from another's pain. Even Swansea is being more sarcastic when he cheers on Curly about crashing the ship and ending his sobriety. He's happy Jimmy was forced to take responsibility, but this? He wanted him to learn a lesson and do something with himself, this is hollow in a way it's just embittering. Jimmy didn't get what he wanted, he can be happy about that but no one else did. This isn't justice or closure for Anya, he's stuck in a place he was so desperate to leave with even more pressure on his shoulders. Daisuke is just a kid and Swansea doesn't deserve this after all his year making himself a better man.

Like in his sections, Curly is preoccupied thinking about all the responsibilities he has, taking on things he shouldn't have to and trying to keep the peace when he doesn't have peace in his own mind.

[butterflysonnets]

yes i'm rooting for m*leven breakup because byler is neat but mostly? i'm rooting for m*leven breakup for the sake of el and mike.

to me, their romance was always a puppy love born out of a combination of social pressures, naïve curiosity, and a lack of true understanding regarding intimacy and romantic love and what it really is. it was real in that they do truly, deeply care about each other and they are close friends, maybe even shared an attraction, but a maturing romance is so much more than that. they've grown up and out of being boyfriend/girlfriend, and that's okay! i think television/film needs to show more often that most of us don't have definite "soulmates" or first childhood loves that we spend our whole lives with. it doesn't mean these relationships meant nothing and didn't impact us, it just means they've run their course and that something else is in the cards, and this is part of life!

i've always felt el was at her best and most confident self when broken up with mike, discovering who she was and what she liked alongside another girl her age instead of just relying on mike for mentorship on how to live in the real world. she deserves more of an opportunity to find herself, her autonomy, and her independence, and to love who she is, and she's made it clear she's felt insecure in the relationship with mike because she isn't being loved and understood the way she wants, needs, and deserves from someone who is her partner.

also, it's okay if mike doesn't love her in "the way he should". he is not obligated to love her romantically and stay in a relationship with her just because she's a girl, because she "needed someone", or because he cares about her a lot. he shouldn't be pressured into a romance if it's not truly coming from his heart. he deserves freedom to find out and honour who he is, too, instead of just staying in his non-functional first relationship — one he got into as a child, essentially — and defining himself that way because it's what's expected when a boy and a girl are close. he loves her in some way, yes, but it's okay if he doesn't feel comfortable or secure being her boyfriend anymore, for whatever reason that is. he's felt insecure too, and that's valid and it matters.

they are their own people and are steadily growing and changing every day. they need time to figure out who those people are, and it's become clear (at least in my opinion) that those people aren't meant to be a couple at this stage.

they deserve freedom. they deserve to grow up and be authentic to themselves and not feel like they need to lie for the sake of a relationship. they deserve to move on from this version of their relationship that isn't making them happy and rekindle the best part of their bond: their strong, beautiful friendship. they don't have to be a couple if it doesn't make them stronger and better and happier people.

i think it would be healthy and wonderful for a show, especially one consumed frequently by young adults, to show a relationship starting, progressing, and ending on good terms in this way. sometimes things don't work out, and that is okay.

[blackandwhiteflag]

i think daniel having this “nah i’m done” mindset is 100% normal for someone who was just embarrassed and fired by a team he called family. he’s probably still reeling and i am not of the “he’s finally happy” crowd. i think there’s a reason he’s barely been back home. but i do hope that he has someone in his corner that can be brave enough to ask him if this is really it. does he have someone on his team with a clear head and willing to work and fight for his client when said client is in no way shape or form ready to be asked any of these questions let alone think of what the future holds, near or far. i’d hope that an entire team of professionals isn’t just following the lead of an athlete who’s entire worldview has changed and had his entire life rocked in such a short amount of time. “nah i’m done” from daniel seems about right. from Daniel Ricciardo™️ i’d hope there’s someone else calling the shots for now.

[alexiethymia]

vashmeryl

While watching Trigun Stampede, I ended up binging the Trigun ‘98 anime, and I will try, but no doubt fail, to articulate what it is about VashMeryl that makes me so feral, and I mean in all continuities because the themes rings true for the both of them regardless if it’s TriStamp, TriMax, or the anime.

Many people have praised Meryl’s agency in Trigun Stampede, how a lot of the plot moves because of her contribution, and I can’t help but compare this to the anime, where it was because of her that Vash has a breakthrough in how to deal with Knives (after her and Milly took the time to heal and take care of Vash, ugh, found family for the win). In both TriStamp and the ‘98 anime, Meryl is juxtaposed (contrasted? given a parallel with?) Rem. 

And in the ‘98 anime, after Vash’s battle with Knives, he finds the peace to move on, casting aside what was in a way his clutch to Rem (his red geranium coat) to come back home to Meryl and Milly. 

And I love the ‘98 anime because of the implications, that he willingly sheds his outlaw persona for a chance to live a quiet life with Meryl, Milly, and his brother. It was Meryl who gave him the hope to do that, through her words, her invitation to stay together permanently, and even through her actions in standing up for him. (Honestly, the only thing that would have made the ‘98 anime ending perfect for me is if we had Wolfwood. Which is why if Knives could survive 1/3 of the continuities, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that Trigun Stampede is the continuity where Wolfwood actually gets to survive). 

Even in the manga, he makes a promise to return to her, and though he ends up quite late, he does end up making his way back to Meryl and Milly eventually.

I love how there’s a chain of influence that happens, and the parallels between the two. Rem says she had been influenced in her ideals because of the person she loved, Alex. Vash is influenced by her, and eventually Meryl is influenced by Vash to the point that she’s ready to stake her life for what he believes in, such that it becomes her ideals too. 

“You can’t save everyone, you can only be there for them.” And this really rings true for Meryl in that while she can’t save him the way Vash tries to save everyone around him, she can still be there for him, whether it’s staying and trying to help him when no one else won’t (Trigun Stampede), making a home for him to return to (’98 Trigun), or telling him to unburden himself because he’s not alone (TriMax). He’s superhuman but he gets hurt like anyone else. I love that Meryl doesn’t scoff at his ideals or tell him to stop, but just helps him in whatever way she can, the way he tries to help everyone else. She treats him not like some act of God, destruction personified, or a savior, but simply as Vash, a softie who needs a bit of help sometimes (which is why when Meryl ends up scared of him, it was heartbreaking, but again this is something she chose to overcome because her love outweighed her fear). 

But at the same time, she won’t simply wait around. Again, I love her agency. In TriStamp, she chooses to stay behind to help Vash (which was pivotal because who knows if Rem’s spirit would have been triggered if not for her voice) and in TriMax, even if it was Vash who made the promise, when he’s late, what does she do? Goes and meets him herself. 

In every continuity, she’s always aggressively chasing after him. When Vash said in the TriStamp finale that he’d keep running and running, and when it becomes quiet again, he’d settle back by humanity’s side, it sounded so lonely. 

And yet, when Vash runs, Meryl will chase after him. Even when he believes he should be alone because everyone who touches him dies, Meryl still wants to be by his side. Meryl proves over and over again that Vash is loved (in a way, to him as well) because she doesn’t ever want to leave him alone. And again, it’s such a wonderful ending in both versions (the anime and TriMax) that when Vash eventually does stop running, it’s to Meryl (and Milly) that he returns home to. 

[wild-at-mind]

Gofundmes are not an effective way of providing international aid in warzones. I have a tonne of posts on this, ask if you want the links but I'm just saying it again because I saw that article implying gofundmes were the only way to help Gaza because UN aid was very inadequate (no other sources of aid were mentioned or their effectiveness discussed). It didn't say anything about what happens if the money cannot be transferred due to infrastructure breakdown, or what you should do if you were one of the no doubt thousands upon thousands of people in Gaza who do not have a family member or close and trusted friend in a country GFM supports who is willing to go through the fundraising process for you. Of course someone else can do it and I am not saying those people are never trustworthy, however I am saying the chances of the money not reaching the recipient that everyone donating thinks they are helping is much, much higher in these cases. Because that person's just a randomer, running and promoting a GFM for a near stranger is difficult and annoying, and the sums of money involved are extremely tempting. One of the campaigns I backed was deleted by the organiser out of nowhere leaving the recipient in Gaza in the lurch and feeling betrayed. He didn't know the organiser very well, was forced to trust her but like in probably a great many cases it didn't work out.

I genuinely do not know why so many on here think multiple GFMs is practically the only way of helping. And that's after you remove any that show the beneficiary as someone completely different, or clearly show the person fundraising to be in a country that is not Palestine and this can be easily seen by simply scrolling down. Do not donate to these, they are obvious scams.

[grimstrawberry]

Bluebell to hell, to hell

[fountainpenguin]

I feel like Angela and Hazel would really like desktop zen gardens...

Specifically, I'm imagining Angela browsing carefully to find the most perfect prim and proper little thing and meanwhile Hazel's just taking fistfuls of sand from the beach and filling a box with her favorite rocks so they can have a nice home.

I also saw a coffin-shaped one with gravestones for the rocks and it felt like something Hazel would get her dad.

[bodiesinthelake]

still thinking about the line "you're clever! how can somebody as clever as you be so stupid?" theres SO much to unpack

[teathattast]

I'm sure I'd recognize you if I lost my memory

There's no voice on earth that speaks so sweet

I hope the next lifetime you'll be somewhere next to me

Like two blades of grass beneath a tree

I know that it's not always perfect

If I had the chance I'd do it all again

[a-master-procrastinator]

Alright, new character textures... where to start?

Like I said before, I like some changes more and others less. Overall I'm pretty neutral about it, but I also understand being upset about them bc it really should be optional (I saw someone say that the devs are working on adding a new slider for these textures, let's hope it's true).

My thoughts (specifically criticisms):

noticed that male characters have more detailed texture than female characters, and I kinda prefer the more detailed version. To me the difference on women is barely noticeable, and when they stand next to each other it looks a little silly

the inherent eyeliner and mascara on female faces look even more out of place next to new textures. There are some complexions that remove it, but I think it's not enough, and it would be better to improve the eyes as well (at least a little)

especially on togrutas, now that the eyeliner is even more intense (although not on all faces)

not sure if the texture update caused that or was it a choice, but hair colors look much lighter than before, and it doesn't seem to be a lighting issue. Black hair looks less, well, black (I remember when they added a new hair color bc the old black wasn't dark enough)

similar problem with skin colors. Some look more saturated while other look more pale. Could be a lighting issue in some cases, but I know at least some togrutas have slightly lighter skin now

patchy skin on chiss characters, but everyone already know that

I don't think lighting works well with these textures in a lot a pre 7.4 cutscenes. Often characters happen to stand in shadows so we can't see much, or lighting hits all the 'unflattering' details (in quotes because it's subjective)

I also suspect that my screen resolution might have played a part in my neutral-slightly positive impression. See, my screen resolution is this weird 1366x768p, so not exactly 1080p or higher as some people have, and it's possible that the textures are showing slightly less pronounced on my screen. Or maybe it doesn't matter that much.

And to show that it really is different depending on lighting and character, here are some pictures of my characters before and after 7.4 lighting changes.

Huge difference, right? In most cases the new texture isn't even that visible because it's either too dark to see anything or the lighting is too flat on the face.

I have one comparison, where both screenshots were taken in the new lighting, but it's dark so it probably isn't a good showcase:

However, without comparing to pre 7.6, sometimes my characters look nice.

And Vintu doesn't even look different lol

[dynsito]

I'm sad, I'm sad for them because they are both alone and it was the last thing Loki wanted to be and Mobius doesn't know what to do and they are both alone. Did I say they are both alone? because they are

[franeridan]

thinking again about how in trigun 98 they had nick kill someone with the face of a child posing as an orphan for vash, and how in tristamp they had him kill a child in the body of a monster who had no choice in what had been done to him, and how instead in trimax nick for vash kills a man who'd approached vash for a death match, who'd demanded to either kill or be killed, a man nick had given vash a fair chance to fight and win against and who nick would have left alone hadn't said man attacked vash when his back was turned after the duel was over and done with, a man who'd been one step from possibly seriously harming vash hadn't nick stepped in. and about how after in all three versions vash yells at nick for it, but only in trimax nick tells vash that he's lucky he's there to play the devil for him so that he can stay a saint, and only in trimax in the arc right after vash ends up thanking nick for killing for him and protecting his home when vash couldn't because of his own morals, and only in trimax in the end when nick isn't there to play the bad guy for vash he ends up being right, and vash ends up having to dirty his hands himself to protect what he loves - while both in 98 and for now tristamp vash stays a saint until the end, and that fight they have ends in itself, and the only lesson it leaves you as a viewer is that nick is jaded enough to kill a child

[yuniper]

you’re like a mirror - a Rust/Marty fanmix

“You're like a mirror, reflecting me.”

[spotify]

[itspileofgoodthings]

ended up telling my mom “she’s a billionaire pop star … she’s also a songwriter I’ve loved for a long time. both of those things are true.”