#internet analysis

[ruruas]

A Love Letter to The Early 2010s

Celebrating its comeback into the fashion trend cycle.

This is the first post under my publication The Encomiast.

Over the past few months, I’ve been seeing an increasing amount of nostalgia posts for the early 2010s pop up on my social media feeds. Specifically, the type of early 2010s ‘aesthetic’ characterised by neon colours, carefree divas and prime-time radio pop. That's the era I remember most clearly, back in elementary school (I was born in 2006). I had always looked at this era and its visuals fondly, even before social media got a hold of it. I’d like to take a look at this time again, mainly through its fashion, accessories, and the general visual that we’ve just begun to adore again.

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The Clothes

I’ve prepared this collage to show what I vividly remember from this era. These aren’t my images (I collected them from Pinterest, and you can find the board here with many more images) but these hot-coloured floral print catchy-slogan chevron-galaxy-print clothes were exactly what I wore, or aspired to wear.

Admittedly, I never had many opportunities to wear these types of clothes outdoors since my school had a uniform. What (from this collage, atleast) I recall wearing the most was the Hollister/Abercombie jacket. As shown, I’m pretty sure it was this hot pink colour with a white fur on the inside. Some students would wear white or navy blue, to match our uniform. The cool kids who wore a Hollister jacket rather than the school jacket. It was those same cool kids who would continue to do so even after my school implemented a useless ban on it. However, no one really stepped into the heavy musky scented dark space of an Abrecombie store to buy these. No, they always just popped up in the closet, ready to be worn for cold school mornings. 

Image via Cali Looks on eBay.

Usually when most people think of the ‘preppy’ era of the early 2010s, they think of galaxy-printed anything. Shirts, leggings, bags, even pencil cases. I don’t recall seeing much of that, to be honest. Maybe on accessories, but not really clothing. Most clothing I recall were either solid colours (always either hot pink, bright teal, or pastel coral) or with floral print. The flowers shown were always daisies, or other ‘dainty’ and ‘feminine’ flowers.

One of the outfits I distinctly remember wearing around this time had a small daisy printed on a white shirt with these oddly shaped flowy sleeves that only went above my elbows (does that make it a short-sleeve or a long-sleeve?). I paired it with these skin-tight bright yellow jeans; my favorite color at the time. Very awkward looking with my jet-black hair, but it made me feel like I was just as ‘fashionable’ as the picture-perfect girls I saw online.

Another outfit I remember donning was to the airport, perhaps around 2016 but still quite in-line with the trends of the earlier years of the past decade. It was a loose black cotton sports jersey with white accents paired with skinny jeans with vertical black and white lines. Very matchy-matchy. When I look back at these outfits, I admittedly heavily cringe. But at these moments, I truly had some sort of pride in my ‘eye’ for fashion. 

Left image via here and right via here. No hate for the beautiful women shown, because I certainly did not look as good as them. 

These outfits, albeit odd, must have come to me from all the Youtubers I watched. One of them, who I deeply aspired to imitate, was Seven Super Girls. They were a group of tween girls making YouTube videos about their lives, fashion trends, room tours, etc. It was these girls that showed younger me how to be ‘fashionable’ around this era. I remember one of the girl’s rooms had striped walls with hot pink accents. To say I was jealous was an understatement. 

Look at that hot-pink chevron! Image via Seven Super Girls.

Another Youtuber I recall influencing my fashion choices was iiSuperWomanii, also known as Lily Singh (what's up with all the Superman references?). She had the ‘cooler’ side of early 2010s fashion, with t-shirts decorated with cool slogans and snapback hats. I had one too, but instead of ‘Dope’ or ‘Swag’ or ‘Yolo’ written on it, it was ‘Kuwait’, my country.

That poster wall behind her totally inspired me to decorate my room with posters when I was a teenager too. Image via Lily Singh.

 These YouTubers were one of my first openings into the world of fashion and styling. I, and most likely anyone who was online around this time, tried to copy and imitate them. Perhaps whatever ‘coolness’ they sold through the lens would trickle down onto us.

The Accessories

I think the reason why accessories from this point in time were so ‘iconic’ was that it all really revolved around mascots, symbols, logos, icons, and texts. It's quite different from today’s popular ‘sleek minimalist’ accessories that are simply plain gold or silver jewellery. There was always a certain reference or bold design that was involved in bracelets and necklaces of the early 2010s. It made it so your personality and interests were on full display, because ‘geeky’ interests popping up on merchandise started becoming a trend, thanks to websites like Tumblr.

Things I distinctly remember from my early childhood were chunky character watches. If you rummage through the back of my closet, you’ll find a plastic IKEA drawer filled with broken watches adorned with the faces of Hannah Montana, Spongebob, Dora, and even Marionette from Miraculous Ladybug. Truly, the absolute pinnacle of fashion for a six-year-old girl. 

Something like this but even tackier. Image via here

Speaking of first grade, the owl trend back then even managed to hit the walls of my first-grade classroom. My teacher, Ms. Nicole, said that she loved owls. So naturally, there were owl puns on every whiteboard in the class, owl line art was present in the parent’s newsletter every week, and she wore a long owl necklace everyday to school.

Image via here

I can name a billion more animals or vague symbols of 2010s culture that were made into jewellery. The Union Jack was a popular one, quite in-line with the rise of One Direction. Hello Kitty (and cats in general) as well, but they’ve been around way before (and after) the 2010s. Danbo was another one I remember clearly. It was a small cardboard robot that became a popular figurine for photography. I always thought it was a mascot for Amazon, but it’s actually from a Japanese manga series. 

Image via here

Emojis became popular clothing and accessory items as well. I think I remember having emoji pins on my middle-school backpack, for some reason. The old designs have a skeuomorphic shading to them that made them quite the product of their time. No wonder images of the old Emojis spark so many memories for me, the era was so visually vivid even the way the digital faces were shaded remains in my mind! 

The ‘people’ icons were definitely creepier. Image via here

There is much more to the culture of the early 2010s, both in general and in my memories. But I’ve decided to just highlight one aspect of it. I’d like to encourage you to reflect on your own memories of a popular era or aesthetic, and not just rely on our lens of it from today. There’s something quite special in the unique recollection of faint visuals cues from different eyes. That uniqueness is what makes each person’s nostalgia their own, belonging to them and them alone. 

With that being said, what do you remember from the early 2010s? 

[rowanellis]

Sad Girl Vibes: The Double-Edged Aesthetics of Mental Health

From tumblr edits to TikTok trends - mental illness has always been romanticised and glamourised on the internet - but is this really always a bad thing? Let's dive into the controversial and paradoxical discourse surrounding mental health aesthetics...

[welcometololaland]

Hey hey it's Nice Ask Day! (Or at least it is on this side of the world.)

So: What’s the best thing about the internet?

xoxo MJ/kiwiana-writes (my kingdom for the ability to send asks from a sideblog)

MJ, what an interesting question! thank you for this!

in my opinion the best part about the internet is being able to stay connected to people instantly in a way you wouldn't be able to without it (for example, timezones). but I also think the constant connectedness is one of the worst parts about the internet - it kind of sets this expectation that we should be constantly available to contact and constantly interacting and I think that (for me personally) can be quite anxiety provoking! also it really makes me unable to just sit still anymore lol. I think the internet has given me bad habits.

would be really interested to know other answers to this!!! anyone feel free to jump in!

[nekyn-alb]

Reddit sub-cultures are super interesting. Every circlejerk/parody/counter subreddit seems to have a few outwardly incomprehensible phrases like:

r/AnarchyChess with google en passant / holy shit and brick on your pipi

r/guitarcirclejerk with toan and [variation of] 0-3-5

r/titanfolk with for 10 years at least! and what a man you are

r/freefolk somehow inspired several more subs to call themselves r/xyz-folk instead of -circlejerk or a name more appropriate to the community they're making fun of. r/titanfolk's name has, to my limited knowledge, no actual relation to any name in Attack on Titan.

Many other jokes are shared too, and I don't even mean crossover memes. Every member is the greatest chess player/musician/gamer/writer/artist and of course completely surpassed by whoever replies, but they all bow to the members of the mothersub. And they all act like they have the vocabulary of six-year old. Every name well-known in the community is misspelled in increasingly absurd ways. Dozens of exclamation and question marks for mundane comments. Everyone is incredibly horny, mostly for objects. A third of all sentences end in "idiot." Radical political extremism in any direction.

Somehow, r/freefolk inspired at least the Attack on Titan and Chainsaw Man community to make r/titanfolk's and r/chainsawfolk, which have absolutely no relation to anything in the works they came from. To my knowledge, at least.

While the references in each sub are distinct, each of them has the same core. And so it never takes long for the salt to seep in and make them less funny. It's tough to build a good-natured community when it is based on making fun of people instead of creating a better place to talk about things.

and this this is where I praise r/curatedtumblr, my beloved

[sunny-boooo]

I'm jumping off a bridge. Their backstory is so tragic, I can't.

The fact that even Queenie being in the state she was, Kinger still found humanity in her, the fact that he risked his life knowing she could go crazy and attack him just so he could touch her one last time.

And the fact that Queenie allowed him to do it, the fact that she was able to keep control as a abstracted just so she could feel him. Because she loved him and he loved her back and both of them knew her fate, but in that moment, it was just them, their last moment together so both made it work.

This is such a powerful image I want to hug both of them.

[whereserpentswalk]

Just saw a "feminist" video essay (by someone who just happens to only talk about feminism in relation to cishet white able bodied women) say that the Hays Code was good for women because it "prevented them from sexualizing women by preventing onscreen depictions of sex". Never before has a video said something that made me vocalize my disgust of it's takes, but this did it.

I didn't think I would have to say this but if you defend the Hays code you are horrible and not in any way progressive. And if you don't know what it is please look it up because it's probably the most important piece of history when it comes to all media analysis in the western world.

[redrocketpanda]

Something that has been driving me insane about the credits are these sections with the fish so please bear with me whilst I do a mini deep dive (hehe) into fish discourse because YO, we need to talk about these fish!

Notice how at the beginning of the credits we actually have two white fish swimming along beside one another; one with bright turquoise eyes and the other with black.

A little while later the fish begin to circle each other and a droplet falls into the water between them. As the disturbance ripples out from the center, one of the fish dives deeper into the water and changes its colour to black; symbolizing Geto's change and descent into darkness

Then we have this heartbreakingly beautiful moment with Gojo and Geto:

I cannot stop thinking about how long Gojo watches the black fish for as it swims across the screen, whereas Geto's eyes are lowered the moment the white fish appears and he closes them as it swims past.

Gojo cannot bear to tear his eyes away, whilst Geto cannot bear to look

Throughout the credits, Gojo and Geto have been making their way towards each other through the pouring rain (or mostly sitting and waiting in Geto's case). At the end, they meet each other under a bridge and as they walk away together we see the fish a final time, swimming together again in a puddle formed by the heavy rain.

Geto walks on the left in the light, as the white fish swims close to his head, almost invisible in the brightness of the light. Whilst Gojo walks on the right in the shadow with the black fish swimming further away but still close by.

The fish speed after the two men before disappearing completely under the water just before the camera pans up and we watch as Gojo pulls Geto in for a hug as they walk away, before he's playfully shoved away by Geto.

There's a lot going on the credits (+ opening) that is absolutely killing me but man, these fish?! Breathtaking.

[courtrecord]

honestly i hate how that “maybe the curtains are just blue” post has become shorthand for anti-intellectualism and shit bc as someone who has an utter passion for media analysis now, I WAS THAT PERSON IN HIGH SCHOOL ENGLISH CLASS.

english class never taught me how to analyze stories, it taught me how to remember what things the teacher said were “symbolism” and how to take quizzes where we had to match a quote to the character who said it. i didn’t give a shit about any of it, bc literally why should i. it was bullshit.

there’s this idea online that people are forgetting or rejecting what they learned in english class when they’re bad at media analysis, and maybe that’s a little bit true, but i think the much bigger problem is they never learned it in the first place. cinemasins & “maybe the curtains are just blue” aren’t convincing people to abandon an intellectualism they already had, they’re filling a void.

when all you learn in high school is to write on the test “blue = depression”, why is it surprising that so many people don’t give a shit about the curtains.

[childofbriseis]

"oooh but katniss everdeen could have shot trump" you idiots. you fools. ye folks of tiny brain. katniss everdeen Could have shot trump but she Would have shot biden instead, leaving trump to be trampled to death by hordes of screaming republicans

[ivyithink]

posting this little thing, while I’m neck-deep in iwtv wips…

[ruruas]

We Can't Handle Chappell Roan's Politics

And that's a media literacy problem.

In a staggering short amount of time, American singer-songwriter Chappell Roan has risen to extreme stardom and popularity. Her music is emotionally glamorous, fun and pop-y with its depth coming from the lyrics. Her image is even more glamorous, taking inspiration from campy drag makeup to take on a whole new persona. Beneath the glittery costumes and extreme makeup, Roan is quite open about her personal life, her identity, and most controversially, her political standings. 

On September 21st, 2024, pop culture news account @/PopFlopHQ on X posted an excerpt from an interview Roan conducted with The Guardian. The excerpt quoted Roan saying the following:

 “I have so many issues with our government in every way… There are so many things that I would want to change. So I don’t feel pressured to endorse someone. There’s problems on both sides.” 

This segment of a larger interview was taken out of context (as most headlines are) and caused multiple internet users to starkly ‘switch-up’ on Roan. Some defended her, but many called her a ‘closeted-republican’ and a Donald Trump supporter (beliefs going against her image). A collection of tweets can be found in this Instagram post by @/sainthoax. The post also details how contradictory calling Roan a conservative is when she had raised thousands of dollars for issues such as reproductive rights and Palestinian liberation–issues an alt-right conservative would not agree with. 

Brat Green and Pony Pink

In a past article of mine, Kamala Harris Is Not Your Brat, I detailed how both celebrities and political figures this election season have been using each other to propel themselves and their own platforms. I spoke about Charli XCX tweeting “kamala IS brat”, which began a period of Brat-ification of presidential candidate Kamala Harris’s campaign. Here’s an update: Charli never meant for that tweet to be an endorsement of Harris.  However, that doesn’t mean that she wasn’t aware of what this tweet could do for both her public image and Harris’s. With these three words, Charli has joined the world of pop-politics (even if she doesn’t want to) and allowed Harris to use Brat in her campaign. On the other hand, Chappell Roan has not. She's given no response to Harris’s team using her song ‘Femininominon’ in a tweet, and has refused to perform at a White House event, on the basis that she will only come when there is “liberty, justice and freedom for all”.

The difference between Charli and Roan is that one actively participates in pop-political culture even if they don’t mean to endorse the politics, and the other rejects this culture, deciding to give a nuanced opinion on politics. Yet, the first is celebrated by audiences, and the second is called a ‘fake’.  I say this is because people on the internet naturally gravitate towards something that can be memed, joked about, become trendy, etc. No one is celebrating Roan’s nuance because it isn’t cool, or funny, or aesthetic, or easily interpreted to be an endorsement of pop-politics. No, it is her true unfiltered take, and people simply cannot accept that someone can hold the beliefs that Roan does and not support Kamala Harris. People simply cannot accept anything outside of the two-party binary–that is how widespread it is. No wonder voting for Jill Stein (a third party) isn’t an option, the people can’t comprehend it, much less the American government!

Reading beyond the (head)lines

There’s something even more interesting: The original account that posted the out-of-context tweet later apologised. They admitted that their tweet did not properly showcase Roan’s political beliefs, and how easily misunderstood it could be. If the original posters that started this mess could admit that they were wrong, well, why can’t you? Why have we all lost the ability to look past the headline and really digest political nuance? We are lacking a very important skill: media literacy.

Media literacy, as a broad term, is “the ability to access, analyse, evaluate, create,and act using all forms of communication”. This ability is heavily discussed in English classes, especially those that look towards dissecting literature and poetry. I want to focus on the “analyse” and “evaluate” parts of this definition. What the people calling Roan a ‘republican’ lack is the ability to analyse Roan’s full words (not just the headline) and evaluate whether or not Roan can still be called a ‘republican’ even after donating thousands to Palestinian liberation. The misunderstanding of Roan’s words do not just come from a lack of media literacy but also come from a desire to categorise celebrities into little boxes. 

Celebrities are not people anymore

Since the dawn of the celebrity, the public has always wished to install hard-and-fast traits about them, consistent traits that are constantly present. This is why many magazines existed in the 2010s attempting to decode the lives of celebrities without paying much attention to their actual lives as human beings. For example, Taylor Swift was always characterised to be someone who was always getting in and out of relationships. That was the trait the public assigned to her. It goes without saying that logically, Swift as a person is more than her boyfriends. But the lives of people don’t matter to the media illiterate. No, only how they are able to be warped and morphed to their personal perceptions of them matters. Instead of people, they’ve become almost like fictional characters. People saw this headline about Roan and decided that they would use it to justify their hatred of her. It doesn’t matter whether or not Roan is actually a conservative, it matters that ‘one time Chappell Roan said this and it was not very liberal girl boss of her to say so’. The media illiterate only care about surface-level information, unable to see celebrities as human but as characters that they are able to toy with, put in little boxes and thrown away when it does not serve them anymore. 

I can bet you that if the commenters were able to even have an ounce of media literacy, to even retain an ounce of the information they learned in their high school English classes, then no one would have called Chappell Roan a conservative in disguise. We’d be able to read past the headline, and offer Roan the same amount of nuance she shows the American election. But no, a three-word tweet is much more aesthetic and digestible than an entire interview, and because of that, the internet has publicly embarrassed themselves by not being able to comprehend that someone does not endorse either option. That’s why not being media literate is a problem–it's plain embarrassing. 

[ruruas]

The way the internet is designed inherently warps how people interact with others and how they see themselves

I know we were all taught this in elementary school internet safety classes, on how cyber bullies are just "hiding behind the screen" or whatever but its much more deeper than that as you can see this with all internet users, not just the "cyber bullies".

The current internet (the one that capitalizes on your attention span and shoves advertisements right into your skull) loves it when you allow yourself to become extremely hateful of anything outside your algothirmicly manufactured bubble as to it, its all just engagement and likes and comments and reposts and retweets and (explodes)

This is why certain aspects of internet (in its current state) are quite literally harmful to how we see the world and people. Its so important to touch grass! So important! Its not cool to be an ass in real life, but it is very cool to do so online. No way you can tell me that its totally fine that whenever I go onto TikTok I just see absolute piles of hate and trash.

The yearning for old internet, the hate and doomscrolling online, the negative spaces we've all created for ourselves online, those things and more are all connected to eachother. No way they aren't!

Internet and fandom culture has ruined some people's perception of what Is and Isn't okay. I can't stand how now people think it's okay to be assholes for little to no reason. Especially when they surround themselves in an echo chamber of people who do the same.

Like. Why are you acting like this? "heh. I guess I'm just a hater B)" No, you're an asshole. People hate being around you and your nasty attitude. Stop.

[johnskleats]

Azula would have lost the Final Agni Kai no matter what. Here's why:

Azula is insecure. That's why she takes cheap shots. She did it with Katara, and she did it with Aang in CoD, AND she did it with Iroh striking him with lightning. One could even argue that her behavior in CoD foreshadows some of what happens in the Agni Kai, where in CoD, Katara fights Azula, and Zuko saves her, whereas in the Final Agni Kai, Zuko fights Azula and saves Katara. It's a little mismatch of dynamics.

Azula cheating (constantly), is a staple of dishonorable behavior, which I think is interesting.

We see her "play with her food" like a cat, with the Dai Lee and other opponents she encounters. She tricks them and manipulates them and there's no threat. Killing Aang with lightning was SUPREMELY stupid on her part, and she wouldn't have done it unless she was cornered. She didn't even stick around to make sure he was dead or have any of them followed-- because she was scared. Zuko NEVER flees in fights out of fear. He doubles down like a lunatic and tries to get himself killed instead. Azula is not willing to risk her life, and that's why she's a worse fighter. The insecurity gets to her head and she psychs herself out

Azula has a lot of fire power (lol), but Zuko has the heart and commitment to see actions through to the end. That's why he would have won, had Azula not cheated.

By the end, they were evenly matched in firepower anyway. They did the Raging Line of Flames Competing Colors thing and met in the middle, and stayed there. That's how animation tells us about their ability.

Azula's seat of power in her firebending is spite and fear. She's not even mad, bro.

Zuko's seat of power, at the end, is light and life and love. One is a powder keg that runs out after you blow it up once, and the other is like an oil fire in a parking lot. There's essentially infinite fuel there.

Zuko would have certainly outlasted her. And did, if you think about it. Because she panicked.

Azula's entire persona is a mask, just as Zuko's bravado and pettiness in the first season was a mask. (Funny, that he can only be himself when he's hidden the scar with the blue spirit mask, therefore freeing himself of the shame and the mark that brands him as a villain)

They show us that Azula's mask is not only slipping, but cracking, crumbling in the mirror scene. That's why it's there: to show the audience that all of her running has finally caught up with her.

This world that Azula created has been a sham from the beginning. Castles in the sky to make up for what she lacks: love.

Which is why she would never win against Zuko if they both reached their full potential, as they did during the comet.

[weepylucifer]

One reason why i fuck heavily with disco elysium is like... idek how to describe this phenomenon, but usually when i read Fantasy or Sci-Fi there always has to be this protective layer of Allegory where like, we can't possibly call a thing what it is lest it get too Real so we have like, The Empire. The Dark Lord. The Federation. The Culture. The Ministry. The Shmeebus Bleebus. YOU know. But DE is the first narrative i ever encountered that'll just straight up say "This is about communism. This is about fascism. This is about centrism. This is about nihilism." Like actually use the grownup words for it, you know?? And trust that the audience won't faint away with shock when confronted with ideologies

[shimylli]

So after some time to think about it, I will share my own though on Solavellan ending in Dragon Age The Veilguard, so SPOILER ahead.

ON ROOK AND SOLAS

First I would like to share a bit about them, because I really enjoyed their dynamics on the game.

« – Letting the veil collapse... – ... Is what you want. Making amend isn't about what you want. »

I wish so bad those words, and the whole cinematic would have been from my Inquisitor perspective. That she could be the one angry, and also saying the right word, she derseved it, after all this time.

But I am not angry at all, because like I said, I enjoy Rook and Solas relationship.

Solas treat Rook the way he would have never treated Lavellan. There is such a cruelty in trapping someone in an eternal and lonely prison, and Rook - specially if you play it as a supportive and forgiveful one - is one of the least to deserve it.

Rook see the manipulative, abusive and cruel side of the Trickser god. Solas never really let is guard down this time, He doesn't allow it considering how close he was to stop everything by the time of Inquisition.

Rook forgiving and believing in Solas, still, despite everything he has done to her, was also really impactful and satisfying. And for Solas, it was the first step through healing.

INQUISITOR INTERVENTION

As he still proceed on his plan, he hear the voice of the Inquisitor, and turn so fast.

It is so hearbeaking, and after all this time, he still calls her " Vhenan ".

And for her, he lets his guard down, again.

« – You think you've come too far to come back, but you're wrong. »

Lavellan plays a really mature and forgiving part, and I think it makes sense. In Inquisition, I played an angry Lavellan, the one who scream in elvish and then say " I would have had you trust me " while angrily entering his personal space. But it has been 10 years, and like us, she had time to think about it, to take distance and make peace about their relationship.

Solas is looking for every way to proove that he is undeserving of her forgiveness, give many excuses.

«– I forgive you ! »

I was so happy about the Voice Acting, when Lavellan assertively cut him and scream at him this sentence. She already failed 8 years ago to convince him to stay, and she will not let her second chance pass.

And then...

MYTHAL AND SOLAS

Ugh. Where to start.

I like what they did with Solas and Mythal relationship, seeing how abusive and manipulative Mythal was. In a way, it makes the time between Solas and Lavellan in Inquisition even softer, as she accepted him for the person he was and wanted to be. A person who gave advice and share his wisdom. An equal.

I also don't think that Mythal and Solas were romantically involved, and it would have been better to avoid the companions comment about it, making it moreconfusing. Actually, it would have been even better to not have the team reuniting to watch and comment the really personal memories of Solas like a TV Show.

Mythal is the third to offer forgiveness by sharing the weight of their mistakes, and even so I wish she would have been an optional intervention, I have to recognise that the scene is intense and painful - positevily - to watch.

This is the moment the Lost Elf theme start to play as the same time as the main DA TV theme with violin, they managed to make it even sader.

His body language. He is breaking, getting crushed by the weight from his pain. To see him, so vulnerable, so small, it was heartbreaking. And when Mythal release him, say the last word that finally free him, is like he can no longer stand, he fall crying.

Obviously, he was no longer bounded to Mythal since long, and every bad decision he took in the past were taken freely. Still, metaphorically, it was really symbolic. The guy has been suffering for thousand years.

SOLAS AND LAVELLAN

«– Banal Nadas Ar lath'ma Vhenan. »

And then Lavellan walks slowly towards him, and softly kneel to look him in the eyes. She is caring and supportive, and start saying reassuring words in elvhen. I feel like them speaking in elvhen makes so much sench, has it is kind of their tongue of truth and sincerity.

I love that Lavellan grew to be this person Solas could trust, and could be there for him, show compassion. She does not look submissive, but caring. She definitely is in control of the situation, and she chose to be here for him. Despite everything.

And again, the animation. The emotion in their looks. The tears in Solas' eyes.

The sadness of his gaze while he decide to take the hardest decision, and pay the consequences of his actions.

And while Rook and Morrigan look at him, proudly, there is this little frame.

Lavellan, smiling, lookind down. A bit of sadness in her eyes. I think it is the moment she realise that she have to take a decision. See him take his responsability, keeping him as dear memory, or leave everything to be by his side. And my head still remember what she said to him after the Well of Sorrow mission : " No matter what, you will be by my side. ".

I am not upsed by the ending. This is exactly what I had envision before the release of Veilguard.

Sure, Solas was the victime of Mythal abuse, but the pain and suffering he caused around him were all from decisions he took freely. He needed to make amend, and not a sacrificial reparation. The decision is even harder as it mirrors his fear that we know. Dying alone.

Every other ending is painful to watch when you remember that.

So for him to take his responsability, knowing that he would lead him to a life of solitude. Only, when he chose this path, with the end that awaits him, does it makes sens that the Inquisitor offer to follow him. The world is saved, she leave it in the good hands of people she trust, and she deserve to finally take a break.

And again, the game let you decide if you want to follow him, you can have a Lavellan who think that it was too much for her. But to me, it is the culminent point of their story taking a mythical level.

«– Ar ghilas vir banal. »

Solas speaking elvhen sounds so beautiful. Again, he rejects her, telling her that only terrible thing awaits her if she follow him. He wants to protect her, she doesn't have to face the same consequences as him, she has done nothing but trying to repare his mistakes. I think it shows that he still care, that he would not make her selfishly take the same burden as him.

I know, it is not a grand gesture, but the way he looks at her. I do believe she means everything to him.

And the kiss was so soft. I think us, solavellan fan are not use to it. And it bugged me also, as we had in the past more intimate scene. I think I would have prefere if he at least hugged her while kissing. Still, I think it goes well with the caring and softness of Lavellan, in this specific situation, who is in front of a bruised man.

I kind of count on the artist to make something more emotional.

So far, I enjoyed the ending, I just have a problem with the execution, and now that I am writting all of it, I realise that I even enjoyed the cinematic, I just think I was expecting more. A Trespasser level ending, that would feel more personal.

But I am also in peace with the ending, this is exactly what I wanted for them, and I am sure that they will make of this fade prison a special place for them to grow happy.

And again, thanks to the Solavellan fan to provide us with content that should be in the game. The way he looks at her :

I think this picture alone help me make peace with the end.

And I will just finish with my Lavellan and Rook smiling. I love them so much.

[lesbianwyllravengard]

I love how whenever I see people discuss wyllstarion, in the context of "justifying" why one ships it, there's always that of why Astarion would love Wyll, extensively; bringing up that Astarion said he used to dream of marrying men like Wyll, or that Astarion said wants to feed off of Wyll, or that Astarion would want someone chivalrous and kind who would put his needs first and who would respect his boundaries and his past. Astarion is the fave white boy and so he's shipped with many different people, and this is how people who ship wyllstarion express why he'd choose Wyll. But I almost never see extensive explanation of why Wyll would love Astarion, because of course he would. Of course he'd love Astarion.