#Now don't misunderstand me on this matter I'm willing to try

[iamdyeing]

Another unfortunate incident where the tumblr accent/dialect shows; I told this guy I'm seeing that if he keeps it (complimenting me) up, I was gonna have to get him pregnant. Got him hootin' and hollerin' with that one

[tillythemenace]

What didn't you like from Astrid in the new LA movie?

Hi anon, spoilers I guess??

So... I already talked a lil bit here about it, but basically (and this is not a diss of Nico and her acting) I have a problem with the line delivery, direction, changed or added dialogue and the lack of Astrid's EMOTIONS. I think in the LA she was just so emotionless and neutral, I didn't buy her anger towards Hiccup, she was FAR more passive in her emotions despite being portrayed as this "leader" and STRONG independent woman™. She actually didn't have that much animosity towards him, which I think she SHOULD HAVE cause she had every reason to in the OG.

Already talked about how I HATED the "I'm going to be chief" addition like no only because it's a clear girlboss feminism moment but because it LITERALLY GOES NOWHERE! It adds NOTHING to her character or motivations to protect the village, it adds NOTHING but making her look even MORE of a girlboss AND it adds nothing to her competitiveness even, if anything it makes her look selfish cause she's motivated then by some delusion of grandeur and personal glory instead of who she is, which is a protector of her people first and foremost. She doesn't CARE about personal glory, she NEVER HAS. Her wanting to be Chief out of nowhere makes her look like something she's not, SELFISH. She MAY have come from nowhere and she MAY want to be the best but that's because she cares about being the best FOR the protection of her people. She's could be bossy yes but unless it's a battle strategy, she doesn't have a plan for the FUTURE, just the NOW until Hiccup makes her see a COMPLETELY OUT OF THE BOX new way. It feels like she just lacks that KICK Astrid has in the OG. It's a fundamental misunderstanding of her character and her relationship with Hiccup and by consequence Hiccup's character himself. They took his actual leadership and decision making and gave it to HER in a flaccid attempt to be more progressive, this happens at the end btw where they actually gave Hiccup's lines to Astrid instead when he's the one giving instructions and has a PLAN. FEMINISM!

Astrid is a very emotional, hardheaded and focused, the only thing she cares about was the village and carrying on the torch. Like, Astrid in the first movie is an angry lil gremlin and I ADORE her for that in particular, she's not this untouchable deity (she might seem like that to Hiccup and that's what makes it cute) but she's just trying her HARDEST, she gets dirty, she's sweaty, she's a jock and she gets so messy... and that was sorely lacking. Not every strong female character has to be a LEADER, a BOSS, a CHIEF. Astrid is assertive yes but she's a SOLDIER. She has stated it multiple times. She has no problem following a leader as long as she believes in their cause. THAT'S what makes her great. Her ideals and her sense of protection don't CHANGE, but what made her such a great character is that despite being hardheaded and more VIKING-LIKE than Hiccup, she was willing to see a change because her ONLY motivation was also to bring peace to her village no matter what.

This weird thing happened where they made Astrid more friendly towards the gang?? which No??? She was BROODING, FOCUSED. She had no time to goof off, she took things seriously ALWAYS. She was a loner for a reason, she trained on her own, was on her own. The rest mostly followed her because she was the best in the village, especially Snotlout. She really did NOT care for them, ALSO RUFFNUT DEFENDING HER FROM TUFF (they gave him the "yeah we noticed" line to HIM instead)?! 1. She doesn't NEED defending! She's ASTRID and legit NO ONE in the gang antagonized her BUT Ruff which to me had more depth that Tuff ebing the one antagonizing her out of NOWHERE and 2. They even took that LITTLE bit of Ruff's insecurities that give her DEPTH and made her an Astrid suckup like holy SHIT. NO!

In the scene of Book of Dragons, she actually STAYED with Hiccup, like???? why? They made Hiccup actually INSIST on talking to her, more confident, when he wasn't! He KNEW he had no shot and was FUNNY, dry and sarcastic about it, that was the point. But in this scene in particular is dumb cause he was already SO SURE of dragons when at that point in the story he wasn't even sure himself yet, so him pushing that idea onto ASTRID made even less sense. She was 0 interested on antagonizing him at that point and didn't have a reason to in the OG because she didn't care for him at first, he was nothing but a nuisance and didn't see him going far BEFORE he started being good in class. Astrid had NO REASON at all to antagonize Hiccup and even LESS for suddenly "wanting to be chief". That whole scene to me was JARRING.

[A LIL TANGENT HERE! Everyone kept giving Hiccup shit for having privileges being the Chief's son which was NEVER a point in the OG and it DID make Hiccup look and ACT as even more of an entitled brat... which COULD'VE been a nuanced discussion but to me it was a pointless addition... cause they NEVER hated him for that in particular. Like sure he got away with somethings but that was never a point of contention. Now it is and Hiccup doesn't look like he's being mocked by the village for being small and weak but for being a privileged asshole which is a BAD change imo, like his journey was never to "humble himself" it was to grow to be the leader in what he believed in no matter the cost, and the cost was THIS HUGE ASS VILLAGE full of BIG powerful vikings which he was NOT and THAT was why he had SUCH impact.... So ALL that was gone in the LA....]

Another thing I HATED was in the Kill Ring scene how they totally CHANGED the dialogue between Hiccup and Astrid. Like?!?! Instead of Hiccup saying "if something goes wrong, just make sure they don't find Toothless" WHICH IS INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT AND ASTRID RESPONDING FIRMLY "I WILL" IT SHOWS HOW WILLING SHE IS ALSO TO PROTECT TOOTHLESS! IDK WHY they changed that cause it strips their allyship SO MUCH! and it pissed me off. Instead Hiccup asks Astrid to not get involved because Stoick adores her or smth (when that was NEVER established before even in the live action), like they make it about STOICK liking Astrid and protecting HER instead OF TOOTHLESS WHICH IS THE REASON HICCUP WAS WORRIED IN THE FIRST PLACE! They completely forgot about him and how HE needed protection. This is BAD fanservice and I hate it. I think A LOT of Hiccup and Astrid's interactions that were added misunderstood what made them WORK in the Original. It's so painful to see how you can take a perfectly good dynamic and make it BAD. I HATE that Astrid was used just to pop up some girlboss feminism instead of what she actually was. She was an angry teenage girl that had every right to be mad at Hiccup and then became a powerful ally FIRST and a friend.

Now tbf there WAS a line in the LA where she did state that she cared about protecting the village, but sorry all the negative stuff completely trumps that. SIGHS.... Sorry I just HATE how Astrid was handled.

AND AGAIN this is not a diss on Nico, she already gets enough vitriol as it is, I think she's fine as an actress and clearly GORGEOUS, and she may say she understands Astrid in interviews but sadly that's not the same as actually BEING Astrid (again sorry but the lack of emotions in her facial expressions and her ANGER I can't overlook, it was far too neutral in her facial expressions) I think that's mostly the directing, the dialogue and line delivery. Tho all the acting was not great tbf (I particularly didn't like Gobber he lacked just so MUCH of his charisma), this is a problem for ALL the ppl in the cast. Like I think Gerard Butler was the best among them like obviously he's a seasoned actor but still that's not saying much when the dialogue is so painfully bad...

[me-writes-prompts]

:-"You left me. I have nothing to say now." Reuniting lovers angst prompts-:

(Umm yes? Obviously. You want angst. I'm giving you angst. Enjoy!!!!AHHHHHHHH I LOVE THESEEEEE😩😩)

By @me-writes-prompts

"Good to see you again, [surname]." (NOT THEIR GIVEN NAME OR THE NICKNAME THEY USED TO CALL THEM BUT THE DAMN SURNAME, SHIT'S ABOUT TO GET REAL)

“You know, you could’ve at least said a last goodbye.” They say accompanied by a sad humorless chuckle.

“Oh, hi. Didn’t expect to see you here.”

When they leave you and your friend’s the one who supported you. So, when they are back, your friend gets protective of you.

“Did you really think we could rebuild what we had? Rebuild us?”

"I need time to adjust to your existence again."

Those longing stares but not being able to do anything about it, because you don't want to repeat the same mistakes

Telling them to leave you alone, even though you just want to be in their arms

When they smile sadly at you, and you just have to physically restrain yourself from wanting to kiss them

"I'm sorry, I-" "Isn't it a little late for an apology?"

"We could've worked out, if only you didn't act like a jerk and left me."

"Please, I want to make up for what I did in the past. Just please."

"Can we...be more than this? I was an idiot for leaving you, but now I want to make this right. Make us right."

"It feels like...like I'm here with you, but I'm also not here because my present-self is still haunted by my past self, past you, past us."

Them trying to do everything and anything to make it up to you

"I need time, okay? I can't do this right now."

"You should've at least told me why you thought I was better without you. But, no, you just left, like I didn't matter to you. Like, it was only you that needed to make decisions for both of us."

"It's not fair. You're not fair. You can't just come back in my life and expect me to get all lovey-dovey with you. That's not how it works, that's not how life works."

Those accidental touches that have you flinching because it's just been so long since you've touched them. OR you crave touching them more.

"I was a fool for leaving you. But I hope this fool can get a second chance to love." They say with a sad smile, trying to hold in their tears/or maybe full on sobbing.

"It was a misunderstanding, and I get it now. I'm sorry, I should've talked to you." "A single sorry can't make it up, [name]." "I know, and I'm willing to do everything to earn your forgiveness."

[lillygamine]

𝐿𝑖𝑘𝑒 𝑎 𝑏𝑜𝑦 𝑖𝑛 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒.

♡ Warning: Female!Reader,Avengers Agent!Reader, Age Gap(Reader is in her early twenties), Lustful Thoughts, veiled desires, small misunderstanding, a little nsfw, Steve Rogers x Female!Reader,Steve Rogers x Reader.

♡ Note: I don't speak English so I'm sorry for any mistakes in writing.

♡ Note 2: This week I haven't stopped thinking about Steve Rogers, it's been a long time since I watched the films, I didn't intend to write anything about Marvel due to my lack of knowledge about the MCU but I wanted to put this into words because I can't stop thinking about this man, I hope that like

Steve Rogers, Captain America, the golden boy of the United States, a source of inspiration for many, an example of a man! But here he was, sitting next to you, completely still as a rock, nervous as a boy going through puberty!

This felt so wrong! You were part of the Avengers, the youngest of them. You joined the avengers when Loki began his attempted invasion of Earth, he vividly remembers your shy and embarrassed image when he saw you for the first time. You were divine, like an angel sent straight from heaven! You looked like a scared little bunny, but you was so willing to do your best to help them, it was admirable!

After that, Steve couldn't stop thinking about you! Thoughts about you flooded his mind, he thought about you basically all the time! Your eyes seemed to transform him into his old self, before the serum, he felt so embarrassed to maintain eye contact, he tried his best not to talk too much because he knew he would stutter! He looked like a teenager in love!

And as if things weren't bad enough, he started dreaming about you… Dreams so inappropriate that Steve felt ashamed of himself, whenever he dreamed about you he woke up covered in sweat, with a painful erection and often cold showers weren't enough. find a way, making him resort to…dealing with it alone.

After these dreams started, he couldn't come near you, be in the same room with you, or talk to you! Whenever you spoke to him, he could only stare at your lips, wanting to kiss them so intensely until you were both out of breath! Whenever you get close to him, he wants to touch you, explore every inch of your body! Whenever you're in the same room, he can't stop thinking about having sex with you right there! He feels like he is completely out of control! And that's why he always seems to be running away from you like the devil running away from the cross! And that resulted in the situation he finds himself in now!

You came to confront him! Your eyes were teary, you looked so hurt, Steve felt his heart hurt so intensely that he thought it had broken! He was walking down the hallway, returning from a tiring mission, when you met, but when you saw him he turned his back and started walking in the opposite direction.

-Mr Rogers!

-Y/N, this is not a good time!

Steve was trying to avoid you, he hates it! But he doesn't think he can control himself any longer! You run and stand in front of him, your eyes are filled with tears, your lips are pursed in an involuntary pout.

-It doesn't matter if it's a good time! You can't ignore me forever!

Steve wants to move away from you, but your hurt eyes make him freeze in place

-Mr. Rogers, I know I'm not the best agent that could have joined the Avenger, I know there were many who are stronger or more experienced than me, but I'm trying to the bone to not be a burden!

Steve feels a tightness in his chest, do you think it's a burden?

-Y/N, you are not a burden…

-So why do you hate me so much Steve?!

-But I don't hate you!!

The two of you raised your tone, a few people in the hallway stopping to stare, by God…

-Let's have this conversation somewhere else!

Steve grabs you by the arm and starts basically dragging you to the dorms, straight to his room.

You are sitting on his bed, in total silence. Steve lets out a sigh, as if he had been holding his breath for hours, gathering the courage to start a dialogue.

-I don't hate you Y/N…

-So why do you always avoid me? When we bump into each other you move away from me so quickly, as if breathing the same air as me would poison you to death…

Steve turns to you so quickly that it feels like his neck almost broke.

-Never! I just…

He turns his face, trying to escape your gaze

-I felt like I was making you feel bad…scaring you and I thought keeping your distance might make you more comfortable…

Oh God, what a ridiculous lie! But please believe it!

-I never felt uncomfortable with you! I'm sorry if I made you feel that way Mr.Rogers!

-Steve, I would like you to call me Steve

Steve looks at you again, meeting your beautiful doe eyes, shining and looking at him so sweetly, your face turned slightly red, you…were blushing?

-I…I like spending time with you, Steve…I really like it!

You placed your hand over his, your hand was very small compared to his, it was warm and soft. Steve feels his dick start to harden in his pants

Damn, not now!

-I, well…

-Please, you don't need to stay away from me, I promise I feel good around you! I promise I'll behave well so you don't feel like you have to keep your distance from me!

You get closer to him, looking deep into his eyes, trying to show that you're serious, but the only thing you do is make Steve's situation worse.

His cock is completely hard now, aching and begging for attention, your attention

-I… sorry for the inconvenience, I'm glad we clarified the misunderstanding… Um, I need… a minute alone, I'm a little tired…

-Oh! - You walk away -Okay!Sorry, I'll leave you alone!Have a good rest Steve!- You get up and leave the room, closing the door behind you.

Steve gets up, quickly going to the door and locking it, leaning his back against the door and sliding until he sits on the floor, he unbuttons his pants, freeing his erect cock and dripping precum, his hand wrapping around it in a firm grip.

-Fuuuck Y/N, what did you do to me? Why do I need you so much?

[princessshikky]

Okay, this post has been a long time coming.

Basically, there is a huge amount of misconceptions about liujiu and their history, and it's very frustrating to see in arguments about canon, so. I'm here to clear Liu-shidi's reputation and browbeat SJ with a newspaper (affectionate).

There is a whooping total of 4 liujiu interaction scenes in SVSSS. In chronological order:

The first meeting occurs at an inter-peak competition, where SJ hates LQG at first glance. LQG wins a sparring and has an air of "matter-of-fact arrogance" about him, which only strengthens SJ's dislike. What's interesting is that next SJ ambushes LQG after the sparring and "uses every means" to attack him, as recounted by Yue Qingyuan. Which does nothing to endear SJ to LQG and makes LQG very understandaby wary of SJ.

The second meeting occurs in a brothel. Backstory: SJ stumbles upon a Baizhan disciple named Ji Jue on the street, they have a quarrel, SJ beats and seriously injures Ji Jue, then goes to a brothel. LQG hears about it and rushes to "teach SJ a lesson". Interestingly, nowhere in the text is it mentioned that SJ is injured in any way after his scuffle with LQG, even though the fight has apparently taken quite a while and LQG is a way better fighter than SJ.

The well mission. SJ, LQG and SQH are assigned to deal with some evil spirits in a remote village. Spirits fly out of an old well, one of them attempts to attack LQG from behind, SJ sees it and attacks the spirit, but accidentally brushes over LQG's shoulder, which LQG mistakes for an attempt to kill him. SQH tries to clear the misunderstanding, but SJ threatens him into silence. Again, LQG and SJ come to blows, but no injuries are mentioned.

The disciple acceptance ceremony. SJ and YQY are watching the potential recruits, LQG arrives, has a brief but civil conversation with YQY, SJ intervenes, LQG insults him and leaves.

That's it, folks! That's literally every liujiu interaction in canon! Now with this out of the way, let me disprove some of those fanons I see in liujiu fics every damn time I dare to open one.

LQG did not mistakenly believe SJ to be a son of a wealthy family. Nowhere in the book does LQG ever comment on SJ's origin. This is a fanon from "The Grand Unified Theory of Shen Qingqiu", which is a great fic, don't get me wrong, but god did it mess with people's perception!

In the same vein, LQG never accused SJ of being lazy. Ever. That was QQQ.

LQG wasn't unreasonable to immediately assume SJ was trying to kill him during the well assignment. Think of what LQG knows about SJ at this point: SJ is willing to ambush someone because of entirely stupid and petty reasons like a lost sparring; SJ is perfectly willing to seriously injure his fellow disciple (see: Ji Jue); SJ is constantly threatening to kill LQG (mentioned in the brothel scene); SJ is not above using dirty tricks to achieve his ends. Yes, the suspicion made SJ feel bad, which is perfectly understandable (poor SJ was just trying to help!), but it wasn't entirely baseless. LQG's conclusion was based on SJ's prior behavior.

Speaking of SJ's dirty tricks: no, when people mentioned SJ's penchant for dishonest means, they weren't talking about harmless tricks like qiankun buttons. SQH insinuates in canon that SJ wouldn't be above shanking LQG with a poisoned knife in the middle of a sparring (Airplane extra, when he watches LQG spar with SY!SQQ), and Ji Jue, someone who's fought SJ personally, seems to agree.

LQG did not condemn SJ's womanizing and/or his visits to the brothel. The only times when LQG comments on SQQ's private life in canon have to do with LBH and bingqiu. To put it simply: LQG did not give a damn about SJ allegedly spending time with sex workers. Nor did LQG constantly stalk SJ to try and catch him in a brothel. Nor did LQG ever lecture SJ about sex being bad for his cultivation (that was YQY, but no one ever remembers this bit).

Actually, it can be inferred that most of the time liujiu tried to ignore each other when forced to be in each other's presence. They only interact when they cannot avoid it/when SJ does (or seems to do) something so shitty LQG cannot ignore it. Or when SJ deliberately attracts LQG's attention.

Conversely, LQG did not constantly pursue SJ demanding a sparring with him. Not ever. I have no idea where this particular fanon stems from.

LQG did not gossip about SJ's private life. It is never mentioned in the book; however, it is said that several Baizhan disciples knew of SJ visiting a pleasure house. Any of them could've spread the rumour; or hell, it could've been someone else who saw SJ entering the place at a later date. Or the brothel workers may have shared the story with their other clients. It's never clearly stated, but there's no reason to believe LQG specifically was the one responsible for spreading this rumour. For one, YQY promises SJ that LQG would keep quiet about their skirmish. Also, it just isn't in character for LQG to gossip.

Just... every time people write liujiu, they go out of their way to completely erase SJ's shitty behavior, blaming all of the bad blood between them on LQG "misunderstanding" the poor innocent SJ. Oh, if only LQG knew the truth, he'd immediately recognise the error of his ways!.. Except no, actually, it's not how it is at all. And I'm so tired of the people constantly mistaking fanons for canon.

[captainuranium543]

Jellal thoughts - the value of words

This might just be me, but I think a really underated aspect of jellals character is just how good he is at expressing himself and communicating using words.

I've said this before, but i think media as a whole has a real problem with overvaluing showing love/expressing yourself through actions as opposed to with words when i find both are equally nessesary parts of expressing yourself effectively. The problem with using strictly actions is that it's unclear. Your actions will almost always show your true intentions, but those intentions won't always come across when you won't communicate.

This is a problem erza has at the beginning of the series, we know shes a kind and empathetic person but, because she relies almost entirely on great acts of heroism to show her affection instead of expressing herself directly, she ends up being seen by her guildmates as intimidating/weird at best and, at worst, cold and unfeeling.

This is also a problem gray has with his relationship with juvia once he starts to return her feelings. He struggles with close relationships and he doesnt know how to express himself directly so he ends up pushing har away while expecting his actions to do all the talking for him in a way that they just can't, hence his conversation with juvina in 100 year quest.

Despite his similarly stoic personality, this has never been a problem jellal faces and I think a big reason for that is because he's so intentional with his words.

I have a few examples but im going to use this one from gmg

I think this scene really encapsulates what i'm talking about here. In this scene, erza has pushed herself to her absolute limit. She's just about to succumb to her injuries when jellal swoops in and saves her at the last minute. Typical shonen damsel in distress bullshit right? WRONG.

Erza is someone who feels a lot of pressure to constantly be protecting people and fight to the very end, thats how she got herself into this situation in the first place. She's already feeling a lot of shame for ending up in this position and now heres jellal, a person she deeply admires, who not only sees her like this but has to save her because she was to weak to do it on her own.

If he had shown up and saved her without a word, leaving everything up to her interpretation, she probably would have ended up pushing all her own negative thoughts onto him.

"Does he think im weak?

"Does he think i need pretecting?"

"Does he also think im pathetic for pushing myself this far?"

These are the kind of fears erza might have had.

these fears, however, get completely obliterated by what jellal says right after.

His words clarify his intentions. He isn't looking down on her, he doesnt think she's weak. He's just offering her a hand. Erza has been resisting help nearly this entire time, and even now, I think she still would have been hesitant under any other circumstances. His words are what make her accept it because they make her understand that they are on the same side. She isn't alone out here, and that means she is allowed to accept help.

Its not his actions that matter here. its his words that make this scene really stand out because they show that he understands her and in return allow her to understand him.

As another example, The fiance thing could have easily lead to misunderstandings, but because jellal was open about how he felt beforehand, erza doesnt have a problem interpreting what he was trying to do. It's his openness that, again, allows her to understand him and feel comfortable being open as well.

I wanted to talk about this a little bit because I think fairy tail does something a lot of media misses out on by showing the value of verbal expression. Media as a whole tends to put a lot of emphasis on actions speaking louder than words, and while that is true in some cases, i don't think it's very realistic. If you want people to understand you, you need to be willing to be direct, and that means expressing yourself with words as well as actions. Speaking from expirience as an autistic person, it can be incredibly fusterating to deal with people when they expect you to understand them completely based on their actions rather than just telling you what the fuck is happening.

The beauty in expressing yourself with words is that it creates connection. When you are honest with others, they will be honest with you in return.

Jellals ability to put his feelings into words is not only what allows people to understand him, but also what allows him to make connections despite everything he's been through. Even as a criminal on the run, Jellal continues to form bonds with others. Ultear, Meredy, the Oracion Seis, even fucking Lahar and Doranbolt to a degree because Jellal isnt afraid to be honest. Meanwhile compare that to Erza who grew up surrounded by people willing and wanting to be her friends but still struggled to connect with anyone until after the toh arc.

To me, the message is clear.

You need both words and actions in order to express yourself sincerely, and connection is always there for those brave enough to be honest.

And thats a message I really appreciate.

[ilikekidsshows]

"Adrien using the wish" anon here again!

I was just thinking of the potential counter-argument based on rhetoric I've seen floating around, of "But because Adrien is so reliant on Marinette these days since he hardly has anyone else/lost both his parents (true), he'd be emotionally devastated to lose her (also true), so this means he'd...be willing to make the wish/wouldn't be able to handle life without her (ehhhh no)." Tempted to use the wish? Sure, I'd be surprised if he wasn't. Forever unable to live without her and/or willing to turn into the next Hawk Moth? Yeah, no.

Adrien being the next Hawk Moth only makes sense if you know nothing about the characters and decide to go with the most surface level 'like father like son' plot-line ever (which also explains why I see poorly executed 'villain! Chat Noir who sides with Hawk Moth' fics waaaay too often for my taste).

I know the idea that he'd be able to heal after losing her doesn't sound very "romantic" (I have different opinions on love and what's truly healthy and romantic but that's neither here not there), but...like I said before, he's already proven he can handle loss? If you give him enough time? If he coped with losing his mother with almost no support, something tells me he'd find ways to heal from losing Marinette, too. He does have a better support network now after all, such as it is. There's no reason why he couldn't even...find new friends and develop a new one, need be. Hell, I just remembered the boy has already said "if you wanted to dump me, I'd understand" in Illustrhater. Tell me that sounds like someone unable to move on from her.

Also sidenote, but being able to heal would be what's best for him as an individual (and a sign of character growth and a contrast with his villain father who very notably couldn't and wouldn't move on), but since that doesn't focus on Marinette being the center of the universe, I get why it's not popular with Marinette stans.

In before I'm wrong and the show has him trying to use the wish despite all evidence to the contrary, because only ~romantic love~ and/or Marinette truly matters apparently

Instead. To be honest, at this point I'm full on expecting something will happen to Adrien one day, something severe or even permanent, maybe caused by Marinette's lying or some other mistake, to the point she will try to use the wish. Parallels with Gabe and all that. Her already over the top and questionable behavior all in the name of not losing him, yadda yadda. Don't know if they'll go this route for sure, but...the foreshadowing/potential is there.

I laughed at "mouthy amphibian" btw. 🤣 Thank you so much for the response!!! And apologies this two part rant got so long, I've just been really annoyed by this and didn't want to keep silent any longer.

---

I totally get it. It's a complete misunderstanding of what Adrien's character stands for, the little bit of character growth he’s actually been allowed even as the writers try to drain anything interesting about him away to make him less popular. Frankly, with the writers' disregard of their characters’ personalities, their obvious disdain for the very idea of Adrien having concerns outside of Marinette and their very obvious belief that Marinette is the center of the universe, I would not be surprised if they actually did write Adrien unable to deal with losing Marinette. After all, the biggest concern of any sympathetic character should always be Marinette, unless them not prioritizing her is going to be milked for Marinette sympathy.

Realistically, in terms of what has been established about Adrien's character, he would be heartbroken to lose Marinette, but he could survive her and move on and find new happiness. However, also realistically, in terms of how the writers operate, Adrien's personality doesn't matter if they want to throw the ultimate pity party over how sad and pathetic everyone would be without the most amazing, wonderful Marinette. Ignore how a lot of them would be better off without her with how exhausting the writers made her to deal with.

If Adrien got to move on, the shippers would be so angry at him for “not loving Marinette enough”. There's this idea in media that moving on from loss is healthy as long as it's not the main romantic couple. Romantic couples should never move on, because that's more dramatic and so romanticized, just like codependency is so popular because it's more dramatic and so romanticized. And, like, I’m not saying I don't see the appeal, I enjoy the occasional codependent relationship in my media. But, that's just the thing: my media. I’m a grownass adult with critical thinking skills and emotional skills. I don't wanna see that shit romanticized in cartoons made for preschoolers with neither of those skills. Anything in between there is a case-by-case basis the parents should probably be responsible for depending on how much harmful behavior is being taught to youths and how mature the youths watching and reading that stuff are.

I used to call myself a Mudkip during my iconic “Mudkip with Juniper Lee hair” profile pic era in a cheeky “but what do I know, I’m just a Mudkip” way. I figured amphibian works, since, among my changing user pics, amphibians are the most common.

[lokisprettygirl]

Close Ties (Daemon Targaryen x Female Reader) (Modern AU) (Non canon) (18+)

Read Chapter 9 // Series Masterlist

Chapter 10

Summary : After your confrontation with Cassandra, Daemon comforts you in the best possible way.

Warning: 18+, dad's best friend trope, canon (we don't know her..don't like don't read), feeling of hopelessness, uncle Daemon kink (you don't have to squint), familial uncle niece sort of relationship but he's not really her uncle, there will be more smut later, significant age gap but reader is in her mid twenties, mention of infidelity, divorce, smoking and alcohol drinking, physical violence implied

You were taken aback when Cassandra revealed that she had slept with Dylan without warning because a small part of you had hoped that this was all a misunderstanding.

“What?” You asked her, voice riddled with a tinge of surprise, she crossed her arms in response.

“Is that why you have been acting weird lately because you think I slept with Dylan?” she asked you, making you scoff at the statement.

“Did you?”

"Of course not, I just said it to see if you'd admit why you've been acting strange lately. I know that your Uncle Daemon has been in your ear, trying to turn you against me,"

“For fucks sake” Daemon mumbled under his mouth as his jaw clenched in anger,

“We should go discuss this in my room” You said as you walked past her, all of you went went upstairs as you didn't want to make a scene in the lobby itself, you opened the door to your room and she entered first, you were about to go in as well but Daemon grabbed your arm to pull you outside before he closed the door so she she won't be able to eavesdrop.

“Don't back away in front of her alright?” You nodded as he said that “I'm here whenever you need me” he kissed your forehead and walked backwards while he kept his eyes on you. He didn't want to act if he had to babysit you, you were twenty five and you were surely capable of standing up for yourself.

As you stepped inside the room she was on her phone and as you slammed the door shut loudly she finally looked up and rolled her eyes.

“Y/n I can't believe you have been doubting me over that old man's word” she said with a frown on her face but also seemed disinterested at the same time.

“Look Cassandra, that man is my… he's my family okay? You are not going to insult him anymore in front of me” you crossed your arms in a defensive stance, he was off limits to her or anyone else from now on.

“Family? Didn't he leave when he got married or should I say found his actual family and then came back as soon as his wife had dumped his sorry ass” she chuckled and somehow that spiked the frustration you felt towards her.

“Just shut the fuck up …we are not here to talk about Daemon “

“It's weird how you keep addressing him by his name these days”

“Why were you in Italy with Dylan?” she was trying to divert the situation but you weren't going to back away, you wanted Daemon to see that you weren't just a weak willed woman that would allow someone like Cassandra to walk all over yourself.

You didn't tell her that you just had an inkling about her rendezvous but asked her the question as a matter of fact to see how she'd react, she looked down for a moment and then looked up again, her eyes were teary now as if she wasn't refuting your claims just now. Why weren't you able to see through her all these years?

“Nothing is going on between me and Dylan, honestly you really think I'd do that to you?” Her voice became softer so you sighed, you could tell she was lying to you “Besides he was never really my type, I only date men that are to my level alright girl?”

He most definitely was her type you thought.

“Are you just going to keep lying to me?” You said to her and she groaned in response.

“Arghhh fine I slept with him in Italy..happy?” Your eyes welled up as she said that.

“Is this all just a big joke to you?” you chuckled in disbelief, the situation kept getting worse.

“Why does it matter now? He cheated on you, remember? I swear I only seduced him so I could teach him a lesson…you're my best friend..do you really think I'd hurt you like that?”

“Yess I do think you'd hurt me like that, because you have done it before..Seth, Roy ..you slept with those guys even though I liked them” she chuckled as you said that.

“What? I didn't even know you liked them”

“Really? You didn't know..you couldn't tell that i did? Aren't you my best friend?”

“Wow you're really blaming me for stealing guys when the truth is they wanted me and not you?”

“Yeah Dylan wanted you too?”

“Yeah he did, he always did but I never did anything until you two were done with” the nerve she had was only infuriating you more and more.

“That guy didn't just cheat on me..he hit me”

“And I was furious, wasn't i? I went to his place to give him a piece of my mind and we were arguing and there was this tension between us–”

Your eyes widened even more as she said that,

“You have been fucking him since then huh? You came back to me that day and pretended to hate him while you had just fucked him”

“That's ..not what I meant..” she stuttered and you were just done with her, you didn't want an explanation, you had reached the point where you just didn't care anymore about salvaging this friendship or whatever was left of it.

“SHUT THE FUCK UP CASSANDRA WALLIS “ you raised your voice so she stood up and looked at you shocked. Where did you get such courage from she wondered.

“Nice really nice…you made a new friend so now you're discarding me so efficiently”

“If I wanted to discard you I'd have done so before..you don't respect me at all, you have no fucking boundaries, you slept with my uncle even though you knew i didn't want things to get weird..but that wasn't enough, you had to act like a fucking psychopath with him when he dumped your whorish ass for good. All you care about is yourself and perhaps you know that being a whore n what not you'd never actually find a decent guy so you try to sabotage my happiness at every chance you get..now get the fuck out of my room”

As you were done speaking your chest was heaving with an insurmountable amount of rage you felt towards her. She swiftly walked past you, tears were streaming down her face which most probably were being shed to make you feel guilty.

As she stepped out Daemon was standing right outside, he had a smirk on his face as he looked at her,

“You did this didn't you..you can't stand me..you ruined your friendship and now you have ruined mine” she screamed at him so he placed his fingers in his ears and gestured for her to leave but she just stood there and stared at him with a manic look on her face.

“Go on..you'd have to book a flight back to London now that your trust fund is parting ways with you”

She stomped on her feet but instead of going to her room she leaped into him instead and tried to kiss him, that's when he grabbed her arms and pushed her against the wall in order to control her,

“Kiss me dae please i love you ..i have been falling for you and it hurts that you won't just pay me attention” she was crying profusely so he rolled his eyes in frustration. In that moment she was the spitting image of Stella to him.

“Go home Cassandra..find someone else because I'd never allow you to hurt her again” he stepped away from her so she huffed again to go to her room that was right next to yours and then slammed the door shut.

As he entered your room he found you on the bed sobbing hysterically with your face buried in the pillow, you stood up for yourself and he was very proud of you but he knew it must have been overwhelming. Losing a friend always brings hurt even if it's a necessary evil. There are fond memories attached to that person that continues to prickle and hurt for a long long time, he knew all about that better than anyone.

He didn't have emotional support when he lost your father so he was going to make sure you'd have one in him.

He took off his tie and threw it somewhere in the corner of the room, then he removed the blazer as well as his shoes before he climbed into your bed, he grabbed his blazer and placed it on your legs because the formal skirt you had on was bunched up to your thighs.

You had your body turned to the other side as you were sobbing heavily so he propped himself on his elbows and turned you to him, as soon as you turned around you clutched onto him tightly.

For a while he stayed silent, he didn't say a word but only caressed your back and head with the flat of his palm gently, once in a while his finger traced circular patterns on your upper back and his lips traced on your cheeks as he wiped your tears in between, the physical comfort was all you needed in that moment .

Once your sobs diminished you looked up at him and he looked back at you with a small soft smile on his face.

“I did it but it hurts” you sniffled so he leaned down and kissed your forehead,

“I know..i know it does”

“I feel guilty as if I'm at fault here even though I'm not”

“You're not.. and I'll tell you that for as long as you'd need to hear it from me. Listen to me Pixie pie" your smile widened for a moment at the pet name

"I know it feels like the end of the world right now, but I promise that it will get better. Years later, when you look back, you won't feel so awful about getting rid of someone who you knew wasn't good for you." He said gently. "Leaving her bad personality aside, she went behind your back and broke the trust you had in her that she never should have broken. It wasn't done just once or in the heat of the moment. She did it time and again, so you know now that she never was your well-wisher yes?"

He mumbled softly as he caressed your cheekbone with his thumb so you nodded. You understood now that Cassandra probably never was as good of a friend to you as you had thought her to be.

“Good girl, you have me i promise and you have Rhaenyra now. I'm not asking you to replace Cassandra with her in your heart so quickly but you have a friend in her, a genuine one, and you can trust her until she shows you otherwise. Don't let this experience make you cold or ungiving my sweetheart, none of this was your fault”

He whispered softly before he kissed your cheek again. His voice was soothing and melted like music in your ears, he was trying to lift your spirits and give you hope for the future, reminding you that you had people who cared about you and supported you.

He was so close to you and for a moment his calming intoxicating scent made you want to forget everything but him.

“Thank you..i couldn't have done it without you, i wouldn't have confronted her like this if it wasn't for you” your fingers played with the unbuttoned collar of his shirt as you spoke, the action warmed his heart, the intense need he felt to protect you was indescribable.

“Mmmm you never have to thank me..unless I want you to of course” you giggled as he said that, cupping his cheeks you pulled him closer to kiss his forehead, he somehow looked even better up close. You stared at his lips and as your finger caressed his lower lip his breath hitched in his chest, as you looked up at him again he could tell you were waiting for him to make a move because you always wanted to be his good girl and not push him to do anything he didn't want to do.

So that's what he did, he leaned down and pecked on your lips ever so fleetingly, your fingers curled around his neck as the sudden touch of his lips left you feeling transcended. The only way you could have described that feeling was if you were to compare it with a mild feeling of electrocution but in a good way, that's how intense the little kiss felt.

You leaped up at him to kiss him again so he pulled away slightly, your eyes were closed and you just seemed ethereal to him, your beauty radiated from deep within. You didn't look like Stella, not at all and you had such a caring soul and maybe that's what he liked about you, when he was with you he didn't miss anyone because you didn't remind him of anyone else. You were so completely you and he just wanted to be with you.

He cupped your cheeks and leaned down again to put his lips on yours, this time it wasn't fleeting, it was a kiss you had desired since he had returned or maybe long before that. A moment you never in your wildest dreams thought would become your reality. It just seemed impossible, you felt the years of longing wash over you, even with his lips on yours the moment felt surreal as if you were in a just a vivid dream.

His lips captured your lower lip and he clasped it between his teeth for the fraction of a second before he kissed you properly. Then you pulled him even closer to you if it was possible so now he was practically on top of you, his body felt heavy and all you wanted was for him to suffocate you and make you breathless, you never wanted this moment to end.

He pulled away a little and looked at you, you still had your eyes closed but there was a faint smile on your face. His tongue invaded your mouth with the push of his thumb on your chin, you could feel yourself dripping already and the realisation made you felt pathetic. You felt thankful that he had kissed you for the very first time in this position because you would have surely fallen due to how weak you felt in the knees at the moment..

As much as he didn't want to he finally pulled away as you gasped in his mouth and his lips immediately trailed down from your chin to your jawline line and then he briefly traced the collar bone, his fingers urged to open the buttons of the expensive business shirt you had on but he controlled himself, he wanted to treat you better than this.

He laid down next to you and you finally opened your eyes, you had to squeeze your thighs together to release some of that tension. Your mind was filled with filthy images of him fucking you right onto this bed, you had the image of his half naked body from the Bali trip when you had caught him just in his towel and you needed that body on top of yours, rubbing against every inch of you with his mouth mumbling filthy words in your ears.

“Did you kiss me because you wanted to or because you felt bad that I was crying?” he chuckled as you said that,

“I'd have kissed you the first night we reunited if that was the reason”

“Mmm you felt bad for me?”

“You just seemed so sad”

“Mmmm..did you like the kiss?”

“I loved it, been years since I have felt this way about ..life in general” he propped on his elbow and pecked your lips softly, his words made you smile.

“Can I ask you something?” you mumbled so he caressed your scalp with his fingers and nodded “Are we in a relationship?”

“Mhhhm ..did you think otherwise?”

“No, I just wanted to confirm..it's a monogamous relationship right?”

“There's no other way around it sweetheart, this is not a fling. I want you to know that as long as you're mine, I'm wholly yours" your arms circled around his neck so he rubbed his nose against yours.

Daemon understood you on a deeper level, you both had been cheated on in the past and you both knew the pain that came with it. Neither one of you wanted to put the other through that same hurt again, it definitely wasn't something that you wanted, you had every intention of worshipping this man day in and out and show him how he deserved to be treated.

“I just thought you wouldn't be ready for a relationship so soon..that's why I had to know”

“Mmhm it's been a year since the divorce, even before that we were separated. That fling with Cassandra made me realize that I didn't want fun. I needed something substantial. I am a grown man in my forties..I need someone I can cherish and take care of” and love he thought “Gave it a shot with Madison but my heart was already full at the time”

You nodded as he said that, his words made you feel giddy, you really wanted him to cherish you, not just in a familial way but like a lover..

“Do you ever feel guilty about Cassandra, she kind of liked you” he shook his head as you asked him.

“Noo.. she liked the way i fucked her" your face flushed at the straightforwardness "And my thoughts were quite confused by you.. whenever i looked at you my heart raced at the sight of you, and then on the trip when we got to talking it just got worse” as he finished speaking you smiled. You couldn't believe he had those feelings about you, you didn't really think of yourself as someone a man like him would dream of being with.

There was a fear in the back of your mind that made you believe that he only desired you because of the forbidden aspect of your relationship and he'd quickly get bored of you once he sleeps with you, you feared that he'd find you boring or there would be no chemistry but his words always made you feel desirable in every way.

“Mmm i have a confession too”

“What?”

“I never liked Stella, even when she was your girlfriend and you weren't married to her, i just never liked her”

“What made you feel that way sweet girl?” he asked you softly,

“Well of course I was jealous that she had your attention all the time but she was also kind of mean when it was just us alone”

“Why didn't you tell me?”

“Because I don't do that, I don't like saying bad things about people to their own people” you mumbled

“Good girl you are” he kissed your cheek as he spoke.

“Ummm i have more questions" you asked him so he chuckled again, your curiosity was intriguing to him.

"You don't need my permission to ask me a question"

"Mmmm how many times did she cheat on you..if that's not too personal of a question..you can completely ignore if it feels uncomfortable"

He averted his gaze as you questioned him but then he leaned into you to kiss your forehead.

“More times than i could count on my fingers now, she would meet someone new in the club or parties, and forget all about me..then she'd come home to me crying and begging for me to forgive her and I did, i always did”

You couldn't imagine how awful that must have felt to have the person you loved hurt you in such a way time and again.

“Were there good times in your marriage?”

“Plenty of them..that's why it was harder to leave”

“Mmm.. I'm sorry, you didn't deserve to be treated that way, she didn't even value what she had in you, you're a gem of a man..some of us really do pray to find a man like you ” he let out a small laugh as you said that.

“You think so highly of me Pixie love”

“As I should”

You turned on your side and hugged him like a koala, an hour later he took you to get dinner and you did bump into Cassandra there. Her hotel reservation was paid for, food included, was she planning to stay? You couldn't tell.

“Why won't she leave?” You asked Daemon so he looked up from his phone. If Cassandra wasn't on this trip with you two then he might have been more open with you in public but he couldn't take a risk with her being around so he was acting very disinterested. He turned his head to look at Cassandra, she was with a guy, he seemed local, he couldn't help but smirk and she just glared at him in response.

He was just happier than usual that she was out of your life, hopefully for good.

“She's a leech love, I am surprised you weren't able to read her better before” he said to you, making you roll your eyes in response.

Once you were done eating you got up and walked up to her, Daemon turned in his chair to see what you were going to do.

“What the fuck are you doing Cassandra? You should think about how you're going to pay for the flight back home” you crossed your arms so she smiled.

“Awn don't worry I called Uncle ..your dad ..told him how my budget is so tight lately and he told me to not worry about it” she smirked and all you wanted to do was slap her. She was showing you her true colors, it was as if she didn't even care anymore that you both used to be such good friends. You walked out of the hotel restaurant so Daemon got up and followed you.

“She's staying..can you believe that?” You told him as you both stepped inside the elevator so he grabbed your arm and turned you towards him, his eyes stared deeply in yours,

“And what are you gonna do about it hmm?”

“What should I do?” You gulped as you asked him meekly, as your floor arrived he dragged you to your room and as you both stepped inside he pressed you against the door, his gaze never averted from you but you had to look down because you weren't able to take the heat in them. You just wanted to kiss him all the time.

“Think about it and tell me what you should be doing in this situation when you can see that your boundaries are not being respected and you have a potentially hostile individual around you who may or or may not intend to harm you further”

He asked you as he grabbed your chin and made you look him in the eye since you were avoiding eye contact.

“Ummm i should call my dad and tell him everything about what went down and hopefully he'll understand?”

“Good girl..you know what to do..you're a big girl.. and you don't ever have to second guess yourself. Show her that you're not weak or someone she can continue to manipulate” he told you firmly.

“Mmm yess uncle”

His breath hitched as you said that. What kind of sick pervert would enjoy something like that he thought because he definitely got hard every time you accidentally called him Uncle while he was so close to you.

You let out an inaudible swear as the name slipped your mouth, you were still not used to addressing him as Daemon especially since you had spent the last four months constantly calling him uncle. His hands trailed down and you gasped as he pulled you closer to him and leaned down his toweresque body to kiss you, your arms flung around his neck as you returned the kiss with equal passion, perhaps you didn't need to worry about having no chemistry in bed because there was clearly an abundance of it.

As you moaned against him Daemon had to bring forth all the self control he had in him, sure it would have been easier to just pick you up and fuck you right now, perhaps right against the door, he also knew you won't resist him either and would gladly allow him to do whatever he wanted to do with you, you'd perhaps encourage it too.

He pulled you away from him but you leaned into him to kiss him again so he pressed you against the door again and this time he used a bit of strength to keep you at bay.

“That shouldn't turn me on darling” he let out a groan, there was a familiar scowl on his face.

“The uncle thing?” You bit on your lips as you said that and he stepped away from you.

“You don't do it on purpose do you? It's perverted”

“I don't do it on purpose but i see that umm it turns you on”

“It does..im not proud of it”

“There's nothing wrong with it”

“There's absolutely every fucking thing wrong with it”

“it's just a kink” he looked at you as you said that. You stepped towards him and held onto his hand, he tried to pull away at first but he melted in your embrace as you hugged him, he was so soft but so big, he was a man's man, his hugs always reminded you of being wrapped up in a warm blanket.

“I should not be indulging in those kinks”

He mumbled, his voice sounded tired, it had been a long day full of workload and your personal drama.

“You shouldn't be but you want to and you should do whatever you want” you looked up as you placed your head up from between the crook of his neck, a soft kiss on the chin then led to another heated kiss but he controlled his desires again.

He'd not fuck you so soon, he'd not make you feel used or hurt in anyways, none of you were actually thinking about the consequences but the fear remained in his consciousness. What would he tell your parents? How could he ever make them believe that he was not in this just for fun? No matter what approach he would take at the end he'd always be your dad's best friend who knew you and was around you when you were twelve and from their point of view he'd always come across as nothing but a predator.

The trip to Japan was actually cut short because the deal was finalized the next day, thanks but also no thanks to Daemon.

The flight back home was much warmer and pleasant then your arrival because she wasn't there, you got to sleep with your head on his shoulder, you didn't really know how Cassandra was going to fly back home because you had called your dad and told him everything after your talk with Daemon. Your parents had plenty of questions but they always put you above anyone else so your father immediately obliged to your requests.

A part of you still felt guilty but you shoved those thoughts aside. She didn't deserve your pity.

When you finally reached London a day later there was an unpleasant surprise waiting for you at home. Your actual uncle, the biological one, was there with his wife and two kids, both of his daughters were younger than you by a year and two.

As you saw him you gave him a courteous smile and he approached you to hug you even though you didn't really care about him, he never really was a good brother to your father and you didn't really like him.

Your uncle Daemon definitely took all your love for himself, even as a child you preferred Daemon over your actual uncle because he truly was more of a brother to your father than his own brother.

“How are you uncle, it's been a while, years in fact” you asked him and he just smiled in response then his eyes drifted towards Daemon.

“Oh you're back i see”

Well this wasn't going to be fun you thought, Daemon didn't like him and the feeling was mutual but they both spent their time pretending to be nice to each other for your dad's sake. You remembered how happy your Uncle seemed when he was told that Daemon was gone for good.

“Good to see you mate” Daemon said to him as he gave him a small but most definitely an artificial smile.

Your cousins came forward to greet you and you immediately noticed them eyeing Daemon, especially the older daughter.

There was an awkward air of tension in the living room that you could have cut with a butter knife and it was about to get worse as you'd figure out why your dad's brother had returned into your lives all of a sudden.

👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀👀

Taglist

@serving-targaryen-realness @annoyingsweetsstranger @anukulee @mcufan72 @insertsomethingsillyhereple-blog @silentf @ajthefujoshi @stupidthoughtsinwriting @ammo23 @shuichiakainx @daddylokisqueen @ipostwhtifeel @anehkael @madlyinlovewmattmurd0ck @dixie-elocin

[transgamerthoughts]

Abandon All Delusions Of Control

this is another cross-post. which is funny because I've paid for a domain name redirect to my tumblr since like 2016.. i never know what site is gonna explode these days. less people follow me here than anywhere but this write ups been passed around so...

I've been playing Dragon's Dogma 2 and while I'd love to talk about gameplay or interesting moments, the game's found itself something of a cultural lightning rod. It is a game with many friction points arising in a cultural moment where gamers are, perhaps more than ever, convinced that "consumers" are kings.

Dragon's Dogma 2 is not readily "solvable" and you can't min-max it. You will make mistakes. You will be scraped and bruised and scarred. Pain is sometimes the only bridge that can take us wher ewe need to go. And gaming culture, fed the lie of mastery and player importance, does not understand that scars can be beautiful. I love this game. I think it's a miracle it came out at all.

I also think in spite of the success it's found… that 2024 might be the worst possible year for it to have released.

Let's ramble about it..

It's easy to feel like Hideaki Itsuno and his team miscalculated the amount of friction that players are willing to endure and while I don't think that's true (he didn't miscalculate moreso stick to his particular vision) it certainly appears that we've reached a point in gaming where players, glutted on convenience, don't really know what to do when robbed of it. I've heard folks complain that they can't sprint everywhere or else balk learning that ferrystones required for fast travel cost 10,000 gold as if these shatter DD2 into pieces. I'm vaguely sympathetic to these concerns but at the same time they seem to spring entirely from a lack of understanding of the game's design goals. Much like how folks demanding a traditionally structured RPG narrative from an Octopath game misunderstand what that team is trying to do, players asking to sprint through the world or teleport with ease fundamentally misunderstand what Dragon's Dogma wants. The world is not a wrapper for a story. It is the story. Dragon's Dogma is a story factory whose various textures create unprecedented triumphs and memorable failure.

It is crucial to the experience to allow both of those to occur and live with whatever follows.

I'm always cautious of talking like this because it can come off as smug or superior but I think ultimately that's the truth of the matter here. This was not a well-played franchise before now and even if it's a AAA title, there's a way in which this game is meant to elide most AAA open world trends. You are expected to traverse. If you want relatively cheap and faster travel, you're meant to find an oxcart and pay the (quite modest) fee to move between trade hubs much like you would pay for a silt strider in Morrowind. Even if you do this, you could be ambushed on the road and in the worst case the ox pulling the cart can be killed. Something being "possible" in a game doesn't always mean it is intentional but Dragon's Dogma continually undercuts the player's ability to avoid long treks. Portcrystals, which act as fast travel destinations, are limited and ferry stones (while not prohibitively expensive compared to weapons and armor) are juuust expensive enough that you need to consider if the expense is worthwhile. Once is happenstance. Multiple times is a pattern. And the pattern in Dragon's Dogma is to disincentivize easy travel. It screams of intent.

Something I could not have imagined playing games growing up is the ways in which even a decade (or two) could lead to radically different attitudes on what games should provide. That's an audience issue to an extent but it's also something games have brought upon themselves. The "language" of an open world game has been solidified through years climbable towers, mini-map marked caves, and options to zip around worlds. When a game deviates from that language, the change is more noticeable than ever.

Hell, even Elden Ring (perhaps the closest modern relative to Dragon's Dogma) allows you to warp between bonfires and gives you a steed to ride. But that's also a much larger game! DD2 is not a large game and the story is not long. Yes, you can spend untold hours wandering about into nooks and crannies but a trek from one end of the world to another is still significantly shorter than bounding through most open worlds and a run through the critical path reveals a speedy game. Not as speedy as the first but brisk by genre standards.

exploration is the glue that binds the combat and progression system in place. Upgrading armor and weapons requires seeking out specific materials and fighting certain monsters. Gathering the funds for big purchases in shops mostly comes from selling your excess monster parts. The entire game hinges on the idea of long expeditions where you accrue materials and supplies on the road and then invest that horde one way or another once you return to town. It's not simply a matter of mood and tone for you to trek throughout the world without ease. The gameplay loop is built around it.

There's another complicating factor that I'm less interested in diving into and it's the presence of certain microtransactions at launch. Principally I'm against MTX in single players games, particularly conveniences of which most of DD2's microtransactions are. But I also think there's been a fundamental misunderstanding of what many of these are. Among the biggest things I've heard (repeatedly!) is that you can pay real life money for fast travel but that's not true. You can buy a single portcrystal offering you one more potential location to warp to. It's a one-time purchase and the only travel convenience offered. This has transformed, partly because of people's lack of familiarity with Dragon's Dogma's mechanics, into a claim that you can pay over and over to teleport around. I think that assumption reveals more about the general audience than anything else.

I think it is worth entertaining a question: does the existence of this extra port crystal signify a compromising of the game's goals regarding travel? That's not a discussion that folks seem to be interested in having—instead opting for more emotional and reactionary panicking—but it is the most interesting question. On face the answer is yes and that raises the follow up question of whether or not the developers had knowledge this convenience (though one-off) would be offered to players. If so, did that knowledge affect how they designed the game? Even slightly? It seems rather clear to me that these purchases are a publisher decision; there's nothing in the game's design that suggest the dev team wants players to have access to an extra portcrystal. As we've established it's quite the opposite!

They want you to haul your fucking ass around and get jumped by goblins, buddy.

Which is many words to say that as much as I care about microtransactions from a consumer standpoint, the way in which they undermine Dragon's Dogma 2's goals is a fair reminder of the ways in which they hurt developers. Ultimately, I do think that these purchases are ignorable and in that sense (combined with the misinformation surrounding them) I'm a little burned by the consumer-minded discussion. Doubly so because of the way it feels, at least in part, tied into a certain kind of rhetoric that's been on the rise lately. Instead, I find myself drawn to the question of the damage they do the devs and if more onerous plans actually would force their hands into undercutting portions of their own designs. The shift of many series into live-service chasing suggest so but even as I entertain these thoughts I don't get the sense that Itsuno and his team were forced to reshape their game world to encourage these microtransactions. The world is as they want.

If it wasn't, they wouldn't make it so failing to act quickly in a quest to find a missing kid stolen by wolves could end with you being too late. They wouldn't make it so buying goods from an Elven shop without an interpreter was a hassle. It's present in Every Damn Thing!

More interesting to consider is why this particular game became such a lightning rod of passion when I'm going to assume that most people caught up in the discussion have no particular fealty to the series. The answer is a combination of factors but there's something about the genre that ignites the panic we're seeing as much as the culture moment we're in. When people try to explain that these MTX purchases are not needed, it's confused for approval of their inclusion but that's not something we need to grant. I don't think anyone wants these things here and when they say "you don't need them" they are referring to the more complex thought that the game is better played without them. But this is not heard because the idea that you'd want to opt into friction and discomfort is not something that the general audience is likely to understand. They're wired against it. They crave ease.

not everyone, mind you. DD2's enjoyed a lot of excited reactions (there's tons of folks who like this game as it is and are happily playing it) but it has faced plenty of folks railing against "bad" design choices but the fact remains that those "bad" choices were intentional.

I'm writing about this stuff instead of, say, the wild journey I took solving one of the Sphinx's riddles because the immediately interesting thing about Dragon's Dogma 2 has been what it's become as a cultural object. It is a game suffering from success. Never designed for a general audience or modern standards but thrust into their hands due to Capcom's ongoing renaissance. Dragon's Dogma is a fine game whose cult status is well earned but the reason DD2 garnered this attention (and therefore becomes a hot-topic game) has as much to do with Capcom's ongoing success rate as anything else. In some ways, it actually IS a good time to release a game like Dragon's Dogma 2. There's certainly a curiousity in place. Partly borne of goodwill and also from folks' genuine desire to try something new.

and yet, we're in a odd moment in games. consumer rights lanaguge, having been fundamentally misunderstood and reconfigured by gamers as a rhetoric for justifying their purchase habits (I'm paying the money! why can't the game do exactly as I demand!?) has stifled many people's ability to have imaginative interpretations of gameplay mechanics. they don't ask "what is this thing doing as a storytelling device" (which mechanics are!) and rather default to "what is this thing doing to me and my FUN and my TIME". which are not bad questions but they also misunderstand the possibility space games have to offer. While we can attribute some of the objections that has arisen to players' thoughts about genre itself and the way in which Dragon's Dogma positions friction as a key gameplay pillar, the fact of the matter is that we would not be having such spirited discussion about these things in, say, 2017. not that things were great back then, but I think the audience is worse now in many, many ways. sarcastically? I blame Game Design YouTube.

Even if there were no microtransactions, we'd still be having a degree of Discourse thanks to a key game mechanic: Dragonplague. It is a disease that can afflict your Pawn companions which initially causes them to get mouthy and start to disobey orders. If you notice these signs (alongside ominous glowing eyes) then your Pawn has been infected and you're expected to dismiss them back to the Rift where that infection can spread to another player. The game gives a pop up to the player explaining this the first time they encounter the disease. However, some players have ignored that warning and found a dire consequence: an untreated Pawn can, when the player rests at an inn, go on an overnight rampage that kills the majority of NPCs in whatever settlement they are in. This includes plot-important characters. The reaction's been intense. Reddit always sucks but man… just look…

I understand some of the ire. It's a drastic shift from your pawn being a bit ornery to instantly killing an entire city. On the other hand, the game does warn of potentially dire consequences if a Pawn's sickness is ignored. Players have simply underestimated the scale of that consequence. Surely no major RPG would mass murder important characters and break questlines! We're in post Oblivion/Skyrim world. Important NPCs are essential and cannot be killed, right? Well, wrong and this is another way in which Dragon's Dogma chases after the legacy of a game like Morrowind more than than it adapts current open world trends. This is a world where things can break and the developers have decided that they are okay with it breaking in a very drastic way. It's hard to think of anything comparable in a contemporary game. We don't really do this kind of thing anymore.

The result has been panic and a spread of information both helpful and hopelessly speculative. Is your game ruined? Well, maybe. There is an item you can find which allows for mass resurrection but that's gonna require some questing. But some players also say that you can wait a while and the game will eventually reset back to the pre-murder status quo. What's true? Hard to know. Dragon's Dogma doesn't show all of its cards and won't always explain itself. We know entire cities can be killed. We know that individual characters can be revived in the city morgue or else the settlement restored (mostly) with a special item. Dragonplague is detectable and the worst case scenario is, to some extent or another, something that the player can ameliorate. Those are facts but they don't really matter.

That's because players issue (panick? hysteria?) with dragonplague is as much to do with what it represents as what it does. Players are used to the notion of game worlds being spaces where they get to determine every state of affair. They are, as I've suggested before, eager to play the tyrant. Eager to enact whatever violences or charities that might strike their fancy. They do this with the expectation that they will be rewarded for the latter but face no consequences for the former. Dragonplague argues otherwise. No, it says, this world is also one that belongs to the developers and they are more than fine with heaping dire consequences on players. Before the dragonplague's consequences were known, players were running around the world killing NPCs in cities because it would stabilize the framerate. They're fine with mass murder on their own terms. they love it!

This is made more clear when we look at how Dragon's Dogma handles saving the game. While there are autosaves between battles, players are expected to rest at inns to save their game. This costs some gold, which is a hassle, but the bigger "issue" is that they only have one save slot. Which means that save scumming is not entirely feasible though not impossible with a bit of planning. What it does mean, however, is that the game is saved when a dragonplague attack happens. you have to rest at an inn for this to trigger. which saves the game. They cannot roll back the clock. The tragedy becomes a fact. It's not the only time Dragon's Dogma does this. For instance, players can come into possession of a special arrow that can slay anything. When used, the game saves. Much like how players are given a warning about dragonplague, they're warned before using this arrow: don't miss.

If you do? that's a real shame. The depth of this consequence is uncommon in today's gaming landscape. Games are mostly frivolous and save data is the amber from which players suck crystallized potentialities. Don't like what happened? No worries. Slide into your files and find the frozen world which suits your proclivities. You are God. In Dragon's Dogma, you are not god. The threads of prophecy can be severed and you must persist in the doomed world that's been created. The mere suggestion is an affront. The fact that Dragon's Dogma has the stones to commit to the bit in 2024 is essentially a miracle.

It's easy to boil everything I'm saying down to "Dragon's Dogma is not afraid to be rude to the player" but that doesn't capture the spirit of the design. It invites players to go on a hike. It makes no attempt to hide that the hike is difficult. But that's the extent of it. It offers little guidance on the path, doesn't check if you're a skilled enough hiker. Your decision to go on the hike is taken as proof of your acceptance of the fact that you might fall down.

This is not unique to Dragon's Dogma. In fact, this is part of the appeal (philosophically) of a game like Elden Ring. The difference being that even FromSofts much-lauded gamer gauntlets (excepting perhaps Sekiro, conincidentally their best work) offer more ways to adjust and fix the world state to the player's liking. Even the darling of difficulty will offering you a hand when you fall. Dragon's Dogma is not so eager to do so. In a decade where convenience is king for video games, that represents both a keen understanding of its lineages and a shocking affront to accepted norms and expectations.

The core of Dragon's Dogma, the very defining characteristics that earned it cult status, are the same things that have caused these modern tensions. It is both a franchise utterly consistent in its design priorities and entirely out of touch with the modern audience. Dragon's Dogma 2 has come into prominence during a time where imaginative interpretation of mechanics is at an all time low and calls for "consumer" gratification are taken as truisms. It is a game entirely at odds with the YouTube ecosystem and the very things that give it allure are the tools that have turned it into a debated object.

This flashpoint of discussion is proof of Dragon Dogma 2's design potency. It's also a sign of the damage that modern design trends have done to games as whole and the ongoing fallout that's come from gamers learning design concepts without really understanding what designing a game entails. And, uh… I dunno respond to that or how to end this. That's both very cool but it also bums me out. Dragon's Dogma 2 is a remarkably confident game but games are long beyond the point of admiring a thing for being honest.

[rpcpositivitea]

narrowsgate has been repeatedly called out for transphobia and for platforming terfs. sappho recently kicked a bunch of trans members out of their server for opposing it. please don't platform them on positivetea and delete your positive posts. if you search tumblr, you'll find multiple posts about it.

narrowsgate, sappho, bastion, and scratch have all been blacklisted. further details below the cut.

trigger warnings are included for transphobia, bigotry, lesbophobia/homophobia, abuse, and suicidal ideation.

i took a few days to review this, and i appreciate your patience while i did so. given tumblr's unreliable search function, i made an effort to thoroughly look into the matter and also reached out to individuals i knew to have direct experience with the site. for transparency, i did not contact narrowsgate, its staff or members, or those who originally posted about the situation here on tumblr.

based on what i've found, i will be privatizing all posts related to narrowsgate except for this one. if anyone has clarifying information or direct proof for or against these allegations, my messages are open. however, i will only consider messages from people off anon in this matter. i understand this may be frustrating, but given the severity of these claims and the number of people corroborating them, i believe there is enough reason to blacklist narrowsgate on rpcpositivitea for the sake of community safety, at least for now. i am not deleting the posts but making them private, leaving room for reevaluation if credible information comes forward.

i want to reiterate: rpcpositivitea is a positivity blog. this space exists to uplift each other and share the joy in this hobby. i don't do gossip, harm, or call-outs, and i will never allow bigotry of any kind.

to be absolutely clear: there is nothing positive about transphobia.

at this moment in history, with escalating attacks on human rights in the united states and worldwide, silence is complicity. true allyship requires action, not passivity. we must be willing to stand up for one another. with this in mind, i can't sit back and wait for clarification to come to me. i have to act now for the safety of this community, which is why i am making this post public. agree or disagree, i will never be on the side of transphobia.

all of that said, i sincerely hope these allegations are a misunderstanding or stem from ignorance rather than intentional harm. if so, they can be addressed, bridges can be built, and people can learn. but if what has been alleged is true, then transphobia, in any form, has no place in our communities, individual or collective, or on this blog. in this situation, i am choosing safety over uncertainty, despite any hope i may have.

have a good day, rpc. let's all strive to do better, so posts like this don't have to keep being made.

—

edit, approximately eight hours later:

for now, the blacklist will remain in place, regardless of whether the site has been 'reclaimed.'

i've received a lot of submissions about this situation, and the volume and nature of these messages have left me feeling unsettled. the latest submission suggested that those accusing others of transphobia are actually manipulating things, committing lesbophobia and harassment, and using their identities to avoid accountability while trying to take over the site. the formal confirmation of that final point does complicate things as well.

i've also received reports that the two main people accusing others of transphobia have been guilty of these actions in the past, as well as other harm, abuse, and harassment. it's also been reported that they've previously used their identities to avoid responsibility, labeling others with transphobia to have their actions ignored while further harming the other party, though it's unclear whether that's the case in this situation or if sappho's actions actually fit that label. i'm only mentioning this for transparency, but let me be clear: everything shared with me has been contradictory, so please take it with a grain of salt. i just want to acknowledge why the blacklist has not only stood but extended, given the lack of clarity and severity of the allegations on both sides.

since this post went live, the new information has led me to blacklist not just sappho and narrowsgate, but also bastion and scratch. everything about this is unclear, and because of that, it doesn't feel right to remove them from the blacklist at this time. the reality is, this situation is messy and harmful, and while i hope everyone can heal and find peace, i now won't be removing them from the blacklist even if the site moves forward with bastion and scratch in charge instead of sappho. i've also privatized all posts about sappho, bastion, and scratch, as well as narrowsgate as i had already. it was incredibly sad to do this, considering many of them showed a longstanding friendship between the three, with them coming to me to raise one another up frequently. still, from what i've seen, both sides have their faults and there's been very little positivity to be found here.

the main point is that there's never an excuse for transphobia or any form of bigotry — but also, honestly, i'm not the rp police. i run a positivity blog, i don't have a personal stake in any of this and i'd much prefer to just stay out of it. so, that's where i'll leave it unless credible sources come forward off anon, as mentioned in the original post. keep in mind: off anon. the anon messages in my inbox currently will all be deleted shortly. this is because there's no credibility there. i'm sorry if this is upsetting, i really am.

my greatest hope in this situation is that everyone can move on, find peace, and heal. i hope this is the last time i have to edit this, as well.

lastly, i want to say good luck to everyone suffering through this and involved in any way. taking away the actions reported on both sides, underneath everything is a longstanding, seemingly deep friendship that was lost in a truly horrible way. that always comes with pain, which is then doubled considering how this has all transpired. i hope they all are taking some time for themselves and to mourn as it deserves.

additionally, given some of the things that have been submitted, i hope whoever is reading this knows that the world is better with them in it. i urge you to look up resources for dealing with suicidal thoughts if you are suffering through that. if others' actions are pushing you to feel an increase in those feelings, i am begging you to remove yourself from the situation entirely. block them, turn off your devices, go be around a loved one who can ground you and distract you or do whatever you need to do in order to survive. i love you, and i am so sorry you are dealing with these thoughts. please, don't listen to them. nothing is worth ending your life for and, as much as i love this hobby and focus on the joy here, that always includes rp. please seek help if you need it. i may not be a professional, so i will always recommend a hotline or chat service instead, but also my messages are open if you need someone to talk you through it. please do whatever it takes to keep yourself safe.

[himbosandhardwear]

A snippet from my latest WIP. Steve goes to a kink club looking for something in particular, and ends up with more than he bargained for...

The conversation becomes less fraught, lots of shop talk, which for a kink club is actually pretty boring. Steve does eventually apologize for their swift departure the night before, if only because he missed the show downstairs. And as much as he's willing to get into Eddie's pants, he really did have a great time with Diana, and doesn't want her to think he's forgotten about it.

“You can make it up to me another day, baby.” She reaches across the bar and pinches his cheek.

“Oh my god, stop,” he whines, rubbing his face. She wasn't being soft about it. He chubs up a bit.

“Actually,” she drawls, contemplative and possibly scheming, “I wanted to run an idea past you.”

“Yeah? What's up?” He tries to look cool, and not like he's praying she doesn't embarrass him in front of everyone.

She leans over the bar, into his space. She's ditched the corset for a comfortable T-shirt but her tits are still huge and are pushed up to her collarbones with the maneuver.

“You know how we said it was going to take awhile before we worked up to…that thing you really want?”

He nearly takes his own chin in his hand so he doesn't turn to see if everyone is listening to this. Of course they are, they're all sitting three feet away.

“Yep.”

“I was thinking, Eddie's better than me at that sort of thing.”

Time stops. He doesn't misunderstand her, he knows what she's suggesting, but the way Eddie goes stiff in his seat…

“Di.” His voice is reprimanding. Angry.

Steve's stomach plummets.

“Oh please, you know it's true. And we both know it's not really about sex with him, he just needs the set and release, so what's the problem? Are we not all adults here?”

Eddie doesn't want to. That much is clear. Despite what he'd said that first night. He's angry at her for even suggesting it, silently communicating that she drop it. Steve has to clear his throat before speaking.

“It's okay,” he says softly. “He doesn't have to do anything if he doesn't want to. I'm not worried about…I mean, I'm fine with what we were doing.”

Eddie turns to look at him in confusion.

“What?” Steve asks, not sure why he's being picked apart about this.

“If I don't want to?”

Steve goes to use his food as a reason to stop looking Eddie in the eye and finds he's somehow already eaten it all. Even the soggy pancake bits. Fuck.

“Yeah, man, it's cool. Don't even worry about it.”

“I am worried about it.” He turns in his seat and, fucking Christ, reaches out and physically turns Steve in his. Steve looks up in shock as their knees bump into each other. “Stop acting like I'm the one who hates the idea.”

Oh. Okay.

What?

“You're the one who said you had a preference for women. Remember?”

This is it. This is the moment that will make or break his chance with Eddie. He needs to think fast. Flirt or play it cool? With everyone watching he can't suddenly show his hand. This is so embarrassing. Fuck. Thinking fast has never been his strong suit.

“That was back when it was all sexual, though. Right? Like she said, that part hardly matters anymore. It's all about,” he looks over at Diana, trying to remember what she'd said that first night, “confronting trauma in a safe place?”

“Exactly.” She pats his arm and then turns to Eddie. “See? You're the only one here who sees an issue.”

Eddie shakes his head like he's trying to wake up. “Me? I don't- There's no problem. I just thought… Okay.”

The emotional rollercoaster Steve's been on has gone completely off the fucking rails, he's in freefall.

“Okay?”

He looks Steve over, like Steve's the one who might be fucking with him. “Yeah. I'm free the rest of the day. I assume you are too? Not a school day.”

Today?!

“No but, uh, tomorrow. Tomorrow is a school day.”

“So we do it now and not later tonight.”

Now?!

“Holy shit,” Megan says, which reminds him, horrifyingly, that other people are still here, “are you a school teacher?”

He somehow manages to rip his eyes away from Eddie long enough to answer her. “Guidance counselor.”

She coos over this, and immediately wants to know if all the kids have a crush on him. He almost says, no, of course not, but he realizes on the spot that it's not true and Matt Owens had a very obvious crush on him two years ago. Embarrassing.

“I mean, maybe. But nothing too bad.” He knows his face is still red, so he probably looks like he's trying to hide some kind of nefarious deed.

Eddie startles him when he places his hand down on Steve's arm again, leaning in to mutter, “Wait here, I'm gonna grab some stuff. Gimme ten?”

Sweat is gathering on Steve's lower back.

“Yup. No problem.”

“Cool. Meet me in Room Six.”

“Will do.”

Eddie leaps off the bar stool and half jogs downstairs. Everyone is suspiciously quiet. He looks back to find them all staring, various looks of excitement across their faces.

“What?”

Diana snorts. “Ignore them. They don't get out much. You want a shot of something?”

“Yes, please.”

[lloydfrontera]

Now that Javier experienced Lloyd sacrificing himself do you think he will still want him to go and sacrifice himself and save others or will he be now fine with Lloyd wanting to runaway especially with what he heard through the door?

that's such an interesting question.

to start with javier never wanted lloyd to sacrifice himself. just to be clear. that's not something javier ever wanted of him. he hoped he would try to help others even if it meant risking his life which is different but i guess the difference can be a little tricky.

that being said.

i don't believe javier would ever want lloyd to put himself in danger ever again, not for him, not for the estate, not for anyone else. but. i do think he would subconsciously expect it from him. you get what i mean?

like. he'd never want or think to ask lloyd to risk his life again, he'd do everything in his power so lloyd is never in a situation where he would have to, just like he swore to do in ch 384

And on the other hand, he made a promise. He was determined. I will protect that stupid friend even more firmly. No matter what happens. No matter what situation comes. I will protect that coward who pretends to be calm. ‘So don’t whine that you don’t want to die. Because that won't happen. If that moment comes, I will be the one who dies. for you... I'm willing to do that.'

so like. as far as javier is aware he would never let lloyd do something like that.

but. he would expect it. because that's what lloyd got him used to. which is,, very important to remember imo. i don't think it's fair to get upset at javer for feeling disappointed when lloyd says he won't put his life at risk for the sake of others when time after time lloyd has shown that he's very much willing to do so. and has explicitly said he will do so. like!! talk about giving mixed signals here!

remember the mastodons incident?? that time javier got upset precisely because lloyd kept putting his life in danger?? and lloyd was the one that told him that sorry but he would keep doing it anyway??

"I fully get what you are saying," Lloyd continued. "And I know you have good intentions. You're telling me to run safely and don't take things into my own hands when danger arises. Right?" "Yes," Javier confirmed "But you're upset because I always get winded up in this situation by risking myself, totally ignorant of my place. I'm right on this one, too, right?" asked Lloyd. "Yes, that's right." "But what else can I do? I don't think I can be more careful in the future." "Why is that?" asked Javier. "There are people that trust and work for me." Javier wanted to refute and fight back. But he couldn't come up with anything, so he stayed silent. Lloyd continued to speak amid his silence. "Of course, I don't want to be in danger, either. I'm scared. And I hate dying all the more. But you see, everyone has their own responsibilities," said Lloyd.

like?? i don't think it's unfair for javier to expect lloyd to try to help others even if it means putting his life in danger when this is an actual conversation they had.

the misunderstanding here was that when lloyd said he had a responsibility to others, he meant the people that worked for him, the ones under his care, the people he's in charge of. he owes them that protection because they put his trust in him and he's not gonna betray that even if it means his life.

but javier thinks they have that responsibility with everyone. he thinks it's their duty to protect those than can't protect themselves, even if they're not part of their estate or territory. he believes they owe them that protection because they are stronger than they are and it's their responsibility to do their best to help even if it means their lives.

and guess what! lloyd always ends up coming back to save everyone anyway! despite his fears, despite his protests, he always ends up risking his life for strangers anyway!... okay, mostly for javier but still! javier doesn't know that! he doesn't know that the major reason lloyd disregards his safety is because he cannot stand the idea of javier dying while being a hero! why would he! they're both very stupid when it comes to the other!

as far as javier knows lloyd always ends up doing the altruistic thing despite his words to the contrary. why wouldn't he expect him to do it again even when he doesn't want him to.

so like. yes javier would be okay with lloyd running away but he wouldn't actually expect him to and it would be a jarring surprise to him if lloyd did.

and the thing is. i think if lloyd suggested running away and javier accepted, it would even more jarring for lloyd, because that's just... not what he would expect from javier. which i believe would then send him down a spiral of anxiety and mixed feelings about being the reason javier gave up one of the things he most admired in him that would end up with him deciding to stay and help. thereby confirming exactly what javier expected of him. again.

but again. that's just what i think ajskdjskdfds

[frazzledsoul]

Finally finished season 7 of Shameless, here are more unsolicited thoughts:

I think I've said enough about Fiona and how I'm not really sympathetic towards her and her desire to no longer be a guardian and instead be a cutthroat businesswoman. Patsy's was intended to be a refuge for people who had sketchy pasts and had nowhere else to go to earn a living. Fiona was once one of them. Fiona is determined to turn into a hip, thriving hangout for hot people. While it's not exactly that simple (people like Sierra have plenty of problems despite being young and hot) I think it ties into her leaving behind the values that made people like her in the early seasons. Also, she's not a great businesswoman. She got incredibly lucky with the laundromat and then lucked into another opportunity immediately afterwards.

I've also said more than enough about being sympathetic towards Debbie and that Fiona put her in a position where she was so desperate she was making incredibly reckless decisions. Not that Debbie makes it easy to sympathize with her at times: she takes advantage of Neil, gets Sierra thrown out, rebuffs Fiona's attempts to meet her halfway and offer her a job....but again, she was desperate because she didn't want to be thrown out and then she was desperate to not have her baby taken by DCFS. Fiona does seem to want to help her and Debbie is willing to honestly ask her for help by the end of the season but... honestly, I think it's a ripple effect. Fiona fell down on the job in the beginning here.

Also maybe it will change or maybe the fandom hates Debbie so much it doesn't matter, but she did seem to get her shit together rather quickly and get certified in a trade once she was stable. Lip avoided working actual jobs for years and Fiona fumbled along until she lucked into the cups jobs/management at Patsy's. You can say Debbie just got lucky and Fiona/Lip had more responsibilities and she'll just screw it up later and maybe that's all true, but it took years for either of them to think of doing something better for themselves.

Ah, Lip. If there's one thing we can rely on him to do, it's for him to make everything a million times worse when he's already self-destructing. That said, as someone who fucked up in college, too, I kinda get it. Lip tries twice to stick to the plan Youens has for him and work harder for a payoff in the future and it fails both times so I can understand his mentality that it's not worth it to try anymore. I think what people fundamentally misunderstand about him is that he had zero ambition in the first place. He liked the life he had as a teen in the South Side and wanted to stay there. That doesn't excuse every shitty thing he does but it does make me forgive him a bit more when he is an asshole.

All that said, it kind of stings to watch him fuck it up with Sierra, which is the closest thing he's had to a relationship since Mandy. He had a great girl and a third chance to start over and he threw it all away.

The Svetlana/Kev/V power throuple was super hawt until it unraveled. Also, I love Kevin as a fake gay bartender.

There's no way Yevgeny is actually Mickey's son with all that blonde hair, right?

I don't mind Trevor but this is obviously not an endgame pairing for Ian and I feel the writers are pushing him too hard on us. I loved Mickey and Ian's road trip misadventures (feels a lot closer to the earlier seasons) and none of Ian's other boyfriends really meet their dynamic and passion. There's also something so lovesick about Mickey that breaks my heart (and I can't believe I have to wait another season to see him again).

Monica is a nightmare, but there is something so sweet about her and Frank together. Also, I'm somewhat unsympathetic about Fiona lamenting that she had to take over Monica's responsibilities given that she is now choosing to mostly fuck off at this point, too. I know she is the main character but I would have liked to hear how some of the other kids felt about her dying other than just Fiona.

So I can see why so many fans feel the show should have ended at season 7. The show ends in such a positive place for the characters. Frank is reconciled with his family. Ian reunited with Mickey but had to let him go after letting us know he still loves and cares about him and returning to stability. Kevin and Veronica are a twosome again. Fiona's business plans are working out. Lip is sober, has a friend(!) and might reconcile with Sierra. Carl is doing good in military school. Things were going well for all of them. It would have been a nice place to end it.

So as someone who has intense memories of early ER, this was a great season for guest appearances. We see Chunie, Anspaugh, Shep's inept EMT partner Riley, and of course, Youens is played by an actor who had a memorable guest stint in very early ER. I also squeaked when I realized Wilson Cruz had popped up for a bit, too

[stormdragon23]

Songs for Solo Leveling Ships Pt. 2

I was actually going to put these songs in the previous part, but it got too long-

Choibaek:

It's funny 'cause this song's actually in Japanese, not Korean-

"It's been a long time, without any news It's like our feelings are far apart Though I want to tell you, it won't come true anymore The distance between us, my wishes won't reach Still calling for you"

I imagine this song as a result of a particularly bad argument between them and that they're giving each other the silent treatment.

"Baby, I miss you so much now, no matter what anyone says, ayy Calling you up, I need you even now, say If our feelings are the same, yeah If that time was just a mistake, babe I want you to say that, truthfully Like an old novel This ending I don't think I can get over it"

Except one of them (could be either, but I imagine it's Choi Jong-In) starts missing the other and wants to see him again but at the same time, isn't sure if the other feels the same way yet.

"Left in tears Because there's nothing to hold on to Ring-a-ling I may be a nuisance, but Because there's only one thing I want you to tell me Getting no reply is also an answer, but I'll keep on waiting, even now I want you to come back"

And this is when Jong-In makes the decision to try to mend things between them, but Baek Yoon-Ho doesn't answer. So Jong-In is willing to wait until he gets a response, whether Yoon-Ho chooses to or not.

This song is a direct response to the previous one (don't mind me and my delusions too much-)

"And I can't deal without, I try to see the good in life But good things in life are hard to find"

I'm assuming this song from Yoon-Ho's perspective, mostly because of this line, which reminds me of all the times, Yoon-Ho's lost (or almost lost) people around him.

"Well, I'll try to do it right this time around Let's start over I'll try to do it right this time around It's not over"

I see these lyrics as an indirect apology from Yoon-Ho, saying that he wants to go back to how they were before and that things aren't over between them.

"My life with you means everything So I won't give up that easily

I'll blow it away, blow it away Can we make this something good? 'Cause it's all misunderstood"

Despite all their arguments and some misunderstandings, I see Yoon-Ho wanting their relationship to work out well, even if his emotions get the better of him sometimes

"This love is killing me, but you're the only one It's not over"

I just really like this line, but it also symbolizes how even though they fight, they truly do care for each other and want to stay together

Sorry, the Choibaek songs in this part are more sad than I intended

Heeseok:

"What would I do without your smart mouth? Drawing me in, and you kicking me out You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down What's going on in that beautiful mind? I'm on your magical mystery ride And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright"

This is basically what happened when Eun-Seok visited Park Hee-Jin for the first time after getting injured, though this is more of a recollection of that moment rather than the moment itself.

"Give your all to me I'll give my all to you You're my end and my beginning Even when I lose, I'm winning 'Cause I give you all of me And you give me all of you, oh-oh"

Just Eun-Seok being smitten with Hee-Jin after they get together and willing to do anything for her (including killing but Hee-Jin doesn't want him doing that for her)

Sungpark:

"In another life I would be your girl We'd keep all our promises Be us against the world In another life I would make you stay So I don't have to say you were The one that got away"

Another song that basically describes their entire relationship in the original timeline. Park Kyung-Hye would want Sung Il-Hwan to stay with her and their children, especially if she knew what would happen. Except they actually were able to be together "in another life" and were able to happily be together <3

Jinhae:

"Missed call from my mother Like, "Where you at tonight?" Got no alibi"

I'm sorry, but I just found this line really funny. Imagine Park Kyung-Hye wondering where Sung Jin-Woo is, and he can't think of an excuse

"I was all alone with the love of my life She's got glitter for skin My radiant beam in the night I don't need no light to see you

Shine It's your golden hour (oh) You slow down time In your golden hour (oh)"

Basically Jin-Woo's thoughts when he looks at Cha Hae-In, especially during that one date when he took her for a ride on Kaisel.

"For the love of my life She's got glow on her face A glorious look in her eyes My angel of light"

More of Jin-Woo's thoughts about Hae-In, but this one is more about him thinking about her rather than him currently looking at her

I was going to add another ship, but Choibaek's section got long-

(Feel free to request a ship though, even if I've already done them. I have a lot of songs in mind)

[oceansquill]

That’s absolutely what the whole thing is giving though, when I watched it I also thought that they’ve just decided early on one day that Dream was bad (willing to bet that it was a ‘caught him on a bad day’ sort of scenario?) and just never broke out of the mindset, despite probably having reasons to, reasons that were most likely ignored because it’s usually easier to notice things that piss us off.

Ehhhh, kind of?. Okay here's my thoughts on the situation. I find that a lot of people in dtblr are distrustful/give no good will to other ccs (which is fair! we have been done dirty quite a lot). There are certain narratives that people are kinda drawn into and believe are true and thus read almost all situations through those lenses.

These include: they hated him from the start, they're cold hearted clout chasers with care for little else, or even they're corrupting x person (in this case tommy) who would otherwise be dt pos. Now I don't think that all of these are necessarily always false, just that people fall into the trap of applying one of these first and not actually thinking about what we know and what else might be (which is also fair! this is cc drama, it is not of utmost importance to get the correct take/bog yourself down with this stuff)

I think it's because for them, one thing is true: dteam are good people. From there, that colors the behaviors of those decrying them in a really bad way. I think the opposite base (tommy/jack/whoever is a good person) is what leads to the whole "dream is an evil monster" thing from the other side.

For me, (at least here) I'm coming from the idea that both sides are at least try to be good people. Don't get me wrong, I'm not like a beholder of rationale or something, I'm just attached to both sides while most people only care about one one. Of course, we don't (and probably will never) know which base is in line with reality, but I'll share my thoughts on the matter - as someone kinda sorta stuck in the middle.

From what I can tell, most of them were, at some point, friends or at least friendly coworkers. Shit happened - controversies, rabid fan bases, personal shit in some cases - which caused them to want to distance themselves from dt. The overwhelming hate for dt added to whatever happened, erased goodwill from previously resolved/discarded interactions, which added to their dislike of the dt (I think this is what all the "behind the scenes" shit is). All that culminated in a retroactive hatred of dt which they uh can't really take back atp without massive backlash from their fanbase.

Phil said in the podcast that in the past he gave dream too much credit and used to say "oh he doesn't actually mean it" when he really did. I read this as Phil rereading situations after the fact with the idea that dream is Bad and was always Bad.

I don't think they're malicious people preying on dream's downfall (I've seen wayyy too many phil's a jealous bitch takes on this site - he genuinely does not give a shit). I think a series of misunderstandings caused a massive rift that would take a lot of effort from everyone involved to mend which is probably never going to happen. I do genuinely think at least tommy and tubbo miss what used to be. However, I also think most of the ccs have warped visions of the dt atp which are way too far gone.

Idk, seeing as Bad and technodad are on good terms with both sides, it's hard for me to designate one as Evil. I absolutely think people have done things that are wrong and horrible, I also think people have been misled and just don't think about it too much.

Anyways, that's just my thoughts sorry for the long ramble. I suppose I can't bring myself to believe that none of it was ever real. That the jokes and dynamics and joy were all under false pretenses.

[anonymeqaupdates]

Avatar AU : Goal acquired

Silver was left confused and reeling. This had to be a joke, or a misunderstanding. It couldn't be true and yet Crowley seemed completely sure of himself.

He was the avatar.

"Listen, I understand this is probably a lot for young man to process but it is imperative that you accept this fact as quickly as possible: you are the avatar that had disappeared all those centuries ago. There is no doubt about it."

"But if that's true, then, father... no, Lilia, he took in the son of his enemy!" Silver cried out despite the fact that they were not enough distance from the palace yet. "Not only that, he took in a murderer too!"

Crowley turned around and covered Silver's mouth to silence him before dragging him in the nearby bushes. Silver heard the sound of armored soldiers running by the path they were in just a moment ago. They nearly got caught again. Once the coast was clear, Crowley pulled him back up and freed his mouth.

"Please be more mindful. We are not safe quite yet. And what is this nonsense about you being a murderer?"

"...It's not nonsense. It's the truth." Silver said before turning around towards the path to the palace. "Thank you for trying to free me but I'm going to surrender myself to the Fire Kingdom now."

"Well now I know you're not thinking straight. I will absolutely not let you act on this insanity. It's time for my lashing of love!" Crowley said and suddenly Silver felt ribbons suddenly wrap around him and stopping him from taking another step. Crowley pulled on the ribbons to force him into face him. The expression on his face showed that he wasn't amused with Silver's words and attitude. "Now, since I am so generous I'm willing to listen about why you believe yourself a murderer instead of dismissing this ridiculous notion right away. But make it quick!"

"... Shouldn't you know already? It's pretty obvious what I'm referring to."

"I actually have no idea what you're talking about." Crowley deadpanned. Silver stared at him incredulously and Crowley's frowned deepened. "Well, out with it. You may be okay with the idea of being arrested but if I'm caught things will get really bad really quickly!"

"Princess Maleanore's husband."

"Uh?"

"That's the man I killed. Everyone knows the story. How can you pretend like this had nothing to do with me."

"... Young man, if this is actually what you were taught then I'm sad to tell you that your education system had failed you immensely."

"Stop making jokes about this! Don't you understand? I killed prince consort Revan! Fath- Lilia's best friends, Princess Maleanore's husband, and Mall- no, his highness' father! Because of me he's gone forever!"

Silver felt tears threatening to spill from his eyes. This was just so awful. He was the one responsible for their pain and anguish. Maleanore had been so stricken with grief that he had taken centuries for her to hatch Malleus. The prince had nearly died before even having a real chance at life and it was his fault. And Lilia, not his father but the only other person that had suffered just as much as them because of Silver, had still protected him. Why? He must have hated him so much. Silver sure hated himself a lot right now.

"Do believe me, making light of this matter is the last thing I would want to do. However I always fancy myself as teacher and I have to correct people when they get the facts wrong."

"What do you mean? I heard the story many times and Lilia had confirmed it too."

"Is that so? How strange. You were but a babe when it all happen and yet you want me to believe that you actually to manage to kill a full grown man? The general of the left at that? Now even for the Avatar this is a bit ridiculous don't you think?"

"But it's true! That day prince consort Revan disappeared did he not?"

"AH! You're right about that! He disappeared, but that doesn't mean you killed him. After all did they ever used the word kill when describing what happened?"

"Well, no, they haven't." Silver reluctantly agreed before shaking his head. "But he had disappeared for so long that he has to be dead!"

"Is that so? But you disappeared too and yet here you are in front of me alive and well. And you certainly don't look like you're over 400 years old."

"I'm..." Silver flinched when he started to catch on what Crowley was trying to imply. "I came back."

"You did. Now don't get me wrong, I do not know what happened to you back then. Wether you travelled forward in time or if something else happened it matters very little. What really counts is that you came back and it stands to reason that you did not do so alone."

"But, if that was the case, then why hadn't he resurfaced yet?!"

"Hm, that is troubling. I suppose you'll have to ask him once you'll find him."

"We're going to look for him?"

"No." Crowley shook his head. "You are. Unfortunately I am not in a position where I can keep traveling with you for long. Once I got you out of danger and on the right path I will take my leave. But I do encourage you to look for the missing consort. It may be your best shot at helping Lilia Vanrouge."

"..."

"The princess isn't going to overlook what he did by taking you in. If you want him to escape punishment you'll have to make amends by bringing her husband back. And for that, you'll need to master your abilities."

"..."

"Meaning, for their sakes you cannot be allowed to be captured again. Did I make myself clear this time?" Crowley said as he freed Silver from the ribbon.

"Yes." Silver said with determination.

He now had a goal.