#but i feel like if someone simply Didnt Think someone else was human

[bananonbinary]

there's a weird thought ive been trying to chase down for a few days, and it's something like, "the words used to describe evil as inhuman are misleading."

very specifically, i keep thinking about the words often used to describe slavery - dehumanizing, objectifying, treated like animals, etc.

but that's not actually true is it? people would never trust an animal with complex tasks like "watch over my children," and they never react to objects with the emotional/mental abuse slavery engenders. the weird truth is, we don't really have any good comparison for slavery, because it is, by it's nature, a violence that can only be perpetuated *against other humans.*

these word choices imply that the crime is one of mistaken identity, as if the slaveholder is simply Factually Wrong. i understand that they are useful shorthand a lot of the time, but i worry that sometimes it's used to imply a lot more passivity than actually exists here.

[spacexseven]

Trying to find the post I originally saw it from would take too long and plus the person who made it didn't go into detail they just said "reader with a God ability" like I'm guessing an ability that makes you God or something? I'm not too sure but if you want you can try to make it into something

But I REALLY wanted to know how would Fyodor would react because you know the story with him and god

basically reader is a kind of (forgotten) god but i didnt go too much into it so feel free to imagine whatever you'd like ^^

cw: yandere character

sometimes it occurred to you that divinity, in a world of gifted people, was ultimately meaningless. after all, who would choose to believe in a god—a presence so unclear and foreign—when they had people with powers only gods could have? when there were people with powers that defied logic, powers that decimated cities, and powers that could change the fate of the one affected within moments, what did your divinity matter?

what could you do that some ability user out there couldn't?

despite knowing there wasn't anything you could offer to regular people, you liked to walk down their streets and watch them go on about their day. there was something captivating about their lives, something that resembled what you had lost a long time ago. though in this bleak part of yokohama, most of the people you saw seemed to be weighed down by regret.

once in a while, you'd see some spectacular show of power—paper turning into a weapon, accidental deaths that you knew were not supposed to happen, people on the brink of death brought back to life in perfect health—such things did not amaze you as much as they worried you. maybe that worry came from a place of inadequacy, knowing that your own powers, while typical for a divine being, was overall unimpressive compared to these wonderful and terrifying feats.

however, the worry and the shame did not compare to the delight that followed when talking to someone. you felt alone, isolated by the things you knew and had seen as compared to the mundane lives most people lived, yet you yearned for company. most people were too busy to talk to you when they saw you seated alone, and some were put off by the strange feeling that something about you was not exactly human, but there was always someone who'd approach you first, and those people were almost always the ones that stuck with you the longest. years ago, it was a man wearing a hat and holding a cane, and more recently, a woman with red hair.

and now, it was this man with dark hair and amethyst eyes.

the very moment fyodor uttered his first words to you, you could already tell that he was unlike anyone else you had talked to before. there was something about him that was simultaneously alluring and unsettling, something that glinted in his dark eyes that told you that he knew everything you were trying to hide. even the way he held your hand in his felt like he was trying to sense something from you. still, his expression did not change—calmness evident in his face when yours was definitely teeming with intrigue. it should have embarrassed you that a human was better than you at controlling his emotions.

but there was something unusual about fyodor—the way he carried himself, the contrast between his sharp gaze and sleepy smile, the words he spoke—you could already tell that he was someone destined for great destruction. (or maybe, he was destined to be the harbinger of destruction?) he spoke to you like you were an old friend, someone he had known all his life, not finding any unease in slipping into deep conversation. his voice was soft, but each word felt purposeful.

and then, he mentioned his belief in god.

"what does a god matter," you finally asked the question that had been plaguing you for all this time, "in a world of people that are treated as gods?"

he smiled at you then, like he had been expecting it, "that is simply a result of the follies of man. isn't it disgraceful that they think of themselves as gods?"

"but what can a god do for you that some ability user out there can't?"

"what i sought, what i received, was guidance," he whispered, "my eyes were opened to the truth, and i realized my purpose. ability users parade themselves as gifted, special, but they only bring misfortune."

your heart wavered then, for the man in front of you. you never believed that ability users were blessed, or whatever some groups liked to say. in some cases, it appeared to be more of a curse than a blessing. something unwanted. was he haunted by himself as well? before you could stop yourself, your next words leaped out of your mouth, revealing your identity and subsequently confirming his suspicions.

"if so, what does that make you?"

he smiled then, wider than before. the very sight sent chills down your spine, even though very little still scared you now. he straightened up, clasping your hands within his with a newly gained fervor, with more strength than he appeared to have.

"a sinner seeking repentance from you."

you exhaled sharply, but he wasn't finished, "i know now for sure that this is the right path, and under your guidance, i will deliver your judgment, and i will reinstate you to your former glory."

danger was easy to miss when it looked like fyodor dostoevsky, and it was too late for you now. realization dawned on you a moment too late, as tendrils of consciousness slipped away from you.

among the ghosts of yokohama, fyodor was the harbinger of great destruction. and his reign of terror would start with yours.

[tpher]

scary girl analysis !

something something the most clearly gimmicky gen 4 character we know. as your resident pahkitew island apologist, i dont care. it actually took me a bit to warm up to her and i figured id talk abt why that is

so her main thing is being creepy and sadistic for the sake of jokes. its not serious.. mostly. she does prove to actually be down to hurt others (such as when she got a hold of a jackhammer). but what about an instance where she wanted to hurt someone for actual reasons? when was that?

that was when priya went up to her to compliment her on doing a good job on the previous challenge. priya says that shes surprised by scary girl having done a good job.

scary girls response?

a very defensive "oh, it surprised you that i was good? cuz you thought id do bad?"

and thats the thesis of this post

scary girl is very insecure

backing up for a moment, in ep 2 when the teams were on ships and attacking each other, she was the one who came up with the idea of sinking the other teams ship as an idea on what to do when they were out of ammo (? iirc). but no one else heard that, just zee

then in ep 3, ripper makes her go last in the relay race thing bc he didnt want her to "blow things" for the team. she reacts by trying to bite his finger. not with a funny creepy smile, but with genuine anger to her literal bite. and then during that challenge, she infamously grabs a bear by the arm and starts beating it up while saying "thats what you get for growling at me!!!". once shes done, she goes "byeee" and goes on like nothing happened. proving that if someone wrongs her, she can easily let it go.. so long as she gets to do something back. remember this for later

and here we come back to her interaction with priya. so far, scary girl has proven herself to be a pretty alright player and she herself knows that. so the notion of someone being SURPRISED she did well?? does not sit well with her at all. but the way that she harps on the wording, even before zee steps in to make it worse, is what gets to me. it just really adds an extra layer to her character that, well. ironically surprised me! for someone who always seems to be in her own world, so unconventional, so ill-fitting with everyone else to also be insecure in some capacity?

anyway she tries to hurt priya with a spoon but gets interrupted. later on, priya is still thinking abt their encounter and feels bad so she tries to make it up to scary girl by flattering her. namely by saying that scary girls question was smart.. and priya being her awkward self, only dug herself in a hole by making it seem like that was a smart question by scary girls standards

scary girl is speechless. baffled. mad beyond words

it should be noted that scary girl looked offended when priya even started speaking. meaning that she also did not forget about their conversation that morning. she REALLY took it to heart. applying the bear logic here, had scary girl hurt her with the spoon earlier, would she be less mad? would she had considered each other even? and in that case, would this comment go over better or would it had simply restarted her need for revenge?

well. they dont interact for the rest of the episode up until the very end. after ripper used priya as a human shield, obviously injuring her

scary girl tells her that rippers a jerk and that priya didnt deserve that. so she'll be voting to get ripper out. and calls priya her "friend".

(her face and tone makes me a bit suspicious if this was genuine. but thats probably just her being her offputting self so i'll ignore it.) ok so by scary girl logic, priya deserved to have SOMETHING bad coming her way after what she said to her.

but not this.

scary girl, who came here to "make friends and watch them get really hurt", was not okay with what ripper did to priya. perhaps she thinks that only she could be allowed to hurt priya to balance things out? personally giving priya her karma, perhaps?

but now she considers priya a "friend". who likely wants to see her get hurt. but in the fun way that scary girl likely sees most other contestants as, possibly? idk.

anyway after all of that, we can see just how insecure scary girl can get over unintentionally awkward phrasing. just how deeply it hurts her feelings to be underestimated like that

season 2 spoilers ahead !!!

in season 2, we see even less of her. but there is SO much to work with

normal girl is so fascinating to me

by the time s2 starts, scary girl already has an all new look. shes trying to be "normal"

she admits in her confessional that some ppl thought she was too scary in the first season so thats why she changed her appearance and her everything. who were these ppl?

other than a dog as a joke, online forums, showing an interesting glimpse into the in-universe ""real world"" stepping into total drama. perhaps also a meta joke on the fandoms response to her but who knows. imagine unabashedly being yourself on tv and everyone is telling you to change. you are 16 and likely going through a weird phase. feeling a lot of heightened emotions already and ""knowing"" that this is who you are (at the moment). and if its not a phase? still 16 on international television getting lambasted by millions

and last but not least, her MOM??? her own mother. that just raises more questions abt how scary girl was before getting on td. was she NOT like this before? was she playing it up for the cameras? or did she just go unhinged without parental supervision? in any case the fact is that even her own mom wasnt okay with what makes her happy and how she presented herself.

so scary girls solution? to try her best to suppress anything that made her unique. to try to adhere to "societal norms", in her own words.

we dont see much of her in this ep other than her commenting on how shes normal and totally did not want to see someone get hurt. shes clearly struggling so bad. she knows that apparently what she likes isnt "right", therefore the opposite must be true, right?

she is simultaneously so immediately different that the others didnt even recognize her at first. yet still so "scary" that she cant fit in. she just doesnt know how no matter how hard she tries. if she were to stay longer, what can she do? this game is not only abt your skills in the challenges its also a social thing. how long until she snapped and went back to her old ways?

and then we get to the campfire ceremony. chef is about to call out whatever it was the she did wrong that day, but she interrupts him with a simple "no."

she cannot fathom being sent home, at least not this early. bc shes normal! she is sooo normal and she tried SO HARD to be normal! she read normal books and normal movies and studied normal people. she even taught herself to smile in a more acceptable way, which is so autistic coded to me. so she deserves to stay longer.

(getting flashbacks to my topher psychoanalysis and his entitlement being both a tragedy and his self-imposed downfall)

..but she studied "normal people" in her own not-normal way. while they werent looking. while they were sleeping. while they had no idea she was there.

so she got booted out for that. and she cannot believe it.

when she says that she "didnt even try to hurt anyone this time", she is mad. that was her ""fun"" and she managed to control it 100% only to get eliminated??? shes fed up!

but when she talks about how she taught herself how to smile in a "less-creepy" way?

she softens up and looks genuinely hurt.

she tried so hard. she saw all those horrible comments from people judging her based on like 5 episodes on a reality show. her own mother didnt accept her. her insecurity won and she aimed to change and repress everything that made her unique

and it still wasnt enough

[mako-neexu]

ughhh sitting here thinking. that it took dantes, both his chaldea version and inside guda version (both different but they are essentially the same) to combine for him to be able to carry out the Avenger Ordeal Call. in which would make guda understand what Avengers are, as a whole and why they exist in the first place.

because all this time, its that they have constantly called them over, understood their feelings as their own person when its been reiterated time and time again that a lot of them are simply made up of rumors, made up of what-ifs, they are victims in which they carry flames that would demand of retribution even at the cost of pan human history. but guda didnt focus on things like that. their nature is that of someone who understands and empathizes. to them, they are people just like anyone else. they are not tools, they are much more than what fate and the world dictates them to be. they are more than flames that would just burn and simply be Servants who would follow what they're born for.

so in order for an understanding to be reached, (because Chaldean said that "that" point of view of guda's is a distortion and is not "correct" to the human order thus barring them from approaching phh) the meaning of "Avenger" - of why it exists in the first place as Extra Class - must be achieved by becoming an Avenger, or simply tasting the path towards one.

so dantes became one: Chaldea Count + Prison Tower Count and in the pseudo-tokyo, they "split" and gain new titles.

"Black Shadow" / Count of Regret [or of Worry/Lingering Affection]

"Count of Monte Cristo" / Count of Determination

side note too that Chaldea Dantes is not necessarily "Black Shadow" and same goes for the other. its more like... both the Pseudo-Tokyo Danteses are both Chaldea Count and Prison Tower Count but it doesn't matter really because they are "both and neither" at the same time.

this here is also used as discrepancy between them and pronouns are really helpful at that. (the way im realizing just now that this applies as far back as ogawa heim/knk event....and we see in nerofes event in 2017 since that was his first appearance post-prison tower the very apparent difference between them in the pronoun usage...)

in Id chapter, Count of Determination also used "watashi" (with sometimes a furigana of 'ore' if it was mostly him) when referring to "both" of them. but he still uses his regular オレ though depending on what he says. afaik Black Shadow didnt use his "own" pronoun which i admit was really thought of when they made Id chapter www

anyways im digressing... what i want to focus on is that they became one, and split again and became "Determination" and "Worry" for guda which just makes my heart ache...it took changing himself from the inside, cutting off pieces of himself just to create pseudo-tokyo, the ten million inhabitants, as well as summoning and empowering other Avengers to both help guda and challenge them as Trials...

because in hurting someone you care about, it has to have that steel of determination and resolve. you have to be strong in the face of hurting someone you love and care so deeply because this is for their sake. even if it should cause them so much pain in their heart--which would naturally affect your own-- you have to have that determination to make sure they go through all of these trials even if they break, have that determination to which they care about will be able to achieve the end of their journey.

and in worry, that worry remained from the beginning. the black shadow that resides under the Master's feet, watching with bated breath as "both" of them put guda through these trials in which they have faith that they would overcome. there definitely is faith... but still that shadow is the 'worry' that represents "both" of them. which is why 'Worry' summoned Salieri and Jalter as starting Servants without the requirement of a command spell. Said to be "sweeter" to guda because of the leniency.

still, they're the "same" in the end. and therefore they care about their star a lot.....

[electrificata]

this is going to be violently online, scroll now to save yourself

i am deeply entrenched in the cringe wars (not actually firing any bullets just watching other people do it) and one of the main counterarguments i see is "we need to kill cringe," "cringe is dead" etc. and this rubs me the wrong way a little. and i felt bad about it!! people are getting doxxed cuz they like. upload a corny song on tiktok. obviously thats bad, obviously the cringe industrial complex needs to be killed, like, the accounts that repost shit to be mocked, and people who go posting-crusade against someone who like, wore an outfit they didnt like or said something in a funny voice they didnt like.

BUT on the other hand. i dont know. i dont love the idea of painting the only virtuous path as like. being an angelic being who only experiences love towards their fellow creatures. thats simply not realistic. but i think its easier to say that then "sometimes you will see someone doing something in a public forum that causes you to feel secondhand embarrassment, and you need to contain your reaction and perhaps examine what this illuminates about your own thoughts and values, and then move on." perhaps someday you will naturally find yourself at a place where you no longer feel "cringe," which sounds wonderful. but also difficult, and the end result of a long process.

and even harder than saying that is whats on the other side, is saying "if someone thinks you are cringe, that is a problem they are having, not a reflection of your worth." because some of it really is just basic run of the mill haterism, which we all occasionally produce, and we all must learn to endure from others. its the doxxing that we need to kill, its the hair-trigger accusations of heinous crimes we need to kill. on a basic level, its the making-your-own-cringe-reaction-somebody-else's problem that needs to be killed. the slippery slope doesnt work here, i really think its two different kinds of behavior.

you will have uncharitable thoughts sometimes! because you are a human being. and i think its kind of disingenuous to ignore that.

[homoeroticbetrayal]

Iconic Homoerotic Betrayal: Round 1

Round 1 Directory

Context (they're really good very passionate):

Nagi/Reo (Blue Lock)

basicallt bluelock is a soccer program being funded by the soccer association (i swear i know soccer im tryna speed through this) theyre tryna make it so japan wins the world cup and to do so you need a strong striker. so they gathered all the young adults (hs graduates) and put them in this program, which, if you're eliminated, you dont have a career in soccer at ALL. they didnt know this walking into it :p. so reo and nagi met in school and reo saw him (rich kid, gets what he wants but doesnt really know what he wants yk) and said that he has to have him. or....... something. anyways, reo needed someone to learn soccer with and he chose the most antisocial sleepy guy on campus. and then proceeded to be an absolute simp (theres a scene he literally massages his back.) he also has canonically called nagi "good boy" (nagi said "yes boss" to him as well) context for the specfic betrayal was the game required them to be in teams of 3 and this is after reo and nagi's previous team of like 8-10 lost to isagi's team. reo and nagi said that they were going to go to win the world cup together. thats always been their promise. (theyve known each other for half a year i think. which is a short amount of time to be so attached LMAO.)

they also have a second betrayal which is honestly worse than this one, and reo's team loses to isagi/nagi's team and nagi tells him he's done with reo.

its a common theme of nagi never picking reo btw. reo was upset after the game because after you win a mtach you pick someone from the losing team to advance with and NAGI DIDNT ADVOCATE FOR REO HARD ENOUGH I GUESS AND ISAGI TOLD THEM ALL THAT THE BEST CHOICE WAS CHIGIRI. so they had another homoerotic fight that im never getting over. hope this meets ur criteria. they're in their exes era. its slightly better tho because nagi does feel bad/sorry for what he said.

(Other anon, I'll include your essay if they make it into the next round)

Geto/Gojo

"He was my friend, my one and only" ultrapowerful, one tried for it one born with it bitches but the twist is one was so consumed by the twisted horrible nature of humanity he went all Magneto but a lot more murderous while the other one only stays nonmurderous because he believes in changing the system by training the next generation. You don't understand he spared him, you don't understand, Gojo's devastation of knowing that he didn't do anything to help him as he slowly literally ate and ate and ate hate and pain to protect people that didn't protect his own. The devastation of knowing that there was nothing else to say nothing to do no way to help him bring him back he'd changed into someone he understood but simply couldn't support. Geto's betrayal, leaving everything and everyone behind because their way not only wasn't working but it was protecting those who wouldn't protect them. Geto laughed for the first time in ten years after all this when Gojo said something to him , the moment before he (Gojo) killed him, carried his body, refused to have it burned. Geto gets basically possessed and when Gojo sees not!him for the first time he freezes and gets captured, Geto almost breaks the possession momentarily whe he hears his name , he doesn't, Gojo gets captured, Geto is stuck, cursed , dead.

[sbk-zgvlt]

hey. hey. hey sebek zigvolt lover. pokes you. i have a scenario for you. (i want to cause you psychic damage)

for once, the neighborhood kids invite (INVITE!!!) little sebek out to play. he doesn't understand why they suddenly want to play with him, but his family can see how he's physically vibrating with the prospect and encourage him.

it's a trick.

they do play with him for a little while, all to convince him to 'play' a game that includes a large boulder that's split into a small crevice at the bottom. the littlest of the group squeezes through the rock and dares him to go next, what, isn’t he a fae? (if only he could realize the malice in her tone.) of course he can! sebek flattens himself down to his stomach and begins to pull himself through. he gets stuck. when he realizes he can't move forward or backward, the children laugh. he's not a fae. after all, his father is a human! to think he actually believed he was worth their time. their giggles fade as they run off, sebek still trapped under the rock.

nightime arrives. and it's so, so cold. he stopped wailing for anyone to come and help him hours ago, drowning in what the other kids told him. but he sees a light! bobbing! in the distance! he cries out again his desperation, voice hoarse. the voice that calls back makes his blood run cold.

..it's his father. clearly having simply thrown a jacket and armed himself with a lantern. he's the only one in the family who needs a piddly LANTERN, because he is human. he can't see in the dark like everyone else can. sebek does a total 180, shouting his heart out that he doesn't need to be saved by a HUMAN. especially not be the human who is the reason he's trapped right now. if only his father were any other man, if only he were a fae, he wouldn't even be in this situation in the first place. the comments roll off of his father, who's only priority is saving him, but he can't. he can't. he's too weak and too scared of possibly harming sebek in the process.

sebeks mother arrives soon after. she's the one to save him, even if his father was the one who located him initially. when he's freed, he clings to her, spilling his feelings about how scared he was, how cold, how mean the other children were so openly, so freely, something he would never do with his father. all his father can do is gently stroke his hair, because any further than that would close sebek off to him again.

.....after that incident, sebek rarely leaves the house again. the next time he walks out of the front door with so much excitement is with the company of his grandfather, boasting about someone special he has the privilege of meeting.

WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU/pos

AUGHHH I DONT EVEN KNOW WHAT TO ADD ONTO THIS THIS IS PERFECT

Sebek blaming his father for getting him into that situation because SURELY the others wouldve let him play with them, wouldve helped him out from under the rock if he didnt have his nasty human fathers blood inside of him. Surely.

And how he immediately opens up to his mother!!! Esme does her best to soothe Sebek, whose tears never seem to end, while she casts a concerned look from time to time towards Lidaeus, who looks lost even as he gently strokes Sebek's hair

Both of them mustve been worried to DEATH, and Lidaeus was horrified to find Sebek trapped under the rock, but he couldnt do anything. He was helpless. Just like right now, when he couldnt even comfort his very own son.

I wonder what its like for Lidaeus Zigvolt, to know that you've damned your child to a life where he would never be accepted to either side. Too different, too similar to the other, too much and too little.

I wonder what it's like for Lidaeus Zigvolt to know that he will never be enough for his son, the same way Sebek will never be enough to the people around him

[jahiera]

speaking strictly from a plot & writing perspective here, not a commentary on characters or who or who is not my favorite blorbo (they all are). it's gale time and I wanted to get down everything I thought about this go around with his romance & the writing before it escapes me.

so I once again had a ton of fun of course, the game is still a blast, and several arcs were way more satisfying this time around simply because I ... did not skip the creche, unlike my very first run (I was an idiot) (I didnt think it would be that important) (it really really was). love it 10/10. I cannot WAIT to do my gith run & really focus in on that because the lore there is just, so cool, and that subplot was really rich & rewarding this time around since I had someone who was not orpheus become a mindflayer instead.

as for Gale, Thank Fuck I started before they bugged him up again too much. but let's deep dive into The Material.

shoutout to Tim first of all, he's a legend, dreamboat, superstar. there are so many lines delivered so effortlessly when they would sound ridiculous in anyone else's mouth. he gives gale so much soulful intensity and subtle, nuanced gravitas befitting someone like gale; with enough of Gale's own moments of silliness, cheekiness, wry wit & understated sarcasm, to outright flabbergasted at times, I was Giggling every conversation fr. I'm not usually prone to the "I LOVE YOU" Romances that come earlier rather than later, but ohhhhhhh tim gives each line with all the weight & agony that you can feel inside Gale when it comes (the looming death; not knowing what the end may bring; not wanting to leave any regrets behind) so like. MWAH to him. MWAH MWAH. all the kisses in the world.

okay mandatory compliments to the actor aside. I came out of the whole thing with breadth of new appreciation for Gale as a character in terms of the... concepts, threads, that make him up, and act 2 is where he REALLY shines overall.

I didn't necessarily come away from it with the same... weepy...... done-no-wrong? interpretation of Gale that I've seen floating about. he's lovely. he's intense. he's got soul-crushing devotion on his mind, no doubt. but for every fracture of tenderness, raw sincerity, & off the cuff soliloquy, he's got a lot of interesting flaws/characteristics I'd love to unpick with a fine-toothed comb on some replays or rewatches. Still trying to turn over in my brain exactly what that is, but it's there, and I love it. will say I'm really glad I played it mostly in a vacuum rather than getting too into others' thoughts on him, because What I Had Seen on the Webbed Site had near put me off entire (seeing someone say he's not prideful or pompous at all... when he self-describes as pompous?) -- maybe it's my tendency to focus in on what makes a character tick, when are they sharper, or harder, or meaner, and I enjoy watching that play out a lot, but? yeah. I didn't come away thinking him a super soft mushy mwahmwah -- ROMANTIC, yes, but overall as a character not nearly so lovesick and in desperate need of some protector. in fact when you tell him you don't want to be his crutch, he says as much too -- you've helped him, but you're not the sole focus of his person or the only thing keeping him alive.

there's enough of the humanity in his cheekier moments (stop licking the damn thing!!) and plenty of tear-jerking aside all of that. gale my canon-depressive-episode, mildly suicidal, chronic pained up, still-kind-of-full-of-yourself king. I adore you I love you I cradle you softly in my arms. he charmed me entire! I think that the themes hey were trying to tackle are really interesting and nuanced and I do have some thoughts on the success of the game in actually tackling those, what is there is really wonderful. some gorgeous writing in act 2, especially, and it was sold so well by the voice acting & sincerity in the writing I was just like. PERFECT. 10/10. NEED TO WRITE 98 FLUFF PIECES RN. which does not happen often, to me, as a person.

with. some exceptions, going back to critiquing act 3 as a whole.

act 1 & 2 are both strong, really nice. however this romance definitely needed at least one or two more scenes in act 2 to pad out the space between awkward flirting at the party to "I like it when you're sweaty and bloody-- sorry who said that" to "I LOVE YOU. I LOVE YOU." -- these scenes should've elaborated on Gale's personal feelings; of mystra, of what's been asked of him, of Tav. they should've set in threads of Gale's anger earlier, rather than the jarring shift from late act 2 "yeah I'll kill myself" to "actually... mystra fucking sucks! lol!" in act 3 at sorcerer sundries. yeah babygirl, mystra DOES fucking suck, wish I could've listened to you as you arrived to these conclusions rather than connecting empty character lines between act 2 and 3. and act 3 desperately needed more space to talk gale in or out of the crown. because by the time we get to the end, if he's really into the crown, he's into it beyond the focus of all else. but in the scenes where you talk him off that particular ledge, it doesn't even take very long to do so, and leaves kind of a weird... gap of intention.

I feel like they wrote themselves into a bit of a corner, honestly. because Gale's personal quest literally cannot be resolved until 5 minutes before the end, any climax wouldn't have much space afterward to pad the aftermath. so the solution to that would've been more character focus scenes, more flavor text depending on how you've influenced gale, something that actually makes the choices feel rewarding -- some hurdles to cross too, checks of some kind. but there really isn't any of that, and so the conflict is almost nonexistent. you squirt gale with a water bottle and he gives up the crown with no real additional dialogue. or you tell him "ma...maybe???" and he's suddenly a power obsessed little freak (complimentary) with no recourse, and in either case, we never got much dialogue to get some insight into his personal thoughts on it. this doesn't make Gale a bad character, but it does leave the narrative to be lacking in some regard.

like, for example. Astarion gets dialogue changes depending on the quest outside of character-specific moments (such as a spawn Astarion changing his dialogue after you help Aylin with Lorroakan), post-quest conversations, PRE-quest conversations with his siblings, moments where he reveals more of what he thinks (such as "You're... you. no one is like that.") etc., Gale gets None of that. the only other characters who really do are Lae'zel and Shadowheart; everyone else is either shafted or resolved in the last few minutes too. I came out of this most satisfied as a player overall with LAE'ZEL'S conclusion (also at the end of the game!!) because we had gotten a few more moments where her focus is obvious and her motivations are clear.

anyways, those are just general writing issues. Act 3 overall is the weakest, most agree, and that's still true here. Sadly it kind of takes some of Gale down with it in this case, because his personal quest is both so removed from the overall plot (despite him being a literal fixture as the only character who knows anything about the crown & was decreed by a literal god to take out the absolute).

however none of this is related to Gale as a guy. as a guy I'm Fucking Obsessed With Him. taking him with me everywhere was so rewarding especially in act 1 / 2. his commentary & insights, when they were there, ranged from funny as fuck to genuinely insightful & interesting for the overall plot. the ideas behind him, the glimpses we get of the life he led before, and the life he wants to lead after with Tav -- or what he alludes to wanting to lead with Tav, thinking that he'll still probably die at the end of this -- are lovely, interesting, TOUCHED MY SPIRIT. he's such a neat version of how to do a character that is as endearing as he can be foot-in-mouth, and as intelligent as he can be a little belligerent. I looooved every moment I could talk with him about magic in act 1, see his passions (beyond mystra), argue with him about how to do something (I'M the magical wonder here actually and I get to make the shadowlantern), all of that really MADE the romance for me in the lulls where his Silence or the gaps in his writing were more clear. 10/10 would kiss that fucking wizard again and cry a little bit thinking about exploding with him aboard a giant alien brain while one of those "ITS YOUUU I LIE WITH" songs plays in the bg

[stainedstardom]

HE CARES (pt 2 to i cared too much)

someone asked for this and even though its been so long since i wrote it , i couldnt help but do a part 2 and change things. 

chad meeks martin x fem!reader 

you didn’t forgive them at first, they shattered your heart and left you to die but after ethan was unmasked as ghostface with quinn and detective bailey, everything changed. 

you didn’t want to live in fear of losing your life, you didn’t want to be angry all the time and you didnt want to fear the worse because you couldnt do anything else. chad didn’t either, he had spent so long hiding his feelings and making them out to be something they weren’t

“i can’t believe you forgave them so quick” mindy said as she stared at you. chad sat with a guy on the football team not too far away as tara sat with sam. chad and taras fling lasted no longer then 3 days. 

they realized it was simply a spur of the moment thing and they didn’t like each other like that. chad wasn’t over you and tara wasn’t over amber. it was obvious that the two searched for love in places they wouldnt be able to find. 

“i mean it wasn’t hard, im tired of being mad at everyone and everything for anything that happens” you told her and she sighed 

“you’re still mad about ethan and quinn right?” she asked 

“mindy come on, they’re dead. of course im still mad about them, they killed anika” you stated and mindy sighed. chad looked at you, he had been staring for the past 10 minutes. 

“ya know he does care about you” she exclaimed as you made eye contact with him and he waved making you wave back. 

“what?” you asked 

“he does care, i know that what he said was rude and mean and hurt you but he does care about you and he always has. chad is practically in love with you” mindy said 

“way to rat me out” he said as he walked over. he held his hand out to you and you sighed 

“can we talk?” he asked 

“go” mindy said and she pushed you off of the bench. chads hand shot out as he grabbed your waist and looked into your eyes 

“dont swallow each other in front of me” mindy said and you both coughed. 

“lets go talk” you told him and he nodded as he led you away from his sister who wolf-whistled in your direction and you both flipped her off. when you got far enough away, you sat down and he sat down next to you. 

“so whats up?” he asked 

“chad youre the one who wanted to talk” you told him and he nodded 

“right , right. how have you been?” 

“good, im okay. how are you?” you asked 

“i miss you, ive been missing you” he stated 

“chad” you wanted to stop him before he said something he might regret 

“no just listen to me. hear me out, mindys telling the truth. i am in love with you. im in love with your smile and the way you care and the way you laugh. i am in love with the way you walk and talk. the way you turn your body to show someone youre listening. the way you never let your hair look bad. the way you laugh at something even if its not funny so the person doesnt feel bad. i am so completely in love with you and i should’ve told you before. i regret not telling you before. if you still hate me after this, if you think that i am a horrible human being. i understand” he said and he went to continue but your hands shot up. 

“shut up” you told him

you grabbed his face and you pulled him in as you kissed him. he calmed down as his hands drifted to your waist and he pulled you in. he pulled you onto his lap as his hands ran up your back and held the back of your neck

“i love you too” you said into the kiss and he smiled at you as you smiled at him and you knew one thing 

he cares

A/N: my heart is smiling 

[corpsoir]

pov youve been polluting the ocean for your own profit and now two 20 year olds are about to fuck you up

lore dump about this au under the cut lol some day i will write something properly!! also dont even mind the fact that solvei's hair gets bigger all the time. she's older here i'll blame it on that, she lets it grow out a bit

wow ok i gotta dump a bunch of lore from the story i've got going on in my mind with this au lol

also thank you izzy for that very awesome idea of the antagonist having a polluting stand thats literally SUCH good idea ok. im obsessed with it.

so, some of you who have read the lore about skagen know he nearly drowned as a kid but got caught on a fisherman's hook and thats how he got the fucked up eye and scar.

well in this au, the hook he was using is one that he found washed up on a beach. he doesnt really know or understand why he felt compelled to use that hook; it looked really old and kinda useless compared to his modern ones. it was made out of something that looked like bone, and when he touched it, to his surprise it was still extremely sharp; sharp enough to poke through his skin and make him bleed. without really thinking about it he set out to go fishing and thats when he caught skagen on his hook, saving him from almost drowning yadda yadda.

what the fisherman didnt realise until later is that the hook awakened stands in both him and skagen.

years later,  authorities are noting a quick decline in the local marine wildlife on the swedish west coast. after testing the water they also notice an absurd amount of pollutants in the water. local fishers are forced to go out further with their vessels in order to even be able to catch anything that isnt completely full to the brim with plastics or half dead from oil. the weird thing is, nobody has really seen any oil spills in the area. nobody has reported anything about it either.

but there is one fisherman who still manages to sell quite a bit, and he quickly becomes someone that everyone on the islands know about. after all hes pretty much the only one that keeps fishing in the same waters and seemingly has no problem despite the worsening conditions of the ocean.

fish, birds, seals keep washing up dead on the beaches and it eventually becomes a huge problem and people are concerned for not only the wildlife's health but also the humans.

skagen and his parents are not being able to catch or sell anything, and people are slowly beginning to turn their eyes towards the lone fisherman that doesnt seem to have any problem. most people accuse him of simply being a dickhead who sells sick poisoned fish to people without caring for anyone elses health, however skagen gets an odd feeling every time he passes him by the docks, like something is tugging at his very soul. he tells solvei about this, and while she doesnt get him she of course trusts him. the two of them decide to confront him one evening at the docks when the fisherman is returning back after a day at sea. the second solvei (in her kinda intense and eager way) starts questioning him, he gets his fishing rod out and immediately attacks her by throwing the hook at her face. it gets caught under her chin, slicing the skin from chin to lip. the fisherman flees on his boat, like a coward. skagen brings out his stand förutan vind on pure instinct and sits down to helps solvei stop the bleeding, but as he does, he turns to watch the fisherman leave. they both lock eyes, and skagen can see the fisherman also has a stand. he slowly starts to connect the dots of the entire archipelagos situation from the last couple of years.

and so solvei develops and stand as well, which is called sunnanvind! my idea with her stand is that it can heat the air and create mirages, but heating the air also means it can create deadly temperatures in a small given area. it also uses its "tail" to attack on a shorter range, kind of whipping its enemy like a thresher shark does to its prey.

OH AND ALSO. förutan vinds ability! in typical jojo fashion none of it makes sense irl but whatever. it can basically force the winds into meeting and cancel each other out, essentially "freezing" the air in place. when it does this it can basically hit pause on the air, that includes the air in peoples lungs, including skagens lungs. the area of effect on this ability is 5m from the stand, so whenever skagen uses this ability he has to move out of the way. this ability is also limited to roughly 2 minutes before it tires skagen out too much. other than this ability, it can redirect and force winds in whatever direction it needs to, enabling him to sail even when there is no natural wind. because han kan segla förutan vind >:)

[communistkenobi]

Hey I have a question - you seem to know your stuff when it comes to politics and theory, and I love your analyses of media. I was watching Andor and though I could pick up on its core message, I was disappointed in myself because I couldn't recognize the smaller details of why and how they showed it. Like all these posts on Tumblr analyzing why they took the characters in the directions they chose, what they showed verbally and what was left unspoken for the audience, how it actually depicts rebellion accurately compared to other shows - I would've never recognized all that myself. Do you know how I can start learning more about this and being able to think critically about stuff through a social/political/economic lens? Are there any prominent books/how can I start learning from things that have happened already in history? Thank you so much!

Thank you! There are a couple answers to this. One is that if you specifically want to “practice” looking at media more critically (not negatively, just in the sense of like, what is this “doing” with its story/characters/set/etc?), I would recommend consuming movie and game and show reviews. I watch a lot of them on youtube and listen to podcasts that frequently talk about media, and I less frequently will read more formal reviews on news outlets. And also if i watch a movie and don’t understand the ending or something I’ll google the movie title + reddit and read what people are saying. Mostly I’ll disagree with them but that itself helps inform my own opinion better and narrow down my feelings. If you want to watch video reviews, Dan Olson (FoldingIdeas) and Jacob Geller on youtube are probably my favourites for those, the former for movies and the latter for games. These aren’t review channels per se, they moreso do the kind of media analysis you were talking about. I think they provide a good blend of political discussion as well as discussion of the component parts of a film or game (like editing, or play mechanics). I feel like I learn a lot just by watching the way other people construct their own opinions and connect them together.

Another fairly easy thing to do is to watch more movies and shows. Like I’m embarrassed by how little movies I’ve seen in my life, and I feel like the more I watch the more I feel confident in talking about why I thought a movie did or didnt work. I also think that, if you’re able to, having a friend or a group of people to discuss movies/shows/etc with helps a lot. Like the act of verbalising your own opinions for other people to understand is also a skill that you can develop, and often figuring out how to present your opinion to someone else will help you figure out what those opinions are in the first place.

I’m not sure if I’m a good person for specific recommendations on reading history/politics/theory. I frequently will pursue topics that interest me when I hear other people talk about them. I think what you first want to narrow down is what topics interest you the most - time periods, places, specific ideas or concepts, etc - and then go from there. don’t think you need to learn about all Politics and History. I really like that one post on here about how it’s really easy to become above average at something simply by spending a little bit of time on it. for example I know more about cartography than most human beings on earth right now, not because I know a shitload but because most people don’t know a lot about the topic at all. And I’m just saying this bc like I remember feeling very intimidated when approaching serious historical and political texts because they all sounded similarly authoritative and knowledgeable about everything, even though in actuality their field of expertise is pretty tightly specialised.

Anyway idk if any of that is helpful at all lol. In the same way you will hear people saying you need to practice to get better at drawing or knitting or whatever, I think viewing this as a skill you want to develop in yourself simply by watching other people and trying to summarise your own thoughts helps a lot, which sounds corny and no-duh maybe, but it’s the most reliable way I’ve been able to get better at expressing myself.

[justcallmesolll]

I realise why its so embarrassing to talk about being neurodivergant irl.

yeen rambles #1

being on the internet is like walking on a frozen lake. we have to be so extremely careful with everything we do to not be harassed for it. one of these things, is being autistic or having ADHD. (i will mainly focus on autisim as im more familliar with expeiancing it, although i will say its differant for everyone.) people are so quick to accuse others of faking a disorder like autisim, and it gets to the point where people who either have or havent got a diagnosis with autisim are being acussed of faking it. but this behaviour is so much more common irl, where if you try to talk about it, the first thing thats asked is "Wait so do you have a diagnosis?"

now, things are different in Scotland compared to America, and i acknowledge that. the whole process of getting a diagnosis for something like autism is such a laborious process. first, you need to be put on the waiting list, which usually doesn't happen until you reach about year 8 or 9(more often than not, its females. a male's symptoms of autism are easily spotted and caught early on.), where you realise that "hey! actually I'm not normal at all!" and IF you get a meeting with a GP, you list all symptoms, talk about how extremely hard it is for you to literally just function in the world made for neurotypicals.

then you're asked the hardest question, which, will be asked SO many times; "Why do you want a diagnosis?" this is such a hard, excruciating question to ask someone with autism, because we genuinely don't know how to answer. Because I need it? I know that sounds weird, but I do. I need a diagnosis to feel whole if that makes sense. the reassurance that I'm not a weird, lazy, dysfunctional human being would be nice. to know that there's a reason why its so hard to simply live. to prove anyone who denies me wrong? its hard to explain and it makes you feel like a rabbit caught in a snare. if, AND ONLY IF, you somehow manage to get onto the waiting list, you're looking at about an average of two-three years until you get an appointment. another thing they'll say to you is "There's no cure for it you know." I'm so fucking aware of that. more aware than anybody around me at all fucking times. you think I'm going through this entire process for fun?? Those people are almost ALWAYS fucking neurotypical or speak to you like a five year old.

but that's why I don't have a fucking diagnosis. what the fuck does it matter to you anyway??? I don't see how me having or not having autism affects you? i know neurotypicals find it hard to grasp what it's like to be autistic. because it sounds unreal. it IS fucking unreal. but if you're autistic, you are VERY aware of it. even if you don't know what autism is. you assume that everyone went though what you did as a small child. THEY FUCKING DIDNT. you are just different. that's how it is, and that's how it always will be. I always felt like there was something wrong with me. the way I act or speak, it's not the same as everybody else. i tried talking about it, "Everybody feels that way." yes. they do. but the thing is, it's (Mostly) never true yea? with autism you're aware that you are speaking in a very unnatural manner, you are aware of the stares you receive as you speak, of the brief, unnatural silence after you finish talking. Because it's happening. it's not in your head. its real. and happening right now. but neurotypicals straight up just refuse to believe this. at least from my experience. they insist that I'm overreacting, or overanalysing it. but I'm fucking not. its happening right in front of me, broad as day.

you're constantly justifying your own experiences. trying to make them understand, until you realize, Why am I trying to convince this person? that sounds like something somebody who is trying to fake it would do. you start second guessing yourself, Maybe I am over exaggerating. I read that person wrong, or that didn't actually happen. you become that opposing side in your own head as you grow up. no-one else needed. and so, you get the feeling that everyone, along with yourself, is constantly doubting your claims. Which isn't good at all. if I don't have autism then who am i? i clearly dont know myself well enough, am i sure i'm even who i want to be? even writing that last part there, i thought to myself; Don't be so dramatic! it's not that big a deal. but it is. it so is.

Shit as it is, if there was a cure for autism, I wouldn't want it. it makes me who I am, and as fucking annoying as it is I wouldn't change it. I just kind of wish more people would understand it, or at least accept it, rather than deny it.

TLDR; it feels like most ppl including urself dont belive you which is shit, but its not at the same time idk man its confusing.

[a-strange-inkling]

why do you have nancy and jonathan ending up together? at the end of s4 it seems pretty clear that she and steve will be something in the future. especially because eddie is convinced of their connection with the whole “she didnt waste a second” quote to steve.

Ooo good, good ask! Sorry if this is a bit winded and feel free to disagree, this is just my humble opinion... I obviously have more thoughts about this than I thought lol

So, I did it for Steve really.

I think that boy deserves better than what he had with Nancy. Not Nancy herself, but the relationship they had. I mean, she left him for Jonathan (and kind of cheated on him 😬). She's also still with and seemingly in love with Jonathan at the end of season four and I just didn't want Steve to be the second choice for a SECOND TIME if you catch my drift. I like Stancy fine, it's cute and there's good chemistry and if it happens and it’s better, cool, I guess. I just think he deserves better than being Nancy's rebound. They also want really different things out of life, and I want to Steve to be with someone who wants the RV and the kids and that family life he's dreaming about... Nancy doesn't seem to want any of that.

And I don't know about the true love thing based solely on saving him... if she loved him, she wouldn't have left him or hooked up with Jonathan?? Keep in mind that I don't have a crazy passion for either ship at this point. I liked Jancy well enough in season one and season two, but I now do not remotely care who she chooses in season five (if all three of them are still alive by the end to even choose from... I'm worried about Steve). But the Steve and Nancy reconnection in season four kind of felt like love triangle fodder and red herring-ish to me (which they did already at the end of season one, I don't know why they're doing it again, but whatever) and I'm fairly sure we're still getting Jancy in the end. Just my theory, could be wrong. Again, sadly, do not care.

And while I love Edward, he doesn't really KNOW these two people or their dynamic or their history, by his own admission, and his take feels a little more spurred by losing Chrissy. To me it felt like: 'I didn't get my chance man, but you should take yours while you can’ sort of thing. But, hey I could be wrong. Maybe it really is foreshadowing for Stancy. And that's cool!

But the whole jumping in after him like... that's sort of a stretch... I mean, any decent person would DO that for a friend without question. Are we really going to accept the fact that Robin cares less about Steve and she won't jump in after him immediately because she's simply not in love with him romantically like Nancy supposedly is?? That doesn't make sense to me.

Eddie must not have great friends if saving someone from certain death is the equivalent of true romantic love and nothing else. It's human decency, sir! And I get it's the quickness and the thoughtlessness of it... but still, that's kind of who Nancy is. I'm certain she would do the same for Jonathan, Barb, Robin, Mike, any of the kids, hell even Eddie. She'd jump without a second's hesitation for any of them too. She's a leader and a fighter. It’s what she does.

Anyway, that’s why I went in the direction I did.

Thanks for the ask! 💖

[sixstepsaway]

maybe this is a controversial point but as an autistic, disabled, mentally ill person myself, i also support people who get an abortion because they don't want a mentally ill, disabled or autistic child

you do not need a vetted, approved reason for an abortion. it can be any reason. i do not care about your reason. one person making a choice for their own body and life does not eugenics make. eugenics is a system. it's the government declaring selective breeding. it's the system telling parents to abort disabled children even if they want that child and could and would love and care for it well. it's forced sterilization and declaring people unfit to reproduce

if a pregnant person finds out their child is likely to be autistic, or disabled, or mentally ill, or any other number of things (and yes, if it was possible to know your child could be queer, I include this) and does not want a child that is that way they should not be forced or expected to carry that child to term just because eugenics are bad

systematic eugenicist policies and movements do not take away an individual's right to choose what they do with their body

would i want to be friends with someone who simply did not want an autistic child? ehh, probably not, but I'd also campaign and argue for their right to choose. would i want to be friends with someone who said, "I don't think I could properly care for this child, so I am not going to have it"? yeah.

it's not always a black and white, either. sometimes there's a gray area in the middle of "idk if this is a good idea and since i'm not sure--"

sometimes it's someone who looks at a potentially disabled child and thinks, "I cannot do this," and honest to god that is okay

and i get the idea that "you chose to risk having this kind of child by getting pregnant" and i do agree that if you birth a child and keep that child you should be ready for that child to be mentally ill or queer or whatever else, and shouldn't abuse or mistreat that child for it

but if the partner who got you pregnant says, "I'm autistic and adhd and mentally ill and so there's a really high chance this child will be too," and you cannot imagine being able to handle that or you just don't want to? abortion is a choice.

when people say you shouldnt abort a child for traits you dont want, it reminds me of 'conditional' abortion: you can have an abortion only in cases of rape or incest, only for babies you didnt sign up for by choosing to conceive

and that is in itself not pro-choice

my belief that every single person who is pregnant can choose whether to carry that baby to term applies to every fetus, not just one that's only unwanted because it's a fetus to begin with

i do not believe that anyone should be forced to bring any child into this world, especially if that child will not be wanted

and every time people say that you shouldn't abort a baby just because it might be disabled, i see it from the opposite side, which is that you're saying that person must have a baby they don't want, or do not believe they can cope with, and raise an entire human being in an environment they may not be welcome in and may not be properly cared for in

there is also, also, a class part to this, where a rich white couple will automatically have more access to resources to raise a disabled child than a poor couple of color who will not only have to raise a child (expensive) but also find the money for necessary health care and accommodations for that child

i have literally seen people say that if you would abort a disabled child you shouldnt ever have children at all and i cannot overstate how much i disagree with that notion. i do think that anyone who chooses to carry a baby to term and keep that child should be aware that disability can strike at any time and they may end up with a disabled child, even if that child isn't born disabled, but i dont see some horrifying underlying eugenicist reasoning behind every single choice that is made this way

i also feel it about the sex of the baby. if someone aborts a baby because they dont want x sex of baby, fine. abortion is a choice for a reason. obviously, again, they need to know that the child they do have might turn out trans, but i dont want the child they didnt want raised by those people

my spicy hot take is that if it's okay to abort a fetus because 'it's just a clump of cells invading someone else's body' (which is objectively correct) then the reason for that abortion, as long as it's a decision made by the person having the abortion, does not matter.

and before i post this, i just want to say that this doesn't mean i believe in forced sterilization or actual eugenics. i dont believe in forcing pregnant people to undergo tests for whatever they might test for, such as disabilities or whatever else. and i dont believe anyone should force or coax an abortion from any pregnant person who might be having an 'undesirable' child.

i just believe that every single pregnant person has the right to choose, no matter their reasons, and acting like some reasons are lesser or not allowed is wrong

if my mother had seen i was going to be autistic, adhd and disabled, and gone, "you know, i dont think i want to care for a disabled child", i would support her abortion too

...well, no, i wouldnt exist. but the point is that i retroactively support it.

(my mother, actually, did not have any tests, because she knew no matter how i came out, she would want me.)

in the exact same way if someone says, "I need a kidney," and the potential donor goes, "i really dont want a scar, so no"

that's also okay because bodily autonomy matters. i am allowed to think them selfish and not want to be friends with them. but they have the right to say no, for any reason and no one should deny or try to deny them that

ETA: i think something people often forget is how many people would want to have that 'undesirable' child, how many people would want an autistic child like them, how many people would want to love a mentally ill child and give them a better life than they had.

i think the assumption made when people talk about this is that all disabled and (if you could tell while pregnant) queer fetuses would be aborted and that's what makes it 'eugenics', but i dont agree. lots of people would happily have a queer or disabled child. again, i reference my mother, who did not need to know if i would be disabled because even if i was she wanted me (hi! i am 29 and still live with her because i'm disabled)

and i think that shows the internal bias of the people who say these things, actually

[monstersinthecosmos]

Do you have a theory why Armand's casting is so under wraps even though they have filmed footage? Apparently he's not book accurate and revealing the casting would be a huge spoiler. Do you have any theories how his character has been changed (at least physically)?

all right like tbh I never got to the bottom of where that rumor came from and I'm not sure if it's true, so ONE OPTION is that it's nonsense, it's bullshit, they didn't cast him at all yet bc he's not gonna be around until Season 2. And like, unless there's some MASSIVE thing that we didnt hear about, this production was leakier than the fuckin Titanic so I just don't know if they could've kept it under wraps this long. Like so far the most plausible conspiracy was the Alex Garfin sightings and he has THE LOOK but like, I'm not sure why they'd keep it a secret, especially because it doesn't feel like they're treasuring Armand as a character to prioritize in this universe.

But if the thing IS a spoiler, I think like, the only ways simply learning who he is could be a spoiler is if it's like someone they've cast as a red herring playing a different character (Rashid) or like, it's SO dramatically different that they want the reveal to be more exciting, like if he's been changed to a woman. Again like, at this point I don't think they're shy about not being book accurate so I don't know why it would be a secret if it's dramatically different. They've prided themselves on being dramatically different so far.

Either way I don't see him being book accurate; it's not an aesthetic issue as much as it's a storytelling issue. And even if he has the same backstory and personality and everything like, the entire timeline is so fucked up along with the other characters that he'd be serving a different narrative function. Like I'm curious to see what else will happen between Louis & Lestat but Lestat in this is sharing vampire information, has told Louis about his mortal life, and Louis has vampire powers! So even if he still heads to Europe on a quest for spiritual knowledge, it's not going to look the same in terms of Armand being a mentor figure. (Like I'm sure they could come up with another way for Armand to be a mentor or even just a breath of fresh air after Lestat's fucking nonsense so idk.) There's also just not enough time for Armand to have his relationships with Louis and Daniel in a truncated timeline, or least, it won't carry the same weight if you take a 70 year relationship and squash it into 20 or whatever.

Like, they're vampires, don't fuck me around with a 20 year relationship LOL humans can do that. Get serious!

As for theories, honestly I couldn't fuckin tell ya dude like this entire show is doing whatever the fuck it wants. 😂 I wouldn't be surprised if they aged him up since all the other characters have been aged up. 😂😂

(I almost started a side essay about why I think Armand's age is fucking important to who he is as a person and creates a really beautiful texture with regards to the theme of his lost innocence and barbaric personality but that's not what you asked, I will 🤐)

But even making predictions about the ways the show is navigating themes about age and things like that, I don't completely have a grasp on it yet so I can't be sure. If he doesn't show up this season I might have different feelings, having seen the whole season. Like, depending what the show is trying to tell us about teens & sexuality, maybe they WOULDN'T age him up, maybe they'll go there. I need to see more about how they handle Claudia. And depending on how they want to handle the main ship, who knows if they'll introduce Armand as a Loustat wedge, and it might really change how they present him if he is/isn't going to be a love interest.

I think like when more patterns start emerging about the style of storytelling and what they're trying to tell us we'll be able to guess stuff like this, but as of now I'm just in the fuckin dark haha.

[fregion-bond-breaker]

I cant help but ask for more ⏳⏳⏳⏳👀

:3 hehe "I've had my heart broken a few times. What charr hasnt ey? But i think i i win a medal for the way i had myn broken twice. Time was to pick a new blood imperator. Last one had gotten long in the tooth but didnt want to die behind a desk. So he picks Bloods best and brightest. I was one of the chosen few to be brought to his office. I never aspired to be imperator, but i knew if i got the position, i could do great things. There was another man there though. He surpassed me in charisma, in leading, in reading the enemy...and he was handsome to boot. It was bangar, young and up and coming. He got the possion and well. We had a thing for a while, i felt that maybe it was getting serious. But he had eyes only for Almora, while i was simply...relife. Then he went and broke my heart all over again with the mess with Jormag..." -Fregion "Its hard to say really what its like to have been trapped in stasis. To watch your temple be desicrated, your people killed in it, the city outside destroyed. It was only after my lovers betrayal, that my visions cleared up. The reason I could not see past a point, was because of them. And now here I stay, locked in stasis in a forgoten temple deep in charr lands. Waiting for someone to find me...to free me...or end my torment." Ancient charr. "There came a time where I learned of kings and queens. The titles and positions and pomp felt right. That they should be things I be. So i decided i would become the first charr king. Little did I know Evon Trash Blade had already had a head start with the black lion. But that old fart will have his day. My emporium has goods finer then his and will trade in ANYTHING, so you can bet I'll be wealthier too. I just need to find out how he gets those gems..." Crow The Shadow Lord. "I hunted humans pretty freely around ebonhawk, think thats what its called, for a while. But sometime within the last ten or so years other charr started trying to stop me. Its the oddest thing. So i began killing them too because they were getting in the way. When im not doing that, though, I wander around tyria. The voices in the mist scream at me and pull me in a direction, and i need to go, or else i actually start to feel the closest thing i can get to pain. Its like this...awful ripping and shreading feeling under my skin, like my skin itself begins to loosen off my muscles...eugh. So i dont fight the urge. Theirs this guy, Shiros the Gachi or something. Said he killed a emperor or whatever and lots of humans, but hes human too. Hes my best friend."