#which i do not approve of. there is no such thing as 'evil' types.

[tossdoll]

this girl scared of apples /ref to your hate of dragon types

i do not hate any type, that's ridiculous. there is a difference between being anxious around pokemon and being anxious around trainers, which is what it is. i have had bad experiences with dragon type specialists in the past, it is nothing against the pokemon themselves.

[singingcicadas]

Megatron's Opposite Day

"I free slaves"

This is Soundwave binding Ratbat but seeing as Megatron did the same thing to Pentius by putting his spark into Trypticon and reformatted Rumble and Frenzy into cassettes against their will I think he approves a lot of this practice

Megatron on Optimus and humans, after his defeat in All Hail Megatron ⬇️

he really salty

"I implant ideology" aka brainwashing

Decepticon cause = Megatron. nuff said.

"I liberate cities" says the person who let Nyon burn to make a point

Cities are too small, think bigger

Holding New York hostage.

"Like Autobots, they believe in the sanctity of life" which he doesn't. Kudos for being honest.

Allowing troops to do free-rein massacre is a reward for conquest. Nothing like some easy murder for de-stressing.

The Simanzi massacre which halved the Cybertronian population is off-screen so it doesn't deserve its own pic

"The revolution"

"We only feel good when we stand with a blade in one hand and a throat in another" "Let's make the entire face of the planet into our new gladiator arena"

What nice, confidence-inspiring revolutionaries. I'm sure they'll rule the population with benevolence after they've killed all the Necessary People with Necessary Violence. Final interpretation of what constitutes as Necessary is reserved for the sole discretion of Megatron, ofc.

Good goals.

Sentinel might be an absolute asshole but at least he's got one thing right: they're literally a gang of thugs who gets high off murder.

"The people are my utmost concern"

'The people': ................

"Battling for freedom"

Freedom of what? Function? Autonomy?

Religion?

the ability to choose whether to fight? on which side to fight?

Idk why they used the word "pogrom" for this, it's way too specific

Anyways it doesn't matter, they won't be missed.

Good for Bumblebee for calling him out. Screenshotted this just to appreciate Megatron's bitchy face ⬇️

Other urban legends:

"Megatron loves Cybertron" let's just burrrrn it

He did fight to save Cybertron in Chaos Theory but also made it pretty clear why he did it. It's not out of the goodness of his heart or any sentimental reasons like that. It's an ego/dominance thing.

Plus his wording when he's trying to convince Optimus to let him go with the Lost Light: "I broke the planet. And that, Optimus, is why I owe it to you - to everyone - to find a replacement."

Replacement.

In other words: I made a mess and can't be bothered to clean it up, so I want to get away from it and find somewhere new to start clean.

I don't think Optimus appreciates the favour.

"Megatron tore down a corrupt government" which is true, just too bad that he's worse

He's also, um, a closeted Zeta admirer?

"Megatron advocates equality" ???

Megatron x dictatorship is literally his OTP. They were inseparable for four million years. A lot of people died trying.

"Megatron cares about the Decepticons" no he doesn't. Not his troops nor its cause.

Like for one thing he treats them with complete scorn

Admits that the most useful thing about keeping Starscream around is that he can bully underlings into line

Wants to use the humans' nuke to get rid of his troops and reformat them into peaceful drones after they outlive their use because they were "too ruthless" for his perfect peaceful society

Has zero scruples about fighting Deceptigod, just affronted that his own soldiers are being used against him

And basically just drops the Decepticons like a bag of vermin after he surrenders. He never once mentions them of his own accord, other than to insist he has nothing to do with them. Even his surrender speech is something Optimus makes him do as exchange b/c he wants to go on parole. He wasn't planning on making a public address otherwise, he was just going to leave them hanging.

Looking at the publication timeline, Megatron started out as an established Evil McEvilson-type villain similar to how he is in G1 and it's not until Chaos Theory in 2011 that JRo really gave him a sympathetic backstory that drew his characterization away from the bloodthirsty pugno ergo sum warlord into someone who once held ideals about societal reform and remains convinced of his own moral supremacy throughout the 4 mill years of death and war, adding worldbuilding such as Functionism/oppression/government corruption as justification for the beginning of the Decepticon movement. But because the start of the Decepticons was already written in Megatron Origins and every evil thing he'd done up till Chaos Theory can't be retracted and they had to keep Megatron as a villain until his story was no longer central to the Autobot-Decepticon war line, and JRo didn't try to downplay the atrocities he'd committed (some of the most sadistically disturbing things Megatron did were exclusively in MTMTE flashbacks), but rather tried to distance him from them and placed the focus on the juxtapositions to emphasize change, this as a whole just resulted in Evil McEvilson getting turned into Hyper McHypocrite.

[david-talks-sw]

The OTHER type of Star Wars fan

We've already covered (through this longer post and this addendum) that research shows George wasn't that involved or interested in the derivative material of the Star Wars franchise, also known as the Expanded Universe (EU). Aside from approving a few points, he let Howard Roffman and Lucasfilm Licensing handle it.

He is the first to say that he ain't as knowledgeable about Star Wars lore as we fans are.

Thing is... he's also not as passionate as we are.

Recently, I was watching some Q&A videos of George R.R. Martin, the author of Game of Thrones... and it occurred to me:

Martin is what most Star Wars fans wish Lucas was.

Think about it.

He's a talented writer who likes to focus on morally "gray" characters and complex political plotlines,

who created a series of novels for a mature audience in which his narrative merely asks questions and lets the reader draw their own conclusions,

knows and engages in the lore behind his creation and will often respond to those lore-heavy questions, and has gone on record stating that canon is the glue that holds a story together and keeps it coherent.

Contrast that with George "continuity is for wimps" Lucas, who:

Wrote a movie franchise which is also, partially, political... but he makes it for kids, and he's explicit about how this is thematically a clear-cut story about how the conflict of "good vs evil" is really about "compassion vs greed",

with flat dialogue, boring cinematography,

and whose approach to lore and canon can be summed up in his answer to how Anakin got his scar:

"I don't know. Ask Howard [Roffman]. That’s one of those things that happens in the novels between the movies. I just put it there. He has to explain how it got there. I think Anakin got it slipping in the bathtub, but of course, he's not going to tell anybody that." - Pablo Hidalgo’s set diary, August 2003

And as a Star Wars fan, I will admit that some of his casual retcons felt disrespectful, growing up.

"Boba Fett is NOT Mandalorian?!"

I had the same reaction when I saw an interview of Kathleen Kennedy stating she was a fan of Star Wars... from a filmmaking perspective. That seemed like such a finagling cop-out for me, at the time.

"Just say you're not a real fan, God!"

And it's easy to divide it in two camps, like that. You have 1) the fans, who will delve into deep lore, and you have 2) the average moviegoer.

But looking back on it... holy shit, that is actually a completely valid way of being a Star Wars fan.

Yes, Star Wars is a transmedia franchise, it's books, it's video-games, it's deep lore, it's lightsabers and Jedi and Sith and bounty hunters and Ewoks and Jabba and High Republics and Tython and Revan etc.

But before it was that, Star Wars was a filmmaking revolution. A juggernaut of innovation for the silver screen that inspired most of today's filmmakers.

So, sure, George Lucas isn't an avid lore-loving Star Wars fan like you and me. But he is a movie fan.

"I'm not that passionate about this story. I like it, it's fun and I enjoy doing it. But it's definitely not my life. I'm a bigger movie fan than I am Star Wars fan. I like making movies. At the end of nine years of making Star Wars, I was not ready to continue it. I was completely burned out on it. I was more passionate about raising my kids than making movies and especially making Star Wars. So I made other kinds of movies and TV shows and advanced the technology I needed. It's not a matter of passion. My passion is for filmmaking. I'll go and do filmmaking that is easier to do, where you can realise your ideas better. And nine years is a big part of your life, and to commit to another nine years, I didn't wanna do that right away." - EMPIRE, 1999

And you can tell this, when you watch the Star Wars films.

There are honestly so many homages and interesting filmmaking techniques, peppered throughout the six films, which only a nerd for cinema history like George would know how to implement.

C3-PO being based on the droid from Metropolis (1927) is a perfect example of this.

And that's interesting.

Because there's essentially this entire other dimension to the films, where it's not just the story unfolding, but to filmmakers it's also a series of techniques that make them go "I wonder how they did that!" or homages that make them go "OH! I know where that's from!" like we do when an comics characters appears in live-action.

Here's other examples:

CINEMA HOMAGES

All of Star Wars is absolutely littered with homages to cinema history.

I mean, you may already know this, but Flash Gordon is what George originally wanted to shoot, but the copyright holders said they only wanted Fellini to direct it (ironically, George wasn't artsy-fart enough for them). So he decided to write Star Wars instead.

As such, the inspiration from Flash Gordon is also present visually and spiritually throughout the two trilogies.

"It was like a Republic serial, a 1930s-style matinee adventure. The idea was that you came in, saw Episode IV, had missed the first three episodes, and wouldn't get to see the rest of it." - Starlog Magazine #300, 2002

The dialogue that a lot of people refer to as "campy" and "flat" is actually a mix of George being an experimental filmmaker who doesn't give much of a fuck about dialogue (and is by his own admission, not the best at it)...

"I'd be the first person to say I can't write dialogue. My dialogue is very utilitarian and is designed to move things forward. I'm not Shakespeare. It's not designed to be poetic. It's not designed to have a clever turn of phrase. [...] I just wanted to get from point A to point B. This film doesn't lend itself to that sort of thing because it's not about snappy one-liners.  I think that Lethal Weapon-style dialogue is overused, it's a necessary aspect of high action films where you have to have the smart retort. You have to say "I'll be back baby" and stuff. It's not my style. It takes away from the integrity of the movie. [...] I'm aware that dialogue isn't my strength. I use it as a device. I don't particularly like dialogue which is part of the problem." - EMPIRE, 1999

... which is convenient, because it helped him simulate the dialogue of 1930s matinee serials, such as Flash Gordon.

"Let’s face it, their dialogue in that scene is pretty corny. It is presented very honestly, it isn’t tongue in cheek at all, and it’s played to the hilt. But it is consistent, not only with the rest of the movie, but with the overall Star Wars style. Most people don’t understand the style of Star Wars. They don’t get that there is an underlying motif that is very much like a 1930s Western or Saturday matinee serial. It’s in the more romantic period of making movies and adventure films. And this film is even more of a melodrama than the others." - Mythmaking: Behind the Scenes of Attack of the Clones, 2002

But beyond that, literally it's everywhere.

The scene where Palpatine ascends to being Emperor as Anakin slaughters his political rivals parallels the final scene in The Godfather, where Michael becomes the Don while his goons do the same thing.

This video compiles all the tributes beautifully. Check it out.

Even The Clone Wars has whole episodes that are direct homages to cult classics. The Zillo Beast episode is a clear reference to Godzilla, the episode The Wrong Jedi is inspired by The Wrong Man, etc.

"CINEMA VÉRITÉ" CINEMATOGRAPHY

I've already written a whole post (one of my favourites) showing how his fascination with cinéma vérité documentaries is reflected in the cinematography of all six Star Wars films, and it's part of what makes the entire franchise feel so immersive.

You can check it out here:

KUROSAWA

We've gone over how he's a big fan of Akira Kurosawa, and how big an influence Hidden Fortress was on both the Star Wars trilogies...

... but so is the mise-en-scène and the way George approaches production design. The reason Star Wars feels so "lived in" is also a lesson George learned from Kurosawa, which is that by making everything just a bit off-kilter, a bit dirtied-up and imperfect...

... and yet keeping it all consistent, in a way, you manage to make the film feel grounded and immersive, no matter how alien it is.

"[It] may sound odd in a movie like this, but credibility and realism, even in the most unrealistic situation… to sorta create that sense of realism is very important to making the story work and making you feel like you’re actually in the environment that transports you and gives you the suspension of disbelief that you need in order to enjoy a movie. [...] Kurosawa used to call it “immaculate realism” which is to make it slightly off-kilter, slightly eccentric, like things are in real life. Even if it’s a very predictable situation, give it that little funny edge that takes it away from that and makes it realistic. And I had to struggle very hard, in the Star Wars films, to make them appear to be realistic, even though they’re totally fantasy." - The Phantom Menace, Commentary Track #2, 1999

POST-PRODUCTION & VFX

Another one of the more impressive aspects of the first Star Wars was the dogfights and the trench raid of the Death Star. The camera pans with the spaceship, the dynamism of the cuts. The space battles is what made George creat ILM in the first place.

He was determined to do the opposite of what 2001: A Space Odyssey had done with that opening scene where the space ship moves into frame slooooowly...

... so he gave the team a collection of WWII dogfight footage to give them ideas.

(note: this was the same approach he would take years later with Dave Filoni, when teaching the latter how to edit and craft dogfights in The Clone Wars)

The attempt to film the trench run eventually led to the creation of the first motion control camera dolly.

Best analogy I can think of, when describing George's approach to Star Wars, is the following:

An avant-garde esoteric contemporary artist - y'know, the type who puts a blue dot on a white canvas and calls it art - creates a comic.

Why? Because he wants to make this one art installment for a gallery exhibition. After that, he intends to move on to other things.

But the comic is really good! And like, its audience quickly expands beyond just gallery visitors, no, everyone likes it.

Suddenly, the comic develops a cult following, and the entirety of comic book geek culture has zeroed-in on the artist and they're all asking him to make more art! And he makes more! And more!

Then he stops for two decades, moves on to other art projects, raises his kids. Years later, he discovers new ways of drawing, and he's like "I'm making a Prequel to the comic, y'all wanna see it?"

Everyone cries out gleefully: "Oh God, yes! Finally! Show us!"

But this motherfucker makes a manga.

Why? Because he feels like it.

And of course he does, he's just creating art, right? He discovered the graphic tablet, so he's having fun with it, because he's always innovating and pushing the envelope with his art.

And the movies are fine, by manga standards. But by comic book standards, they obviously suck! The comic book audience is mad. They wanted another comic book, not a manga. Why is it in black and white? Why is read right-to-left? This comic sucks!

(And arguably, they have a point... as a savvy businessman, he's made a whole lot of money off this comic, he built a media empire out of it, and instead of giving them what they want, he made something else)

But again... this guy isn't a comic book illustrator, and has been very explicit about saying this.

He's an artist who - for a very specific project - drew a comic.

Many things can be true at once:

the fact that these creative decisions didn't always hit their mark for the average moviegoer, or fans of "Star Wars, the space fantasy movies and expanded universe" (usually the lore-loving geeks like myself)...

... and the fact that they were meticulously and carefully crafted in a way that fans of "Star Wars, the revolutionary film" (aka fans of cinema and filmmaking) can appreciate.

There's a spectrum of the fandom, and there is a spectrum in the way we can appreciate Star Wars. Which kinda reminds me of that scene in Chef (2014) where Carl goes on a rant explaining the intricacies of making his chocolate lava cake to a food critic.

It's not just undercooked chocolate.

It's molten.

Conversely, it's not just flat, campy dialogue. It's an homage to the 1930s matinee serials à la Flash Gordon.

It's not just boring cinematography. It's a reproduction of cinéma vérité documentary-style camera work which effectively grounds the film.

Having considered all this, when I hear that Tony Gilroy or Kathleen Kennedy were more in the latter camp, I go "fair enough".

First of all, because like it or not, so was George. He clearly didn't give a single crap about the comics and books, besides signing off on minor plot points. He's not a "sci-fi movie director", he's an experimental filmmaker who makes movies set in space.

But secondly, because - aside from children - it's clear the audience he was targeting was these cinema-savvy folks who'd get his references and would be inspired by the filmmaking techniques.

Not the fans or the critics.

[and-claudia]

Yours Pt. 4 (Paddy x reader) (Speak No Evil)

Warnings: DDDNE (that is your warning that this is gonna get a little fucked up here), manipulation, controlling relatives, lying, p in v, infidelity, let me know if I missed any

Word count: 4355

Taglist (Read the rules, follow them or I will remove your response)

After we were shown around the house, we made our way back downstairs. Ant had to go finish his chores outside which included checking on the animals. Agnes wanted to go see them as well and so after getting approval from Paddy, she was allowed to go. Lousie being the overprotective mother she was of course had to follow her out, which prompted Ben to go as well. 

“Ciara, why don’t you join them? I am going to check on dinner.” He said, and she gave him a smile and nod before following them out. 

I had actually ran upstairs to use the bathroom and when I got back I was going to head out with the rest of them to not create any suspicions just yet, but Paddy stopped me. 

“Yn, wait, I need to talk to you.” He said, urgency in his voice. 

I walked over to where he stood in the kitchen with a confused look on my face. 

“Remember how I said that we are going to have to be very careful about what we say and do around Ciara… she may be a little jealous over what happened in Italy.” He said. 

I covered my mouth in shock, “I’m so sorry, Paddy… I thought she was okay with it… I- I had no idea… did she see the pictures too?” I asked nervously. 

He shook his head, “It’s okay, and she was for that one night… but after that…” He sighed heavily and shook his head, “And no, I hid the pictures, keeping those for my eyes only… and don’t get me wrong, I still want you more than anything… I just need some time to take care of some things first, okay?”  

I was a little skeptical, “Paddy, I have to ask… you told me I wasn’t going back with them… if that’s the case, what is happening with you and Ciara? I may be young and sweet, but I am not one for sharing, not long-term… so how does she fit into this?” I said, motioning between the two of us. 

Paddy flashed his charming smile and looked me in the eyes with his piercing blue ones, “You still trust me, don’t you?” 

His charm was like a spell. However, it was one that I not only didn’t mind being under, it was one I wanted to be put under. 

“Of course I do, Paddy.” I said, biting my lip slightly as I glanced down at his before focussing back on his eyes. 

“Ata, girl. Come here.” He said, pulling me to him and kissing me roughly. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll take care of everything.” 

“Okay, … is there anything I can do to help?” I asked, genuinely wanting to help him with anything he needed me to. 

He smiled at my offer and used his hand to cup my cheek before giving me one last kiss, “Not yet, baby, soon, but not just yet.” 

I had no idea what he meant by that, but the way he said it sent a wave of excitement over me for some reason. And the smile he gave me made me melt. I knew that when it came down to it, I would help him with anything. 

Reluctantly I stepped away from him and went to join the others outside. We stayed out there until the sun began to set. Conversation mostly just included the two kids having their own while Ciara talked with Ben and Louise, leaving me to just sit and listen mostly. I was beyond relieved when Paddy opened the door and called out, letting us know dinner was ready. 

We all went inside and made our way to the kitchen. Sitting on the counter was a dish covered in tin foil. It smelt absolutely amazing. 

“Ta-da!” Paddy said as he grabbed the tin foil and ripped it off, revealing some type of roasted bird. 

“Wow, that looks amazing, Paddy.” Ben said. 

“Thank you. Was, Libby, our prized goose, out on the farm. Killed it and cooked it with my own hands.” Paddy said as he began to slice it. 

“Oh, you didn’t have to do all that.” Louise said from where she stood off to the side, clearly already uncomfortable. 

“You’re our VIP guests. It’s the least we could do.” Ciara insisted. 

I watched as Paddy sliced off a piece of meat and the turn to walk with it over towards my aunt. He approached her, holding out the fort ready for her to eat off of it, “Our gift to you, Louise, the best part of the roast.” He said, bringing it up to her. 

She tried and failed to deflect it to someone else as Paddy insisted further, “Come on, doctor’s orders.” He said and she finally gave in, taking the fork in her mouth. 

I had to hide my laugh behind a cough as I watched it all happen. To tell the truth, I couldn’t tell if he had purposely done it or not, considering she had told them she was a vegetarian in Italy. Either way, watching her struggle to chew it was satisfying. If it were anyone else, I probably would have spoken up on their behalf so they wouldn’t have to eat something they were against. But she was such a people pleaser it was satisfying to watch her reap the consequences of it. 

The rest of dinner went on fairly uneventfully. That was until Ciara turned her attention towards me. 

“So, Yn, why do you still live with your aunt and uncle? You’re old enough to move out by now, aren’t you?” She asked. 

Her question must have caught Paddy off guard as well because his eyebrows shot up as he looked over at her and then to me, waiting for an answer. 

“I’ve been trying to save up to move out, actually. But it can be hard, making a steady income doing what I do.” I said, causing Ben to scoff slightly. 

My uncle didn’t approve of my career choices, saying I would never make a living doing it, but it was my life. 

“Oh, what do you do?” Ciara asked. 

“I’m a photographer. I’ve done a few bigger jobs like weddings, but I mostly try to stick to private photoshoots.” I explained. 

Paddy nodded, “Yeah. I’ve seen her work. It’s stunning.” He said, giving me a subtle pointed look, and I knew what he was actually referring to, “She showed me some back in Italy.” 

“Ooh, I’d love to see them sometime.” Ciara said, and I nodded. 

“Of course. Maybe I can even take some for you while I’m here.” I said.

“That would be nice.” Paddy said with a smirk that only I seemed to catch. 

After dinner concluded, everyone began going their separate ways. Ciara and Louise went upstairs to put the kids to bed, leaving just Paddy, my uncle, and myself downstairs. 

“Are you sure you’ll be okay sleeping down here? You can always stay with Louise if you want to. I can stay down here. I won’t mind.” Ben offered to me out of nowhere. 

“What? Are you and here still having issues? If you don’t want to sleep with your wife, say so. I am fine sleeping down here.” I said, rolling my eyes. 

“It has nothing to do with that, and you know you’re not supposed to bring that up. I just wasn’t sure how you feel being so… exposed to an older man in his house.” He explained. 

“Oh, after Italy, I thought us two were just going to bring up things the other has explicitly told the other not to… and for the record, I feel perfectly safe around Paddy.” I said just as Paddy walked into the room. 

“The two of you have got to try this. Here.” He said, handing each of us a bottle. 

I eyed it suspiciously, waiting for him to explain.

“It’s hard cider, made it myself with our farm-grown apples.” He said, popping the lid off his and taking a swig. 

I followed his lead and did the same with Ben not too far behind me. It was unsurprisingly very good. After that dinner Paddy made, I had little doubts that there was anything he couldn’t do with his hands. 

“Damn, Paddy, this is really good.” I said, before taking another drink. 

“Slow down, killer,” He said, leaning forward as if to say something to just me, but he still said it loud enough, obviously, for Ben to hear it, “I don’t think your aunt and uncle would take too well to me getting you drunk again.” He joked. 

“Getting her drunk again? When was the first time you got her drunk?” Ben asked, clearly suspicious. 

“Okay, maybe not me directly, but when she, Ciara, and I went to the club in Italy, Yn did get quite drunk.” He explained, throwing Ben off his trail immediately. 

Ben nodded, “Oh, that’s right.” 

As the two other adults arrived back down stairs, Paddy was pulling out a hand-rolled cigarette. I eyed it, wondering if it was, in fact, what I thought it was. Neither Ben nor Lousie knew I had ever smoked weed before.

“Geez, it’s so quiet out here. Do you even have neighbors?” 

“Yeah, all the way across the valley, but you know we look after each other,” He paused, taking out his lighter,  “You don’t mind if I?” Paddy asked, hesitating before lighting it. 

When he was met with no pushback, he lit it up and took a long drag from it. 

Ben laughed to himself before responding to what Paddy had just said, “Ours are right across the hall, and I don’t think we’ve ever spoken.” He said. 

“Mr. and Mrs. Gibson. They’re a sweet old couple. Have cute Tabby cat that I’ve taken pictures of before.” I said. 

“Well, I guess Someone has spoken to them. When did you even meet them?” He asked, confused. 

“When we moved in.” 

“Louise, you have a bad neck?” Ciara asked suddenly, diffusing the tension building between Ben and me and drawing the attention to my aunt. 

“No, uh… it’s just something that flares up sometimes.” She said. 

I rolled my eyes. Yes, she had a fucked up neck. Has had it for as long as I could remember, honestly. But again, she’s a people pleaser and would never admit to anyone that she wasn’t 100% comfortable, nor would she ever let anyone know that she and her family were anything less than perfect. 

“Medicinal? It’s homegrown.” Paddy offered her his cigarette. 

“No, thank you. I took a pill.” She said. 

“Oh, modern medicine. It is amazing…” 

As Paddy spoke offered it over to Ben, and I was truly stunned when Ben took it and brought it up to his mouth. He passed it back to Paddy after taking a hit. Truth be told, I wasn’t listening too much to the conversation, too busy watching Paddy as he smoked. The thoughts running through my mind were filthy. Oh, what I wouldn’t give to kiss him right now and have him shotgunning it into my mouth. 

I snapped out of my trance as Paddy leaned forward once again to pass the blunt over to Ben. But before he could grab it, I leaned forward and snatched it. I settled back in my seat with my eyes closed as I took a long drag from it. I slowly exhaled. When I opened my eyes, everyone was looking at me. 

Ben looked just plain shocked, Lousie looked mortified, Ciara seemed slightly annoyed and Paddy looked like a mix between proud and turned on. 

“Yn, what are you doing?” Louise asked. 

“Enjoying myself.” I replied, taking another hit. 

“When did you start smoking pot?” Ben asked. 

“You make it sound like I do it all the time. I just do it when I feel like it. And for the record, like 4 years ago.” I said before finally passing it back to Paddy.

“Who would have thought this perfect, sweet girl would have such a wild streak in her?” Paddy said, leaning back in his chair before taking a long drag. 

“She does seem to be full of surprises.” Ciara agreed, sending a worried shiver down my spine. 

“You don’t even know the half of it.” I said, feeling a surge of confidence. 

I continued to sip my drink and just listened, I had closed my eyes, letting the weed in my system and the warmth spreading through me from the cider relax me. That was until I felt like someone was staring at me. I opened my eyes and scanned the room, expecting to be met with Louise’s unapproving sideways gaze, but she wasn’t looking over here. My eyes then landed on Ciara, and if looks could kill, I would be six feet under and then some. But the moment she saw me catch her eye, she averted her gaze to Paddy as she looked at him lovingly and reached over for his hand. I tried to ignore the pang of jealousy that hit me as I reminded myself that in a few days, somehow, he would be all mine. 

“Well, I think it’s about time we retire for the night. Let Yn get some sleep.” Paddy said. 

“I think that’s a good idea.” Louise said. 

There were plans to go out on a hike the next day so we really should be getting to bed soon. 

“Oh, Yn, just a heads up so I don’t scare you. I do get up quite early to do the rounds with the animals. I’ll do my best to be quiet, though, so I don’t wake you.” Paddy said, sending me a subtle look. 

“Oh, Paddy, I am sure it would be okay if you slept in for once. I mean, we do have guests. I don’t think the animals’ schedules will be thrown off that badly. Besides, you wouldn’t want to accidentally wake her. He’s never quiet in the mornings.” She said the last bit, turning to me. 

“It’s alright, Paddy, I am intruding on your home. Please do what you need to, and don’t worry if you wake me up. I really don’t mind.” I said sweetly enough to let him know I got his hint but not enough to cause suspicion… I hope. 

I was gathering up my PJs and facewash to go get changed and ready for bed in the bathroom when Paddy came back downstairs. At first he paid me no mind as he went to lock the front door. I nearly jumped out of my skin when I turned around and found him standing right behind me. 

“Shit, Paddy, don’t sneak up on me like that.” I said with a small laugh. 

“Sorry, just needed to see you before I go back up there.” He said, reaching a hand up to cup my cheek. I immediately leaned into it. 

We stayed like that for a moment, in a comfortable silence, just reveling in the fact that we were back together once again. Slowly, he leaned down and pressed a gentle kiss to my lips. When he pulled away, he rested his forehead against mine. 

“God, this may be worse than just having the pictures to look at. Knowing you’re down here, so close, yet not being able to have you is absolutely tortuous.” He whispered. 

“Soon.” I said, pressing a quick kiss to his lips, “That’s what you told me, right?” 

He nodded, straightening back up to his full height, and dropped his hand, “That’s right.” 

“What time do you get up in the morning?” I asked. 

“Early. 5:30.” 

“Mhm… out in the shed?” I asked. 

“Sometimes…” 

“Well… hopefully you are tomorrow, preferably with a blanket at… let's say 5:45? Because that’s where I’ll be at that time…” I said sweetly. 

“I think I can manage that. Just know what you agreed to. You sure you’re going to be able to go on the hike later tomorrow after I’m done with you?” He asked. 

“Hmmm, we’ll see I guess.” I said giving him one last kiss, “You should get back upstairs before she gets suspicious.” I said with a sigh. 

“After you.” He said, stepping to the side and nodding me past him to go up first. 

I laughed, knowing he was just letting me go first to stare at my ass, not that I was complaining. When we got to the bathroom, I stopped and faced him. “Good night, Paddy.” 

“Good night, Yn.” He leaned over and kissed my forehead before passing me and heading up to his and Ciara’s room. 

Once he was out of sight, the door to the guest room opened, and my aunt stepped out. 

“What was that about?” She asked, confused. 

“What?” 

“I thought I heard Paddy out here… telling you goodnight.” “He did, he came downstairs to lock up, I was heading up here to change and wash my face.” I said confused by here questing what was happening. 

“Did… Did he, um, kiss you goodnight?” She asked, eyebrows knitted. 

“It was a quick peck on the forehead, no more than the one he gave us when we left Italy. What’s the big deal?” I asked, getting annoyed. 

“Isn’t that still a little weird?” 

“No, I think he’s just friendly. It doesn’t really bother me… Look its late, we were in the car all day I really just want to get to bed.” I said before slipping into the bathroom, not giving her any room to say anything else. 

When I got downstairs I set an alarm on my phone just in case I didn’t wake up when Paddy came down in the morning. Luckily I fell asleep quickly with the anticipation of being with Paddy come moring. 

When my eyes peeked open again I found Paddy sitting at the other end on the couch. He was lacing up his boots seeming completely unaware that I had woken up. That was until he spoke up. 

“Sorry, did I wake you?” He asked with a smirk. 

I stretched some and sat up, “Hm… maybe.” I smiled. 

“Make sure you turn your alarm off, darling, don’t want to wake anyone else up.” He said, leaning over to kiss me. 

I smiled into the kiss, “Should I just come with you now?” I whispered. 

“I was hoping you would.” He said, pulling back and standing up. 

He offered me his hand and I took it. I was secretly hoping my hair wasn’t a complete mess as I slipped on my shoes and followed Paddy outside. The sun hadn’t even risen yet as he led me through the yard, to one of the doors of the shed. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a leather cord that was attached to one of his belt loops on one end and had a set of keys on the other. He unlocked the door before gesturing me in. When he stepped in he shut the door before moving to lay down the blanket on top of the straw-covered floor. 

“Sorry, it’s not the fanciest.” He said, turning to look at me. 

“I don’t care.” I said, immediately closing the distance between us and kissing him. 

His response to the kiss was instantaneous as he took control and backed me up to the side wall. My back hit the rough bricks, but I couldn’t find it in me to care. 

“I’ve missed you darling… missed this with you.” He said between kisses. 

“Take me, Paddy, please.” I begged as he began working his way down my jawline to my neck. I had been dreaming of this moment ever since we left Italy. 

“So eager.” He mumbled against the hickey he was making on my collar bone. 

Part of me was worried it would be seen by the others, part of me didn’t care, but secretly the majority of me wanted them all to see it. I wanted them all to know I was his… especially Ciara. 

Next thing I knew, he was moving us away from the wall and over to where he had laid out the blanket. I kneeled down, bringing Paddy down with me. 

“Wait, what the fuck?” I asked, feeling something weird under my ass. 

I grabbed it through the blanket and found it was a lock. 

“What’s this for? Is it like some secret sex dungeon? Or are you secretly like a serial killer or something?” I teased. 

He let out a small laugh, “It’s nothing. Promise. And do you really think I could be a serial killer?” 

“I don’t know, you may look cute, all covered in blood, chasing me down…” I said, only half joking. 

“What is wrong with you?” Paddy asked in amusement as he shook his head, smiling. 

“Okay… one of my biggest crushes is Billy from Scream, okay? Just something about fucking with their victims before killing them, it’s kinda hot. I know that’s like so fucked up, but I can’t help it! Ever since I watched the movie at like 15, I was hooked, and it never went away…” I admitted. 

“That’s so fucked up, Yn. He killed people…tsk tsk.” He said, shaking his head but still smiling. 

“I know! I know, I can’t help it though.” I said blushing slightly. 

“Hmmm… so you like serial killers then?” He teased. “I mean, I guess in theory.” I said. 

“And in practice.” He said, tone suddenly changing to be much more serious.

On the surface I was confused but something deep down in me understood. 

“Paddy… what do you mean?” 

“I think you’ve already connected the dots… I told you, you wouldn’t be leaving… and I meant it. Your aunt and uncle won’t be either… I want you to be by my side when it happens… you can even help if you want to. Or, you can let me take care of it, let me free you from them… you said you were mine, didn’t you?” He asked, gently caressing my cheek. 

I nodded immediately, “I’m yours Paddy. Please, free me.” 

I pulled him back down to kiss me. He groaned into the kiss, gripping the back of my head to pull me closer. Then in one swift motion he flipped us so that I was straddling his waist. I could feel his hard cock, begging to be freed from his jeans underneath me. I grinded my hips down onto it and let out a soft moan as his bulge bumped up against my clit. 

His hands went to my hips, slipping up under my sleep shirt. It raised up exposing the fact that I hadn’t worn any bottoms. 

“No panties, sleeping on my couch? You trying to drive me crazy?” He asked. 

“Hm… maybe.” I said, pulling away and reaching down to undo his belt.  

I unzipped his pants and he helped me pull them down along with his underwear just enough to free his cock. 

I lifted myself up on my knees and reached down to line him up with my entrance, but he stopped me. 

“Wait, darling.” He said, reaching down into his pocket that had been shoved down. He pulled out a condom and used his teeth to open it before quickly putting it on. 

“There we go, don’t want to risk anything, do we?” He said, grabbing my hips once again. 

He guided me down onto his cock slowly. I let out a loud moan as he stretched me open slowly. Once he bottomed out I sat there for a moment to get reacquainted with the size of him. 

“As much as I love the pretty sounds you make, love, I’m going to need you to keep it down. Okay? Don’t want the wife hearing you now, do we?” He asked. 

I shook my head. Then he gave my hips a gentle squeeze before guiding me to move up and down on his cock. I had to bite my lip to keep from moaning. One of my hands stayed on his chest to steady myself, and the other went down to my clit. 

My pace was matching his pace, slow circles just enough to drive me crazy as the pressure slowly began to build. 

“You’re getting close, aren’t you, darling?” He said. 

“Yeah,” I sighed out, subconsciously speeding up my pace on my clit. Paddy picked up his pace as well, sending me even faster to my climax. 

“Fuck, darling… you look so good, so fucking good, on my cock like that.” He said, and I knew by the way his cock twitched inside of me he was getting close as well. 

“Paddy, shit. I’m…” Before I could finish my sentence, my walls were clutching onto him as I came. 

“Damn it, love…” Paddy groaned as he came as well. 

Honestly, I was cursing that condom from preventing me from feeling him shoot his cum deep inside of me. But I knew it was for the better. We were already taking so many risks together we couldn’t afford to be that risky… not right now at least. 

We both caught our breaths and after a moment I went to lift myself up, but Paddy stopped me. 

“Not yet, just come here, darling.” He said pulling me down to lay on top of him. 

I laid down gently, resting my head as best I could onto his chest. 

“I fucking missed you, darling, and your perfect pussy… it truly was made for me, wasn’t it? All of you was made for me.” He said, rubbing his hand up and down my back. 

“Only you, Paddy. I want to help kill them. All of them… I just have two conditions.” I said. 

“What are they?” 

“I get Anges and… I get to kill Ciara.” I said, turning my head to look at him. 

“Who said anything about killing her?” He asked, raising an eyebrow. 

“I did. I said I am yours, if that’s true, then you don’t need her anymore. She needs to go too.” I said simply. 

He smiled evilly, “I like your logic, dear… you have yourself a deal.” 

Taglist (Read the rules, follow them or I will remove your response)

@dreamygirli3

@comicbookslut

@dianaxx99

@one-of-thewalkingdead

@moist-for-xavier

@myartistrash02

@mayamidge

@yasmin123123

@mrsyixingunicorn10

@arzua10

@havenoffandoms

@flwrsjoy

@pleasantlycrazyworld

@midnightskys1396

@foxherder

@bunnyhoney111

[olderthannetfic]

TL;DR: multiple people can arrive at the same fanfic idea/premise in different ways, but also, getting inspired by a different fanfic is not stealing, please don't gatekeep!

I joined a new fandom (it's Resident Evil (RE), which I'm mostly mentioning for that one 'nosy' anon because hell yeah I am super nosy as well, so here you go, dropping some names!), and I quickly stumbled upon one fandom-specific plot trope that I thought was both pretty neat but also super obvious (Infected!Character fic, which, in a world with zombies and viruses that cause zombies is a very logical trope).

Anyway, there was not quite as much body horror as I thought there would be, although I'm still looking, but that's not why I'm writing to you, that's just the (un)necessary background.

There was this one fic that I opened, which in its Author's Note clearly stated that the author set this fanfiction in another author's AU, because they loved the world created by this first author. The first fanfiction author basically came up with their own Infected!Character design and backstory (including fanart), and the second fanfiction author liked it so much they were now writing this fic based on/in that AU. Obviously not quoting the AN directly, but this second author was very complimentary and explicitly mentioned where they got the idea from, gushing about the first author.

In the AN for chapter two, the second author stated that they weren't aware that that first fanfiction author didn't allow others to write about the Infected!Character AU they'd made, that that first author in fact only allowed a very limited number of people they publicly approved of to write about their AU, and nobody else was allowed to touch the Infected!Character AU. This second author was now apologising in the AN for not knowing this, plus mentioning that they changed chapter one to switch up the backstory & design to not be too close to that of the first fanficton author's AU.

That made me sad, honestly. I've seen this attitude a couple of times, where fanfiction authors are super protective of their ideas that they won't allow any other fanfiction author to write about them, and it's always struck me as a little bit hypocritical, given the whole deal of fanfiction. Especially when the original/first fanfiction author is credited and the inspired work is clearly done because the second author loved the first fanfiction so much. If it's a highly developed/specific and original AU (so not just any common trope), and you don't even mention the fanfic you were inspired by, then I find that rude, but just flat out not allowing people to even touch 'your' thing? C'mon!

This partially ties into my other gripe about a specific type of comments I occasionally get, which are along the lines of 'huh interesting idea where did you get it? bc/btw there is this other fic with the same idea (posted before you)'; idk if I got the tone right, but they never seem to be actually genuinely asking how I got the idea (and I always delight in telling them, not sarcastically, I genuinely love talking about this stuff, bc I get inspired by the most random things and I love love writing 'original'/new things!! I love tropes as much as anybody, I read a shitton of them, but i when I write I love coming up with new shit/plot! it's so fun!!). They just vanish after my explanation, even when I try to invite further conversation. It always feels to me like they're 'checking' that I didn't steal the idea, and it feels a bit lousy.

I mean in (larger) fandoms, it is not surprising at all that two or three or even more people arrive at the same idea, maybe even inspired by the same thing, same reading of canon, or not, varied experiences--and just because the works are similar doesn't mean that they were inspired by one another, but if they are, that's not a sin! I just want people to not take everything in bad faith, and also, to not 'disallow' others from getting inspired, especially when they do it in a very polite manner!

It's because of comments like these that I sometimes, very privately, worry that before I'll manage to post the long fic I spent months writing--because I'm one of those who wants the thing finished before I start posting--somebody else will have a similar idea, post their thing first, and then I'll look like I'm lying about not reading/stealing their idea, or just jumping on the bandwagon, which again, it's not a bad thing, actually.

And it shouldn't be like that! I shouldn't worry, and people should also be more willing to accept that authors can arrive at the same idea at (roughly) the same time & accept that explanation without side-eyeing the author, and that if an author is inspired by a different fanfic, that's not a sin either (in fact, for me it would be an honour).

None of this is new either, but that RE stuff reminded me of it again.

Oh man, this is way longer than I thought it would be. Apologies. I'm going to add a TLDR at the start.

Anyway, I'm going to finish writing an Infected!Catboy!Leon fic now and be very unsurprised if I find out that somebody else has had the same idea long before me (aside from one or two reader fic inserts with that topic that I stumbled upon on tumblr, bc that's just not my thing at all (reader insert, I mean)).

--

In college, friends of mine had a falling out over one of them "stealing" the other's fic idea.

Space pirates.

Not specific space pirates. Not a way of integrating the concept that was fandom-specific. No, just the general idea of space pirates in the same fandom.

Never have I facepalmed so hard.

[letters-of-libertas]

Energy to carry as a single childfree woman

Summary here

Be more self reliant

You dont have to do everything on your own but you need to be able to count on yourself because for the most part that's all you'll have even as you're around others.

Have more intent with actions

Time & energy is valuable. Where you pour these things into steer the course of your life. Give your time & energy to things that help you (and other likeminded women if you want). You dont have to analyse every action you take but occasionally check in with how/if the actions you're taking are helping to build a foundation for your life as a single childfree woman. Things like donating to female centric causes, improving yourself so you can give yourself (& other women) more, organising/engaging in female centric women only spaces - even if they're just online, goes a long way to set the scene. Even indulging in your hobbies. Dont waste your time on things that wont help you or your motives.

Be more resourceful

Contrary to popular belief this lifestyle isn't a walk in the park, there's a lot more you have to account for especially with a level of reduced support. Being able to adapt/improvise + think ahead to mitigate problems will serve you long term. Also generally building up your resources will make getting through hard times easier.

Living my truth > proving my truth

You dont need others stamp of approval to live this way - just get started ! Convincing others is a waste of time your actions (& results) will speak for you anyways.

Reduce giving benefit of doubt

I once saw a quote "giving others benefit of doubt has never benefitted me" and it rings so true. Giving people benefit of doubt rarely ever works in your favour, the red flags that are downplayed often come back to bite you when you least expect it so trust your instincts on matters. If something is off about something or someone; start backing up. Also pure naïvety is rare, people often know more than they let on so trust + act on your instincts on matters if something feels off.

Be proactive

Instead of just constantly reacting to everything around you; take action no matter how small, it'll pay off more than just outrage. Spend less time on social media reacting to the never ending evil of xys and spend more time building for yourself. Social media can be informative but it can also be an echo chamber that breeds reactionary politics which doesn't move things forward. Ik this is ironic because you're reading this on social media but I'm not saying get rid of it all, just reduce your time on it - particularly around reading & reacting to maIe evil. Focus on tangible things in your life you can control & build instead for yourself and womankind.

Invest in indifference

Taking everything to heart will hurt you. Constant anger/hatred to maIes & their bs is still centering them especially if all you do is react. I'm not saying completely ignore it as they target us & a level of awareness is important, but dont let these feelings consume you. Being indifferent will let you look at things at a face value & make more levelled judgement. It helped my mental health a lot in regards to the climate to grow indifferent, this includes towards maIe identified women and even other types of discrimination like racists, ableists, etc. All theory around maIe violence essentially boils down to them being dangerous parasitic terrorists to not be trusted. I move with this & go. I see through them, I dont argue or waste unnecessary emotional energy on them, I dont care for them to understand me, I dont care to prove them wrong (bc in the end it wont matter all you do is give them more cards to play with; this system isnt erected through logic but violence), I have other stuff in my life to focus on. I cant help the way the world is I can only focus on myself & my actions. Typically the best comebacks arise when you dont give a shit. It wont happen in a day but learn to manage your feelings. Be indifferent to what you cant control, flower what you can control. These comments from the female separatist subreddit explain this well.

Learn to prioritise

Contrary to popular belief we can't have it all. Some are able to do so because they've got wives or staff covering sectors of their lives so they can pour more time into other aspects of their lives like business or leisure. But you wont have that privilege rn so some things will have to take a hit. This is also why you need to be selfish with your time. Things like being resourceful to automate/delegate tasks will buy you time but it's still important to be selfish with your time because as you put time in one area, another area loses time. You need to pick what matters. You cannot give your time away to everyone; make time for yourself & your objectives.

Less theory more action

Having a basis of theory/belief is a good place to start but dont get stuck there.

It's okay to be wrong

Mistakes will be made. Experience is how we learn and grow. Go about your business unabashedly.

Obviously not an exhaustive list but these are some main points that come to mind.

[nappingpaperclip]

“People who tell you not to vote Biden are psyops trying to steal left votes” type posts are pro-government propoganda.

Last time y’all spread that bullshit around the blogs getting deleted for being “Russian spies” were black leftists.

NOT EVERYONE WHO DISAGREES WITH YOU IS A PSYOP. Get real!!

Not everyone who criticizes Biden or says they won’t be voting for a genocider and that you shouldn’t either wants you to vote for Trump or not vote!! Third party candidates exist!!! Write ins exist!!! If we actually organized instead of y’all pulling the “lesser evil” bs about a GENOCIDAL RACIST RAPIST OLD MAN we might actually see some fuckin progress!!

Did y’all forget Biden is a rapist?????

Btw is the “left” in the room with us? Where is the left? Where is the progress y’all keep claiming Biden is making?

Last time I checked Biden has not let those kids out of cages, has personally approved more huge pipelines that run through Indigenous lands and speed up climate change, has ex-BlackRock leaders (yknow, the top 10 climate change villains company who also funds most American private prisons as well as funding arms manufacturing companies, who spend millions lobbying politicians on environmental regulations, immigration and drug policy) in his cabinet, increased police and military budget, didn’t codify Roe v Wade, in fact he held it hostage for votes, hasn’t codified gay marriage or trans rights, hasn’t legalized marijuana, hasn’t raised the federal minimum wage, oh and also is DOING GENOCIDE in case y’all forgot or wanna tiptoe around the “some bad policies” y’all always talk about

Did y’all forget about his “nothing will fundamentally change” policy?

Y’all heard that and thought “left”?? Babes he’s a right leaning centrist AT BEST.

There are actually left candidates btw! Ones who care about things like Landback and reparations and free healthcare and education and sustainability! The ones y’all are telling people are throwaway votes/votes for Trump!! (Which isn’t even how the electoral college works btw)

So us telling y’all not to vote for a genocider makes us Russian psyop spies but y’all telling us not to vote for leftist third party candidates doesn’t? K.

Vote for who you want, I don’t give a fuck anymore, BUT DONT TELL HIM HE STILL HAS YOUR UNCONDITIONAL SUPPORT WHILE HES COMMITTING GENOCIDE IF YOU ACTUALLY WANT HIM TO STOP

The only way to get a politician to stop doing WAR CRIMES is to tell them you won’t vote for them or give them money or otherwise support them until they stop!

You can fucking lie if you want!!! All we’re asking is for y’all not to publicly announce Genocide Joe still has your unconditional support WHILE HES DOING GENOCIDE

His approval ratings are literally less than Trumps!

He has no one to blame but himself.

If he loses in November, I don’t want to hear y’all bitch and moan and blame black people or disillusioned voters or third party voters or “Russian spies” again like y’all did in 2016, I don’t want to see y’all blame anyone but him, BLAME BIDEN FOR HIS OWN ACTIONS. HE IS A GROWN MAN AND HAS THE MONEY AND POWER TO STOP IT IF HE ACTUALLY WANTED TO.

Y’all keep saying he’s doing his best to stop it, that he’s working behind the scenes, that he’s trying, IF HES TRYING WHY ARE WE STILL SENDING ISRAEL MONEY?

IF HE IS TRYING, WHY DID HE SEND ISRAEL MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN SMALL PAYMENTS TO AVOID NOTIFYING CONGRESS?

IF HES TRYING WHY HAVE WE NOT SANCTIONED ISRAEL?

IF HES TRYING, WHY HAVE US SOLDIERS BEEN SEEN FIGHTING ALONGSIDE THE IDF?

IF HES TRYING WHY ARE WE SENDING EXPIRED MREs AS AID? EXPIRED FOOD DROPS THAT ARE NOT ENOUGH TO FEED MILLIONS OF STARVING PEOPLE, WITH FAULTY PARACHUTES THAT KILL CHILDREN?

IF HES TRYING, WHY DID WE BUILD A PORT CUTTING THE GAZA STRIP IN HALF, A PORT THAT NETANYAHU SAID WOULD BE USED TO DEPORT PALESTINIANS?

IF HES TRYING WHY DID HE SIGN OFF $14 BILLION FUCKING DOLLARS ON TOP OF THE ANNUAL CONTRACT AND SMALL SECRET PAYMENTS TO GO TOWARDS ISRAELS BOMBS AND GUNS AND FREE HEALTHCARE WHILE IGNORING THE PEOPLE HERE WHO NEED FOOD, HOUSES, AND HEALTHCARE???

DONT MAKE UP RUSSIAN SPIES TO POINT FINGERS AT! IF HE DOESNT WANT TO LOSE HE SHOULDNT DO GENOCIDE

IF GENOCIDE JOE LOSES THE ELECTION FUCKING BLAME HIM FOR DOING A GENOCIDE!!

[tonguetiedraven]

So I was cleaning up a few manga panels for my other blog, and darn it, I need to talk about my thoughts on two scenes in the Shimane Illuminati arc (specifically chapters 61 and 62) because Kato deserves all the applause for everything. This post will be for chapter 61 and I'll post 62 later.

TW/CW for character death, medical abuse, and mental health struggles. Content below the cut.

First, in chapter 61 we get this heart breaking page when Tamamo Kamiki dies.

To get into what I'm seeing with this panel, I need to give a brief (or I'll try and make it brief) overview of Tamamo. Tamamo gets introduced to us in chapter 52 and the first panel we get of her is her sobbing into the camera that everyone acts so cold towards her because she is sleeping with the head priest and not married to said high priest.

We are then told that she was an irresponsible and careless woman by Mike. We find out three really important things though.

Tamamo is judged by the people around her and gets a cold shoulder

Tamamo relies heavily on her daughter and the byakko to have the house run at all and has dreams of a fantastic family and house she has shown no ability to actually run.

Tamamo is in love with the (shitty) Chief Priest of Inari and that he isn't married to her.

We then find out:

That Tamamo and her entire line have always managed the terrifying and unruly Nine Tails by assimilating the god and becoming her, and that the town/shrine distrust her because of that, even though she does it to protect them. They ostracize her for the duty her family has and they judge the entire family because she had Soji's children.

Notice Soji isn't in the judged club and that Soji has never seen his daughters. He's never been to her house. It is always her going to him.

This theme of ostracization is something that pops up over and over and over again in Blue Exorcist. Almost all of the main characters had a childhood that was lonely and where they were rejected by their peers--almost always for things outside their direct control and almost always in someway connected to demons, even if they didn't know it, but I'll get to that more in a moment. Suffice to say, at this point we can see that Tamamo is isolated outside of her illicit meetings with Soji (not at all healthy as we'll see later on) her interactions with the demons around her, and her daughters, neither of which are old or mature enough to offer her the type of companionship she's in need of, which leads to everyone in this tangled dynamic having unhealthy relationships with each other.

We see Tamamo seeking connections and affections and largely being rebuffed by it everywhere except Tsukumo and the byakko. Soji's affection has strings attached, and Izumo is too fed up to offer any affection. The other members of the shrine ostracize her and give her a cold shoulder, and I'd bet money that they're vocal about their opinions any time she's around. (And they likely don't care if the kids are around or not.)

What I'm getting at is that Tamamo is lonely and you see that in how desperate she is for approval and connection and it mostly comes out with Soji. She does whatever he wants to keep her connection to him intact. We've also had a few indications thus far in the manga that isolation and depression and poor mental health are things demons take advantage of. We'll get more explanation on that later on, but suffice to say that Tamamo is not at all in a healthy spot to be constantly risking possession against an immensely powerful and evil demon.

I'll be honest and clear up front that I have no love for Soji and think him deplorable and he did not do anything to help Tamamo that we see. Rather, it seems he exclusively used her for his own pleasures without any care for her or the consequences their time together had.

I also think it's important that everyone know that Nine Tails -- at least the Nine Tails in this story -- is based of Tamamo no Mae who is an infamous yokai in Japanese lore. She has a long and complicated history with her origins unknown and a lot of political manipulation, but an important thing to know about her is that she is always depicted as a child eater. She devours women as well, and thrives on seducing men. She's beautiful and powerful and alluring, and she's manipulative.

So generations of women manipulated and regularly partially possessed by Nine Tails down the line, we have a shrine and town that reject Tamamo and her losing her grasp on the one adult who 'likes' her, and we see this moment:

We see her staring at him, enjoying the light atmosphere and gathering her courage (the sweat drop in the panel has me thinking she's nervous about this because it's not the first time this convo has happened.)

She wants him to come to her house and is trying to make it as appealing as possible. She wants a family and the life she's been dreaming up.

Soji rejects the idea entirely and pushes further by saying if she asks for him to interact with the kids in any way he'll dump her. The one adult connection she has will be lost because of her children. (Not actually. It's because he's a dick but she sees it as the children being the problem.)

She then goes immediately to Nine Tails to do the dance of spirit invocation which we're told this about:

So Tamamo--who has been isolated and lonely for at least a large chunk of her adult life is now seeing the one connection she's made with another adult (and an unhealthy one at that) potentially break because of her children-- goes to assimilate the Nine Tails in that unstable and unhealthy emotional and mental state.

It is heavily implied that Nine Tails started to take her over at this point, and you see her become more and more obsessed with Soji and more angry with her children, further isolating herself away from the small amount of support and connection she did have until she's entirely possessed by the vengeful and malevolent spirit of Nine Tails.

She murders Soji and tries to do the same to her children before the Illuminati take her and subject her to years of torture, all while she's still possessed by the Nine Tails.

One more detail and I'll get back to the scene in chapter 61.

When Tamamo was last fully in control of her faculties and saw her daughter, she saw Izumo in the same place she was. Ostracized by her community with no one but their small family to lean on. Her daughter was doomed to follow the same path Tamamo had, and at this point, it looks like this was a cycle that had been going on for at least a few generations. Isolated and connection starved women raising daughters who were isolated and connection starved children. Tamamo became overly touchy and clingy to everyone where Izumo became mistrustful. (And man does she have a lot of reasons for that.)

Now back to chapter 61 and the moment Tamamo dies.

She wakes up amongst the chaos of the zombie hoard going towards possessed Izumo, and she immediately intervenes to get the Nine Tails spirit back inside herself to save her daughter.

That's important to understand for her. She moved before the next moment I'm going to talk about. She saw Izumo possessed and didn't seem to hesitate to save her daughter. She has been tortured for five years and immediately moves to start that horrible possession again.

But while she's dancing to contain Nine Tails in herself, this is going on in the background:

Each of the other teens in the room came to get Izumo and they're shouting their support of her even while they fight an endless hoard of zombies because they came to get her. Tamamo can hear that happening and she can see that they came to help Izumo.

No one came to help Tamamo. At no point did anyone ever come to rescue her or fight for her. She was blamed for everything and was left to bear all the consequences for five years. (I am not blaming Izumo for that. She was a child and was not responsible for saving her mother.)

But with "We're here for you!" ringing in Tamamo's ears, she completes the ritualistic dance and frees her daughter from the possession.

Tamamo in her dying moments looks at her daughter and sees a community around her that Tamamo didn't have. She sees people willing to intervene and help and fight even though Izumo is pushing them away and possessed and not easy to get along with.

Tamamo, from everything we saw, was isolated and rejected by her community and had no one to support her. She was manipulated and played by her significant other and left vulnerale to possession by a society that needed her to do the thankless job and hated her for doing the thankless job. She was bubbly and friendly and still pushed away and rejected and ostracized until she succumbed to Nine Tails.

back to chapter 52

Blue Exorcist talks a lot about curses and ostracization. All the main cast suffer from it in some way or another. They've all been called terrible things and most of them have been treated as if they aren't human, and a lot of them have complicated lineages and may not be fully human which just amplifies the amount they're rejected by their peers.

For Tamamo, that curse was literal and figurative. The literal curse was the constant absorption of an insane demon that eventually consumed her until she'd destroyed what little family she had.

It was figurative in that as the head priestess and medium in charge of the rituals, she was rejected by the community she needed to support her. She was left floundering on the outside, always given just a taste of what she could have had if she was born to a different family, and left with a longing for what she would never be given and always wondering why she couldn't have it. (And yes, I'm probably reading into some things and filling in the blanks with hypothesis and assumptions.)

But in that final moment, Tamamo sees that curse of isolation and rejection has been broken by Izumo. That her daughter, who like all the daughters of the Kamiki line was alone, is no longer alone. That she has friends and support. Support that followed her into this hell and reached out to call her back even from a demon like Nine Tails.

I don't know if I've made myself all that clear, but I love the way that Kato has shown this over and over again and keeps showing the rejection of isolation and ostracization as any kind of solution. That she keeps showing through each of these relationships and arcs that it's reaching for and connecting with other people that brings change and healing and hope, and I love how she shows that through moments like this. It's a little moment that's so easy to miss, but it's so immensely huge when looked at in the context of the entirety of Tamamo's life.

I wish she knew that they would have come for her if they'd known she'd been there all this time. I wish she'd have found a community to support her and I wish she'd had someone to tell her Soji was a dick and she could do better.

I wish she could see Izumo now, still connected to her friends and even though it's the end of the world, she's fighting with and beside them. That she's seeking out connections and learned her lesson about not needing to be alone. That she's teased and loved and welcomed.

But I'm pretty sure in that final moment, she saw it all anyway.

[luciferanalyzestar]

I love dark humor but HH is very lacking about expect the pilot for example the jolke about angel insults vaggie who asks if he is trying to be rasist oe sexist and he tells which make her more mad. Only joke I like in series it is when nifty told about how she torture insects and nobody catch her because they are too afraid.

The comparation between hh heaven and P&S one is beacuse the main character act rude and sinful but big point they are been kicked out ! Heaven don't approve but in same time there is episode where a demon ascend , so P&S heaven is good place.

The funny thing i don't consider HH!heaven corropt sure they made extemination, in secret so we don't know what all population thinking about, and without extremination sinners would be dangerous because Hell is just amusement park for evil, imp company make their money killing humans by commision from sinners, if they could they do themselcves. Hell is full of worst , for examople when vaggie was suppost to be protitue for me, that heaven was corropt because prostitue should be hold accontoble like pimp, serial killer, gangster

I like dark / general fuck up humor too. For example, the life lesson parody channel Tomorrow's Teachings. That channel has made me laugh out of loud so many times due to how absurd the plots are. I do not like every joke made in those videos though and they can cross into tasteless or too fucked up if you know about that channel's history.

For a show set in Hell, Hazbin is lacking in the dark humor category. The only joke that got a giggle out of me was in episode one when Niffty freezes up when the camera is on her and I like how it comes back at the end of episode eight. I like to me a good call back.

This show never made me laugh. I found those Gen Alpha parody songs that were made when the show was released to be funny. So many of them live in my head rent free. Also, I have watched this voice over parody more than the actual show. Makes me laugh every time, it is so stupid. /lh

Back on topic, I wish the show had more character-based humor and maybe dry/deadpan humor. There are many forms of humor. Focusing on just on one type can make your show dull.

The funny thing i don't consider HH!heaven corropt sure they made extemination, in secret so we don't know what all population thinking about, and without extremination sinners would be dangerous

I wonder what the reaction would be if the exterminations are revealed to Winners. Will they be against it, for it, or neutral. This is probably will be explore when Molly [Angel's twin sister] gets introduce. Like would she care that there is a chance that her brothers and father will be killed by angels? It is also a headscratcher that she is in Heaven. She is a spider like the rest of her family, meaning she had a part in crimes her father or brothers committed. We just have to put a pin in that until Season 2.

Hell is full of worst , for examople when vaggie was suppost to be protitue for me, that heaven was corropt because prostitue should be hold accontoble like pimp, serial killer, gangster.

I think I mentioned before, I think in my Charlie blog post, but I wish Hell and Heaven had clear set rules on what gets you set to those places. The unfortunate implications of that being a sex worker gets you sent to Hell is horrible. I hope when we see more of Heaven it is revealed that sex work exists in Heaven like in the form of OF models.

[sssarrrra]

𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝, 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐚𝐝

Fyodor doesn't love himself. And what do people do when they feel like that? They hope to find someone who can.

But Dostoevsky craves a very specific type of love, the one which paints a halo over his head. One that's bright enough to outshine all of his sins. He wants to be seen as savior. As a good person, despite the deeds he's committed.

So Fyodor rejects all the other types of “love” he's been offered. He wants only an Ideal one and nothing more.

Because let's be honest, even people who are deeply devoted to him (like Gogol) don't see Fyodor as a good person. “Decay of ages is pure evil, that's why I joined it”—that's a paraphrased quote from Nikolai. Yes, he admires Fyodor with all of his heart. But whatever morality is left in Gogol realizes that Fyodor is pretty messed up and the things that he's doing are bad. But of course, in Nikolai's case, that makes teaming up with Dostoy even more attractive.

The only, and I mean only, person who seemed to see Fyodor as a holy savor was Ivan Goncharov. And for that to happen, Dostoy literally had to drive an ice pick into his brain. A lobotomy was successful, so Ivan thought that Fyodor was a god-sent on a mission to save everyone. And ironically enough, Ivan was one of the few subordinates Fyodor didn't set up to directly dispose off afterward. He is in jail, but at the very least, Dostoy hasn't arranged his assassination personally. In a way, he spared Ivan. Maybe, because the later admired him so much, and saw Fyodor in the way he wanted: as someone holy.

Makes sense. No one in their sound mind sees Fyodor as an Ambassador of Heaven. They see him as a Devil.

And that doesn't seem to bother Dostoevsky. Despite all of his frantic desires to change humanity, to create a ripple effect, to derail the course of history… He doesn't seem to give a single damn about what people think about him.

Who fulfills Fyodor's need to be valued for his intelect, his skills? Who helps him to stay on track, when no one notices his effort to make the world a “better place”?

Well, Fyodor has someone who reciprocates these desires. Someone, who sees him as a good person, striving to make a change. That entity is a God whose presence Fyodor senses in his head.

The God, as Dostoevsky envisions him as, is the only one who's able to see the goodness in his being.

Through the God's eyes Fyodor observes himself to find a meaning in his reality.

This why Fyodor so desperately insists that he's the only one who can understand and fulfil the God's will.

Because, without God, his only source of approval and validation is gone.

[4rainynite]

EAH Dorm Rooms Headcanons pt 23

Class of Classics

That's right it's time to do the class of classics; the parents of our favorite characters.

Like their children the class of classic had some very interesting roommates and friendships that lasted beyond their stories.

First things first I', starting with the confirmed roommates in the series:

Evil Queen (Eagle) and Red Riding Hood (Ruby).

Ruby and Eagle were definitely one of those odd pairings when assigned roommates.

One would expect the future evil queen with the poison apple and the future damsel who was tricked and later eaten by a wolf would clash, but surprisingly the two got along.

Both girls were mysterious and kept to themselves so they rarely bothered the other and Ruby did speak kindly of the Evil Queen in the books.

I can see the two being friends until they graduated and went their separate ways to fulfill their destinies.

I still find it interesting that Briar and Ashlynn are in the room that The Evil Queen and Red! The cards said that the students would live in the rooms their parents did, but let's be real they were in a different room each year and kudos to the Evil Queen for hiding the Real Storybook of Legends for all these years!

The Evil Queen's side of the dorm would be similiar to how Apple redecorated Raven's side of the dorm except she has a canopy bed, and the room is darker with more spikes and mirrors.

In the books the Evil Queen's side of the castle was described as:

Colors dimmed—dark wood walls, scarlet and black carpets. Portrait paintings looked down. Her mother smiling. Her mother not smiling. Her mother’s profile. A close-up of her mother’s nose. In one, her mother was winking. In all of them, she was beautiful.

For Ruby it's all cottagecore and similar to Cerise except for sports and exercise equipment she would have more floral motifs and baking supplies due to her love of baking.

She would have a simple bed with wooden furniture with hidden wolf motifs foreshadowing her future husband.

Maid Marian and Queen Charming (Marie)

Marian and Marie got along very well despite Marian's adventurous streak. Over time Marie joins Marian on her adventures (in secret) until graduation when they went their separate ways because of destiny. Marie still goes on secret adventures and even gave Darling Maid Marian's book even if it wasn't Charming Literature Committee (whatever it was called) approved.

Marie's side of the room was French rococo style and was similar to Darling's dorm. With all the fainting she does she has a fainting chaise.

Marian's side of the dorm was a mixture of forest and traditional princess bedroom with a forest green and light blue color scheme. She has a huge weapons collection with bows and arrows being her favorite. Both would have canopy beds due to being royals and Marian would hide Marie's weaponry.

Snow White (Snapdragon)

During her time at Ever After High, Snapdragon's room was similar to Apple's dorm except the color red was minimized in favor for white and snowflakes were her motifs.

Snapdragon's room was on the traditional side with a few modern touches (the equivalent to 1980's) so she could fit in with her classmates and be up to date with things.

I believe Apple's furniture were hand -me-downs from her mom (and her mother before her) due to her love of tradition and wanting to be like her mother and had the white fabric dyed red.

Goldie Loches

Goldie's dorm would be similar to Blondie's minus the bear motifs. I think it would be interesting if see were afraid of bears even before her story began which would be ironic considering Blondie loves them.

Seeing how she was the editor of the school's newspaper so she may have had a typewriter and cameras in her room.

Pinocchio (Pine Oak)

Pinocchio's dorm room would have equipment to keep him in shape such as paints, strings, saws, hammer, etc .

His room would have motifs from his story like crickets and whales.

I see him as a prankster type (not as bad as Kitty or her mother) so he probably built things as jokes, but never cause any harm to anyone.

Sleeping Beauty (Sweet Briar Rose)

Sleeping Beauty's dorm would be cozy central with lots of pillows due to her sleeping curse and for safety due to falling asleep anywhere.

Her room would be covered in briar thorns and have a spinning wheel.

Beauty (Peace Rose) & the Beast (Wilbur)

Peace Rose room was most likely the traditional princess room with a lot of stuff animals mostly lions, bears, boars, etc. hinting her future relationship with the beast in her story.

Wilbur had the traditional prince bedroom with no motifs due to him being a generic prince. It wasn't until after Legacy Day did he decided to have monster and rose motifs to his room.

Huntsman (Hunt)

Hunt's room most likely resembled a hunting cabin with with dead deer heads and traps on the walls.

He would also have a collection of axes and knives both which would be used in his stories.

Rapunzel (Violet)

Just like her daughters before her she was sent to live in a tower during her school years.

Her dorm had more floral motifs than hair/comb ones and the only way she could leave her rooms was if she had a roommate with a similar destiny or letting her hair down.

Jack Beanstalk

Jack's dorm was overrun with tree limbs which he used as practice for when he would climb the beanstalk in his tale.

His motifs would be plants (beanstalks) and geese.

I can see him having a loft bed due to all the climbing he does in his story.

Snow King and Snow Queen (Warrin and Lucia)

Warrin's dorm was definitely ice themed with hockey equipment. His dorm room would be similar to his ice palace.

Lucia was a generic princess until Legacy Day and her motifs became snow, but I do think her motifs were crystals and she combined the two.

King Charming (Dashing)

Dashing's dorm lived up to the name with royal, regal, and fancy decor and sword motifs. He would also have a collection of trophies and swords. Also, the Charming family crest would be everywhere.

Wonderlanders: Due to the Wonderlanders going to school once a year there was no need for them to attend Ever After High School. In fact, they only came during Legacy Year to sign the Storybook of Legends.

Cheshire Cat / Queen of Hearts/ Red Queen/

Cheshire's dorm had cat motifs that was a loft bed situation. I feel her dorm would resemble where we first saw her in 'Spring Unfairest'.

Heart's dorm had heart and croquet motifs and was similiar to the card castle. Honestly, it would look like Lizzie's dorm minus the sewing items.

Red's dorm would have horses and chess piece motifs. Her room would be the standard princess room.

March Hare/ Mad Hatter/ White Rabbit

The March Hare would have hare and tea team motifs.

For the Mad Hatter he would have hat and tea motifs. His room would be littered with tea pots everywhere and his hat signatures he used to cover the walls in detention in 'Way Too Wonderland'. I can see him sharing a bunkbed with the March Hare during Legacy Year at Ever After High.

The White Rabbit had rabbit and clock motifs in his dorm room. I also see his room littered with calendars, to-do list, and notes to make sure he's never late or forgets anything.

[bundoesnotcompete]

Part 3 of my Stellaron Hunter reader.

Cw: Implied Child Death and reader being an overall not good person. See end for extra author's notes.

"In many legends about the Aeons of Origin and Creation, it is said they created three eminators each. Though some legends say two and others one, some scholars believe that the two eminators were meant to represent one half of a whole. One half represented good and the other evil. Combined they would make one whole eminator. Of course, with the amount of legends from across the universe, it is impossible to tell if any legend is true. Even the bones of the ancient wish leviathans who were said to be alive at the beginning of creation do not hold any answers."

Creation and Known Rules of the Universe - Vol 1 -

The ball had been rather successful all things considered. You had found information on how to acquire of private tour of the Temple of Pevol. As it stood right now, you had all the puzzle pieces ready to put together. Now you just needed the glue to hold it all together once they aligned. You were first going to use your fake identity to your advantage. The ill were kept at the temple, which was a stupid idea if the people of Zeven knew what they were doing. The stone was likely causing Honkai Sickness in the city due to the, quite frankly, ridiculous amount of Honkai energy raidiating off it. While it want the same type of illness in Honkai Impact 3rd, you couldn't deny that it was a crueler version of the illness.

Even though you were not Master Xevus, you could still provide some relief to the suffering people. In fact, you were using that same relief to gain the trust of the people so that you may get your hands on the stone. The next step was to distract the ruler with a crisis. Maybe you would even place the blame on the IPC agent for the fun of it. Once a crisis was in place, you would set up a battle near the temple and sneak your way in. If guards were too busy fighting, then no one would stop you from getting the stone. Though you didn't have a plan for getting out yet, you could come up with that later. First, you had to win the trust of the people so they did not suspect you.

Days blended together as you worked on curing those with honkai sickness. Those who were too late in the stages were deemed unsaveable and promptly euthanized. While you could absorb some energy, the sheer amount of unstable honkai energy in the late stages made it difficult to absorb with. Since you were not it's original host, large amounts fought against you when you absorbed it. Things seemed to be going well, until after the recent worship at the temple. The Empress had come to you distraught. Her daughter had recently caught the Violet Plague and needed your help. Well, you had thought, I can't waste this opportunity.

Of course, the daughter had the more severe variant of the illness and you couldn't do much for her. Not that you told the Empress that. Instead, you merely told her that you would do your best to save her only child.

"Even if she does not make it, there must be a way i can repay your services with more than just money. Please if there is anything you need, just tell me. I will try my best to get the council to approve it. It can be even more if you please save my daughter. " She begged you. Xevus was getting paid?! You should've known they weren't doing it out of goodwill. Of course, you did the rational thing and asked for a tour if the Temple of Pevol on your next day off. The Empress agreed and you left you to tend to her daughter. You could only get so much out of this deal, so you decided that you needed to end this quick.

Entering back into the princess's room and walking over to her bed, you say in the chair next to her. Even though you considered yourself an expert at blocking out emotions entering your halo, you could still feel the girl's pain echoing off it. You debated doing the humane thing and just killing her, but you needed just a but more out of them empress. The past you would've thrown up at the thought of being so careless with a life, especially a child's, but you had changed. Often you wondered if it was really for the better like you had thought. Sure, you were having fun, but you knew that people were not toys and yet you treated them like it more often then not. Brushing those thoughts aside, you grabbed the nearby white board and woke the sleeping princess. She stirred and blearily looked to you.

"Master Xevus, did you tell her?" She croaked in your direction. You did not give a soft smile like you usually would in an attempt to comfort someone. Instead you kept a neutral face and began writing.

"No, I did not." You wrote. The princess seemed puzzled.

"Why? She needs to know I won't make it. I don't want her to suffer more." She sounded close to tears. To tell her or to not tell her the truth. You opted for the more truthful option, unable to come up with a quick reason as to why you didn't tell her mother. "Master Xevus? Why didn't you tell her?" Ah, time had ran out, there was no use hiding it now. You could always say the plague was making her delusional, it did tend to do that to the more slow dying victims.

"Because, i need to get my full use out of you. "Shock was quick to fill her face before it turned into a dawning horror. Oh dear, now she was petrified. "Don't worry, I will have you put down before the real painful parts hit." Your writing never faltered as you wrote. You erased everything on the board and stood up, ignoring the scared and angry girl next to you.

"You can't do that," She managed to get out, "I'll tell my mother that you-" She broke out into a coughing fit before she could finish her sentence. You finally gave a soft smile and looked down at her. As she stopped coughing, she gave a look of hatred as she began wailing at you. "I bet your not even the real Xevus are you? I bet your just a big fat liar!" What the hell, how was this girl a good guesser? It must be video game logic or something, you thought, because there was no way a normal would've gotten that. You nodded at her and the look she gave you was a cross between fear and righteous anger. She wailed louder and began hitting the bed but was unable to do much more than that, The plague having taken away much of her ability to slither around. You watched the girl throw a tantrum that most teenages girls didn't do. You merely turn for the door and began to talk out. She was screaming at this point, and you decided you should play doctor a little more and get her mother.

When you closed the door behind you, you were quick to grab you pen and pad to write an excuse for her actions. Hysteria caused by delusions? Not unreasonable. Though a bit odd with this severe of a case, it was not unheard of. Nodding to yourself, you began to head for the Empress's office.

The Empress bought your excuse easily and attempted to comfort her daughter as she screamed at you. Deciding that you needed a break, she had a priest take you to the Temple of Pavol the next day to tour. As you walked up the steps,you noted that the temple was massive. The center room alone was a large cylinder with a strange flooring. Of course, the room was a soft sandy color like most of the buildings in the city were, but what caught your attention was the oddly shaped hole in the center room. When you asked the priest about it, she merely said it was for a ritual only preformed every few hundred years. It seemed to involve a shaped object since it looked to be a circle shaped hole. Well, somewhat circle. When you finally entered the room with the stone, it was close to evening meal.

"This will be the last room we visit. You will be able to return in a few days time." The priest began, quietly leading you to the Stone of Origin. "As you can see this stone is of…." You tuned her out staring at the stone as you called to you. It whispered with want and longing. The colored stone sat on a soft pillow and was covered by glass. You wanted to smash the glass and take it in that moment but refrained from doing so. A hand is on your shoulder.

"Master Xevus? Are you alright? Ive been calling to you and you won't reply?" You turned to the large snake woman and stared. "I must return you to the palace." You looked away and nodded, allowing her to guide you back to the doors. Giving one last look to the stone, you made the decision that you would get that stone next time you returned, no matter the cost.

------

As you walked down the halls of the palace to the dining room, you could hear the booming voice of the Empress. When you turned the corner to the hallway with the door to the dining hall, you saw her yelling at quivering councilmen. She was furious.

"Your telling me that those planets are gone?! You worthless worms did nothing as the planet was ruined, are you serious?! I will have your heads for those civilians! Thats not even mentioning the stones! Guards, arrest these men, Now!" She was nearly ready to explode with fury as she yelled. She turned her head to look down the hallway at you as the guards drug the councilmen away. Her face neutralized though upon seeing your shocked face as you stood in the hallway. "I apologize for you seeing me like that Master Xevus. Come into the dining hall and I will share the news with everyone." She motioned for you to come and you quickly made you way to her.

Entering into the hall, you took the nearest seat which was next to the Xianzhou Alliance's representitive. The air in the room was tense as the food was brought out. The Empress took a deep breathe as she prepared to speak.

"As you all know, I have gotten some bad news. The two neighboring planets to this one have been ruined. It may take thousands of years for them to recover, if they ever do. Along with that, there have been sacred objects taken from the temples there." The air in room could almost be cut with a knife it was so thick. Several eyes seemed to glance at you at the mention of planets being destroyed. You could only interally grumble and roll your eyes. You ruin and destroy and planet or two and suddenly every planet that is destroyed is you fault. While you remained neutral on the outside, you grumbled internally.

"Please do not take that as though we no longer need your help. We still need assitance with our previous issues." The Empress continued, attempting to reassure everyone. Focus on the food Saturday, you thought to yourself. The food in front of you smelt heavenly.

"Perhaps the IPC could help you rebuild the ruined planets." The IPC agent in front of you called to the Empress. "We've helped planets recover from such things before. Of course, we would have to negotiate on such things but the IPC could have the planet recovered in years." You wanted to shove your fork into his eye. Every planet you have been to that was occupied or "helped" by the IPC was often forced into indentured servitude even if the contract had been made centuries ago. Those greedy fuckers, you thought to yourself, your lucky i cannot talk Mr.NPC. There was more to the story then that, but thinking about it often ruined your mood.

"On the other side of that, the Xianzhou Alliance will still help purge the Abundance here. Even if it is on the other planets, we will do what we can to help." The large man next to you spoke, gently tearing apart the mystery meat in front of him.

"The Astral Express will be here for a long as you have issues with the Stellaron." Himeko spoke from farther down the table. The IPC agent from across you gave a small smirk as he turned to you.

"And what about you Mr.Xevus, are you going to stay?" He knew what he was doing and you kept your composure. You gave a smile and nodded, even if you were keyboard smashing on the inside. Anything involving the IPC tended to make you irrationally angry. Even if it didn't quite make sense you couldn't help it. You tore into the meat with a little more force then necessary and the man next to you merely raised an eyebrow in question.

"Ah, good, good. Enough talk, let us enjoy the meal in front of us." The Empress's mood was improved and it showed in her tone of voice. As you continued you eat, you let your mind wander to other things. How had those planets been ruined so suddenly? It had to have been something massive is it caused planet-wide destruction. "Master Xevus, I hope it is not rude to ask, but would you check on my daughter tonight before you retire. She calmed enough to see guests today, so I hope she will take to your presence well." The Empress voice wafted down the table and you nodded, never looking away from your food. After the meal was done you began to head for the door. A hand yanked you wrist harshly back before you made it out the door. You whipped around to the the IPC agent glaring at you with hatred.

"I don't know what your plans are Saturday, but don't you dare think about hurting the princess or taking that stone. I am not stupid, i know the others took the stones. Your lucky the Empress puts to much faith in you, you devil." The man hissed at you, gripping your wrist tightly. The Empress was quick to spot the hostile interaction of you two though. The agent quickly let go of your hand and turned towards the Empress as she approached. The smile on his face was as fake as it seemed.

"Nothing your highness. Just talking to Master Xevus about their plans. Isn't that right?" The Empress gazed over to you as if not believing the agent. You pulled out one of your pathetic looks and shook your head, ear wings drooping slightly. She turned back to the agent.

"Now we both know that ks not what happened. Master Xevus, please go check on my daughter." You nodded and opened the door. As you began to to leave, you turned back to see the Empress scolding agent. When the agent looked over to you, you gave him the smuggest look you could muster and left. You could feel the holes he was glaring into back as you left.

Making you way into the princess's room, you could hear her raspy breathing. You walked beside her bed and turned to her, the heels of your boots clicking against the wood as you did so. The princess's gaze turned to you when you stopped to stare down at her.

"You won't get away with it." She wheezed out. You sat and tilted you head as if saying go on. "I told my friends in the Express what you are going to do." She took in a wet breath and smile and smiled at you. "I heard you went to tour the temple today. I bet you want that stone. I heard my mama's yelling about the other stones." Hatred filled her eyes as she coughed. You were unsure if you should give her credit for her smartness or not. She guessed lucky last time, did she guess lucky again? You let a sly smile appear on your lips. "We will haunt you for what you've done you monster." You stood up from the chair and made for the door, ignoring the princess's wet breathing and hateful commentary as you left. You saw the Empress slithering down the hall towards you.

"How is she?" The Empress began, worriedly looking down to you. Time for the show. Putting on your serious face you gently took her hands. You gave her a grim look and shook your head. You lowered your ear wings as you did so. Disbelief filled her face as your news hit her. "I-I see. I-" She took a deep breath as devastation trickled into her features. "Thank you. For everything." She let go of your hands and went closer to her daughter's room, breathing heavily. "I am going to see her now. Please leave us. Don't worry about her anymore." She turned away from you and went into her daughter's room. You fled down the halfway before you could hear her sob, ignoring the heavy ball of guilt in you chest as you did so.

------

"I saw what you did back there kid." Kafka's voice startled you as you left the shower. You were glad that you got dressed in the bethroom when you whipped around in the direction of her voice. She played with familiar stones in your window as she gazed at you. "Sheep pajamas? Intresting fashion choice but I'm not here to judge you." She stepped down from the windowsill and tossed a couple of stones in your direction before leaning against the wall by the window. "Elio wanted me to give those to you, said that you would know what to do. Its all the stones you need, well except the one in the main temple." There was a question in your mind as you looked at the stones in your hand.

"Were those planets your work?" You signed to her.

"Course it was. Well, not all of them. All us Stellaron Hunters got them stones for you and that ended up setting the planets ablaze. At least it did with the one I got." She looked at the clock on the wall and sighed. She got off the wall she was on and headed for the window. "I gotta go, Bladie is waiting for me. I might've stayed a little longer otherwise." She began as she entered the windowsill, "Good luck Little Angel." She waved as she dissappeared, leaving you alone in the dark room. You glanced at a stones in your hand. They all fit together nicely and seemed to make a familiar shape in your hand. Wait, wasn't the shape you saw in the temple floor?

You sat on your bed and listened to the soff humming of the stones. They seemed to hum happily in your mind. Their longing and happiness echoing off your halo even as you attempted to block it out. Laying down, you set the stones down next to you. You were curious what would happen if you put them in hole in the floor of the temple. The stones next to you seemed to become happier at the mention of being put into the hole. You needed to prepare your ship first before you did something of that scale. Letting out a soft breath and shuffling the stones under you pillow, you attempted to sleep. The humming of the stones easing your mind and helping you drift off to sleep.

-------

Awaking to a dark space was never a good sign in your opinion. Even more so when a masive four legged being was right beside you, claws tapping impatiently on the water's surface. It was rather ugly with its lion-like mane and scaley body. It look down at you with great interest.

"Ah, your aware now dear creator mine. It took me quite some time to reach out to you through the stones." The massive being's voice was feminine in nature as it appeared to take in your appearence. "Do not be alarmed. I am unsure of how much of your memory remains intact so I will introduce myself. I am Eshnaa, the first of your original brood." The being gazed down on your small form as you stood up. Curiosity was burning in its eyes. The large chimera-like beast waited for you to speak.

"What is-" Shock colored your face as you spoke, "How am I talking?" The large beat seemed disappointed in your reaction and adjusted its stance to lay closer to your standing figure. It hummed and odd tune, its mane moving in contrast to its dark scales as it did so.

"Oh Creator Mine, you really have lost so much. This is your mind, of course you can talk. Once you unite the stones, you're voice may return to you. They are a fragment of your power even if it comes from my body." Wait hold on what did it mean by first of your brood? Deciding to ignore the body comment you asked your question.

"Wait, if your the first, who are the others?"

"My brother, Eepsu, is the second of your brood. Of course, we were once one before you shattered us. But that is no longer important. Your return is more important than anything right now. The reason why i have contacted you is to bargain with you."

"What do you mean?" Confusion was obvious in your voice. There was so much happening right now. You had so many questions and what felt like little time to ask them. The sheer amount of lore in this one interaction was going to fry your brain if you didn't stop thinking about it. The large beast took one claw and drew patterns in the rippling water.

"You see, I am here to beg for my life. The one named Elio sent you here to consume me so that you can gain powers. But, I wish to live and see my troublesome brother again. I don't particularly mind that one of his path followers sent you to kill me, but i do mind dying. So here is my proposal: I get to live and give you a large part of my power, and you regain your ability to speak with more benefits down the line. Of course the power may have to be given back in stages, but it is all i have to give you. So what do you say?" Now that was a deal of you've ever seen one, but there had to be a catch.

"What's the catch?"

"I need to be resummoned again. It will require me to siphon from your power and it will also need a little bit of time. It may not pay off largely in the present, but the far run will be well worth it, especially with the information i can give you." You took to deep breath and thought about the deal. Information would be useful considering the lore bomb that was this being. Not only that, but being able to talk again would be wonderful.

"Fine, but know that if you do not keep your word it will not end well for you." An ugly smile crept onto the chimera's face at your agreement.

"This version of you is much nicer, Oh Creator Mine. Let us begin this friendship anew with this plan. Here is what you must do…."

----------

Himeko worried about many things. She wouldn't lie to herself and say that this wasn't one of the most stressfull missions the crew has ever had. It was far too high up in the list to lie to herself. At first, she hadn't worried more then usual, even with the stellaron hunter being involved. Then the Princess had told them something alarming, Saturday had planned to kill her. Soon after that, news of the neighboring planets having been razed into ruin and ash reached them. Even more alarming were tbe fact that sacred stones had been looted from the temples. A targetted attack prehaps? After Saturday's visit to the temple, Himeko had a feeling as to what the hunter's plan was.

Jing Yuan had informed them that the Alliance would be arriving within the next day or so and that had eased Himeko's worried mind. The IPC agent named Aragonite was purposing a plan to the crew currently.

"We must do something about Saturday. He is far too dangerous to be left near the Empress. The stone is far too important to be abandoned now that we know what may happen if it is taken. We cannot risk this planet being razed like the others were." The man was pacing in the room. "Here's the plan. Two of you will go contain the Stellaron and the rest will go confront Saturday."

"But we don't even know when they are gonna do anything. Are we supposed to just camp out at the temple until something happens?" March blurted out, unsure about the rather vague plan.

"Yes, that's a wonderful idea." The man quickly turned to March, excitement in his voice. "Then we can finally get rid of that pest." March gave a look to Stelle who quietly shuffled closer to her. Leaning close to March's ear, Stelle quietly whispered,

"I think he is missing a few screws." Stelle and March locked eyes before agreeing and nodding at eachother. The plan continued to be fleshed out as the night went on before the plan was finally solidified near midnight. Welt, March, and Dan Heng would contain the stellaron while the others watched the temple. If the stellaron was contained before Saturday made their move, they would unite with the group. It was a rusty plan, but both areas needed to be watched and there wasn't enough people. The Empress was too blinded by the Halovian's supposed name and actions to take anything said against them seriously.

--------

Excerpt from InterPlanetary News

STELLARON HUNTERS NAMED AS PRIME SUSPECTS IN THE DESTRUCTION OF PLANETS IN ZAKRYN SYSTEM.

"In what was originally supposed to be routine charity work in the system of Zakryn turned deadly as several planets burned and were destroyed. No cause bas been relased as to why these planets were destroyed, but the IPC has evidence that the suspects behind this tragedy are the notorious Stellaron Hunters….."

-----

END MISSION 2: Hello! My Devil In Sheep's Skin

START MISSION 3: The Sleeping Terror Beneath Pevol

------

End notes:

This reached nearly 4500 words. I'm expecting the next chapter to be even longer since it has a massive boss battle planned.

[smallnico]

7 for the ask game.

hell yeahhhh thanks for asking!!

7. Describe their arc. How would a player help resolve it? What choices can be made? Can your Tav be turned down a dark path, or pulled to a lighter one?

i already touched on this in the romance ask but, as is the durge way, esper's arc is hinged on whether they embrace or reject bhaal. i do like to imagine that the facts of their arc are more of a flavour to the actual conflict with esper, which is about doing what you're meant to do versus having the freedom to fuck around and just exist.

hella elaboration under the cut, it's long lmao

esper is a character who doesn't feel entitled to anything. everything they have is a gift they owe someone else, and that gift requires constant vigilance and maintenance to avoid disrespecting the person who bestowed it upon them. they'll never admit it but one of their greatest shames is that they sometimes feel proud of the hand they've had in cultivating their own skills, because it really does require a lot of work, but none of that work is really theirs to give or take pride in because the way they see it, it's really the least they could do.

especially when they don't have any memories, and all they have is the frantically cobbled-together mask of behaviours that assure that the people they're travelling with won't abandon them, nothing esper has feels like theirs, not even their mind, not even their body. they will do anything in their capacity to be useful to and liked by the people around them, and when the voice of their god and creator tells them to kill, the only thing really stopping them is an (in their/bhaal's mind) stubborn and spiteful flaw in their soul that insists that they don't want to -- they want to do something that's all theirs, that they can actually feel proud of, they want to feel like their messy and complicated existence as a person is true and worth something, that it isn't just a mistake someone made while trying to craft the perfect tool.

the choice for the player is complicated by the fact that esper is really very good at killing and magic, and is extremely receptive to being told what to do. they won't disapprove of your choices if you're evil or good, as long as you're good at what you're doing. when utilized correctly they're versatile and efficient, and they'll make themself useful to you like their life depends on it by offering psychic insights into the people you come across, saying the things you're afraid to say, offering to stay back as a sacrifice, all that jazz, because their comfort zone (even without memories) is Being Used. they compare themself to a well-balanced sword or an instrument -- someone crafted it with love and skill, and it would be both a shame and a waste to not sharpen it, tune it, use it, maintain it, let it do what it was meant to do. let the sword swing and find flesh, let the violin play in a concert hall.

(sidenote: i have in my mind the idea that you gain approval from them by passing skill checks to resolve situations in clever ways, and lose approval by failing skill checks where the consequences matter -- because esper would feel a twinge of disgust at the type of person who, say, lets a child that they were Trying to save die because they overestimated their own abilities and clearly didn't care enough to ensure success or adequately assess their own limits. if you fail at something you care about esper Will make you feel worse about it. they suck lmao)

but at the end of the day, esper isn't an object, and it's kind of the fundamental tragedy of their existence that they were made to be both a person and a tool, so the mere act of using them as bhaal intended to would be an act of violence. esper has character quirks that embarrass them: they have medicine proficiency, but their bedside manner is atrocious -- they love having money, and they will get SO frustrated if you spend it frivolously -- they have a soft spot for mischief and for the thieflings, and they're always down for a childish shenanigan (even if you have to persuade them so they can save face) -- a good cuddle makes them so incandescently happy they don't know what to do with themself -- the moment you make them feel okay with showing you things they will show you the cool rock or the weird bug they found -- they loooove messing with people and Will play along immediately if they notice that's what you're doing -- esper is always down for theft and fraud and scamming people --

-- that's esper. point is. resolving esper's internal shame and self-loathing by telling them to embrace bhaal and efface their chance at personhood is less a matter of whether they'll be a good or redeemable person or not (because even if you do get them to reject bhaal they're still a bad person lmao) and more about whether they'll be A Real Person or not. by embracing bhaal, esper concedes that the right thing to do is to cede control to the higher power that determines their use, to which they owe their existence, that their whole personality was a distraction and a mistake from the inexorable pull of their destiny, and fighting against it to begin with was an act of disrespect for which they'll be atoning forever.

and you can't really Tell esper to reject bhaal, either. like, you can, and they will, but it will be because they like you more and they're ceding control of their destiny to you instead. you kind of have to patiently encourage them to do what they want to do and get them to a point where when faced with the decision to embrace or reject, and you ask esper what they want to do, they can honestly say that they would rather be dead than in the hands of a creator that designed them with personhood specifically To Have That Personhood Violated, but they can also look at you and honestly say that you helped them see that they wanted to have a life anyway.

and then bhaal kills them but withers brings them back yay

if you read all this i love u. thank u again for asking!!

[forthegamesmyguy]

putting this all under a read more bc it's technically spoilers (on the decisions that matter from prior games)

I'm ngl I'm pretty annoyed. I had already bought the game when I watched the release date trailer bc like I'm sorry but I've been waiting 10 years, 1/3rd of my life, for my Solas closure game and I'm going to play it. But I just read the ign article talking about the old installment choices and I'm genuinely getting a bit irritated. There is a have it both ways kind of talking point here. Epler is quoted going on about how they don't want to invalidate player choice which is why they just aren't mentioning shit anymore apparently (even though inquisition healthily respects your choices for the various possible states of the world).

But like. You aren't? Not mentioning things is one thing. I'm annoyed but I understand exponentiation happens at a rapid rate and it is unreasonable to keep adding more and more what ifs for all your random background chatter or codex entries (though I have to say, I think they've sort of taken on that responsibility by not moving the time/setting around like other series would be doing to avoid this very issue, on top of INSISTING on having some characters - leliana, morrigan, etc - appear even still!). But when you also do not accommodate the depth of choices? Bruh.

To explain: we are told the ONLY things we are being asked about are who your Inquisitor romances if anyone, if they disbanded the Inquisition, and if they said to redeem or stop Solas. Nothing else. Yet my character is going to appear in this game, I know that for certain. Will the Inquisitor be mute? I believe the old VAs have already said they're in it. Will I be given the option to choose my dialogue? I doubt it. It would ~confuse new players~ (which could be solved with a toggle on choice or something ...). It wasn't in the case of Hawke, though critically we had the BAREST of distinctions in choosing one of the three personality types to dictate our auto dialogue. This does NOT stop your Hawke, who can BE a blood mage, from having a cameo that almost entirely exists to say "blood magic is evil, it's basically the only thing I know for sure in this world"... How very respectful of my choices as a player, a creator of a player character in your role-playing game world. Presumably we are going to be defaulted to one of two (possibly a slight variant of a third for a romanced Solas though romanced to completion is NOT the same as breaking up, which these games always treat as simply never having happened) personality types for our Inquisitor, one who is kinda gruff bc they're sooo mad at Solas for ruining everything wow he's such a bastard gross, and one who is kinda somber bc theyre sooo sad about Solas for not listening to them wow he's such a fool tragic. I guarantee you I GUARANTEE you 99% of solavallens are NOT my Lavellan. I can tell you already the 20 odd Inquisitors I've made over the years are NOT the same people. Yet they're all gonna be... exactly the same. Because it isn't their game anymore. This sucked with Hawke but at least it was one tiny little main quest. Your Inquisitor is fundamental to Solas' character development. Yes I'm excited to meet Rook but not at the expense of my Inquisitors girl come on now.

Now we get to the "Chelsea is mad and angrily screenshotted your quote to say how dumb she thinks it is" portion of the post.

> "you can shape to a large degree" but only in the confines of this one specific game. What happened before? Does not matter. Mentioned in later material? Well, he actually turned into One Specific Mold. Yeah, they get bland when you do this but it's so much less contradictory, don't you think?!?! You really mattered! All that stuff you did and all that Shaping To A Large Degree really mattered!! Like, you don't even want to ask me if Solas had low approval or high approval with me? You just assume stop = one, redeem = the other?

> "something of a blank slate" ah yes my favourite protagonist, Guy Who Could Be Anyone. Just like the Inquisitor was, truly truly riveting. Like when all you do, in the role playing game, is make choices but you don't also have a place in the world, you're, in my mind, not actually in a role-playing game... There is a massive difference in weight to your protagonist as the Warden to as the Inquisitor, in terms of your place in the world. It isn't just "in one conversation, says one sentence". You could just say something totally different in the next conversation and it wouldn't even matter because no one reacts to you, no one cares, it is just you saying in one conversation "I'm from Haven and I was the only dwarf there" then in the next you say "I am from Rialto and I was raised by clowns" and no one registers any information. It was a system where people met you where you were, and then inside of that layer, you could react. It wasn't just you blabbing, people could see you and build base assumptions which sure isn't ideal but this is the world and how we live, if people hear a fereldan accent they'll have a reaction to that if they're familiar in a specific way. People could see an elf without tattoos and go yeah probably not dalish, and inside that, your elf could feel a certain way. This entirely blank slate model is just cutting out the part where you live in the world and people react to you in it. Instead, you are just constantly saying your story "oh I'm this person, this was my history". But does it mean anything? Are you actually there? I sure didn't feel like my Inquisitor was any meaningful part of the world, on any of the origins. Bro the dalish route gets so much flack for all the ppl saying since Solas/elven culture is so crucial to the narrative of the world that it's unfairly favoured but like siblings. Have you played it? You have to have MORRIGAN explain your culture to you. You don't live there at all, man, like, it's NOT substantively different... it's flavour. Barely. And now, if there's not even like, different world states to play in? The lack of my PC diversity means this just like lost miles and miles of replayability bc what is the point?!!??! It's like replaying BG3....what is the point once you did it twice and chose every different binary option? That's all there really is to explore

Ohhhhhh okay okay. She's even MORE important than I thought. Hey you know what that is so cool! Tell me! Do you think she's the exact same woman in a world where she's got a child with the Hero of Ferelden, who is approaching their Calling soon, as she is in a world where she always had low approval and was denied the dark ritual or always had high approval and was STILL denied, and each the same as a best friend for the very first time ever (possibly lover, with Kieran) to a Warden who did the ultimate sacrifice? 😊 Tell me. Please. How they're all the same. The exact same flavour of woman. And the well of sorrows choice not being relevant is genuinely insulting... I get it, they had Flemeth shove Mythal into her anyways with the post credits stinger. But my Inquisitor could've possibly spent the last ten years listening to the voices of the well, and now been on standby to be compelled...my elven Inquisitor could've spent the last decade studying their language. Apparently not though!

> "the Inquisitor to some degree feels guilty or responsible for Solas' actions" see this is what I mean. About not respecting my choices as a player in your ROLE. PLAYING. GAME. This is Hawke and blood magic all over again. There is nothing that says you ever HAVE to even talk to the man!!! Yes he is there. But so what. I can accept Hawke/Varric being a high rivalry/friendship relationship by default... But only because I'm being very generous. But this? No. Your Inquisitor is never in any world state required to give a single solitary fuck about Solas. Forcing guilt on my character to advance your plot is not cute. In a, again I cannot stress this enough, ROLE PLAYING game. It's not "decide the fate of the world, the simulator" where you just make a few key choices about political shit and slay the big bad. It's "decide the fate of the world while living in it and growing with this games host of companions" and that growth can be in any number of directions that the writers allow for. But this sort of thing turns this franchise into the former. And you can't go around saying you're a leader in player agency if you're doing this sort of thing

This idiot: "granted, that might not seem like a ton of choices" motherfucker you listed THREE. And one of them isn't even a world state choice, it's who you fuckin dated. Are you joking? Game four in a franchise of easily 100+ branching choices per game: 3.

Like even just the romance thing is so. Ugh it's so stupid! It's out of context!!!! You can romance Bull and then have to kill him bc you chose one of two paths in his quest, but there's no option for this, so it doesn't matter! Every Inquisitor that dates Bull now is with him in the exact same specific way! Presumably, don't pick it if he ended up fuckin DEAD. Bc there's no room for nuance! Oh, you romanced Cassandra and then made her Divine? Well, we don't care about who's Divine because it's Just One Line of Dialogue so guess what! You will just generically say "ah Cassandra, I really love that woman tee hee" and who gives a fuck about anything else.

Sorry but who's Divine actually would matter to Northern Thedas? Tevinter may scoff and not gaf, but the Qunari will certainly be very very aware of whatever political and religious machinations /anyone/ gets into. And why would the Nevarrans or Free Marchers not care??? The Anders? Like these are places that have Andrastian Chantry influence... This is still Thedas? Even it it's not Ferelden or Orlais???????? I don't get this. Tevinter, again, reasonable, but isn't that only one small place we're going?

Bringing up the Chargers... girl ... Sucks to be any Inquisitor that didn't save them and romanced Bull (I mean that already sucks right but like to be removed from the possibility of existing? Stone cold).

Idk I just. Can't get behind the notion that simply not referencing something is inherently more respectful. But I think I'm just mostly annoyed at this take bc it seems frankly to be kinda disrespectful, actually, to remove the nuance from my experience. You genuinely don't even care if we have low or high approval with this guy but you want to say that relationship was vital and shaped him and also force a position of responsibility on my PC? You don't want to know how my Inquisitor responds to things in terms of emotional response? Every single Inquisitor is the exact same person now, even moreso than before (and I rly genuinely think inquisitor is the weakest PC by far)?

And to just handwave and say oh well, we can get away with this because we're going north. Okay... Well...what about characters from or living in the north? We could've sent feynriel, the very first dreamer to be born since the veil was erected, to tevinter. we could've forced Fenris back to his slaver, in tevinter. How is Isabela fitting into this narrative? Will we be dealing with many or any other Pentaghasts? Obviously she's a default companion again but again I find it's crucial whether or not you have low or high approval, but apparently, these things don't matter actually. In fact you are always responded to exactly the same without fail. It's called role playing!!

I did already buy it and I will play it and I know I'm going to love it like I have the other three. But I did NOT love the inquisitor and I am not expecting to feel differently for rook, and I am really only here for Solas at this point... I mean, nothing else I ever did seems to matter anymore lol. But that's kinda worrying for me, like if the series continues with games set in the dragon age, are they all just going to be increasingly The Same? So why call it role-playing if we are actually all arriving at the same destination... You can stretch the definition to fit this mold, yes, but I personally do not care for it. If every character I put into your world turns out the same and if all the choices I made actually aren't meaningful enough to change the course of the world's history (even when they're as big as who is king, emperor and pope, and who is at war and who isn't), like, genuinely does it matter? Yeah yeah every story is a journey but Dragon Age is set in the DRAGON AGE. I admit I don't know anyone else trying such an experiment and it's always been a huge draw for me. I get that it's daunting. But they've shown they actually can handle this.

The pragmatist in me says the solution to a dangerously "quantum character," as they call them, is to just stop bringing them back. If you think Morrigan's got too many permutations between motherhood and relationship status then I'm sorry but just uh, don't bring her back. Ignoring those things? Is the worst possible option. The lyrium ghost shit with leliana did have a few lines of attempted explanation, which was in the end enough for me within the constraints of this world of magic. But saying NOTHING? would've been a slap in the face. Ugh. I love this setting I really do and I love these characters, but if you can't bring them back respectfully, then, well, respectfully, fucking don't!!!! I don't ever want to hear my blood mage Hawke talk shit about blood magic ever again lol. Just don't bring them back. An even simpler solution is moving the setting, and I don't mean moving from America to Canada bc that's what tf they're doing. Northern Thedas is *right there*. I'm talking, go to another continent. THEN I can believe no one knows who the fuck the pope is in a Catholic world 🙄 Ughhhh. Of course if you use the same host of characters in four games of choice, you're going to end up in a permutational nightmare!!! This much should have been obvious from game 2!! I feel like at that point you have a responsibility to address the encroaching beast and either wrap your story up sooner so you are dangling far far fewer variables or you shift setting/relevant characters to the plot so that you can avoid them, tactfully and respectfully. They are attempting to do the latter while still bringing in characters like Morrigan or your own PC, characters that require nuance to place in disparate world states! These characters are not one size fits all 😭

I cannot stress enough that I really do get it on a mathematical level. But to say bioware doesn't have a canon while not allowing there to be room for nuance from the canon thus far :/ :/ Idk. Just not looking forward to having to turn so much of the world building that's already there into headcanon

[apricotbuncakes]

Sander Sides fans: Did anyone else do this?

So when I was super-duper deep in the Sander Sides fandom (I'm still there just not as intensely!) I made my own sides, as many of us did. I decided to keep my creativity from splitting because I grew a love for macabre types of media very young, and never felt bad for enjoying it, even writing my own stories with morbid and gross themes. but that left me unbalanced because now I only had five sides instead of six, so what else should I have be a side? Well, I'm trans... so why not dysphoria!

And so, I designed a side based off of my dysphoria, the only girl side I have (the others are either guys or nonbinary with more masculine gender expressions). I wanted to make her evil, to make her intentionally rude, but I couldn't help but make her nice and kind like how I was when I was younger, which is why she's just oblivious to how she makes others feel rather than malicious because that's how I was. I was oblivious to how my comments may have hurt others.

So when she would talk to my other sides and try to give compliments, it had the unintended effect of making them self-conscious or dysphoric, and none of them told her this (because that's how I was in real life for a time: I didn't feel like I could tell people that they were causing me distress). She would tell my other sides that they look pretty, beautiful, ask them if they wanted to put on makeup or try cutsie outfits with her. She was alienated even in myself, because no one wanted to be around her, and she didn't understand why.

She didn't represent inherently bad things. She was the epitome of confidence, femininity, fun in self-expression. But it was the 'wrong kind' of self-expression (at least that's what I believed at the time). She didn't represent masculinity in the slightest, and it put the other sides off from her, because they had sworn it off the moment I came out as trans, because that's what would make people believe me when I said I was a boy. But they still needed her to be a scapegoat for all their bad body image issues, a model for what they should avoid doing. She was an example of 'bad' and 'wrong', even though she had been nothing but kind.

I made her a clown (the red curly hair, white foundation, all of it). She was frilly and pink, and very stereotypically feminine, something that I was struggling to admit that I actually liked when I first came out, cuz ya know, I wanted people to take me seriously as a trans guy (now I don't give a shit and wear what I want lol). She was a fun character though (and ended up inspiring the look for another OC). She was bubbly and cute, think Pinky Pie vibes. And because I wanted to pass it off and make it someone else's problem, I gave her my deadname.

I had heard of this trick where trans people name something else their deadname as a way to disconnect it from themselves and make them happier to hear it, because it remind them of something cool or cute, something they love. But I did it out of spite. And then... then I didn't.

Over time I stopped associating my deadname with myself, stopped responding to it most of the time. It was hers now, and not mine. And I was happy, because I designed someone who was happy to take that name away from me, happy to say that her name was Robin, and it was suddenly no longer my problem. And once everything she represented started to seem less and less bad (because she was a part of me, how could something she enjoy be bad?) I started to get more comfortable looking to her for outfit ideas. I asked myself "Would Robin approve of this? Would she like this outfit?" and then I no longer felt bad for wearing dresses and skirts and feminine things. I became happy and comfortable with it.

And then I rewrote the dynamics of my sides. They love her now, get confidence when she says they look pretty. They ask her for makeup advice and look to her for inspiration (even my creativity). She is no longer bad or wrong for being feminine, and it's what's made her so interesting.

The other sides don't always want to be feminine, and they've finally explained to her why. And she respects that, and only offers her opinions on their presentation when asked. And suddenly, my sides are at peace with each other.

So uh, yeah. Make yourself characters to represent parts of yourself. It's lots of fun and can also be super helpful for problem solving.

Here's my sides name in case you're curious: Logic: Arthur (Like King Arthur, because book nerd who likes fantasy lol) Morality: Milo (After the Milo and Otis movie) Creativity: Jackson (Named after a friend who inspires me) Anxiety: Clyde (No clue why, I just like this) Deceit: Avery (A very pretty name!) Dysphoria: Robin (Literally my deadname lol)

[myths-tournaments]

Awful Characters Round 1 Part 1 (6/8)

Propaganda under the cut!

DIO BRANDO

why i like him: he’s evil, he’s funny, he’s a vampire, he’s a dick for no reason, he’s British, he’s bisexual, he stops time, and everything bad that happens in the series is his fault why he deserves to be in: LITERALLY kicks puppies, that’s his THING. Ruins adoptive brother’s life just because he’s Mean and Evil. Kills people. Kills animals. Does weird horrible things to people for literally no reason. Turns people into zombies. Kisses women without their consent. Brainwashes people. Seduces lovers and sucks their blood while a weird old lady watches in the corner. Ruins generations of lives even after his ass is dead. can you be cancelled by twitter users: yes absolutely

BELIAL

Belial is the primal beast/angel of cunning, and one of the main antagonist of the side story "What makes the sky blue". He's the very first primal in existence and had a profound romantic and sexual devotion for his creator, Lucilius. So profound that he commited all sort of crimes to get Lucilius's love and approval, and only got worse in worse when Lucilius only showed distate for him. Mind you those were crimes Lucilius wanted him to do, but Belial was just never enough compared to the second primal beast, Lucifer, the angel overseeing Evolution. List of crimes includes: -Provoked like 3 attempted apocalypses -Organized a group of rebel fallen angels in order to make them Lucilius's experiments subjects later, torturing all of them for thousand of years. -When Lucilius was beheaded by Lucifer, Belial vowed to bring Lucilius back to life…. By organizing Lucifer's murder and beheading him in order to use Lucifer's corpse to sew Lucilius's head on it -Also managed to blame Lucifer's boyfriend for Lucifer's death because "well it's your fault he died since he was trying to protect you so he wasn't fighting at his full strength :/" -He is also extremely sexual and is constantly talking about wanting to orgasm on the spot, or engage in sexual intercourses with anyone he encounters -Also the type of person who kills his one night stands after he's done with them. -Calls torturing people for fun just himself indulging in his SM side. -He's spoken a lot about his goal to Fuck Lucifer's Corpse, in front of Lucifer's boyfriend. -Also is constantly doing sexual remarks to said boyfriend. -He's torn the wings of the one person who was still loyal to him (technically to save his life but he lied that he was doing it just to torture him) -Also he lies all the time and backstabbed everyone we ever see him make plans with -Guilttripped the protagonist by faking his suicide -Helped the protagonist at the last hour during their fight against Lucilius in order to be locked into an interdimensional prison for all of eternity with the man who hates his guts, out of love for him, while the guy couldn't think of a worst way to spend eternity. -But by helping us i mean "gave us a ship, and then we learnt that he left a bomb on that ship, nearly killing us" -Has been appearing in MC's dreams regularly to manipulate them into embracing a magic that will make MC his puppet -Managed to mind control MC for long enough to have MC try to kill their soulmate. -In the spin off fighting game he mind controlled a lot of people in the same way to make them his puppets and force them to try to kill their loved ones. -He's described in the game as "Just, The Worst". -Has this for theme song and we're supposed to think it's normal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d2MHUJTciRg Personally i like him a lot because there's Layers to his depravity, mainly also that the horny feels a lot like an act some of the time, and that he's ultimately a man with intense inferiority complex and self destructive because he wants the love of his uncaring creator at all cost.

He's fairly popular in the fanbase but i've somewhat also seen a LOT of takes about how you're a bad person if you stan him. Mainly i've once seen a call out post saying all fans of Granblue Fantasy are bad because "Belial is a pedophile" quickly followed by "but i never played granblue". Like. The dude's a canon necrophile why did you need to add a crime he didn't commit on the list. (pretty sure it was on the list since he's an immortal guy who's two thousands years old who flirts with mortal people so there is Always An Age Gap but didn't he commit worse than that by now.) I've also seen some people hate him for how clingy he is to Lucilius and how he's earned all the abuse he recieves from his creator, but i don't know if those groups sweeped as low as to call his fans bad for it lmao. Oh right and once he was trending on Twitter and a lot of catholic people started to cause an outrage because "how could the youth worship the demon Belial by making him an anime boy, you're all going to hell", it was fun! There's a lot more problematic characters in the franchise that would honestly fit more to this prompt, but Belial is the only one who's popular enough to have people, even outside of the Granblue fanbase, make judgement on people who like him because he's Terrible.

pollrunner's note: belial's propaganda was all from one person and is supposed to be one big quote block but tumblr didn't like that so I had to split it up a little bit