#...topic would even be conducive

[renthony]

Discussions of what "counts" as "canon" queer representation fall apart the second you start talking about media older than about five years or so. If your only metric for "canon queerness" is a character looking directly into the camera and explaining their identity in specific, modern, US-American-English terminology, you're not going to get a good picture of what queer media looks like. If your barometer for what counts as "canon" requires two characters of the same gender to kiss on-screen, you're not going to get a good picture of what queer media looks like.

Dr. Septimus Pretorius (portrayed by Ernest Thesiger in 1935's Bride of Frankenstein) was never going to look directly into the camera and explain his sexuality in 2024 terms, but he remains an icon in queer media history. You cannot look at that character (blatantly queer-coded in the manner of the time, played by a queer man in a film directed by another queer man) and tell me that he isn't a part of queer media history.

To be honest, even when discussing modern queer media, I would argue that the popular idea of what "counts" as "canon" is very narrow and flawed. I've seen multiple posts in the past few days that say the Nimona movie is "implied" trans representation, and I just...no, y'all, it's not "implied," it's an allegory. The entire damn movie is about transgender struggle, and the original comic is deeply tied into N.D. Stevenson's own queer journey. It isn't subtle. You cannot look at that movie and pretend that it isn't about trans struggle. It's blatant, and to say that Nimona "isn't canonically trans" is a take that misses the story's entire message, and the blatant queerphobia that almost kept the movie from happening. (I wrote a five thousand word essay about the topic.)

Queer themes, queer coding, queer exploration, and queer representation can all exist in a piece of media that doesn't seem to have "canon queer characters" on the surface. Most queer characters are never going to be able to explicitly state their specific identity labels, be it due to censorship or just due to the fact that scenes like that don't fit in some narratives. Some stories aren't conducive to a big "so what's your identity?" scene.

Explicit, undeniable, "this is my identity in no uncertain terms" scenes are very important and radical, and I'm not saying they shouldn't ever exist. I am saying that you can't consider those scenes the only way for queerness in a piece of media to be "canon."

[sofiemystique]

The After Effects of Gingerwort Tea

A little jealous Emmrich and fluff for ya.

Emmrich had been attempting to read the same page of his book for the last half hour but between his mind wandering on how Allette and Davrin's little picnic was going coupled with Johanna's incessant tittering and jibes, he was feeling the hint of a headache encroaching. With a resigned sigh he closed the book, Johanna snerking at him. Allette had told him of the picnic first, wanted to reassure him it was not romantic, it was a check in coupled with Antoine and Evka asking her to please make sure Davrin was okay. They had jaunted off to Arlathan before and it was no different than when she was with any other team member. When they had shared that kiss in the garden and she had reciprocated his feelings, he had never expected jealousy to also rear it's ugly head along side all the other emotions. Davrin was strapping, quite handsome, and very strong. He'd seen Allette carried in his arms as if she was nothing but a feather as he still wielded his sword. And Davrin had even patted him on the back one morning in the kitchens, congratulating Emmrich on getting the girl. Emmrich had sputtered out a thank you unsure if the warden had been prodding at him again or if it was sincere.

He shook his head. These thoughts were not conducive to any sort of peace of mind. And if there was going to be any sort of future with Rook, he needed to trust her. As a show of good faith he had helped Davrin prepare some truffle wort tea. Maybe he could brew some for his own personal observation and experiment, see if there was truly magical properties. It might help ease his mind until they returned.

The kettle was placed over the fire and Emmrich stood watching the flames, his mind still wandering into dangerous territory. "Focus Volkarin," Johanna's skull screeched at him with a cackle. "You're going to set yourself and the whole place on fire if you keep that up. Then I'll be left to deal with your ignorant, insufferable roommates."

With a growl Emmrich waved his hand, casting a silence ward over her. He couldn't hear her but the way the skull emanated a darker green hue and vibrated let him know she was most displeased. Good. Someone else needed to suffer alongside him. How long would they be gone? What if there were Venatori? Or an artifact that was misaligned and corrupting the fabrics….

Allette was strong and a very powerful mage in her own right. An impressively devout Mourn Watcher to for her time away from the order as well. She'd been more than adequate at managing problems as they arose. And Davrin was there with her. They would be perfectly fine.

But what if he kissed her?

Emmrich couldn't get the thought out of his head. The way her lips had been so soft, parting in an invitation for his tongue to lightly introduce itself to her own and stroke her mouth in gentle exploration. Maybe he should've been more aggressive, less docile. He could've held her waist a little tighter, put his hand up as if it was a necklace adorning her. Maybe that was how she liked things, they hadn't really had an opportunity to discuss that specific topic. Though she was not stingy with the little pecks and kisses she left on his cheek and mouth. And his lips had become quite familiar with the curve of her forehead.

The kettle whistled shrilly, though Emmrich was unable to hear it through the thick, gloomy thoughts torturing his mind. Instead of his arms wrapped around her, it was Davrin's muscled ones, him laughing in her ear as she giggled, cheeks flushing. Davrin's lips discovering the skin of her neck, trailing kisses down lower and lower…

"EMMRICH!?" the yell pulled Emmrich from the abyss he had been unceremoniously spiraling towards. Turning his head, he found Davrin standing in the entrance to his lab. "You…ok?" the warden questioned, his eyes dropping to Emmrich's hands and back up to his face, concern laced with fear was present in the dark eyes.

Emmrich realized his fists were balled and soft green wisps of magic. He suspected due to the stinging in his eyes that they were glowing green and Davrin, from the looks of the warden, was considering the possibility he was possessed. Breathing in slowly, trying to get the image of Davrin on top of Allette out of his mind, Emmrich blinked. "What's the matter?"

"It's Rook."

The world seemed to suddenly lack air. No longer was it Davrin's lips on her body, but gaping wounds, blood spilling out, her heartbeat going slower and slower still.

"She's fine Emmrich, she's just, ah," the warden rubbed his face, trying to figure out the best way to explain, "a little incapacitated."

Emmrich could only blink, confusion blooming on his face. "Do explain."

"The gingerwort tea you made. She was sensitive, but she insisted on drinking two cups. She's in her room, but I thought maybe you might want to check in on her. Especially with all the wisps flocking that way," Davrin quickly said.

More surprise and strange shock. "Wisps?"

Davrin turned and motioned for Emmrich to follow. Pulling the kettle from the fire before he followed the warden, Emmrich was not prepared for the site he beheld out in the library. Sure enough, there were dozens of wisps, flocking towards Allette's room, chittering giddily.

"Oh my," Emmrich murmured. They weren't malcontent or insidious in their formations, that was a relief. Instead, they were laughing, squealing with delight, as they trailed towards Rook's quarters. "Thank you Davrin. I will check on her."

Davrin clapped a hand on his shoulder. "You have fun with that." And the warden was walking down the library stairs, making a quick exit. A few straggling wisps followed Emmrich as he made his way down the hallway towards Rook's door. It was not fully shut, and though Emmrich gave a soft knock, he knew it wouldn't be heard given Rook's pealing laughter and the wisps chittering echoing.

Inside he didn't see Rook, but there was a glowing magic orb twirling in front of the fish tank - fish and wisps alike chasing it and Allette's pleased laughter filling the chamber. Suddenly the orb disappeared, fish and wisp alike seemed to be looking, waiting expectantly and once again it reappeared but in a different location and they were off chasing the thing again. He moved around the book shelf and the chase to find her sitting on the ground, leaning against the green couch in naught but her small clothes grinning wildly at the scene she was creating.

"Rook?" Emmrich ventured a soft greeting.

Her head turned towards him. "Emmrich! Hi!" She blinked a couple times, suddenly taking note of her hand. "I think the gingerwort tea affected me more than I realized." Another giggle escaped past her lips. "Oh dear. This is almost as bad as the time Corina convinced me to try a crypt shroom. Miri, Portia and I sat on top of the Gardens Wall laughing at the wisps for hours. They kept playing with our hair and would tickle the back of our necks." She snapped her fingers, the glowing orb disappearing leaving the wisps waiting in anticipation.

Emmrich was relieved to see she was unharmed, mostly, but she shouldn't be alone while she was under the influence. He didn't know the effects gingerwort tea would have or how long they would last. He should make a note for future reference. Her eyes were gleaming in the cool light reflecting from the aquarium, her pupils so dilated that he could barely see the beautiful lilac of her eyes. And she looked him with naught but affection. There was joy there at seeing him, though he knew later she would most likely be embarrassed at her current state.

"Would you sit with me, I promise I'm not teasing them. I can hear them, I think," Allette said, her head turning back to the wisps and fish. "They came when I was playing with the fish and then the wisps started laughing and singing? I can't quite understand like you do, but I got feelings of their emotions more clearly than usual."

"Really? That's fascinating," Emmrich lowered himself to the ground sitting beside her. "I wonder what else gingerwort will do to those sensitive?"

"I am most definitely far too hot," Allette supplied. "I should apologize for my appearance. You've seen me like this before. All though we weren't…uh…together…" Suddenly she snapped her fingers and the orb was back, the wisps were squealing chasing it alongside the fish. Emmrich didn't need to look at her to know her cheeks were flushed.

Without warning her head came to rest on his shoulder, and she gave a great sigh. "It feels almost like I am drunk but my mind isn't fuzzy. I feel more attuned to the Fade. The vibrations and the flow, I am able to feel them in my body all while sitting here. The wisps little chitters make sense in my head." She gave another giggle, the sound making Emmrich's body grow warm. "This is for your notes I know you are cataloging in your mind."

He couldn't help but smile, bringing his arm around her drawing her in closer. Feeling her close to him, snuggled into his side eased some of the earlier tension his mind had plagued upon him. "How well you know me, darling." Upon the top of her head he placed a gentle kiss. She smelled like Arthalan, a hint of magic with the touch of the wild earth that lived in those forests. "How was your picnic?"

"I think Davrin needs to get out more, get away from his own thoughts. Him and Taash going to go break something or kill some monsters together would be beneficial - to both of them," Allette mused. "Create a friendly competition who can bring back the most heads of darkspawn or something." She paused before adding, "Not really bring back the heads, I definitely don't want that mess here at the light house and the caretaker might actually throw me over the side of their barge."

Emmrich chuckled and they settled into a comfortable silence, his fingers stroking along her arm and the wisps playing. "Yes, but did you have fun, other than getting high off gingerwort tea?"

"Hey!" Her hand swatted at his leg before they both laughed. She readjusted herself and sighed. "I did. I saw a spot when we were hiking along that I thought would be nice for a more romantic picnic. I'd like to show you one of these days if we get a free moment."

He couldn't immediately respond. Of course she had been thinking of him, wanting to share with him. Feelings of shame bubbled up immediately replacing the jealousy. Caring for her was truly turning him into a besotted fool. And yet, holding her there, watching the fish and the wisps, there wasn't anywhere else he could think that he wanted to be.

"That sounds lovely, my dear."

"Oh good," Allette breathed. Her body seemed to relax and curl into him even more, if that was possible. Emmrich's hand around her arm squeezed in a comforting way. They sat in silence with each other, content, the laughter from the wisps the only echo in the room.

One by one the wisps decided they had had enough play and floated away. "Probably heading back to Neve," laughed Allette softly. She sounded as if she was on the cusp of sleep, her body leaning more heavily onto him.

"Dearest let's have you lay down on your chaise." He got her upright though she was quickly succumbing to sleep, her eyelids closing as if being pulled down. Once Allette was laying curled on her side, Emmrich brushed the stray hair from her face before placing his lips on her temple. "Sweet dreams, my darling Rook."

"Don't go." It was a whisper and her hand reached up for his. "Please stay with me."

In that moment, Emmrich wouldn't tell her no. If he was honest, he wasn't ready to be done holding her close. He was laying himself down next to her before his own brain registered that's what his body was doing. Once on his back, she snuggled into his side, laying her head on his chest, just below his chin as his arms wrapped around her. Another gentle kiss was placed upon her the top of her head. He did so much love how she felt in his arms, it was a nigh perfect fit.

How would she feel under…

A soft snore broke through his very ungentlemanly thoughts. "Sweet dreams, Allette." His head turned to look over at the fish who were swimming in their lazy circles. The orb had long since dissipated. There was only a handful of wisps floating, curious about the fish now and observing through the glass. His fingers absently stroked the hair that fell down along her back and he sighed.

All that worrying for nothing. Emmrich knew in his heart she would always return to him. And that she was steadily opening up the parts of his heart he thought locked forever.

"My darling Rook," Emmrich whispered, before closing his eyes.

[haggishlyhagging]

This introduction can serve as a working sheet for a beginning consciousness raising group.

The typical consciousness-raising group is composed of six to twelve women who meet on an average of once a week. Groups larger than ten or twelve are less conducive to lengthy personal discussion and analysis. The consciousness-raising process is one in which personal experiences, when shared, are recognized as a result not of an individual's idiosyncratic history and behavior, but of the system of sex-role stereotyping. That is, they are political, not personal, questions.

Generally consciousness-raising groups spend from three to six months talking about personal experiences and then analyzing those experiences in feminist terms. Thereafter they often begin working on specific projects including such activities as reading, analyzing and writing literature; abortion law repeal projects; setting up child care centers; organizing speak-outs (rape, motherhood, abortion, etc.) ; challenging sex discrimination in employment, education, etc.

The following is a list of topic areas generally discussed. Although listed by week, they are not in any particular order, nor is it necessary to rigidly adhere to a one-week/one-topic schedule. The questions are examples of the kinds of areas that can be explored.

Week 1 GENERAL: What are some of the things that got you interested in the women's movement?

Week 2 FAMILY: Discuss your parents and their relationship to you as a girl (daughter). Were you treated differently from brothers or friends who were boys?

Week 3 FAMILY: Discuss your relationships with women in your family.

Week 4 CHILDHOOD AND ADOLESCENCE: Problems of growing up as a girl. Did you have heroines or heros? Who were they? What were your favorite games? How did you feel about your body changing at puberty?

Week 5 MEN: Discuss your relationships with men-friends, lovers, bosses—as they evolved. Are there any recurring patterns?

Week 6 MARITAL STATUS: How do (or did) you feel about being single? Married? Divorced? What have been the pressures—family, social— on you?

Week 7 MOTHERHOOD: Did you consider having children a matter of choice? Discuss the social and personal pressures you may have felt to become a mother. What have been your experiences and thoughts regarding such issues as child care, contraception and abortion?

Week 8 SEX: Have you ever felt that men have pressured you into having sexual relationships? Have you ever lied about orgasm?

Week 9 SEX: Sex objects-When do you feel like one? Do you want to be beautiful? Do you ever feel invisible?

Week 10 WOMEN: Discuss your relationships with other women. For example, have you ever felt competitive with other women for men? Have you ever felt attracted to another woman?

Week 11 BEHAVIOR: What is a "nice girl"? Discuss the times you have been called selfish. Have you ever felt that you were expected to smile even when you didn't feel like it?

Week 12 AGE: How do you feel about getting old? Your mother getting old? What aspects of aging do you look forward to? Fear? Do you think it is a different problem for men and women?

Week 13 AMBITIONS: What would you most like to do in life? How does being a woman affect that?

Week 14 MOVEMENT ACTIVITY: What are some of the things you would like to see the women's movement accomplish?

-‘Consciousness Raising’ in Radical Feminism, Koedt et al (eds.)

[3-why-am-i-here-3]

Venting about the discourse regarding Gwen and her relationship to Miles in this fandom, not because I think it will do any good, but because i just want to say it.

What happened between Miles and Gwen in ATSV and the consequential fallout opened the door for some very interesting discourse. Discussions can be had about the events leading up to Gwen's blunders, whether she can earn forgiveness, and how these things will affect Mile's relationship with her, as well as how these types of situations play out in real relationships. These discussions have been happening to an extent, but not in a way that is conducive to good discourse.

What often keeps people from healthy discussion of these topics is the many different interpretations of Gwen; specifically the very polarized opinions people have of her. Some believe what she has done should never be forgiven, while others believe she has done nothing wrong to begin with.

I fall somewhere in the middle; I like Gwen, and I hope she is redeemed in the next movie, but I also acknowledge that she does need redemption. Obviously, you can like Gwen; you can also dislike her, but there is nothing wrong with either. What I see a lot of, though, are people who like or dislike her to the point of mischaracterization.

I believe there is room for interpretation of her character, but there does come a point where it becomes illogical. For example, some people who dislike Gwen will make her out to be completely evil, and the sole reason for every bad thing that happened to Miles. Others who do like her will paint her as a martyr and a saint. Neither are true. Gwen is a teenage girl who was caught between a rock and a hard place. She messed up and needs to work to earn her forgiveness. Both these statements are true, but depending on which side of the debate people fall on, they will only believe one or the other.

People don't (or won't) seem to understand that Gwen (and her situation) were nuanced. It is not black or white, but some shade of grey. And maybe you're reading this and thinking, "duh," but even if many people know this, they don't act like it. I'm not saying you can't criticize or praise Gwen, but I see people get so caught up in either blasting or defending her that it destroys any opportunity for an actual good discussion. I think Gwen's character is complex, and that's why I like her so much. I love it when characters accidently pave the road to hell with the best intentions, and I love seeing discourse about what they did wrong and what they did right. All this fandom does, however, is wage wars over whether Gwen is a demon or an angel at the expense of her character and Miles', for that matter.

I also see so many people engaging with content that would be better ignored. I can't stress this enough: if there is a user saying something that you don't like and it's not harmful to you or anyone else, then unless you intend to respectfully give your opinion in a way that's conducive to productive converstaion, DO NOT ENGAGE! Block them, report them, whatever, just don't interact. I see so many people in the comments of posts that they simply disagree with being disrespectful to the poster or anyone who agrees with them. What's even more infuriating is when the post is obvious rage bait. I've seen so many rage bait posts about Gwen trying to ignite either side of the debate over her character and they always get what they want: a bunch of people arguing in the replies.

It's such a shame because this could have produced some great conversations, but people have instead faught over it. It all comes down to a lack of nuanced opinions of a nuanced character, in my opinion. I'm hoping BTSV will calm people down and maybe then there will be room for more respectful conversation, but right now? It's a war zone and I want no part of it.

TL:DR: People who don't understand nuance and only deal in absolutes have made this fandom a lot less fun.

[kiki-smith21]

An Invitation to Sanctuary

Wednesday Addams x Autistic Fem Reader

A/N: This is my first fanfic, and any feedback would be appreciated. Let me know if you want a part 5. (I am actually autistic, so this is mostly based off the symptoms I show, but if you have any typical symptoms of autism you wish for me to add to the story later let me know and I'll try my best. Please be respectful to all, and remember to drink water and look after yourself, cuties❤️)

Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 5

Summary: In an attempt to help Wednesday escape the discomforts of her dorm, the reader offers her space to Wednesday.

The bond between you and Wednesday had strengthened with each passing day. What began as shared moments in the library had blossomed into a deep, unspoken connection. You found comfort in her presence, and she seemed to find solace in yours. The quiet evenings spent together had become a cherished routine.

One evening, after another fulfilling session of working on a puzzle and discussing a particularly intriguing book, you noticed a rare hint of frustration on Wednesday's face. It was subtle, but it was there—an unusual crack in her usual facade of calm.

"You seem troubled," you said softly, glancing up from the puzzle pieces scattered on the table.

Wednesday sighed, closing her book with a soft thud. "Enid is hosting a sleepover in our dorm tonight. It’s... noisy. Not exactly conducive to the tranquility I prefer."

You knew Enid's sleepovers were often lively affairs, a stark contrast to Wednesday's quiet nature. The idea of her enduring that chaos while you enjoyed your peaceful library sessions seemed unjust.

A thought occurred to you, and with a sudden burst of courage, you spoke up. "If you need a quiet place to escape the noise, you’re welcome to come to my dorm. It’s much quieter, and I have an extra bed."

Wednesday’s dark eyes met yours, a mixture of surprise and curiosity evident in her gaze. "Your dorm?"

"Yes," you said, nodding. "It’s one of the few single rooms on campus. It was meant to be a double or even a triple, so there are two spare beds. It’s spacious and quiet—perfect for escaping the noise."

There was a brief pause, as if Wednesday was considering the offer, weighing the potential benefits. Finally, she nodded, a faint smile touching her lips. "I appreciate the offer. It seems preferable to enduring the cacophony of Enid’s gathering."

With a sense of relief, you packed up your things and together you walked to your dorm. The evening air was cool, and the quiet of the campus felt oddly comforting. When you arrived at your dorm, you unlocked the door and led Wednesday inside.

The room was large and airy, with a cozy feel that contrasted sharply with the busy, communal spaces of Nevermore. You gestured to the two spare beds, each neatly made and inviting.

"Feel free to make yourself comfortable," you said. "I’ll get some refreshments."

Wednesday nodded, her gaze moving around the room with a rare sense of appreciation. You quickly set up a tray with some tea and snacks, placing it on the small table between the beds.

When you returned, Wednesday was sitting on one of the beds, her posture relaxed. You sat down beside her, a comfortable silence settling over the room.

"This is... surprisingly pleasant," Wednesday admitted, taking a sip of the tea you’d prepared. "I hadn’t expected to find such comfort in a dorm room."

You smiled, feeling a warmth in your chest at her words. "I’m glad you think so. I figured it would be a nice escape from the usual chaos."

As the evening wore on, you both settled into a more relaxed atmosphere. You continued to chat softly about various topics, occasionally glancing at the books and puzzles you had brought along. The conversation flowed easily, punctuated by comfortable pauses that spoke of a deepening trust and understanding.

Eventually, you both decided to turn in for the night. As you prepared to go to bed, Wednesday’s hand brushed against yours, a gentle touch that sent a reassuring warmth through you.

"Thank you," she said quietly. "This has been a welcome reprieve."

You met her gaze, feeling a profound connection in the simplicity of the moment. "Anytime. I’m glad I could offer a little peace."

With the lights dimmed and the room enveloped in a peaceful quiet, you both settled into your respective beds. The comfort of having Wednesday there, away from the noise and chaos, added a new layer of tranquility to your evening.

The shared experience of a quiet night, devoid of the usual disturbances, further cemented the bond between you. It was a small gesture, but one that carried significant meaning—a testament to the growing trust and affection that had developed between you both.

And so, in the calm of the night, with the gentle hum of the campus at rest, the sanctuary of your dorm became a place of shared peace and unspoken understanding. It was a reflection of the comfort and support that had become central to your growing relationship with Wednesday.

[catadromously]

please tell me more about the alterhuman thing in your recent post (whether your experience or things in general) if you are comfortable! i would love to know more. i know very little about it other than some brief descriptions from impersonal online sources, but the way your blog mentions tiny things here and there like blurring human/animal divisions, or conscious/nonliving or even tangible/conceptual things makes me feel seen, so i imagine the alterhuman topic would not be so foreign a concept to me or other tumblr users in this sort of niche :)

no indeed! alterhumanity is a term encompassing nonhuman identities of all sorts; most well-known are probably the -kin people with specific creature identities, but the umbrella is wide. my experience is not otherkin and I have no specific nonhuman being to point to. I'm simply nonhuman in general. I just am. I'm an Entity, Creature, Visitor, Other, and have been my whole life.

alterhumanity can also involve partial (or, uh, altered) human identity, and thus, like a fair few other alterhumans out there, I see myself as partially - or at least functionally - human as well! I understand myself alongside "disguised as human" or "chosen human" or "caught between worlds" narratives; as long as I can remember I've felt this ... almost painful seen-ness and protectiveness over those sorts of characters when I encounter them in fiction. I think the best label description of my alterhumanity is generally nonhuman and Chimera or Chosen Human archetrope. archetropy my beloved...

now I do know exactly why I'm like this, and yes, it is the autism. big shocker. I'm sure I'll see some fellow autistics nodding along when I say that for many and multifarious reasons my experience of the world, through most of life, was not conducive to the formation of a human self-identity. simple as that. that's psychological alterhumanity for you, babey! sometimes it's felt practical, sometimes deeply painful and othering, but now, after a whole damn lot of Stuff and Happenings, I find it freeing. I've made the choice to embrace and embody my alterhumanity and my position as a Visitor and Chimera to the human sphere. I like it here. I'm here to stay, in my Other self, in my beloved improbable human life. I am cringe, yes, and I am free.

sometimes I run across people complaining about alterhumans (and especially -kin) as some kind of deeply embroiled online-exclusive microphenomenon, and I have to laugh a little. you know, all of these people probably already know someone like me, just out here chugging along in our normal-ass lives, being creatures. we're elders and children, we have families and friends and careers, we can be super obvious about our identities, or nonchalant, or secretive. we're everywhere!

if you've got an alterhuman in your life, say hi to them for me today, ok? tell them an internet stranger wants them to know they're never alone in this.

<3

[writing-for-life]

Dream’s Therapist

Emotions

I have prepared for today’s session with going over previous notes. I decided to carefully delve deeper into the topic of the client’s own perceived emotional detachment that is so visibly not the case (he feels very clearly, even if he occasionally pretends he doesn’t. We have made some progress in last week’s session that I would like to build on).

The client is on time again (well, slightly early). When he comes into my office, the coat stays on this time. I don’t engage in small talk, as it seems his perceived preference.

DT: How has the thinking and journaling gone since last week? How have you been feeling over all?

Dream (He sits straight as an arrow and doesn’t look at me): I don't feel. I exist. Emotions are for mortals.

DT (I admit to myself that I am a tad disappointed. For him. I thought we were making progress, but it seems we are back to square one): I see. Have you been journaling, as suggested?

Dream (I notice a sigh I can only interpret as dejected): Yes. I did peruse the infernal book. “Dear Diary, a star died. It was mildly annoying.”

DT (I cannot help but think there is more to this than meets the eye and proceed with caution): I guess annoyance is a feeling?

Dream (I notice his stare is even more vacant than usual): I don't feel. The star had unresolved issues.

DT (I notice he projects and is trying to deflect at the same time): We are not talking about the star’s issues though, are we? We are talking about whatever has been going on with you, either over the past week or in general.

Dream: Not today. (The way he purses his lips is reminiscent of someone who has sucked on a lemon, and I get the feeling today’s session will be… difficult. I decide to change tack and revisit the topic dreams and nightmares since he opened, and lightened, up about them the last time.)

DT: Is there anything else you would rather talk about? Your nightmares? Your dreams?

Dream: I don't dream. I weave tapestries of existential dread.

DT (It’s really going backwards now): And what do these tapestries tell you?

Dream (I notice he crosses one leg over the other and leans back in his chair. Not without also crossing his arms in front of his chest): That my thread count is impeccable.

DT (I notice extreme defensiveness and decide on a different course of action): Are you open to trying an exercise?

Dream (I notice the eye-roll): If I must.

DT: There are no “musts” in here. You either decide to give it a shot or you don’t.

Dream (And there is the exhale through his nose): Fine.

DT: Okay. I’d like you to get comfortable in your chair…

Dream (I notice he moves around on his sitbones a bit): Your chairs are not very conducive to comfort.

DT (The chairs are actually very comfortable. He just decided they’re not comfortable for him because he doesn’t want them to be): Get as comfortable as possible then. (I notice some further shuffling, and when he finally settles, his legs are not crossed anymore. His arms, however, stay firmly crossed in front of his chest). If it’s comfortable for you, close your eyes.

Dream: What if it is not?

DT: In that case, keep them open. (I notice he keeps on staring at me, so I decide to just proceed): I’d like you to bring up a kitten playing with a ball of yarn in your mind.

Dream (He actually snorts. I am briefly confused at the unexpected display of amusement. He blinks slowly.): Really?

DT (I mirror his blink): Really.

Dream (He unexpectedly closes his eyes. A brief silence ensues): I can see it. The kitten's existential crisis is palpable.

DT: What else do you sense or feel?

Dream (I notice he opens his eyes and just stares at me. Again…) I feel nothing. Perhaps the kitten should consider therapy, not I.

DT (I decide to call things by their name): What do you think makes you avoid being vulnerable? Around anyone, but specifically around me? (He looks at the paperweight on my desk. I ignore it. The silence lasts for three minutes.) You don’t have to be here if you prefer not to, but you are taking these sessions for a reason. Can you verbalise that reason for me again? (I notice he mumbles something indistinguishable while looking at his boots.) Pardon?

Dream (He looks out the window, clearly avoiding eye-contact, and raises his voice ever so slightly.) I feel uninspired.

DT (I withstand the temptation to point out that he just admitted he feels): And would you like any type of support with feeling more inspired again, or do you think you will be able to solve the issue yourself?

Dream (He looks at me again. Barely. With a dipped chin and through his lashes.): I might appreciate your… expertise.

DT: The delusional one?

Dream (I notice he smiles. A small smile, but it is the first one that is clearly identifiable as such): That, too.

DT: Okay, then let’s keep going and dig a bit deeper. Without deflection and changing the topic—do you think you can do that?

Dream (I notice the smile disappears): I might try.

DT (I nod towards the paperweight): Can you try to pick it up? (He picks it up hesitantly.) No, I said, “Can you try to pick it up.” (He puts it down again and looks confused.) Try again. (He lifts it once more and holds on to it this time.) So did you try, or did you pick it up?

Dream (I notice his eyebrows are knotted so tightly I start to feel sorry for him.): I picked it up?

DT: Right. There is doing or not doing. There is no “trying”. You do something, or you don’t. You trust me or you don’t. Both is fine. You do it, or you don’t. You stop to deflect to get out of discomfort, or you don’t. You pick up the paperweight, or you don’t. It’s always your choice, but it’s a choice you make.

Dream (I notice he stares at me, then the paperweight): I… chose to pick up the weight, and I shall hold on to it for a while.

DT: Good. Let's keep going then. Tell me about your relationships.

Dream (I notice his eyes darting at me quicker than the speed of light. I also notice the paperweight moves in his hands. The silence lasts for seven minutes. He holds on to the paperweight very tightly for a moment and then begins to speak): I had relationships of a romantic nature. To hold on to them has proven to be impossible.

DT: Any idea as to why?

Dream (I notice his voice is very quiet): Because my… feelings (he looks at me briefly before he turns his attention to the paperweight again) are complicated, and they tend to scatter like cosmic dust.

DT: I’ve noticed you like to speak in metaphor…

Dream: As do you.

DT: Do I?

Dream: Sometimes.

DT: And does speaking like that, or being spoken to that way, make things easier for you?

Dream: Yes and no.

DT: Explain the no.

Dream: Perhaps I… would appreciate a more direct approach. But it makes me uncomfortable nonetheless.

DT: Discomfort isn’t always a bad thing. If you stay comfortable all the time, nothing changes.

Dream (I notice a sound not unlike a wince): I do not change.

DT: I am aware I asked this before, but why are you here then?

Dream (I notice he turns the paperweight in his hands): Because I feel like the kitten.

DT (I need a hot second to remember): You feel you have an existential crisis?

Dream (He stays quiet for seven minutes again. I wonder if he is actually counting seconds in his head): I might have diversified into a certain sense of ennui. (I notice he smiles briefly, but it actually looks weary.)

DT: Any idea as to why that is? Or what might provide relief? (I notice he stares intently at the paperweight again) Why the paperweight?

Dream (He reflexively puts it back on my desk): It reminds me of things.

DT: Good memories or bad?

Dream: Perhaps both (I notice his eyes disengage, and he vacantly stares out the window again.)

DT: Is it something you wish to talk about?

Dream (He looks at me again): I trust our time is up?

DT: No. But if you feel the need to leave, that’s okay. I’d just like to encourage you to think about whether your ennui is as practised as your avoidance.

Dream (He gets up and looks down at me in a fairly disgruntled way): Perhaps you might reflect whether your persistence is annoying.

DT: Well, you’re not paying me to humour you, are you?

Dream (I notice he seems to think for a second, and inexplicably, his face lightens up. If that’s possible at all, because his expressions hover on the micro-spectrum): Perhaps you do humour me. (I wonder if he is actually smiling again or just looks mildly pissed off.)

DT: I suggest I might be the wrong person if you are looking for entertainment. But if you are committed enough to this, I will use ink in my diary again and see you next week. Same time.

Dream (I notice he definitely smiles this time): If the universe doesn't implode by then. (The smile vanishes as quickly as it has appeared, and I am left mildly concerned he might actually believe that’s a possibility.)

After he has left, I begin to write down further notes. Something catches my eye. It looks like sparkly dust suspended in mid-air. I have a lot of questions…

< Previous Session

Next Session >

[proshippers-against-censorship]

I’m gonna be completely honest I’m a little baked so apologies if I make no sense

I would just like to start with I am a very big fan of dark fiction. My favorite movies are Silence of the Lambs and Midsommar. My favorite fanfiction at one time contained a violent rape scene. I have no issues with murder, torture, brainwashing, rape, or any flavor of violent/sexual depravity in my fiction, fan-created or otherwise. But the thing is, there’s a reason for it to occur within the narrative the writer is trying to tell. Characters don’t kill and die for no narrative reason, that’s just bad writing. If there is a torture scene, or a rape scene, or incest or pedophilia or whatever depraved shit you wanna put here, you can analyze that piece of fiction as a whole and deduce why the writer might’ve put it there. Media analysis. There is media to analyze. It’s a huge leap in logic to assume that the director included Buffalo Bill’s obsession with skinning women because they had fantasies about skinning women. It is also a huge leap in logic to assume that Vladimir Nabokov wrote Lolita because he is a pedophile. When you read the book or watch the movie and think about it critically for more than ten seconds, it becomes very evident that that isn’t true, even with an unreliable narrator like in Lolita.

However, the (fan)fiction I take issue with isn’t like that. There isn’t much to analyze when the only part being posted (or written at all) IS the rape scene, or the incest scene, or the necrophilia scene, especially when that particular author/artist exclusively posts about that one thing. Fetish content is pretty easy to spot in my opinion, and if you aren’t turned on by that particular fetish, it doesn’t provide you much in the way of storytelling. That kind of fiction was created to feed someone’s fetish, whether that’s the author’s themselves, a friend’s, or a random requester who asked them to write it. (You can also only deduce what is and is not fetish content via media analysis).

The issue isn’t that the writer had the gall to include these topics in their fiction, the issue is that someone is way too into those crimes they’re writing about and it shows. People who are also way too into violent fantasies are just as big of an issue. The comparison shouldn’t be Adult/Child PWP Oneshot Fanfic to Call of Duty, it should be Adult/Child PWP Oneshot Fanfic to that kid in the back of class scribbling in his notebook about school shootings but with different names than his real teachers and classmates. Compare Call of Duty to Lolita (example), and compare sexual fantasy fodder to violent fantasy fodder.

I think it is immoral to fantasize about harming another person. Whether that harm would be sexual in nature or not is completely irrelevant. If someone believes that having certain fantasies is morally objectionable, the fiction they create to stroke that fantasy is also morally objectionable. Obviously I can’t stop anyone from creating whatever kind of fiction they want for whatever reasons they want, even if I find them immoral. That’s censorship. But I don’t think anyone, antis or proshippers, have been taking into account the full nuance of the topic at hand.

TL;DR: You can portray acts of violent or sexual crime in your fiction with all the gorey details you want, without it feeding into a fetish or a fantasy. The fantasy is the thing I take issue with, not the fiction. This is true of both violent and sexual fantasies. Everyone oversimplifies it as “good/okay in fiction” or “bad/wrong in fiction” and that isn’t a conducive discussion to be having.

Anyway. I have the munchies, I’m gonna order a pizza now I think

-🐜👔

Fair enough.

There's still nothing wrong with finding fetish/fantasy/for-fun content gross or highly immoral.

So long as you just block the creator and move on with your day.

[pabit]

[corrupted footage]

OH WOW. THESE COOKIES REALLY ARE FUCKING AWESOME. WELL DONE, COWBOY!

Haha, thank you thank you. I’m hoping this can cheer you up a little…you’ve had quite an emotional day.

EMOTIONAL? I'M NOT EMOTIONAL.

Really…? Sorry sweetheart, but I’ve read back on your posts from earlier today and…it seems to me like you’re full of those stinkin’ feelings, actually! 

YEAH, NO FUCKING DUH. I SAID I'M NOT “E-MO-TION-ALLL”…YA DIG? I DON'T WAIL LIKE A WENCH AT EVERY LITTLE INCONVENIENCE. BUT THAT'S NOT TO SAY I HAVE ZERO CAPACITY FOR “FEELINGS” EITHER. IT'S TWO DIFFERENT THINGS. SO DONT PISS ME OFF.

Oh fine. Let’s get serious then.

What about other feelings? In your story about Vinny, you said you had felt something there but couldn’t figure out what.

(HABIT swallows the rest of the food in his mouth and pauses his vigorous feasting to stare down into the cookie plate)

…FUCK. WHAT'S YOUR ANGLE, PATRICK. I THOUGHT YOU WANTED ME TO CHEER UP…THIS TOPIC WON'T BE CONDUCIVE TO THAT END.

I am sincerely trying to help you, Habs, that's my angle. The fact is, I can cheer you up with small gestures that will certainly make you feel good for the moment, but you wont feel any better overall by refusing to talk about the shit that's dragging you down. 

…UGH. I GUESS YOU ARE RIGHT, BUT… VINNY IS DEAD – NONE OF THOSE FEELINGS FUCKING MATTER ANYMORE, PAT. THEY PROBABLY NEVER DID. WHAT MORE IS THERE TO TALK ABOUT?

Ah. That’s the part that haunts you isn’t it; the “probably” of it all. You’re uncertain, still confused about what happened here – what went wrong. And most importantly, you want to know why.

Am I correct?

……

Hm. 

………………….

Not going to answer me? Fine, fuck it. This is how I see it:

You became attached to this guy like ya never could with anyone else in the whole fuckin universe, Habit. And it felt so good to do so. You let yourself become lost in a fantasy; anticipating the thrill of having Vinny fumble over himself to keep you interested. Or how grateful he would be, to be the one entrusted with building you back up after every great fall; and you fall hard and often. You could crush him utterly and have him back in the next life. Vinny is much smarter and much stronger than he looks, and just as obsessive in his own ways…so he’d climb out of the rubble and do it all over again, just because he can; just because he wants to.

Oh yes…you and him would have grown so much stronger together, enough to take on the whole damn planet someday if you guys really tried. And you wanted that so badly. A monster-man and a man-made monster, gleefully kicking up the dust of all the world’s ashes, readying it for her new rulers: Vinny and the Habit, side by side, hand in hand, blood on blood.

It was a wonderfully childish ideal to believe in all that though, wasn't it? Even after all you’ve done for him, Vin betrayed you; taking all of those unspoken dreams and unfulfilled desires along with him as he dies to a fucking papercut.

So much time spent with him…now made completely pointless. So many pieces of your mind, heart, and body gifted to him, just to carelessly toss you to the curb when you weren’t looking…

It’s easier on a broken heart to deny that it’s broken in the first place. It's easier to fall in line when the numbness takes hold, and mindlessly insist that none of it matters; never did, never will. There's no reason to cry over spilled milk as they say. It's no big deal. It’s all just part of the game. Vinny was meant to be nothing more than a pawn on your board anyways. But he was indeed more than just that to you, wasn’t he?

Vin softened you and left you exposed to a world that won’t ever accept what you'll become even after he is gone; and he won’t be coming back, not this time. You and him made sure of it by bringing those awful weapons to life on that chilly fall evening before the end of the world. Your last full day together; where everything else in the universe ceased to exist beyond the confines perpetuated by two desolate dreamers; a warm fire at his legs; the melody of ghosts crowding around, crying out towards the inky sky above; beautiful and tragic all the same. You must have seen that in him, too.

After the end of it all, you got out alive and he did not. You didn’t win the game nor Vinny’s companionship, but you survived…and just barely.

Vinny is dead. 

And when that harsh reality slaps you across the face, you know you will never be allowed to forget the price you’ve paid, with suffering and with fire, for the loyalty that Vin never actually intended to give you. Now you’re covered with those scars. Razor sharp claws have sunk themselves deeply into you and won't let go. However…to whom do these claw marks belong to? Vinny; for betraying your trust and destroying your dreams? Or yourself; for letting him do it so easily…?

Why did you go back to your old sinking vessel, Habit?

Were you really so tempted by the belief that not taking Evan’s corpse would otherwise be wasteful? A shame?

Were you inspired by the discolored splotches painting decaying flesh in dull greys and blues; admiring the texture of his flesh canvas, well-weathered by the rain and the hungry mouths of all the tiny critters that feast happily upon each wrinkle?

Did the overwhelming smell of iron from all that ghastly bloodspill soaking into the ground below, brought up in the wafts of wet earth and wild mountain grasses, bring a wistful tear to your eye? 

Was Evan really worth all of that to you…?

…

No.

You weren’t there for Evan at all, I think. He was more of an afterthought if anything. It was Vinny you wanted to see though. And I believe that’s why you made the impulsive decision to repossess his friend’s body; it was the only way to be there at Vin’s side and feel him next to you, just one last time.

Then you ran away to avoid the consequences.

...........................................................................

>>

[decks-writing-blog]

If Given the Choice: Chapter 4/6: Sorry It Was Like That

Chapter One

Previous Chapter

~

“You’re back,” Slate said, standing up as the elevator clunked into place at the bottom of the launch tower. “And you brought Gabbro.”

Gabbro lifted a hand in a wave. “Hey Slate, long time no see.”

“It’s been less than a week.”

“A week is about as long as some insects live for so from some perspectives, it’s been almost a lifetime since we last spoke.” It certainly felt like a long time had passed since Gabbro had last been here. Even after spending the end of last loop on Timber Hearth part of them half expected to float away at any second, especially since before disembarking they’d finished taking the suit off, making them feel particularly light weight.

“Uh…” Auri said, “I don’t really have an explanation for why I left, got Gabbro, and then immediately came back. So just don’t worry about it, okay?”

Slate frowned at them. “Hornsfel says Gabbro claimed you two are in a time loop. What’s that about?”

Auri looked at Gabbro. “I guess I do sorta remember you saying you were going to tell Hornsfel.” They turned their attention back onto Slate. “It’s true. And yeah, yeah, I know you don’t believe me and want to threaten to ground me for medical reasons or whatever. Feel free to do so I guess, I plan to spend the rest of this loop around here anyway, probably. So you know, just don’t worry about it.”

“You can’t tell me not to worry about it. That’s only going to make me worry about it more. It would explain how you knew the launch codes when Hornsfel apparently never told you. It still sounds awfully far fetched though, especially coming from Gabbro.”

“See, Auri?” Gabbro said, “you’re the only person who thinks I have all my twigs in order.” Not quite true but close to it.

“Honestly, I don’t think either of us have all our twigs in order. Kinda hard to with the whole… wait, did you tell Hornsfel about you know what this time?”

“Nope.” No need to upset people.

“Probably for the best. You know what I mean though.”

Gabbro did. Reliving the end of the entire universe over and over again wasn’t conducive to maintaining one’s mental stability.

“Anyway, Slate,” Auri continued, turning their attention back on them, “we’ll tell you more about it later if you want. ‘Cause Hornsfel is gonna want to ask more questions and stuff. So meet up with us at the museum later, maybe? I’d rather not go over it multiple times, especially since you’re always kinda hard to convince.”

Slate frowned at them for a moment longer before ultimately sighing and sitting on the bench. “Fine. Go do whatever you came here to do then. I expect to be caught up properly later.”

Looping an arm through Gabbro’s Auri lightly tugged them towards the village proper. Used to walking with Gabbro by now, they set the pace at rather slow for once. “We should talk to people. Everyone will finally have new stuff to say ‘cause you’re with me. Or uh… we’re here for you so if you’d prefer to just like hang out by the geysers or something, we could do that instead.” Clearly they wanted to talk to people though.

“We can talk to people.” Being around more people as a change of pace was why Gabbro had wanted to come after all.

~

Auri hadn’t been exaggerating when they’d implied they wanted to talk to ‘everyone’. Every single person they came across in their slow wander through town, Auri approached for a conversation, usually brief but some went on for longer. No one seemed put off or surprised by it either, implying this was usual behavior for them.

Gabbro was mostly just along for the ride, spending more time listening than saying anything themself. The rumor about the time loop had spread during the hours it had took Auri to fly to Giant’s Deep and return and thus it was frequent topic of conversation. Some people believed, others didn’t, Auri never bothered to try too hard to convince anyone. The two of them being together ultimately resulted in the topic of their relationship coming up more than once. Thus everyone soon knew about their newfound partner status too.

Auri wasn’t outwardly bothered by the fact that none of their conversations would stick in anyone else’s memory. Not until the talk with Gossan anyway. Gossan obviously noticed the dip in Auri’s enthusiasm too, prompting, “A time loop, huh? Sounds like it might be rough?”

“Nah, it’s great. I got lots of time to practice all sorts of stuff.”

Gabbro could call them out on their lie but it wouldn’t help. So instead they said, “By the time they break the loop, they’ll probably be a better pilot than Feldspar.” They actually might already be. By unspoken agreement though, they’d settled on pretending that the loop hadn’t been going on for as long as it had. No need to air their shared angst out to everyone in town when all it would earn them was a loop full of being pitied.

How fooled Gossan was by the lie and deflection was hard to tell but even if they weren’t, they seemed to get the message that it wasn’t something Auri or Gabbro wanted to talk about as they accepted the change of topic with a, “Better than Feldspar, huh? You’re gonna have to take me up in the ship sometime for proper demonstration of your skills.”

Eventually, after nightfall, they found themselves in the Observatory. As predicted by Auri, Hornsfel had questions. Apparently having indeed done this type of thing before Auri settled into explaining. Hal and Slate, with Gossan showing up a bit late as well, sat in on that explanation. Auri went over everything they knew except for the fact that the trigger for the whole thing was the sun going supernova. They handily danced around it by claiming they weren’t sure of the power source. Also left out was the Vessel and its potential to take them to the Eye of Universe once they decided they were ready to end the loops. The loop was still going because they weren’t sure yet how to power it down but they were ‘working on it’.

“Are there any other statues we could maybe trigger?” Hal asked. Whether the question was coming from a place of skepticism or not was hard tell due to Gabbro not knowing them well, but it seemed not to be. “So maybe one us could remember this supposed time loop too?”

“No.” Auri didn’t miss a beat with their lie. “None that I think would work anyway. It’s been a long time so most of the statues aren’t in great shape. We’ve tried it in prior loops but we’re still the only ones who remember.” They glanced at Gabbro as they said this but what they might be trying to convey was unclear.

Gabbro wasn’t going to call Auri’s lie out this time either even if they didn’t wholly agree with telling it. Long ago they’d floated the idea of trying to pull someone else to another statue and thus into remembering the loops too. Auri had refused, claiming they couldn’t bear the thought of subjecting anyone else to it. Apparently the loops since then hadn’t shaken that resolve and perhaps might’ve only strengthened it. Probably it was for the best anyway; the loop was rough and as soon as Auri got the Eye’s coordinates and felt ready for it, it was going to end. Drawing someone else in at this stage would only make things more complicated in that they’d have to wait for that person to be ready for the end of the universe too.

From there, Auri answered a few more questions about it. Gabbro got a few questions as well; they backed up Auri on everything, including the lies. Ultimately there was only so much that could be talked about though and thus eventually the conversation dispersed. Hal stuck around for a bit longer to talk about more personal stuff, which included Auri’s relationship with Grabbro. But like everyone else, they also had work they needed to get back to and thus eventually headed off too, leaving Auri and Gabbro alone in the upper levels of the Observatory for the first time since they got off Auri’s ship.

“We should come back next loop,” Auri said. “And not tell anyone about the loop to see how just you alone being with me changes stuff. After that we can maybe go see the other astronauts. Esker’s always happy to have company. I think Feldspar is too even though they don’t say it as much.”

“Astronauts first.” Gabbro was pretty peopled-out at this point. A break to just chat with one person at a time with long breaks in between was ideal. “I don’t think I’ve ever talked to that many people in a single day before.”

Auri looked up at them. “Oh, uh, it is a lot, huh? You didn’t have a bad time though, did you?”

“No. It was fun. Certainly different which was the point.”

“Good. We could go somewhere quiet now though if you like. Or we could take a nap.” Auri stood, stretching themself out as they did so.

Gabbro joined them. A nap sounded good. By this point in the loop they’d been up for a while after all – how long exactly they could no longer remember as hearthians routinely went from anywhere form two to four days before needing proper sleep. Before agreeing to that though, they looked around. The two of them were alone up here for now. That state likely wouldn’t last for long but the hum of the Observatory's computers should disguise their voices from downstairs if they kept their conversation fairly quiet.

“Before we decide what to do next, there’s one more thing I wanna talk to you about.”

Apparently picking up on Gabbro’s seriousness, Auri tensed a little as they turned to face them. “What is it?”

Maybe Gabbro shouldn’t bring it up again after all. It was tempting to drop it and just continue enjoying the new thing they had with Auri and being home with them while they weren’t comatose. They could let their conversation last loop be the end of it. But it was important. “About last loop, remember when I asked if your stunt was a suicide attempt?”

“Um… yeah.”

“And you said when you did that kind of thing, you flew into the sun.”

Auri shuffled and looked down at the floor. “I uh… was hoping I was remembering only thinking about saying that.”

“No, you said it.” Proving in the process that Gabbro had been right to worry. “Can I ask… how many times you did that?”

“Twice. It didn’t help. In fact, it only made me feel worse because it just restarted the loop. Which was obvious in hindsight but… I don’t know, I thought somehow it would do something. I’m not sure why. I vowed to never tell anyone, especially not you. But I wasn’t thinking straight last loop and you asking made me remember it and I didn’t even think to stop my mouth from running.”

“I’m glad you told me. Or uh…” Now it was Gabbro turn to look away, focusing their gaze instead on the model of Outer Wilds in the center of the room. “‘Glad’s not the right word. You know what I mean though, I hope. I’m sorry it was like that. You were mentally compromised so I probably should’ve waited until this loop to ask that but… I needed to know. But nonetheless, I apologize.”

“It’s fine. I probably would’ve lied if you’d ask this loop. Which maybe would’ve been better but… I don’t know. I haven’t done it in a long time though. Or um, not like that anyway. Most of the time when I’m in a situation I’m going to die in, I take my helmet off so I die faster. Like… on the Interloper, after I found… what I found, I knew there was no way I was getting back out alive so I just took my helmet off and suffocated. … That one was probably a little bit of despair too though. Normally it’s because I’m injured and/or I lost my ship somehow and so I’m dead anyway and I just don’t want to sit and wait for it especially if I’m in too much pain to meditate myself to sleep. I think… that’s different though, right?”

“Yeah, a mercy killing is different.” Gabbro stayed in one spot for the majority of loops and the loops they did go places in, they were with Auri the whole time. Auri knew their way around many dangers and thus guided Gabbro away from such deaths. Thus they couldn’t understand what being in such a scenario was like but if it reduced the amount of time Auri spent suffering, it wasn’t something they wholly objected to. “You don’t do the other kind of killing yourself anymore though, right?”

“No, not anymore. Going and spending time with you helps a lot more. And if you want I even promise I won’t kill myself ever again unless I’m already waiting to die.”

Gabbro returned to their gaze to Auri. They’d looked up form the floor and straightened to their shoulders to meet Gabbro’s eyes. That was the exact promise Gabbro wanted to hear from them. How firmly they’d given it was comforting. Before Gabbro could respond though, Auri spoke up again.

“And now it’s my turn ‘cause I really don’t check in with you as often as I should. Have you ever… thought about doing that kind of thing? Killing yourself. Have you ever done it?”

Gabbro shouldn’t be surprised that the question was turned back onto them after admitting out loud that they weren’t doing great but somehow it still did. It was almost as uncomfortable as asking it had been, though in a different way. “I’ve never killed myself nor have I ever considered it… not seriously anyway. Just the occasional ideal speculation about what it would feel like to die in this or that way. I never had the desire to actually find out though.”

Apparently sensing the unspoken ‘but’ in Gabbro’s words, Auri held their ground, not looking away as they waited for Gabbro to continue.

“But uh… it’s the first thing I thought of when I considered your crash last loop. In hindsight, of course of you were trying to hit the water. The chances of hitting an island are low. If you wanted to crash into a planet to kill yourself, literally any of the others would be a better candidate to maximize your chance of dying.” Not that they would’ve necessarily survived a crash into the ocean but the chances were higher. “You probably would’ve aimed the cockpit at the ground too. But it just… made sense at the time. I guess because the idea of killing yourself sounds… not logical but like… the call to do it makes sense. Even though it doesn’t, not when you really think about it. But I guess I’m saying I sorta get the thought process behind it, I think? You want out of the loop, which isn’t possible without ending everything which you don’t want, so you just… get out of this instance instead.” Were they even making sense anymore? When said out loud it sounded worse.

Auri was nodding though. “Yeah, that’s… about it. I wanted it to end but I didn’t want everything to end so I decided… I’ll just end myself to get out of this loop. But then of course, that just puts me in the next loop, solving nothing and making me feel weird and bad because I committed suicide. It sucks.”

“I imagine it does.”

Auri took a few steps closer until they were standing right in front of Gabbro. “If the thought ever feels even a little tempting, you’ll talk to me about it, right? You promise like I promised?”

“Yeah. I promise if I ever feel tempted to hurt or kill myself, I’ll talk to you instead.” An easy promise to make, especially since Auri would understand if Gabbro ever did have such an impulse. Hopefully they never would. Auri’s traveling in general but especially their exploration of dangerous places and things resulted in traumatic deaths, making the loop worse for them, but that didn’t mean Gabbro was having fun either. One could only endure dying repeatedly – even if the supernova did make for a fast death, it was still death – and the end of the universe so many times before the weight of it grew uncomfortable. The benefits of the time loop had long since grown stale especially when compared to the bad parts that had only grown worse. Auri saved them from the worst of it even despite their initial attempts to resist those efforts.

Auri nodded. “Thank you.”

“I should be the one thinking you.” Gabbro took another step towards them so they could lean in and kiss them. Auri rose into it, grabbing the front of Gabbro’s shirt to hold them there. The universe was often cold, dark, and uncaring but it also contained love, light, and warmth. It was always worth it to take time to appreciate such things.

~

Next Chapter

[skygemspeaks]

Some cute obizenyuki relationship things for you all, because i cannot stop thinking about them:

Early into their relationship one day Zen finishes work late and goes back to his room to find that shirayuki and obi had fallen asleep in his bed waiting for him. Seeing them cuddling in their sleep immediately lifts his bad mood. It's the first time they all spend the night together and it's the best sleep he's had in ages. From then on they start sleeping over more often, especially when Zen is stressed. When Zen gets especially wrapped up in his work, Shirayuki and Obi are the only ones that can pull him away long enough to get some sleep, and Kiki and Mitsuhide are not shy about taking advantage of this knowledge.

Shirayuki walks into Zen's office one day to ask him a question, only to see him sitting at his desk, trying to fill out paperwork while Obi sits on the arm of his chair and drapes himself all over Zen's shoulders. Shirayuki tries not to laugh at Zen's expression of mixed relief and disappointment when Obi gets up as soon as she walks in and proceeds wrap himself around her instead. Zen usually loves it when Obi gets into one of his handsy moods, but it's not exactly conducive to getting work done, so Shirayuki pretends she needs Obi to accompany her into town for some errands. Zen whispers his thanks to her when she kisses him goodbye before leaving.

When the second prince of Clarines announces that he will be entering into a triad marriage, it takes the world by storm. Clarines is a wealthy country and no one can afford to offend their monarchy, so no one is outright disrespectful to him about his marriage, though it's obvious that no one really knows what to make of it. In the end, prince Raji is the one that breaks the ice when he invites Zen and his spouses to a ball at his palace in Tanbarun. When Zen says that he unfortunately won't be able to make it due to a prior commitment, Raji asks if Shirayuki and Obi will also be accompanying him. Zen says they won't be and in response, Raji asks indignantly, "What, so just because you can't come, they're not allowed to have fun either? Tell them to come visit without you!" Zen is taken aback, having assumed that their invitations were dependent on him being there. He's grateful though, because he can see now that in his own clumsy way, Raji is trying to show his support for their marriage, and he's doing it publicly and with pride.

The three of them discuss the topic of children at great length, and end up deciding to have two, both from Zen. As much as they would have loved to have children from Obi as well, they're very aware that no matter how hard they tried, there would end up being double standards between any children who were biologically Zen's, and any who weren't. They don't want any resentment to grow between their children, so this is the path they decide to take. Obi still loves their children as if they were his own, and anyone who even hints at him not being their real father is banned from the palace permanently. The children grow up happy and adored by everyone around them, and they love all three of their parents equally.

[andhaveapleasanttomorrow]

if you could scientifically engineer a new boy band what do you think theyd be like. what traits would they have

you've successfully baited me into writing over a thousand words on a topic I don't know very much about

as far as scientific engineering goes I don't need much aside from a willingness to let me puppet them around and make them dance. it's better if they're not engineered, I think, for the concept I've been tossing around in my head. I've been thinking about a few different things in tandem, one of them being some recent attempts to create a "western kpop[1] group," which haven't really been crazy successful, and wondering what it would take for something like that to work. for one thing, the only western kpop groups I know of have been girl groups, and at the risk of overgeneralizing I don't think the idea would work as well for a boy group, mainly because there are less male kpop fans and therefore less guys who would be eager to undergo that kind of training/lifestyle or have dreams of becoming that kind of "idol." I've also seen people say that a north american "mindset" isn't conducive to the idol lifestyle as it exists in korea because of cultural differences but I don't know how much I'd agree with that. I do think that rather than trying to get them to be precision-built silicon dolls like modern kpop idols it would make more sense to counter that and have them be more "real" and perhaps a little "rebellious," but like, not in any actually potentially subversive or offensive way. so I guess it would help if they had that feeling.[2] I think that would also make them more appealing to the general public, which is where kpop falls short. the language barrier doesn't help.[3]

another thing I've been thinking about is how important the accessibility (or perceived accessibility) of a star's personal life is now, in american pop. this is a big part of why taylor swift is so huge and I think another snagging point for kpop. people feel that it is very important that stars have "authenticity" and things like this, and like to do things like compare their lyrics to things that happened to the star, and so on. so for my perfect boy band there would have to be a sense that they were heavily involved in the creation of their songs somehow. (to be fair, I don't think this is unheard of in kpop.)[4] a third thing I've been thinking about is this idea of the "fictional real boy band" (the monkees, the jonas brothers, big time rush.[7]) I've been thinking about it because I don't really understand it. the first two at least were genuine stars, and big time rush wasn't like, globally renowned, but, you know, they did okay. where I get stuck is in understanding why people liked them, it doesn't seem like it should work; the contract between the pop star and the audience already has a fiction/reality dissonance that both parties just sort of have to accept, but starring in a television show with fictionalized versions of yourselves seems to be turning that upside down and violating it somehow. but people liked them.[8] the jonas brothers managed to make something of a real comeback, at least for a little bit, although I'm sure that was 90% fueled by nostalgia.[9]

anyway the fact that there's a precedent makes it odd to me that no one has attempted to modernize it with social media. I mean, obviously pop stars use social media, kpop idols do livestreams and tiktoks and things like that, there is a connection to the fans in that way, one direction even had their video diaries when they were teens, I'm more thinking of like an "influencer house" type of situation. this is where I think it becomes a bit unethical. I think as it is there's another little contract, where the audience understands that celebrities make certain kinds of posts online as promotional work and most of what they're saying isn't actually "coming from the heart," and celebrities know the audience knows. there's probably two ways to curveball this; lean way into it and turn it into an "I-know-you-know-I-know" thing, or obfuscate it entirely and pretend it doesn't exist.[10] the latter is really hard to accomplish and I'd really like to see it done successfully. the drive to call people nepo babies or industry plants is really strong these days, but so is the drive to feel like you know a celebrity on a personal level, so there's a bit of a tightrope situation here. basically my idea is to put the monkees on tiktok. but I don't want the audience to know they're watching the monkees, I want them to think it's real. also yaoibaiting is mandatory (also not unusual in kpop). imagine you follow a group of roommates online because they make funny posts about each other, but they're also incredibly famous, and they make music together, the lyrics of which can easily be interpreted to be about each other, like fleetwood mac. I want to create parasocial bonds that could topple empires. not for money I just want to see it happen

there are a lot of gaps in my knowledge because I don't know anything about the music industry and I'm also not entirely sure why kpop (or anything) "works," in a societal sense, or why exactly american pop has been so heavy with soloists for so many years when that wasn't the case before. I also don't even really listen to pop music, I mostly read what other people say about it because I find the social aspect of it more interesting. I like thinking about it so I'm going to continue thinking about it

[1] here used to refer to the specific management/training/production model of the idol industry in korea rather than a catchall for "korean pop" [2] I don't know how exactly that would be executed, I'm bad at predicting what people will clock as "cool" or "phony" because I have my own axis of how I perceive that kind of thing. [3] I do have a theory that part of the reason western kpop hasn't been panning out so well is that kpop fans are largely koreaboos and even if the idols are managed by korean companies they won't go as hard for them if they're not korean because they lose that sheen of the "culture," and because they don't get to call them unnie. if you don't create a group that's mainly geared towards kpop fans (because, I think, the american general public doesn't have an appetite for that kind of group anymore), you don't have that problem [4] I've also been thinking about 5 seconds of summer, and how they were, I think, the last really big actual band boy band, who like played their instruments and shit. don't talk to me about waterparks and twenty one pilots and fall out boy [5] and whatnot because that's not what I'm talking about and besides waterparks is overrated. I've never listened to their music but I can tell they're overrated. my point is my boys wouldn't need to play instruments, and anyway if they did then how could they do their little dance moves?[6] [5] they're all too old to be boy bands. [6] granted… I do think the general public would be more responsive to a real band-type-band than a pop group right now, but I don't have any real reasoning behind this [7] hannah montana's not a boy band but I suppose she also did this, the difference being that the actual star is "miley cyrus," not "hannah montana." [8] obviously there's something to be said that the target audience for most of these were like, 8 year olds, who don't have a very good grasp on the reality/fiction thing anyway, which is probably why I can't understand it [9] nostalgia is, of course, the only thing running the cultural engine these days, which is why I'm even thinking about this in the first place- it's weird to me that with the "y2k" thing being very popular there are no really big mainstream american pop groups like there were then [10] you could also just violate it and not filter the pop star at all, but that's less of a curveball and more of a foundational destruction, and would fall apart very quickly

[conflictofthemind]

what are ur thoughts on gnc will?

This will be a long winded one.

Short of it: yes he is gender non conforming. I don’t think he’s particularly “girly”, but it’s this nice touch of the feminine he carries. There’s other users on this platform that have probably discussed this in a more proper manner than I have, and certainly more than I will writing this ask. I’m just going to give my own flavour of take and personal anecdotes about the topic under the read more 🙃⬇️

Honestly I find it a very underrated topic of discussion in this fandom that otherwise likes to discuss the same things over and over again (all love because I do it too with the added bonus of being new so often I don’t realize).

I do think it’s because the fandom isn’t very conducive towards it. There is a small but sometimes loud portion that likes to assume you have some secret nefarious reason behind any ‘gnc will’ posting (i.e. stereotyping). Or say by pointing out certain things as feminine, I’m being regressive and misogynist. Whereas I have another profile where I almost exclusively discuss female characters and often gender in those media. This is not a new topic to me (which I’m sure you’ll see).

In the first season he is absolutely a damsel-in-distress. He’s kidnapped by a monster and is hiding away in a ‘castle’ while his friends must come to rescue him. This continues from then on, but is the most obvious in S1.

We see the two characters that tend to chase him down when he is upset or in danger being Mike (duh) and Lucas, who are the two most masculine members of the party and play corresponding roles in DnD as Paladin and Knight. Even in the painting Will makes of the party, it features the party (Mike highlighted) facing off against a dragon. In that game the boys play in the arcade, the goal is defeating the dragon to save the princess —

— which is also such an iconic image of particularly Sleeping Beauty, who is a princess trapped in a castle. I have a whole idea centered around this one for later.

So in terms of role he has definitely been given a traditional female one. Even within the Byler relationship, Will stays in that passive ‘yearning maiden’ type position who is waiting for her true love to confess his feelings first. As Mike should.

All of that might have been very controversial because quote unquote ‘boxing Byler into gender roles’ is regressive (even if the characters intentionally fit these princess/knight archetypes, oops!). Personally I don’t find it regressive at all, I find it interesting to look at things from this perspective. Part of this labelling is the deconstruction of the tropes as well. Will can’t and is not going to remain passive in Season 5, so how will this be dealt with and how will it affect specifically the Byler storyline?

I’m especially interested in whether he completes the transformation from Princess to Witch 👀 but my fairytale posting might get some entries of its own.

Now what you provably mean irt clothing and gender presentation:

The answer is still yes. I think a lot of the reason people deny Will as being gnc is because he doesn’t look the part. But instead of thinking about why that might be, the conclusion is made right then and there.

Will wears clothes that are mostly hand me downs from Jonathan. Their family is poor and if he does get ‘new’ (read: personal choice) clothes they are almost certainly from the thrift store. He has no option to even try and experiment with.

In the original pilot the Duffs actually wanted him to be identifiable by ‘colourful’ (read: girly) clothing, and did keep a bit of that in his Will the Wise outfit that is customized and only worn when he’s comfortable and in his element. The original conversation around the table was Dustin poking at him for wearing a wig and purple gown:

My personal headcanons are that he would keep the natural colours because they are pleasing to the eye, but would experiment and branch out with slightly cuter designs once he is out of Hawkins’ claws. I think the femininity in his style would be kept fairly lowkey apart from certain DnD reunions with the party where he might pull out a costume with some experimental and colorful makeup.

Like, I own an 80s vintage sweater that I think he would wear:

I hope the theoretical reader enjoyed a look into my closet lol. But yes, I see Will as gnc (very broad term there btw) and it is a part of my enjoyment of the character. I am mostly a fan of female characters, and the few male characters I do really stand behind usually have at the very least a few gender non conforming traits.

<- All of this is said as a lesbian who doesn’t necessarily consider herself gender non conforming, but also doesn’t fit a lot of major feminine ideals. I’m butcher than the average twenty year old woman solely off of not wearing makeup, not shaving, and being gay which I do consider as particularly gender nonconforming for women.

[erinthewriter-blog]

The Secret To Writing Shippable Romances, Part 2!

The secret to writing a shippable romance that we actually care about is through character flaws. We talked about why that’s so important and the easiest way to execute this in part one, but my favorite way to use flaws in a romance is by making a character’s flaw a reaction to an insecurity they have.

Types of insecurities:

Physical/ body image

Intellectual

Looking cringey / like a “try hard”

Lack of competency/ the ability to accomplish one’s goals

No one likes them

Financial

Lack of success/ recognition/ awards

Lack of experience

Lack of strong relationships/ healthy support system

Now let’s put the above into practice by using intellect as an insecurity.

Example A: A character is insecure about their intellect and they react to this by playing dumb. Their flaws could manifest as them not having high expectations for themselves, telling self-deprecating jokes about how stupid they are, staying silent even if they know the correct answer, or doubting that they know the correct answer. They may also think their ideas sound dumb and fear they will be ridiculed for their ideas, so they never share them. This character is always playing small and accepting crumbs in all areas of life, including romance.

People like this typically don’t emphasize their intellect in relationships. Some may downplay their intelligence (or even mock it) to appeal to the other person and emphasize other qualities—beauty, sensuality, dependability, spontaneity, a favorable power dynamic, social status, humor, compassion, etc. They don’t allow people to get that close to them, because that would inevitably reveal their self-perceived lack of intelligence.

Writing prompt: With this insecurity, reaction, and flaw, what type of partners has your character attracted in the past? How did your character feel and operate in these relationships?

How I would do it: If I were writing a romance with a lead character who was insecure about their intelligence, I would give them a history of purposefully picking partners that won’t intellectually challenge them even though that is something they crave. They want to be intellectually stimulated by their partner. They want to have nuanced conversations about complex topics, but they are afraid that if they initiate or engage in these conversations, the other person will see them as less intelligent, thus making them easier to manipulate, which is a fear of theirs.

Due to not being intellectually stimulated by their partner, our character gets bored in relationships and reacts by creating drama in other areas of the relationship to keep it exciting, but this ultimately pushes their partners away. This is the cycle that our character has been stuck in, but what happens when they meet someone new that they really like, but will challenge them intellectually? Are they going to react differently this time? Are they going to stumble towards change in a messy, yet entraining way, and relapse? Sounds like an interesting plot to me!

Remember, we’re choosing collective components that are conducive to the unfolding plot and desired character arcs, so if you’re fascinated by intellect as an insecurity, but “playing dumb” isn’t in alignment with your character’s personality, then you would choose a different reaction.

Example B: A character is insecure about their intellect, but their reaction is to overcompensate by tearing others down. They’re an obnoxious know-it-all and they have to be right about everything. Their flaws manifest as them purposefully making others look dumb and publicly discrediting their intelligence. If you are an expert in a topic, this character will argue that you aren’t and try to explain the basic principles of this topic to you even though they know very little about the subject. They must prove that they’re smarter than you, so they quiz you on things that any adult human would know and always speak in a condescending tone.

A person like this typically has a deep shame around being wrong/ vulnerable and doesn’t let people get close to them because they fear others will be able to see through their arrogant façade and use their vulnerabilities to hurt them.  

Writing prompts: What kind of partners do you think this character would attract? How have their relationships worked out for them in the past? What typically ends their relationship? What happened to them in the past that made them put up these walls? Where does this insecurity stem from? What is a core belief about themselves that made them act this way? How does this play out in love?

A character’s insecurities will cause them to run into the same toxic relationships and patterns until they decide to change. However, they can only change once they shift their core beliefs about themselves and love.

If you don’t know what a character’s core beliefs are, their insecurities, where they stem from and how to weave them into your plot, then check out the digital Character Backstory Workbook with over 100 questions and exercises so that you can write your juiciest romance yet!

If you want to read the most exciting way that you can incorporate flaws into your romance then like and comment for part 3. Happy writing!

Read my wlw novella, Truth Weekend!

Character Backstory Workbook

[anoteofcalcium]

Someone get this poor frog boy transferred to Naranja / Uva and away from the overly competitive nature of Blueberry Academy please-

>HC "'"Elaboration'"" and minor spoilers (for Kieran's Indigo Disk Team, mostly, but some plot points) below;

*And for Christ's sake give him his furret back GameFreak!!

*Unrelated, but does anyone else find Kieran's team going from Poliwrath -> Politoed to be adorable? Like, First big team has Poliwrath - a not quite full frog - and Second definitive team has full froggy Politoad?? Love that Kieran is not only designed frog-like, but gets emphasized with them, A+ character design choices, very *chef's kiss* 🤌🤌

*Anyway so...

• "<player> has everything I've ever wanted!...She’s/He’s got strong Pokémon! She/He can go anywhere she/he wants, and she/he can be friends with anyone!...I loved Ogerpon since forever ago! But even Ogerpon chose her/him over me!...Even YOU, Sis! You were being all nasty toward her/him at first, but then boom! You were like best friends in no time

...The kid obviously has insecurity issues strengthened by an abrasive relationship with his sister, minimal positive outlets to let himself flourish in a healthier way, and an inferiority complex he falsely believes strength will compensate for,, like, a school (Blueberry) whose main (whole? tbh) shtick is to make their trainers good at battling and centers the majority of its social AND curricular (that the player as an exchange student can observe, anyway) interactions around competitive Pokémon battles is NOT helping to do anything but strengthen any unhealthy thoughts and feelings about such concepts he has

•Note: when confronted with the reality that he's not as strong as he *perceives* he should be / earned the right to be (i.e. player beats him despite him being the "top" trainer at Blueberry), the cognitive dissonance it creates sends him into a panic attack....and the Blueberry kids just. scoff?? Immediately throw out their favor?? Very healthy mindsets and social hierarchy at Blueberry Academy, perfectly conducive to friendly and healthy competition, clearly (/sarcasm)

•Compare it to the variety of tracks of Naranja / Uva (2 of which - STEM and Humanities - have nothing to do with battling) and the Treasure Hunt, which encourages *independent* study into a variety of topics: i.e., allowing one to explore and experience a variety of things of personal interest in order to learn about one's self at one's own pace, bound by nothing but their own personalized limits...can you imagine how much that atmosphere would improve and expand Kieran's mental framework and ideas?? He can get everything he his desire "to be like [player] so, so badly" emphasized in his quote above - Strong Pokemon, going anywhere [he] wants, being friends with anyone (Carmine included)...and probably whatever attracted Ogerpon, for that matter - by being like the player and going to the Academy that the game emphasizes as being what gave the player opportunity and experience to have BECOME what Kieran admires / envies.

•Also, him transfering would give him some freedom / independence from Carmine - and nothing against her (...much), but I genuinely think Kieran would benefit a lot in an environment where he didn't have (to be forced) to rely on and compare himself to his sister's ideals and prowess...which Kieran very much mimics and absorbs when "stronger"...not a coincidence - they're seem pretty co-dependent in the Teal Mask at times, if not have a very neglect / enable type feedback aspect to their relationship. BUT that's a story for another post never

*Sprigatito would be Kieran's starter choice (or more like it would choose him, tbh) - and not just because it makes sense in my cannon (i.e. Florian w/ Quaxly, Juliana w/ Fuecoco) lol; sprigatitio is legitimately perfect for him:

•It desires attention and companionship, to the point it's first description was how it's, "capricious and attention-seeking, and it tends to sulk if ignored by people" and the trait continues all the way throughout it's evolution (/i.e. growth "phases"), with Meowscarada being described as, "sensitive and prone to jealousy. It can often be very attached to its Trainer, and it will become upset if its Trainer gives attention to other Pokémon". Sounds like Kieran towards both the player and Ogerpon, lol (Kieran: . Somewhat unrelated, but Florgato's being the edgy teenager (as Carmine referred to Kieran's "mood swings") phase of Sprigatito's line involved it's *mood* effecting its "edge" / "hardness" ...of it's fur, but still - Kierans a "moody teen", right? Anyway, imagine Kieran with a Pokémon that would be as obsessed with him as he was with Ogerpon, lol (/jk)

•It's a grass type, which tend to suit Kieran, and he seems to have an affinity for (Ogerpon, Dipplin line, Shiftry, etc.). It developing a dark type as it evolves reflects Kieran's arc - it's final evolution is also both MASKED (reflecting Ogerpan hyperfixation and Kieran's family's history), and Jester / Mardi Gras themed, which goes along with the festival theme Kieran exhibited during the Teal Mask DLC ( like with his Dipplin). Both Kieran and Meowscarada have those cute droopy eyes too, which is a fun design element to connect the too, if nothing else, lol

•Getting further out with the idea, though: It's lines shiny is, fubckin' oURPLE!! Purple cat for the ourple boy, thank you,, (and how shiny!Meowscarada has a purple cuff and an invisible "leash" [its flower bud] around its neck is vaguely similar to the purple chain of the Loyal three...okay I'm really reaching now but still. teehee... ). Hey, anyone notice how purple is a complementary color for yellow, which happens to be Kieran's eye and main acccesory (headband / bag) color and -- I'm going anywhere with this, I just think its neat 👍

•Honestly just replace his current cat (Incineroar) with Meowscarada - Incineroar suits Carmine a lot better imo...which is why it's my theory it's on his final team, but that's. Also a different post I'll probably never make :^)

•Like, I get why they wouldn't have given Kieran a Paldaen starter for his team (for a variety of reasons, honestly), but,, Think about it •Sprigatito using its kneading on Kieran's (fluffy, sowwy ponytail!Kieran fans) hair for impromptu aromatherapy would probably be good for this kids anxiety tbh

*IMAGINE Kieran picking up mask-making in Hassel's art class - IMAGINE the positive energy and outlet art (not battling) and a professor like Hassel would provide this kid!!

TL;DR: DLC where Kieran transfers to Naranja / Uva Academy when GameFreak.

Thanks for coming to my TED Talk. The more you know 🌈

[optiwashere]

Is there any part of baldur's gate 3 that you dislike? I know you enjoy the game, but most fans of the old games I see are very critical and you're one of the few that I've seen that seems to love it.

First of all, this is a very fun question, anon! Thanks 💜

Secondly, you're experiencing illusory correlation when you connect "previous BG fans" to "those that dislike BG3." It's further compounded by the fact that most people only get really loud when they're disappointed/upset, and the people that are happy tend not to post as virulently or constantly about said topic. Millions of people have played BG1/2 and then a good chunk of those folks went on to play BG3, so think about all the people you aren't seeing when you see a post like that.

Anyways, there are things I'm either bleh on, annoyed with, or dislike about BG3. I'm too old to expect perfection.

Some of the things I don't like:

Callbacks to BG1/2 like Sarevok and Viconia, though that is more WotC's fault than Larian's, and this goes double for Abdel Adrian being referenced at all in the game. Those books should have been memory holed.

The uneven nature of all the companions' stories. Some have tons of dialogue, reactivity, and the ability to let the player choose to give the companion the choice of how they handle things, with the player's own choices affecting the companion's decision. Others are in a semi-broken state (Minthara) or feel lacking despite being great characters (Wyll) that deserve those choices.

5E D&D is a bad system down to its bones. Its flaws are openly on display in the game; the only reason that the tactical gameplay feels any good is because Larian is very skilled at crafting memorable, enjoyable encounters and they hacked in a dozen different homebrews and house rules to make the damn thing feel any good. BTW, 2E AD&D was a mess for wildly different reasons and the old real-time w/ pause system is conducive to spamming filler encounters, so it's not as easy as saying "old game better" for me.

The lack of companion banter in Act 3 when compared to the previous acts. Hell, even Act 2 has a fair bit less than Act 1.

The way that some companions feel kinda hollow when you're not actively engaged in their romance. More platonic connection! One of my favorite scenes in the game is the platonic stargazing with Gale. Let me dance with Wyll without it being romantic, let me go on a friendly night on the town with Karlach, let me experience some of these scenes through the lens of friendship. I know that this is probably one of the more time-consuming tasks for the team at large, but it's one that I would love to see some day.

The character creator is lacking in body types, facial structure for various ethnicities, and a truly broad scope of what trans/non-binary bodies can look like. However, I'm incredibly grateful for what we did get and I will take one small step if that means it becomes more and more common in RPGs. I'll fight for more, but I will be happy with what we have in this game.

Is BG3 the bestest, most greatest CRPG of all time? No. Do I love BG3? Yes. Is it my favorite BG game? Ask me that question in ten years.