#I think thats going to be the tag I use for this

[imitor]

further to a topic i saw the other day idk how many times i can see the words dead dove on a blog and then look at the tags and go ? this truly just needs a trigger-warning and doesn't warrant the dead dove tagline.

[c-53]

Just saw a post on my dash that was rallying against the term ‘detrans’ and I genuinely don’t know how to feel about it. Like the post itself was compassionate and I can agree with it in its entirely, but the tags and additions are cruel.

The post was largely about dropping the term detransition because the overtly transphobic implications of the term, which I agree with. But uh. We have no other alternative right now, so I will be using it for the sake of this post

Like ok people who detransition can transphobic, but this is not an exclusive thing to detransition. There are trans people of every agab, and presentation who adopt transphobic idealogy, whether that manifests as thinking they are the ‘good tranny’ who’s unlike those other ridiculous trannies, or just general intracommunity transmisogyny.

People CAN detransition out of misguided desire to be accepted by transphobes, but thats not universal. You can’t joke about and love people who are ‘Cis+’ and then go and see anyone who takes their transition further before realizing, and label them as inherently evil traitors.

I say this as someone who is afab, spent 4 years on testosterone, and 8 years socially transitioned before realizing ultimately I was just a GNC woman. I was not coerced into this decision, and I have no benefit of privilege for this. When I present as a woman, I am under threat of transmisogynistic violence due to the change in my voice. In most situations I still have to bind and exist in the closet as a poorly passing man for the relative safety of being stealth.

No matter how cis I am on paper, I will forever be subject to transphobic violence, and I believe a shorthand term for this unique intersectionality is beneficial, regardless of bad actors

[woodlaflababab]

Zukaang Moments In Episode One: The Boy In The Iceberg

(There's A Lot)

-<>-

"Head a course for the light." The first episode and it is already foreshadowed that Zuko needs Aang and that Aang is his pathway to true happiness and peace. It's a literal angelic light that calls to Zuko that can be seen for miles around.

What does that sound like? A lighthouse and Zuko is literally in a boat trying to find a way home. Aang casts a light that calls Zuko home and represents finally finding the shore, an end to the perilous journey at sea for the sailor lost in the night.

Like, symbolic much? Zuko could've been clued into the idea that that was the avatar by a whole slew of ways, but it is a literal becon of light, almost like Aang is less an enemy/something to catch and more a savior/home.

Also, Yin and Yang #1: Zuko knows exactly where he's going and what he's doing, Aang has no idea where he's going or what he's doing.

Zuko angstily staring in the direction of Aang, being unable to sleep.

Iroh going on abt how there's no way Zuko could find Aang bc his ancestors weren't able to. Well. You see Uncle Iroh. Zuko's ancestors weren't soulmates with the avatar.

Yin and Yang #2: Zuko is talking about how he needs his honor, you know, in order to go home and be the prince he's supposed to be. Immediately after we see Aang lying and dying he's the avatar. Zuko is chasing his destiny. Aang is running away from his destiny. (And continues to do so even after accepting his role as avatar bc his destiny is Zuko ;) )

One of their obvious Yin and Yangs but since the scene focuses on Aang's tattoos I'll say it here. Aang has blue markings he accepted willingly as a sign of mastery and honor, granted to him by people who raised him and love him. Zuko has a red marking he had no say in as a sign of 'weakness and dishonor', granted to him by someone who raised him and hates him. Yin and Yang #3

Yin and Yang #4: Zuko is stressed and training, Aang is carefree and having fun. Zuko is stressing out the people around him, Aang is bringing fun to the people around him.

Yin and Yang #5: Zuko is seen practicing firebending and still working on the basics and the only purpose to his learning is to fight. Meanwhile we see Aang, a literal master, use his bending as second nature and for anything BUT fighting.

Aang finds a scary fire nation ship and shows no fear, despite it's obvious danger, only a desire to reach in and find what's inside it. A unique approach to it. Which already foreshadows his relationship with Zuko (and technically the fire nation but shut up this is abt Zukaang), specifically the Blue Spirit, where he shows no fear of Zuko, who's proven dangerous, and only wants to understand him and be friends. Reach in and find what's inside him. A unique approach to Zuko.

Zuko is once again called to Aang by a light, and this time it's a flare, something sent up when someone needs rescue. And like the last light he followed, this one is also foreshadowing the future.

Where the first light shows how Aang is important/needed by Zuko, this one shows how Zuko is important/needed by Aang. It foreshadows how Aang needs help and Zuko is often called to his rescue. (both with the blue spirit and him joining them in book three, and also that fight with azula, as examples off the top of my head, oh also the freeing appa thing, there's a lot.) Zuko is Aang's hero. @the ember island players were right

"Quite agile for his old age." Not Zuko already praising Aang and being Extra Aware of everything Aang does and everything Aang can do.

Also, 'his'. The avatar could be male or female, the world doesn't actually know. And yes, we could attribute Zuko automatically saying 'his' as him assuming based on internal sexism OR we could say Zuko inherently knows due to his cosmic connection with Aang. >:) There is more on this later, I swear this isn't as much of a reach as it seems.

-<>-

Okay so, Basically, the reason I did this was bc I saw someone list out the moments in the series for their ship and I started thinking about the zukaang moments from the series but like. They're all over the place. The series is about Zukaang, so I thought it'd be fun to list out all the Zukaang moments from just the first episode. (Thematic ones and relationship ones.)

I'm about to do The Avatar Returns, but honestly, I could keep going. I'm heavily thinking about it. The first (two parter) episode is heavily Zukaang, but even the second one, though they don't interact at all, has Zukaang moments. I might go through each episode and point out over-analyzed zukaang. Idk.

If you don't want the zukaang tag flooded by this over the next however long it takes me, speak now or forever hold your peace.

Second Part

[umblrspectrum]

tessa, being the edgy little freak she is, obviously took the original darkxwolf username

[itadooori]

we all have that one first date that went badly

[cheriboms]

everybody was very nice on my last post(s) so !!! more cole and manfred be upon you :D

[a-neru-neru]

Wip of squad damocles bonding time. Just scars/ports left to add

[twipsai]

i cannot BELIEVE i never posted this here

[ecto-biologist]

Does anybody else see my vision

[mychemicalbrromance]

#1 like a prayer fan none of you understand (insane)

[simcardiac-arrested]

ATTENTION: HAVE YOU SEEN THIS TREE? IF YOU HAVE, YOU MIGHT HAVE FALLEN INTO SOME SORT OF RIP IN THE FABRIC OF TIME

alt version because i also liek it :)

[moeblob]

PDA-aversive Saizo my beloved.

[luck-of-the-drawings]

THIS THING IS SCUUUFFED AS HELL & ITS ALSO THE BEST THING I HAVE ANIMATED THUS FAR. IM SO IN LOVE WITH EMIZEL. JUST WISH I GAVE HIM MORE STUPID TATTOOS. NEXT TIME THO. NEXT TIME. I ALSO LOVE VEX&VIV SOOOO MUCH. charlies flavor of Deranged is my FAVORITE!!

[iholli]

living my best life with the new content (deleted scenes getting animated) but this part really gave my brain an itch that I've kinda thought about before and just haven't had reason to scratch at,,,

I think Blitzwing really dislikes getting dirty (or being in a space that could get him dirty), when it's unnecessary? I mean, he'll do it, he doesn't mind or care on a mission or during a fight, but he doesn't enjoy it, and don't expect him to get grease on his frame otherwise.

like, any time he's in a situation where he's getting dirty or scuffed and it's not in a fight, Hothead or Random are usually the dominant response, quickly finding something else to focus on. Icy only responds to complain, because he certainly likes to complain. he gets kind of bitchy about it! (I get it. I don't like unnecessary dirt either. I didn't authorize that. I mean this affectionately, I enjoy when he's bitchy.)

I imagine if he willingly got into a mess (for fun, or cannibalism, or both) it would be fine, but eugh, he wasn't planning on Autobot gunk or Earth grime, no thank you.

[ajastu]

god okay. sorry for yet another text post. but i'm just still thinking about the argument that veilguard is bad because the only option re: morality of your player character that it gives is kindness.

Now, to preface. I understand where this criticism comes from. Veilguard IS a departure from the general scheme of the previous games, in several aspects. And i understand how people would be upset at not having quite the same kind of options/ways to influence the world. It took me some getting used to, also.

What i do disagree with, however, is using that to claim that the game is bad, irredeemable, and also meaningless n soft or whatever.

Because it's really not. It's just different, with a different narrative focus. I've played the previous games several times, and as i said before, origins is in first place for me. Veilguard is a very close second. And i'm not more right or wrong in this opinion than someone who thinks datv is the worst game in the series.

You can still make choices that will influence the world in wildly different ways, they're just not... ''genocide or no genocide'' kinds of choices. Which i can see how some people would not consider the difference significant enough to be interesting for them personally. Which is whatever, im not their dad, i dont really care.

However. I think it's kind of weird to say that ''the game made me resent being a nice person'' or that "kindness you dont have the choice not to offer isnt worth a lot"

Like, game criticism aside. That is just an objectively weird thing to say.

There are ways to phrase that particular dissatisfaction in a way that will not make most people side-eye you. This is not one of those ways.

The thing is, it was a deliberate choice in characterization. Since game development at AAA scale is. an incredibly complex beast, i suspect there were many different reasons for it, and not all of them purely narrative. It is also not 2009 anymore. We are not getting another Origins, like, probably ever.

But. Rook is established in the very second cutscene to care about other people. It makes sense narratively, too, with Varric being the one to recruit them. Their backstory also shows that they gravitate towards the 'moral' choices. It's not bad writing. It's deliberate.

That does not mean that everyone has to like it. And i don't think the people who are upset about the change in this gameplay aspect are stupid or wrong.

We are all different people with different preferences, and i really am sorry if the game ended up being a disappointment for you. I know how it feels, and it does suck.

But i also do think it might be worth to examine the way people choose to phrase this complaining. The claim that kindness is somehow diminished in value if you aren't offered the choice to be cruel alongside it. I just think that, like. misses the point of what kindness is?

I know what those people mean when they say it, i just...fundamentally disagree with the sentiment. And i think phrasing it in this way is incredibly weird. sorry 🤷‍♂️

There is a better way to talk about this particular complaint. I just never actually SEE that being done. and i do think a lot of it comes from not actually engaging with the source material people are trying to criticize. Like, the person i sort of quoted earlier explicitly said they have not finished the game. If you never give something a chance in the first place, if all the information you have is second-hand, then i do not find your criticism valuable in any way. There is no substance to it, no backing. You are not proving a point, you're just chasing your own tail at that point. There isnt even a bone to chew. You've only heard of the bone. you havent actually experienced it.

Another part is people being too twisted up in the emotion of disappointment to actually see that they're not making compelling arguments, necessarily, and that they're actually being a tar pit.

I know not everyone thinks as much about the push towards dismissing the value of kindness for kindness' sake as i do. But like. It really is very weird to see this insistence that game bad bcs it didnt have the option to do a murder to an innocent person, or something. While also dismissing the horrible things we Are shown as 'not in your face enough'.

And honestly, personally? I dont love origins or any of the other ones specifically for the ability to choose the evil options. It's never even been a choice for me, because you can very well play the games without having to make the bad choices. theres always a workaround. And that workaround doesnt even harm u in any significant way. there isnt an actual like. terrible complexity here. I enjoy the dwarf politics quest a lot but ultimately, knowing the outcome? its EASY to choose Bhelen. Unless you're playing a dwarf noble origin, i guess. Rip Harrowmont 🙏 you would have made a terrible king.

And again, my personal opinion is not more right or wrong than that of someone who adored the prev dragon age games exactly because they allow you to make some terrible terrible moral choices.

At the end of the day. why are people still so pissed about a game that came out almost 6 months ago that many of them havent even played in the first place? Relax. take a walk if you can. Maybe move a snail out of the road if you find one. There tends to be a lot of them after it rains. Think about the ones that didn't make it. Try to find compassion for lives so easily dismissed. Maybe that will make you think about whether or not kindness on its own really is so lacking in value.

[calmlb]

can we as a society please stop calling Dazai the “demon prodigy” like it’s canon??? IM BEGGING

his canon nickname is so underused too… i mean c’mon, the “black wraith of the Port Mafia??” idk if i’ve ever even seen it used in a fic 😭