#pls i need more of this dynamic...

[airplanelanding]

ngl cumplane where they both accidentally trick everyone into thinking they're not only married, but also gods very poorly disguising themselves as cultivators, is my favourite and i desperately require more of it.

[restlesskeychains]

Telemachus: *does anything*

Odysseus: Omg I love my son

[kaytheday]

So fun fact, I actually will never get over this image.

That’s his older sister. That’s the girl who helped him eat after his parents died, who let him complain about his brothers while also reminding him that they loved him, who ruffled his hair and made sure he was okay on days when he was quieter than normal, who knows when something is wrong with the other.

That’s her younger brother. That’s the boy who will bug her about going to the drive in because nobody else wants to see the same movie for the fifth time, who will steal her switchblade because he thinks it looks cool in his hand, who will call her out when she’s cheating in cards, who knows when something is wrong with the other.

Ace is his older sister who is making sure that he’s okay right after he watched his best friend die. She’s reaching for him to make sure he’s okay. He’s looking up at her because he knows that she’ll always have his back.

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Qiao Ling and Lu Guang being cute

[runninglikeabuckley]

possibly hot take, but if/when they resurrect bobby, i would love it they didn't have athena's reaction be anger (which imo makes sense and obviously angela bassett would eat that storyline). i'd love if she just got to be happy lmao and maybe consider a career change. what i'd love to see is if BUCK is angry when bobby comes back. because bobby MADE him leave. buck took eddie wondering if he (eddie) could have done anything to save bobby, is because buck didn't. he didn't do everything he could to save bobby! bobby asked him not to! he asked buck to be strong, to take care of his team, and to let bobby have time with his wife. and we've seen how much buck is struggling, so imagine the ANGST if bobby comes back and instead of uncomplicated relief to have him back, buck is struggling to forgive him. for leaving, for telling buck to respect his wishes and let him die, for putting the weight of the team on his shoulders (in buck's mind). the angst!! there hasn't been a buck-bobby conflict since the lawsuit really, but they have such a good dynamic and its SOOO good and compelling to watch it come under pressure. also chim could be brought in as a parallel, given his anger with bobby pre-resurrection but i feel like given maddie and his kids it's harder for him to hold his anger once bobby is back (or give me a full buck chim storyline where they bond in a weirdly toxic way over bobby coming back, that would SLAP). ALSO!!! wouldn't it be convenient if there was another recent complicated father-son conflict that the show never fully resolved?? wouldn't it be interesting if there was someone who could relate to buck feeling betrayed by his father's actions?? or a father who could relate to bobby's catholic upbringing and sense of guilt over his son specifically, even though he never meant to hurt him?? wouldn't that be crazy

[kunikiiida-kuuun]

My heart wished to stay here, because it gave me a reason to live ♡

Fukuzawa + The Founding Trio

[queeniehostapasta]

Decided to give the DBS manga spinoff of these two a read and now they are on my favorite duo lists (THE SILLYHS‼️)

[nat20composure]

Astarion and Agency- The Necessity of Discomfort to Self Discovery and the Infantilization of Victims

Minor Astarion discourse ahead that mentions the treatment of SA victims post-abuse:

I want to open this post up just with like. The statement that I don't think there is a correct way to enjoy media and that I LOVE to see individual head cannons and takes on characters in media. I think that is also, to a degree, an integral part of video games because of how unique the experience of playing a game will be to every person who plays it. But it has been making me feel so incredibly sad looking through fan content, art, or discourse for BG3 specifically because of how many people have taken the route of infantilizing Astarion.

I understand the instinct to shield or protect an individual that you love and care for. I also understand that because of the nature of the things that Astarion goes through, a lot of people also feel very deep emotional stakes in him. I'm one of the many fans of the character who is a victim of SA and CSA, I really do get it. That is also why for me personally it is so demoralizing to watch so many people treat him like he is a child who cannot make his own decisions or stand up for himself. Part of that frustration stems from it feeling like a media literacy issue, and the other part of that sense of defeat is just because it feels indicative of a broader attitude that people seem to hold towards victims of abuse, particularly those who are victims of SA.

To explain what I mean by people infantilizing him: I see so many people refuse to allow him the opportunity to be hurt, or to feel uncomfortable. They see this character who has been through an immensely horrible and traumatic experience, and their instinct is to try and shield him from anything else that has the potential to upset him. I get that the people who want that aren't doing it with malicious intent, but frankly it is not really...Helpful? To try and prevent victims from Experiencing Discomfort tm. I also think it kind of disregards the entire thesis of Astarion's character and arc.

When you go through something that robs you of your selfhood and agency, the world can become a crushingly terrifying place. In Astarion, that fear presents itself in a desperation for power, control, and at the core of both of these desires- Safety. One thing the game is clear about is that he has a right to kill his abuser. He has a right to escape his situation. A lot of Astarion's personal arc is centered around being able to finally do that. But the game doesn't just leave it off at getting him to safety. So much of it is also about him needing to take responsibility for himself and his actions, with needing to learn who he as a person is.

The inclusion of the Gur children and Sebastian as characters is a good example of ways in which the game gives Astarion the opportunity to take responsibility. I think that if the intention of the arc was meant to be that "Astarion should never ever have to deal with being afraid or uncomfortable again", then the Ascended arc wouldn't Come with such heavy moral ramifications, like sacrificing the other people just like him, killing the victims he lured in, literal child murder. The game infers that he doesn't deserve to die because of the things he Needed to do to survive, but it also makes it very clear that there is a difference between addressing an Active Threat and using your fear as an excuse to hurt others. Breaking that cycle of abuse when he finally gets the chance to is what separates Spawn Astarion from Cazador.

Taking responsibility for himself, and letting himself sit in the discomfort of vulnerability ultimately ends up being a thing that he is very proud of and cherishes. If you tell him you will make sure nothing like that ever again he himself says that he doesn't want you to be his protector. And so it blows my mind when people go into all of these discussions about Astarion with this...Weird moral high ground for never, ever making or letting him make choices that might hurt him?

I see this the most when it comes to discussions about the possible polyamorous relationship with Halsin and the interaction with the drow twins in the brothel. So many people are just...outright angry? At other people engaging with either of those options? And I feel like that anger is one) rooted in the projection of their Own feelings on non-monogamy and what a victim of SA can or cannot look like. and two) Relies on undermining the agency that Astarion BEGS you for at every turn.

When it comes to the drow twins, the game adapts Astarion's response to them based on where he is in his own personal development (a really cool thing imo). Obviously, if he still doesn't feel good or safe about engaging with sex he declines and says you can feel free, though he hopes you aren't just doing it because he hasn't had sex with you. I think this makes sense: He's just gotten out of a situation where his Safety and worth were directly tied to him having sex. I imagine he feels afraid that not wanting to have sex with you makes him replaceable or inadequate because at this point in the game, he feels like that's all he has to offer. The interaction is relatively the same if you ask him for a poly amorous relationship with Halsin: He just asks you to reassure him that you aren't only doing it because he hasn't had sex with you, and then tells you he isn't worried about it otherwise.

A lot of people have taken the expression of that insecurity in combination with him still allowing you to go forward and do these things as him just "sucking it up" because he's afraid of losing you. (I am aware Shadowheart says he wouldn't be able to handle it when you ask her if you can date both of them- But keep in mind, Astarion says she wouldn't be able to either, and THAT obviously isn't true of her. For the purposes of this discussion I'm only including interactions with Astarion as a judgement of his character.) I understand that concern, but I feel this take disregards so many other points of dialogue, and is also continually rooted in the baseline vilification of discomfort.

To further go into it, the way that he speaks about both of these interactions changes significantly if you speak to him about it once he is completely free from Cazador, and has had time to allow himself to start reconnecting with himself and his sexuality on his terms. He has absolutely No reservations about an open or poly relationship with Halsin, and says he trusts that things will be ok because he one) feels secure in Your relationship and two) Knows Halsin is experienced and trusts him to not be a messy bitch about it.

I think that shift, in combination with the in game explanation of why he isn't ok with being in that sort of relationship with the other Origin Characters (for Lae'zel and Wyll, he says they'd never agree to that. For Shadowheart, he says she's not experienced with open relationships and that he doesn't think it'd work out. For Karlach, that it would break her heart. And for Gale, he says you need standards.) is a pretty good indicator that he doesn't actually care about polyamory or monogamy. I think the vilification of that choice relies on you picking and choosing when you do or do not believe Astarion or just outright not liking non-monogamy in the first place. This interaction has more to do with the player's choice and comfort level, and so is not as important to the broader discussion I am trying to have in this post.

The interaction that is more pertinent to not Allowing him to make decisions is, I think, the drow twins. If you interact with the drow twins after the completion of the Cazador questline, he is outright giddy at the prospect of interacting with the Drow twins. Specifically stating that he is excited to see how he likes these sorts of things now that he's free.

NOW- I do NOT think that he enjoys the act. The game makes that abundantly clear, and I'm not arguing that he has a great time. He obviously does not, and dissociates during it. That being said, allowing this interaction to happen does not make a player evil or selfish. You are not playing the hero if you decide to moderate his choices just because you do not think he is ready for it. Once again, no one is evil for Not doing it either, and I am not saying anybody has to want to. I am just saying that treating this choice like it is an evil choice to make relies on completely disregarding what He wants to do.

Astarion says so many times in the game that he is anxious about finally having the freedom to find out what he wants to do, and I think that his excitement for the drow twin exchange is one of the opportunities the game gives him to make a choice. He makes that choice- And it sucks for him. He doesn't enjoy the act, and having done it he would be able to move forward knowing that. I think it's really cool and important that the game represents that facet of recovering as a victim. While you are trying to renavigate who you are, you are going to make a million new choices you never had before. And sometimes those choices are going to suck ass. It would be a different matter if he knew these things would hurt him and went ahead and did them anyway. But so many people expect him to move forward avoiding even the Potential of being hurt, and I think that is extremely reductive of his arc and who he is.

Beyond the matter of interpersonal relationships, the choice between Ascending or not Ascending Astarion is not a matter of choosing the lesser of two evils. It is a choice between his fear and his humanity. Between letting his trauma and his fear define him for the rest of his immortal life, and allowing him the vulnerability of deciding who he is when he isn't running from the world. When he's willing to listen to the parts of himself that want to do right, that wants meaningful connection, that wants to be proud of himself. That wants to meet himself. To confront who he is when someone else isn't deciding that for him.

Astarion as a character is extremely ambitious, inquisitive, and adventurous, three traits that only become more and more evident as he breaks free from letting his own fear dictate how he lives his life. I don't understand how so many people can see him and want to take the core of his character away from him, when he spends the entire game fighting desperately to take it back.

Victims are not casts of the abuse they have gone through. Their shapes may be changed by the hands of others, they may have to relearn how to be the person they want to be. But they are not broken or irreparable or fragile. They do not need to be freed from the grip of one person to be held tight in the grip of another. It is so fucking unfair and self-important to think that your hands will be the ones that fix them. That your hands know better than theirs. I think the kindest thing you can do for a person is to trust them with themselves, and to listen when they tell you who they are and what they want. Please listen to the voices that have only just learned to speak. It is the only way they can get better at doing it.

[palmolli]

I've been kinda thinkin' a lot about the headcanon that Legend is his Zelda's half-brother because of that one old Zelda manga. I think about it a lot and I like it a lot. So uh here's some thoughts because him and Sky are my favorites.

Sky: "So... what's your relationship with your Zelda?" *eyebrow raise*

Legend: *disgusted* "She's my sister."

Sky: *does that O_O face* "Oh, that's... that's cool."

and after that, because Sky realizes that Legend is basically his descendant, he starts treating Legend way differently. He'll jump in to defend Legend in battles, even if Legend doesn't need him to. Sky will go out of his way to spend more time with Legend, trying to get to know him better. And if any of the chain dares to make fun of Legend, Sky will scold them before Legend can make any quips.

And this pisses Legend off, and he doesn't know why Sky's acting like that all of a sudden. Sky's afraid to explain why, because he'll end up having to explain that his Zelda is Hylia reborn and how he knows he's the first Link and everything. But eventually, I think the guilt would kill Sky, and he'd end up telling Legend everything first, feeling that Legend especially deserves to know. Orrrrr, maybe he'd go to Time because he has a descendant in the chain, too. Idk. Just thought I'd rant.

[bum-tan]

Monoshin FANART + Headcanons:

-As they grew closer over time, Shinsou became more comfortable with being in close proximity to Monoma even when he is being clingy or touchy. And he enjoys it at times.

-Now Shinsou will sometime casually invade Monoma's personal space which would always shock the latter until he got somewhat used to it.

-Monoma is the type that gets shy easily when Shinsou initiates or reciprocates affection even though he was the one that always played around and flirted.

-Monoma fell first but Shinsou fell harder !

[fiishbone]

[ wip ]

Helllooo ace attorney nation

[rainy-tapestry]

okay another thing, one thing i appreciate more and more on rereads is kabakura and hirotaka’s friendship. i think it’s cute how endearing kabakura finds hirotaka.

[faetouchedfool]

DAMN STRAIGHT YOU WON'T!!

[ceoofglytchell]

The „conceptual episode“ in season 3 but it’s just one full hour of Aegon and Larys living their best life in Essos. I think I need that.

[infinitelyweary]

Has anyone endlessly dissected Armand's subtle Marius shade yet

[foreststarflaime]

Genesis and Angeal childhood friends dynamic save me…save me gengeal childhood friends…they’re cut from the same cloth literally by alien cells and have been connected since literally before they were born! Of course they find each other a few years later and become instant besties, inseparable! They’re both so different and yet so similar at heart—they’re both obsessed with the ideas of heroes and honor, with those things driving their characters!! They seem so different outwardly but one does not know a person for that long without becoming a bit more like each other, and really there’s so many similarities in their personalities if you read between the linessss I LOVE THEMMM

Imagine—they’re both from the same incredibly obscure country hometown. They have the same accents. Then they upend their lives and take it all to the wild chaos-center that is Midgar. Angeal misses home often, misses his mother especially, but he can go to Genesis and listen to him speak and get that little hint of home amidst the storm (and he actually likes to hear Genesis talk which makes Genesis feel loved which aaaaaaaaa)! Genesis likes to pretend he’s a through and through city boy but he’s so obsessed with those apples that that cannot be entirely the truth—he needs a rock amidst the tempest of his life and personality and Angeal is that!!! The steady mooring line tethering him to what he loves!!!! Angeal being the one who has known Genesis for so long and knows how he ticks and being like the only person that knows how to bring calm to the storm!!!!!!