#Don't put discourse on this

[recovering-radqueers]

Anonymous Asked: I promise this post is going somewhere. TW include: incest, SA, CSA, abuse, and pro shipping. This has a message but you need background. My name is (removed) (that's what we'll use for this exercise), and I'm not a radqueer, never was, never will be. I was, however, a proshipper. For a while. I was sexually molested from the ages of 4-13 by my mother. I don't know the full extent because I developed DID to cope with the trauma of being molested. I was in an abusive relationship with someone we'll call AM, and someone else we'll call AD. AM and AD were proshippers. AD used to slap me when she was unhappy with me, or mad, and yell, and insult me. Then she'd blame her dad and tell me how sorry she was. AM never got this treatment. AM was never abused to my knowledge, but her mother was by her father. She's technically an abuse baby. AM and I had a lot of common ground. She and I shipped things in fandoms. It started with common ships, then rare pairs, and then incestuous and abusive relationships. I thought that it was going to be therapeutic for me to ship incest because I thought that that would help me with my trauma from my mother, but it never did. It's been 4, nearly 5 strenuous years. I've learned that I'm strictly antiship and anti radqueer because of her. AM and AD made me feel dirty and gross. Pro shipping made me feel dirty and gross. But I don't feel dirty and gross anymore. My issue was toxic people. Toxic people breed toxic traits and toxic beliefs like mould. Cut them out, and start healing, and that'll help tremendously. I say all this to say for every recovering radqueer that you're a step in the right direction, and that if people are making you feel like you need to be a radqueer, cut them out. It isn't worth it. Thank you.

I'm really really sorry that you experienced these traumas. I'm really glad, though, that you've been able to get away. You're right: Getting away from toxic people is a huge help. It's not easy to do at all, so I hope you know how strong you are for doing that, because that is huge. It sounds like separating yourself from these people and communities really helped you progress in your recovery journey, and I hope you can continue recovering from what was done to you. Stay strong.

-Mod Ally

(Don't put discourse on this post, everyone!!)

[kittleskittle]

"Myself on the other side is in love...over and over again, he and I meet..."

[v88sy]

Beeeeeeeeeecause believing that two canon queer characters who were actually in a relationship might get back together after they had an open ended and very fixable breakup where they both clearly still wanted to be together, is way more ridiculous than believing one of them will suddenly fall for his aggressively straight best friend after 6 years??

[timekeepers-memoir]

LOOK. I KNOW YOU ALL LOVE TELESTRATUS (i do too, multishipper tendencies) BUT PLEASE, DO NOT, FOR THE LOVE OF THE GODS, PUT DOWN OTHER SHIPS IN FAVOUR OF TELESTRATUS.

LET'S ALL PLAY DOLLS TOGETHER BUT DON'T DESTROY OTHERS' DOLLS PLEASE

[baddybaddyadardaddy]

Okay, I'm going to make a wild prediction about Adar and Galadriel in Episode 8, so strap in.

An overarching the/major motif of the Rings of Power from the very first episode has been, obviously, the interplay between darkness/light.

"To find the light, we must first touch the darkness." / "Before light, darkness must flee, etc."

Adar and Galadriel together are a manifestation of that duality between light and dark and accordingly, I think there's a compelling case for them to team up against Sauron at the end of Season 2.

Here's my attempt at this argument:

PARALLELS BETWEEN ADAR AND GALADRIEL

The show has established a few strong visual parallels between the two of them.

Mourning ritual. Galadriel mourning for Finrod in S1Ep1 is echoed by Adar's mourning of the Uruks in S2Ep7. They even mirror the single tear.

What's more, Galadriel bears WITNESS to Adar's funeral ritual, enforcing the connection of this moment.

Seed planting. Frankly, my jaw hit the floor when S2Ep2 had Galadriel planting seeds in the memorial garden in Lindon, because the shots/framing were almost IDENTICAL to the seed planting Adar does at the beginning of S1Ep6. The sentiments of both instances are the same "life over death," though the words do differ.

Flip sides of the same coin/mirror to one another. The show has also presented us with many instances where they function as mirrors to one another. If not signficant, why do?

Barn scene. The barn scene in S1Ep6 is a PRIME example, when Adar literally calls Galadriel out for the hypocrisy of her hatred of the orcs.

The dinner scene. Adar once again holds up a mirror to Galadriel, pushing back against her notion that "you yielded to him. I resisted." Then they have the shared acknowledgement that without Sauron, the world seems a "dull grey" (GREY, interestingly, a halfway point between dark and light). Adar's face in response to her admission will live rent-free in my mind forever-- it's like he's been SEEN for the first time in his life.

So while Galadriel sees herself as a warrior of light, and views Adar as a creature of darkness, the show does a pretty superb job of showing that both of these characters have light and dark within them in equal measure.

They were both tempted by Sauron and succumbed.

So there is a clear, thematic link between these two from that standpoint.

ADAR'S JOURNEY TOWARD THE LIGHT

Next, I think it is clear Adar on a path toward light/redemption as an elf, and it tracks in a VERY LITERAL SENSE.

First time we see Adar, he is bathed in an angelic light. As he performs the funeral ritual for Magrot, light streams into the Uruk tent.

The shot at the end of S2 Ep1, when the camera lingers on Adar as Gil-Galad's call to the Eldalie commences. Adar feels the undeniable call to his elven past. That camera shot was NOT A COINCIDENCE, and I'm FOREVER FERAL ABOUT IT.

Cavalry charge at the siege of Eregion. Adar is OBVIOUSLY backlit:

There is a dividing line between light and shadow an Adar is RIGHT on the border of it.

When he steps up to take possession of Nenya, the sky behind him is split between a darker side and a lighter side. (You can argue that it's a CREEPY light, but it's still light. There is almost no all-black coloring on him in that second frame when he actually has the ring. For a character that's been head to toe in black the entire series, this is Significant.)

So where does that leave us for the big Sauron smackdown?

My first wild prediction: In an INSANE reversal, Galadriel will be the one to bring Morgoth's dark crown to the confrontation, while Adar will wield Nenya, a symbol of light.

It's not inconceivable that Gal could have smuggled it out of Adar's camp somehow under her oversized Uruk cloak. And Adar, OBVIOUSLY now possesses Nenya at the end of S2Ep7.

I think the fight between Galadriel and Sauron is ACTUALLY a three-person fight; we just haven't seen Adar in the promos because

1. Obvious plot spoilers and

2. HE WILL BE FIGHTING IN A FAIR FORM BECAUSE NENYA WILL HEAL HIS CORRUPTION.

My second wild prediction: This three-person fight is telegraphed in The Last Temptation. There's a new motif (not musical, so unclear if this is the correct term??) that starts around 1:07. It sounds like an aggressive children's choir. Interspersed, we get some of Gal's themes and Sauron-flavored music. I think this new bit could be either a combined theme for Gal/Adar fighting side by side, OR a new motif for a changed/elven Adar. It's aggressive, which to me tracks with Adar's fighting style that we saw through S2Ep7, and it builds and gets more voices added to it as the song progresses. At one point, it blends perfectly with Gal's theme.

Third wild prediction that I hope I'm wrong about: Adar will likely get fatally stabbed during this fight. I could see him giving Galadriel the ring at a crucial moment, in as a redemptive act, which would forfeit any protection it might have offered him, and I think he'll receive a fatal blow from Sauron, but not before we get a much clearer picture of EXACTLY who Adar is. IF they do it this way, it will be a deeply satisying end to Adar's story arc, IMHO.

Last thoroughly unhinged thing I will leave you with:

Nolwa Mahtar translation (from S1), according to Bear's blog:

Finish the war, the darkness, end this suffering

Impossible to pursue, deep in shadow, follow light

Finish the war, the darkness, end this suffering

Bright warrior against darkness.

Obviously this theme plays a HUGE role in S2. I believe the lyrics are different; we don't know what they say yet.

But I have contended all along that this piece has always applied in some way to BOTH Adar and Galadriel.

Galadriel is the bright warrior standing against Sauron's darkness, yes, that image is obvious.

But Adar, a figure who lived deep in shadow, follows light, ultimately finishing his own war and ending his own suffering.

[kittydoremi]

I think it's funny how SonElise is the least toxic and the most healthy of the main three sonic ships (In terms of what character Sonic has had feelings for canonically)

It doesn't have the same issues of being borderline abusive and onesided like Sonamy does sometimes, with Amy being way too possessive and aggressive in several games and in Sonic X, and it also doesn't suffer from the bad writing of some parts of Archie with Sonally.

Yet SonElise still gets shat on the most out of the three ships and called "the worst".... because reasons I guess 🤷‍♀️ 06 bad amiright? 🙄

[hacash]

I saw some tags recently saying that they felt like Severance was feeling more like the MarkHelly show, and honestly it made me realise that’s what’s been niggling at the back of my mind about the show/fandom this season. And to be fair, literally every trilogy/three-season-show, s2 is always about splitting the core group from each other before Reuniting The Fellowship in the third part, so I get it. But it feels like so much focus is on the MarkHelly thing: Irving and Burt feel less important, Gemma becomes just a task to tick off the to-do list, etc, and it’s just left me feeling a little less compelled by the story this season.

Which I think highlights how hanging the emotional significance of a story (particularly one that didn’t appear initially about romance) on two characters being together can end up being a swing and a miss. Because though I can appreciate the writing choice of these two Innies wanting to be together and choosing that when everyone is making the choices for them, I personally think that the characters just...have very little chemistry. (Not the actors’ fault, the actors are both great! They’ve killed it this season! But they certainly don’t make me feel The Thing.) Which means that when so much of Mark S’s full conflict about fighting for his right to exist is focused on ‘I want to be with this woman I love’ part of me is very much feeling like ‘well, I feel for you buddy, but also. enh. can we hurry this along already?’

(And tbh, it really sticks out that all the MDR Innies this season have had their right to live focused on who they love – Mark S & Helly R, Irving & Burt, Dylan G & Gretchen. Couldn’t just one of them get passionate about kids or siblings or parents or being able to paint or woodwork or see the beach or something?)

Now if Mark S’s PoV had talked far more about  ‘I want to live, I want my friends to live, I want us to be together’ (which s2ep1 did really well) I could have run Mark Scout over with a rubbish truck to make that happen! I miss the focus on MDR as a family and a community! I realise the writers aren’t just writing for me personally but I really miss that!

[spop-romanticizes-abuse]

catra: constantly abuses adora physically and emotionally, gaslights and manipulates adora, doesn't try to better herself even though she is offered several second chances, continues repeating her toxic behavior even after her "redemption arc"

fans: omg relationship goals! we love toxic yuri 🎀

caitlyn: hits vi once because she is overwhelmed by the grief of losing her mother, corrects her actions after meeting up with vi again, tries to help vi rescue vander, never repeats her toxic behavior and supports vi unconditionally afterwards

fans: what an abusive bitch! vi deserves so much better!

[lilywalkers]

mad scientist pandora evil surgeon evan hot professor barty and weird man off the street regulus

[local-limebug]

wanna get back into mdzs but you are all so goddamn weird about jiang cheng

(i don't wanna retype my tags but read them pls... if you are both a wwx and jc enjoyer interact with this post please)

[bookwyrminspiration]

this isn't a fully formed thought, but some of the ways people "critique" kotlc is starting to bother me a little. there's genuine critique and criticism, but some of them feel like...condescending almost? talking down on the series to show they're better/more mature than to like it. or that they're better than Shannon--I feel I see a lot of condescending to Shannon (WHAT is she doing, why would she do that, we can tell you don't plan, does she even know her own series?)

and i've definitely been guilty of it before and have my share of criticisms, but it does make me want to go like. okay but you do also like the series though, right? that's why we're all here--we're here by choice, much as I joke about being held hostage. there is an appreciation for the good parts and the community and everything else under all that, right? right??

[bbnibini]

I find it so painfully heartbreaking that Solomon just...laughs off all the derision, the name-calling, and possibly even did "evil" things on purpose because it's expected of him at this point. (He had not always been like this as Thirteen pointed out before). There was a time when he was "innocent". When his soul sparkled. When it resembled the kind of soul everyone in these god forsaken (pun intended with spite) three realms seemed to associate with the ever loved MC. He's just...worryingly carefree. And because he's like that, he feels even more of a tragic character to me.

Sometimes it even seems that he himself would seemingly make up excuses on why he's hated. Oh, it's because I'm a sorcerer this. I might have won a war against Devildom single-handedly this. I have forgotten. But maybe, I did something bad, that. Hon, you were doing that to SURVIVE. You don't have to be a faultless person to deserve compassion. You don't have to be MC to deserve to be loved.

[basket-of-radiants]

By the way, as a Words of Radiance original cut truther (Kaladin!!!!!!!!!!! Killed!!!!!!!!!! Szeth!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) I do unfortunately have to criticize how weak the retcon has made some of these interactions. Szeth going "I shouldn't dismiss him, he did defeat me after all, right before I died unrelatedly from natural causes." Nale going "you claim to care about him but you left him to die" so did you!!! You were also there Nale, you can fly, if he hadn't been literally stabbed to death by a shard weapon you could have saved him yourself!!!! Do not pretend that Nale would give a shit about Kaladin's inaction when they'd been trying to kill each other moments before.

Look, I love every interaction between this set of characters, now and forever, but think about how much stronger all these scenes would have been if Kaladin actually had killed Szeth, and that was hanging over his head the whole time.

[starkid-smosh]

So talking about amanda and angela wanting to kiss with tongue is normal but us saying damien and angela are looking at each other more fondly recently and thinking it's sweet is weird and we're freaks.... interesting.. it's almost like shipping real people isn't actually the problem 🧐🤔

[lilpandrea]

God, not that anyone cares, but I might have to take a break from the cr fandom whenever Dorian speaks about or to the gods. The moment Dorian isn't some goody-two-shoes character and veers off from being an "agreeable" character to many...how easily these ppl just write him off as some stupid simpleton. Jfc from discord to Tumblr (don't know what twitter thinks since I don't frequent that place or live chat because when is live chat ever appeased).

Anyways, I'm excited to see what comes from this conversation with the AH. Cmiiw but I don't think Dorian knows you have to be an exalted ruidusborn to be a vessel. If he did, he wouldn't willynilly agree to sacrifice Fearne or Imogen. It's like a lot of you forgot one of his core values: his friends/loved ones above everyone else. He casted force cage on Fearne in the very same episode to protect her.

[apropensityforcharm]

made the mistake of reading reddit comments on the post about max's tiff with ted, and people are really trying to argue that sky would be nicer to him if he weren't such a 'brick wall' to them.

let me repeat: people are saying his unwillingness to engage with sky due to the erosion of trust created by their insistence on fabricating and exacerbating drama is unreasonable, on a post where they are explicitly trying to bait him into giving a response that will inflame and exacerbate drama.

some people have nothing but air inside their skulls.