#I need to discuss this with someone

[alexvacice]

having 1 am merlin thoughts while reading fanfic and ughhhh

I was thinking about Arthur's bane and how someone on here mentioned that it would make more sense for it to be Merlin, not Arthur himself and all the angst possibilities that could come from that. If it really played out I imagine they'd say Emrys was Arthur's bane, so the writers would have to have him figure out that Emrys is Merlin, basically a magic reveal, at basically the start of season 5. They could have a falling out, where Gwen would have the opportunity to be a person and not just wife(tm), yknow help Merlin out, reason with Arthur and whatnot. Then they'd band together again and we'd have time for a Merthur adventure with magic revealed and the ending could still play out the same (I will not be taking any fixings for that, I love how it ended, you can't change the most important part of the legends).

I know Emrys is already Morgana's bane but honestly if you changed it to Arthur not much would change storywise, she'd just have a better reason for turning on Arthur.

And I have a fix for Mordred's arc as well. Instead of Kara, who's addition really bring the emotional impact the writers were going for, we'd built it on a misunderstanding. Merlin can't be with Arthur for a few days because he's helping Gaius gather rare herbs (wowee love that excuse) so Arthur's standing on his own. Some random guy, who's staying with the druids, tries to assassinate Arthur. He takes it surprisingly well and tries to visit the druid camp to discuss it (cause he's being a proper progressive king, can you tell I am not a writer?) but he brings a legion of knights with him just in case. Shit goes nut nut, because druids think they're under attack. Some of them have survived Arthur's last raid and they're terrified of him now so they immediately go into defense. Arthur fights back and because he's a killing machine it quickly truns into an actual raid unintentionally which destroys the entire camp. Mordred, back in Camelot hears about this, and thinks to himself that Arthur isn't reformed at all, that he will still kill innocent people only for having magic, so he realises Morgana was right and goes to her. It's a mmmmm yummy scrummy cycle of terrible decisions and inascapable horrible events, just how I like all my shows.

[makiandcheese]

I just thought about how Varka might feel once he found out that Rosaria views him as his dad. In my head there are two possible outcomes to it.

a.) Varka feels uncomfortable being viewed as Rosaria's father because he's mostly absent. Their interactions are limited to sparring sessions and lectures when she misbehaves. He believes that he could do better for her but because he's the GM of Mondstadt, he has to be the father figure for all. "I'm not your father." "I know that but do you know that?" He obviously cares for her but again, he believes he could do better

OR

b.) He would feel touched that the kid that probably once resented him now grew up to become like him. Someone who provides support the best way they can. Rosaria obviously dabbles in investigative vigilante activities, acting as the judge, jury, and executioner. Even if Varka doesn't fully support her methods, he supports how she finds her values and beliefs. In his eyes, that little girl is living proof he has done something right with the world.

[in-kyblogs]

Funniest thing in the world that the man playing Lestat De Lioncourt is the ‘do not perceive me’ type of introvert

[kendyroy]

they should release the scene where wade undresses logan

please let’s have a full discussion on this…

where do you all think wade ripped off those clothes to get to logan’s jammies? where’d he get the gloves? does logan remember any of this? how many layers was logan wearing?

[thisdayindnphistory]

guys i really think they’re just getting revenge on their fans rn. like all those years of SLOWLY inching towards a hard launch and now they’re millimeters away from it and it’s gonna stay like this for AWHILE. they WANT us to seem absolute batshit crazy to the rest of the world and they love it.

imagine their fans talking to normal people “oh have dan & phil said if they’re together or not yet?” “well no not really but here’s this 20 page long list of everything they’ve said/done recently that is basically saying they’re together” “….oh …. Haha….Ok then….”

[die-tenebris]

don't wanna derail the post I saw this discussion on- it was all in the notes anyway, so it certainly isn't op's problem. I'm gonna say this with so much love:

Calling somebody a 'theyfab' is not punching up. If someone's being transmisogynistic, say that, or call them a bigot. Naming the tangible harm done to you will always be the most effective thing to do.

The cis people who created that term made it with the explicit intent to mock and insult people's identities. No matter what you mean when you say it, this is its origin and to most people, its only meaning. It describes nothing about the discrimination you face.

People afab are marginalized, especially if they're queer. You cannot "punch up" on a fellow oppressed group. I understand the specific vitriol that they inflict on you hurts.

You don't need a word to call somebody, you need and deserve adequate justice for the tangible harm done to you; and my heart aches that nobody queer- especially trans women- ever seems to receive that.

I'm aware I can't make anybody do anything, so I'm not gonna try to tell you not to use that word. I just want to say it can't ever address, undo, or heal any harm done to you. It can only redirect it.

[fireladybuckley]

I can’t believe a boyfriend made a silly sex joke to lighten the mood after both partners had a moment of vulnerability. The audacity. The horror. The normalcy! Unbelievable. How dare a conversation about feelings turn to levity. How dare a couple have a light chat about trauma-related things over dinner that doesn’t turn into an incredibly deep heart to heart instead of a joke and moving on. Unbelievable. I’m never watching this show again! 👎🏻

[critter-wizard]

ep 43 had me tearing up in a fucking shopping centre ‼️‼️

b+w alt version that I truly couldn't decide if I liked it more . Also I included a lot of thoughts in the tags but they're somewhat incoherent<3

[vividiangelo]

I sort of hate that all the posts about 'The Prisoner's Throne' is about Jurdan. I mean I love them and all, but it's Oak's and Wren's book and they aren't appreciated enough. And Hyacinthe and Tiernan are criminally underrated.

[aniihera]

Ok. I’ve been compiling my thoughts on the pathologic 2 endings for a while now, and I’ve finally pinpointed my feelings on them (enough to share at least). I’m desperate to hear what others think about them too.

Lengthy Kin-themed rant oncoming? Perhaps.

More under the cut.

CW: Spoilers for Pathologic 2 (of course).

- - -

To preface: As I am Māori, not Buryat or of the other cultures I have heard the Kin to be based on, my perspective is more from *my* understanding of what it means to be Indigenous than anything else. There are probably many things I’m missing. But I’d like to throw in my two cents, however relevant they are.

Suffice to say, my feelings are complicated. Stylistically and narratively, there was a lot that I enjoyed. From a reconnecting/ mixed Indigenous perspective, however, I still feel unwillingly bisected, torn.

At the culmination of everything, Artemy Burakh and the player are roped into a cruel, two-pronged choice. Destroy the Polyhedron along with the miracles of the Steppe, or let the plague devour the town as you lead the Kin back to its heart. In these scenarios, you either assimilate the Kin into the town, which many of them will despise you for, or push out the nonindigenous townsfolk by force, letting nature run its course. Any third option has already been amputated, beyond your will. You cannot protect the Kin completely either way, some will likely die from the plague in the latter, and the more fantastical will in the first, by being cleaved from the earth’s dying magic.

Diurnal, or Nocturnal. No matter how you look at it, the kin cannot thrive in either. For it to be a choice at all, hurt, to say the least. After playing the bachelor’s route in the first game, I’m sure that was deliberate in an anti-utopian sense, perfection is impossible etc, etc. But the first lens I saw it through, stuck with me.

When I initially read Isidor say this after Artemy’s trial in the abattoir:

“Facing the Future is the way of Love. Facing the Past is the way of Love. But the two are incompatible, and it broke my heart.”

I was devastated. The hopeless dichotomisation of future and past… and I could only construe it as assimilation or death in some manner (but I could not see what role it took yet). That feeling festered for a while, but I wanted to see it from another angle. I think it's natural to be sensitive to the words “progress” (which is usually linked to “civilisation” and colonisation) when anchored against Indigenous culture, but I didn’t want that to blind me completely.

On its own, I do like this line. It’s weighty. And I think it articulates aspects of Indigenous struggle well, to some degree. Going back to the “past” is somewhat impossible for many reasons. Decolonisation is needed but I don’t believe it means restoring the “past” fully by any means. Culture is not stagnant, and neither is the future. To say they are incompatible though pains me. Especially when contextualised inside the divide between the kin and the town. It is an intentionally agonising line, and successfully so. Pitting the themes of Past/Future, against, Kin/Town, is something I find hard to reconcile with. Even just the first part irks me; personally the past walks with me at every step, the future is void and useless without it in full view. But I wouldn’t say a line from Isidor (or Artemy’s subconscious) necessarily defines the game more than it does his perspective. For me, it is the patterns that follow and precede it.

Aspity is a very obvious portrayal of what it looks like to “face the past” completely. Visiting her sanctuary, It becomes very evident that her opinions of the non-Kinfolk sway towards genocidal. They must “flood the town”, as she put it. Considering their treatment on the Bull Project and well… everything else, It’s not unfounded. During the night visits, we develop a growing understanding of what is at stake for the kin. Their language, legends, arts, and traditions, and too many Kin are dying from pest and persecution (Its a familiar story). Herb brides are forced to sell their cultural dance to get by (another familiar story for Māori, kapa haka and tourism, our culture has also become a commodity out of necessity). Legends like the shabnak adyr too are warped by the townsfolk (as it is used as an excuse to target Kin women). Assimilation means these things for them too.

There's also the case of how the Kin are depicted as more animalistic than the “more human” townsfolk. Oyun, Big Vlad, and even Artemy have a long history referring to them as such. To make the Kin less than human is inherently othering (as is any case where the empire views us as inherently more primitive or unevolved). The importance placed on Aurochs and being one with nature in Kin culture paints this in a less hostile light (Big Vlad’s view not so much). But I fear the effect this might have on player perceptions of the Kin will be negative regardless. I’ve seen a few statements about the Kin being a “hivemind”, I can't say I entirely agree. Many are divided on how they view Artemy, as well as what they desire for the future. I’ve also seen this in reference to when a few odonghe gift you organs for your tinctures, but at this point everyone in the town is desperate for a cure no matter the cost. Their more violent practices appear to weaken many fans' empathy for the Kin, painting the Nocturnal ending darker and darker. Getting rid of herb bride “marriages” would be a good thing at least right? Assimilation might be a good thing then? Nothing good comes without cost, and for the Kin this cost is too steep. Survival doesn't have to mean losing yourself piece by piece.

I will say that despite liking the non-Kin townsfolk, I do wish there was a larger Kin presence among the main roles. While we have Nara, Aspity, Oyun, and Taya, I understand how their presence does little to assuage the dread of seeing the rest of the cast wade out into the Steppe. For me, seeing Murky and Sticky in such a lost state during the Nocturnal ending, made me unable to see it as anything but a mistake.

Two other alternating themes are present through the endings. Childhood (miracles and dreams) and adulthood (waking up and walking forward). The dominant presence of children in Nocturnal, and the fact that walking through the near empty town really does feel like a nightmare, showcases this. The impossible has been made possible, the earth sleeps, sated. The endless cycle of responsibility, from father to son, from parent to child... Children rule the future here. In Diurnal, this cycle, at least, has some room to be broken. Responsibilities are weighed more evenly. Letting go of miracles and childhood dreams, that is the only future in this end. I’m not sure If i have to discuss how problematic it might be to place indigenous revival in the realm of childishness, and assimilation in the realm of growing up, but i thought i'd leave the notion there regardless.

Leaving how you view the two ends aside, it's obvious that Nocturnal has a heavier, gloomier tone.

Maybe having a third ending would’ve been reductive, to have one person so easily find a solution to unifying the town. But, it hurts so deeply to have that choice wrenched from your hands. The choice might have been severed by Isidor, but it felt like so much was possible for Artemy. With one foot in both worlds, the potential of true reconnection, i thought we could move past what was possible for his father. It felt like that was the direction Artemy was moving in, seeing the choices before him and bullheadedly trampling through the middle. Just like he did with the cure, finding the impossible connection.

As it stands, the endings are brutal. Survival for the kin is held by a thread, regardless of the direction you look. They either die a physical death, or a cultural and spiritual one (the two could very well be interpreted as present in both depending on how you look at it). By your conversations with Aspity, even if they survive, the Diurnal end is hinted to lead to an essential “dissolution” of the Kin as they know it. Wherein the differences between the Town and Kin will become so negligible that the two are no longer distinct. Which from my perspective is its own, however voiceless tragedy.

Ok, that was a lot of negativity but I’d like to be candid. Even despite all that, Pathologic is still one of my favourite games of all time. I saw someone say on here that Pathologic 2 is most interesting when allowing the player to decide where love takes them (even if they are led to extremes). Love being at the forefront, regardless of the choices you make, no wrong answers, that's what I appreciated most when playing as Artemy. Whether you chose to kill the three odonghe for Rubin, begged him to stay despite everything, killed Oyun, the Oglimskys, or the pest, it was for the love of something. The internal strife of having a mixed identity too, the rejection and affection from both sides, is something I related to even if the circumstances were miles apart from my own. I wish that Nocturnal aligned with that energy, that the nuances there were a little less stark. That opposing assimilation felt like less of a mistake.

There's a lot more I could delve into but this is pretty long already. This post could all read like nonsense/surface level, but I’m curious to see what other people think! Especially other indigenous folk, I’m dying to know how others interpreted the endings regarding the Kin.

[tokutaiseichan]

How old is everyone, really?!?!

Prefacing this with the information that the legal drinking age in Japan is 20 years old bc it's important.

OKAY so at first we were only shown that it's the third years who go to Rui's bar. This made me think, "Oh, I guess that'd make the third years a bunch of 20 years old, at the very least. So Darkwick is like a university?"

But then come Episode 6 and we were told that they don't actually serve real alcohol at Rui's bar. Not to mention we saw Ritsu getting fussy about a bar in the school grounds. This made me think, "So Darkwick is a high school? Everyone here is a minor?? Which is it???" (※To be fair, Ritsu was only fussing about the existence of a bar and not the possibility of underage drinking cmiiw)

And last, Episode 8. Here we saw Taiga ordering a martini一an alcoholic drink. And when Ritsu came to fetch him, he didn't scold him about underage drinking so that means Taiga is at least 20 years old (Ritsu warned Jin about Swords and Arms law when he took out his artifact so if Taiga really is underaged, Ritsu would definitely scold him).

But what caught me truly off guard is when Ritsu snatched the cocktail and drank it himself. Ritsu "Stickler for the Rules" Shinjo is drinking alcohol. There's a few possible explanation for this a) Ritsu is of drinking age; b) Ritsu is making an exception and broke a rule bc he's exasperated with Taiga (less likely considering how much of a stick in the mud about rules he is); c) Writer Team's mistake.

I'm leaning more to a), which means all of the first years is also at least 20 years old. That makes the second and third years in their early twenties. So Darwick is still a kind of university? Or does age isn't one of the parameter to enroll there?

[valyrfia]

roscoe beelining for max in the paddock is the most suspicious clip i've seen in years. roscoe WHY do you know max like that.

[littlespoonevan]

rewatching s1 this time around has actually left me sooooo fascinated by buck and abby's relationship??????? bc what we know of it in its aftermath is actually completely visible on screen during the season???

in episode 6 when abby is talking to carla about a potential valentines day date with buck she outright says she's fine with him being a boytoy and it just being something casual so she can feel good in herself again and is almost complaining that buck is taking it so seriously by trying to go slow. and the thing is, i don't think her stance on that ever changes???????

she absolutely cares about him and appreciates him for everything he does for her (both in helping support her with her mom and what he does in helping her find her way back to herself) but i don't think she ever really wanted or needed him to be more than that????

on the flipside, you have buck who's experiencing feelings he's never felt before and is so totally overwhelmed by this woman who's making him realise real connection is possible and it feels a million times better than the way he's vied for people's attention before. and there's something a little heartbreaking in the way he questions if he's ready for it to be something real. because bobby encourages him to step into the relationship fully and in the end he does do that

but abby doesn't really want him to???

so you have buck, fully committed and ready to be the partner he thinks abby needs, and abby, who is so completely unable to be that partner in return because she wants to navigate the next stage of her life alone

and aksdjfh it's just!!!! so!!!!! interesting!!!!!!!!! and i am once again BEGGING someone to make a gifset/video/edit/anything for them with reckless driving by lizzy mcalpine

[aro-culture-is]

aro culture is getting really annoyed with the relationships unit in your sociology class because the whole thing is just 100% amatonormativity.

:\

if think your teacher, professor, and/or TAs might be interested in discussing the concept, I have some idea of bringing up the topic?

I'd personally say something like, "Hi, During our section in sociology around relationships, I couldn't help but think it would be interesting to discuss how a sociological theory called "amatonormativity" might relate to these lessons. I gathered a few sources from the professor who coined it, a thesis written on it, and a law review written about the connection between it and laws in the USA. There's some connections between its use in feminist thought and in queer theories, and I'd love to know your thoughts about it. I personally was thinking of when [specific statement] was said, and how I would apply this theory. I hope it's as interesting to you as it is to me."

Coiner's current webpage: https://elizabethbrake.com/amatonormativity/

Thesis: https://vc.bridgew.edu/honors_proj/330/ (click download in upper right hand corner for the PDF, depending on the individual it may be worth downloading and sending that rather than a link)

Law Review: https://uclawreview.org/2022/06/09/amatonormativity-in-the-law-an-introduction/

[drakkonyan]

Actually the ace attorney Fandom is the only one to understand the original media.

It's not about laws. It's not about justice and injustice. It's not about how the system is corrupted and the only way to fight it is the power of friendship and this gun I found. It's not about the importance of found family. It's not about faking it till making it and bullshit ting your way to the top.

Hell, it's not even about homosexuality.

It's about how being extra dramatic while arguing and shouting "OBJECTION!" out loud it's fun as FUCK.

[pigswithwings]

never go into the notes of a post that asks people to consider why they hate specific animals so much. anyways if you think a specific animal should go extinct I will explode you 😁👍👍👍👍👍