#idk that’s just my opinion lol

[sugarfairysam]

platonic xiao x traveler >>>> romantic xiao x traveler

[vimmark]

feels like some of you don't get that ea didn't decide to do this to bioware after or because veilguard failed. it failed because they had already decided, and had been making decisions accordingly for years.

they were set up to fail. barring divine intervention, there was no way veilguard was going to satisfy ea's demands. ea just needed the dev cycle to finish (and check that there was in fact no divine intervention) before tearing it down.

be mad, but understand the chain of events isn't "veilguard bad -> ea nukes bioware". it's the other way around.

[wellsbering]

Cycle 99.

The sky above is blue, and there’s only one sun... but otherwise, it feels like home.

i don't post much (any?) of my cosplay on here but these photos turned out so well i had to share!! shoutout to my friend mel (@baroqueblood on instagram) for capturing these incredible shots of my lup last month :,) i'm so so proud of this cosplay, i've slowly assembled it one piece at a time over about 2 years and i think this is the best version of it so far!

[roscoehamiltons]

having some insomniac thoughts about how the public perception of the george vs max fight is affected by their PR personas, how much people value authenticity (or the appearance of being authentic) now in celeb culture, and how max uses that to his advantage….

[sanasanakun]

People try too hard to make Curly an active participant in Jimmy's abuse. Isn't the whole point that he's passive in everything Jimmy does? Abuse occurs because he actively doesn't do anything? Not to call someone out or be mean, but I saw a post saying Anya's ID being in Curly's locker at the beginning shows that he intended to prevent Anya from filing an HR report and I disagree. I get where that interpretation is coming from, but I think it's a little uncharitable. I don't like being too kind to Curly because he's like...a morally mid dude at best lol But if we're going by the HR report interpretation, I would say it's more likely he requested Anya's ID in order to file an HR report on her behalf. After all, the only way to contact Pony (that we see) is in the cockpit, he's the Captain, and Pony Express sucks bad so I wouldn't put it past them to only allow the Captain to use the communication device thing. As we see before, Curly is the only one able to use tools around the ship that you would think other employees could use (ex. Swansea should be able to use the axe if he's the repair guy. Idk why they'd need an ax but that falls under manual labor which Swansea is designated for as the mechanic/fixer dude. But it has to go through Curly). I never got the vibe that Curly moved to actively protect Jimmy. He just lets things happen without say a word; Jimmy walks all over him, and by extension, the whole crew. I get why people would think that because he gives the whole "Hey Jimmy, we can get through this together, bud" spiel right before the crash. This part interests me a lot because there's so many ways to interpret Curly's intentions there. My interpretation is that Curly is on autopilot mode. The responses seem so stilted in comparison to Jimmy's. Like it's the kind of thing Curly's said before again and again and again when Jimmy's gotten in trouble. However, as others previously pointed out, I don't think Curly ever dealt with Jimmy doing something this irredeemable. He doesn't know how to respond, so he just goes for the default "You've gotten through tough situations before. Work through it one step at a time." Like the response is lame af lol I think he was in shock; he was scared (and just so I can say it one more time: he's super lame).

Anyway, this is way longer than I intended and I've said things a billion people have already stated. But uhhh tldr the whole point of Curly's character is he's passive; he never acts. He just watches. Making him an active participant in the abuse by taking actions to cover for Jimmy (like preventing Anya from filing an HR report) defeats the purpose of his character. He's a bystander.

[dreadfuldevotee]

I'd like to discuss the elephant in the room. Why did we get zero Loumand sex scenes? We got hints and implications, but season 1 was pretty explicit. Do we think that that's a creative choice or something else is happening?

I'm glad I ended up ruminating on this for about a week because episode 7 & 8 really solidified my opinion on it.

I do wanna start by saying that it's very clear to me that there was supposed to be more explicit scenes between them. There has been some thoughts tossed around that censorship happened with the 9 pm timeslot (as opposed to the 10 pm timeslot of S1). I believed this hearing Assad and Jacob talk about the BDSM dynamic between Louis and Armand, but what really sold me on this was Production Designer Mara LePere-Schloop talking about the bedroom set and more specifically about their beautifully carved custom headboard. (If you're a production nerd like me or just want to know more about the design philosophy of IWTV I recommend giving the entire thing a listen!).

I think there are several reasons I think as to why they decided to leave any more explicit scenes on the cutting room floor but above them all is: you cannot separate Armand's sexuality from his abuse. I am really against pulling a "well if you read the books" card but reading just the first couple chapters of "The Vampire Armand" makes me understand so much about not only Armand as a character, but the care being taken to his adaptation. It's clear to me that alongside Rolin & Co.'s commitment to not watering him down to a one-dimensional villain they are also trying to not fall into Anne Rice's tendency to romanticize his trauma.

Sex and sexuality is not the same pillar of Louis and Armand's relationship it was in Louis and Lestat's and so I don't believe their story suffers from the lack of on-screen sex. But I also firmly believe that maybe we don't need to be slutting out the character who we literally just watched talk about how he doesn't remember his life before being sex trafficked. And even when he was "freed" he was still being repeatedly assaulted at the hands of, and under the eye Marius de Romanus. Like it is extremely important to remember that Armand's craving for dominion in his relationships is a manifestation of trauma that deserves the same level of care and depth given to every other trauma portrayed in this show.

I think people have gotten too comfortable calling IWTV a romance when it has always been Gothic Horror. Romance and sex are pivotal to the story but I have found the demands for sex scenes this season a bit absurd and also? unfounded? Loustat share more kisses on screen but there are two sex scenes and both are very plot relevant. I truly figured we were all in agreement that the eroticism of this show is found in the various displays of power, and the dynamics it creates and not the actual clapping of ass-cheeks...which also wasn't happening in S1 either. S2 does not suffer because of the lack of sex-scenes, but the likelihood if it suffering trying to make one work is

[bitterflames]

forever thinking about this one commenter i saw on r/cdrama who said they didn't like word of honor because they're "not into men flirting". like ok i guess that's not a crime but ??? sir this is a danmei adaptation. you're at the Men Flirting Store what did you expect.

[magefelixir]

is this a safe space to say that i think the vibe around bootlegging and taking audios in this fandom is kind of concerning

i think the obsession a lot of people have with seeing every possible debut, understudy, etc is a bit unhealthy!

we won’t be there for every show and we won’t experience everything, and that’s okay!

i honestly just think the obsession with filming actors (who are people) without their consent and acting entitled to seeing everyone’s performance is just a bit disrespectful to the actors? most broadway actors are uncomfortable with being filmed and just i don’t know it feels a bit disconcerting

[arliedraws]

with all due respect, your honor, i think if sirius were a girl she would not present as femme

[coochiekrab]

I moved some of my cherries into the 20 gallon today

[lullaebies]

Aegon II, Helaena, and Historical Counterparts: Hope, Fate and the Doomed

So I had to do a little write up after something came to mind. This is an interpertation of Aegon II and Helaena in regards to how they may see the crown as it effects their relationship. Note that this is based of their characters in F&B, not the show. So needed context for this write up: As we know, Targaryens marry within the family. Keeps bloodlines pure, keeps dragonriding as a Targaryen ability. For the purposes of this write up, the theme is Targaryens marry within the family in order to maintain power. Duty is to keep the dragons within the family, duty is for a male heir to marry his sister in order to keep the literal power (dragons) and figurative powers (the crown) in the family. Historical heirs and rulers married within the family; notably Aegon The Uncrowned and Rhaena, as did Jaehaerys I and Alysanne. These two pairs will be our focus and comparison to Helaena and Aegon, but to begin with, we must acknowledge that unlike Helaena and Aegon these two pairs were either expected to rule, or have ruled for a long time and were praised. For Aegon II and Helaena, they were, as far as I remember, the first sibling couple in the royal dynasty era that had not been expected to take over the Realm (Edit: aside from Baelon and Alyssa, who had been more of a love match, and whose marriage kept their dragons in the family). Helaena and Aegon’s marriage is not advantageous to them, but instead to Rhaenyra and Viserys's hopes for the crown - denying the Greens alliances and hence power to their cause. They don't seem to have/are not mentioned to have dragon eggs, and instead seem to claim older dragons (Sunfyre and Dreamfyre) so they have to gain that power "on their own" in a sense too. [I will note book!Viserys does not seem to discourage the Greens from getting dragons - but alas they still had to go out and claim their own.] With a marriage that seems more purposeful in blocking power from reaching their hands, with already two people who feel pushed aside (Aegon being described as solemn and a grouch; Helaena noted to be less remarkable in beauty to Targs, in an era where she would be compared to her sister who was once "The Realm's Delight"), they seem to be helpless in their place. They are in a position where neither of them have an inheritance aside from their dragon, and where they know they would have to live subservient to Rhaenyra's wishes despite their family not getting along with hers to say the least. Their marriage is a chain around them at the time, and it hurts them. Only teens, Aegon rebels and cheats as he is - Helaena also is rather jokingly cynical, noting that people won't find him in her beds when people look to coronate him. They have an odd somewhat resigned relationship prior to the crowning, despite being noted to sleep in the same bed together regardless and have moments of jealousy [Aegon being mad at Jace for asking Helaena to Dance] - to me at least, they read as if they accepted the hand dealt at life and try to go with the flow of each other. There is struggle and understanding they find in each other. For the longest while, Aegon the Uncrowned and Rhaena are their soft parallels. An Aegon that had been denied the Throne; Helaena is a rider of Dreamfyre as well just like Rhaena. They have twins, and most of all — their story seems doomed.

Then, the coronation time comes, and there is somewhat of a shift. Not specifically in the relationship, but how they try to take it up — suddenly, they are King and Queen, and their relationship is pinnicale Targaryen power. They are crowned with their notably metallic colored, silver and gold dragons marking a new future to them. Aegon II is declaring he is fighting against an usurper that he is sure will kill his family, that in the future will be compared to Maegor the Cruel. Helaena, beloved of the Smallfolk, joins the Council table and argues for peace with her mother, a moderate voice to her more stern king, along with their mother Alicent, [despite this being an admittedly slightly flimsier part] whose name can ring a bell back to Alyssa Velaryon, King Aenys's wife. What I'm trying to lead us to, is our second comparison — Aegon II and Helaena after their coronation, had been hoping to be like Jaehaerys and Alysanne. With their magnificent metallic dragons, they wanted to find their power against someone they consider Maegor-like (Rhaenyra; and soon enough her cause will lead to the death of both her nephews so... checks out). They wanted to find again their power in this union that was not meant to bring them power. They were young adults, accepting the mantle and entering the war with the idea that they are upholding the law and going against violation to the succession from occurring again like in Maegor's case; entering the war with the idea that they must do so to protect their family. Alas, that is not to be. Very soon, that impression of protecting the family with the crown is shattered with the death of Jaehaerys. And now they're back to understanding that a crown and dragons are not quite enough. The struggle returns. They break from each other after B&C and suddenly, they return to the doomed narrative — like Aegon the Uncrowned, Aegon II goes to battle. Unlike him, he does not die, but he may as well be with his condition, and from the eyes of Helaena, who never sees him again after he is smuggled away, it cannot be too different. As she realizes and returns to understanding that there is no hope - she is a black bride, captured by Rhaenyra who is her Maegor while her husband for all she knows is dead - she also realizes that she is living a fate worse than Rhaena too, when Maelor dies. She gives up. The hope is gone and the grief is too much. She and her children are as doomed - there was no power in the crown, only pain. She jumps down to the moat. Residuals of Helaena's image as an Alysanne like figure spark the riots against Rhaenyra, and Aegon II, hides like Jaehaerys I did from Maegor for the longest while, and uses his last bits of power to overthrow Rhaenyra. He still dies in the end, however, poisoned.

In conclusion; Helaena and Aegon's cause had them bolstering the image of Jaehaerys and Alysanne, but they could not escape the tragedy of Aegon the Uncrowned and Rhaena losing it all. There was hope to find power in their union, as Jaehaerys and Alysanne did, but the crown and war for it had brought them immense grief, as it did Aegon the Uncrowned and Rhaena. An arc of hope and tragedy between a doomed pair.

[blitz0hno]

Y'all realize that if John is truly a new alter at least one has to have existed before him right? Even if the "third" alter (dubbed Midokoto) is no longer in the system/story, he WAS there.

Mikoto. Was never. A singlet.

Ever.

That's just not how DID works. Mikoto has to have had childhood trauma to have alters; you don't just split from stress in adulthood without ANY parts beforehand.

With this distinct difference in appearance, it's plenty reasonable to argue this guy could be John's predecessor (not John, but also NOT Mikoto).

So yeah it's plenty reasonable to think about the other alter and treat him as a factor in the story, whether or not he's around anymore. Bro is not like "an OC," he didn't come from nowhere. Systems cannot ever be singlets because their brain's development was disrupted; if John is truly new, someone else has to have previously existed alongside Mikoto.

Idk I trust that Yamanaka has thought this stuff out but this is just my opinion lol

[here-there-everyfuckenwhere]

Hmmmmmmm

Feel free to explain your answer in the tags and rub for sample size

[maespri]

oh my i never really saw myself making a post like this, but i really wanna talk about morgana! more specifically… why i don’t really understand the hate he receives.

for starters, i know a lot of people dislike mona because he gets on ryuji’s case often. his squabbling with ryuji can get hurtful at times too, i know, but i feel like so many people conveniently leave out the fact that… ryuji returns fire? it’s not as though mona is constantly attacking poor ryuji who can’t defend himself; it’s a two-sided fight throughout most of the game. both of them are constantly fueling the fire. not to mention, it’s a fight that eventually ends. both individuals have great character development (i could talk about it for /ages/, but i digress) that ends with their fighting essentially ceasing entirely. they’re both dumb teenage boys, they both said dumb stuff to each other, and they both hurt each other, and all of that is recognized and left in the past.

the hatred toward mona in general is something i struggle to understand entirely. you hate this cat because he tells you to go to bed? the game would have told you to do that one way or another, because it’s a game. there have to be constraints, or you’d get terribly overpowered incredibly fast. i wholeheartedly agree that mona’s lacking in comparison to the other characters in many ways- but i’ve never hated him, and was surprised to see a lot of people did.

maybe i’m just weirdly empathetic toward fictional characters, but i really liked his storyline. mona’s been with the protagonist since day one, helping him out, staying with him, encouraging and supporting him in everything he does, navigating them through mementos and palaces and battles… and he’s never really appreciated for any of it. obviously, the other phantom thieves do the same and don’t require any extra praise, but morgana already has a complex stemming from the fact that he’s not human. inherently, he believes he’s not nearly as good as any of the others, and subsequently, that he isn’t good enough in general- and he’s so ashamed of that that he can’t even voice the concern to the protagonist pre-okumura’s palace. it made sense to me when he snapped and ran away; if you were constantly the black sheep of a group, unable to engage with anyone unless the guy you live with is always there as well, wouldn’t you yearn for autonomy too? (don’t even get me started on the haru parallels there; there’s a reason morgana snapped during the okumura arc.) if you felt expendable and there wasn’t ever an effort made to prove otherwise, purposeful or not, wouldn’t you also want to leave? to spare both yourself, and the people you’re leaving? i really liked his arc because it led to two realizations- that he was pivotal to the group, and it was fine if he ended up not being a human. (and honestly, he was pivotal to my group… who else would i use to heal everyone outside of battle…!)

anyway, his objectification of women was weird. didn’t like that. but this is a JRPG, and he’s not the only one who does strange things like that at times (why was ryuji looking at ann’s chest in the mona bus outside futaba’s palace man…). honestly, his flirting was also weird at times, but as long as it never got strangely sexual, i didn’t really mind? it’s not like it ever genuinely bothers ann either as far as i remember. it’s more just a stupid thing he does.

anyway… i dunno. i like the kitty. he’s silly, he kept me company, and he made my playthrough fun. life is so much more beautiful when you carry love in your heart rather than resentment

[shewaslikeasunflower]

nana inspired me to make a shipping tier list so here i am

there's no ship that i am just ‘okay’ about. i like almost all of them as you can see help

[thelilylav]

"Tell me every terrible thing you ever did, and let me love you anyway."

Darabella they could never make me hate you <3