#but idk what i'd do with it in terms of a plot

[hxrpooner]

if we get a sequel dlc or direct sequel game i think i will fully be at peace 

[dimonds456]

Aight, what you see above is an article that's getting passed around by proshippers. I'm making my own post separate from theirs to discuss the contents of this article and why I believe everyone *should* read it, while also I don't believe the article is correct.

The article was written by a Japanese artist who had been harassed for "proshipping" online, even though they themself did not partake in anything more than aging up 15-year-old characters to 19. As far as they claim, that was it (though the artwork itself is not provided).

Someone had DMed them, asking if they were a proshipper, or a "problematic shipper", to which they shrugged and went "I guess so?" and then that person-referred to as A- started spreading it to all their friends that A was a proshipper and to avoid them, leading to soft blocks, harassment, ect.

Something I'd like to point out that is correct about this article is the meaning of "proshipper." It doesn't mean "problematic ships." Instead, "pro" is the prefix, not an abbreviation. The meaning is in reference to someone who is unbothered by any specific type of ship, and/or supports the creation of problematic ships. This difference is, I feel, important, not because the definition is changed, but because how people view that definition changes substantially.

Keep that in mind.

Something else of note here is the cultural difference. The artist is from Japan, and according to them, Japan allows ships of any kind. Japan, as a country, is proship, which creates vast and varied artistic expressions. Any and everything is allowed.

And, according to worldpopulationreview.com, the age of consent in Japan is 13 (though articles are saying they're rethinking this law).

Again, I recommend reading the article for yourself to fully understand the artist's point of view, but I'd like to break down where the author was wrong about many things. A lot of them stem from cultural differences and are normalized, so you can't really blame them, but it's good to keep in mind when interacting with proshippers from all over the world.

Something they're right about is harassment. I don't think people should be being harassed for stuff like this. Blocked? Yes.

The first thing they got wrong was the general assumption that fiction doesn't affect reality, or that antis cannot tell the difference between fiction and reality. This (at least for a lot of us) isn't true. Using myself as an example, it's clear to me that fiction and reality are two different worlds.

However, to say that fiction doesn't affect reality is false. Both worlds influence each other. If an adult starts dating a 13-year-old in fiction, younger audience members who watch that will see that relationship play out. Depending on how it's portrayed, this can either help or harm that audience member. If this relationship is deemed bad in that piece of media, then the younger members of that audience will remember that, vs if they say it's okay, THAT'S where you've crossed into proship territory that is actively harmful towards your audience.

I am a firm believer that anything should be allowed in fiction, as long as the author is respectful, responsible, and considers the ramifications of their work towards a real audience. So like, having a relationship between a 19-year-old and a 13-year-old should be allowed to be portrayed, as long as it isn't positive. By not allowing these stories to be told at all, that's leaning into some book burning shit.

What the author did, aging up 15-year-olds to 19, is not inherently bad, especially since they say it wasn't sexual in nature (but again, the art itself is never presented).

The second thing they get wrong is calling us a minority. I don't believe there were any studies done on this, but I don't think the majority of Americans go around talking about shipping children with adults? Again, it's a cultural difference that was influenced on this specific artist BY other proshippers. It's a biased view from both sides. I do not believe any studies have officially been done on this subject, so you cannot call us a minority. But, we can't call you a minority, either. I'm not sure how many there are on either side.

But also, I don't think that really matters. Continuing my topic from before with fiction affecting reality, if someone in that audience can get hurt because of your story, then it doesn't matter if the majority don't. It's still harmful and can affect reality- THIS reality- in negative ways. By drawing proship art and saying it doesn't matter because it's fiction, you're helping to normalize this art for ACTUAL predators. It doesn't matter how many proshippers there are, this is STILL harmful.

Something else I noticed, but I cannot point specifically to this article as evidence for, but it may be influencing the author, is the idea of in-fandom vs outside-fandom. The author mentions this a couple times, though usually in reference to the cultural differences between Japan and America.

The author is outside the US fandom, and so doesn't fully understand its inner workings or why so many of us are anti-proship "purest"s. I don't know how else to explain this besides going up to your grandparents and asking them if they think proshipping is okay.

Upon hearing the actual definition- being unbothered or perpetuating any type of relationship between two or more characters in fiction- they might go "yeah I agree with that," because that does sound nice on paper. Freedom of expression.

But what antis have come to realize is that fiction DOES affect reality, and if you were to ask your grandparents if they thing a child should be in a relationship with an adult, they'd probably go "no."

This is purely because they don't understand the culture of being online, and the several, several subcultures that came to be. We know what proshippers are and what they represent, but someone outside fandom space wouldn't.

And now, to any proshippers reading this: first of all, thank you for hearing me out, lol. But then, I ask you to please re-evaluate why you're a proshipper. Is it for the freedom of expression idea, do you just not give a shit, or do you genuinely enjoy seeing kids and adults together? Maybe something else? I'm not going to tell you how to feel about that- you can come to your own conclusion- but I do ask that you re-examine that idea.

If the author is SOMEHOW reading this, first of all, thank you too. My goal here was not to harass you in any way, but to point out the core of why this article doesn't really work. I'm sure in Japan things are vastly different, and that's not your fault, OP. And although I don't stand by what A did to you, I do ask that you think again. Stuff like this does affect reality, even in small ways (but when it comes to p*dos, it can be FAR more harmful than good).

Proshippers help normalize unhealthy behaviors that can seriously hurt children for the rest of their lives. Do proships exist in reality? ...Yes. Not between fictional characters, but those characters can influence people in real life to go "oh yeah the incest ship was okay in this anime, which means it's fine if I'm like that, too." It's not fine. It's not okay.

Again, I'm not here to harass you, and ultimately it's up to you whether you choose to listen. I'm sorry for the harassment at all, that should not have occurred.

Back to my general audience, though, yeah. Again, read the article for yourself (which I do still highly recommend). It gives a good glimpse into the minds and ideas of some proshippers out there. I don't think OP is a bad person, just misinformed. And I believe the same of a lot of proshippers out there. We can't change their minds, but we can make sure misinfo like what is in the article is debunked, and spread correct information regarding the subject.

Some sources:

Again, read the article, do some thinking (on BOTH sides), and have a good one, guys.

[quinton-reviews]

Hi Quinton!! I have been a HUGE fan of your stuff since a friend sent me the Tobuscus Fallen Titans (I used to watch him back in high school and was like "huh, wonder what happened to him after those allegations") and I gotta say, it is REALLY FUNNY every time my fiancé and I watch the iCarly videos again, because when you cover Gibby's stunt double breaking his ribs, you cut to a clip of The Official Podcast. I used to play D&D with one of the main dudes from the podcast, so when he talks during that clip I do a goddamn double take literally every time.

Anyways, I remember an original Patreon stretch goal being a Fallen Titans on Homestuck! I was really big into Homestuck in my early 20s, and was wondering if that's still on the table at some point? If not that's fine, I understand plans change! I just love Fallen Titans lol, the Fred episode and the Neil Cicierega unFallen Titans are some of my favorite videos of yours!

That's a real funny story!

So here's the rundown on the Homestuck video. When I first started making long videos, they were actually inspired by the relationship I had with other YouTubers at the time. I used to watch, like, H3H3 and Filthy Frank, etc; and I'd always see people obsessed with the versions of creators from the past. Like, "Oh 2015 H3 was the best" and "Oh 2012 Frank was peak." So I had this idea that it would be crazy if H3 posted, like, a video he spent a decade on and you got a new video with 2015 H3 10 years on. (I don't watch H3 anymore ironically)

So the original idea for the "long video" format was that it would be cool if, throughout a long, analysis/review/recap video, you kept noticing someone get older. Maybe my months, maybe by years. That's why I always like to get a haircut when I start one of these videos. If you scrub through and you see my hair get longer and messier as it goes on I think that adds something magical you can't fake.

So... My pitch to the Homestuck video was that it would be funny to work on it just once per year. To record one segment, say "That's it for 12 months", and then come back around to it. And when I was making the iCarly and Victorious videos I actually recorded a few minutes of the video! I think it was two segments in total. But then I had a bunch of personal stuff happen and my work drive has been much lower, so any "back burner" video hasn't gotten much attention since then.

Now that the iCarly mini-series is done with, I want to focus on some short one-off videos I can make before April. But once that's done with, I would REALLY love to start work on a few more long-term projects which will take months or years to finish. I think returning to work on the Homestuck video, to at least get the first 20-30 minutes done, would be a great idea this summer.

Now, if you want to know my pitch for that video, here it is. The video is not a recap of the creative history of the franchise. I do not get into drama, community hell, lawsuits, or other YouTubers. My idea is this: you always hear about Homestuck as an outsider but you never hear about the actual content. Most franchises on Earth I know something about, even and especially if I've never been interested in them. I can tell you a bunch of facts about wrestling and MLP and the Fast and the Furious simply through cultural osmosis and having friends who are into those things.

I can't tell you the plot of Homestuck, who the characters are, what the themes are, nothing. I've known a lot of people who were into Homestuck but nothing about the series!

So I thought it would thus be funny to make a video about a bunch of people who know nothing about the series starting from the beginning and giving their reactions, even if it's been years since it all started. I call this part of the video the "Homestuck Book Club." So the next step is me picking out the members (who all have to have no history with it) and making sort of a podcast setup. We'd then read and record every six months or so, IDK.

This is why the video has been stuck in production hell! Everyone who wants to work on it and messages me about it already knows the franchise. I don't want spoilers, I don't want people writing for the video who get it already. I want to capture the "what the fuck is this" energy of three dudes just getting in the middle of it.

Also, I think that I really like the theme of the video capturing our lives as they go by, capturing us aging and changing. If you came back from the future and told me this video comes out in five years, I'd say great. If you told me it comes out in ten years, I'd say awesome. Until then, the latest edit will always be on Patreon, even if you have to dig a little.

[matrixbearer2024]

HELLO ITS ME 🥭Anon!!! I JUST HAD THE MOST BAZINGA IDEA EVER DJSHAJHDHJAF

So.... Hear me out..

Cuz like what if like ever since reader beat Vox at that videogame he started training practicing idk to prepare to beat reader again until reader goes to erm reverse heaven

So then reader brings it up and Vox gets pissy (as usual) but then she recommends multiplayer, like those games that have a storyline and bosses, so they try it out and it ends up being one of their pass-times

Then when they finally beat the final boss after like a billion attempts, reader gets a lil too hyped and like kisses vox all over the screen which of course causes him to blue screen like a love-sick-idiot-in-denial (official term for Vox being a river in Egypt) while reader is just bouncing off the walls unaware of what they did

(could be before or after they start dating though I think it'd be a lot cuter when they're still friends)

(P.S: remember to drink water and rest properly!) -🥭anon

Video Gaming, Competitive Raging

Vox x CollegeStudent!Reader

A/N: Heeeey! You're back 🥭 Anon! Nice to see you! Also yes, I love this idea lmao- it's not something I wouldn't put past Reader cuz they're just like that HAHAHAHAHA- the story itself is a little deviated from the prompt but the idea is the same XD- maybe after this I'll stop bullying these two and actually write a confession scene because damn they just runnin around in CIRCLES LMFAOOO. Send me ideas for how you want to confess to the Picturebox y'all cuz I'm kinda pulling blanks XD. Yes I'm saying Reader's gonna confess first, Vox would end up bluescreening in his attempt to even take initiative. I might write a few more interludes before the confession but yeah- I WANT THEM TO SMOOCH- SIKEEE NAH IT WON'T BE THAT EASY HAHAHAHAHAHA- But do pls send me ideas I am in a funk whdksjdjsksj-

A/N: Btw I'd imagine they're playing a game kinda like cuphead? Cuz that game was the fucking BANE of my existence when I played it. I didn't want to accept I was struggling and continued to play on the hardest difficulty right off the bat cuz I was so sure I could handle it HAHAHAHAHA.

No one at the hotel could've honestly expected whatever was going on to happen.

You and Vox were practically screaming at the TV screen in sheer rage while replaying a level in a game you'd both been stuck on for hours.

Charlie didn't know if this was slightly her fault or not for even suggesting game night.

Hell, nobody knew you'd invited the technology overlord until he showed up at the door and you simply pulled him inside as usual.

He was roped into most of the games you guys played-

Well, except for the trivia ones because you quickly pointed out he had the internet quite literally an extension of his mind.

So any niche fact or trivia that was asked- he could just search it up which was straight up cheating.

But everyone had severely underestimated just how competitive you and Vox could become as a duo.

From constantly teaming in the board games to immediately getting invested in the co-op video game that they switched to.

Charlie and Vaggie had leisurely enjoyed the game-

Angel and Husker didn't really play much and instead made jabs at each other's skill-

Alastor and Lucifer couldn't even get started with their confusion on the controls-

And you and Vox decided to play the game on the hardest difficulty because it didn't seem that bad in Charlie and Vaggie's playthrough.

Oh, it was that bad.

But the both of you refused to admit it and switch it back to the easier mode.

Vox and his huge ego, you and your pride as a gamer.

"You actually practiced ever since I beat you that one time??"

"Didn't I mention that I would? I'm getting that rematch eventually dollface."

"PFFT- Bro I didn't think you were serious!"

"Why you little-!"

Though, this was totally and entirely different from the PvP game you and Vox had played prior.

This game actually had a storyline and plot.

That neither of you gave enough of a rat's ass to pay attention to.

The hardest difficulty was pretty much just a consistent boss rush, and as if you weren't both always on low HP-

Someone was always dying every level.

"REZ ME! REZ ME YOU BASTARD!!"

"STOP FUCKING DYING AND I WON'T HAVE TO REZ YOU BITCH!!"

Admittedly, it was extremely entertaining to watch you both go up and down with your moods whenever anything happened.

Alastor couldn't for the life of him understand most of your gamer gibberish and slang though-

The rest of the gang had just taken seats on the couch behind you both and made silly bets on who would go wayside from frustration first.

Either from the level's sheer difficulty or the puzzles themselves that were a bit too convoluted for their own good.

"No- NO! Move that cube to the right!!"

"I- HUH?! THERE'S NO PATH ON THE RIGHT!"

"VOX YOUR OTHER RIGHT-"

"JUST SAY MY LEFT FOR FUCK'S SAKE-"

Everyone else was already starting to guess some mishaps that would happen from you two raging.

Like who would break a controller first-

Vox did, but there were thankfully a couple spares anyway and he'd just replace the broken one soon.

And who would get mad enough to break the TV.

Which in a hilarious twist of events- was actually you.

In one of your expletive filled episodes you threw your controller at the screen hard enough that it broke the screen and your controller.

Everyone kind of thought you and Vox would be done with the game after that.

But nope-

Come tomorrow there was a new VoxTech TV shipped to the hotel to replace the one you broke.

At first, it seemed like it was because Vox was simply being courteous-

Well Charlie thought that.

Everyone just guessed he wanted something in the hotel he could use to spy on everyone-

Still, the actual reason was somehow entirely disconnected from that.

"Egh. He sent over a new one."

Of course Alastor would notice the device and hate it's existence immediately.

"Aww! How nice of him!"

Charlie- bless her heart- she really only sees the best in people-

"Not really, I'd bet it's just so he can spy on us."

Hahaha- now that's a more realistic view from Vaggie.

"Wouldn't put it against him, especially after what he had pentious do before."

Angel still never forgot that, he sometimes even made jabs at Vox for it until now.

"Oh! It's here! Yo help me set this up!"

"Well, somebody's excited."

Husker just came over to check what the commotion was, he didn't realize what he was getting into though.

"No DUH. I've been wanting to finish that game with Vox!"

"Wait- what game? The one where you got so angry you broke the TV?!"

"Uhhh, yeah? What else?"

Your reply had everyone just dumbfounded.

Why would you subject yourself back to such clear torture-

Actually Alastor just found you going back to playing that game entertaining, especially after it was clear that it had sadistic levels of difficulty.

After that, the others would often catch you and the TV overlord continue your playthrough as a pastime-

Either online or when you were both physically there in the hotel lobby.

And every session was possibly just as explosive as the last.

Curses were hurled around, screaming, throwing things-

Angel couldn't help but realize just how similar you were to your flatscreen companion in this regard.

That or you both had spent enough time with each other that the habits and mannerisms of one bled into the other.

Vox definitely became more docile- and you...

Actually no one could tell if you were already that wild or not.

"FUUUUUCK!!! THIS STUPID BOSS JUST WON'T DIE!"

"I CANNOT WITH THESE ATTACK PATTERNS?! DID MASOCHISTS FUCKING DESIGN THIS SHIT?!"

The both of you didn't mellow out at all after any of your shared gaming sessions.

In fact, everyone mostly steered clear of you afterwards because of how snappy and irritable you were.

The only one who could put up with your grumpy sarcasm was Angel or Lucifer.

Alastor would often just come in to bother you more while you played-

Which would soon turn into both you and Vox absolutely screeching at him for throwing you both off when you were so close to winning.

Neither of you were close to the goal at all-

Which the radio demon could tell, and he found your fits absolutely hilarious.

Though eventually, after pouring so many painful hours into the game-

Both you and Vox predictably got better at it.

But that didn't stop either of you from getting stuck at the final boss level.

And that absolutely made both of you raging so much worse.

"I'M GOING TO COMMIT MASS FUCKING GENOCIDE IF WE DIE TO THIS BASTARD ONE MORE TIME I SWEAR TO GOD-"

"AND I'D GLADLY JOIN YOU DOLL! HOW THE FUCK WOULD ANYONE EVEN THINK OF MAKING THIS LEVEL?!"

You died again, but the retry button was once again slammed because both of you were stubborn.

Neither of you were willing to give up so easily, especially when the game's end was in sight.

So near but yet so far-

But that wouldn't stop you guys from trying.

Everyone else in the hotel was just waiting and watching to see what would happen next.

After all, it became so interesting to watch what you two would do next.

Eventually, Vox took off his coat and rolled up his sleeves while you somehow ended up with his hat on your head.

Common sense and sanity was starting to become a little less common when the game was taking up so much energy and focus.

It took another hour of frustrated screaming and cursing before you both eventually managed to beat the final boss.

And to say you two were over the moon was an understatement.

"WE BEAT IT! WE BEAT IT!!!"

"WE FINALLY FUCKING WON!"

You threw your arms around Vox as you both jumped up in place and shouted in excitement.

Your enthusiasm was so contagious it unintentionally spilled over to your overlord buddy.

The grins on your faces were so wide as you both just celebrated and cheered for a hot minute.

Vox completely lost himself when you finally let go and just ran around the lobby screaming.

Of course that winning high was searing through his circuits, it was well fucking deserved after all the painstaking effort he put in!

"FUCK YOU (Boss Name)! AHAHAHA! THIS IS BETTER THAN SEX!!"

Everyone, aside from you, gave him an odd look when he flipped off the TV screen and said that.

It was still displaying the victory menu even-

It was so unprompted and out of left field which made little to no sense even with context-

Not that anyone expected you or Vox to have any marbles left in your heads after that intense gaming session.

So imagine everyone's collective surprise when you suddenly tackled the taller TV overlord and peppered kisses all over his screen from joy.

You were just so pleased with yourself for finally beating the game that you didn't realize what you had done.

Especially when you quickly got up and started running around the room again too.

All that sudden affection from you spiked Vox's emotions almost immediately-

So it was expected that his screen very swiftly overheated and glitched.

And in no sooner than a few seconds, the man also bluescreened.

But you were too busy bouncing off the walls to even realize!

Everyone else just shared a laugh at how stupid the whole situation was.

But knowing how your relationship was with the TV overlord-

This kind of chaos wouldn't ever be a rare occurrence again with you two around.

[genericpuff]

Hi Puff! Idk if anyone has asked you this yet but what are your thoughts on the god of war game series? Are they actually more "accurate" about the greek mythology then LO? xD

oh lord, I'm def not a good person to ask about this question because I haven't played through all the original God of War games (though it makes me laugh to think about them because watching my oldest brother play the first game when I was like 7 years old was the first time I'd ever seen video game boobies LOL) but considering it's just a hack and slash game in which you brutally murder the gods... ima give it a big noooo on that one LOL it's about as accurate as LO in that it's more about spectacle and drama than it is about actually being accurate to the myths they're based on lmaoo

As for the Norse series of games, I actually HAVE played both God of War 2018 and Ragnarok and loved them both, though I'm not as well versed in Norse mythology so I also can't say if what they take from Norse myth is accurate. Obviously I know that Atreus/Loki has zero relation to fictional character Kratos from Greece and I have basic understanding of general concepts like Yggdrasil and the nine realms among other things like that, but the finer details regarding the stories of the characters themselves I'm not as brushed up on. Hella great storytelling though and I appreciate the lengths they went to to make it feel like a Norse-myth-inspired environment, even down to the vocabulary and terms used.

Just like with LO, you shouldn't be taking any of what God of War does or says at face value. If you like the games (or LO), use it as an opening hook to get more into the actual myths if they interest you. But definitely don't use them as any sort of credible source LOL

Now that I'm typing out my thoughts on this though, I think the biggest difference between GoW and LO (one that makes GoW far superior to it) is that the creators of GoW never once led their audience to believe that they were more than what they were, a hack and slash video game inspired by specific myths. What you see is what you get with GoW, but LO - and Rachel - constantly feel like they're actually trying to be taken seriously and that's what makes it all the worse when their storytelling is godawful and the amount of actual "myth" they have in the comic amounts to as much as a Family Guy cutaway gag. Just completely directionless and uninspired to the point you wonder why it's even an Greek myth retelling to begin with. At least GoW fully immerses itself in the myths their games are based on and has a shitload of fun with it, with LO it'll just source some copy pasted Princeton document or lazily tell some mythological metaphor that has nothing to do with the overarching plot so that it can remind you "hey this is a Greek myth retelling!" before getting back to its bland Keeping Up with the Kardashians romance. The mythological "inspiration" in LO feels more like tired lip service at this point rather than actual inspiration, which is really bitterly ironic considering Rachel used to tote around calling herself a "folklorist" and claiming that everyone else's knowledge of Greek myth compared to hers was "basic af".

TL ; DR: The biggest difference between GoW and LO in their retellings is humility IMO.

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

Would I be an asshole if I reached out to a DND group I left on bad terms to apologize?

I was part of the group from ages ~17-19(+ maybe half a year on either side? idk man I have memory issues). we met at least once a week, usually late at night for me (one of the players was from New Zealand) and as an extremely sleep deprived, socially awkward, ADHD, mildly suicidal teenager with unmanaged chronic pain, I suffered from chronic foot-in-mouth disease. Pretty much every time I'd try to say something out of character, what would come out of my mouth was unnecessarily hostile or just straight up the opposite of what I meant. (note: this is not what I'm asking for judgement on, I was 100% TA here)

Now, that wasn't the only problem I had with the group (the DM tended to have "main" pcs, and was a big fan of pc death and secret one-on-one channels, so more than once something would go down in secret channels that started an entire subplot and resulted in PC major injuries, death, and massive plot progression, and character arcs tended to only be developed or resolved where no one but the individual player could see it) but it was the one that caused me to get kicked from it.

The DM was really into, and very good at, making actually terrifying villains. One night, another player startled me by sneezing directly into their microphone. What I *intended* to say was something along the lines of "that was the scariest sound I've ever heard," but what I *actually* said was "That noise was scarier than anything [DM] has ever come up with!" The joke... did not come across well, and I was asked to leave, and I did so without making the subsequent spiral the DM's problem. It was honestly crushing, at least at first — that was pretty much my main source of social interaction during the pandemic, and despite our differences in preferred play styles, I'd actually had a lot of fun playing those games.

But looking back, I was absolutely in the wrong with... just sort of most of it. It's been three years, coming up on four (? I think?), and I haven't had any contact with anyone from that group since leaving. I do want to apologize for how I acted, both the incident and my behavior in general, but I don't know if I would be the asshole for reaching out after so long just to apologize (I'm not really interested in being friends, and I wouldn't rejoin even if they offered — the difference in play style really is just too much).

What are these acronyms?

[variousqueerthings]

fascinated that in toeing the line of "the doctor both is and is not asexual, and because the show is ostensibly sexier now there should be imagery of especially david tennant and various women (shockingly no men with ten) smooshing lips," it means that the doctor only ever instigates a kiss when it's got some scifi-type reason behind it, even starting with nine removing the time vortex from rose.

so only counting lip-to-lip contact for a second here*:

jack kisses the doctor (the parting of the ways)

nine removes the time vortex from rose (the parting of the ways)

cassandra kisses the doctor (new earth)

madame de pompadour kisses the doctor (the girl in the fireplace)

jackie kisses the doctor (army of ghosts)

the doctor leaves a DNA print on martha (smith and jones)

martha gives the doctor cpr (smith and jones)

john smith kisses joan (human nature)

astrid kisses the doctor (voyage of the damned)

the doctor kisses astrid goodbye as she dies (voyage of the damned -- only instigation on the doctor's part of any kiss)**

donna shocks the doctor out of being poisoned (unicorn and the wasp)

christina de souza kisses the doctor in planet of the dead and is overall very flirtatious at him in a way that almost feels like idk. an anti-romance plot. it's like everything that came before (and tbh... also amy and river song) in terms of "sexy" doctor-and-companion tension is lampshaded and made a bit silly. I don't know if this is just because the actress and dtennant have minus chemistry, but it's very funny that this is the final flirting + kiss and it's so very... "shrug, you're not going to be my companion, okay, goodbye"

*I think the only time the doctor even jokingly talks about kissing is in dalek's of manhatten, when martha and bby andrew garfield/frank have been captured and the doctor arrives. martha expresses her relief, and the doctor says something along the lines of: "well, you can kiss me later. you too frank, if you want." this is to diffuse a very scary/tense situation

**I tend to read the astrid final kiss as a kindness/comfort rather than romantic interest or sexual interest. because she is dying. and she kissed the doctor earlier, and is very scared

but wait! tentoo and rose were really going at it, you say! tentoo is part human/specifically human in a donna sense. tentoo is also super up for settling down and having a monogamous relationship, which isn't exactly the doctor's style in any regeneration. so yeah.. tentoo is another part of the tightrope, just like john smith. change the doctor into someone who is almost-but-not-quite the same, enough plausible deniability and voila, it's almost like the doctor is kissing someone, but crucially, the doctor still Is Not. in tentoo's case, the doctor is in fact watching it happen with a somewhat despondent look, before turning and leaving without waiting for rose to say goodbye. because, youknow. canonically the doctor cannot give rose what she wants (because he's not alloromantic/allosexual because he's an immortal alien) so it's better just to leave

lastly flirting: the doctor does flirt, but not often. the most flirtatious the doctor gets outside of above kissing line is when jack briefly joins nine and rose, and I'd call that the jack-contagion (affectionately, it's a good thing). ten, actually, flirts... less. comparably. (and hilariously is annoyed that jack flirts so much around him) a bit with rose in christmas invasion and new earth, but apart from the "sexy" wink, not very overtly. I mean, maybe I'm very ace, but I think they do banter rather than flirting. the one time the doctor interprets something as flirting that funnily enough isn't is when rose is talking to a cat. the doctor similarly gets flirted at (madame de pompadour, shakespeare code, martha several times, health and safety, silence of the library) but doesn't tend to enjoy it or often even notice it

[sweeterbeens-askblog]

First off, loving the whole clown Stolas thing, idk why this hasn’t been thought of and it’s so cute!

What do you think clown Stolas’s big famous act would be?

Like how Fizz I think it’s him doing the large scale acrobatics using his robot arms and stuff or Blitz probably juggling, throwing swords, or doing clown stuff with a horse or two.

Thank you! And I do agree that its quite cute. However, im not sure I'd want to keep things in line with the main helluva plot. Like maybe stolas and blitz are on better terms in thus au?

I definitely wanted to incorporate some of his magic into his act!

Opening a small window into the universe with his juggling props as his loose border while a few stars fade in and out of vision!

[ladykyriaa]

hello - just wanted to ask. I finished the anime and want to read the series but I’m a bit confused. Do I read the published light novel or the web novel?and is there a manga too? What’s the best one to read?

OKAY. SO.

After the anime, I'd personally recommend reading the Manga first (there are less chapters, so you'd be able to finish them quickly) and do note there are two versions of the manga.

THE MANGA

the first is the one published by Square Enix. (This is the manga that the anime takes reference from) It has less chapter than the other version but this one is way more popular and widely known because it's already officially translated. You can read it from Mangadex I think. If you're continuing from the anime, then I'd say chapter 37 (Rakan and Fengxian's story) is the perfect place to start as there are several scenes the anime didn't put (though they're pretty much irrelevant to the plot)

The second manga is the one published by Shogakugan (GX), and it has more chapters. Though unfortunately they haven't been officially translated (some fans are working on it but it's pretty far compared to the published chapters) You can also read it from Mangadex. And FYI this version is very different in terms of the art style, dialogues and the way the story is depicted from the anime. (They're still essentially the same though, which is from the Light novel)

THE LIGHT NOVEL

TmThere are already 10 Volumes of it translated, though i don't think they're official (meaning the physical english version isn't sold anywhere) while the Japanese already have 15 volumes.

(Now you see why I ask that you start with the manga first lol)

You can read the LN from Jnovelsclub. And if you wish to continue from the anime, just start from volume 3

THE WEB NOVEL

Basically the WN is like the draft version before the LN gets published. There are tons of change from WN to LN so if you're gonna read this, I'd say red it last.

You can find it on this japanese website

There's a fan translated version out there somewhere (though if you wish for the link send me a dm since OP themselves have said not to share them unnecessarily)

I think it's pretty much already at idk, volume 17? If we're to count it with the LN version. Though again, they're drafts. So a lot could change or get removed by the time the LN officially gets published.

Sorry this was a long one lol. But I genuinely love talking abt this anime sm so I went on a rent owmdjexjsjs. Hope this helps!!

[witheredoffherwitch]

So TG enjoyer here, I'd just like to share some opinions about the dreaded Daeron cut. First, your anon is probably right about Helaena being the only other dragonrider for TG. There is really no way Aemond can't do it all by himself being the sole dragonrider. Helaena would be the only one left to fill that void while Aegon is out of commission. The Reach plot would need one, which I think Aemond would be taking, especially once Hugh and Ulf betray TB. He can't be holding both the Riverlands and the Reach by himself, which is where Helaena comes in. I think many of you have this fixed idea of Helaena being a pure, incorruptible victim but I think she fits parts of Daeron's arc well. She can start off just like Daeron who was kind then got corrupted along the way. Helaena has a bigger stake than Daeron which could be used as her motivation. This is why I disagree with you wanting Helaena to be just a "plot device". They didn't give her the dreamer ability for nothing, not with all the other dreamers that are going to be adapted in the future. Idk how they'll do it but it could be visions of the prophecy and rumored past Targaryens through her.

I'm also going to be honest here: Aemond was NOT doing anything important in the Riverlands. He just burns smallfolk, makes stupid decisions that costs TG greatly, then he gets killed by Martin's favorite Daemon. He wasn't fighting any army while there and neither was he getting Riverland lords to pledge for TG. This was all Criston Cole's work during Rook's Rest and he dies shortly after he steps in the Riverlands because of Aemond's indecision. His whole arc in the book was written to look pathetic compared to Daemon, so I really wonder why some people are looking forward to his arc where he was rendered useless compared to say Daeron or Aegon. There wasn't much about Alys either except for her association with Aemond and she didn't make any significant impact to the plot during the Dance. So this is like people in glass houses throwing stones when you talk about Helaena being just a plot device.

I also don't think the TG Riverlands plot would do well long-term in a tv adaptation because of how skippable it would be. Most of the Riverlands plot is about TB. For TG, there isn't much happening there until the Battle Above God's Eye. It wasn't just because Aemond makes stupid decisions, but other plots happening to other characters just completely eclipses his arc while he does nothing of import. His mass murdering is also going to be a tired act so this is why I can see him getting parts of Daeron's arc too. So if he's going to be the biggest threat in the show, then he has to be moving around. This can equalize him and Daemon in the show and give him something significant to do.

In conclusion, to all TG enjoyers here, I think what many of you fear with Daeron being cut is not as bad as you think. Imo the show is already giving more to TG than we think and Ryan Condal seems to favor TG a bit more.

Daeron will be featured in the show!

He's introduced in the opening sequence and his dragon is mentioned by Daemon in Episode 10 (Edit: the dragon part is disputed but he will included either way). Rest assured, he will make an appearance either in season 2 or 3!

No need to twist someone's arc out of shape to make it fit with our own wacky idea. Instead - let's just wait and see what happens!

[thatgirl4815]

Intimacy Progression Per Couple (Ep 1)

In this tweet, Jojo mentions how sex will reappear throughout the series because all of the relationships are based upon it. This got me thinking about how we’ve seen these relationships progress so far (in sex and otherwise) and how these progressions are indicative of each couples’ plot down the line.

I mentioned once before that in terms of progression, the couples follow a semi-“Goldilocks” formula, though only where physical intimacy is concerned. From this standpoint, RaySand and BostonNick stand on opposite sides of the spectrum, with TopMew fitting nicely in the middle. It’s interesting that they’ve been laid out this way because 1) it creates variety and 2) this variety suggests the role sex could play in the foundations of each relationship.

RaySand

Before the series aired, I was massively confused about the distinction between Bed Friend and FWB (still am, tbh). But after episode 1, we know that RaySand has at least some emotional foundation to their relationship prior to their sleeping together. I believe in their case, they will be friendly towards each other (idk if I'd call it a "friendship" exactly) beforehand, unlike their direct counterpart BostonNick, who had sex before any sort of emotional connection was built.

RaySand’s story being noticeably devoid of romance so far (despite the obvious hints of it) is what leads me to believe that they have the greatest chance of working through their issues. This is not to say that any relationship rooted in sex from the get-go is doomed to fail, but the fact that we have been exposed to the individual aspects of Ray and Sand—namely, Ray’s drinking problem and Sand’s helpfulness—before their characterization as a couple implies that their relationship will focus a lot on their individual issues and how those pose a threat to relationships in general. For Ray, it seems pretty clear what those issues could be given his very obvious drinking and self-worth problem. For Sand, those issues still remain unclear.

Again, this is not to say that the other couples are not given individual characterization prior to their relationships with each other--with the exception of maybe Nick, given that we see him rather sparingly in this first episode and the only thing we see him do each time is a) thirst over Boston or b) hook up with Boston. So not too much to work with there (yet). While Sand is scarcely seen outside of his interactions with Ray in episode 1, these interactions notably say a lot about who he is as a person independent of Ray (helpful, frustrated, patient, forgiving, etc.). For Ray, we're provided some additional context for his self-worth issues from his interactions with his friends as well as Sand.

I don't think RaySand is going to remain chaste for very long considering the show we're watching, but the fact that we have been given a slower build to it could say something interesting about the nature of their relationship (and where sex is involved). My guess is that RaySand's relationship will be more rooted in the comforter-comfortee trope (for lack of a better term): Sand gives and Ray receives. These roles have already been set up in episode 1, and I think they will maintain them for a period of time before Ray's inability to give back to Sand (emotionally, as opposed to physically) forms a wedge between them (see Sand's "Focus on me for once, will you?").

I would argue that sex will bring Ray and Sand closer, but I think it will inevitably mean more to them once they realize that there are actual emotions involved; what one (or both) might imagine as a hookup soon becomes a dependency. Which brings me to...

BostonNick

As mentioned above, BostonNick establish a sexual relationship before anything else. The parameters, even now, are pretty clear: they don't know each other but they're attracted to one another, they hook up and continue to do so = FWB. The problem being that Nick starts to develop actual feelings, wanting an exclusive relationship with Boston who has no desire to be exclusive with anyone (except for maybe Top, but that's up for debate).

So far, the importance of sex to this relationship is pretty clear: it is the relationship, in fact. Based on the trailer, there is a very clear boundary that Boston wants to uphold that Nick is determined to challenge. For Boston then, sex is a selfish act (this reminds me of what we heard Top tell Mew in the trailer about wanting to make him as happy as possible--I believe Boston could relate to the idea of desiring sex wholly for his own pleasure rather than his partner's).

I think Boston navigates sex in fascinating ways, and we see that through Top. I still believe Boston desires Top to feed his own ego and not much more. He can't understand how someone like Top could honestly want someone like Mew beyond a hookup. Could any of this have to do with Boston's deep-seated insecurities about relationships? Is he scared of forming a long-lasting relationship, so he settles for these quick one-offs to boost his ego and be done with it? Is he simply disinterested in settling when there are so many options? These are all questions that we don't have enough context to answer, but I think Nick's influence will force him to contend with them a bit. I'd imagine there has to be at least some of this conflict in BostonNick's storyline, otherwise the plot would be rather static.

TopMew

Mew's response to Top's advances provides a good outlook on his own values and boundaries. Just as Top views Mew as a challenge, I think Mew view Top as a similar challenge. Mew isn't naive; he knows who Top is just like he knows who Boston is. He will play Top like a fiddle. In that sense, I think he is withholding sex for two reasons: 1) because of his own values, as he states, and 2) because it's the thing he knows Top desires. To test Top's intentions, he can simply withhold sex and see whether Top's interest wanes. (This is likely what leads Top back to Boston, affirming what Mew already suspects about Top and Boston's similarities.)

For both players in TopMew and BostonNick, sex means something different. For Top and Boston, we can assume they have fairly similar ideas of it (which will notably change over the course of the series, I'm sure). For Mew, sex is about more than temporary satisfaction--it's something he holds in high esteem and wants to cherish with someone he's built a strong relationship with. For Nick, sex is a way of bringing him closer to Boston emotionally (tbh, I'm sure Nick didn't plan on forming an emotional attachment to Boston, but here we are).

*Side note, but it's funny that Nick seems on par for the course that Mew outlines for Top in episode 1:

Mew has an acute understanding of himself, and that's what gives him all the power in his relationship with Top. Top might think he's in control, but Mew is the one dictating. And if Top decides to leave, then Mew will have simply proven what he has suspected since their first night together. Mew wins no matter what (unless, of course, he starts to cave and lets his real feelings get involved).

~ X ~

This ended up being a bit of a rant, but in response to those critics on Twitter that Jojo felt the need to call out: sex isn't just sex for the sake of it. It's already informing the way these characters view themselves and their emotional ties. The emotional element of sex seems like a major component in the series, as the lines between mere physical intimacy blur with those of emotional intimacy. I think we will see that conflict come up in each of the relationships to some degree, but in vastly different ways.

[morninkim]

the gang's all here!!

now we're just missing team rocket 👀

inspired by kianamai's redesigns!!

design notes and lil musings under the cut!

Ash takes a lot from Pokespe in terms of his proportions (at least how the early chapters look in my head) and some cues from the newer movie designs bc i LOVE those, especially the one from Power of Us. So ya I also wanted to give him a big poofy jacket bc of i remember seeing an interpretation of Red's original sprite as a big jacket as well and i think it suits Ash a lot. The style was kinda early One Piece inspired at first, so there's just a big of Luffy in Ash's design, but I think it ended up more Digimon Adventure in the end lmaoo. The nose bandaid's to just elevate that rookie protagonist feel a lil bit + I spent way too long figuring out a new hat symbol lmaoo. He's also 11 in this world to match Red's age in RBY.

Pikachu I just wanted to draw him like Red's Pikachu in Special and give him the lighter coloured tummy from early artwork.

Misty's the biggest departure obvs but I knew I wanted to give her a crop hoodie and take inspo from Kiana Khansmith's Misty and give her the wetsuit as an undersuit. Then the chunky shoes were carried over from Ash with big scrumpled socks bc I thought it made her look a lil more unkempt. The whole goal was the make her more scrappy looking and focus in on the whole "Tomyboyish Mermaid" thing from the games. Also combined her RBY hair with her GSC do by making it a half-up ponytail that I think is very cute. OH and her shoes are Cerulean Gym branded, bc I imagine in this world there's merch for each Gym that the leader wear, so the wet suit and hoodie would be branded too. The hoodie's just cropped above the logo and the wet suit's logo's covered by clothes. She's about 12, so a lil older than Ash and does not let him forget it.

For Psyduck, I wanted to make him a lil fluffier and ugly-duckling + incorporate the three lil sprout hairs he's got a lil more to suit the style. He also has a neck now, you just can't see it super well here. He's just a fluffy lil duck who hurt a lot. Poor lil guy :((

Brock was pretty straight forward, I kinda wanted to reference his Sygna Suit from Masters with pants and a tank top, but made the pants into cargo pants that can be unzipped into shorts (he's thinks its the coolest thing in the world. He wears hiking boots to go over rougher terrain as a Rock-type Leader and hunt for fossils bc I like that aspect of his game characterization so I carried it over here, and he wears an armband with Pewter Gym branding. His tiny lil facial hairs are all he can grow at the moment bc he's still like 15 as usual, but he thinks it makes him look ~Older, Maturer & More Sophisticated~ so refuses to shave it.

I wanted to incorporate a lil more Geode Dude into Geodude so I changed his colours a bit and added parts where the outer layers of the rock have kinda chipped away in battles to reveal the crystal underneath + added the eyebrows from Alolan Geodude. I imagine it's like, the more outer layer gets chipped away from a Geodude, the closer they get to evolution. I do not at all know what this world's Graveller or Golem would look like but I think I'd canonise the theory of Machoke and Graveller taking aspects of the other when traded and make them kinda like Karrablast and Shelmet in a way.

Broad plot strokes are just these guys would exist in a version of the indigo league w an expanded kanto dex to include all related mons + variants, so stuff like Electivire and Annihilape and Alolan Exeggcutor would exist in there without much fanfare of ~Woahhhh Newly Discovered Pokemon~. Regional variants would be found on the Sevii Islands. Maybe there'd be small type changes too idk. Like pure Rock Geodude that gain Ground on evolution bc Gravel-ler. idk who knows I'm just spitballin. Essentially just a lil more closely following the Game's story, I guess. Less wacky loose adaptation stuff from Indigo League. Not bc I don't like that stuff, just bc it's not what I'd do.

I figure like, there'd be an interlude short arc that takes place in the Sevii Islands just after the Vermillion Gym where Ash would catch a Galarian Farfetch'd and all forms of Paldean Tauros instead of like, 100 Kantonian Tauros, and be introduced to Legendary Pokemon through a quest to track down the Galarian Legendary birds (then find out others can be found back in Kanto). Naturally he'd use the PC system (maybe adapted as some kind of daycare or something, or maybe just a teleporter to Oak's lab like the main anime) and have a couple more than 6 team members to rotate out as needed. Also. Mega Evolution would be a factor bc I think it'd be cool, so Ash gets to Mega Evolve Charizard into Mega Charizard Y.

OH also just for funsies, I'd split the starters across the trio, so Ash gets Charmander, Misty gets Squirtle and Brock gets Bulbasaur.

Basically Ash would end up with more or less the same team from the original series, but with added Annihilape, Sirfetch'd, Paldean Tauros and Mega Charizard Y. I also think I'd add Dragonite from Journeys and make his Gengar the Haunter he befriended that would follow him in secret after helping him beat Sabrina and evolve in the Cinnabar Mansion + officially join his team there.

Squirtle would evolve into Wartortle with Misty and Bulbasaur would stay in the same stage with Brock like Ash's.

I'll come up with and probably draw everyone's main teams at some point later but. ya. that's my piece!

[assassinschaoticcreed]

Ok but what would you rank the boys in terms of alcohol tolerance (including Shay, Basim and Bayek if you know them well enough)

so Bayek is the only one out of those 3 that I don't know enough to rank. if I'm being honest I couldn't get into origins or odyssey. I keep telling myself I'm going to force myself into playing them but life has been busy. (Unity) & Syndicate was the last (what I consider) AC game. but since the whole Desmond thing the franchise has gone downhill. I'm waiting, hoping for Elijah to show up in the plot line soon 😭

the boys:

so obviously the ones who can hold their liquor the most is Edward, Arno & Jacob.

I'm gonna put Desmond & Ezio in the middle

then Altaïr & Connor as the light weights.

Basim (Mirage) when the game starts out hes like 17 or 18 and seemed very focused on the hidden ones and what they do, trying to impress them etc. I don't see him doing much drinking hence another light weight. plus from there on out when his training starts he's busy with all of that, and by the time his training is over he's straight into the main mission of finding the grandmasters. so i would put him with Altaïr & Connor.

Basim(Valhalla) since he's in his 30's (if I recall correctly) in this game I'd say he's had more down time as he's gotten older i know hytham is his pupil i honestly dont remember if and how many others there were and i dont even remember if hes a mentor or not at that point. i was too focused on the main storyline that Basim was not even part of my thought process until he was in the main missions. PLUS when you're living amongst the Raven Clan and knowing about their feasts and drinking competitions, I'd say he's on the higher end, just a little more than Desmond & Ezio.

Shay I'd put Shay in the middle with Desmond & Ezio. he just seems like the type of guy that can hold his liquor, but drink socially. but he also doesn't like to drink alone, he'd prefer to drink with friends/allies.

I say Altaïr & Connor as light weights since they take their roles so serious, like both of them have been focused on training growing up and they don't really converse with people either. they don't seem like the drinking type honestly. Altaïr was born and raised in the brotherhood while Connor started training when he was a teenager I think, he looked at like 16 or 17 to me tbh. but then again he has a large frame so he could have been younger.

idk if yall ever forgot when playing Unity when Arno was drunk, I would forget not to use Eagle Vision and about blinded myself while using it. I also felt bad for Arno, rip Arnos eyes and splitting skull.

[coricomile]

I've watched so many Thai BLs over the past couple of years and love so many of the relationships presented both in ~real world situations where being LGBT+ is part of the main plot and where there's the traditional Korean BL bubble of "No homophobia here never:) but also we don't kiss with tongue".

And I do love me a good Japanese or Korean BL (I'm getting ready to start Kisaki for Ai Di specifically, but I'm not too well versed in Taiwanese BL YET. Give me time) but something I find so interesting about the Thai BLs is the pronouns.

All Asian languages I've seen (forgive me if I over-generalized a specific language, I'm just speaking towards the BL focused view I've seen) have older/younger/same age pronouns, and it also usually is divided by gender. I.e: A younger girl in Korea refers to older girls as unnie, but younger boys would call her noona, etc. And all the Chinese pronouns make my head hurt because there are SO MANY.

What's nice about Thai is you have Phi and Nong and 900 affectionate terms (nu being little mouse is my favorite and sorry Jeff you are the tiniest, cutest mouse and Alan should call you that) and the word for boyfriend and girlfriend is the same. Mumble mumble we aren't talking about hubby and wifey.

But also, Hia.

Idk, maybe it's because I came into the sphere with Until We Meet Again, which made me adore Team and Win and become besotted with Between Us and the whole "call me Hia Win" scene and Prem's adorable whiny ~HiiiiaaAA every time, but it's such an interesting linguistic thing outside of the immediate "call me something only the most intimate people in my life are allowed to call me" because it's directly based on heritage.

Same with Nuea and Lian in Cutie Pie. Lian is only called Hia and I feel like for him specifically with his role of trying to become the family ~provider it brings up his family in a way that "others" him, even if he's proud of it and Nuea doesn't get it the same way he doesn't understand a lot of places Lian is coming from.

Anyway, TL;DR: I really would like to know how Hia became a thing and what the relationship change between Phi and Hia would be, if any. Why a specific pronoun for people with Chinese heritage? How does one begin referring to someone that way, or it is a "I gave you the password" situation? How far from direct immigration for your family from China/Chinese provinces does Hia and other references stop being present, or is it always part of how you're referenced?

@absolutebl You've had some lovely posts about language. If you've already made a post or know a user that's made a post I'd love to be referred 💙

[veliseraptor]

i was forced to talk about dragon age today, now i am forwarding it on to you. tell me about "the best all lack conviction"

oh maaaaan this one is fenders which idk how you feel about, but basically it's the result of me going "90% of the fenders out there is not complicated enough for me, I need it to be messy and slow burn and not one-sided in terms of who is getting offered understanding for their perspective, guess I'd better write it myself!!!" and promptly have taken, what, five years? more? to do that

but I go back and work on it periodically, and I like a lot of what I have actually, though I'm still a long way from getting them anywhere resembling a reconciliation let alone a relationship. but the journey is the fun part anyway so

it's a classic "hostile road trip" setup in terms of plot, because I am the person I am and "hostile road trip" will always be one of my favorite ways of forcing characters to cooperate :D

the title is from "the second coming" by yeats, specifically the lines: "The best lack all conviction, while the worst  / Are full of passionate intensity."

a snippet:

“Mage,” he said harshly. “Are you awake?”  The lack of response suggested not. “Anders,” he tried more loudly, just in case, but that was equally pointless. He breathed out through his nose and rolled him to his back. His forehead was still clear, unbranded, though there was blood dried on his face, probably from a blow to the head.  Fenris looked up at the sky like some help might come from there, but the most noteworthy feature there was still the rift emitting its sickly greenish light.  Rummaging through the Templars’ things he managed to find two healing potions. He maneuvered Anders to a sitting position so he didn’t choke when Fenris poured one into his mouth, and let go quickly when he came awake coughing. “Ouch,” Anders said, when he stopped. “My head hurts.”  “I imagine it does,” Fenris said grimly. “Get up. There might be more of them nearby.” “More of,” Anders started to say, and then started up. “Wait, there were,” he said, and then finally seemed to absorb the carnage of his surroundings. “I missed something.”  “Yes,” Fenris said. “Did you hear me? Get up.” “Okay,” Anders said, and started to stand up only to almost fall over. Fenris had to catch him, but though he braced for the skin crawling, achy feeling being too close to Anders always gave him, it seemed muted, less intense. “I hate magebane,” Anders said. “Makes me feel like a drunk foal, all wobbly and…strange. You’re tingly.”  Fenris gave him a sidelong look, unnerved. “Tingly?” “Mm, yeah,” Anders said. “Sort of. Like…like mint. But on skin.”  Fenris shifted his shoulders and started dragging Anders away, though he didn’t really know where he was going. He couldn’t both keep hold of Anders and hold his sword, so he set Anders down momentarily to wipe his blade clean before sheathing it. Then he pulled Anders up again.  “You’re really strong,” Anders said. Fenris made a noise at the back of his throat. “Stop talking, mage,” he said. “And get moving.”

[northwest-cryptid]

Idk if I fully understand ffxiv being native-phobic? I just played through stormblood & what I got from that was colonialism bad, to put it in super simple terms. Like idk the entire point of it was liberate an oppressed peoples and give them back their homes? And maybe I missed it but I didn't see the Ala mhigans as being native coded or inspired?

You didn't see the Ala Mhigans being "Native Coded" because they aren't and yet Ala Mhigan clothes use Native patterns. You didn't see FFXIV being "Native-Phobic" because it's generally not, it likes to hide it's racism away in little pockets.

It's hard to see it when you're not used to seeing it. This isn't your fault, it's that you're looking in the wrong places.

This is the "Ala Mhigan Gown" it's being largely attributed to being "Ala Mhigan" it is not. It is Native.

These patterns are Native, and while I cannot claim exactly and exclusively which tribes use them I can say for certain that I'm Deer Clan Lakota and these patterns are ALL OVER my traditional Native clothing. To attribute our clothing to Ala Mhigo is wrong.

This pattern is being reproduced and sold as Ala Mhigan, as "Kimonos" and lastly, as cosplay.

And these patterns can be found across plenty of First Nation/Indigenous clothing and beadwork.

Like, here if you're curious:

Let's also quickly talk about the New World set,

This is just ugh. Believe it or not I like the pants, and the actual torso and shoes aren't bad either. IF (and this isn't the case) this set were to exclude the headdress and were to actually pay proper respect to Native design and culture I'd love it. I actually used to use this set in game minus the headdress obviously, but wouldn't you know it I'm literally Native. This feels like those party city costumes people make, and the parts it gets right are almost more upsetting because it's not being properly attributed to the right people despite knowing very well the devs clearly referenced actual Natives. Those straps on the pants for example are a very real thing, the clothing my father passed down to me has those, tipped with metal because it makes enough noise to scare off rattlesnakes since those were a threat for kids on the res. The colors and bead patterns also do follow a lot of various Native designs, though I find it harder to pin down these exact patterns.

You're looking at the plot, but that's not entirely where the problem lies; also sorry sorry but I can't overlook this. None of the story or plot justifies Zenos calling me a Savage. I do not care if he's the antagonist, that's a fucking slur. It's been used against me and my people for decades. It's been used against me when I was in middle and high school. So yes, even in recent times this is acknowledged as a slur by racist individuals seeking to cause us harm.

If you've never gotten into a physical fight that you didn't instigate only to have someone ask you "what are you gonna do savage? You gonna scalp me?" And then do the worst imitation of a Native war cry; you likely have no idea how annoying it is to see/hear even a villain in a video game call you a fucking savage, have this be hand-waved as kinda being whatever by the general public who don't deal with this kind of racism, and then furthermore when you go into FFXIV community spaces you see this blonde ass white boy being plastered up everywhere like "oh I wanna fuck him so bad" why do you want to fuck a racist?! He's not even hot. Any potential sex appeal he had left his body the second he uttered the word "savage" and you know the worst part? He's not real. Which means he didn't say that shit, someone at Square WROTE that into the game and really thought "hey is it okay to use a slur like this? Yeah it'll be fine no one is gonna know or care."

Can you IMAGINE if they had a villain drop the N word mid fight? You'd never hear the end of it I assure you.

I think the biggest issue is that people don't even know what Native is, they don't know tribes, they don't know patterns, they don't know our actual history.

You say you don't know how it's "Native-phobic" when it's racism and mockery of Natives is very apparent to Natives, but I can't fault you for it because you literally don't know what to look for.

I want to make it super clear I'm not mad at you, I'm upset that this game can get away with this shit because no one is actually educated on Native matters, culture, etc.

I hope this helps clear that up a little.