#or for trying to protect themselves

[asharaks]

it is, i think, symptomatic of the way larian has built this brand: bg3 was always marketed as being mature (read: sexual), and that was one of the big draws for players - myself included! especially as media pulls more towards extremes, with mainstream video games starting to get increasingly graphically sexual, graphically violent, and the vogue for 'grey morality' becomes the norm, those boundaries get pushed, and it becomes more and more of a selling point.

larian obviously focused on this, along with the How Do You Do, Fellow Kids brand, the increased accessibility of game devs on twitter, and adopted it heavily into their marketing strategy, and are now pretty reliant on the horny gamer crowd for a lot of their audience, and more importantly, they're doing this on purpose.

which is how you end up in situations like this.

characters (white men) the players want to fuck get centred: they get updates, they get more content, they get favoured. halsin's gone from a side character in EA to a half-fledged romance option, to a full romance option: he shows up in the promotional material, is larian's poster boy for the sex scenes, he gets more content with every update.

now gortash gets more heavily implied situationship lines with the dark urge, because players are horny for him. nevermind that some people aren't playing that way, or that he was originally set up to be a lower-level antagonist; nevermind that if the durge's storyline needed expansion, it should've been with orin and sarevok and bhaal, or that it muddies the writing for the rest of gortash's arc + characterisation: people want to fuck him, so it gets put in the game. it's not even to do with karlach, whose quest so desperately needs expansion! it's specifically catering to the people who want their character to have a Relationship with the slaver, because they're either not interested in or not able to focus on strengthening the weak spots in the narrative: they're just doing things that will net the 'my favourite dating sim' people lmfao.

meanwhile, literal main character wyll gets his quest demoted to a subquest, doesn't get bugfixes, doesn't get a single unique romance greeting after 6 patches and months of requests. he's not a Horny character, so he doesn't get the focus: he's not a player favourite, so he gets nothing. it's just... so unbelievably, indisputably racist, and it's incredibly grim and disappointing to watch it happen in real-time.

[pasta-pardner]

attack dogs shouldn't bite the hands that feed them

[galaxyspark-6e16]

My Viva gijinka design ✨🌟🌠 isn't she fantamazing!

[evilherehotel]

trying to lock in on a map part so i cant rlly art post rn but

What if they were a found family. okay. just imagine i drew something about them. thanks.

[ghost-bxrd]

Prompt:

A whole ass zombie apocalypse wasn’t something Jason thought he’d ever have to worry about.

Not that he has to worry about it now, either, considering he just got bit.

Everyone knows what you gotta do in these scenarios. Your loved ones will cry (“awe, Dickie, you do care”), they’ll try to find a different way (“shut up Bruce. Even you can’t concoct a cure in two hours”) and blame themselves (“fuck you, Timmers, I want you to know I died because you wanted that damn coffe!”…. Yeah, he could have handled that one better in hindsight) and then, ultimately, they’re gonna put a bullet in your brain. For the sake of the group.

And it’s fine, really. Better than turning into a mindless, flesh eating meat sack. He was ready. He got to say goodbye. It’s fine.

Or it would have been fine, if any of those damn cowards had pulled the friggin trigger.

Now Jason is clinically semi-dead (don’t ask him, he doesn’t know how this shit works either) and still annoyingly in charge of his mental faculties while also harboring a rather concerning craving for human flesh.

Fuck.

[charafansmile]

Anyways that aside I think toriels biggest actual flaw is that she doesn't know how to approach kris. She'll read the parenting books again and again, ask around town, bake them their favorite food, take them to therapy, pray and pray and worry worry worry. But she can't quite communicate with them to ask them how she can help.

Learning about their friendship with susie clearly calmed her down alot, she must see alot of kris in susie. Or maybe even dess? But that's speculation.

Her and kris are close, and she's hardly what I would call authoritarian like I would carol. Their relationship isn't so strict that shes even upset at the church clothes being lost, turning it into a joke and telling kris to come up with an excuse since susie the guest. Kris is fine swearing (singing swears) in front of her. She barely scolds them for eating the entire pie, and prior to that basically dropped her grounding threat once she learned the reason they didn't return her calls was that they were hanging out with a friend.

Yes she was strict with asriel. But asriels not kris. I think it's a fair to assume that given how she's a foil to carol who IS super controlling that shes taken the reigns back when raising kris after dess's disappearance. Not so much that she's neglectful, I don't think that's a fair reading of her character, but things are going to slip by. Especially when kris is actively hiding things from her, and seemingly wanting to keep her in the dark.

Which comes back to the chapter 4 scene, the scene where they do want her to be worried, where it's finally warranted, where they want to come home after going through all of that and see she's okay and be worried over by her. But she's not. Because she thinks their better, or getting there. She knows their with susie, she knows they are finally talking to noelle again, and probably that they were going to study at her house. Every time she's attempted to call them they've from her perspective ignored them. And well. Just like how kris has a life outside of being her child for her to worry over, she has a life outside of them. Should she have left the house unlocked? Probably, she should have also called kris to tell them she canceled choir practice.

I'm not going to fault her for drinking on a weekend and bringing a stranger home, she's a grown woman and allowed to do those things, and admittedly I think people are fixating on the 'she was drunk!' Point too much. I'm not going to bring up the slashed tires or blood stain when I'm not even sure she knows HOW to clean up blood or if that's what it was AND she was specifically keeping the tires a secret from susie and kris so it's not like she's going to tell them why she's not stressed about them anymore. From her perspective, they dont even know about them.

But that all gets me to something I've not seen discussed yet, which is that chapters 1&2 were setting up kris & toriels relationship to later inverse it in 3&4. Down to the phone calls. If the numbers in the phone hadn't been deleted than we COULD have called toriel to check on her, much like she could have called us in chapter 1 if not for the dark worlds. Toriels reasonings to worry over them have been assuaged at each instance, and while WE have the 4th wall knowledge to know that she should be worrying harder, she doesn't. Likewise, kris (and susie) spend all of chapter 4 trying to save her. Only for her to be fine, at home, dancing and happy. Completely unaware of the hell they just went through for her sake. Completely unworried when that's finally what kris wants.

[dykedvonte]

One of my mutuals opinions is the "bro code" thing, that Curly is one of those guys who wouldn't care about the victim because the perpetrator is his friend and I'm really banging my head on the wall like that other anon. I've only played through the game once but Curly's behaviour/reactions etc read completely different from the "bro code" thing and I have to wonder if my mutual and I even played the same game.. like the constant digs at him from Jimmy, his body language in his face reveal and so on like you mentioned in your post. While this game is a little different obviously, it kind of reminded of a point in Alice Madness Returns that makes it very clear that Alice's pain blinded her to the abuse of the other children and her failure to act earlier because of it. Curly is guilty of a similar inaction but it doesn't change the fact he was a victim of Jimmy too. I don't think I can look at it any other way because both of these games have really stuck with me.

I genuinely think it really is the idea that people want a simple easy to blame problem and the idea that the only relatable victims of abuse are those that "surpass" it or do a lot to help others. When it comes to victims, especially those that don't fit the typical demographics, who either accidently perpetuate it, enable it or aren't ideal in some way shape or form, people jump to ignore what they went through as it's easier than dealing with those conflicting sentiments.

The bro-code conversation in Mouthwashing stems from a concept I generally dislike that there had to be something about Curly that made him meet or keep being friends with someone like Jimmy. I think people genuinely underestimate how many like decent and good people just know an asshole or are friends with someone who is really bad outside of their view/established dynamics. The game makes it clear none of the inaction against Jimmy is because of a lack of care, it is a lack of understanding from the privaleged postions they have as men to not have to worry about what Anya does/went through and the type of extremes men like Jimmy will go through to cover it up. They are all too preoccupied in their own strifes.

Another thing I see being oversaturated the idea that you have to be a freak, misanthrope or have a disorder to do the thing Jimmy does. The game is an escalation, it's a spiral that I don't see people comment on that Jimmy was not likely having the mood swings and episodes of rage/frustration we were seeing in the game. This is after they all start experiencing the worst moments in their lives that he got THAT openly bad. Of course, this is just my interpretation but much like in real life, people that go to extremes like that usually live mundane lives. It's a pressure cooker affect to where the stress made them pop. It's self inflicted but still the case.

I really think people need to be more willing to acknowledge that not everything needs to be an extreme or in black and white or easy to understand. It doesn't need to be happy or have an answer or solution, especially in the cases where the abused sadly helps perpetuate what they experience. It's not he should've known better from experience or shouldn't he have known what could've happened because victims tend to not like to think in matters of the worst. Not to mention, especially in cases of abuse where it feels so personally directed that you don't expect to happen to someone else.

[sweetestflow3rs]

i’ve like done lil tidbits about kyle ( vani’s mom ) but i don’t think i’ve ever really gone into tidbit talkin’ about jamie ( vani’s dad ) except for the fact that he killed kyle & is currently in prison ( & that porn comic i did of him & bailey that has his old adult design ). which. my bad guys.

like unlike kyle who was able to endear herself to a lot of the people she met, jamie was… not that. man made enemies on first introductions, it’s surprising he had friends. like to best describe jamie, imagine whitney, but instead of whitney having the small grace of secretly being a fucking dweeb with a slight moral conscious that they know they are doing fucked up things, jamie is aware of his fucked up shenanigans and he has no remorse for it LMAO

he harasses, degrades and beats the shit out of people for shits & giggles, it’s why he had such a thriving career as an underground fighter before he got arrested. like a moral consciousness that is constantly beat out by his own selfish need for dopamine and adrenaline. the only thing that holds him back is bailey ( & used to be kyle ) cause he knew that he’d be chewed out by them after, which is worse to him than having to deal with past orphanage director’s weird punishments. just… the definition a wild fight dog kept on a leash

[lyxchen]

That moment when you kinda have plot armor but only really because the person who is in-universe running the plot is obsessed with you and would rather see you live through hell than have you killed <3

[princessofghosts-posts]

One of my favorite narrative prospective choice is when an author let us see what a parent is feeling about their children being in a very dangerous situation (most of the times clueless about their lives),and how protective and caring they can be about them,but at the same time there is just so much sadness in them because they know they can't stop them from those situations.

Which is a shame because it's barely done,since most authors focus only on the main character without talking much about their family or people that,outside of the main group/narrative,care for them.

I would give gold to have the Gods realize how much shit they are to their kids,and how their lives are horrible and dangerous and they are always fighting for survival. And I need them to feel guilty about it because it's their fault most of the time,since they use them to complete quests for their own means. I need them to acknowledge how much shitty they are and to actually try and be better.

I want an insight on Sally Jackson's feelings during HoO,because Percy just dissapeared and she didn't know where her son was,and was emotionally devasted by it,only to find a voicemail with his voice months later where he didn't explain almost anything and doesn't know where he is. And how she must hate the fact that her son will never be a normal boy,and had to endure so much when he was already a child,and he will never be free.

I need Annabeth's family to realize how much value that girl has and how her life has been trauma after trauma and how they were a big part of it. I need them to feel guilty and horrified by it,but at the same time they are also trying to help her go through it.

I need Piper's dad to try and be close with her,while his guts just tell him something is wrong about his daughter because her eyes are just too dull,and she always look like something is going to hunt her down.

I need Rachel's dad to understand he can't force her to be what she isn't and to notice how his daughter changed,and how most of the time she looks so lost,like she miss something,and broken and doesn't know how to fix that.

And whatever other parent,really.

Those children are launched in an extremely dangerous world without support (most of the time) from BOTH side of their family,be it the mortal or immortal parent. And I just need them to be actually caring parents towards them because they are heavily traumatized,and they don't deserve it,and they were just children,and are war veterans and most of them died and they were so young.

I would die for an insight of their thoughts when they realize just how much their children suffer and how many dangers they face every day. And I need them to be better. What was going on in Sally's head during PJO,when Percy was on (easy) quests? What was Frederick thinking about when he got to see Annabeth after years of going No contact? Tristan ever cared to ask his daughter how her life was going? Rachel's dad ever fucking tried to understand her???

Ik that most of those people probably can't know about the Gods and the mythological world because their brain stand it,like Piper's dad,but that doesn't stop them from trying and being there for their child like a parent should. And the gods?? I need them to try and be better (looking at you Canon Hades-) and actually care for their children after realizing how much shit they endure for them.

PROTECT AND CARE FOR THEM FOR FUCK SAKE.

[shallowseeker]

Mix and match personality traits is soooo fun

Some differences b/t Jack and Sam with the “one good thing” line:

Jack is so concerned with hurting people

(it seems more in the realm of Dean’s “I'm poison” and Bobby's fear that “he breaks everything he touches” and Cas's “I destroyed everything and I WILL destroy everything again!”)

Jack seems more focused on the I AM RESPONSIBLE FOR PEOPLE part of being good…

…way more burden shouldering-oriented imho.

///

But although Sam cares about ppl (he starts out saying “other people will die!”), he seems more often focused on doing good as shorthand for being CAPABLE AND TRUSTWORTHY

It’s also sooo interesting his word choice here: because “You THINK i screw up” is WAY more abstract than simply, “I screw up.”

It’s like in Tombstone how Sam says to Jack “We’ve all done things we regret”… whereas Cas owns his mistakes outright, with a blunt, “I killed people I loved.”

Anyway, imho, when Sam talks about this, it tends toward being way more abstract / self-confidence oriented (he can be a perfectionist in this way… and like s15 jack, he also wants forgiveness, but he doesn’t feel safe/comfy enough to just apologize or ask for it)

“big hero sam” is so fascinating to me …

BONUS:

I feel like Claire Novak leans “big hero” too�� She, in fact, has the Jimmy-Novak-hero disease.

And like Sam, she is ALSO trying to PROVE herself as capable.

She laments Jody not trusting her and blasts Sam for treating her like a kid at the kids' table!

(((Aside/// Jo 🤝 Sam 🤝 Claire unite!)))

//

Whereas Jack, at least after the war, seems to be more over-concerned with who he didn't save.

He seems as external-protector focused as internal-self worth focused here…

//

Note///

I think Dean, Cas, Jack, Alt Mary, and Alt John are more naturally built this way in their molten cores. Which is why any combination of them can be quite “heroic” and “sacrificial” when other ppl are in active danger. (Not saying that John, Sam, Dean, Cas can’t be unhinged/ reckless out of a disregard for their own safety and a distinct lack of self-worth… but that’s a diff mode in my head.)

We see Cas worrying about people he’s “responsible for” and the people he “owes” and/or made promises to, including getting the Penitent Angels home. The same way Mary won’t give up on the AU hunters’ Cause, to the point she doesn’t want to go home!

//

Alt John and Alt Mary are both more built like Jack and Dean too - bonding over who they didn't save.

Jack sees AU Kevin exploding in his nightmares

&

Alt John sees Murph exploding in his…

What Alt Mary and Dean say more often is: me too.

//

BONUS: The one person Claire pledged to save (Kaia), well... After she failed, Claire went on a John- and Sam- coded revenge quest against her killer, soo.... this is relevant too.

& her revenge orientation:

//

BONUS BONUS

Jo at the kids' table:

//

Man, I love this stuff

Around and around we go.

[kaorym]

“You’re awful.” “I’m honest. It’s the world that’s awful."

[screechingfromthevoid]

I love the way Dorian and Ashton both talk to the Arch Heart.

Because Ashton is hell bent on dragging them down to their level. Ashton wants every bastard with a superiority complex to feel a boot on the neck for just a moment. It doesn't matter if that person has more money, more magic, or infinite power. They would be no where without the people they're standing on. The workers they exploit, the libraries they study, the worship they receive. All that power comes from the collective, the little guy. And Ashton wants all of them to come down to earth and fucking see who they've been using for the first time.

While Dorian is still stuck on the narrative that mortals are their children. You don't give birth to things that are not of you, or are completely different than you. Dorian keeps hearing "we're like you". He keeps hearing about the fear of mortality and the bonds of family. He knows that the gods and mortals are the same. And he's hell bent on reminding them that they are equals. If they weren't the same species: how could they come so close to godhood? How could a mortal become a god? Dorian speaks to the gods with no reverence, no policing of his tone. Because as they sit at the Arch Heart's table, with fake food and fake wood and fake bounty, they are equals. They are both in the same position. Dorian Storm does not think himself a god. He just knows the Gods are the same as them. Him and the Arch Heart both create and revel in beauty. Of course one gave to the other. But everyone must have a teacher. And there will always come a time where the teacher and the student can play a duet in such harmony no one can decipher who once taught who.

[akkivee]

ghost ichiro being borne from ichiro’s ego!!!!!!!!!!!!! ichiro is strong so therefore, ghost ichiro is strong!!!!! and ghost ichiro being so cocky and condescending about his ability to do anything ichiro can comes from ichiro’s reliance on himself, on ichiro’s need to do everything by himself!!!!!

ghost rio being borne from rio’s due diligence!!!!!!! rio himself had chosen to be alone if that’s what it takes to complete his mission and the ghost rio that didn’t hesitate to threaten murdering a civilian is exactly who rio would have become had he not had his team!!!!

ghost gentaro was borne from gentaro’s desire to expose the truth!!!!! he wanted to expose chuuoku’s crimes as retribution for putting his brother in a coma!!!!! and the irony is that ghost gentaro put somebody in a coma for exposing the truth!!!!!!

ghost kuukou was borne from kuukou’s belief that humans are weak!!!!! but whereas kuukou does whatever he can to help them find the strength within themselves to keep moving forward, ghost kuukou tried to keep them by his side to hide them and protect them from that world!!!!!

[gamesweetdreaming]

I love you narcs that explore others for your own means

I love you pwASPDs that hate animals

I love you borderlines that think people will only take you seriously if you sh

I love you pwHPD even though I barely see y'all around here :') you're still special and valid

I love you narcs that think are better than others and do get proven y'all are correct about it time and time again.

I love you pwASPD that love in a unconventional way (shout out to the father-child relationship people in the crowd)

I love you pwBPD for thinking you're the biggest victims on earth or think you're underserving of these same feelings

I love any of you that do unsavory things that people don't accept you for. Morality is a lie based on culture, people can normalize anything under this basis, they are just little bitches who need someone to complain about.

Be the best version of you, or don't 🩷

[mmelolabelle]

1x01 & 1x08 — season one being bookended by Sally Jackson and Poseidon’s love for Percy and their determination to keep their son safe – whatever it takes