#shit views in general

[kelocitta]

i saw your post on how you were thinking about handling the Whole Artificer Thing and i say, let em be a villain! i think it would be fun

I don't have any qualms about Artificer being cruel or whatever; I just don't think that when working them into an anthro doing a 1-to-1 transfer of their behaviors and/or making them just flat out racist/genocidal is an interesting or accurate way to characterize them. (and I just have. Negative interest in working with that type of character) People can do whatever they want but ultimately I just find the idea that anything other making them aggressively genocidal is like, woobifying them, tiring.

Artificer is obviously not good in the context of the game. But the problem and focus of their actions is the scale and spiritual aspect of it, not the actions themselves. Other slugcats are perfectly capable of killing scavengers, most players likely will and many who don't are only held back by the consequences. Scavengers are also warriors, and Artificer's whole campaign is basically set up on the fact that scavengers are defensive and very much follow a 'shoot first' method of self preservation.

So why does Artificer have always be the one thats uniquely villainous in behavior (now with significantly more moral weight behind it than they had as an animal) when the other slugcats, and even the scavengers, get properly 'civilized' when people make them anthros? I just don't think its an interesting way to utilize them, and I won't fault people who do- but like- I feel like if Artificer is going to be Like That when they can walk and talk and do taxes or whatever than at bare minimum the other slugcats and scavengers' relationship with violence/murder/hunting should be touched on.

I'm not making Artificer a good person. I don't want them to be a good person, because I think the fact they are so bad that they have problems on a spiritual level to be the interesting part. Technically, the Artificer I do for anthro stuff has already done their 'Scav King' and found their 'closure'. They set out to do something awful and did it, they got their ending. So now theyre just old and tired and mean and miserable because getting what you want isnt a solution.

[lewisinho]

"(...) and another thing, i've never seen lewis more relaxed than he was after the race on sunday; in the post-race press conference he had the floor to himself, just him on his own, answering questions about the season and what the title means to him; and his answers were heartfelt and illuminating. it was lewis, at his most articulate and endearing...but it was what happened immediately after the cameras stopped rolling that showed what a weight of his shoulders title number seven really is...he walked to the edge of the room and sat down, and even lay down at one point…and i think this must have been the first moment he had to himself since the end of the race and he was soaking it up; he was clearly emotionally drained but also really happy, you could really see the smile on his face. and as i walked out of the room, i said to him: "you alright!?" and he laughed and he wanted to chat, which is something that lewis, the racing driver, isn't usually very good at over a race weekend because he is too focused, too in the zone, too busy, but after clinching this title the wall came down ever so slightly...maybe just for a few minutes but i did see lewis, the man, and he is both interested and interesting, and very likeable. the wall might have gone back up by the time we get to bahrain because one of the things he said was that he still has three races to win this year...but i will always remember witnessing that moment of relaxed euphoria from the champ: turkey 2020."

~tom clarkson via the f1 nation podcast, 17th nov 2020

[dxxtruction]

Louis' "You're boring!" Could mean so many things, but I think what's most apparent about that line is that Armand takes no initiative just for himself. He's not really anybody, because he never goes out and finds himself or gets attached to anyone but Louis. Without Louis as his guide he's literally just sitting on a couch picking lint! That's the thing.

He orbits constantly around what would make Louis happy, and never really fully going what would make me happy? Ultimately that drive to please Louis is what drives him to torturing Daniel, not so much that he'd care to just do it. Ultimately, not giving proper care to Louis is just a way to make sure Louis knows he has to orbit around him as well, with shoving Lestat onto him just that other nail on the coffin. So, even if he fails to figure out how to make Louis happy with him, he still knows what Armand is good for, and better than.

That dependency is what drives Armand's abuse. It really just comes down to that. Armand doesn't even realize how suffocated he is by his own dependency. This is just how life is to him. (It shouldn't be lost either that dependency is a theme considering this episode also deals with addiction).

Daniel's fascinating because he's just so driven to be somebody. He's largely independent, he seeks things because he wants them. It's his drug to poke and prod at all the things that he shouldn't. Daniel's exciting because he lets Louis in to something different, lets him in to all this potential in another person that he can also do the same with for himself. It's a real connection. A two way street. It's easy to tell how Armand can be smothering then because he's never introducing him to anything really new, and most the ways both of them connect are all painful and traumatic. It's never just fun because there's always that layer of that pain. Fun died with Claudia.

50 years on they've gotten to a lot better place, both of them, but it's still that same shit. No seriously, "How is this any different from last time, Louis?"

Well... Because Armand's going to be, at the very least, making one [1] decision only for himself - and that's to hold power over Daniel's life. Fucking sick foreshadowing.

They aren't driving each other to the brink anymore but "The vampire is bored" STILL. Maybe it's even worse, despite being in better places, because Louis' sort of just been defeated by it. (I mean, can he even really leave this either?). He's accepting the dependancy cause he kind of has to. He'd literally ended up letting all the enjoyment be up where he can't reach [The book shelves]. Armand so desperately wants Louis happiness but what really ends up happening is that Louis ends up having to give Armand all his own. He's got no one or anything else to get it from. But like an iPad and an over the top eating ritual. Two extremes of what's just more lint picking.

This whole relationship is one I find just tragic inside and out. You have to just pity it, really. There's ways in which you can find yourself feeling bad for both of them. But you can only really be mad at Armand for any of it. Armand, who isn't even 'free' in any sense, having so little concept of his own independence, but is at the same time so controlling over other's. It's a tragic cycle. It's an infuriating one.

Louis at least has the mind to know when enough is enough. If just needing that extra push to get there. Armand's too scared of it being over to even try.

[juniorfor2]

Ok, so for some reason I was under the assumption that Nettles’ most important part of the story in F&B was around racism and classism. Turns out I was wrong, my bad - it’s actually how a black character gets in between two white people. That’s absolutelyonehundredpercentnodoubt her most thematically important part of the story - it’s certainly not about the way she grew up, or how that upbringing cultivated her cleverness in claiming a wild dragon, or how she was constantly discredited by the maesters because she was black. Nope, it’s her (not even confirmed) love story.

I mean, I thought we were all mad Nettles was cut because it erased a thematically important character that showed that race obviously didn’t matter in order to claim/access incredible things. But for some reason, the FIRST thing I see on every post is that it was a terrible decision because it cut out Nettles’ potentially romantic relationship with a 50 year old white dude. And somehow that’s not racist.

Why is the not-even-confirmed part of her storyline the most important? Why is her love story the most important? Why is her getting between two white people the most important? What is it about that part of her storyline that’s so thematically needed? Because as far as I can see, if she turned out to be Daemon’s daughter, it STILL wouldn’t erase her importance. She would be just as needed, regardless of whether or not she was Daemon’s lover or daughter.

You know what did matter when she was cut out? The part that proved that race did not determine anything about inferiority/superiority. The part that said that a young, impoverished girl could do what no one else did - claim a wild dragon not only because of blood, but because of cleverness and patience. The part that proved that bastards were not born disloyal or cruel or dumb. The part where GRRM asks the reader to look past the maesters’ narrative, and question why they hate her so much. She’s not there for long, but she’s important. Her potential love story just doesn’t have anything to do with that importance.

[trans-leek-cookie]

i don't follow dungeon Meshi discussions closely and also haven't seen much in depth analysis of the marginalization of halflings specifically but I feel like the Infantilization aspect is focused on without acknowledging the ways they are often also Dehumanized (little weird considering the usage of "human" in the context of the story but I think it fits well enough). Like they are considered unskilled and immature due to their appearance + shorter relative lifespans, but also they are considered shady, used as literal bait (for sirens and succubi), and fucking disappeared when they come into contact with dangerous artifacts. Like both are significantly negative, but one is a bit more Obviously Violent in a way that I feel like is under discussed.

[scholar-of-yemdresh]

Bare with me now but I think certain portions of fandoms reactions to a piece of explicitly aromantic media is telling in a way.

So I think TSV's lack of romance from the get go probably weeded out most of the types of people who aren't capable of interacting with media beyond shipping or romance. But even still I see the occasional er take or reaction to the SV's handling of & lack of romance.

I love how the most impactful plot and story relevant relationships are non romantic. I love how almost romantic relationships/attractions are exes,in the past, made the F up (Hayward the F we're you yapping about man?)or not on screen... All but one which brings me to the reason for my post.

But the strong reactions to episode 36 are tickling me.

A lot of people are upset about the ending specifically how they think the tragedy is excessive and depressing for no reason. Personally I belive Sebastian and Devereux did make it out at the end and that last bit was a ptsd flashback to the incident and I do agree that it'll be a bit much for the NPCs we've been following for a whole 1 hour+ episode will meet a grisly end for horror reasons I guess.

BUT the reactions by people who's interpretation of the ending as being more tragic I feel is interesting. I do not believe people would be as upset if it wasn't a romantic relationship that was centered. If Seb & Dev had been unambiguously "just" friends getting sucked into some nightmare Scooby Doo plot, if it was centered primarily on Dev & his sister, if it was only about those non romantic relationships and an unambiguous Bad End, I Don't believe certain portions of the fandom would've cared as much.

I feel people were waiting for a romantic narrative, wanted their cute assumed white yaoi boys to ship as a reward for "sitting through" all the aromantic relationship stuff. Were hoping for a cute soft fluffy romance that they could ship, the right kind of queer representation.

The aro/ace older woman, the Achillean trans man, the sapphic trans woman, all the myriad NB/agender main/major characters is fine...but where's the cis (white) yaoi boys?(nevermind that both of Seb & Dev's VAs are POC)

Idk I guess this is a fundamentally uncharitable assumption to make about people but I notice things and maybe I'm projecting too much

[alphaketoglutaricacid]

the way toshiro is consistantly singled out as "that foreigner" even among ppl of his own party even tho 4/6 of his party are not from kahka brud or the island is so 😬😬😬

[bistaxx]

... Will you guys please let me talk about hgduo/gossipduo/mockingjays/ whatever they are called a little more pleaseeeeeeeeee, they make me unwell and I want to get my thoughts about them out of my head- or more specifically about them from Bad's point of view!

There's a familial air to it, but it's just not true to define it like that- and that doesn't make what they DO have any less powerful or significant- They have a unique bond and that continues to be true, even during painful times like this.

Cellbit WAS Bad's responsibility at one point, and that time came and went- he got him through the war and into adulthood ( aka 18 years old or close to it.) They meet again as old friends and generally respect each other as such... but even so Bad can't deny he still feels some duty to watch over the man once he starts crumbling- much like how Cellbit as well can't help but reach out to Bad during this time.

but there's limits.

like- Bad for years had and still wants to protect Cellbit, he's had an influence on him, he taught him how to survive, he himself acknowledges he has some responsibility over Cellbit, looking at Cellbit right now feels like looking in a mirror, he doesn't like having to give up on him, but if it's between him and the kids he's choosing the kids every time... and he knows there is no simple way to save someone who refuses to let themself be saved.

And it hurts! It hurts seeing Cellbit like this! It hurts having to let him burn! It hurts watching someone he cares for falling down the same path he is! It hurts knowing he's hurting others the way it did for him seeing Cellbit like this! It hurts having to choose his kids over his protege/ student/ former responsibility/ the kid he watched over years ago/ old friend/ his 'something'!

Like, cc!Bad brought up this internal mental tier list that q!Bad has- I still deeply believe that q!Cellbit is quite high up there even if he'll never be at the level his kids are at- like he loves Cellbit enough that he ACTUALLY CONSIDERED putting parts of his months long plan at risk to save him- even if it was just during the stress of that moment that still means a LOT from Bad- but he was always going to choose his kids in the end!

Based on what I know of q!Bad (which is admitably not a lot lol) there is next to nothing that'd convince him to give up on his kids- with Cellbit he's able to see that he can't help him because Cellbit sadly does not want to be saved- and for Bad that means he simply has to accept it even if he really doesn't like it- the emotions from that night have processed and he's looking at the situation from a more logical and resolute perspective. If it means him and Cellbit may one day clash, then with a heavy sigh so be it....

but if it was Dapper or Pomme... I just don't feel certain in saying he'd be able to come to that conclusion, especially not after one night. Even if it would be the 'smart' thing to do. It's one of the key differences between the dynamic he has with them vs Cellbit...

But, in a perfect situation, he would've done everything to save them both.

Anyway thanks for reading, posting this at hell hours so my beloved mutuals won't see my hgduo ramblings but tagging this anyway for other people to see LMAO-

[agnesandhilda]

"don't worry!! even if you fail in this game you'll still have me :D"

"as previously stated if I lose this game then I have NOTHING"

[piplupod]

i am not going to touch several queer discourse topics going around with a ten-foot pole but i will say that i think perhaps people would be more chill and less quick to jump on being angry if they actually grasped that nonbinary people exist and intersex people exist, and both of these groups are (generally speaking) not going to have a traditionally acceptable experience with gender and sex.

the binary is not real, both in terms of gender and biological sex.

there are complex experiences beyond your own, ones that you may not understand. you get to decide how you react to that.

[blue-eli]

Realised it’s @khoc-week so even though I don’t have the energy to do it daily have this I did a while ago but never posted.

Arxeht my beloved. They came to me in a dream where I was a replica (of multiple people but looked most like Vidar) made by apprentice Nort/Xemnas, who was the fifteenth member of the organisation and also had my knowledge of hit video games Kingdom Hearts and kept getting randomly thrown through space and time.

[rotisseries]

everyone debates about elmike like oh they're the best of friends no they would never hang out on their own they don't even know each other, when the true answer, much like everything else about them, is that there is so so much and also nothing at all

[jrueships]

sometimes i'll think abt a Fandom and wish it were bigger, and sometimes i'll read something from a fandom.. and wish it were smaller

[3416]

thank you for sharing the positives to being a leafs fan because it gets exhausting watching the entirety of the hockey world stomp over a team that is dealt with the shorter end of the stick. your content makes me still hold onto faith for a team that isn’t loved.

my question is: do you believe that the leafs hate he justified as much especially in comparison to other teams in the league?

the thing about the leafs is that they have one of the biggest and widest reaching fanbases in the sport (if you go to any games on the road, you'll immediately know what i'm talking about... every arenas like half full of em), but it feels sort of like a love them or hate them in the nhl itself bc of the amount of rivalries and history. that's not even taking into account their surface meme-ability in modern day for being unable to get deep into the playoffs. at least we no longer have to hear a deluge of first round jokes tbh.

i honestly don't think anyone holds as much contempt for the leafs as much as a certain section of their own fanbase so i've never viewed it as a leafs vs everyone else thing, though it definitely is that too lol. i ALSO hate a portion of this fanbase more than i hate any other team or its fans tbh bc of the way they talk about their own damn players. might as well cease to call yourself a fan at a certain point imo regardless of the fact that you grew up with the team or whatever. i don't actually think the leafs are like. targeted or everyone hates them the most (all original 6 teams take a fair bit of heat tbh), but their fans online are the reason a lot of like goofy polls and stuff always read as the leafs being the most annoying/biased/delusional group. it's hard to disagree in some ways. i guess i don't put myself in a position to see a lot of leafs hate in general? i don't follow people who hate them or interact with people who hate them beyond finding ppl in this fanbase who have such nasty things to say, lol, so that colors my perception but. for as much hate as you might see, the leafs are definitely one of if not the most loved team too. center of the hockey world, it's true it's true. you gotta take the hate with the love, but i also think a big part of hockey/sport culture is just chirping and insults in general so fkljdsl. being able to parse what's actual hate and just jokes is also important.

[bisolationist]

One of the most annoying aspects of complete pseudo-concern is when people are willing to concede the completely subjective while completely refusing to condemn anything meaningful about the perpetrator or situation.

Shit like "Obviously your TRAUMA is #VALID" is so utterly hollow when it transparently slides into "well assault without a weapon and assault with a deadly weapon can be JUST as traumatic for the victim but obviously they're different crimes uwu" shit. Like yeah ok you think the trauma can be equal, but you're clearly saying one is a lesser crime - with lesser guilt, culpability, social harm. You are clearly saying one perpetrator deserves harsher sentences than the other. Don't fucking pretend you're not behind "uwu all trauma is valid" shit, that's basically the "I'm sorry you feel hurt" of this discourse. It's nothing more than a tepid concession that subjectivity exists.

[ebbpettier]

i don't believe in the fandom concept of problematic faves (all characters should have at least one Problem, i think, for flavor) but if i did, fiona pitch would have a permanent throne at the very top of my list. i just think she's neato-cheetos.