#saved by the narrative—despite their will

[sixofcrowdaydreams]

It's so interesting to me that the book and show reversed the first and last information we learn about Wylan.

In Six of Crows his name/identity and why it matters is literally his character introduction. The fact that he cannot read is saved for the end of the book. It grows the mystery and finally answers why Wylan is in the Barrel working for a gang instead of living the cozy merch life in a mansion. Wylan is always viewed through the lens of being Van Eck's runaway son first, his own person second. However, revealing Wylan can't read last also allows it to be an afterthought. It didn't matter during the book -- none of the Crows knew or cared and Wylan accomplished everything he needed in the plot without mentioning it. And thematically, that's sort of the point. It doesn't actually matter that Wylan can't read.

Shadow and Bone chose to reveal that Wylan cannot read before we learn who he is and why it matters. The show was saving his name/identity for a more dramatic reveal. Not sure what the show had planned, but this choice probably eliminated the mystery of why Wylan was with the Crows. In the same vein as the book, the show built up Wylan's intelligence and capability first. We aren't told who he is, we get to see it ourselves. He's smart, caring, and kind. A person who throws himself into danger and saves his friends despite being afraid and out of his depth in this new criminal world. It doesn't matter what his family name is because we know Wylan through his actions, not his family's reputation. Revealing Wylan can't read earlier in the narrative puts emphasis on his intelligence and all of the things he can do, which makes those accomplishments more impressive. And his name/identity would be more of an afterthought because it wouldn't matter nearly as much as who Wylan currently is in the story.

[buddiebeginz]

I keep seeing posts about how us Buddie fans are just being delusional. How we need to stop reading so much into what’s being said during interviews and oh also how it’s offensive to the current ship.

First of all let’s be clear here Buck is NOT in a relationship with Tommy. I feel like this is something you Buck/Tommy shippers are failing to grasp because I constantly see posts about how Buck shouldn’t cheat on Tommy. They have kissed once and been on 2ish dates they are not a couple yet. Being exclusive requires a conversation or at least some acknowledgment by the characters and we haven’t had that yet. They still barely know each other.

Second we have always theorized about Buddie when the characters were with other love interests. We did when Buck was with Taylor. We did when Eddie was with Ana. Is it somehow different now because Tommy is a guy? Is it different now because Buck and Tommy aren't straight? Or is it just because Buck is dating the guy you want him to be with now? I don't know there's just something very strange about how some of you are responding to Buddie/Buddie shippers with all of this.

What's even crazier to me is that so many of you who are all about Buck/Tommy now used to be Buddie shippers or still say you'll be happy if Buddie happens down the line. Yet you're still attacking Buddie and our meta and speculation because it threatens the current ship you want at the moment.

No one is saying that every one of our theories and speculation is 100% correct but we have always speculated on the show and the interviews this isn't something new people are doing. I feel like the response some you have is that we're somehow seeing/hearing only what we want to and or twisting the words of the actors/etc to fit some kind narrative we have about Buddie.

It's not like we're seeing interviews where Oliver, Lou, Tim, etc are saying Buck and Tommy are going to be together 4eva and then immediately twisting that to mean oh they must be lying Buddie is so obviously happening tomorrow. We're inferring what we think might happen based on spoilers and what the actors (and Tim) have said combined with what we hope might happen. We know not everything we think will happen will. We had a ton of theories on 7x04 and 7x05 (many of which turned out to not be true) and despite what some of you think we didn't all collectively lose our shit because they didn't come true.

You can dislike Buddie and us all you want and can disagree with us or our theories all you want but these posts talking about how we're just seeing what we want and setting ourselves up for disappointment come across as hypocritical (considering most of you used to be Buddie shippers) and patronizing. We don't need or want you to save us from our fandom experience. If we're disappointed by the storyline that's our business but right now we're having fun with where things in the show are and are going.

---

I also really don't like how some of you are trashing Buddie to prop up Buck/Tommy. Basically saying that because Buck and Eddie's feelings haven't been verbally confirmed on screen (like in an I'm in love with you kind of way) that we're making it into something it's not and it's not fair to Buck/Tommy because they are canon.

Buddie isn't in a romantic relationship at the moment but they have loved and supported one another and always been been more than friends since basically the beginning. Even Oliver just confirmed that Buck was attracted to Eddie from the first scene. And no attraction alone doesn't equal love but if you can look at the six seasons of history shared by these two characters and only see two bros being the bestest friends you really need to take some media literacy.

I feel like some of you don't understand that not every part of a fictional story is spelled out super literally nor should it be. We know how deep Buck and Eddie's love goes because we can infer that based on their scenes. On all the ways they are there for one another, on how they treat each other, on how their relationship differs from the other friendships on the show. On all the things they say and don't say to one another. A big reason we want to see them in a canon romantic relationship is because of how clear the show has already made it that these two men love each other.

As for Tommy even though I'm not a multishipper I get Tommy's significance in the storyline. I'm also more thankful than I can put into words that Oliver and the show have decided to do Buck's bi awakening storyline epecially considering I'm bi myself. Buck being bi and his journey is incredibly important all on it's own but Buddie being canon is equally as important not because we need to see these guys together but because of what they represent. We have never had a slow burn same sex love story like this and the way it would change media forever if Buddie were to be canon cannot be understated.

[sleepiercreature]

some dungeon meshi gaming headcanons I have

Laios: He games. Adores single player RPG/action games set in a medieval fantasy setting where he can make his own character instead of playing one that is made for him. Makes his character a werewolf or equivalent whenever possible. Liked Darkest Dungeon. Disappointed with Spore, but loved SimAnt, let him talk to you about SimAnt.

Marcille: Huge fan of games that require a deep understanding of the mechanics combined with fantastic lore. Her favorite games combine the two along with character drama but she likes turn based games much much more than action/adventure. LOVED Dragon Age: Origins but didn't like Dragon Age II and Inquisition as much. She's the type of person who would play Rimworld but commit no war crimes.

Senshi: He doesn't game. Probably played Minesweeper or something a few times but it the hobby doesn't interest him.

Chilchuck: Has been playing Age of Empires II on and off since 1999. He heard a new version came out but he's uninterested. "A new game? Sorry, I already have a game."

Izutsumi: Isn't gaming, she may get hooked on a mobile game or two though.

Falin: Infrequent gamer. There's one or two narrative games that have really hooked her over the years but she's not a fan of games that require a large time commitment to either finish or learn the mechanics of. Has never drowned a guest in RollerCoaster Tycoon (okay, maybe one to see what happened but she reloaded immediately after.)

Kabru: He's playing competitive online games, usually has one main game that he focuses on for a period of time and then moves onto the next one. Enjoys playing against human players instead of NPCs. He's ranked in a higher tier in competitive modes despite not being online very often because he's good at coordinating teams in a way that lets him rise through the ranks quickly. Has saved a marriage via voice chat.

Mithrun: Doesn't game, hasn't gamed, likely will never game.

Thistle: He has a minecraft server with like 70 mods, you need to download his custom installer to join it. He is desperately trying to get people from going inactive and leaving. Very active in moderating the server from griefers and trolls.

[canisalbus]

I've been following you for years, and I love your art. Seeing you repost your older art pieces reminded me how much I loved the angry, bitter, miserable Machete art and how it resonated with me... but a part of me is also so happy to see the current art of him being happy. Cute art of him as a unicorn, or chilling in a bathtub with Vasco. Like, we're all growing and healing :')

[lovegrowsart]

it's pretty wild to me that people don't see that aang running off to save katara in CoD is his luke in empire strikes back moment, where he runs headlong into his want and attachment and he's narratively punished for doing so and not learning his lesson - aang runs after katara despite guru pathik's warning, like luke runs after leia and han from yoda on dagobah despite yoda's warning; similarly, as a result, things go to hell in ba sing se like they do on bespin - aang enters the avatar state before he's ready and gets killed, and ba sing se falls to the fire nation, luke fights vader before he's ready, loses a hand, and symbolically commits suicide after vader tells him he's luke's father.

the difference between their character arcs is that george lucas and co. actually went thru with luke's hero's journey and understood the fundamental difference between attachment and love, whereas I don't think bryke understood this difference and then dropped this from aang's arc pretty much completely and replaced it with aang digging in his heels into his want and attachment and he gets rewarded with energy bending from a lion turtle, the avatar state from a random pointy rock, and his forever girl from the self-indulgent white men that couldn't bring themselves to give their hero a compelling character arc that meant he might not have gotten everything he wanted at the end.

[theresistanceneverquits]

“I don’t need fixing. There’s nothing wrong with me.”

I can’t stop thinking about how Garmadon truly, genuinely believed he was fine. That it was his father and brother’s lack of faith in him that was the problem. How he second-guessed everything he did as if he was being judged? Couldn’t they see he was trying?

But then he sees. He feels it. And he realizes that they were right.

And in this revelation, he still puts others above him. Because it’s the right thing to do. Because he’s still him right now.

But he’s still doomed. This is a prequel series, we know Garmadon will always fall to the dark.

But now we know there was a struggle. There was a fight. Even if he lost, he still tried. Doesn’t that matter? Doesn’t that make him that much stronger?

[smolfoxbab]

just finished season 2

[rabarbarzcukrem]

"Noé" being the name of the biblical savior of all life.

"Vanitas" meaning vanity, futility, something that is ultimately meaningless and doesn't last. I am unwell.

[tillman]

Learned today everything I thought I was reading way too into the assassins guild is all literally real and fully canon and fully intentional and so much more fucked than I ever thought has me still reeling. Im still so insane over this.

[jonquilandlace]

BG3 update so I started a Dark Urge save last night because I was curious and also had a great character from DND for it based on what little I knew about how that playthrough would work and

Ohhhhhh now I get why everyone likes Dark Urge playthroughs so much lmao

[laindir]

Thank you, Cyclops Cat, for giving me yet another reverse parallel to ch.9 in ch.214 this week (as I had suspected before would happen lol)

Megumi's soul being defiant and still fighting back despite being suppressed, because he just simply refuses to let Sukuna k/ill Yuuji again afjsdkfkgv…. thanks, Gege, for always feeding me the ITAFUSHIITA FEELS AAAAAAAAA

but also, major LOL and the sheer exhilaration of this pay-off:

Yuuji and Megumi, when either are forcibly possessed by Sukuna: *resisting/fighting with the entire core of their being, body and soul, to stop the chaos gremlin from murdering their best friend*

Sukuna, vexed, but also marginally impressed: goddamn GAY BRATS

[yokoyas]

shipping akiangel is great it’s about two guys who go i hate your species and i do not want to be your partner and a few weeks later they’re discussing life philosophies over brunch and it’s about the juxtaposition of a guy who can’t touch people without shortening their lives and a guy with a short life expectancy it’s about coming to care deeply about someone you initially didn’t want anything to do with. and it’s great bc the narrative draws parallels between the human angel once loved and aki and it’s great bc aki puts himself in danger simply bc he doesn’t want to watch angel die. and it’s buck fucking wild bc they die together but they die in the most miserable fucking way and aki not only never avenges his family but he becomes the thing that killed them and isn’t even able to protect the people he was trying to save and if anything puts them in more danger and angel remembers his past because of aki and tries to save him only to once again have makima take away everything he holds dear and use his powers to hurt people. and also it's great bc it's about two guys who would be absolutely insufferable to be around for any amount of time.

[pandoratheprocrasticreator]

i feel like the show does focus on hunter too much sometimes like. for someone officially introduced in season 2 hes like luz’s deuteragonist now and really he either should have been introduced in season 1 or they should have focused more on gus and willow or both. i love him as a character ofc but the criticisms about too much focus on him is valid i think and even if it would have been more balanced in a longer season 3 it still makes it jarring to see in the show.

but apparently there’s a loud minority saying hunter’s posession and flapjack’s death in thanks to them was “bad writing” because of said focus on hunter Having A Bad Time and how he doesn’t “deserve” to lose flapjack and. um. idk i think those ppl need to realize that “i like this character and get upset when bad things happen to them and this disney tv y7 show went a lot darker than i expected” or “i'm not interested in this character so the heavy focus on them is distracting from the characters i like” is a different criticism from “this character’s suffering is unnecessary to the plot/their character development and therefore bad writing.”

[feyinvestigations]

Yeah maybe I'm formatting an entire fic bc I think a female character could be very interesting but I've literally only found one fic that treats her as nuanced even though she was introduced in 1983

[worstloki]

if you can gush constantly about enjoying a piece of media but diss the idea of people disliking the same thing unless/even though they provide detailed reasoning or proof with citations... idk I feel like you need to reassess something

[zamalie]

I also think it’s a little misleading to claim that Rose got zero comeuppance for her actions before her passing considering her entire army consisting of her friends got corrupted. I know people overlook this (or possibly even just don’t think it’s possible given they seem to think she had no capacity to care about people) because they just want to blame her for it happening but that most definitely counts as a devastating consequence of the war she started. Not even mentioning the fact that she spent the rest of her life in hopeless pursuit of fixing it