#reed is genuinely so funny

[microwaving-tesilid-argente]

comparing tesilid and reed's attitudes to ailette is so funny.

117th is like "you must be human to stay by side". being a little cagey and assessing if she's trustworthy.

then you have reed who has only talked to her three times, 2 of which was him initiating the convo, and he's going all "why are you with that thing and not me!!!" and "if you looked at that bug at all i would've killed it". like girl keep it together !!

[keeps-ache]

pals and other things :D

[spaceagebachelormann]

MARS CAN I HAVE HCS FOR DOING UR MAKEUP WITH THE DUCKS <333333

PLSPSLOSLSLSLSÑSLSPSLSÑSLÑSJSLDLSJSKS ILYSM KSBDND

doing ur makeup with the ducks !

✧ warnings: none!

✧ characters included: charlie conway, adam banks, lester averman, fulton reed, connie moreau, guy germaine, julie gaffney, ken wu, dean portman, luis mendoza, dwayne robertson

✧ additional info: can be read as romantic or platonic! readers gender isn’t explicitly specified but is supposed to be fem

✧ m.list — nav.

ೃ༄ charlie conway

he’s. very interesting about it

he’ll mainly just sit and watch cause he doesn’t know what else to do but will ask questions

“omg what’s this” and it’s probably mascara

even though he’s a guy u would think he knows that

he’s not mean about it or anything, he actually asks a lot of questions because he’s genuinely interested

ೃ༄ adam banks

i have a hc he has an older sister so he actually knows what a lot of the bottles are

he’d let u test lipsticks on his arm <3

and if u wanted his honest opinion on how ur makeup looks he may or may not be able to give it 😭 but if he thinks it looks bad he’ll hesitate for like 5 mins before finally saying “you look a little crazy.. i’m sorry”

and he’d let u put some on him for funsies

ೃ༄ lester averman

he’d talk non stop the whole time u do ur makeup

it’s like 40% questions and 60% random nonsense

it’s entertaining though because he knows all the gossip and has fun facts that are actually terrifying

he’d wanna try to put makeup on u but u don’t let him cause he’ll fuck up 💕

and if u get up to go to the bathroom or just to get something u come back and bro looks like a clown

ೃ༄ fulton reed

despite the fact he’s very silly and chaotic and always has something to start yelling about he actually likes the peacefulness of when ur doing ur makeup

it’s like a little free period for him cause he can get hw done, sleep, just sit there and talk normally, etc

ofc cause he’s a Teenage Boy he’d probably make fun of u a little but he’s overall amazed by the process and how long a full face takes

and also would ask u to tell him whatever gossip yk and his responses are so funny

“so yk chelsea?—” “OHH THE ONE WHO GOT PREGNANT??? YEAHHH” “apparently the dad is j-“ “JAKE??? I FUCKING KNEW IT.”

ೃ༄ connie moreau

i feel like she’s one of those girls who only wears like mascara and lipgloss (not cause she’s a pick me but because she doesn’t know how to do anything else)

will ask u to do hers for her! and teach her how to do stuff like blush and eyeliner since she doesn’t know how but rlly wants to learn

and she also compliments ur makeup every 2 mins

“omgg u look gorgeous!” “connie babes i haven’t even put anything on yet” “and? <3”

ೃ༄ guy germaine

says things like “you look so pretty” or “that looks so cool? omg?” every 2 seconds

he genuinely thinks ur the greatest at doing makeup

and he also let’s u test lipsticks on his arm

i feel like he’d ask u to put eyeliner on him just cause he wants to see what it looks like on him <3

also his hands are probably really steady for some reason?? so if u have shaky hands hed help u put stuff on

ೃ༄ julie gaffney

100% curls ur lashes for u if ur also terrified of the lash curler

does hers with u even though she doesn’t rlly use concealer and foundation and skin stuff cause she washes her face every day <3

but she’d know how to use literally everything and is fucking amazing at it and can help u with whatever u want

would ask u to help her choose colours if she decides to have colourful eyeshadow

let’s u paint her nails <3

ೃ༄ ken wu

i’m ngl he probably just sits there and watches

probably uses the time to just talk about whatever

and if y’all have classes together he asks for help with hw 😭

“so what’s number 4 again??” “oh it’s 13 over 6” “ty!!”

he’d also start organizing ur makeup for funsies and brings u snacks and water if he gets bored

ೃ༄ dean portman

will look through literally all ur makeup for funsies

and also asks a shit ton of questions

would probably say “that’s so girly 😹🫵” as a joke but he’s actually rlly intrigued and likes watching u do it

hands u whatever u need but u probably have to explain it to him and he grabs it at the last second to be a bitch

“can u hand me the lash curler?” “the what” “that curvy thing that looks like a little science tool” “wtf r u talking about” “oh my god let me—“ “OHHH U MEAN THIS”

sometimes he actually has no idea wtf u mean though

ೃ༄ luis mendoza

knows what everything is cause as we all know this MAN WHORE has had like 400 gfs

would suggest different lip colours to do

will 100% rizz u up while ur putting on lip gloss or lipstick

“i like that colour, u should kiss me so we can both have it” “that wasn’t smooth at all”

he also makes jokes like the little comedian he is (compares random people to random shit)

ೃ༄ dwayne robertson

he’s like adam but more talkative

would try to guess what everything is used for and like very rarely gets it right

but when he does he gets so excited

he’d do ur hair while u do ur makeup so u don’t have to after

WOULD PLAY COUNTRY MUSIC IN THE BG.

[wings-of-fire-confessions]

I love it when people have such genuine hatred for seemingly random characters, especially ones without a very big fanbase. My personal favourite example was the time I saw someone making posts Despising Ochre, to the point of making headcanons that were like "he weighs 1 billion pounds. and he parks in handicapped spots because he's a lazy piece of shit" It's so funny. After all, like, what did Ochre ever do to anyone? It's not like anyone would defend him; I've only ever seen two Ochre fans in my life and they don't care. And I've seen people angry at other characters like Squid, Vulture, Reed and, even Bigtail; it never stops being funny. It's one of my favourite things in this fandom

.

[shesmore-shoebill]

Amanda really did a phenomenal job, though. You spend the whole time on the line between believing her and not, and that in turn walks you between comedy and horror.

And for that to work you need to both sympathise with/believe Valerie and find her a little ridiculous, and for that to work, the acting needs to have layers to it.

Amanda especially is really good at straddling the line between comedy and realism with physical acting- the shots of her searching the house initially make her come off a little goofy, but there is something very sincere and genuine about it.

Like if someone says that to you and you are home alone, what are you going to do? Hop up and down to try to see over a shelf. struggle with a door. Its goofy and understandable.

Then- it escalates, and she's camping outside her house, and her wife's voice is sort of proxy for influence for us, like hey, what are you doing? is everything okay? are you okay?

(And the conversations with Reed get weirder, and weirder, and suddenly it is no longer a comedy at all, for Valerie, but it can be a comedy for everyone else! Its absurd, and concerning, and its funny only if you don't believe Valerie. And her wife doesn't. Do we, as an audience? Is it funny? Or is it horrifying?)

And then her wife comes.

And invites him in. "Oh he's harmless."

You get a brief glimpse of their conversation, their relationship normal and domestic and friendly, and then it all takes a turn once this happens- Maya's friendliness becomes something worrisome instead of something heartwarming. The carefree attitude and lack of worry is dismissive instead of reassuring.

And at the end- ooh, the line of "do you hear that", and the unbothered "yes" is so good. Her fears get confirmed and dismissef in one moment. It is a horror. Valerie is in a horror movie. But she's the only one in it.

[frocio]

what I find incredibly funny about ENT so far is that there's no sexual tension at all. not for lack of trying of course. but it's all so exaggerated that it goes back around and becomes the least sexy thing you could put on screen

in the very first episode trip and t'pol have to sensually massage each other with oil for medical reasons or whatever and they genuinely don't give a shit. trip has a 6 pack. they're both wet'n'wild. they don't care. they keep arguing. not the we-are-arguing-but-i-kinda-want-to-fuck arguing either. it's like they're talking about the weather.

shadows of p'jem. t'pol falls tits first on archer's face and he genuinely looks like he doesn't even notice. literally feels like someone brushed past him in the mess hall.

sleeping dogs. hoshi, t'pol and reed are half naked chilling in the decon. they're definitely all too close for comfort. they chat it up and even find an excuse to stay there more. there's a negative amount of awkwardness that I genuinely wouldn't relate to if I were to sit in my underwear with my coworkers for three hours. they could be completely naked and still not give a fuck.

fight or flight. the second episode of the show. we barely know these guys. archer gets a shower scene and the only notable thing he does is fall on his own ass. I haven't even finished s1 yet and it already feels like I'm watching the scifi version of the acali raft experiment

[tainbocuailnge]

folinic is genuinely such a good unit please raise your folinic there's so many fun little niches folinic can fill please listen to my folinic manifesto

folinic was the game's first Medic That Can Hurt You!!! respect your ancestors!!! they later refined this concept into incantation medics but the big weakness of incantation medics is that they need to have enemies in range in order to heal allies which isn't the case for folinic, if there's no enemies to hit she just blasts allies instead. she won't be killing strong enemies on her own the way reed can cast explode your dick but she's great at helping thin out large numbers that threaten to overwhelm your blockers. as you can see the uptime on her skill is pretty decent and since it's splash attacks that prioritise enemies she can reach allies that are blocking enemies just outside her range with it or just pull double duty as aoe healer for a bit

s2 is the one people usually think of when they remember folinic exists but her s1 is actually strong as fuck and it scales really hard with masteries too i just haven't gotten around to that yet, it upgrades to two extra tiles of range at m1 and goes all the way to +80% atk for 30sp at m3. it has good uptime it very straightforwardly jacks up her healing and it gives you a lot more leeway with positioning because of the huge range it gives her, criminally underrated skill she's just straight up a strong medic even without her funny meme skill

folinic by default has status resistance and reduced damage from environmental effects for herself and with her module she gets the unique niche of being able to extend that reduced environmental damage to other team members, meaning you have much less healing pressure from things like poison mist and sandstorms just by having her on the field and you can cover even more allies with it through her s1 range extension. i actually have no idea if this also works on tile effects like active originum or nethersea brand i should experiment with that sometime but the status resistance alone already makes her more reliable than her colleagues when there's another fucking ice altar stage or something

folinic is a fucking god in the workshop she can make you 24 tier 2 mats in one sitting she's worth the e2 for this alone honestly

she's FREE she comes free with your fucking xbox go get your FREE fucking folinic RIGHT NOW

[dlartistanon]

Some thoughts on some of the skins I bought (not counting free ones)

I got spooked by Saga and wasn't intending on E2ing her, but her skin is really good so I did

I normally don't like swimsuit skins, but the psychic damage from Saileach saying somber voice lines while winking was too incredulous to not partake in. I ironically enjoy the dissonance, and hers is the only case

I like how they sold a Ch'en cop skin after her character development where she stopped being a cop, but also they made it look like what I affectionate call her "slutty cop outfit"

Anything to not make me look at white woman dreads Gavial

I'm so torn on Nearlter's; I think I originally got it because of the novelty, but the chibi sprite is better than the skin art. Honestly, I'm hoping she gets another skin where she's dressed more like a campaign knight/Silverlance Pegasus

I got this one for Qiubai because it's cool and also I needed to distinguish her from Ines because their vaguely floaty E2 poses are damn near identical to me (and Qiubai already looks like Deer Schwarz)

Skadi swimsuit bad; much prefer this casual one

Ronin Hoshiguma is the best-looking Hoshiguma, period. I don't care much for her Dossoles fit, but at least she still wore pants in that!

Even though I bought both of Saria's skins, I prefer her BoC one because of story and that she looks so scruffy in it. Her jailer skin is still hot but I never use it. Prime well spent

Chalter skin is similar to Gavialter because the base art is so bad

Fartooth's is so wildly out there conceptually; I don't know what it has to do with her as a character or her story, but it has NoriZC's weird technical footprint and that's cool

Honestly, I don't have a problem with how Schwarz looks by default; her regular outfit is fine to me, personally, but I got her skin largely because of Liduke sneaking in Ceylon birb

I got W's skin before they jacked up the price

Nightingale is similar to Saria in that I never use this skin, even though it looks amazing. If her cages didn't have the pumpkin heads, I'd be more inclined to leave it on, but it's too seasonal

There's an issue I have about how Reed is subsequently looking Softer with each appearance, and while I know it's in part symbolic of her development, I don't really like it. OG Reed has a very sharp, intense, almost cold/unapproachable/detached vibe that I really dig, and it's very striking. I miss that. But this skin is still cool

Dorothy DMing a tabletop session between RL members is too good

God bless Indra in a suit, can we pretty please get more girls in suits???

Whislash E2 pose is so egregiously sexual, I can't even

Ugh, Andreana continues to be the most Gender character I've seen

Jieyun is like Saga--wasn't planning on E2ing her, but good skin compelled me to

I'll take Meteorite's oddly-foreshortened arm over her entire base art, because it's that bad. Why wouldn't you get the skin

Platinum's is the only swimsuit I genuinely like. It's gorgeous. Skade is a phenomenal artist

I don't generally like maid outfits (which is why I skipped Irene's), but Kjera I got because the story attached to it is funny. She wears it to annoy SilverAsh and that makes Pramanix happy, so why not?

Lava's... I kinda regret getting. I much prefer her OG art. RIP

Tomimi base art bad. Swimsuit much better. And it's white to match Gavial's black swimsuit--

Folinic's I also kinda regret getting, but I don't really feel strongly about her design, or even her as a character much. Not enough to warrant getting a skin at least

Honeyberry's skin makes her look older and not so young

I prefer bringing Whisperain over Lumen just because her skin is so pretty. Also infinite skill ear candy

Nine-Colored Deer was already beautiful, but her skin gives her a touch of handsome and wow, Gender Deer

Shamare's skin is self-explanatory

Red's skin I got pure for the idle animation; I don't really feel one way or another about the art itself. It's okay

If you didn't get Gravel's skin, you suck

[pdrrook]

Since I'm almost at the end of my 16h shift, I would like to ask how a personal hell of FMO (and perfumare) cast would look like? Retail job? Visiting Disneyland mayhaps?

Also hi, it's been a while hope u are doing great ♥️

I love how you just listed mine one after the other lmao. Okie tho let’s go:

FMO:

Lotár’s funny bc for them hell is not being able to use their intellect in full and have it appreciated, so like they will out themselves as being untrustworthy just because they want people to know they are being manipulated? Like they want to scheme and be recognized, so the scheme usually fails bc of that 

Rez’s hell is watching Mirren take everything from them even tho Rez wants it and Mirren doesn’t even care

Mirren’s hell is watching MC with Mastravisch

Saltire’s hell is being unable to go back home even though their home is just out there, waiting

Malitiose’s hell is remembering more than other people and always feeling out of place

And PFM:

Laurent’s personal hell is briefing interns bc it contains everything he hates which is newbies, teaching ppl, socializing, and strangers

Jewel’s hell is lowkey living in a busy city, she misses nature a lot, but also thinking about the person she could have had become but never will 

Reed’s hell is eating out at a fast food place asddasdasd like fr he hates it there, and ppl not paying attention to him 

Nino’s hell is working with people who slow her down, but also being injured so badly that she has to take time off. She’s fine doing nothing for a bit, but she hates being forced to rest 

Flavio’s hates playing therapist to ppl he barely knows/cares about, not that he’d ever admit it, but it exhausts him heavily when ppl trauma dump on him and expect him to genuinely care

Alan’s hell is when he tries to sleep, and he hears a sound 😌but also talking to stupid/naive people, his brain literally melts 

Hi hi hi! I am doing decent! Hope you managed to get some well-deserved rest after that hell of a shfit ❤️

[nctyaoi]

just got back from an early screening for twisters! it was very fun, i enjoyed it way more than the first one, although the science was a tad more out there, it's a movie for entertainment so i cant be mad about it lol. i was a bit concerned in the direction it was going with how they presented it at first, but it ended up addressing some of it and made up for it. very corny and goofy, but it was all things to be expected based off the og. i will say seeing it in xd actually added to the experience with this particular movie because the noise and the vibrations being so overwhelming while they were in the tornadoes made it genuinely pretty scary. tyler was very obviously ryan hall (you can argue its another storm chaser but to me most of the connections tie to him lol) so that was funny. i knew reed had a say in the movie, so i was secretly hoping for a cameo of him or the dominator, but cant be disappointed by it. his influence is clear in the movie as well. over all i enjoyed it and would 100% use it over the og to show to anyone as some kind of attempt to get them to like weather too

[angelicsjn]

How yanderes react when entering when the reader is changing clothes

YOUR SIX YANDERES.

I doubt he'd have much of a reaction at all, if I'm honest.

— ROMAN CORNELIUS JAMES BEAUREGARD.

He'd most likely instinctively shut the door as soon as he realised what he had walked into.

Roman may be completely and utterly obsessed with you, but he understands privacy.

He lives a life that is documented and posted no matter what, so he respects others privacy.

He'd automatically apologise and wait outside until you're finished to do what he wanted to do.

— LATEN REED.

At first, he freezes, and then he laughs.

This man isn't able to take it too seriously and even though he is genuinely sorry, he's laughing as he apologises while still looking at you.

He wanted to show you a funny video, so he had already been laughing anyway.

Laten doesn't see the big deal. He'd get naked in front of a crowd.

(he has while drunk before) - (but that's a different story)

So it doesn't click that you're embarrassed until he sees your embarrassment and quickly leaves with a quiet, 'my bad'.

He sort of self-asses himself and realises not everyone is so .... open with themselves physically.

He makes a better effort to knock on doors before walking in.

— JAE 'NIKO' LEE.

Oh boy.

He already knew you were getting dressed. This man knows everything.

He'd walk in and act like he didn't know.

"Damn, I'm sorry." He fake an apology, half-assed too.

He immediately picks up on your embarrassment.

He loves it. He loves how embarrassed you are.

"You're too hot to cover yourself, by the way."

He laughed as he noticed your expression. He then walked off and acted as if it had never happened.

— KAIDAN ALEXANDER WOLFE.

Kaidan does a lot of modelling jobs and didn't even react when he saw you get ready. He's used to walking around half naked, so he doesn't really think it's odd to walk in on you getting ready.

At first, he doesn't pick up on your expression until you tell him to get out with a shocked expression.

"Oh. Right. I'm sorry.." He'd say, walk out confused as to why you're so touchy over it.

Plus, if he hadn't already seen your body, he knew he'd see it at some point.

You are his after all...? So why is it a big deal if he'd warch you as you dressed?

— HAYDEN WEST.

He's so shocked. He's more shocked than you.

"Oh. Oh. Fuck. Shit. Sorry. Okay. I'm so sorry. I - ugh."

He stutters and stumbles on his words and just embarrasses himself more than you feel in that moment.

He basically stands there, turning from you, to away. To you. Away again. He literally doesn't know what to do.

You couldn't help but laugh and tell him to leave.

"Yes. Leave. Go. Okay. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Bye." He'd shut the door and lean on it, breathing like a maniac.

He really hoped you didn't see his hard on...

— JOSHUA WHITE.

This man is so apologetic.

He refuses to make eye contact with you for a day or so because he feels so guilty.

He will say sorry even a day after it happened, and at this point, he's more traumatised than you are.

It's sort of funny seeing him act that way...

He's so worked up, he feels like a pervert.

[sharkjumpers]

oh so youve read ultimates 4 i was literally on my way to ask. what are your thoughts

Funny answer: The Maker invented a brand new OCD just for Reed (6160) for no reason at all

Genuine answer: It was really good. I genuinely don't get disturbed reading comic books (or any book in general), but it managed to leave me 😬 making this expression for a solid ten minutes after I finished reading the issue just because of how grim it felt to me. The paneling was great. Phil Noto draws an excellent Maker. I honestly felt horrified watching everything with the Marvel-1 launch play out; Deniz Camp nailed the suspense factor.

[hurtspideyparker]

Why do you love Peter Parker? Do you think he deserves to be happy? (I want him to but no pressure, I’m just curious about what you think)

Peter Parker the light of my life, the gold in the sky and the glimmer at night, my inspiration, my gem, the ache in my heart.

I love Peter because for one he is so nerdy and sarcastic. I adore how quick-witted he is; like obviously he's a genius in physics and chemistry (and just in general), but being able to come up with funny remarks and stabbing insults while in the middle of a fight genuinely makes him so intelligent. And also when he uses his intellect IN a fight, like with Dr. Strange and geometry in the mirror dimension. Don't get me started on comic book Peter because he's created technology worth billions and at times outsmarted Tony Stark, Reed Richards, Hank Pym... he's just insane. 

I also just adore how geeky and awkward he is. He may be an insanely cool and beloved superhero but he also stutters when he talks to girls, geeks over Star Wars, and builds computers for fun. Peter Parker has superhuman reflexes but will also trip over his own feet. It's just incredibly endearing.

Personally I like Tom Holland's Peter the most because of how young and goofy he is. I want to see him be awkward, weird, shy, young, stupid. I enjoy seeing the contrast of inexperience and extreme power he possesses when in battle. It also makes the angst more delicious because that's a literal baby who's just been stabbed, crushed, beaten and bruised. 

The sheer New York of him too. Accent, attitude, proud and polite. He is a friendly neighbourhood hero! He watches out for the little guy! I feel like it's not something we see with many heroes. They usually focus on the big issues and major villains, but Peter is willing to help old ladies cross the street or prevent muggings. It's really sweet and simple. And when New York repays the favour? Top tier!!! He is the people's princess <3. I love that for him it's all worth it- every single person, citizen, problem. It's worth his time. 

Then there's his morality and self-control. One thing about Peter is that he's insanely strong and deadly. He's constantly holding himself back because he doesn't want to kill anybody. So in every fight not only is he battling the sensory overwhelm and keeping track of his enemies attacks, but he's also remembering to hold back his punches and kicks. He's vocally anti-murder and that's always been a really strong theme for him. It's what makes the moments where he does consider murder so much heavier. If a man who's constantly performing self-control and actively choosing to not do harm is pushed so far as to end a life? Terrifying. Peter chooses good over and over again; he spares the villain, sides with redemption, finds the solution- he chooses peace. I enjoy that for all the joyful, sweet, and bright energy he brings, there's this deep rageful darkness within him. The moments it shines through really remind us of how much wrath and trauma he really possesses.

In every universe Peter loses the things he loves most and still somehow keeps moving forward, finds the courage to still be Spider-Man. I think it says a lot about him that he can be beaten and broken so many times and still come out virtuous. His optimism, that hunger and responsibility for good? Just unmatched. So eager to do what's right that it ends up being his hamartia. It's actually pretty beautiful. 

And at the end of the day, Peter Parker is selfless. The hurt, loss, risks. All he does is give and give to make sure others are safe. He'll give up his own opportunities and happiness for the greater good every single time. He's an absolute sweetheart who will never pick himself. That's why I love Peter Parker.

So do I think he DESERVES happiness? UM, NOBODY DESERVES IT MORE THAN HIM. He's done so much for everyone, he's more than earned some happiness in return. He deserves to be happy and healthy for the rest of his life, to be at MIT with his best friends, in love, to have parental figures that DON'T DIE. 

Now do I WANT him to be happy... let's just say he looks really pretty in red and blue.

I want my man bloody and bruised, red rimmed eyes and voice cracking over tears. He's my favourite person in the universe and unfortunately for him I love angst so... yes I want him happy so he can then be sad again >:). No but seriously he deserves to be happy but bro can not catch a break (⁠╥⁠﹏⁠╥⁠)

[lovecatsys]

Akihiro's relationship with the Fantastic Four starts out as a really funny concept, but at the end it just becomes. so sad.

He made them believe that he was just a lost soul looking for help, looking for a way out and looking to be better. And they completely believed it and genuinely wanted to help him. He went to them intending to use them as part of his scheme, and he did, but somehow he got attached to Johnny. I imagine they slept together as Marjorie said, Akihiro viewing it as part of the scheme, but somehow he went and caught feelings. He became attached to Johnny, so he kept going back. He stole something from Reed under the guise of asking for a weapon, in order to secure his rule over Madripoor, but he didn't do anything to harm them. He played them, pretending to be a better man than he is, but ultimately didn't do any lasting damage to them.

Until he's dying, and he has Reed test him, and he just decides to say screw it all. Even when he tries to show is true colors Reed still believes he can save him, still believes he can reach him. Because even though Akihiro was pretending to be someone he isn't, the truth is that he Is a lost soul and he Does need saving. He just doesn't know it. and Reed can see this. But Akihiro refuses his help. He refuses to be saved. He truly has an opportunity to change here, he told Donna he would change, but he doesn't. He makes one last desperate ploy to fuck with the world before he goes out, and he absolutely ruins his relationship with all the Fantastic Four because he believes this is truly the end.

[toc-the-elder]

I think it's funny how I contextualise my big coming out journey. Like it's always seen through the lens of what I was doing at the time, and not through that of the strength and emotion that led up to it. There wasn't one big moment, but many little ones that add up to a journey.

I still remember the moment I realised what I was. I saw a new PhilosophyTube video was up. Something to watch while I shaved my legs while nobody was home. The video has since taken on a more obvious title, but at the time it was something innocuous and unrevealing. And it was Abigail coming out as trans. And I sat and I cried in the bathroom of my mother's house because I couldn't believe it had taken so long for me to realise *why* I was shaving my legs while nobody was home.

I can recall where I was when I got myself referred to a gender clinic. I was stood by a river on a grey November afternoon in a city I had been to once a decade prior. And I very clinically explained that I was "experiencing symptoms of what I believe to be gender dysphoria" to a GP over the phone while I had a smoke for moral support. There were lots of reeds, and some powerlines strung overhead.

I remember when my best friend found out. I had been in a bad place and was in and out of hospital and he (somehow) remembered my Reddit handle and tracked me down to see when I was last active only to see me pretty openly identifying as female and trans. He messaged me to say he saw it, but he was just worried about me.

I remember when I had to tell my ex about it. We had both bought tickets for Shadow of Intent (my absolute favs) on their Melancholy tour cycle, but then the plague happened and they delayed for like three years, and by the time they came back around, they were on the tour cycle for a whole new album. She and I hadn't spoken since we had broken up in 2021 (unknown to her, I had been experiencing a dysphoria-fuelled identity crisis which destroyed our relationship) and she wanted to know if I was still going and I had to work out how to tell her that I was a whole different person now.

I remember being sat on the homeless hostel bedroom floor, newly homeless, and a good way into my transition, and tearfully hanging up on my mum after refusing to explain why I couldn't come home. I hadn't seen her in nearly a year, and didn't know how she would react to the visible changes to my body, and I knew I couldn't go back in the closet. So I called my older brother and cried while I told him. He was always going to be the first to know, as he had always been firmly on the side of trans rights. He offered to pick me up the next day and take me home to tell mum, just in case she banished me or something. I remember the first time he saw me as I am now, and didn't say anything. It was just another day.

I remember telling my mum in the kitchen the next evening, after hurriedly wiping off all my make up and scraping off my nail polish in my brother's car as I thought it would be a bit much for her to handle. We even stopped so I could put on a pair of guy pants I had kept for such an occasion. When I told her, I remember dancing around it as I did, impressing upon her the medical necessity of a certain process I had started. And when I told her, she shrugged and said "Good. What do you want for dinner?"

I remember telling my younger brother when he got home from his holiday. We had wandered to the woods nearby for a smoke on a lovely summer's day and when I told him I remember being very blunt about it. His response was mostly, "Huh. Neat. That's got to open up a whole bunch of questions for you. Like how does that affect your sexuality? You gonna get the op?" He didn't make a big deal about it, he just defaulted to his inner biologist brain. He was genuinely curious, rather than being weird about it.

It just seems like in retrospect, the ordeal of telling everyone seems secondary to the actual things I was doing when it happened. It's so strange how it all just recedes to a series of rather unremarkable still images in my mind. I've got a ways to go yet, but I'm getting there.

[dualcastimpact]

dawntrail impressions pt. iv

In which we head to Urqopacha and Kozama'uka for the Feat of Gold and the Feat of Reeds, featuring t-posing Alphinaud!

Spoilers below the cut, as always:

First up: Urqopacha! There was no real reason for choosing to go to Urqopacha over Kozama'uka, I think. There doesn't seem to be any reason for the choice either; there's no advantage over choosing one over the other, and the story doesn't change regardless of which. I thought it was a relatively new addition to the game, the whole choose-your-path thing in the first level of the expansion, but then I realised it's been a thing since Heavensward — it was choosing between accompanying Artoirel or Emmanellain then, and in Stormblood it was choosing between M'naago and Meffrid. Then in Shadowbringers you had to choose between going to Amh Araeng to meet Alisaie or Kholusia to meet Alphinaud first, and in Endwalker it was either going to Labyrinthos in Sharlayan with Y'shtola and the twins or Thavnair with Estinien, Thancred and Urianger.

I'm a bit embarrassed it took me so long to notice, to be honest.

Alphinaud: "That one massive peak in particular has quite the presence. It puts me in mind of Sohm Al."

Alphinaud: "I feel the change in altitude most keenly. While mayhap not to the same degree as the Sea of Clouds, the air is decidedly thin here."

The writing tends to make fun of this but Alphinaud is nothing but genuine whenever he calls back to his past adventures. He especially tends to reminisce about his experiences during Heavensward; it's become sort of a running gag with Alisaie getting exasperated whenever he brings up firewood-gathering, but I think it's more poignant than anything. He brings up his experiences from Heavensward so often because they're important to him. It's in Heavensward that he really grew up and became a better person after the clusterfuck that was post-ARR, and the way he sincerely and somewhat innocently references his experiences in Heavensward every so often just shows how much of an impact they had on him.

———

Krile: "Wuk Lamat is lucky to have Erenville. Everyone—royalty especially—needs a friend unafraid to chide them when the need arises."

Raginmar canonically plays that role for three royals — well, not sure if Aymeric counts as royalty but I digress. He absolutely holds no punches with Aymeric and Hien; he regularly gives Hien shit (especially regarding his feelings about Cirina) whenever he drops by the Doman Enclave, and he's extremely blunt whenever Aymeric asks for his opinion over their dinners together. He wasn't as close with Nanamo, but their adventures together in the Sil'dihn Subterrane changed that a little bit — he's not so blunt with her like he is with Aymeric and Hien, but he does tend to be more open and honest with her.

I like how we're not really playing that role for Wuk Lamat this time. I think post-Endwalker somewhat prepped us for this — the main character for post-Endwalker was Zero, not the Warrior of Light, and it remains the case for Dawntrail as well. We're not the most important chess piece on the board anymore, and I like that.

———

Alphinaud: "Converting to gil, that comes to around a million or so. Mayhap if we all pitch in..."

This is absolutely a reference to his mishap with buying Gosetsu's katana back in Stormblood (laughs). He's become so conscientious about money now!

———

Krile: "You've seen markets and bazaars the world over, and surely have sage advice to share."

This was a bit funny because I took this screenshot back when I'd still planned for Raginmar to be an uninvolved third party who just happened to be in Wachunpelo at the time, doing business buying mezcal and mate leaves and coffee beans and selling furs and heavy fabrics and prize crops and mead, and I thought Krile's comment was incredibly on the nose. "You've seen markets and bazaars the world over" exactly, he's here on business right now!

Of course that idea went out the window eventually but at the time I really had a good laugh at this.

———

Tobli: "Mablu hasn't given up, I see..."

Given up on what, my guy?

———

Ah, turns out Mablu has always wanted to become a merchant, but thought it'd be a betrayal of Tobli since he'd taken care of her like his own. In true shōnen manga hero form, Wuk Lamat inspires her to chase her own dreams, and she proves herself to be a promising aspiring merchant as she helps Wuk Lamat progress through the Feat of Gold.

I spent most of this sequence writing down notes so I could figure out how to fit Raginmar into the Feat — maybe Gobli had sold the premium three-year-old mezcal to him, and Wuk Lamat and Mablu would have to figure out a way to get it from him instead — so I didn't take a lot of screenshots, but it was a pretty fun sequence! The way it introduced the people and culture of Urqopacha to both Wuk Lamat and the audience felt organic; it felt like we were learning alongside Wuk Lamat and I loved that.

From the get-go, it was clear that the Feats were intended to connect the claimants to the peoples of Tuliyollal — to learn their history, their culture, what's important to them and what made them tick; all the things a ruler should know about their people. How the claimants respond to this is key to determining their worthiness to the throne.

It's a classic trope and it's not even remotely subtle, but I think it's fine. Sometimes I wonder if stories like this shouldn't be made even simpler considering how people nowadays find simple media literacy so challenging.

———

Alisaie: "Alphinaud was quick to lend a hand with dismantling the tent. Is this to be his new obsession now that he's mastered collecting firewood?"

I don't know if it's just me feeling maudlin right now, but at times Alisaie making fun of Alphinaud like this feels more aggravating than humourous. Like I said, I get that Alphinaud's earnest enthusiasm is a running gag throughout the game but making fun of something that genuine and sincere feels off-putting to me.

The way he keeps talking about how he's good at firewood-gathering is meant to demonstrate how despite his character growth, he still has moments that shows his naïveté — firewood-gathering isn't a particularly impressive skill, he only thinks that way because of his sheltered upbringing. He opens himself up to ridicule whenever he acts as if this is something incredible he's learned to master, because to him it was. He's genuine about this, and to make matters worse he genuinely wants to be helpful whenever he brings it up. That's how impactful his experiences in Heavensward was for him, and I think the way the game keeps treating it as a running gag feels tasteless sometimes.

He's not even talking about gathering firewood at this point! He's branching out, even! Why are you still giving him shit about it?!

———

Alphinaud: "So this is a Hanuhanu village! One can tell at a glance how very different their culture is to the Vanu's.

Sue me for being sentimental but it genuinely brings a tear to my eye how Alphinaud's so enthusiastic about learning about the world now, compared to the absolute self-absorbed shithead that he was in ARR. He's genuinely so excited about learning new things and having all these new experiences as he travels the world and it's such a great show of character development, even after so many expansions.

———

Bakool Ja Ja the Mighty: "These allies of hers, though... They might be a problem."

One thing I really like is how none of the claimants are so arrogant so as to be foolish when it comes to underestimating their opponents. In fact no one underestimates anybody, not even Bakool Ja Ja. He's arrogant and boastful and supremely full of himself, and he's dismissive of Wuk Lamat because he doesn't like her (and later on we'll see that he actually does respect her, he just feels that he has to act like he's better than everyone), but he knows perfectly well how much of a threat Raginmar is. He's not fool enough to dismiss that.

There's a lot of chatter on the birbsite about how much it sucks that the Warrior of Light is no longer the main character of the story, and how they've been relegated to this sidekick character who's not getting much focus. It's real baffling because sure Wuk Lamat is the main character of the story, but the game's narrative makes it damn clear how important the Warrior of Light is still. Everybody knows how skilled the Warrior of Light is, and how they're not to be underestimated. They're a threat. They're a gamechanger. While the Warrior of Light isn't the most important piece on the board right now, they're still pretty damn significant and it's acknowledged, unlike in previous expansions with characters like Artoirel very clearly looking down on the Warrior of Light. That's way better than being your stock shōnen manga-slash-JRPG protagonist.

———

Linuhanu: "Yes, it hurt to hear, but she was right. Though I must mourn, I cannot let my grief consume me."

Linuhanu: "Her words made me realize that the path to my recover—our recovery—is already laid out before me. And I will walk it. For myself, and for my friend."

Every time the game makes some overt reference to grieving and mourning those gone, I immediately think back to Haurchefant — and not in a good way. I think this is more to set up something later on regarding Wuk Lamat and Gulool Ja Ja (because that man is raising all the death flags) but at the same time, the game's been pushing the whole thing with Haurchefant so often and for so long that you can't really divorce any mention of grief from his death.

Even the PCT job questline had something similar — I think it was in Camp Dragonhead when Kupopo asks the Warrior of Light about their adventures there, and the Warrior answers that they'd lost someone important to them? The exact phrasing eludes me but it's still a reference to Haurchefant. At this point it's honestly doing the game more disservice than anything, I feel.

———

Koana: "A method I could not have devised without the education I received at the Studium and the cooperation of my Archon allies."

For context, the Feat of Reeds required the claimants to revitalise the dying paddy fields that the Hanuhanu rely on, while the Feat of Gold back in Urqopacha required the claimants to catch a wild alpaca. They serve to demonstrate how Zoraal Ja and Koana differ from Wuk Lamat; in the Feat of Gold, Zoraal Ja eschewed any advice and went and caught a rare golden alpaca all by himself, purely by threatening the alpaca into submission. In contrast, Wuk Lamat went through the motions of getting to know the Pelupelu's culture and getting herself a saddle to catch a wild alpaca the Pelupelu way.

Here in Kozama'uka, Koana brought the paddy fields back to life with an alchemical concoction to improve the aether flow in the fields. Wuk Lamat revived Ihih'hana, a traditional harvest festival that also served to amplify the arcane energies from the Hanuhanu's hopes and prayers to revitalise the land. In true shōnen manga-slash-JRPG hero form, Wuk Lamat's revival of Ihih'hana had no logical bearing whatsoever. She didn't know it'd do anything to help revitalise the fields until Alphinaud suggested it could and Wuk Evu confirmed it. The only reason it worked was because it just so happened to be the exact thing the Hanuhanu needed, not just to revive their fields but also to revive the Hanuhanu themselves. The only reason it worked was because the plot mandated it so.

Koana's method, on the other hand, was rooted in reason and science. It was the logical method, it was the reasonable solution, and by all accounts it's a more superior answer because it directly addressed the issue — but it's framed as lesser because it didn't take into account the Hanuhanu's culture and the real reason behind their dispiritedness, even though Wuk Lamat really only got lucky that her idea worked at all. In a way, it's a weaker aesop than the one about Zoraal Ja and Wuk Lamat in Urqopacha — that strength alone is not enough, and that one would not need to resort to brute strength when there's community. It's still an aesop about the value of community and culture, only here it's that technological advancements alone are not enough even though they get the job done, but if you think about it realistically, when the stakes are so high — when your people are actively starving and suffering from natural disasters and poor harvest seasons — is addressing the issue as quickly and efficiently as you can really the wrong way to go about it?

———

Koana: "Employed appropriately, they make light work of what would otherwise be arduous labor. There's no need to lug around heavy floats!"

This whole scene was designed to showcase how Koana is a foil to Wuk Lamat: Koana is rational, analytical and scientific-minded, but he's also dismissive of things he perceives as backwards or uncivilized like customs and traditions that other people would hold dear. Whether he intends it or not, his words come across as mocking; even in the JP dub where his tone is mild and his dialogue ends with a —ね?. We see later in the story how he's extremely fond of Wuk Lamat so he's not maliciously making fun of her, but it makes clear his derision for the Hanuhanu's traditional practices for how outdated and inefficient they are.

———

Erenville: "There is an alternative, but it requires preparation. Until it's ready, you could rest at the cabins or see more of the city. Whatever you prefer."

This is where I'd planned for Raginmar to officially join Wuk Lamat's entourage in that scrapped canon I'd mentioned before (you can read all about that here and why that canon didn't work here) because it'd seemed like the perfect opening, but then...

Fonjeantaine: "Then... you have experience with my predicament? Of being terribly inadequate compared to your undeniably superior peers?"

...Wuk Lamat just so happened to chip her axe and she just so happened to come across a soul in need of aid at the place she's getting her axe fixed and he just so happened to have the same insecurities that she has, that she has to confront within herself in order to both learn a lesson and console him. Of course.

The story is contrived as hell, but at this point you really just have to accept it. Also I KNEW he was going to play a role in the plot when he was the only named character in that talk-to-the-other-passengers sequence at the beginning of the expansion.

———

Fonjeantaine: "But what of you? Have you ever measured your work against that of your colleagues and found yourself wanting...?"

Asking the wrong guy, buddy. That said, Raginmar doesn't waste time comparing himself to others and worrying that he's lacking. He'll be as skilled as he wants to be, and he doesn't need anyone to be his benchmark. If there are other people more skilled than him, it's not his problem.

———

Koana: "I'd heard much of the incomparable Archons during my time at the Studium. As soon as the contest was confirmed, I thought who better to recruit to my cause? I contacted the scholarch, who arranged an introduction to these two gentlemen."

Urianger: "The Second Promise had specific requirements: they who would be his assistants must boast both proven survival skills and mastery of the arcane arts."

It's a little funny that if Raginmar had agreed to become an Archon — which he absolutely could have, thanks to his skill in arcanima and engineering — he would have fulfilled both those requirements all by himself.

I also think it's kinda funny there's basically a PhD-equivalent for having survival skills. It's like Bear Grylls getting a PhD from Cambridge for being a survival expert.

———

Thancred: "We did our due diligence, of course, and made sure of who were working with before agreeing to this endeavor. He's even more opaque than Urianger at times, but is surprisingly—"

Surprisingly what, Thancred?! Tell us!

———

Wuk Lamat: "I don't have Koana's education or Zoraal Ja's strength. I'm all bluff and bravado, not fit to bear my title..."

Krile: "To hear the voices of others, empathize with how they feel, and think how best to serve... In so doing, you'll come ever closer to being the person you wish to be."

I'm not going to touch on the whole crisis of confidence and Wuk Lamat's character development arc in growing out of her insecurity and all that, because this story is essentially your typical shōnen manga-slash-JRPG tropes condensed into half an expansion, but I do want to point out the whole "hear, feel, think" thing — you'd think they'd retire the reference altogether after Hydaelyn's passing. I know it's been this game's arc words for basically forever, but now I'm wondering if they'll ever retire it or if it'll be another Haurchefant situation.

Because honestly speaking...

Thancred: "I imagine your experiences on this journey—all the things you'll hear, feel, and think—will help you refine that approach."

...was there any real need for the arc words to be repeated in this different-yet-parallel scene with Koana, just to hammer it home?

———

Koana: "But what of you two? Wuk Lamat's allies are your comrades, it must feel strange to be rivals."

Thancred: "Helping you has made us rivals, aye, but we're not about to break into fisticuffs over it."

Thancred: "Unless of course it is a matter of winning or losing the contest. Then I'll have no qualms about putting Alisaie on her rear."

Real interesting you chose to talk about kicking Alisaie's ass instead of someone like, say, Raginmar.

Urianger: "Despite our long history, never have I been given the chance to test myself against our companions. The thought stirreth within a most unexpected sense of competition."

Contemplating this bit because I had a headcanon about a Grand Melee 2.0 after the Final Days have been averted or something. Maybe what's remaining of the Garleans joined, maybe it's just the Grand Company of Eorzea and their allies (including the now-disbanded Scions, who join as independent combatants) having a melee for funsies or something, but essentially it's Raginmar and his old squadron facing off against everyone else after he thoughtlessly made a comment about how not even the combined might of the Grand Company could defeat his former subordinates, and Hien and Pipin took offense.

There's more to the story, obviously, but basically if this is canon to Raginmar's lore, then that negates everything Urianger just said because then he'd absolutely have had the chance to test himself against his companions, and gotten his ass kicked for it (laughs).

———

Koana: "Lamaty'i has surrounded herself with distinguished figures indeed. One of the Studium's finest graduates. The head of the Students of Baldesion..."

Koana: "And then there's Eorzea's vaunted champion. If he's half the hero you say, then the odds are stacked against us."

It's a real pretty way of saying you're screwed and have no chance whatsoever, truth be told.

———

Next up: the Feat of Pots!