#this is their dynamic i'm correct

[uisceb]

Endlessly baffled every time I see people water down Glinda’s actions in Defying Gravity to “oh she was too cowardly or too selfish to stand by Elphaba,” as if she didn’t spend that entire sequence from Chistery’s transformation onward doing everything in her very limited power to keep Elphaba safe.

Like the second things start going wrong, Glinda’s entire focus switches to “keep Elphaba safe at all costs.” This girl does not have any magic. She does not have any physical survival skills. She probably has no idea how to throw a punch. She can barely run in those heels. Her one power is her charm and her ability to work a crowd. She is desperately trying to get Elphaba to come back with her not because she agrees with what the Wizard and Morrible are doing, but because she thinks maybe if she can just smooth things over, Elphaba will be forgiven, and she’ll be safe. 

In that regard, there’s a very obvious selfishness to Glinda’s actions - she lacks perspective; she lacks scope; she prioritizes Elphaba over what we as the audience would understand as the “Greater Good” and over her own morals about what’s going on with the Wizard’s agenda; she’s visibly horrified by what happens to Chistery but her first instinct is to comfort Elphaba above all else, despite having no understanding of what's happening.

I am the last person who’s ever going to argue that Glinda isn’t selfish, because she very clearly is, it’s one of her defining characteristics, and it’s one of the main things she has to learn to overcome in order to actually become “Glinda the Good.” This is in no way me trying absolve my very selfish girl who very much made the wrong decision.

But it does kinda boggle my mind when I see the argument that Glinda betrayed Elphaba or is a “fake friend.” Especially because ultimately she comes to the conclusion that the best thing she can do for Elphaba in this moment is to let her go. She knows she would only hinder Elphaba if she were to go with her, she knows there’s no happy ending for them if she tries to run away with her (I think in that moment she might even suspect there’s no happy ending at all). Elphaba is going through her own personal revelation which is beautiful in its own right, but it’s also impulsive, and there’s a certain level of unsustainable grandiose fantasy to it. Glinda almost lets herself be swept up in it for a moment, but her rational side kicks in, because, of the main trio, Glinda really is the most grounded in reality.

I’ve seen a lot of weirdly smug people out there proudly saying if Fiyero was there he definitely would’ve gotten on the broom with Elphaba - and honestly, I think they’re probably right. But it’s not because he’s somehow morally superior to Glinda, or that his love for Elphaba is more pure. Our boy is depressed, he’s nihilistic, he’s lost, and truly doesn’t have any attachments to anyone.

He was genuinely moved by Elphaba’s fearless convictions and he fell hard and fast for her, so I agree he’d be on that broom in a heartbeat, he quite literally has nothing to lose, and everything to gain. He’s found himself wanting to believe in something for the first time because Elphaba brought that out in him, his whole world revolves around her. And that’s very romantic, but because of that, the stakes are much lower. For him, leaving everything behind wouldn’t be a sacrifice, it would be freedom.

Glinda’s gone through the world much differently, much more carefully. She doesn’t have Fiyero’s sense of nihilism or detachment, she’s lashed herself tight to the reality of the world around her. Where Fiyero has been regularly kicked out of schools and freely wandered from place to place experiencing new things and getting into trouble on purpose, Glinda has never stepped outside the predictable comfort and safety of her bubble until meeting Elphaba. She lives in constant fear of failure and being looked down on. She is forever clinging to this persona she’s created because she’s terrified of what will happen if she’s anything less than perfect.

She has constructed her entire existence around being an icon rather than a person - in the beginning, she literally doesn’t know how to be her own self, she’s just barely learning, because of Elphaba. And it scares the shit out of her. 

Fiyero would likely play action hero if he was there for Defying Gravity, and that’s great, but Glinda is weighing a million things in her head, not least of which is “holy shit the person I love most in the world is in imminent danger and I have no magic and no strength to keep her safe, so I will beg and plead and insult and fight her tooth and nail to keep her with me inside my privileged bubble because maybe I can smooth this over, maybe everything will be okay if I just do what I always do and use my privilege to get my way.” She understands the rules of her world, so she’s going to play by those rules because that’s how you win the game.

Elphaba, of course, refuses to play a corrupt game at all, and Glinda gets angry - she lashes out at Elphaba because Elphaba has just put herself in such a dangerous situation, and Glinda is completely powerless to change it. Every little bit of control Glinda is used to having is obliterated.

Her “Maybe you’re not as powerful as you think you are” when Elphaba doesn’t grow wings is so desperate - the words border on cruel, but her tone is both painfully apologetic and above all filled with RELIEF because while her heart hurts for Elphaba, she’s terrified that Elphaba would hurt herself the way Chistery was hurt, and she’s cleaving to the hope that maybe if Elphaba isn’t as powerful as she thinks she is, Glinda stands a chance at undoing the damage, and protecting her. 

Glinda’s selfishness is just so fascinating to me because it’s so rich and so contradictory - she loves Elphaba so deeply and destructively that she fully paralyzes herself when the chips are down and it breaks them both. She fails to be what Elphaba wants her to be, and she fails to be a good person, but there’s no “fake friend” about her actions - she is acting on pure desperation to keep this person she loves safe in literally the only way she knows how, at the cost of everything else, including what’s right, which is something Elphaba could never abide by. Elphaba would never compromise her own morals, but at this point in the story Glinda is willing to compromise everything as long as Elphaba is tucked away in her bubble with her, and that difference in values is irreconcilable to both of them. 

So, realizing this, Glinda does the one last thing she can think of to protect her at this point, and wraps a cloak around her shoulders to keep her warm. That’s all that’s left.

She’s selfish and she’s cowardly and she’s brave and she’s loving and she fails Elphaba and she fails herself and she regrets her decision for the rest of her life and yes I am writing all this with glass under my tongue and between my teeth, she makes me insane.

[mensahbots]

one of my favorite book moments in live action 💛

(from the other episode 7 preview)

[pyrepostings]

Whumpee who goes in a slightly different direction mentally than 'caretaker is new master. New master won't give rules. Means punishment is around every corner, landmine of unsaid rules.'

It initially go through that phase, but quickly realize caretaker isn't punishing it for following whumper's old rules. Which obviously means they want it to continue following those rules.

So it does. It keeps calling them sir, keeps it's eyes down, doesn't eat without asking. Clearly caretaker wants this, and what they want is all that matters, right? If they didn't want whumpee to continue, they would have made that painfully obvious.

Just, a whumpee who is so sure of its ability to follow the rules, the habit. It's easier to follow the rules it knows than to find out they were lying, or testing it by telling it that its free.

[evilkaeya]

gsgw got me shipping the mc with an 8 feet+ tall entity who has an analog tv as his head. i think I've reached the peak of my shipping career

[adamworu]

I think the one thing that would give even wholesome versions of Kawoshin dynamics some heft is unsettling explorations of his power. Kaworu realizes very much that he is A Weapon. A Machine of Death in human flavoring. The very power that can be used to save lives can very much take them at a moment's notice. He feels validated by the boy who loves him and in that moment that terrifying realization ceases for the most part. But there's always that little creeping thought from within that Kaworu fears even the smallest argument. The inevitable argument. The inevitable strong emotions. The slightest tinge of strong feelings could possibly level the house. Hurt Shinji.

It's better to smile it off anyway.

[alex-the-bringer-of-chaos]

Tai and Van are so messy as adults, and it is quite interesting to watch

[t-u-i-t-c]

Taiya is a very closed off person who has a lot of trouble expressing his feelings. It's as if he can express basic emotions, but falters when his feelings cannot simply be conveyed through standard expressions, like a smile or a frown. It's what causes him to mess up, as we saw in the Madrex episodes. It's as if he's just never had to express himself as an individual so much, and has always just presented as an average guy, but doesn't really know how to put everything he feels into words. He's just not at the level of grand gestures to show his care and needs time to work his way through how he wants to express his feelings outwardly. We know he's known Bundorio for a while and Bundorio considers Taiya his best friend, but Taiya still has difficulty with physical affection and praising Bundorio. We also know he really is thankful for his team, as he says thank you to them to himself after Madrex's defeat, but he's not ready to say it directly. Then when Genba leaves he doesn't stop him bc he understands that his rage is fueling him and that leaving or staying is Genba's decision to make, but he can't let go at the same time. It's a development when Taiya tells Genba to keep his Change Axe. It's allowing him to stay tethered to Genba, even if Genba never intends to return. It's a gesture of care that seems so small in the moment, but for a guy who struggles with giving thanks and affection, it means the world. Allowing himself to recognize their significant bond means so much to his character, to his relationships, and to who he will become.

I often think about it as Taiya adjusting. He's adjusting to being a part of a group and he's adjusting to having friends that he can be open with. Taiya is friendly and does generally talk with people quite easily, but it's not the same thing as having close friends. Taiya is closed off to the team initially, even if he encourages the members to join, as he still feels like being more upfront about personal things is difficult. Thanking them and being upfront about his own distress is not easy for him. He has to be the cool one who knows what to do and he can't let himself slip.

I find it very interesting to watch as he's called out for not thinking of his team on a more personal level as he tends to disconnect. He can't ask for help, he doesn't know how to at that time. He knows how to reach out on a basic level, but having others reach for him is so foreign to him then. He knows how to guide but he doesn't know how to be honest and open. He can't be personal beyond a certain point, bc it's not something he's used to. He doesn't mean to come off as uncaring, but he's never really had people that he can open up to and he doesn't know how navigate. It's why, when he's faced with a bit too much pressure, he closes himself off and tries to avoid the issue, but it's not enough, he knows the issue will eventually come back around. He needs his team to question him, to call him out, to challenge him, and to care. He needs to know that he can stumble and that he can let other people guide him. There's been so many instances in which Taiya is thrown off by his team, and it's pushing him to rethink his actions and how he'll proceed. It's a big adjustment and it's taking time, but he knows that his life has become a little brighter with the others in it.

[sitaarein]

So did anyone else notice how in that scene right near the end where Sevika takes a seat at the new council table and some people quite obviously still disapprove, Sevika is still the only person from Zaun in that room? And you can just tell as she sits down that neither she really thinks she belongs there (hence acts both wary and defensive) and nor really do the rest of the councilmen. I think it's kind of neat cause it shows that Piltover may have just gone through war (which has often been used as an instrument to unite a country under the banner of nationalism in modern history) but it is absolutely not prepared for a complete overhaul of its system. When they give Zaunites a voice at the table, it is just one voice, who may easily be overpowered in the future and who has no experience with the way their politics is handled. Piltover is doomed to repeat its mistakes, because all that this grand war did was distract them from their many, many problems, at least for a while. Until they return to their old ways. Until the mourning period is over and you start gatekeeping top side again. Until enough time has passed for them to get angry and hopeless again, but it doesn't matter, because they are back where they belonged all along.

And maybe that was the point, not to show that society is doomed, but to prove that although everyone managed to come together for a moment, it was only ever going to be a moment. That sometimes complex societal dynamics can't be so easily and satisfactorily solved. But still- the solutions in the short term are flimsy, but they are still there. Sevika is still there. Vi is still there. Sometimes all you need is some dirt under your fingernails you can never really clean out to remind you that no, things aren't okay, but they goddamn well will be.

[leatherbookmark]

read a couple of posts by people forced into parentified dynamics by other (queer!) people and 1. this is a FASCINATINGLY unfamiliar phenomenon to me, which might be unsurprising since i barely have /any/ relationships in general, but still, huh???, and 2. it probably has nothing to do with it (lest?) but it made me think of fandoms forcibly & by the throat dragging idols/characters into """"found family"""" dynamics, and, huh

[princesmitty]

is jung hoo/yoshi anything… posted to mlb in the same year, three days apart in bday, faced each other in the premier 12 idk it has a hold on me that’s about to be realized on friday 😨

anon your mind.... i promptly looked up any interactions between them i could find and i was not disappointed!!! let me tell you junghoo is a quote goldmine bc he seriously has a way with wording things lmfao.

i found this video about his rematch against yamamoto in the tokyo olympics and honestly junghoo truly does not get enough credit for how funny he is in korean. he's quickwitted and it's kinda hard to explain but he's a bit arrogant? aloof?? in a charming/cute way. he's seriously so witty and goofy it's a shame non-korean speakers can't properly understand it </3 the entire video is gold but this clip especially is so funny bc you can tell how much he was stressing about going up against yamamoto again.

watching videos late at night to learn about yamamoto's ticks and mannerisms to see what the chink in his armor could be..... he could not stop thinking about that man

...right. nuff said!

also he says it a bit more informally/direct in korean. he doesn't say yamamoto's name, he says "얘" which more accurately translates to "this/that guy" and is typically used amongst same-age peers or ppl familiar to one another.

in the second screenshot he also says "투수만 바라보고 있고" which means "I'm only looking/staring/gazing at the pitcher" which in my Deranged opinion is a bit more intimate. idk, you be the judge!

earlier the hosts asked him if he likes yamamoto's ball/pitches and he says that he thinks out of all the '98 liners yamamoto is the best.

what if we were born three days apart and i said you were the best pitcher born in 1998........

also bonus: i'm fucking rolling at this lmfao. "it was a great game, moto....." he says in the most dramatic, wistful way possible 😭

but you can really tell how much junghoo cared about performing well against yamamoto..... he truly could not stop thinking about that man!!

and then later on in february of last year before he was on his way to america for spring training he said in an airport press interview that the pitcher he wants to face the most in the mlb is yamamoto. (there are no subtitles in the video but just look at this cutie and trust that this is his smile after saying his answer ^_^)

he's been saying this shit since 2021 btw!!! leading up to the tokyo olympics he said about his at-bat against yamamoto in the 2019 premier12, "i remember all the pitches. as far as i know, i was beaten by a splitter, a curve ball, and a splitter. if we meet again i want to win." (in reality it was a curve-splitter-splitter LOL but close enough)

let me remind you yamamoto came in to relief pitch one inning in the 8th and they faced off One time.... and junghoo was already so obsessed.......

but as a final remark look at these two both with their fits!! yamamoto with his emotional support chanel bag and junghoo with the crossbody chanel bag and his fuckass grandma tweed jacket...... just a couple of divas!

thank you for this ask anon you've helped me expand my rpf horizons to a different dimension..... all five of us jhl/yoshi enjoyers will feast on tonight's game no matter the result.......

[zombvibes]

I have some more thoughts about sus-elle and whether or not it's "toxic" or "healthy" but I'm not gonna share them because I think I did enough of that recently so someone remind me next month to do it /j

[borgialucrezia]

"Prince to you, not a brother."

[thesnowflake18]

Just out of curiousity honestly!!

Quick explanations for each below~

Flawed Pacifist/Family Ending

Failed Pacifist ending where you failed to date Undyne or Alphys, or dated Alphys and skipped the True Lab segment. None or few monsters killed (for most variants)

Toriel returns to the throne and people accept her policy for peace with humans

If you fail to date Undyne, she blames you for Asgore's death but otherwise seems fine

Undyne is pumped to speak with Frisk if she is befriended, just sad about Asgore

Betrayed Undyne endings here are possible if Papyrus is alive, you befriend Undyne, and killed any monster afterwards.

Alphys speaks with Frisk if befriended and reassures them of the progress to leave the underground

Papyrus joins the Royal Guard (after disbanding) and only waters flowers but is happy. Sans seems relatively happy too

Killing MTT will cause Alphys to disappear and Undyne to be distraught, not even wanting vengeance. Papyrus tries to be encouraging

Exiled Queen Toriel

Many branches!!! Toriel attempts to rule but either resigns peacefully or is banished back to the ruins, either by Undyne or the monsters themselves.

Overall, monsters are unhappy with Toriel's policy due to the killings by us, even more so if Undyne was killed

Sans and Papyrus (if he's alive) will follow her to the ruins and keep her company

Sans will drop the facade with you if you also killed Papyrus, saying your not welcome back in the underground

Killing MTT will cause Alphys's "disappearance" and Undyne to be distraught, sometimes wanting vengeance

Empress Undyne

Sometimes a variant of the Exiled Queen endings where if Papyrus or many monsters are dead (Alphys disappears), Undyne herself leads a revolt against Toriel and becomes Empress of the Underground

She's a tougher leader who takes the idea of war on humans more seriously than Asgore

She also becomes Empress if Toriel is killed as long as 10+ monsters are killed as well

If Papyrus is dead, Sans will drop the facade and reveal he knows you killed Toriel

If Papyrus is alive, he's given a falsely important role by Undyne. Sans just comments on Tori's silence

King Mettaton

Capitalist dystopia led by Mettaton after Toriel and Undyne are both killed.

Sans and Papyrus become MTT's agents

Sans doesn't comment on Papyrus's death in this ending and is still MTT's agent

MTT comments on his regrets with Alphys, and says she's disappeared

People who don't like MTT's show tend to "disappear" (😧)

King Papyrus

All possible leaders are gone; Papyrus becomes ruler by process of elimination

Papyrus tries to be as encouraging as he can, despite losing so many important people. His best encouragement isn't enough

Sans takes over the paperwork, Paps is proud

Sans told him that everyone else went on vacation, though it's implied Paps already knows the truth and just plays along

The most neutral human policy: can't judge them all to be good or bad, it's a case-by-case

Dog Ending (Leaderless variant)

Silly ending; All bosses (Toriel, Paps, Undyne, MTT) killed but NO ONE ELSE

Sans comments how a white dog became president of the underground and sleeps on the throne all day

this seems like the best ending for everyone -Sans

Leaderless

All bosses are killed, as well as some monsters. Small variant if there's 20+ monster kills

Everyone is distraught since no one can step up to become a leader. All hope is gone

Sans darkly jokes that this is what happens when people like him take it easy

If 20+ monsters are killed as well, Sans comments on the emptiness and also for you to "go to hell"

Queen Alphys

Aborted Genocide ending after Undyne the Undying

Alphys is the one who asks for the call, Sans barely comments

Alphys evacuates everyone, making monsters look to her for leadership after

Sans seems to be supporting her for now

Alphys reveals her secrets to the public and it seems to be relieving to her, though now she has regrets with us, saying how she should've killed us when she had the chance (RAW FR)

Dirty Hacker Ending

Technically a secret "impossible" ending. You have to hack the game save file in order to get this ending

Sans comments on how strange this is and to contact the creator, maybe for a "new ending"

Sans breaks the fourth wall by calling out the player as "just a dirty hacker"

NOW PICK YOUR FAVORITE!!

[beeceit]

[guy who's about to suggest the farthest thing from what you actually want voice] ermmm actually if you like that specific interpretation of these characters you're WRONG, here's what you REALLY wanna be reading

[adamworu]

I am very on board with your idea of Asuka and Shinji having a sibling-like relationship and sharing half a brain cell.

Individually? Each is actually pretty smart in their own way. But together? They are dumb af. Their stupid is mutually contagious. 💀

What sort of hobbies or interactions go on with them? : )

(also I hope you are having a nice night.)

That one scene in episode 9 where they're flipping blue and orange channels is very much a daily occurrence. Sometimes they change each other's channels out of spite (mainly during the best parts). Or even sneaking bites of each other's food while the other sleeps. They're very much the 'mom said it's my turn to play xbox' sibling dynamic. Wrestling the controller out of each others' hands. Or purposefully messing the other up when the other is playing video games and making needling comments when they game over.

I hope you're having a nice day/night too!

[invinciblerodent]

side note, it makes me feel kind of unreasonably giddy that my four "main" games of bg3, i'm playing:

a man loving a man

a woman loving a man

a man loving a woman (and a man)

and a woman loving a woman

and literally all of the characters involved are bi/pansexual.

diversity win, i'm queer and so is everything and everyone I do and make