Do you think Illuso gives off Himbo energy and why?
He is big, hot and dumb. Need I say more?
Ok but no in all seriousness, I am in fact a himbo Illuso truther. It mainly started off as a joke because of the fact that all of the Illuso bots on character ai have absolutely ZERO brain cells whatsoever and it’s funny, but the more I thought about it, the more I could see the vision. He definitely isn’t a character that would normally be considered a himbo, but the energy… the vibe… it’s there if you squint hard enough. He has potential.
For starters, this man is 🅱️ig. Like… really 🅱️ig. Even bigger than Risotto according to some inconsistent information on the wiki. He’s a whole 6'2, has giant honkers, 6 pack abs that the animators went out of their way to include in the Blu-rays and he’s absolutely gorgeous. So already, he’s got some points. But on top of that… my god is he stupid. Not the unintelligent kind of stupid, but the kind of stupid that makes you wonder “sir, why are you the way that you are?” He just really gives off the vibes of someone that acts all cool and confident, but in reality there isn’t a thought behind those eyes most of the time. All of his brain matter went straight into his honkers, and believe it or not, there are some canon examples of him being an absolute idiot with the attention span of a goldfish. Such as the MULTIPLE instances where he very easily could’ve won the fight but didn’t because he 1: spent way too much time monologuing about how cool he was, and 2: didn’t deal the finishing blows when given the chance because he kept getting distracted by something else at the last second. Sure you could probably just chalk this up to plot armor, but it does make me want to grab him by the shoulders and shake him around a bit. And while I know that silly doesn’t necessarily equal stupid, I also have to once again point out his goofy ah dub lines because they do make me question if perhaps he’s lacking a few brain cells.
I also feel like he’s the kind of person that gets progressively dumber the more you get to know him. He’s smart when he needs to be, especially on the job. But when you’re hanging out with him in a casual setting? You will very quickly realize that this man does not think before he speaks or does literally anything. So while he isn’t unintelligent by any means, he IS an absolute idiot which I think counts for something. However, there is one thing that he lacks in terms of himbo qualification. Kindness. Illuso is pretty much La Squadra’s resident mean girl, which would mean that he may qualify more as a jock than a himbo. HOWEVER! We all seem to have collectively agreed that his attitude is just a front to cover up his insecurities, which implies that he’s a lot more emotional than he lets on. And the fact that he actually cried in canon may actually be evidence of this. Which leads me to believe that perhaps he’d be a lot nicer towards people he feels he can trust and open up to.
TLDR: Illuso is not your typical himbo, but the energy is there. He isn’t necessarily unintelligent, but he’s definitely an idiot that doesn’t think before he does things. And while he isn’t necessarily kind, I like to think that he’s a softie at heart.
Look at him. Look at his stupid face.
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while it’s perfectly fine to have your own headcanons that are non-canon compliant — by all means, go wild. recognizing pieces of yourselves in fictional characters can be a very healing and validating experience. this is nonetheless a casual, well-intentioned reminder that gale, in fact, does not have bpd.
bpd is a pervasive pattern of instability affecting interpersonal relationships, self-image, and mood. the disorder is marked by impulsivity beginning in early adulthood and is present in a variety of contexts. a diagnosis requires at least 5 of the following 9 criteria to be met:
Fear of abandonment
Unstable or changing relationships
Unstable self-image; struggles with identity or sense of self
Impulsive or self-damaging behaviors (e.g., excessive spending, unsafe sex, substance abuse, reckless driving, binge eating).
Suicidal behavior or self-injury
Varied or random mood swings
Constant feelings of worthlessness or sadness
Problems with anger, including frequent loss of temper or physical fights
Stress-related paranoia or loss of contact with reality
source: [x]
i highlighted the criteria that do apply to gale in one way or another in a pretty purple.
i personally believe that it’s rather harmful to equate his relationship with mystra with her being “his fp”. she is a deity, his goddess, and the source of his powers, who is in in full control of the magic he wields.
gale: mystra commands all magic. salvation, if such a thing exists, is hers to bestow or withhold.
gale has been effectively groomed and conditioned to serve and revere her at every turn since early childhood. imo this comparison really undermines a lot of crucial points in gale’s story that deal with his overall trauma and abuse. after all, you wouldn’t call shar sh*dowhe*rt’s fp either.
gale doesn’t revile mystra, nor does he commit benevolent deeds solely motivated by the secret hope that she will somehow notice and take him back. when you meet gale in the game he has already fully come to terms with the fact that he has been abandoned by mystra with no hope of reconciliation whatsoever. he also had some very fitting lines in ea regarding this topic that i'm sad haven't been repurposed in the full release in some way.
gale: [the tadpoles] don't know that some things are impossible. they don't know that... they don't know.
player: what is impossible about what you're being shown?
gale: forgiveness.
gale: it is mystra i see. and yet it cannot be her. there was a time when i would have believed - but no longer.
gale: suffice it to say she would not bestow upon me the favors promised in these dreams. that is how i know they are delusions.
he has already reached the stage of acceptance. moreover, gale only starts to realize that mystra might have been in the wrong for requesting his death once the tadpole squad & tav speak some sense into him. and even then he doesn’t ever show that his emotions regarding mystra are anywhere along those lines. he is instead rightfully angered that she only saw value in his death, after he had been worshipping her loyally for years.
gale: i worshipped mystra loyally for years, and in that time she granted me the barest sliver of the power i was ready to wield.
gale: even with the fate of the world at stake, she had little more to offer me than the means of blowing myself up at a more convenient time. she's done nothing to help us.
gale: you abandoned me in my hour of greatest need. i had no obligation to help you in yours.
gale: because you had no right to ask that of me. you cast me out, remember?
gale doesn’t display rapid changes in mood either. he is a character who is generally very composed and has been known to remain nonchalant even in the face of utter horror. tim downie himself even commented on this once. source: [x]
the only instance i can think of is his sudden switch from resigned-to-death to utter-eye-sparkling-enthusiasm once he spots the crown of karsus. apart from crucial story reasons that i won’t touch upon in this post, i’d also like to add that it’s a rather common phenomenon for people who have just barely survived a suicide attempt to suddenly be filled with zeal and unbridled energy. he doesn't display impulsivity without thorough consideration when it comes to its acquisition either. he considers this a golden opportunity and is positively enthusiastic and elated that this might prove an alternative to him ending up in a cloud of netherese smoke. nonetheless, he knows what he is doing. evident in him actually succeeding in ascending in one of his endings.
gale: this is no passing whim, trust me. if i can obtain that crown, it will affect us all. it is not a decision i'll take lightly.
gale: it's our future that i'm thinking of - we can't rely on anyone else to do it for us.
gale: for now - we've learned all we can.
neither are his relationships that we do know of (namely elminster, tara, and morena) frequently changing. they are marked by years of mutual respect, care, and consistency. there is nothing unstable about them. while it's important to note that his relationship with tav is still in its honeymoon stages during the main game, there is no inclination of any push-and-pull dynamic between them whatsoever.
gale isn’t preoccupied with keeping up some sort of benevolent act in order to win (back) affection — he genuinely IS a good person and he proves this at every turn. moreover, to have a tressym become your familiar you must be of Good alignment.
(taken from tumblr user galedekarios's post.)
there is never a moment where his ideals or alignment suddenly change. in fact, i’d argue that he and wyll are most consistent in this regard when compared to the rest of the companions. gale makes his moral standpoint very clear from the beginning on and also explicitly states that he believes that in order to survive this entire ordeal it would be selfish of him if he wouldn’t be willing to compromise on his morals. this isn’t a sudden bout of ✨muahahaha wizard hubris✨ that he barely contained to hold in before, this is yet another act of selflessness — it is what he’s willing to do for the group and subsequently, the welfare of faerun.
player: i love unsavoury things. don't feel guilty on my account.
gale: that's good to know. although i should say i do what i do out of a sense of utility and pragmatism, not a love of the unsavoury.
gale: we're up against the greatest threat faerun has ever faced. i don't mind getting my hands dirty if it gives us a better chance of surviving.
gale: whatever advantage i can gain for us. i will. and i refuse to feel guilty for it, no matter how much mystra's chidings might echo in my skull.
this is him, once again trying to be useful in whatever way he can. to give them an advantage, a slither of hope against seemingly impossible odds, so they might make it out of this in one piece. gale wouldn’t approve of those actions under normal circumstances, but their predicament is as far from any definition of “normal” as it can get.
gale is no fool, he realizes this is essentially about survival. he knows that he has no option left other than to tolerate, which is why he can be convinced to not immediately depart tav’s company even if they choose to commit atrocities. this is no character flaw of his or him displaying a previously dormant openness for cruelty, this is about recognizing the necessity.
player: you don't stand a chance alone. you're free to go. i dare you.
gale: gods damn you - you're right. few things are more powerful than the will to live.
gale: i thought the orb to be the greatest of my sins, but i see now that there are darker depths to which i might yet sink. you may be content to sink into that abyss, but i assure you - i am not.
gale doesn’t lead a split existence. he has a very strong sense of identity. he knows what he wants, what he doesn’t want and he isn’t shy in expressing his boundaries either. which he has especially shown when it comes to his relationship with tav. i originally had intended to touch upon this in another post entirely but: i firmly believe his entire Gale of Waterdeep™ persona is more of a performance than him struggling to find a sense of identity and trying them on for size. it is an intentional decision to separate gale dekarios from the great wizard of waterdeep, to create distance and make sure his family name remains untarnished in case things should ever go sideways.
gale: i agree. and on the plus side, if i get myself into any truly cataclysmic straits during the remainder of our journey, my family name will go untarnished.
there is also a deep-rooted feeling of unworthiness and his firm belief that love and praise are conditional resources that he will only be granted through his talents alone, naturally. presenting himself as gale dekarios, the man, would mean highlighting his shortcomings and very human flaws, while distracting from the aspects of himself that are deemed praiseworthy, the ones that actually matter: his magical prowess.
i personally believe that part of the beauty of gale’s story is him realizing just how “little” it takes for him to be truly content. he gets his happy ending, with someone at his side who truly sees him, understands him and unabashedly commits to him. they worship and adore him in return — and it is well deserved. he isn’t reduced to be constantly and restlessly searching for some unattainable ideal to fill the gaping void within himself. he doesn’t secretly thirst for more power still or believes that in being with tav he is settling for something. instead, he is finally happy to just be. be and be accepted. teaching a class of unruly wizards and coming home to his spouse each day already fulfills him.
gale: that's how i feel with you - content. it's a rather unfamiliar feeling, i must say. not something gale of waterdeep ever craved.
even if he doesn’t pursue a romance with tav, he reaches a realization of “oh, it appears i am not irredeemably flawed and only able to reach true redemption through my own death. what i needed was actually with me all along.” throughout their journey and through his friend's support. i think that’s a very powerful and comforting message. he is very well capable of finding peace within himself.
devnotes: his default state is that he returned to waterdeep and became a professor of illusory magic at his former school, blackstaff academy. general vibe here is that this is a gale who's found peace with himself - he's a great teacher, one his students are mostly in awe of.
to repeat myself: sharing your headcanons is all in good fun, nor should you ever be discouraged from doing so. this is your personal tumblr experience, after all. but i personally think we should be mindful of unintentionally perpetuating negative stereotypes, such as narcissism being a general indicator or being deemed a classic depiction of bpd. i think we can all agree that the continuous longing for acceptance, connection, praise, and approval is something we all have in common deep down, regardless of whatever disorder we may have. [insert victoria justice meme here]
gale may be many things to many people, but he is no entitled narcissist.
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Another Caitlyn character bit I love is her friendship with Jayce and what that tells us about her. There’s a lot of plaintext and context clues that Caitlyn is pretty socially isolated, struggles finding common grounds with her peers because of her social status, and we see her trying really hard with forced smiles and “I don’t know how else to contribute to the conversation so I’ll divulge trivia” with the other enforcers. And with Vi and in the undercity we see the focused mission future-sheriff side of her, and the kind and thoughtful altruistic human that she is and one day I’ll write that essay about both of their How It Started How It’s Going arcs but original point:
With Jayce we get the glimpse of what Caitlyn is like when she’s affectionately relaxed, because she knows the other person well enough to act like this around them. There’s no caution or awkwardness, just the straight forward genuine. And what I love about what it shows of her character?
Like, yes, the twisting his arm because of the hat tap is textbook sibling teasing back and forth, but afterwards when Jayce tells her he gets to give the speech, something important to him, what’s her reaction?
“Lol. Lmao, even.”
This is how Caitlyn shows affection with someone she considers a close friend! She doesn’t say “congrats” upon hearing what for Jayce is big news, that she must certainly know is big news, she says “fr? are they nuts?”
And she does this again when he tells her he became a councillor, immediately laughs and insults the idea of it. Oh they made you a councillor? Of what, the Idiots With Hammers division?
And Jayce just brushes it off because that’s just their thing. He knows that Caitlyn doesn’t find joy in politics and that the big news happening to him sounds absolutely dreadful for her, and that she’s not actually insulting him or his news; this is just how Caitlyn shows her affection. Her love language is negging the shit out of you.
I’m certain season2 is gonna be a whole lot of tragedy, but I do hope we get to see this side of Caitlyn again.
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