#it's like they're on the same path

[roseofhybrids]

was gonna write this in the tags, but it got way too long for that, so

short answer: If we're going purely off of the cannon material we've seen in the series I have to say too ambiguous to answer

long answer:

on one hand she did a lot of bad things, abuse, murder, siding with robo-satan

but on the other, we never got the chance to see what she would choose to do when truly free to make her own choices through the series, she's either under control of the Elliots or the solver. Which severely limits just how in control she can be of her own choices. Would standing up for your "boss and coworkers" against people and entities bent on abusing and killing them be the right thing to do? Definitely, but it's also a fast way to get yourself and them killed this isn't meant as a justification of any of her actions, just an explanation of why she'd choose them

and we don't get the chance to see if she'd continue choosing to act the way she did in the series after the solver gets defeated

take N and V for example they also did a lot of murder of both humans and drones while working for the solver. While V didn't physically hurt N, as far as we know, she still did mistreat him. You can argue that it was to a lesser extent than what J did, but even if it wasn't as bad, it still wasn't good either All three of them were made to do horrific things while working under the absolute solver. But we only get to see how N and V change when free from that

N's change is pretty quick He didn't remember the solver at the time of the pilot, so he didn't have to consider the possible consequences of going against an eldritch space demon that has already eliminated at least 1 planet

V on the other hand did remember and as a result takes longer to change In episodes 2 and 3 we see she's still intent on killing the worker drones and tries to convince N to do the same. She asks him to stop looking into the solver and goes to the prom planning to kill everyone there. V can remember the deal she made with the solver, and she knows it's out there. She can't start slacking off just because J is gone, it could show up at any point and there would be consequences for both her and N In episode 4 we see this fear first hand. V sees Uzi is getting taken over by the solver and attempts to kill her. She justifies this to N by saying that if they do their jobs, that thing (the solver) will leave them alone. She is killing in order to protect herself and N from the solver

This is the exact same justification J gives to V in the finale. She justifies siding with the absolute solver because she believes there's no way to escape or defeat it. There's no escape even in death, so it's pointless to disobey it. Had J come back sooner and had a similar encounter with V in episode 2 or 3, maybe even 4. It's possible that V would have agreed with J back then

But when they do fight in episode 8, V now believes it's possible to overcome the solver and as a result rejects J's offer to join the "winning team". Cementing her evolution to a heroic character

J on the other hand has not had the chance to have that growth. While N and V had the chance to be free from the solver for a while. J spent that entire time by its side. J isn't free from it till CYN's core is destroyed

so, would J choose to better herself now that there's no obligation to please a violent master that will kill her for stepping out of line?

well we can't say for sure we can speculate, of course. There's certainly signs and evidence that she has the capacity for it, but we can't see if that change takes place. If it happens, it happens post canon

I personally believe she could if given enough time and the room to atone by the other drones.

But she could just as easily be rejected by the other drones and be left alone to stew and grow resentful

Maybe they try to let her in, but she ends up being unwilling to change and instead isolates herself. Be it because of ego or a fear of diverting from the life she's lived for so many years

How J turns out after the credits roll is left to interpretation. It's hard to call her bad when we take her situation into account and see the potential for growth. But it's also hard to call her good when we don't know for sure what happens

Rb and all that jazz

[vlasdygoth]

think i'm gonna call it off

[stop-breaking-my-heart-dragonage]

I'm not ready to shut up about Aveline and Carver--so, when you go see Aveline in Act 1, you can catch up with her a little bit and that's where this conversation can happen:

Aveline: "It's just one more change, though. The real end for me was Ostagar. What about you, Carver? You were there. Do you feel something similar?" Carver: No. Aveline: All right, then. Bit of a tit, your brother.

I wanted to see what she would say if Carver isn't in the party. Instead, she says this:

Aveline: Carver was there. I imagine he feels something similar. If he allows it.

......well, at least she didn't call him a tit?

[spurgie-cousin]

I know it doesn't need to be studied and there are already obvious answers as to why this happens lol but I just can't shake the urge that I need to study how literally no kids in the Bates family ever decided to challenge their parents beliefs

Idk if it's because of neurodivergency or what, but the idea of just accepting what someone tells you is true, esp on the level of like facts about life and the universe, is just impossible for me to relate to. and I don't mean that as in like ohhhhhh I'm so smart and they're stupid bc I earnestly don't think that, and I get that people are taught not to question and could lose their families for doing so but still, that doesn't stop a lot of people raised in conservative Christianity from questioning. I just can't wrap my head around the fact that out of 20 NONE of them even changed denominations, let alone considered questioning Christianity as a whole, it's just kind of mind boggling to me.

And particularly with the Bates, bc even some of the Duggars (who I'd argue had a more abusive upbringing from what we know) have at least deconstructed that particular type of Christianity. But the Bates are all still strict southern Baptist as far as I know.

[theotherrichardpapen]

...because any moment may be our last. everything is more beautiful because we're doomed.

[symbologic]

Luffy vs. Zoro at Whiskey Peak

Unpopular opinion maybe, but the Luffy vs. Zoro clash in Whiskey Peak made sense for their characters. You could even argue that it was bound to happen, given their personalities.

Luffy likes the people who feed him. In the the face of their suffering, no matter who's responsible, he's too angry to concern himself with the reasons behind it. Zoro, on the other hand, prefers to handle things independently without saying much about it, especially if it means his crew gets to enjoy themselves a little longer

So it's not really surprising that Luffy would be blindsided by finding their hosts cut up by his swordsman, and that this would send him flying into a fit of rage. If he's never paused to listen to context or backstories before now, why would he start here? And of course, Zoro is not the type to back down from a challenge. He will match Luffy's energy and respond in kind

"But if Luffy were a good captain, he would have stopped to listen to Zoro's side of the story." Vivi tells him he's a bad captain two arcs later, precisely because of this kind of behavior. It clearly leaves an impression on Luffy, and we see he's grown into a better leader by the time he reaches Amazon Lily. (Almost as if Oda set all this development up on purpose with Whiskey Peak. HMM...)

"But Luffy refused to believe that Nami had killed Usopp in Arlong Park." This argument is like comparing apples to oranges. Nami did not actually do the murder that Johnny and Yosaku claim they saw, nor is she capable of killing people in cold blood. Of course Luffy isn't going to believe Nami killed Usopp based on hearsay. But in Whiskey Peak, Zoro did cut those bounty hunters. Luffy sees the evidence for himself, and he knows the carnage Zoro is capable of inflicting once he puts his mind to it. There is no denying what happened. Nothing other than Zoro saying "someone else did this" (or Nami knocking the soul out of him) was going to stop Luffy from going ballistic

"Why would Luffy fight so hard to recruit Zoro into his crew, firmly believing that he wasn't a bad person, only to later attack him because he believed Zoro was capable of harming 'innocent' people?" Because the fight was never about whether their hosts were "innocent" or not, not really. Their fight was about what Zoro did (assaulting the ones who fed them), and how those actions made Luffy feel (mad as hell, because these people FED THEM) For Luffy, context did not actually matter at that moment in time because, for him, "they fed me" unequivocally means "they're my friend", full stop This is even shown again in Mocktown! Both when Luffy unquestioningly eats an apple from Doc Q, and when Bellamy buys Luffy a drink in Mocktown. In the first case, Luffy only lived because he was lucky. And in the second case, he assumes Bellamy is a good person despite all evidence to the contrary, only to have his face brutally smashed into the bartop by Bellamy. Luffy is shockingly bad at reading people who try to feed him.

Luffy has interpersonal conflicts with all the core members from East Blue at different times. The fight with Zoro is the only one instigated by Luffy. But surprisingly, their fight highlights their similarities instead of their differences. They still fight equally and work together against BW agents who try to interfere with their fight.

I think that's what Oda wanted to showcase with this scene.

In short, Luffy's initial anger stemmed from his protectiveness towards those who have fed him, while Zoro's actions were driven by his dedication to the crew and subsequent refusal to back down from Luffy's challenge. It was a clash resulting from miscommunication and misunderstanding, something that is not typically a problem for them — until it suddenly becomes one When all is said and done, they're both quick to forgive and forget. This, too, is fitting for both their characters. From that point onward, Zoro continues to demonstrate that Luffy's trust is not misplaced. And Luffy never, ever doubts Zoro again after this

[ellena-asg]

"potc is a story focused on pirates and from their pov so no surprise that people hate guys like Beckett, Mercer or Norrington"

me: Sunshines, whoah, whoah, stop. If you mean old Norrington (Lawrence) - agree. But Norrie? Jamie?! Just look around, please. So many people love him. It's our guy. Some of us love him as much as we love some pirates (well, he was a pirate too, wasn't he). And for sure there are some pirates we love less than him.

Why is he even compared to Beckett? He's not like Beckett, he's Beckett's opposite (what he proves in the story) and that's one of many reasons why we love him ♥️

[ineed-to-sleep]

I need more info about Cyberpunk Vince 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

My boy?? The most beautiful boy in the whole entire universe??? My current favorite subject???? Why ofc I'll be happy to oblige!! The lore is a bit loose for now bc I'm not super knowledgeable about cp2077 lore, but this is what I have so far:

(Also more pictures bc I can never get enough of him)

he came from humble beginnings, his father died early when he was a kid and he and his mother lived in heywood for a good portion of his childhood(canonically corpo v grew up in charter hill but also idc <3 that's not vince he's not rich kid material)

his mom sunk herself into debt to pay for his tuition at Arasaka Academy. That's one of the reasons why he never quit, despite the pressure really weighing down on him and causing him to develop depression and anxiety as a teen. Working for Arasaka did help him pay off the debt, but he could never find the proper time for therapy, and as a result he's. Well. Traumatized dbdjdjkd he's anxious, highly demanding of himself and has a warped sense of self esteem(ie "I am only good for something as long as I'm good at my job")

he's also quite blunt bc of the convivence with other corpo types. He's nice, but he just talks Like That. Comes off as a bit of an asshole at first but as the story progresses ppl realize he's actually very sweet and mindful, and lives and dies by his principles. He actually softens up a Lot after being kicked out of Arasaka, slowly getting out of the corporate mindset and going back to his old self. Very likely to treat people with compassion and kindness and offer them a shoulder to cry on when they need it

he still comes off a bit blunt tho djjdkckckck I attribute most of this to the voice acting But it's fine. It makes for a fun character trait cjjckckck

lowkey superstitious. He's not religious but likes to listen to Misty talk about spiritual stuff and starts kinda believing in some of it. Really enjoys her tarot readings. Lowkey starts saying shit like "well you see this is because I'm a virgo"(he's joking ofc. Or is he)

stealth hackerman sort of guy. I've nuked many a room full of enemies without being seen a single time while playing as him <3

That's mostly what I have for now xjskkckc will probably continue building him up as I play more of the game c:

[sundayrobin]

going thru my screenshots from 2.3 while waiting for the update (because i stupidly didn't pre-install them) and this might be my favorite part of the tb mission.

himeko is telling us that at its core, humanity is rooted in storytelling and the nameless’s mission to travel across the galaxy embodies this spirit. their journey centers around exploring new worlds but the significance of their travels goes beyond mere exploration; it's about encountering diverse stories from different people and places. it's in the "miniscule". it's in the individual tales that contribute to a grander tapestry of human existence which they strive to remember and honor. it's in how the nameless creates a shared experience that they carry along with them to other planets they visit. it's how they're able to create connections that transcend the vast distance it probably takes for the astral express to traverse from one planet to another. exploration becomes merely the means to achieve their true goal: to forge connections via the star rail through stories they encounter. it's why i think it's very fitting that the trailblaze is considered the one closest to humanity. in a world that extends as vast as the cosmos, they choose to ground themselves in these stories, to remember them when no one else would. because it's these individual tales and the ongoing dialogue between them that creates a continuous, living narrative that binds living species across the galaxy together.

[arainaizevran]

ok im spitballing here - kara's mother was a former ben-hassrath whose job was to essentially lobotomize mages. when she had kara and found out they had magic, she and her wife voluntarily (?) became tal vashoth and left their lives to protect kara. and while kara was growing up, their mother told stories of what happens to bad little mages who don't listen to their moms as some sort of cautionary tale. and they're like. ok. sure. they didn't believe it, but they were still a good kid lol.

as a merc, they haven't met any tranquil but have heard stories about them told around the campfire - and probably the first time this happened, kara was shocked that their mother's stories were true 😭

fast forward as the inquisitor and meeting magister erimond and all the shit that went down with the grey wardens, kara was like. yep. this dude deserves it. and since kara has so much respect for their mother and their old job, they felt proud that they could do kinda the same thing as the inquisitor with their judgements

[dreadfutures]

:(

[svtskneecaps]

personally i think the best way to get everyone out of the way during the squad vacation to brazil is for forever to announce the completion of his prison, ""randomly"" draw the names of the members who are leaving (or they volunteer), and then say "okay cool test it out for me and let me know how it goes!!" and they get tp'd into prison and summarily kicked from the server.

[bsaka7]

conceptually i understand that part of the point of hockey is "slam each other into the boards to prevent play from occurring." however i don't get why "target an essential player (or any player) to the point of injury" is allowed. seems wrong to me.

[franeridan]

Thinking about the paths in hsr and how some inform so much about the characters once you figure out the logic behind them, and specifically about ratio longing for nous's recognition but following lan's path - he's obviously a scholar, so him being an erudition character would have made a lot of sense when you don't think too deeply about it, but despite characters with less ties to knowledge walking that path ratio does not. He follows the path of the hunt. And that's a very cool fact about him imho

During his quest screwllum says that more than a scholar he feels like ratio's a doctor with the way he tries to cure people of their ignorance, which isn't strictly wrong and I love that about him (and I love about screwllum that he thinks so poetically too), but the way I see it ratio really is a hunter. He does follow lan's path, when you think about it. His travels are all about his fight against ignorance, after all. Thinking about him and his relationship to the aeons really put a lot of things about the paths into perspective for me - I thought the paths were somewhat more literal, but after all it's about the driving force behind a character's actions, is it not?

Nous is the unrelenting pursuit of the truth, of knowledge and information, and that's why someone like argenti follows that path despite being the furthest thing from a scholar you could think of - his travels are first and foremost about finding the truth about idrila, after all. On the other hand ratio isn't actively devoting his life to finding a truth or amassing more knowledge, and that's why nous won't look at him. He is extremely intelligent and competent, and he does value learning above all else, but his main pursuit is to use that knowledge to rid the universe of ignorance, and that's why he follows lan's path - the hunt is the path of those devoting their life to fighting against something, in the end, be it a literal enemy or a figurative one.

It's really really interesting to me? There's a ton of characters that are given depth by understanding their path, I love to think about it

[sysig]

Is torial and asgore still together in the fell!handplates au? Is that the divergence from Canon? that instead of torial disagreeing with asgore about war and leaving she instead agreed and encouraged vengeance for their children?

If that is the case who do you think ends up living in the ruins? I know what probably happened with gaster but if he chooses to leave with the boys would he live In the ruins as an escape?

Haha, that was what I thought as well! I don't really know much about fanon-agreed-upon Fellplates tbqh, but when it came up in conversation, we talked about how since they're both on the same page vis a vis killing humans, they probably would still be together haha - or that Toriel still lives in the Ruins and only comes out to beat up Gaster lol

Personally I like her being in the castle with Asgore, murder power couple <3 And she'd have very direct access to bully Gaster! I see this as an absolute win

I'm not sure, Gaster escaping with the boys isn't something I'd considered before :0 I think the Ghosts definitely still hang around the Ruins, so I don't know how dangerous it would be for them to live there if they were hostile. There's also something? weird? about Fell!Mercyplates that I can't quite put my finger on haha

And remember, this is still Zarla's AU! I just it like a bunch ♥

[beaversatemygrandma]

At roughly 4 to 5am one of the cats decided to climb on top of the shelves right above my head where i sleep. Shelves that we put there specifically bc they couldn't reach them. (They grew since then. They can now...) And I was rudely woken up by a lego succulent that was on display hitting me right in the head.

The little shits have mastered verticality and I'm hating it.

Anyways. Anybody have any recommendations of museum putty for displayed lego sets? (Bc anything that isn't plastic isn't out in the open bc of them.)