#like he thinks I don’t have any choice in the matter

[netscapenavigator-official]

I’ve seen a few other perspectives that I also agree with, and I’m gonna go over them here:

#1 - No matter who we ran, we were gonna get fucked. Biden was unpopular, and he inherited an economy that, thanks to COVID, was going to inflate no matter what. I’ve seen a lot of people say that if Trump hadn’t flopped COVID, he probably could’ve snatched a second term in 2020. Then, we’d be in the position they are because, like Biden, there wouldn’t have been annything Trump could’ve done about post-COVID inflation. As a result, Trump would’ve been blamed for the post-COVID inflation, resulting in an overbearing Democrat win in 2024.

#2 - I tuned into a New Zealander’s “day after” live stream, and she said that the general consensus there was that Harris failed to separate herself from Biden enough, and I also agree with that (in hindsight). People didn’t like Biden. He was old, and he was a hold-over President. In 2020, he even promised that he’d only run for one term, then he’d step down to allow someone actually worthy to run. The only reason Biden was so well supported in 2020 was because people knew it wasn’t about supporting him. It was about defeating Trump. Despite his genuine economic improvements and strides in legislation for 2020-2022, people still blamed him for post-COVID inflation. Not to mention how much his name was tarnished after that debate and his refusal to speak highly of Palestine.

We know #2 is (at least partially) true because Harris initially led the polls. When she took over, people were excited! She was a young, progressive face running a campaign for hope, change, and doing things differently. Biden making the shocking and radical choice to step down made people assume that this was a major shift in ballsy-ness for Democrats (and thusly Harris). That’s why Obama won as a black man: He gave people hope of change, and it could’ve helped Harris win as a black woman, too. However, Harris made the same mistake as Clinton: She gave up her radical change campaign for a lukewarm centrist one that basically said “we’re gonna do what we were doing, except slightly different.” People didn’t want the same thing. They wanted change. And we know this because as Harris slowly trekked right, her polling numbers slowly fell back to Biden’s level. People stopped seeing her as the cool new future, and they started seeing her as Biden 2.0. People did not want Biden 2.0.

I also think Palestine played an important role in all this. I don’t think it was any of these three factors separately, but rather all of them working together. By refusing to support Palestine, Harris essentially sealed her fate. People thought she was the change they needed. The big thing people were mad at Biden for was his stance on Palestine. Whether they admit it or not, when Harris took over, people put in their heads that she would separate herself from Biden’s Palestine stance, like she had with his past. But when she refused to break away from Biden’s stance on Palestine, it immediately made younger voters realize that she was just Biden 2.0, and they didn’t want that. It felt like a rug pull, and it discouraged Gen Z.

Support for Palestine was a key to a door. A door that was preventing her from going further left and tapping into the same, younger, more radical voter base that Obama did. She worried that Gen Z’s “we won’t vote for you” rhetoric would cost her the election. She never even considered that sticking to her guns might result in silent (but angry) votes from those people. But to her, she needed more votes, and she couldn’t go further left. So what did she do? She went right. And as she did, her polling numbers declined. That discouraged the people who initially loved her when she first took over the campaign. And it didn’t entice centrist and republicans because, as OP said, why would they vote for the Diet Conservative when they can just vote for the full-fledged one?

I think the younger, Gen Z vote was crucial in 2020. I think it was also crucial in preventing the Red Wave in 2022. And I think it could’ve been crucial in this election for finally ridding this country of Trump and the MAGA Cult. But… Harris didn’t appeal to the young… so they didn’t show up for her. As Bernie said, she gave up on them. So they gave up on her. I, personally, don’t think the swing for Gen Z men is as bad as it’s being made out to be. I think it’s being inflated by the fact that a disproportionate amount of Zoomers simply didn’t vote because they felt like Harris was just Biden 2.0.

Will Democrats learn from this? I hope so, but I’m not holding my breath.

I especially hope (if there are future elections that mean anything) that we can cripple the GOP in the 2026 mid-terms to at least stop their rein of terror. I also hope that when 2028 comes around, more people learn from Harris’s moral betrayal and take the Primaries seriously, so we can send an overwhelming message to the DNC about the type of candidate we want.

I don’t know if these things will happen. I worry that the dismay we’re seeing from the left is a sign for future “what’s the point in voting” mindsets. However, I’m hopeful that, once the dust settles, the sorrow fades to drive, and it lights a fire under the asses of the American left, so we can successfully drag Democrats more left, no matter how much they claw, kick, and scream.

And before I close this post off, I’ve seen another post floating around Tumblr that’s akin to “‘Voting every four years is so tiring!’ Well you shouldn’t be voting just every four years, anyway.” And I agree. This election may have nailed the door shut, but every hammer has a dual-sided rear for a reason. The 2026 mid-terms and 2028 primaries could be CRUCIAL in not only stopping the GOP, but making sure we get a GOOD candidate who can take on Trump or Jance Dance Vance or whoever. People like to only screaming “VOTE!” for the presidential race, but it’s time we look elsewhere. The next mid-term and primaries are what we SHOULD be focusing on. They’re closer than you think. Don’t less this discourage you. Don’t let the future discourage you. In less than 2 years we CAN throw a wrench in this administration’s plans.

Also, P.S., in case anyone says it, in my personal opinion, a 2024 primary wouldn’t have saved us from this fate. Harris had the name. She had the Biden admin’s funds. She had a “hopeful change” campaign, at the start. She had the support, at the start. She had the experience as vice president. In my opinion, she absolutely would have been chosen if a 2024 primary would’ve happened. People loved her at first, remember, and she had far more DNC support, money, vp experience, and notoriety that any challenger could’ve mustered. Her stance as reigning Vice President would’ve done A LOT of work. She would have won a 2020 primary. It wasn’t her rise to candidacy that caused this. It was what she did after she got it.

I think there are some takeaways here, if we want to learn from this.

First: third-party voters were irrelevant. In no swing state did left-leaning third-party voters add up to enough to push Harris over.

Second: many progressive policies and politicians outperformed Harris.

Third: appealing to Republicans did not work.

It has never worked, in the US or in Europe, we've seen time and again that giving ground to right wing policies only legitimizes them and voters then prefer the original. For example, if you worry about immigration, and both sides are saying it's a problem, who do you trust more to handle it?

Fourth: polls were pretty accurate. There were months, years, really, of debate about polling being broken, which demographics were underrepresented, which were overrepresented, herding, hopes that they were overcorrecting for the last two misses on Trump, but they ended up closer than anybody wanted. Which also means that Biden would have lost by even worse.

Fifth: on the one hand, people should hopefully see this graphic and realize there's no minority to scapegoat:

On the other hand, I'm seeing a lot of people take it as a sign the country has simply shifted to the right in a huge, undeniable way that's depressing and ominous and feels hopeless. After all, Trump will win the popular vote by a lot, the first time a Republican has in decades.

However, this should be taken in conjunction with these numbers:

Now THIS is something that's open to further analysis and that can be worked with.

Why did so many Democrat voters not show up?

Here are some potential reasons for this, the truth most likely being a combination of at least several of them:

She's a Black-Indian woman. There's no denying the racism and misogyny among the US electorate, but given earlier polls where she was leading, I don't think this was the main or certainly only reason.

She was seen as too progressive/leftist. Again, by virtue of our racist, misogynistic electorate and our billionaire-owned media, Harris was seen as too extreme left by a lot of people, not just because of policies, but because inherently, her identity itself is extreme left to them. I personally don't think this was a crucial factor because, again, she had been leading when she was going stronger on the progressive messaging, other progressive policies and politicians outperformed her, and a lot of the people who think she's too extreme are Republicans who'd never vote for her. I just don't think it's a good enough reason for the millions of Democrats who didn't show.

Palestine. There's a coalition of pro-Palestine people, not just Muslims and Arab Americans but leftists and other POC too, but numerically, their vote for third parties made no difference. Did enough shift to Trump or not show up at all? Certainly in Michigan they swung to the right, but would that have made a difference? Did they matter in other less tangible ways, e.g., a lot of the same active progressives who'd have been out campaigning simply voted quietly for Harris and left it at that? How much of a distraction was this for Dems, having to constantly address Gaza as opposed to putting forth their own policies, and did it contribute to the overall perception of them being incompetent and weak and bringing chaos when people were tired of it? I think Palestine did have an effect, but enough to swing it overall...?

Not being progressive enough. A lot of people will point to Palestine and immigration, the decision to campaign with Liz Cheney and Mark Cuban and court Republican moderates, stifling Walz, and various other shifts that abandoned the left for the center and then the left didn't show up while the center went for Republicans as they always do, but the left isn't that large. I think, if this one point is a factor, it's more that it was simply difficult for normal voters to show up when they didn't really know what the candidate stood for, aside from "more of the same" and "not Trump".

Biden. When you have a ton of people unhappy with where the country is going, including their biggest priority, the economy, being tied to an unpopular incumbent was going to be tough, especially when, as a Black-Indian woman, she would be judged as disloyal if she broke too much from him. Nevertheless... People were unhappy with him and his administration.

Ultimately, I think there's a lot to learn and I hope Dems will.

I think we're in for a tough time and we're going to need community and solidarity, not fighting among ourselves.

[hearts4werka]

NNN day 7 | Underground Secrets

summary: your boss has set up a dangerous mission for you—to take down the intel of the notorious rival gang, The Vipers. Your boyfriend, a drug dealer of a rival organization, Chris is advising you not to go through with the plan because of how dangerous it is for someone like you, will you listen to your boyfriend or value your reputation over the risk of life and go through with the plan?

warnings: ANGST, gang membership, drug dealing, strong language, mentions of committing murder, arguing, a dangerous mission, the risk of life or death, illegal possession of firearm, illegal underground gangs, viewers advisory is supervised! Proceed to read with caution

authors note: and the one week mark finally arrived! Tysm for all of the love and support I’ve received during this whole week and I’m proud to announce that week one has been done, there’s still a lot of steps to take before reaching the end but we’ll get through it! Luv y’all so much & hope y’all enjoy this one

no nut november | masterlist | guestlist

The city's dim lights flickered like a heart in distress, throwing long shadows that danced over the crumbling warehouse walls. I slumped against a rusted pillar, arms crossed, determination etched on my face. Chris, the infamous drug dealer from the rival gang, stood before me. His messy hair showed the exact replica of the tension in the air. Our eyes met, his glare sharp, frustration carving lines into his hardened features.

“Are you fucking insane?” Chris exclaimed, running his fingers through his messy locks in pure frustration with my stubbornness. “You’re seriously thinking about going through with this? Killing that intel guy for the Vipers? That’s a one-way ticket to getting yourself killed!” I straightened my posture, breaking the heavy silence between us like hammer on glass. “This is my job, Chris. I’m backed into a corner. My boss demands results, and if I fail, I’ll be the one buried in a ditch.”

“Do you really think I want to see you six feet underground for some bullshit mission?” He closed the gap between our bodies, his voice filled with urgency. “Listen, I’ve seen how these Vipers play. You’re walking into a total trap. They’ll have their eyes on you, and the moment you walk in, you’ll be history.” I stood my ground, not letting his shooting fire walk all over my resolve. “What did you just say? It’s just a job, I’m good at what I do. I can handle myself for once.”

"‘Handle yourself?’ Chris scoffed, a bitter laugh rumbling in his throat before escaping past his lips. “This ain’t some amateur shit, this is the Vipers we’re talking about! They don’t play nice, and this intel guy, he’s not your average rat. He’s got layers of protection, and I promise you, they’ll be ready to take you down.” His words hit hard, a mix of care and frustration mixed together. But I couldn’t show any signs of vulnerability. ‘I get it, but you can’t decide for me. I’m no damsel in distress, Chris. I can fight my own battles.’"

“Fighting and getting yourself killed are two different things,” he retorted, fists clenched together and almost threatening to do unspeakable acts. “And what do you think will happen if you go in there and fail? You think they’ll just let you go? No! They’ll take you out, and I won’t sit around and wait for news that you’re dead.” “You’re trying so hard to act like you give a shit about me,” I shot back, my anger rising to higher levels. “When have you ever given a shit about anyone but yourself? This is my life! If anyone’s making the final choice, it’s going to be me.”

“Damn it, you’re right,” he murmured, his voice barely a breath. “I can’t afford to care about everyone. But you…” He rubbed his face, laying the vulnerability I never saw coming. “You matter. I don’t want another goddamn funeral to attend because of this war.” For a minute, the walls between us felt like broken glass, and I noticed a spark of connection. But that spark couldn't wipe the weight of the mission on my back. I stepped back, shaking my head. “This deep in, I can’t back down. It shows weakness, you know how they treat that in this game.”

Chris's blue eyes blazed with intensity. “And if you have to sacrifice your life to prove a point, then what does that make you? Some fucking plaything for a bloodsucking boss? You deserve better than this!” A sharp stab pierced through my heart, a mix of rage and something deeper like fear. Fear for my life. Fear for this weird connection that felt like a chain. “This isn’t up for discussion, Chris. I’ve got a job to do here.”

His tone softened, becoming almost desperate. “I’m not asking you to quit. All I’m asking is for you to think. We can come up with a better plan. We can…” he paused, then added, “we can work together.” I become blindsided by his heartfelt sentence but I couldn’t let him get anywhere near danger this high of a lever, even though he is a strong ally to have on your side, I can’t bear the idea of him stepping into the wicked battlefield against the Vipers with not enough experience with them beforehand.

“I’m not letting you get anywhere near danger like this, it’s The Vipers. Without any experience with them in the past, there’s no way you’ll make it out of there.” The weigh of my decision hung above me like a noose, knowing how desperate he’s already got to make me stay and to what levels he could climb to make me think I have no other choice. “I’ll be fine, you can’t do this shit alone.” He pleads, the look in his eyes almost begging me to let him go with me, the vulnerable side of him is starting to show that rarely anyone gets to see.

While in the middle of the conversation mix between stubbornness and desperation, my phone rings inside of the pocket of my jeans, alerting me of an incoming call. Pausing for a moment before answering the call, finding out it’s coming from my boss with a demand to get the job done as fast as possible since if the Vipers figure out our plan they’ll be on the move immediately. He hangs up the phone, it beeping which indicates the call has reached an end.

“I have to go, don’t follow me.” I provide, shoving my phone back into its spot while picking up the black hand gun sitting on a nearby old crate. “Don’t dare to argue with me about this further, I have to get it done before the Vipers catch on.” He slumps over to me, rolling his eyes at how idiotic my decision is. Delivering a soft kiss on my forehead before letting go of me completely, glancing down at my face with sorrow etched into the features of his face. “Just don’t die on me, okay?” “I won’t, I promise.” With the last words placed on the table, I take off and walk towards the exit. Slipping on my helmet for protection before hopping onto a black motorcycle, sparing Chris one last glance before taking off into the dark dangerous night with determination to prove my worth and end the Vipers for good.

Guestlist!

| - @strnzzvsp - @sturnsxplr-25 - @luvvs4chriss - @sturniolosweetheart33 - @choclatestarfishwithahat - @venusxsturnio - @bagsbyclair0 - @sturnstvs - @dykes4chris - @hoe4matt - @cayleeuhithinknot - @strnilolover - @marrykisskilled - @phone4pills - @emely9274 - @cupiidk1lls - @lily-strnlo - @nicksgirlfriend - |

[tenisperfection]

I have seen people say Buck won’t date another man and not say bye to bi-Buck and that he will likely only date women from now on? But he’s still going to be bi

I wanted to wait to answer this after things have cooled off a little but I don’t want to keep talking or thinking about this. But yeah, Buck is a bisexual character. He’s bisexual if he gets together with Eddie or gets back together with Tommy or sleeps around with people of different genders, and he’s bisexual if he ends up with a woman. Being bisexual is not a card that gets taken away when you date someone who fits into the traditional definition of the opposite sex. I also don’t think it’s bad bisexual representation to show a character sleeping around, but it comes down to intent in some ways. If that’s the character’s only MO, sure, I can see how that might be construed as stereotypical bi rep. But Buck is one of, if not the most layered and fleshed out character on this show so I’m unsure what the perceived risk of that might be.

Before I go there though, I’ll say that I don’t think there’s anything biphobic about what Oliver said. You all know that I love the way Buck’s arc has progressed. As a bisexual person who also realized my sexuality well into adulthood, I will always be so grateful for his storyline in season 7 and the incredible care and enthusiasm Oliver’s taken when talking about his character’s trajectory.

I also love Bucktommy. I get being upset about the way the story went, because I am. We can have differences of opinion there. But I don’t think Oliver saying he wants Buck to fuck around with men and women was insulting in any way to the relationship his character was part of or any future relationship he might or might not be in. I also don’t think Oliver was insinuating that his character’s first relationship with a man after he realized he’s bi can’t be long term. Obviously there is no right or wrong way to be bisexual because there is no inherent morality in your sexuality. But in this case, it turned out that it isn’t long term. That sucks (for me personally), but it still isn’t a biphobic choice. We did lose a canon queer couple, but this show is so rich in terms of representation of queer characters and that doesn’t change. Losing this one couple you might have loved sucks, but losing them the way we did was not biphobic. There were choices in the episode I didn’t like as I’ve said, and there are choices that made me squirm a little, but none of them were because I thought they were being bigoted.

Now, getting back to intent, I think there’s a bigger conversation to be had about how a “Buck sleeps around” storyline would enhance his character, but Oliver mentioned how they could do it differently from what we’ve seen in previous seasons. Now, I do not particularly trust Ryan Murphy with bisexual characters and who knows how involved he’ll be with a potential storyline like that, but regardless, they could do that and we can talk about how that could add to Buck’s character. Like so many things on tv, it could be great, it could be bad, it could be just fine. What it isn’t though, is biphobic. I refuse to cater to this notion that a bisexual character sleeping around for a bit after a monogamous relationship is somehow inherently biphobic or insulting. That’s just me. We can see where they go with this, but Evan Buckley is a bisexual character and he will be that no matter where or with whom his character ends up with on the show.

[yes-these-obsessions-are-healthy]

> make us look back on our HOF, Hawke, and Inquisitor and see them in the same lens that we see Loghain through

A POINT THAT SOLAS ALLUDED TO THROUGHOUT ALL OF INQUISITION AND HIS FINAL CONVERSATION WITH YOU IN TRESPASSER.

At the start of the game, the very first conversation he has with you in Haven is him remarking that you’re now in the position of being a hero, and he’s “curious” to see what path you will take with his newfound purpose, importance, and power. He tells you he saw the Battle of Ostagar where Cailan died and Loghain retreated. He very POINTEDLY does not pass judgement on Loghain. The lingering feelings imprinted on the Fade regarding Loghain’s decision—necessary sacrifice, betrayal, etc.— are valid to him.

So unknowingly but knowingly you are granted the opportunity for deeper self awareness of your Inquisitor’s role in this adventure as pointed out by Solas. As a third party he is quietly watching you carve out your story. He is positioning himself as that observer, that future archivist who will quietly hold onto that firsthand experience for the rest of his life as history is made (Varric operates similarly here, except Varric is with the written word). It’s an act of loftiness, since he can never help his habit of counseling and advisement (Wisdom personality remnants).

And then the theme of ‘the story of the hero, the mythical legend’ is circled back when you come to realize in Trespasser that Solas was not simply speaking philosophically, but from personal experience.

Veilguard should have been a further deconstruction of this theme of the hero’s story. The concept of Solas, unmasked and prideful and single-minded, has become a corruption of that very force of power he cautioned the Inquisitor against. Solas thinks he’s doing what must be done. He thinks he is the only one who should, can, must do it and that the ends will not absolve him of the casualties he has stacked up along the way, but that they had been sacrificed for a purpose. Their deaths, his betrayals, his loneliness was not for nothing. Mythal’s death was avenged.

But he’s so far gone, he’s so devoted to this path that he is a villain. He knows he’s a villain to others, he recognizes it, but he endeavors so that he remains the last one standing because if he does succeed he will still have done the [right] thing. The Right thing. Right, correct, righteous, justified, moral.

This play with Solas deluding himself as being the Byronic hero saddled with purpose and duty is so very good. And what did they do with it? Nothing so nuanced. Bioware can’t write a Big Bad villain to save their lives. As soon as an antagonist is elevated to Big Bad we lose all capacity for interacting with the villain with any nuance or subtlety. It happened with Corypheus, it happened with the Arishok, it happened here with Solas.

There is no excuse for this lost opportunity because Solas is “in Rook’s head”. There should have been frequent check-ins, frequent conversations, a steady reporte built throughout the game where Rook’s actions in the material world and dialogue choices to Solas either affirmed Solas’s decision to tear down the Veil, didn’t change his stance, or gave him a second of pause/even greater sense of sorrow in having to sacrifice this new almost-friend when the time came (i.e. the Romance/Rivalmance meter in DA2).

They tried to subvert the hero story with Solas’s memories in this game but without the access to Solas to speak about them at length like, I don’t know, a freaking RPG, it’s a weird case where the [Show] was not enough. [Tell] wouldn’t have been good enough on its own, but somehow they made the “here’s the footage of what really happened” as unfulfilling as a half-assed codex entry.

I am in absolute love with the painful tragic nature of how heroism and “go on the adventure, save the day” can in fact cause a different but equal amount of destruction, no matter your intentions and the moral implications of how to contend with and rectify pain and suffering unwillingly and unintentionally inflicted. I am in absolute love with the heart-aching, rueful nature of sunk cost fallacy versus cutting your losses, and when to make that decision, and if it is ever acceptable to do so. I LOVED that Solas was posed as the embodiment of that question. And they just… turned it into jerky. They just shredded it.

Rook isn’t a Dragon Age protagonist. Rook is designed to be a stand-in for people who never played Dragon Age, don’t care about diving deep into the lore, and aren’t interested in the romance mechanics. Rook is designed to be said bland avatar so that non-DA fans (who for some fucking reason decided to pick up and play Dragon Age 4 FIRST) have a pawn to control and navigate through the world in the most superficial and rudimentary manner possible. The way Solas is positioned in this game—which was originally pitched as him being the central antagonist all those years ago,—is evidence of this. Your Rook is deeply unconnected to Solas emotionally, mirroring how disconnected and uninvested a newbie player would be coming into this story blind at the climax of this decade long story. Even non-Solasmancers had a deep connection to Solas, whether as a friend or annoying thorn in their side.

The way that Rook is set up—someone who has no connection to Solas and can thus ‘do what’s necessary because sentiment is not clouding their judgment’—is coincidentally reflected further in the meta in that Rook, you, also end up functioning as having surface-level shallow connection to everything else in the game and world. You exist technically, you interact with it, but the world is rendered so bland, the dialogue so basic and repetitive and uninsightful, the roleplaying so limited, you might as well not truly exist in the Dragon Age world.

For a character so layered and so intriguing, Solas is sidelined and all greater access to him cut off. The golden opportunity to truly give us that Bioware levels of character exploration we saw in Trespasser by having us interact and speak frequently with this ‘Dread Wolf’ Solas—to interrogate him, to converse, debate, question— was never adopted in favor of…I guess flashy combat and pretty set dressings.

Elden Ring pulled off this angle of “late to the party” gimmick because Elden Ring did the heavy lifting of jamming several games’ worth of history and world-building into it. Veilguard plays both sides: “Eh, you’re a returning player so we’re not gonna go into much detail. You know how it is.” and “Eh, you’re a new player. Don’t sweat yourself on the actual in-depth history and nature of things established by the prior media. We know you’ve rotted your brain with a pure diet of MCU and tiktoks for at least a decade, so we’ve gone and removed the thoughtful nuanced spices and unique properties of the story so you can dive right in to the generic fantasy action rpg moba-like slop’.

Rook is the least real protagonist I have ever encountered in a supposed RP-heavy RPG. There are faceless boys in harem anime with more personality and weight and presence in their worlds than Rook.

[autumngracy]

Truly going insane watching my dad destroy expensive phones and laptops faster than I can fucking reorder them for him.

Doesn't matter how much help and advice I give him; my mans is just the clumsiest and stupidest motherfucker alive when it comes to electronics. Killed two phones the exact same way and two laptops the exact same way.

(Fucking up the phone charging ports by jamming the plug in unaligned. Spilling water on the laptops and then IMMEDIATELY trying to restart them. I mean. You'd think if you destroyed a multi hundred dollar device because of a certain really dumb and avoidable mistake you would, idk, remember to not make that mistake again ... fuck me).

Straight up lost a brand new cell phone replacement before even opening the box, and his memory is such shit I can't even tell if he even received it in the first place.

Meanwhile it takes me at least 4-5 years before needing to replace something, and usually it's because of shit like defective lithium ion batteries ...

"We're tight on money so I have to jack your rent up 3x," says man who goes through $500+ of tech every year because he has the memory, common sense, and manual dexterity of a garden slug.

It's not like phones and laptops are the only shit he goes through like this, either; we got lawnmowers, exercise equipment—appliances, you name it, he breaks it. Drives me fucking bananas.

[twinstxrs]

the gorgug-porter conversation is interesting to me because like. yea for the overwhelming majority of the conversation porter’s being shitty & trying to fit gorgug into a box that gorgug just does not fit into by trying to make gorgug’s relationship with his rage more focused on the aggression aspect of it. but then there’s also this specific thing that brennan brought up again in the ap, which is that gorgug’s relationship with his rage is wholly “this is a tool i use to protect my friends.” which isn’t a bad thing! but that’s his Whole relationship with it, & gorgug seems to place next to no value on his rage in relationship to himself. which is problematic, because it’s first & foremost his rage.

being raised in a household with a sort of toxic positivity largely meant that, whether or not it was his parents’ intention, gorgug internalized the message that more traditionally “negative” emotions such as anger are the wrong response to something. part of the reason he prioritizes his artificing is probably because it’s “fixing” things. in comparison to being a barbarian, which gorgug associates with “breaking” things. good vs. bad behavior, in his eyes.

it’s a totally unacceptable bar to measure a 16 y/o by, but i do think part of porter’s reasoning for not letting gorgug multiclass is him recognizing that gorgug generally does not value anger as a valid emotional response to something, at the very least for himself. & that directly conflicts with what being a barbarian is, because whether you like it or not, that rage is what fuels you. but again, barring a kid from pursuing something they deeply care about in part (not entirely, porter has a lot of more bullshit reasons) because of their fundamental values & world outlook is crazy.

so yes, 98% of porter’s reasoning is pretty shitty, immature, rife with a toxic view that there’s only one proper way to access rage, & generally not a good thing to do as a teacher, but also within that reasoning is the 2% of ‘there is a fundamental part of yourself that you only value if you can use it to take care of other people & you need to accept that as something that can take care of you, too.’ but that’s something to discuss with a therapist or a guidance counselor, not something that should hugely impact gorgug’s academic future.

[dykedvonte]

Ulysses obsession with the Courier is a special type of sad to me cause the Courier’s part was so important but so unwitting. They had no idea what was in the package they delivered and neither did he. Neither had an idea of what it could’ve done and the Courier was only caring out their job (mind you the Courier could be killed via notes in the express contract if they don’t). To them it was just another regular delivery to the divide and one that they likely thought would help, just like all the ones before.

It’s so tragic for Ulysses to hold so much ire to the Courier when it really was the case of it could’ve been anyone. Anyone could have delivered that package but they did and so he focused the blame on them and it destroys what he is trying to instill in the courier on a fundamental level.

[muse-legion]

Edy appreciated his Indian heritage, where these traditions were steeped in centuries of familial expectation. However, he also carried a modern mindset that set him apart from many relatives who clung to conventional values like an anchor to weighted line. For Edy, life meant more than just fulfilling duties; it was about forging meaningful connections and finding joy in every moment. He envisioned their relationship blossoming beyond societal norms: sharing dreams over cups of chai late into the night or collaborating on plans to travel and explore beyond their burgeoning responsibilities. The idea of her as an equal partner resonated deeply within him; Edy wanted someone who could challenge him intellectually while they navigated their lives together hand-in-hand rather than as mere participants in each other's stories. And for some reason he could really see their relationship blossom when he looked at Hatice. “We’ll decide together and no matter what our families think of it, I’ll always have your back.” It wasn’t just an empty promise and he hoped, she could see the honesty in his eyes. Looking at her blushed cheeks and considering her words, he felt both happy and a little insecure about the fact he’d caused that reaction in her. “I hope that’s not a bad thing? I don’t want to make you feel uncomfortable.” Edy admitted with a soft smile upon his lips as he locked his eyes with hers again. “I’m not too superficial to be honest. But still, you’re beautiful, so you don’t have any reason to worry about that anyway.” He didn’t want her to think he was all about looks and yet felt the need to point out she was indeed gorgeous. “Oh really? I never tried eggnog before. Might have to give it a go then. Mango and chocolate are definitely great choices. Nothing wrong with vanilla but my favorites are salted caramel and espresso.”

It   was   just   a   simple   sentence,   but   Hatice's   eyes   began   to   sparkle.   For   the   first   time,   she   realized   that   a   wedding   had   its   good   sides.   She   really   didn't   need   to   ask   her   father's   permission   anymore.   "You're   right,   I   forgot.   You   can   decide   for   us   then.   Officially,   I   mean,"   she   grinned   and   winked   at   her   fiancé.   If   she   had   understood   anything,   it   was   that   Edwin   was   a   good   man   who   would   not   take   advantage   of   his   position   as   a   husband.   Still,   the   compliment   was   quite   unexpected.   Hatice's   eyes   widened   as   she   handed   Edwin   his   jacket   and   a   soft   blush   spread   across   her   cheeks.   She   immediately   lowered   her   eyes   and   cleared   her   throat.   "You're   causing   me   to   blush."   She   looked   up   again   with   a   slightly   shy   smile.   "Thank   you.   Is   that...   good   or   bad?   I   mean,   if   I   were   ugly,   you   might   be   more   likely   to   reject   me,   right?"   Hati   nudged   Edwin   with   her   elbow   before   slipping   into   her   jacket.   "I'm   just   kidding.   Come   on."   She   wrapped   her   arms   around   his   to   lead   him   outside.   "Hm,   well,   when   I'm   in   a   basic   mood,   I   like   chocolate   best.   Other   than   that,   I   like   mango   and   salted   caramel.   I   recently   tried   eggnog   for   the   first   time.   It   might   become   one   of   my   top   5   flavors,"   she   babbled   brightly.   "Let   me   guess,   you're   the   vanilla flavor   type?   Or   am   I   completely   wrong?"

[techno-rat]

Im always thinking about the tubbo execution t.b.h.

coz like it sucked for EVERYONE but schlatt and wilbur, who orchestrated it. Techno realized his allies didn’t give a shit about him. Tubbo was killed traumatically. Tommy watched his best friend be murdered by a man who he thought was his ally. The crowd is various levels of shocked depending on their allegiance

[handfulofmuses]

J vc: new planet, fresh start. I get a new job and work myself to exhaustion so that I don’t have to think about all the terrible things in my life, I will forget about Tessa and the gala incident and that monster that kept me around as a plaything pet and only the new work environment matters, i know it will only be short lived but anywhere is better than here.

N: hi.

J: THROWS A WHOLE BUILDING.

[crossbackpoke-check]

re last answer: please don't stop, being very unhinged about these two pretty white boys is helping distract me from the sharks losing streak rn so bring it on

https://www.tumblr.com/bondedpairs/764566430180147200?source=share

(sideblog woes but there's the link for you) anyway in the vid they talk about going over to each other's houses to have dinner and things and while that is a delicious example of their codependence i love it bc through an rpf lens there is definitely some old man ******* going on. they can have the dilfs and each other.

(someone else mentioned kept boys which i could write an essay on but i fear being Perceived™️)

anyway if you have anything to add to this please do, if not ignore me and i will hide under a rock until the stress-related insanity has worn off and i am a functioning member of society once more 😂

- @bondedpairs

ty for the video!!! and please, WRITE THE KEPT BOYS ESSAYYYY i promise i will read it with my hands over my eyes if you don’t want to be perceived. do it scared!! do it anyway!! we’ll all love you for it!!!

[creative-robot]

I feel like one of the most important aspects of Life Series Grian’s character that gets missed sometimes is how integral his need for choice is, if he doesn’t feel like something is at least somewhat within his control, like he doesn’t have a say, he fights back against it regardless of any logic or history behind it. If he doesn’t get to outright choose his alliances or have a backup plan/trick for fights, he flounders, HARD. He’ll do what he has to to regain some control again. He will almost always choose survival over anything else he has in the games, since that’s the only thing he’s always able to depend on being his choice and his choice alone to choose. And if he chooses otherwise? It’s on his terms

[lesbianyosano]

god i hope after this arc is over the hunting dogs get disbanded and they all die bc of the lack of physical enhancement maintenance

[thatone-churro]

y’know just as soon as i start getting comfortable with the idea of being open/relying on my dad and him being more comfortable with my choices than i feared, i can essentially throw all that out the window with how vehemently he yelled at me at the thought of my getting my septum pierced (even though i never said i was yet. i said my side before i decide anything else). also making underhanded remarks of me never getting tattoos other than the one for my mom. like okay don’t ask me why i don’t tell you about anything or talk to you or anything. what the fuck.

[callixton]

i feel like i’m going to shit myself over the hamlet casting we just did and it’s definitely because we cast a man as gertrude and the last vestiges of my internalized transphobia that i didn’t realize i still have is tearing my confidence to shreds

[lilislegacy]

did anyone else ever find it odd how easily zeus offered percy godhood? and how it almost seemed like he secretly wanted percy to accept? well i did, and after thinking long and hard about it…

i don’t think percy understood what turning down godhood really meant

demigods do tasks for the gods because they don’t have to follow any rules. they aren’t controlled by anyone or anything. demigods are a strange hybrid - not god, not human. they are in between the laws of immortal and mortal. they are not supposed to exist. yet they do, which is what makes them so extraordinary.

percy is crazy powerful. of course, there’s the aspect of raw power. he has domain over air (storms/hurricanes), land (earthquakes and volcanic eruptions), and sea (monster waves, tsunamis, floods, basically anything that involves water.) he can control bodily fluids. he has super strength (with one hand, he held up an unconscious annabeth who was being pulled down by both arachne AND the forces of tartarus). he has super speed (he moves faster than bullets in TTC). no matter how badly you hurt him, he automatically heals and regenerates the second he touches water (an ability no other demigod has). he’s an extraordinary swordsman. very skilled in combat and warfare. he’s smart, and thinks of plans quickly. but he also has a great deal of social/poltcial power… i mean, he’s a leader and hero to both the greek and roman camps. if he says “attack,” all demigods, greek or roman, attack. no question. do you have any idea how threatening that is to the olympians? he’s also best friends and has an empathy link with the lord of the wild, which basically means all of nature is by his side too, including all land creatures. he’s also prince of horses, which means pegasi too (both of which are extremely useful in battle). and of course all sea creatures, including the mythical ones like krakens and leviathans. not to mention many of the gods really like him. hermes, hephaestus, athena, aphrodite, and dionysis have all gone out of their way to help him. artemis holds him in high regard, especially since he saved her. apollo literally considers him his friend! and poseidon - his dad, the god who is the biggest threat to zeus - is fiercely protective of him and cares about him a great deal. many minor gods also like him because he demanded them to be given more respect and for their kids to be welcomed at the camps.

percy unknowingly has more power, both physical and social/political, than anyone should ever have. he may have absolutely no idea, but it must scare the living daylights out of zeus. by accepting zeus’s offer to become a god, percy would have submitted himself to the control of zeus. zeus would be his king and ruler. zeus would then have complete control over him.

but percy said no. therefore, percy remains out of zeus’s control.

percy had no idea what he was doing. but thank the gods he made that choice. thank the gods he’s an incredible person. thank the gods percy jackson has no desire for power, because he has more of it than anyone should ever be able to have.