#ymir was right

[miquella-everywhere]

So I have been avoiding Fextralife, specifically the Miquella wiki, like the plague for a long while now because, 1. Spoilers, and 2. the Miquella Comment Section, because I was afraid about what everyone(non-tumblr oriented) had to say about Miquella....

But honestly, I am pleasantly surprised to see nearly everyone is in agreement that Shadow of the Erdtree's treatment of Miquella is a blatant Retcon of his character WHICH IS EXACTLY WHAT IT IS!

I feel like I've been driving myself absolutely crazy by screaming into the void about how the DLC treats both Miquella and the base game of ER like utter shit (there are some of you who agree and ily all 😭✌️), and now, all we are left with in the DLC is an utterly shameless retcon

I honestly thought I was holding myself together pretty well inspite of knowing what was going to happen at the end of the DLC, so I didn't think that the brawl against the Miquella followers would be the thing that would break me...

But boy did it break me and so here I am:

I HATE Shadow of the Erdtree

Shadow of the Erdtree is a disconnected shameless disgraceful Retcon and I will never hold it on par with Base Game Elden Ring

I am Elden Ring's #1 Fan

I am Miquella's #1 Fan

And I am Shadow of the Erdtrees #1 Hater

I will forever DIE MAD over Miyazakis braindead treatment of Miquella and the forsaken lore of Elden Ring

But for now, rage and despair aside, here are some of my favorite comments in Miquella's Fextralife comment section:

[miquellah]

i don't think treatment of count ymir from elden ring is by any means like, a 100% solid litmus test on people's treatment of trans people/their understanding of trans experiences. but also it REALLY IS notable in the two camps of people that approach him differently

and by that i mean, at least from my own general observations: trans people seem to latch on and sympathize immediately, and cis people (especially those who are alien to trans experiences entirely) think him a total freak. and it's honestly kind of shocking when you first go in there and meet him, and you're like woah, i love this guy aw, and then you see what the general public is saying

[kdval]

And there he is: Count Ymir, da best momma in the world shadow realm UWU

[velvet-apricots]

I almost want Marika to go with Fyra into the land of shadow ngl. Marika puts on her mimic veil and just comes along in secret.

Which leads to stuff like this:

Sir Ansbach: The gateway was once the birthplace of a god. A god we know all too well.

Marika:

Hornsent Grandam: Listen, progeny of the wanton strumpet-

Marika:

Ymir: Ever-young Miquella saw things for what they were. He knew that his bloodline was tainted. His roots mired in madness-

Marika:

[fareehaandspaniards]

What are fingers? (I don't know) And another post of Ymir adoration

I'm so confused trying to realize the logic behind the existence of the Fingercreeps. We have Ymir. He's a high priest. A former follower of the Moon. A Carian - he taught young Rellana, confessed the stars and chanted them, and he is also obsessed with the Fingers (or rather, their birth). Beneath his cathedral can be found Metyr, the Mother of the Fingers. As well as under the cathedral of Manus Celes, the Two Fingers that Ranni killed.

(Also they look much more like Metyr than Two Fingers from Roundtable hold)

These cathedrals are ancientt. And the Fingers have always been there; we can tell from the name that they are cathedrals erected on the site of the Fingers. As best we can tell, High Priest Ymir is VERY closely related to the Carian sorcerers - he also has in his arsenal spell of Miriam that attacks us in the Carian library. Plus, the statue in the Carian library shows him wearing robes like Rennala's and a headdress similar to Ymir's.

But I can't understand - if the Fingers have always been around the Carian family, how could the Liurnian Wars have happened? The Liurnian Wars were a conflict between the Golden Order and the sorcerers. One didn't want to accept the laws of the other. But the Two Fingers (and other fingers) - the RETRANSLATORS of great will - have always been with the Carians? How is conflict even possible if they lived hand in hand (lol) ? Perhaps I'm just being inattentive or not remembering something? Again, like with Bloodborne, where Sky and Cosmos are different realities, then here the Moon and stars are different things. The moon (as I understood it) is a deity and something along the lines of the Great Will, the Formless Mother, etc. Stars are the course of life, the very course of fate, which Radahn sealed, and which was used by astrologers back in the days of the neighborhood with the Giants on the Mountaintops of the Giants. Ymir denied the moon, but accepted the stars. He was an ardent orator and preaches things. Also, does he long for "redemption?" But to whom and for what?

Nevertheless, Ymir embodied a true ambition to take the place of a deity in his own mind. He is the high priest of Metyr, the mother, but a far better mother in his opinion would be himself. He has gone mad for love! Yuri may have been his first heresy - an attempt to replicate the miracle of motherhood, most likely with the power of Metyr herself. More likely, having created the unsuccessful Yuri, to whom he became attached with all his soul (We never once see the Fingercreeps usually have names), and the desire to become more powerful and embrace all possible Fingercreeps at once with his love was born? In the ashes of the young Fingercreeper it is said that they love their mothers very much when they are young.

Ymir desired this love :(

But I still do not really understand the logic with Liurnian Conflict and Carians/sorcerers being so much connected with Fingers and Fingercreeps. Two Fingers and fingercreeps seems to have one bloodline, they all come from Metyr and she comes from the Greater Will.

[deathviaroses]

my girls <333

[genericpuff]

And with that, 2000 years of history and 10+ years of an animated adaption later, Attack on Titan is over.

I wasn't planning on making an essay post about this but like all of my essay posts, it got crazy out of hand, so here we are. I have a lot to say on it and the more I wrote, the more I realized exactly what the Attack on Titan finale was about. It's cathartic. It's also kind of a big shitpost but not for the reasons you might think.

Spoilers for the Attack on Titan finale ahead! CW: DISCUSSION OF WAR AND GENOCIDE AHEAD!

Now for anyone who knows what I'm about to talk about (and anyone who follows my stuff here), I'm sure you're wondering , what side do I fall on in regards to Attack on Titan's ending? Am I about to talk shit about it? It's very divisive and somewhat inconclusive. It followed the exact ending in the manga which, while expected, was still disappointing to many who had hoped the anime would take some other path.

But I have to ask, could there have been any other way?

Eren committed mass genocide, bordering on extinction of the entire human race. There was no way that he was gonna come out of it redeemed or as a hero, and he knew it. He went straight up Walter White core here and like Walter White, he is not a hero.

The fact that the Marlayans have been constantly going to war with other countries using Eldians as their personal soldiers goes to show that for countries that seek out conquest, there's no target too small or insignificant that can't be marked as an "enemy", and we see that reflected in Eren as well, in his pursuing of "freedom", an ever-moving goalpost that can never truly be satisfied.

The Jaegerists were hellbent on creating a new empire on the bloodshed of Marley - 'an eye for an eye', so to speak.

Nothing was ever going to truly satisfy either 'side' in the conflict of humanity vs. Eldians because such conflicts' origins have been obfuscated in hundreds of years of history, propaganda, and generational trauma that has repeated itself for so long that many don't even know what they're fighting for anymore, aside from one thing - that they don't want to suffer, that they shouldn't have to suffer for the actions of their ancestors, that they want peace and happiness but don't know where to start with taking the first step.

I think people are disappointed in this ending because, let's face it, it's anime, and it's an anime adaption that took years to finish. We always want to see some kind of vindication from stories like these, but I think in having vindication, it ultimately removes the point altogether of what's being said.

As much as we may try to fight it, try to deny it, the course of human history travels in a circle. Conflict will always arise. History is written by the victors, and those victors will be seen as heroes by whichever side they're fighting for regardless of what heinous acts they may have committed to justify their salvation. And after all of that conflict, regardless of the result - time goes on, and new conflicts arise.

But I don't think that means we have to succumb to grief and suffering and that's a point that I'm seeing missed in a lot of the discussion around the finale. There's a very powerful scene between Armin and Zeke, in which Armin talks about how he was born to run up the hill with Mikasa and Eren. He recognizes fully that if his life isn't meant to be long, he can still cherish those small moments that he thinks back on fondly, the moments that defined his life with the people he cared about.

And that's really all life is. Small moments and experiences that stick with us until the end. The very act of being born in and of itself is a cosmic miracle that gives us the chance to experience things that bring us joy and stay with us forever - however short or long that 'forever' may be. We take these small moments for granted when we're comfortable, but we look for them the most when we're suffering.

If I can relate all this to another piece of media that says the same thing - albeit with a much brighter ending - FF XIV: Endwalker also asks a similar question to Attack on Titan - is the only meaning in life to suffer and die? Of course, by its end, we learn that while death and suffering is an inevitable part of life - not something that should be avoided - it shouldn't persuade us to give in to fear and despair as a constant state of being. And I think Attack on Titan goes for a very similar approach, albeit slightly more as a cautionary tale - a nihilistic reminder that ultimately, the losses and victories we find in our current point of history are still just that, a single point, a blip that will be forgotten until it's ultimately repeated, and there's no escaping that.

It cautions us that freedom cannot exist without constant vigilance for war and conflict. It cautions us that our values and core beliefs for attaining freedom, love and happiness can be twisted into a weapon to cause harm, vindication gained at the cost of another. It cautions us that when left in the wrong hands, power can and will be abused by the ignorant while propagandizing itself as "the greater good".

So why not just find the joy that we can? The friendships, the little moments, the things that bring us happiness even if only temporary. Conflict is inevitable, suffering is inevitable, but that doesn't mean life isn't worth living. "Happiness" is not a tangible end point - it's the side effect of living a meaningful life that's true to yourself.

Attack on Titan is over. Some will argue the ending was the only way, others will argue that there could have been another way and that the anime adaption had the chance to change it but still didn't for reasons beyond their comprehension.

But isn't that the whole point? We'll argue. We'll bargain. Many of the arguments made will reinforce our own beliefs further rather than sway us. Many of us will insist there had to be another way, just as Armin insisted that this couldn't have been the only way, that humanity must have had another option. Meanwhile, many of us will acknowledge that at the end of the day, this is the story Isayama wanted to tell, and regardless of whether or not it makes him an idiot toying with his audience and admitting defeat by lampshading it in the penultimate scene of Eren admitting to his own idiocy, this was the power given to him and he used it in the best way he knew how.

Much like in any conflict, there's one thing that unites both sides - the human need for joy, connection, and freedom.

We might not agree on how Attack on Titan ended, but we can agree that it was a hell of a ride, and I hope we can all agree that it was worth riding, even if it wasn't satisfying for everyone in the end. It brought many people together regardless of their backgrounds, experiences, and differences, and connected them through something they all loved for over ten years. And despite how big a part of our lives it was, life will still go on, and we'll move on to other things to watch, enjoy, and argue over. Isayama will move on to whatever awaits him next, knowing fully well that his choice was his own, that he created the series he wanted to create regardless of how people feel about it. We'll all look for our own forms of joy and happiness as life moves on around us, as conflicts come and go.

Isn't that really what freedom is at the end of the day?

[scionshtola]

#ffxivbridgerton Day 3 - morning call

Corisande called on Y'shtola as she took her tea in the garden, interrupting her reading. But she put her book aside, intrigued by their arrival, and they whiled away the afternoon, engaging in spirited discussions of their favorite books.

[joogios]

The first thing I ever heard about Attack on Titan was that apparantly the fans were so mad about the ending that the mangaka actually apologised and bowed, and while I don’t truly care enough to check if this is truth it did set the stage for me, so I knew before getting into the animanga that the aot fandom in particular were gonna be pseudo-intellectual pretentious assholes but oh my godddd

[tra1nchi]

I HATE falling inlove with characters that have like two crumbs i can feed off of raaah

C..count ymir i will always be ur number one d1ckrider

[miquella-everywhere]

ngl Count Ymirs character is hilarious because it's like if they were an astrophysicist who converted to catholicism solely because they found out that the vatican has an alien in their basement and also that alien inspired them to transition

[grizabellasolo]

THINGS I HAVE LEARNED FROM ATTACK ON TITAN:

1) War is hell. This show highlights traumas, the results of war and its effects in people. It is a beautifully terrifying reminder that war affects everyone around it, not just those fighting in it.

2) QUEER PROPAGANDA and I am HERE👏FOR👏IT👏. ENBY (they/them) mad scientist type? Hange Zoe. Brooding gay? Reiner Braun. Transmasc? Armin Artlet. Problematic lesbian? Ymir. Sunshine gay? Erwin Smith.

3) To mind my own fucking business (RIP Marco).

[twpsyn-who]

Soulmate AU in which when you touch your soulmate you swap bodies. It needs to be skin on skin contact and is instant. The only way to get back in the previous body is to touch again, otherwise you're stuck like that.

No matter the body all psychological and physical damage stays with you. That means if you get hurt then swap bodies, you will still feel it despite no longer having the wounds. This is only the case of existing wounds prior to swapping ; if new wounds happen to the hurt body after the swap you won't feel them, but the person in the body when it happens will. A very complicated way of saying that you can't get away from pain by swapping bodies with your soulmate as it will follow you.

There's no known consequences to not changing bodies back once swapped, though some might get sick for a few days after swapping back if they waited a long period of time to change back (say over a month, even longer depending on individual)

Now this but, you know... JeanMarco. And of course they find out during their time in the 104th Training Corps, because there's no way their skin didn't touch at least once in +3 years of training and being as close as they are. It isn't until break when they're able to visit home that they learn what it truly means ; up until that point they used it to swap chores (is the only reason why Jean didn't try to kill Eren during their shared chores- because it was actually Marco all along). At that point they knew each other perfectly.

Of course the whole situation was a little bit awkward for both of them when returning. They probably would end up avoiding each other for a bit because teenager boys and stuff, all until someone finally got the guts to mention the tension and ask them what's wrong- which forces them to talk and stuff. Doesn't matter, this is not what I want to talk about.

But the beautiful battle of Trost and what if, hypothetical speaking of course, they touch skin after Jean gets another ODM? And they're so used with each other by now, they don't even notice until the mission is nearly done anyway. And I don't know man, the idea of Jean dying while in Marco's body? Marco (in Jean's body) saying "I need to find Marco" once the mission is a success and research for his soulmate, just for him to not find him?? Not find him until 3 days later when some of them are assigned cleaning duty in Trost and he finds his own fucking body bitten in half???

The realization that it should've been Marco who died that day, but didn't because he was in Jean's body. The realization that not only his soulmate is dead, but he's stuck living his life. He's stuck living the life Jean can't because he died in Marco's place.

SEEING YOUR DEAD SOULMATE EVERYDAY WHEN YOU LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Poor Marco would most likely avoy any reflective surface for a very long time, unable to see Jean's face looking at him.

The guilt of lying to everyone, because how does one even begin to explain what's going on? Him lying to Jean's mother to protect her from the harsh truth of the reality- that her son actually died and the one in front of her was a fake.

And the sad truth is that no one would notice because they've been doing it for months already. They knew how to act like each other to perfection. Even if Marco slipped at some point no one would question it because they got many traits from each other already.

[oddfable]

Matchup trade for @sugutoad

Attack on Titan Matchup~

I ship you with... YMIR!!!!

Not gonna lie, this was a close call. I was STUCK between two characters to pair you with, and ultimately it came down to who I believe would be more your “type” (Erwin) VS who could meet both your emotional needs (Ymir).

On the surface, Ymir comes off as rather self-centered and harsh. She doesn’t hold back on critiquing others, and the language she uses can make it feel like she is verbally attacking you. Deep down, however, Ymir is an incredibly caring person. While her delivery may lack tact, her goal of pushing others to be true and honest with themselves is genuine. Having once lived a lie for the sake of others, she wishes to save others from suffering the life she once had.

Perhaps in the beginning you'd feel slighted by her clumsy attempts at getting you to be less self-conscious. However, after growing closer and getting to know her better, I feel you would take her words less at face value and more for what they are meant to be. She would help you become more confident, and not be afraid to speak up for yourself. In turn I feel like you can help Ymir to be just a tad bit gentler with others. Just a bit.

(Also, we're just gonna ignore the fact that she's living on borrowed time and pretend she gets to live a long healthy life)

Runner-up: Erwin Smith

How you met

It was mere coincidence you two crossed paths. You had been relaxing on the patio of a tearoom, minding your own business, lost in a book. The weather was nice: sunny sky with a few clouds floating by, a cool breeze offering a reprieve of fresh air. A far-off commotion caught your interest for just a moment, before disinterest had you returning to the world recorded in black ink on creamy pages. The loud screech of a chair scrapping on cement startled you into high alert, and you looked up to find a hooded woman hunched over the other side of the table with her back to the road.

“No one’s sitting here, right?” She asks, shooting you a smile. It’s a bit of a redundant question now that she’s seated next to you. Shock briefly robs you of voice, and unable to answer any other way you simply shake your head no.

“Great!” The mysterious woman chirps, resting her cheek on her fist. Without missing a beat, she asks, “What’cha reading?” You were hesitant to answer at first. You didn’t know this woman, and to be quite frank, she was giving off shady vibes. But the politeness your parents instilled in you kicked in, and you politely answered her.

The rest of the evening passed like that, the mysterious woman pelting you with question after question. The mood shifted from awkward and tense to more relaxed and natural. You fall into a spiel where you go on and on about your thoughts on the characters, your input on the events happening in the story, and your own predictions for what is yet to come. Where once the woman was poking and probing at your thoughts with a seeming purpose, she now does it out of genuine interest and curiosity.

You two were so caught up in your own little world you missed the group of law enforcement barreling down the road in search of your mysterious new friend. It wasn’t until the sun was setting and you realized how long you’d been out that you two parted ways. You found yourself crossing paths with her numerous times after that. Too many to be coincidence, if you were completely honest with yourself. And every time you crossed paths, the two of you would wind up back at that tearoom, chatting the day away. Eventually you learned her name is Ymir.

Confession

Ymir has always been forward, though her feelings were never quite framed as serious. Up until now, you’d always take her declarations of devotion and intentions to marry as a joke.

It wasn’t until she followed you into the scouts, graduating from training and joining the Survey Corp, that she genuinely confessed her feelings to you. You two had wandered away from the mess hall into one of the woodsier areas of the training grounds.

Ymir seemed to be a bit more in her head than usual, but she responded in her usual way of teasing you with dry quips and sarcastic jokes. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

It wasn’t until you two came across a clearing that a different kind of tension developed. The dark sky was decorated with a splattering of diamond-esque stars, so deep and vast you almost feel you could fall right in. You’re staring up into the sky, mesmerized by the sight, when out of the blue you hear “I love you.” Three simple little words, ones you’ve heard from Ymir before on multiple occasions. And yet this time it feels different. There isn’t the same levity to it, no out given to brush it off as Ymir just “being Ymir”.

 Slowly you turn you head and find her staring right at you, a strangely soft look in her eyes. One that makes your stomach knot, a million butterflies fluttering about in nervous frenzy. Ymir repeats herself, voice gentle and sincere. In this moment you know she is vulnerable, being completely honest with both you and herself.

And so, you answer in kind: “I love you too.”

Headcanons

Ymir loves it when you go on one of your rambling tirades. Sometimes, she’ll bring up a random topic and try to start a debate just so she can stare at you lovingly while you go on and on. Occasionally she’ll make a quip or a tease in the middle of what you’re saying, or make a counter argument, just to make sure you don’t run out of steam.

She HAAATTEESSS that you hesitate to ask for something you want or need, and that you fear being seen as selfish for it. Ymir is all about being true to one’s self and not holding back from even the most selfish of desires. If she notices you hesitating to speak up on something you need, she’ll call you out and then ask for it in your stead.  

Ymir shares your love language of physical touch, and she gives such signs of affection to you freely. Even before becoming “official”, Ymir would often sling an arm around your shoulders and press you nice and snug against her side. Hugs and kisses are also given freely. She is a HUGE cuddler. When sleeping, she'll wrap herself around you like an octopus an act like a second blanket. Sometimes she'll murmur in her sleep, and you'll be giggling all night at the imaginary arguments she has in her dreams.

3 Ship Tropes

Sarcastic bastard with a heart of gold (Ymir) x Shy sweet pea (You)

“I will die for you” (Ymir) x “I will not let you die, I will not let myself die, we will survive at any cost” (you)

Friends to lovers

Family & Children

Ymir strikes me as something of a fence-sitter who leans more towards being child free. Despite her inner caring nature, Ymir's previous life as a false descendant of “Goddess Ymir” would make her hesitant to take up something as important as raising a child. A lot of self-sacrifice and giving needs to go into it child-rearing, both of which would make Ymir grow nervous and antsy. It would take someone special to get her thinking about having little tots of her own.

Ultimately, I believe Ymir would feel safe and comfortable enough with you to give in to the call to parenthood.

Initially you both intended to adopt only one child. However, after coming across a small group of ragtag siblings, you and Ymir fell in love with the little trio. Not having the heart to separate them, you and Ymir took all three into your home and raised them as your own.

Joanne Lee: A curious girl with wavy dark brown hair and bright brown eyes. She is the oldest of the siblings, and a bit of a know-it-all book worm. She can go on for hours and hours, asking silly questions and reciting interesting trivia she learned in school or from books. Joanne takes her role as the oldest sibling very seriously. She prides herself as something of a leader for the other two, a role model so to speak, and does her best to set a good example for them. As such, it is much to her dismay that her little brother constantly finds himself getting into trouble, often unintentionally dragging her into his hairy schemes as well.

Zachary Lee: The middle child, and the only boy out of the three. He has dark brown hair, large brown eyes, freckles and a perpetual pout.  Zachary can be a bit of a hothead at times and is quite protective, those two traits of his leading him into a lot of trouble. His irritation with Joanne’s constant mothering leads him to squabble with his older sister quite a lot.

Marina Lee: Sweet little Marina, with her wavy brown hair and big hazel eyes, is the youngest of the three. She is also the quietest, and far smaller than most her age. She can most often be found tailing Joanne or Zachary, hiding behind their legs. It takes her a moment to warm up to others, but when she does, she’s the sweetest little thing. Whether it be a flower, a pretty pebble she found, or a picture she drew, little Marina loves to give gifts.

Best Friend

The sweetest cinnamon roll who will kill you (not without good reason... probably). Armin is a gentle and inquisitive soul. I feel as though his warm nature and unorthodox way of thinking would help you feel comfortable, like you can easily let loose and unveil your thoughts openly without judgement.

His boundlessly curiosity would have him engage in long conversations with you that could last for hours. If he were to see your mind go blank, he'd do his best to help fill in the gap and figure out what it is you're trying to think of.

I feel like you two would be like two peas in a pod.

[fareehaandspaniards]

This is you and Count Ymir

I am sorry what?? Jara I can see only you and Patches lol Is this some kind of bald joke that I am too hairy to understand??

[mindsafe]

shitty headcanons || ymir

modern AU! the music video for misery business by par.amore was her gay awakening; side note* she's a huge par.amore girlie

modern AU! speaking of gay, one time she convinced poor conny that there was a tax for being heterosexual during pride month - he believed her && gave her $20

she cuts her own hair && has been doing it for long enough that it looks good

amazing at pool!! do NOT challenge her!! you WILL lose your money && remaining dignity!!

excels at poverty meals!! that shit's an art form && she's weirdly resourceful in a kitchen when in a bind!! you say there's nothing to eat - she proves you wrong && it tastes incredible!!

dog lover ( don't tell anyone or else )

surprisingly doesn't hate kids!! she thinks they're funny && respects them!! do NOT let her babysit your precious angel though - she will teach them their first swear word && laugh about it

extremely perceptive!! it's scary!! she could use her powers for good && help others, but blackmail is so much more fun + lucrative

she doesn't get sick often but when she does she's insufferable && makes it everyone's problem!!

lactose intolerant : (

modern AU! she would sell “ weed ” to dem kids as a teenager ( it's actually oregano // she keeps the good shit to herself, duh )

modern AU! first “ real ” job was in retail ( fashion ) but she got fired almost right away after a customer asked her how they looked && she was a bit too honest - told them they look like a thumb wrapped in cheap polyester