#the ending. god. the ending sums up their whole past dynamic:

[mainfaggot]

just watched challengers at the cinema w my little sister. it was so intense wtf

[distort-opia]

Do you think giving rise to the Joker would ruin his character?Honestly, in my opinion, it would completely ruin his character. I think the Joker not having a definitive origin is what makes me love the villain. The aspect of him being mysterious, and an unstoppable chaos is absolutely amazing. I honestly lose all desire to read any Joker comics when they create a definitive origin for him. And honestly, I hated that the three jokers were canon.

Myeah, I feel you. There's a reason I haven't kept up with comics recently (besides real life sucking out my soul with the amount of work I have to do). I just don't like what they're doing with Joker, ever since the idea of multiple Jokers resurfaced. Zdarsky and Rosenberg are good writers, but not even them could overcome my utter dislike at the idea of multiple canonical Jokers... I mean it's not their fault, it's fucking Geoff Johns' fault, but still.

I do agree that delving into Joker's backstory so much takes away from his character, although I can't say I am entirely opposed to stories hinting at it or exploring it. It's such an interesting aspect of him, the way he rebuilds himself and his past and his whole personality-- so I don't think this should be left untouched. It should just be done well. The thing about Joker is that he's Batman's narrative foil and parallel; if Batman is human, Joker is human. They both want to be more than that, but at the end of the day they're two human beings, and that's the appeal. If Joker is honestly depicted as an almost supernaturally evil monster whom Bruce cannot defeat... it completely undermines the dynamic. What's interesting is to have Bruce believe these things, and even Joker himself desperately try to leave humanity behind, but then have the story point out that it's just not possible (like Snyder did, God bless). That Joker is still a person, who despite the mystery and the subterfuge, does have a past. But turning that past into a certainty traps the character into a box, when versatility is one of his core traits. Not to mention how badly it fucks him up to imply he never had agency in his becoming as Joker (like in the Multiverse arc with Darwin Halliday).

To sum up, I don't think stories touching on Joker's past entirely ruin him as a villain. I think it very much depends on the capacity of the writer, to handle a character of Joker's complexity.

[lunawish]

✨ general portrayal notes for god's favourite princess and the most interesting girl ✨

in act i, she'll behave mostly like her early access self aka all the snark, all the sass, the brusqueness, and the dark humor. the released version dialed it down and whilst i do adore her in the released version, i love her early edge a lot more.

generally "good" aligned play through. i put good in quotes because sometimes you don't intentionally save the grove, sometimes it's just a byproduct of a selfish need for knowledge on how to get the damn tadpole outta your brain. i am also more than willing to explore "evil" playthrough dynamics (again, it's in quotes bc sometimes you don't slaughter the grove ... the grove slaughters itself bc kagha psionically tells people that you attacked her for idk executing a child???)

act i and early- act ii can be summed up by the words cognitive dissonance

i am much more partial towards her exile path versus her dark justiciar path — which means she frees aylin from the soul cage, defies shar, has a mental breakdown hair cut etc

i lean towards the theory of her hair being white after the shadowfell as a result of the pain and torture she endured. so in short : marie antoinette syndrome.

that being said, if i were to play her as dark justiciar the ending is still going to be her betraying shar. she'll free her parents and take them far away from the cities. it's due to personal discomfort that i can't fully commit to the route of her becoming mother superior.

i understand her canonical model and general consensus is that she's a white woman. however, on this blog she's portrayed as mixed race ( white and asian - wasian ) if a modern verse should arise. that being said, this will influence how i adapt her post-game and her finding her roots as a person.

my preferred ending is her saving her parents and then moving into a cottage. i don't believe the curse is entirely incurable and it'll bind her and her parents' fate to shar forever even into the afterlife but that'll be a whole post on its own because forgotten realms lore is messy.

though i also do very much adore the moonbathed adventurer ending as well! that's something i like more if she was romantically (or ever queerplatonically) involved with someone just so she's not lonely on the road.

also on the topic of religiosity: her powers are blessed by selune, yes. she's a "moonbathed" cleric, yes. but she's not gonna be a devout selunite. at least not for a while. for my default portrayal, in early act iii she will begin to dip into a few levels of ranger as she still understands the importance of her being the group's healer and because she needs to adapt to using a bow more frequently than she has in the past. after defeating the netherbrain she will fully transition into the ranger class, taking up the subclass of gloomstalker which allows her to use the skills she's learned as a sharran and reclaim them for herself.

introspection. so much introspection. she's having a crisis of faith every goddamn minute but she's trying to talk herself outta that crisis as well. so her internal dialogue is a whole mess (what it means is if i write you six paragraphs of her thoughts it's fine if you don't match length in fact if it's not natural for you to please don't ahaha)

body dysmorphia. it'll be a common topic relating to her whether about her wound/curse or her in act 3 about her scars, her body, her feeling unclean etc. plus, due to a lack of a coherent identity (her memories being literal chop suey at this point), she has a messy relationship with gender that she can't quite articulate but know it's There.

i'll be treating her like she's never had sex or kissed before because she's voluntarily wiped her memories, so she's gonna be a little cautious and nervous about it. the innuendos and sly remarks you hear her make is a front to keep the vulnerability of her lack of experience behind a hidden achievement (plus the body remembers traumas!).

there will be flareups where she isn't crying out or is noticeable to others. this is inspired by the fact in her origin, she doesn't always cry out and her companions don't notice her in pain. the moments where her wound flares and others know mean 1) it's excruciating and/or 2) she trusts the other person enough to express herself.

[miyukihoshizora]

So! FFVIII! Finished it yesterday, loved most of the last stretch! And it totally comes appart the second you think about it too hard!

First what I liked:

Squall and Rinoa, obviously. Their dynamic and respective growths mirroring each other. One who shuts off the world and one who forces herself to seem like this dizzy social butterfly, both because they are terrified of being hated. Their friendship very organically evolve into a romance and the best scenes in the game like the space rescue are always between these two.

Quistis was also the teammate I felt got to do the most. Started off as a mentor, before realizing the mantle of leader was not for her and learning to put her full trust into something other than her instincts. She also had the emotional intelligence to dodge a love triangle when she felt that shit arrive lmao.

The game is also full of really cool setpieces in general. The space rescue, the Gardens themselves, the Lunatic Pandora... And of course, Ultimecia's castle! I absolutely loved the whole dream sequence at the end, how it communicated without words on all of Squall's fears and how Rinoa became the reason he learned to enjoy his life. How he clung to her image like a lifeline even if the time distortion + GF poisoning tried to take it away from him (as it did with Ultimecia if you subscribe to the U=R theory). Like god damn, this was strong stuff.

Speaking of! I'm actually shocked Ultimecia being Rinoa is just a fan theory Square went out of their way to debunk because it seemed so obvious to me from the get go and I wasn't even aware of the theory until I looked into it. I find it weird they decided to just say no to the whole thing instead of keeping it ambiguous, as the game does, because thematically, this makes it a really powerful story, and Ultimecia a much more sympathetic baddie. Like damn, you can do so much with Griever being all she has left of her knight, while her refusal to let go of it twisting her memories to the point she can no longer recognize him when he comes to her from the past, as she wanted. Respectfully gonna kill the author on this one.

Now for the less good stuff... The orphanage plot twist, obviously. Doctor Odine's whole deal. The Norg stuff. I imagine the fact this plot is held together by duct tape is like, the popular opinion at this point. The best parts of this game kind of mostly work in a vacuum.

Also, well... Zell, Irvine and Selphie don't really have any arc to speak of as far as I can tell. Which is a bit disappointing, compared to VII, I wish they all got to do a lot more. They are still my babies but I really didn't care for them as much as I did the other three, and that Is a problem in a seried that lives or die by how much you engage with its characters.

Oh and bro, Seifer. I jokingly compared him to Draco Malfoy and just like Draco they totally half assed his part in the plot. He had strong momentum as a rival character in Disc 1, but the fact Rinoa stops having feeling for him the second he does his heel turn, and that he just wanted to be Ultimecia's knight, regardless of whether it was Edea or Rinoa, TWO WOMEN HE LOVED, is completely ridiculous. He also got a total anticlimax with the most heavy-handed Gilgamesh cameo, and then Fujin and Raijin (the best part of this stupid plot thread) just redeem him off screen where he goes back to Balamb and never gets any comeuppance for actively trying to destroy the world, like, what the hell even was that.

Oh yeah also the gameplay system is jank and I only started having fun with it when I broke it.

That about sums up my thoughts. I'm really happy of my experience with this game, and to finally be done with the Playstation era!~

My X replay is next, and then I'll probably hop straight onto XV.

[xx-vergil-xx]

Hey!! I have been devouring every chapter of Hounds as it comes out and ohhhh my goodness I have so many feelings. Idk if you know the song The Modern Leper by Frightened Rabbit but omg it makes me think so much of Hounds and how your have written their relationship!! It’s fits perfectly to Hob’s devotion to Dream despite Dream’s emotional distancing, and is coming from the perspective of Dream who is tormented by how his past lives have ended sees himself as a constant danger to Hob 😭 It’s about failing and hurting those you love and yet they stick around all the same!! Sorry I just have so many feelings about this song and your fic and I am rotating them both in my mind constantly. Thank you so much for writing this amazing story!!!

ahh hello thank u so very much!!! i listened to the song and the lyrics,,,,,,they dealt me psychic damage in the best possible way,,,,,,im so hurt by it thank you for sharing it <3

GOD YES my homie @fishfingersandscarves just sent me this post abt it which i immediately reblogged that sums it all up so eloquently but it’s really so shattering that dream just hurts everyone he loves and believes that is the only way things are and yet he loves so deeply and opposite that is hob who loves freely and with his whole self consequence be damned and who is ALWAYS there and just. the dynamic of the one who runs in circles and the one who waits for their paths to cross again. lord.

thank u so much for ur very kind words!! <3 <3 <3

[moonlitkilljoy]

👋🏻🤠 it’s the Pacific Rim anon back again! You are so right for getting me to watch it.

First off, the soundtrack blew my dick off. I never knew I wanted to see a big robot punch a big lizard with some heavy metal shred in the background.

I also adore the connection of the kaiju coming from the pacific. As someone who lives on the ring of fire, there’s the constant danger of fault lines buckling, tsunamis, volcanoes, etc so the fact that the destructive mega titans are coming from the pacific completely tracks lmao. And the fact that humanity’s poisoning of the planets ecosystems makes it more viable for terraforming?? It scratched the marine bio itch in my brain.

Oh yeah and the entire central plot of letting people into your brain and having them see your entire being in moments and choosing to trust and work with this person. The mortifying ordeal of being perceived but you run a huge robot with that. That you can share these bonds with people no matter how many times in the past you’ve been through suffering, you can always let people back in and it will hurt but in the end it’s what keeps you going. Maybe I cried 4 separate times watching it, what about it????

Newt and Hermann. My god. Right and left brain math and biology brain and heart. Insert picture of that Chihuahua dog crying and biting the pillow. 

Anyway, I loved it! Tumblr is always supplying banger media to consume. Now to find a copy of Goncharov!

HI!!! IT'S LOVELY TO HEAR FROM YOU AGAIN!! I'M GLAD YOU LIKED IT!!! I actually saw that I got this ask while I was in the midst of rewatching Pacific Rim flgjdkflg

YOU'RE ABSOLUTELY CORRECT, THE SOUNDTRACK IS SO GOOD!!! Plus, I completely failed to think about the ring of fire!!!! that's such a good point!! AND THE WHOLE CONNECTION TO GLOBAL WARMING?? FUCK, DUDE, IT'S SO GOOD. AND!! I totally get the marine bio thing!!! this movie is VERY good at scratching my biology brain in the perfect way (not to mention my math brain, but thats just a whole nother thing. i, a guy who likes numbers, see a guy who likes numbers and lose my fucking mind immediately).

YOU'RE SO RIGHT ABOUT THE CENTRAL PLOT. PACIFIC RIM IS A MOVIE ABOUT SAVING THE WORLD WITH ROBOTS POWERED BY LOVE AND THE POWER OF HUMAN CONNECTION AND VULNERABILITY. I honestly couldn't have phrased it better myself though, "That you can share these bonds with people no matter how many times in the past you’ve been through suffering, you can always let people back in and it will hurt but in the end it’s what keeps you going." is incredibly poetic and sums up EXACTLY what makes the movie great. I cried so so fucking much as well, you're so valid.

NEWT AND HERMANN. I love these gay scientists so fucking much. I'm an expert, you can trust me on this. The fucking fact that them not being drift compatible wasn't even a possibility to think about makes me lose my fucking mind (evidently, seeing as I made a post about that exact thing fdgjlkdfj). I love their dynamic so much and I love them with my entire heart. Here's a screenshot, just for you, of a wip screenshot redraw of them that I've been working on :-)

(mario creatures are there because my girlfriend and I were playing super paper mario when I started sketching this ^^; oops)

I am delighted to have supplied you with some great media!!!! Feel free to dm me or send some more asks if you ever wanna chat more about it >:] or even if you have any art requests, or smth or other :D i'd prolly also be able to recommend you some pacrim fics, if thats your thing— i've accumulated quite a few in the last two/three weeks or so

And, again, i'm SO glad you liked it ( •̀ ω •́ )✧

LET ME KNOW IF YOU FIND THAT COPY, PLEASE AND THANK YOU <3

[padfootastic]

Arrogant big headed james being the softest and gives in easily to only sirius. Whatever sirius wants, james WILL give it to him pronto no questions asked. It's canon. Rather than imagined fanon remus being the control , it is only sirius who James listens to( and vice versa.)

anon, i have to admit, i only saw the ‘arrogant big headed james’ part in my notifs and i was ready to throw hands

lmao jk jk but i did go 🤨 before reading the whole thing

also you know what? you’re very, very correct. (i used to be a bit defensive about the big headed james part but now i’ve totally embraced it like,,,why shouldn’t he be? he was perfect and he knows it. good for him)

we saw the way james catered to sirius, and like,,do we even need to talk about sirius’ devotion to j?

(this is kind of random i like thinking of james as being this tony stark-esque figure when it comes to sirius, like he’ll just express his love with the weirdest and most extravagant gifts. like sirius says he likes idk nail polish? and two days later, james presents him with like 37 different shades because ‘nothing is too much for my Si’ or he’ll surprise him with random trips across the Continent (or make a fool out of himself to please sirius) like his entire mission in life is being protective of and loving sirius and he’s so happy with it. he’s just super affectionate and doesn’t feel at all embarrassed or awkward about it (bc effie and flea were a v loving couple and taught him better 😤)

i also like this dynamic both ways too tbh. like sirius is kinda abrasive and doesn’t really care about people outside his small circle. he’s a bit elitist and very exclusive and he’s fine with it. but then you see him with james and he’s basically like a puppy instead of an attack dog lol (i have this scene in a fic i’ll paste below the cut because i love it and will never stop screaming about it and sums this up v well)

x

…Siri,” she heard James speak, “Look at me.”

Lily looked up just in time to see Sirius pull back, his eyes determinedly dry.

“I love you,” he stated simply. Lily’s eyes widened at how easily he said it. She couldn’t imagine being so casual about her feelings, with anyone. That kind of- vulnerability just didn’t come to her. It seemed like Sirius couldn’t either, because his neck and ears were steadily becoming pinker by the second. Lily stared at the sight—somehow out of the madness of this entire day, this was the most incongruous thing she could imagine. Sirius Black, blushing? Lord, what was this world coming to?

“God, you’re adorable,” James honest-to-god cooed, seeing the same thing as her. One of his hands came up to cup Sirius’ cheek—always dwarfing the side of his face with how large it was—thumb tenderly stroking his cheekbone. Lily had to abruptly look away from the intimate touch. She couldn’t even—she tried to think of anyone else who could get away with calling this prickly human adorable and came up blank. No one would ever dare. Forget saying it, even thinking something like that felt—wrong.

“Merlin, shut up, Jamie,” Sirius grumbled, unwinding himself from the other boy.

“Oh no, can you imagine the population of Hogwarts seeing you all flushed like this? They’d lose their entire minds.” Lily definitely had to agree with that. She’d seen the way people fell over themselves when it came to Sirius Black. And that was when he was all cold and unapproachable. She could only imagine the utter chaos if he was spotted like this— ruffled and flushed and, dare she say it, soft.

“I will end you, Potter,” Sirius growled, looking much more like the scathing asshole she was used to with the sneer on his face, the bite in his voice. Of course, James didn’t take him seriously, and only pressed a smacking kiss to his cheek, slinging an arm around his shoulder.

“If you say so, honey,” he grinned cheekily, steering the two of them towards the door. Despite the lingering scowl on his face, Sirius had quite happily melted into his side like he belonged there, “Now, let’s go find Moons and Wormy. Those poor sods did not sign up for this entire ordeal. Least we could do is get them some hot cocoa from the kitchens.”

[sinnabonka]

It’s spec time: Love always wins

(Okay, I promised it, I’m doing it, there’s no stopping me now.) 

For the last three days I’ve been all over the place emotionally, clinging to every post saying Cas is not dead dead, saying his story is not done, but then someone wrote the “but” post and, there I go again, down the bottomless pit of angst. 

I’ve been a Schrödinger believer for so long with this show, one can get used to it. 

I know I’m not the only one feeling this way, regarding whether Cas is coming back or not. We won’t know till we know ©

Ep 19 speculations here

But let's speculate!

Apparently, there's nothing better for me to do way past midnight on Saturday and on Sunday morning (when I’m writing this). 

What makes us think 15*18 might indeed be the end of Castiel’s story:

Everything the crew and Misha told us, officially, is pressing toward Cas dying permanently in this scene. “Proud ending”, indeed. 

Castiel’s story has the perfect symmetry this way, with the handprint, the “Hello, Dean” - “Goodbye, Dean”, and the whole “Dean Winchester is saved” theme.

He is smiling, while Empty takes him, he’s content with his sacrifice. 

Something about Castiel’s monologue didn’t sit right with me for some time. The whole point of happiness being not in having, but in being and saying, gave me an idea of it being the way writers say we can’t have Destiel, but we should be happy to know it’s real and to hear it said aloud after all those years. 

Supernatural had to be the story of two brothers and their journey, and Winchesters driving in the sunset is the most probable endgame we are gonna get. 

Even though all those points seem valid, we can’t trust any of it. 

Let me fix it for you:

It wouldn't be the first time the crew lied about someone being on set. 

The handprint was not scripted. I repeat, the handprint was not scripted.

Castiel’s monologue could be just about loving Dean, and it’s just my poor wounded heart looking too deep into it and seeing my angstloving reflection on the bottom of the well. 

And Supernatural might indeed be about family, but, as we know, family doesn’t end with blood, and doesn’t start with it either. Cas is family, after all. 

I’m glad be are clear on this one.

What tells us Cas is coming back and we are getting Destiel endgame:

(Brace yourself, it’s gonna be wordy)

1. The most obvious, without rewriting his memory or going OOC, there’s no happy ending for Dean (not the crappy bittersweet substitute) without Cas. 

Even without the love confession in place, we’ve seen what Cas’ death did to him before, it shuttered him to pieces. Imagine the damage it's gonna cause now! 

“I love you, I always did, bye bye now, have a long and happy life knowing my feelings for you have killed me dead.” Really? No win can make up for it.

2. My fave point, aka the natural dynamics of storytelling. The big loss predicts the big win. The deeper the wound, the brighter the prize. Following the roller coaster this season has been, we should be up for a pretty high damn up pretty soon. 

So, there’s The Big Loss (losing Eileen, all of their friends, all the people on Earth and Cas). 

Next - The Big Win (defeating God, getting their free will back, getting humanity back). 

Then, we should have The Big Regret and Reflect moment (Sam and Dean talking a lot at this point, realization of things which are important, what they want with Chuck gone). 

And at the end, there’s The Ultimate Happy ending waiting for us (see point 1 again in case you are not sure what that means).

3. You know what, forget it, this one is my favorite. The parallels. Throughout this season we’ve been spoon-fed with context (Geez, it feels nice to finally know we are not crazy, we are not seeing things, we got it all right!) and writers chose to do so via parallels, via reflections, subtle hints. 

It would be some lazy storytelling to shove everything to our faces, so, instead, we’ve got: Charlie and Stevie, Sam and Eileen, the world and humanity, Dean and Cas. 

Everyone separated. Forever? No, not really. And I don’t buy everyone getting their loved ones back, except Dean. C’mon.

4. Unresolved love confession. Yes, Cas might have died with a smile, meaning it’s enough for him to speak his truth and be gone. But Dean? Him sobbing in the dungeon, ignoring Sam’s calls (he literally never chose anything above Sam before), the “Don’t do this, Cas” part - it’s the lowest he’s ever been. 

To sum up, Dean didn’t get his closure. He might have needed five to six business days to process, but he still has his truth he has to find out and then give a voice to. 

And yeah, I know, he could confess via prayer or something, but we all know that’s something needed to be said face to face.  (Btw, he already confessed to Cas in purgatory via prayer once, you can try and prove me wrong, but good luck with that, sunshine.)

5. The perfect symmetry. If I were in SPN writers room, I would literally cry my eyes out of joy at the symbolism this ending gives. I would literally fight everyone against it. 

The broken man not deserving to be saved is dragged from Hell by the most loyal and righteous angel Heaven ever seen. 

VS

The fallen angel not deserving to be loved is dragged from Empty by the most loving and caring man the sun shone on.

I mean, c’mon, people. Poetry.

(We are nearing a very important thing here, fasten your seatbelts, please.)

6. The message the show wants to give the world has changed. From “it’s all about the journey, about saving people, killing things, no one ever gets what they deserve”, the philosophy has changed drastically toward the “good things do happen, you deserve to be saved, to be loved”. 

Come and see what lane we are walking right now: allowing yourself to love again, to experience things again / losing the love of your life a moment later / fighting for your love / winning your love back. 

I believe the final message is: love always wins. 

Love is not one’s weakness, love is power, love is strength, it’s a perfect fuel. 

Humans declare war in the name of love, kill and get killed in the name of love, but, most importantly, humans live and win those wars in the name of love, too. 

7. Go big or go home is on the table, and no one goes home this time. 

Supernatural was a bunch of broken glass for soooo long, I think this time writers are gonna give us something good, for a change. Not bittersweet good, but actually cotton-candy-almost-diabetes-sweet good.  

Why? 

Because *loud and clear* we deserve having good things happening to us! 

Also, it’s The End, the creators have nothing to lose, but, on the other hand, the ultimate happy ending would allow them to leave an enormous mark on the world and Supernatural to be known as the only show that actually could.

To sum up:  

Dean can’t be happy with Cas gone and, following the logic of prebuilt parallels, he won’t have to - everyone gets their loved ones back at the end, because love always wins. 

Cas might be at peace with speaking his truth, saving Dean and being gone, but it is not fair, Dean also deserves a chance to be heard. 

Few seasons ago I would laugh in my own face for these arguments, but the philosophy of the show has been transformed. During the last few years we were being prepared for this moment, slowly, gently being led toward this moment. 

Supernatural has to give us the Destiel endgame to prove their point.

click x click for more

[dendylabyrinth]

can you do Momoko?

MY HOMEGIRL MOMOKO! YES!

Why I like them

Momoko is like this single mom whose biggest priority right now is her kids (or more like a big sister, but you get what I’m talking about). I appreciate details of her character, like how she lowkey gave up on her love life and began focusing more on those around her. But she’s not without a mature side! She made her peace about turning into a witch by the time she tells Rena and Kaede the truth. And speaking of those two, I really like how they’re a big part of Momoko’s life. Like in her interview with Kagome, Momoko’s wish for the future is to grow up with the two of them and then go drinking together (old man Momoko strikes again!). There’s also the scene in Mermaid Momoko and Mitama’s MGS, when they get caught by Mikage, Rena and Kaede. The fact that Momoko feels like their anger is as justified as Mitama’s own sister’s speaks volumes about their place in her life.

I just really love Momoko, ok?

Why I don’t

My girl can be so dense and insensitive at times. Also, her hesitation at being selfish is really frustrating! I WANT YOU TO BE HAPPY! THIS WINGWOMAN DESERVES SOMETHING THAT MAKES HER HAPPY! SO BE HAPPY DAMMIT!

Favorite scene

The ending of Sister Momoko’s MGS is really great; Momoko has to deal with the possibility that she can steal the guy she liked from his girlfriend after their relationship hits a snag. The conclusion she reaches is that, since she really loves him, she wants him to be happy instead of making herself happy, so she helps him get it together to make things right with his girlfriend. Also, getting to see Momoko drinking her sorrows away on iced tea as if Mitama’s place is a bar is hilarious. Mitama breaking down Momoko’s tendency to put everyone’s happiness above her own is really nice to see. But Mitama, girl, that proposal had some awful timing.

Favorite line

Come on, as if I wouldn’t pick this line!

Favorite outfit

Her swimsuit is really pretty. The Hibiscus being a gift from Kaede is a really cute detail.

Her Sister alt is really pretty as well, that veil (with her hair down? Chef’s kiss) is the highlight of the whole thing.

OTP

Gotta say Mitama. I like their dynamic where Momoko feels comfortable enough with Mitama to be vulnerable, like in The Call of the Open Sea (their mermaid alt event) where she talks to Mitama about her wish for the first time. Same for Mitama, where Momoko is someone in her life who doesn’t care much about what happened in Mitama’s past or where she’s from (but this might also be why she felt like she couldn’t talk to Momoko about the stuff that led to her defection to Neo-Magius). This scene from Mitama’s MGS sums it up:

Them being so different is what makes them work.

Brotp

Come on, really? Rena and Kaede of course! I have talked on and on about them and their relationship not only in this post, but many before. So like, what can I say that I haven’t already said? The three of them are a mess, but they’re a functional mess.

Head Canon

Since she only has brothers, Rena and Kaede probably fill her desire for a sister.

Unpopular opinion

I don’t see Momoko actually being buff. Like I get where the vibe comes from (being somewhat of a tomboy, having only brothers, etc) but no, she’s way too busy consuming some sweet atrocity with Rena and Kaede (Rena canonically drowns her drinks in sugar) to be getting jacked.

A wish 

MORE! that’s literally it, I Want MORE!!!

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen

I NEED MY EMOTIONAL SUPPORT MOMOKO ALIVE!

5 words to best describe them

Big sister with impeccable timing

My nickname for them

None, just Momoko.

[pippuns]

cont. from here

@acelania replied:

Triss doesn't know her past and is TERRIFIED of ever finding it out: assorted game experiences (Tsuyu, Cid, Gaia, etc.) have convinced her that if she gets her memories back then the person she is now will cease to exist, and she is so scared that the person she used to be was a monster, had a bad life or both. (The whole Azem mess was miserable, to say the least.) Re: the Azim Steppe trip, they'd worked out through process of elimination that she was probably from there and therefore she hated every second of it. On top of the fact that nobody recognised her or the name she goes by (forename's a nonsense word, tribe name's fictional), she was so stressed out to the point of being almost entirely nonverbal and spent most of it hiding behind Lyse. Fun times! Pretty much the only good thing to come out of that mess was Hien, whose dynamic with Triss can be summed up as "relentless bullying (affectionate)" - he was unimpressed by the scrawny silent girl who supposedly ate gods for breakfast right up until he saw her kill something, by which point enough formality had been shattered to leave them on a truly level ground. Also, since you asked, Triss' bodyguard IS still kicking about (because I couldn't bear to kill him)! His fake name is Balivin and he's a marauder-for-hire working out of Kugane; he has all of his memories and knows all the things (including why Triss lost hers), but is content to follow his ward's exploits from a safe distance after he realized how damaging it would be to reveal himself to her.

YEAH THE GAME UH. IT REALLY HAMMERS THE WHOLE "IF U GET UR MEMORIES BACK YOU'LL LOSE WHO YOU ARE NOW", DOESN'T IT. can't imagine she would have taken the whole azem+amaurot thing well at all :(

at least she wasn't in the steppe alone!! lyse was there for her to hide behind. take ur victories where you can get them or something.

obsessed with this dynamic with hien. clearly the best possible interpretation of wolhien friendship. sometimes u gotta bully your local royal and thats just how life is!!

I hope Balivin gets a happy ending though. I can't remember (ha) if you told me how Triss lost her memory? I know she lost it somehow during/after the calamity when she ended up on the Limsa ship, but not the specifics off the top of my head :o

[clocks-are-round]

it's donut november so.. donut for the character ask thing :>

This is all off the top of my head, so some opinions may vary upon rewatch.

aaaah sorry i got sidetracked for a couple hours XD

EDIT: Reading Z’s reminded me of things I was going to mention but forgot apparently rip haha

Why I like them: It’s fucking DONUT. What’s not to like? He’s a delight. While not my favorite of the characters, he’s gone through a surprising number of changes throughout the series. Even if most of it was due to the decision to lean more into gay jokes.

Why I don’t: Ok, yeah, NOT a fan of the homophobic shit in the early seasons. It was so obvious they were going for a stereotype… but he ended up growing on me anyways. Also, the in your face innuendos were very uncomfortable but I guess I got used to those too. I don’t like the default falsetto they were doing for seasons 16 & 17. It was so uncomfortably… “a voice” y’know? It wasn’t remotely natural sounding.

Favorite episode (scene if movie): Wash and Donut repeating the moment when Wash shot Donut. Or the Donut and O’Malley fight. Both. They’re tied. Wait no— his little anti-drug tirade at Simmons?

DON’T MAKE ME CHOOSE ( >•~•)>💕

Favorite season/movie: How can I not say season 17? It was so good to him.

Favorite line: that one super uncomfortable one in season 16 that basically summed up what his role had mostly been up until that point one sec lemme find—

“No, guys! I’m super duper sorry! This whole sticky mess--it’s on me! All over me! I’ve screwed each and every one of you deep, with no protection! And now, I’ve come to help pull out, before we’re all truly boned! From now on, nothing comes before my friends. They come first, and they come second. They come third, they come fourth--“

I hate (read: love) it so fucking much it’s great. Like holy shit, it’s just one after another!

WAIT— I take it back.

“I heard you needed to beat a guy off, so I came right away!” When he came to rescue Grif -w- Like me, I’m sure he had never been happier to hear an innuendo.

Favorite outfit: Hmm… maybe seasons 1 and 2? I dunno, I kinda liked the dull pink a bit more than the brighter ones. As for out of armor fanart, as long as it’s stylin’ and/or pink.

OTP: As many of you know, I am a fan of Washnut, Locnut, and Locnuttington. I’m chill with it never being canon, but I like the dynamics.

Brotp: Simmons and Donut have great sibling vibes. Wash and Donut have great untapped vibe potential. More of those please?

Head Canon: Aside from the obvious fan theories like burn scar, hearing aid, and his mom remarrying to a woman after his dad sent him to gay conversion therapy… Donut played baseball in high school. Why else would he be such a great pitcher? He spent a lot of time tossing to get that good. Gosh, he must’ve touched so many balls over the years. I’ll stop 🙃

Unpopular opinion: He’s as much of an asshole as everybody else. I have definitely written him too soft in the past (as i have many of the characters). He’s an obnoxious little shit and just five minutes with the guy is enough to know that.

A wish: Let the man say he’s gay. Or flirt with a guy without the guy recoiling in disgust and instead flirting back and Donut is taken off guard. Maybe it’ll be something more. That’d be cute. Please. More importantly, side effects from the Chrovos stuff? Or maybe not because “none of that ever happened” but goddamn would it be cool to include.

An oh-god-please-dont-ever-happen: Don’t make him straight. And if you do, Rooster Teeth, only if EVERY OTHER character is stated to be queer. That is the only way I will find that “twist” funny.

5 words to best describe them: Flamboyant, Fabulous, Obnoxious, Gullible, GayAF (new compound word it counts)

My nickname for them: My tag for him is //*the clinking of champagne glasses* but it may change.

[bae-science]

it’s t-t-t-t-time for another newt bae-science fic rec extravabonanza! same rules, same boys, same bullshit! let’s get into it:

a beginning; a second chance by @dykesword

other newt and i have a long and intricate ritualistic battle to become the alpha newt, but i gotta give credit where it’s due. if you like to annotate your books for fun, this fic will give you a looooong comment you’ll want to write, and for good reason! there’s a lot of really well done metaphor and character detail in here, while still keeping a very soft, melancholy but with a hopeful edge tone. and also, like, the care and detail in which newt’s mental state in the aftermath of the precursors’ abuse is depicted is so so good, and delightful to read

husbandly duties by @kingeiszler

i am soooo biased with this one bc technically it was made for me but GODDAMN it’s good. this shit has everything: gottlieb trio sibling dynamics, vanessa in giant femme earrings, hermann yearning, newt and karla infodumping together, newt’s terrible and accurate gaydar, gay crime, the newmann dynamic and why it works boiled down to its bare essentials, pride and prejudice glasses touch, and neon green acrylics. required reading for the vanessaverse

Say That Again by @robertfrobisherslover

WOOF. if you like mutual pining and lack of communication from men with rocks for their emotional processing centers, and guncle (gay uncle) newt and hermann and KILLER artsy sex scenes, and themes of words unsaid in a story about LANGUAGE..... oogoogogoogouhufug. the writing style is clear and well paced, i LOVE little mako’s scene she’s such a cutie, and there’s like. a line. that’s a play on the whole “it’s always been you” trope. that lives in my mind rent free forever.

speak right to my heart without saying a word by @thekaidonovskys

i’m just gonna paste the comment i left on it here, because that sums up what is so absolutely incredible about this fic the best:

so sometimes you stumble on a piece of fiction that you add to your little collection of stuff you would show a person if you wanted them to understand a part of you that you can't quite explain eloquently, or it would take too long, etc etc, and i've never really found something like that for my autism until now, which, like, poggers. and i'll be as straight up as i can while still being the biggest lesbian in the great state of ohio (not a hard feat but alan invented computers so i love continuing on the autistic tradition of being a living miracle), the chameleon effect hit me like a mack truck. catholic school in the deep south is the most potent and effective form of ABA therapy imaginable :/. so sometimes i wonder what i would be like if i didn't have such a strong ability to pass, and here's where we finally get to the part of this comment where i just vomit compliments at you: you nailed it. you got it. i don't know if you're on the spectrum, but either way, well fucking done. trauma therapy research talks a lot about healing fantasies, which are fantasies, usually in the form of daydreams, that abused/neglected/traumatized/etc people create that directly address a struggle they have and take the form of a scenario in which that struggle is helped in some way. it could be an abusive parent repenting and showering them with the love they never had, or someone finding them during a panic attack and somehow knowing how best to comfort them without having to ask, or being intimate with someone and having a scar or physical deformity they've been shamed for be given attention and care. and i think you have created the ultimate perfect healing fantasy for autistic people, or at least those with """"high functioning"""" autism. it has a character who is visibly and undeniably on the spectrum having the pain and trauma going through life like that causes being acknowledged and validated, they are purposefully paid attention to because person b genuinely likes them and wants to understand and respect who they are and how they function in the world, and thus get The Mortifying Ordeal of Being Known as well as the eventual rewards of being loved, person b makes a genuine effort to help teach them social skills in a way they can understand and learn through and is there for them when these skills are being practiced, their space and boundaries are respected but they aren't infantilized or thought of as an emotionless robot, and they receive love and comfort on their own terms not despite of but because of who they are, even specifically being asked not to change the way they are because that way is lovable. they are openly desired. writing is my fucking JOB and it's still difficult to put into words how much you got 100000% right about the dream with this fic. i have been in the EXACT and i mean EXACT same situation as hermann when he asked newt if it was his personality itself that made people not like him, because i deadass made a spreadsheet of all my personality attributes i thought could be preventing me from making friends in college, and then asked my fellow nd friend to see if there was anything i was missing. so i guess what i'm trying to say is that this amazing, and i'm bookmarking it and putting it on my next fic rec post, and maybe one day way way in the future if i ever get a partner i want to explain the whole autism thing to, i'm gonna have them read this.

The Facts With Newton Geiszler, PhD by what_alchemy (NSFW)

storytime: i read this fic a few years ago, completely forgot the title and author, and ended up thinking about the part where hermann admits to having fucked a trailer hitch when he was a teenager, at least once a week. last november, i say to my friend samara on twitter, head of the BSHCU (buttslut hermann cinematic universe), hey this seems like something you’d have read, do you remember a fic where... and samara says FUCK i do know what you’re talking about lemme find it. so if the fact that i have been looking for this fic for like, two years, and that it contains a moment so iconic all i had to say is, “hermann says he fucked a trailer hitch” and she IMMEDIATELY knew what i was talking about, does not convince you to read this... go back to catholic school i guess.

Feeling Blue by TempusPetrichor

fics where newt goes back to work as a biologist, especially a xenobiologist, post pru are really interesting, and usually have something neat to say about recovery, how it isn’t linear, how it often involves us returning to things we love for comfort, etc. this one sure does! some good emotional and physical h/c, LOVE the use of the ghost drift, and it’s always fun to see post pru fics use dialogue very obviously taken from dbt, trauma-specific therapeutical texts, and anything that shows the author has experience with, or did their research on, ptsd therapies.

You’re Everyone That Ever Cared by KlavierWrites

you know a fic is good when it’s an only 9k slowburn and still manages to reach infinite regress levels of are you fucking KIDDING GO TO THERAPY. newt “acts of service” geiszler may have a little misplaced misogyny due to his broken woman-centric gaydar. as a treat. the fucking. post-drift scene where hermann subtextually screams “LOOK IN OUR BRAINS YOU FUCK I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU I JUST HAVE AUTISM AND CAREER IN STEM DISORDER” is soooooo. god just hermann in general in that scene is great. if you like classic mid 2010s era newmann, ghost drift romance, and good ole mutual pining, this is a treat.

Baby, You're Hotter than my Bunsen Burner by SkySongMA

moronosexual hermann representation is something that can actually be so personal

Times of Stress by RadioMoth

the boys are processinggggggg. man what a good, quick and powerful punch to the gut. if you like post-pr1 catharsis and physical h/c, AND are the one friend that likes to comment at the end of the movie that hey newt got beat the fuck UP, check this one out.

black tea by @faggotcas

okay first of all, god fucking tier url, lee. second of all, food as a love language is my SHIT. i love the very slow relationship development here, where you see them making a genuine effort to get along and that in turn leading to feelings reigniting. it’s such a sweet little moment of a fic, with a nice atmosphere and tone to fit it

now here’s the part where i usually drop my latest fic, but i haven’t written one this month because i’ve been busy launching an audio drama! you can find it here, it’ll be right up your alley if you like cryptids and gay scientists and enemies to lovers and good ole americana, but since this is a newmann post, i’m gonna recommend the pacific rim audio drama duology i did a while back! part one is called conversations from the brink, and it’s a little slice of the pr3 we better fucking get from streaming that godawful looking anime. love and lesbians to everyone ❤️

[lesserfandomappreciation]

Ariadne and why the Mycenaeans can fuck right off

Warning: Includes brief mentions of r*pe, cultural destruction, ancient patriarchy reminding us why no woman would ever time-travel more than 5 years into the past if that and a great deal of spite for male historians/public education history/mythology classes. 

Possible side effects may include a sudden intense rage for an ancient society equivalent to the innate rage one has for the Romans burning the library of Alexandria, a distinct hatred for ancient men not being able to let anyone have nice things, and a sudden fascination for Minoa. 

Usually, I stick to writing imagines and being happy with that. It’s fun! I love it! But every now and again, in an attempt to escape the crushing forces known as reality and responsibilities I’ll put on a few cutscenes from games I’m: A) Too lazy to play B) Too broke to play C) Too unskilled to play D) All of the above

because cutscenes are free and why torture yourself with impossible levels when its free on Youtube?* *In all seriousness please support video games and video game creators, but no shame to those of us who prefer cutscenes to gameplay.  A few weeks ago I added the game Hades made by Supergiant to the list because the cutscenes were bomb and the characters are so much fun! Intricate as all hell! Hella cute too but that’s unrelated! Now my pretty little simp patootie is especially a big fan of Dionysus and his gorgeous design so the cutscenes with him are my favorite.

I’m re-watching his cutscenes a few nights ago for fun as background when he has a certain line about Theseus. Don’t quote me on this since my memory is foggy at best but roughly it was: Dionysus: Good job with Theseus. Never cared much for him- what he did to that girl was just horrible.*

*I know that’s not his exact line but this is clearly a rant post fueled by spite and ADD-hyper-focused obsessions with ancient civilizations so let’s not worry too too much about the semantics here. 

Now, I like mythology! Personally, I prefer the Norse mythology due to the general lack of very very gross dynamics that several other ancient mythologies seem to include, but I’m decently familiar with Greek mythos. Enough to go - “Why does the God of Wine give a single fuck about the frat bro of Greek heroes being a dick to a woman? Grossness is embedded into the very DNA of all distant relatives of Zeus, a woman being harassed by Zeus or his bastard army is a typical Tuesday in ancient Greece.” 

Wikipedia confirms that Ariadne is the only woman in the story of Theseus and the Minotaur, which I kinda knew already so unless Theseus did some f’ed up shit to some other princess of Minos, Dionysus could only be referring to her. Disregarding what I know about Wikipedia and how it can suck you down the rabbit hole of rabbit holes through sheer fury I stupidly clicked the link to Ariadne’s article. 

By the time we get to the end of this shitstorm, I will have two separate plotlines for two separate stories based of Ariadne, 2k+ notes (and going) on an ancient civilization prior to a week ago I didn’t know existed and within me there will be a rage towards a different ancient civilization I vaguely recall learning about in high school. 

Here’s how this shit went down. 

First of all, apparently after Theseus abandoned Ariadne on an island to die (yep! He did that! To the one person who is the only reason he defeated the minotaur! Fuck this guy.) there are multiple storylines where Dionysus takes a single look at Ariadne and falls in love. 

“A god falls in love?” you say, aware of how most love stories in Greek mythos can be summed up with Unfortunately, Zeus got horny and Hera is a firm believer in victim blaming. “This poor woman is about to go through hell!” I thought so too! And in one variation of the story, Dionysus does his daddy proud by being an absolute tool to Ariadne. In the majority though? He woos the fuck out of her, and ultimately marries her by consent!

Her consent!

In ancient Greece!

The party dude of the Greek pantheon knows more about consent then his father and modern day frat brothers!

Okay! That’s interesting, so I keep reading. 

Ariadne getting hitched to Dionysus is a big deal in Olympus, to the point of getting a crown made of the Aurora Borealis from Aphrodite who is bro-fisting Dionysus, beyond glad she didn’t have to give him the talk about consent. The rest of the gods are pissy especially Hera who doesn’t like Dionysus much since he is the son of Zeus and Semele but they don’t do much. Ariadne ascends to godhood, becomes the goddess of Labyrinths with the snake and bull as her symbol and that’s that on that. 

Colorin, colorado, este cuento se acabado.  And they lived happily ever after. That’s the end of the post right?

NO! Because curiosity has made me their bitch and there’s more to this calling me. 

Also, I was pissed! Still am! Why the fuck-a-doodle-do did I have to learn about the time Poseidon r*ped a priestess instead of the arguably healthiest relationship in the entirety of the pantheon? Why is Persephone and Hades’ story (which has improved since it was first written and I like more modern versions of it, no hate) the only healthy-ish Greek love story I had to learn when Dionysus and Ariadne were right there? The rage of having endured several grade levels of “Zeus got horny and Hera found out” stories in the nightmare of public education led me to keep looking into this. 

There’s this wonderful Youtube channel called Overly Sarcastic Productions that I highly recommend that delves a lot into mythology, and I have seen their bombass video about Dionysus and how his godhood has changed since he was potentially first written in a language we comprehend. 

Did ya’ll know this man is the heir apparent to Zeus? ‘Cause I didn’t know that!

YEA! Dionysus, man of parties, king of hangovers and inducer of madness, is set to inherit the throne of Olympus! Ariadne didn’t husband up the God of Wine, she husbanded up the Prince of Olympus and heir apparent to the throne! Holy shit! No wonder some of the gods were against her marriage to Dionysus - can you imagine the drama of an ex-mortal woman sitting on the Queen’s throne of Olympus? Hera must have been pissed.

BUT WAIT.

There’s more.

The reason we know Dionysus is a very important god and is possibly even more important than we think is because of a handy-dandy language known as Linear B, otherwise known as the language of the Mycenaeans!

For those of you fortunate enough to have normal hobbies and interests, the Mycenaeans were the beta version of the Greeks. Their written language of Linear B is one of, if not the first recorded instance of a written Indo-European language. This language, having been translated, gives us an interesting look at what the Greek gods were like back in their beta-stages before they fixed the coding and released the pantheon. 

Interesting side facts of the Mycenaean Greek gods include:

Poseidon being the head god with an emphasis on his Earthquake aspect, and being much more of a cthonic god in general. 

Take that Zeus, for being so gross. 

The gods in general being more cthonic, as Mycenaeans were obsessed with cthonic gods (probably due to all the earthquakes and natural disasters in Greece and Crete at that time)

Several of the gods and goddesses that we know being listed, alongside some that we don’t consider as important (Dione)

The first mention of Kore, later Persephone, but no Hades because since a lot of gods were cthonic, there would be no need for one, specific cthonic god to represent the majority of death-related rituals.

That’s not what we’re focusing on though! What we’re focusing on is a specific translated portion of Linear B that we have. One of the translated portions of Linear B that for the life of me I can’t find (someone please help me find it and send the link so I can edit this post) says an interesting phrase. “Honey to the gods. Honey to the Mistress of Labyrinths.”

One more time. “Honey to the gods. Honey to the Mistress of Labyrinths.”

Mistress of Labyrinths. 

Now wait a gosh darn minute. Isn’t there a goddess of labyrinths in the Greek mythos? Why yes! Yes there is! Ariadne!

Here’s a question for you. If Ariadne is but a minor god in the pantheon, a wife to a more predominant god, why is it that while all the other gods and goddesses are bunched together in a sentence of praise, the so-called ex-mortal gets a whole-ass sentence to herself singing praises?

And thus, we have arrived to Minoa!

What is Minoa, you ask? Minoa is to Rome what Rome is to us. An old-ass civilization either older than or younger by a hundred years to ancient Egypt. Egypt, that started in 3200 B.C-ish depending on who you ask. That’s old. Old as balls. They were contemporaries to their trading partner, Egypt until 1450 BC-ish. A 2000 year old civilization.

Minoa was founded on the island of Crete, and was by what artifacts we have found a merchant civilization with its central economy centered on the cultivation of saffron and the development of bronze/iron statues of bulls. Most of what we know about them comes from artifacts and frescoes found on Crete that managed to survive everything else I will mention later, but what matters is that we know a few things about them. 

Obsessed with marine life for some time, given their pottery. 

Had the first palaces in all of Europe, some of them ridiculously big. 

Wrote in Linear A and Cretan Hieroglyphs, both still untranslated languages. 

Had a ritual involving jumping over a bull, for some reason. 

Firm believers in “Suns out, Tits out.”

You’d think I’m kidding on the last one but no! No no no! All the women apparently rocked the tits-out look in Minoa!

^^^^One of many, many Minoan works featuring women giving their titties fresh air. ^^^^

“Wait a second Pinks! What does this have to do with Ariadne being the Mistress of labyrinths?”

Well you see dear wonderful darling, while we know very little about Minoan religion because Mycenaeans (we will get to those bastards in a second), we do know this:

All the religious figures appear to be exclusively women.

The most important figures of their religion seem to be goddesses as there are few artifacts featuring male gods.

Because of the religion, the culture may have been an equal society or even a matriarchy! Historians who are male aren’t sure. 

A frankly ridiculous amount of their temples, including the ones in caves in the middle of fuck-all feature labyrinths. A lot of labyrinths!

Their head god is a goddess! Whose temples have labyrinths and whose main symbols are snakes and bulls. Who do we know is a) the mistress of labyrinths and b) is symbolized a lot by snakes and bulls?

ARI-fucking-ADNE THAT’S WHO!

Ariadne didn’t upgrade by marrying the prince of Olympus! Dionysus wifed up possibly the most important goddess in all of Crete and becoming her boy-toy! 

I’m not even kidding, most Minoan depictions of the goddess’ consort features a boy/man who cycles through the stages of death. Dionysus himself in several myths goes through the same cycle - life, being crushed, death, rebirth, repeat.  Cycles the consort goes through in Minoan legend depictions too!

Okay, that’s great, but what does that have to do with the Mycenaeans? Why do you want to single-handedly go back in time and strangle the beta-Greeks with the nearest belt?

Everything I just said about Ariadne being a Minoan goddess, the Mistress of Labyrinths being hella important on Minoa, is all theoretical. The Mycenaeans are partially to blame for making it theoretical. 

Minoa thrived for 2000 years but it had a lot of issues, mostly caused by natural disasters. Towards the end of their civilization (1500 BC-ish), the nearby island of Thera, today known as Santorini, decided to blow up. The island was a hella-active volcano that when erupted, destroyed a lot. 

How big was the eruption? Well when Pompeii was wasted by Mt. Vesuvius, the blast was heard from roughly 120 miles away, 200 km. 

The blast on Thera was heard from 3000 miles away. 4800 km away.

Fuck me, the environmental effects of the explosion were felt in imperialistic CHINA.

Holy shit that would waste anybody! And it did! Minoa went from being a powerhouse in the Mediterranean to scrambling to recover from losing 40,000 citizens and who knows how many cities. Tsunamis may have followed the blast, further destroying ports which for a navy-powerhouse of an island nation is a bad thing and the theorized temperature drops caused by a cloud of ash lingering for a while would have destroyed crops for the year.

Minoa was fucked. 

The Mycenaeans and all their bullshit made it worse.

Up until a few hundred years prior to Thera’s explosion, Minoan artifacts don’t depict much in terms of military power. Why would it? Crete is a natural defense post. Sheer cliffs, high mountains and a few semi-fortified areas would make it pointless to invade. It’s only when the Mycenaeans in all their bullshit decided to attack/compete that Minoa really needed any army to speak of.

Guess who decided to invade while Minoa was reeling from an incredibly shitty year? Mycenaea!

Guess who won?

Also Mycenaea!

Nobody knows how this shit went down though because wouldn’t you know it, the Mycenaeans in all their superiority-complex glory decided to destroy most written accounts about Minoa, a good junk of the temples and culturally eliminated most of Minoan beliefs. 

Minoa isn’t even the real name of the civilization! It’s just the name Arthur Evans, the guy who re-motivate interest in Minoan archaeology, gave to the civilization because the writings that would have included the name of the civilization were destroyed.

“That sucks!” Fuck yes that sucks! “What does that have to do with Ariadne though?”

Oh ho ho. Strap in because you’re about to be pissed. 

Those of us unfortunate enough to be aware of all the bullshit the Christians pulled on the European pagan belief system are familiar with the concept of cultural, religious destruction. There’s a special name for it I don’t know but if I did I would curse it to be absorbed by the horrendous will of fungi. 

An example: Christianity was not the most popular of religions amongst the Vikings. A monotheistic religion that is heavily controlled did not strongly appeal to anyone with a pantheon as rad as the Norse one. 

In order to appeal to the Vikings, what monks would do is they would write down traditionally Viking stories which up until that point were orally passed down. Beowulf, the story of the most Viking Viking to have every Vikinged, was one of these first stories. 

However! Did these monks write Beowulf as closely to the original oral transcript as possible? Of course not! They took liberties! While Norse features such as trolls and dragons and all sorts of Norse magic occur, there is a lot of Christian features added in. 

This happened across all Pagan religions that Christianity came into contact with in Europe. Stories would be altered when written down to be more Christian (this happened to the Greek Pantheon too btw), holidays that were Pagan magically lined up with ones the Vatican just happened to suddenly have. Even names of mythological figures were taken and added onto Christian figure names. Consequently, a lot of pagan religions they did this to got erased over time, with many of their traditions and details being lost forever, and the details we do know being tinted by Christianity.

The Mycenaeans were likely no different. 

Minoa and Mycenaea were as culturally opposite as can be. Minoa is theorized to be a matriarchal or equal society*. Mycenaea and most of early Greece absolutely was not. In fact, during early stages of their religion where they believed in reincarnation, the Mycenaeans believed the worst thing to come back as was a woman. 

Did you get that? With your options ranging from man to ever single animal on Earth, a woman was ranked as beneath literal animals in Mycenaean society.

Fuck the Mycenaeans.

* This is not to say Minoa was without fault, as a society that is matriarchal or equal can still have rampant issues such as privilege, classism, racism, sexism and more, but when history has a shortage of civilizations that didn’t treat women like shit, you find yourself rooting for them more. 

 What do you do then, when you take over a society that is very much the opposite of a nightmare of a patriarchy? You fold their beliefs into your own to bait them into yours. Going back to the Linear B line about “Mistress of Labyrinths” that line would/could have been an early tactic of incorporating Minoan belief into Mycenaean belief. Other goddesses and gods were made into aspects of Mycenaean gods. Bristomartis, the Minoan goddess of the hunt, would become Artmeis. Velchanos, a god of the sky, would become Zeus. 

With more time, the religion shifted more into Mycenaean and eventually into ancient Greece as we know it. Through trade other gods and goddesses would continue to shift and change, some being straight up imported (Aphrodite for example). Dionysus himself changed a lot too, going from a God representing freedom and attracting slaves, women and those with limited power into his cult, to a God of parties for the wealthy. 

Theseus and the Minotaur was a myth likely based on a Mycenaean myth based on a Minoan myth that changes Ariadne from an important, possibly the important goddess of an ancient religion and relegates her to a side character in a pantheon so vast that she would be lost within it. 

All of this brings us to today. Today, where as soon as work ended I spent most of the day, as well as the past two days, looking up everything I can on Minoan civilization and added it to my notes. Spite is fueling me to write two possible different stories for two different fandoms where Minoa dunks of Mycenaea and it is giving me life. Expect an update within the next two weeks folks as I lose control of my writing life once more. 

In summary: Ariadne deserves more respect, fuck the public education system for skipping over the good parts of Greek mythology instead of the r*pey as shit parts, the Mycenaeans can eat my shorts, and a world were Minoa became the predominant power instead of Greece would be an amazing world to live in.

Thank you for coming to my TedTalk. Pink out. 

[macklives]

session 95 end

i like that we ended 612 with karkat pretty sweet if you ask me (well an hour past it at least) 

ill try and sum this up as much as i can, considering it was a LONG one (but i felt long was good for the occasion since it was a homestuck holiday)

alright

lets clear the elephant in the room (not plot related)........ i really like karkat vantas. he may be a jerk sometimes with the slurs but apparently he gets better?? so i DO wanna see some development but god hes such a great character and i know i hated him before but hes grown so much on me that i think hes even in the top 5 favorites. which are kanaya, terezi, aradia and nepeta THEN karkat. so yeah.... god tell me that back in act 3 and i would have LAUGHED

alright, now for the fuckups

equius and vriska

vriska lost her arm bc terezi sold her out to doc scratch, who then blew up the orb she stole which is the reason she now needs a robotic arm. terezi was quite sad about it actually, she wanted to talk with vriska one last time before she told doc, to see whether or not she changed. because vriska DID kill her friend......... but vriska meant smth to terezi, so if she wanted to be the better person and apologize or try, terezi wouldnt have done anything, but since vriska didnt seem to care that much, terezi had to show her that enough was enough. which obviously she didnt really enjoy doing. but damn... im curious to see how their friendship plays out in the future

okay now a quick recap of plot point:

vriska lusus died, but not completely so she had to kill her herself with a guillotine, by using her dice which foretold how she would do it, equius then hopped into the session and literally JUMPED to the next fucking gate to greet aradia, who he had prepared her a robot, aradia entered the robot and equius fucking PROGRAMMED IT TO LOVE HIM

which GOD OKAY

so she found out, hated the fact it was programmed and she didnt ACTUALLY have any romantic feelings for equius, so while pissed, she then smashed the living HEART INSIDE OF HER ON THE TABLE MULTIPLE TIMES, BEAT THE SHIT OUT OF EQUIUS THEN FUCKING KISSED HIM WHAT THE FUCK

THATS SO FUCKED UP???? the whole forcing this onto her thing when she clearly didnt like him 

however, it seemed while in the sprite, she didnt care much about equius’ peasantry remarks anymore, while she didnt reciprocate, she just went along with the commands he gave which made equius very very sweaty

honestly the most shocking thing of this session was the heart pounding, beating and kissing. 

and omg there was.. a LOT of blood. we had vriskas arm being exploded, lusus being guillotined, aradia smashing out her heart and karkat being stabbed

ALL IN ONE

without break 

LMAO what is happening to these kids

and on that note, nepeta saw the whole ordeal happen and updated her shipping wall with it??? which has all the trolls in relationships and shes judging whether or not theyre fit for one another which good for her ig and can probably keep me updated on who has a crush on who even tho its not all accurate

THEN we have karkat who explained romance. how theres both hate and love in troll culture, which both can be seen as a relationship. one is called uhh kiss something, the other is called moiral something, and then theres one he didnt explain which is matesprite???? kiss is hate, moiral is love and the other is unknown. from what i get. tho most of the time i was being soft over how he had said nobody listens to him and hes just so invested he forgot vriska was even there or what his original point was. anyways, so basically you can have a crush on someone depending on what you feel for them, whether it be love or hate. and hate i see it as kinda like dating your enemy i guess???? yeah.. interesting. i kinda wanna see what dynamics in homestuck lead to that

OR what the kids think about it

oh god dont tell me aradia kissed equius because of the hate love thing.... and then they’ll actually have a romance because of the kiss-smth black romance whatever its called....... bc i swear to god..... im not going to enjoy that in the slightest.. i dont want to see that.. nuh uh...... smth about them that irks me

i genuinely also thought sollux and aradia were still together but i guess since the incident theyre not??? bc then id be REALLY fucking concerned for the aradia x equius thing bc thats blatant cheating..... but nothing has been really confirmed so... for my sanity, ill say theyre taking a break, EVEN if id rather much have them together because they were cute :(( but equius FUCKED IT UP

ANYWAYS, last point but not least, while karkat explained this whole romance schtick, he got stabbed.. yes, STABBED, by their session’s jack noir agskagdjhd WHICH APPARENTLY DIDNT BOTHER KARKAT BECAUSE HE HAD HIS PRIORITIES LMAOOO HE JUST TYPED AWAY WITH BLOOD GUSHING ON HIS SIDE LIKE NOTHING, n e ways, he told jack not to tell anybody his blood color, and was being a dramatic bitch about it, because apparently karkat has red blood (not aradias, a mutant like color) which is oppressed by troll culture, so he hides it to not get shat on... jack cut himself to show karkat he wasnt alone. which i then remembered karkats session got fucked up when he was explaining his own game to john, and apparently jack fucked theirs up so i cant wait to see what happens there

and thats basically it

and with that, happy birthday karkat and happy 612 to you all

[c-is-for-circinate]

I just read your thing about paladins and what they're for and holy CRAP does it sum up some stuff that I've been trying to explain for ages, so thank you for that! But now I'm wondering: your footnote mentioned Fjord and Vax'ildan, who both multiclassed into paladin as part of their personal character arc. Would you mind sharing your Thoughts about them? (And if you have any about the other paladins and how they fit in this - Arkhan or Kima or Kerrek or the rest - that would be awesome to see.)

You know I’m ALWAYS ready for a good CR character breakdown :D  And for shitting on classic Old School conceptions of what paladins should be, because a quick stroll through the tags has reminded me that, while many people play them very very well, the people who talk about How You’re Supposed To Play Paladins are often wrong as hell.  (This includes everybody who wrote 3rd edition d&d.)

I kind of want to start by talking about Kima and Kerrek, rather than Vax and Fjord, because Kima and Kerrek are in many ways two different angles on exactly what I think a paladin character should be.  Starting with the premise here that the paladin at its core is about turning ideals into actions, Kima and Kerrek are both awesome at exemplifying the class.

Kima is such a straightforward, action-oriented person.  Her belief in Bahamut and her belief in justice are inextricably entwined; she follows her god because she’s sure he’s right about what’s Good and Correct to see done in the world.  The ideals –> action pathway is easy and natural for her, because the necessity of taking action in pursuit of her ideals is very clearly one of her ideals.  She’s not in conflict with her vows, because she doesn’t need to be.  There’s evil in the world, and Bahamut wants her to smite it in the balls, and that’s both effective and fun.  (Of note, Kima doesn’t feel personally responsible for destroying every single minor evil ever to exist ever.  There’s plenty to go around.  Smite the monster in front of you, trust Bahamut to point you towards the thing that really needs killing, and don’t kill yourself over the petty grift of the guy in your favorite bar at the end of the day because yikes, dude, just yikes–that’s how Kima functions as a character, and it’s what makes her an actually functional character.)

Kerrek on the other hand is fascinating because he’s a paladin who thinks he’s lost his ideals, at least at the start.  At some unknown time in the past he tried to turn faith and belief (in something, and we never do find out what, and it doesn’t even matter) into change in the world.  He got some things done.  He utterly failed at some other things.  And now he’s sitting here in Westruun feeling like, maybe he can’t, maybe he shouldn’t, maybe everything is a thousand times more complicated and he’s a thousand times tinier in the universe than he ever envisioned when he was younger.  He’s sitting there thinking he’s lost his ideals and his drive and his faith–and meanwhile he’s still standing there taking action, doing what he can for the people of Westruun, planting his garden, being angry and disappointed and frustrated and still trying anyway.  In spite of himself, Kerrek still believes.  In spite of himself Kerrek still does the things he thinks need to be done, even if they’re not the things he wants to be doing, even if he doesn’t think he’ll do any good in the long run.  Such a good paladin thing to do.

Then we get to Fjord and Vax.  And so much of what makes Fjord and Vax interesting as paladins is, the ideals that compel them to action, compel them to take these paladin oaths, aren’t the ideals of their respective goddesses.

Vax did not wake up one day and say, ‘I believe in the Raven Queen and I believe that what she says is just and right and I will follow her because I believe in her so much’.  (He almost, almost got to that point with Sarenrae, circa the Briarwoods arc, and somewhere there is an alternate universe where he did and it is so interesting, but I digress.)  And Fjord didn’t really sit down and learn his way through the teachings of the Wildmother and decide, ‘y’know, yes, this is what I love and trust and want to spread in the world’.  That’s not the ideal that drove either of them to action.

Fuck, Vax didn’t even like the Raven Queen when he became hers.  “Take me instead, you raven bitch.”  Why does Vax become a paladin of the Raven Queen?  Because he promised.  Because he traded himself for his sister.  He believes to the depths of his soul in keeping Vex alive, and he believes in keeping his word.  The ideal driving Vax to action isn’t worship or admiration.  It’s the ideal of following through on his own goddamn commitments.

For Fjord, it’s similar, although a lot less fraught.  He doesn’t dislike Melora, certainly–everything he knows of her seems fine, but mostly he turns to her because he’s desperate for help and she seems willing to give it.  Fjord’s not great at big lofty ideals, but he is good at people, in his own way.  Turning to the Wildmother is about grabbing at the kindness she’s shown him.  It’s about grabbing at the kindness Caduceus has shown him.  These are the things he trusts.

And yet, Vax isn’t just a paladin to the oath of Keep Vex Alive.  Fjord isn’t just a paladin of Not U’kotoa.  They both have ideals, and they’re both doing their utmost to follow them here anyway.

For Fjord, being a paladin seems very transactional, yes (free me from this sea serpent and I’ll be your guy, sure), but there’s an enormous ethic of devotion and loyalty involved, coupled with, just like Kima had, a belief in the requirement for action.  Fjord believes that it is correct to repay kindness with deeds.  He doesn’t entirely understand what Melora wants of him, but she was kind to him in a vast wasteland where he slept unbroken sleep beneath her tree, and she has saved him when he wasn’t entirely sure he could be saved, and of course you repay that in kind.  At this point in the narrative, that intense loyalty is the driving ideal behind Fjord’s path as a paladin, and it’s really cool to see.

Vax could have run, when the Raven Queen came for him, and instead he went to Vasselheim.  He could have done a lot of things a lot of times.  The fact that he offered himself up in a fit of terror isn’t what made him a paladin–the fact that he followed through after that moment was over did.

Another really interesting thing about these paths is that perhaps the most major action our boys are compelled to take, in response to that loyalty, is simply, learn what the fuck you signed up for.  Having pledged themselves to these goddesses they are now responsible for figuring out what that even means.  There is no easy handbook for “this is what your goddess requires of you, break it and you’re Out On Your Ass”.  The Raven Queen asks Vax for extremely little, in the grand scheme of things.  He spends a lot of time fighting enemies he would have fought anyway with a little extra backup, and muddling along looking to Vasselheim and old books to figure out what she might want out of him.  Fjord’s still taking Caduceus-lessons and trying to figure out what comes next.

In the end it’s hard to even tell whether Vax comes to truly embrace her ideals of fate and finality as his own, or he just submits to them as part of who he thinks he has to be now.  That open question is super interesting to me, and I think it’s a really cool twist on the whole classic “paladins take these vows and then HAVE TO STICK TO THEM no matter WHAT” dynamic, where the big vow Vax made is, in fact, to be a paladin.  (Even the Oath of Vengeance is fascinating for him–the Raven Queen didn’t ask that path of him, Vax chose it.  He decided that was the right way for him to serve.)

I’m so curious to see where Fjord goes from here on his paladin journey.  Which of Melora’s ideals is he going to work to enact out of loyalty to her, because that’s the job he promised to do?  Which ideals will he actually understand and agree with in his own heart?  What oath is he going to take, I’m so fucking curious: Oath of Heroism makes a certain amount of sense but is also kind of self-aggrandizing, Devotion would be awesome for Fjord but also includes that absolute injunction towards honesty, I’m eternally a sucker for the Oath of Ancients and it would make sense for Melora but I’m not sure it’s correct here…

Anyway.  Tl;dr that Vax and Fjord are not, entirely, paladins to the ideals and domains of their respective goddesses–not yet.  They’re both paladins to the ideal of loyalty, which they’ve given to their respective goddesses, and that’s such an interesting option for the class.  It invites so much discussion about the difference between devotion to a deity as an individual, and devotion to what that deity actually stands for.  And I fucking love it.

[sugar-petals]

Please do a tarot reading on bts personality? Thank you

if we’re talking personality, it’s time for the big guns. i promised i’d use this deck to an anon, today we’re doing a shaman soul reading. 

Jungkook: THE RAINBOW

A sign that the end of the storm is near. This card is truly blessed and imbued with great innocence because that’s exactly what Jungkook is. It’s the “everything is alright” signal: The rainbow symbolizes completion of the soul in the Himalayan region where shamans consider rainbows a bridge to the afterlife. Believe it or not: What we see as JK is the last incarnation of his line. His journey is basically complete (!), it is whole. He’s found what we will all find and the end which is a state of profound happiness. There’s a reason why he brings so much ease, fun, and talent everywhere he goes. That sense of lightness and positivity is deeply embedded in him. Brightness, bubbliness, fleeting moods but always optimistic. His personality is all about joy and the feeling of soaring high. It’s not a farce we see on camera, he really is like that. What I noticed is. Since we see a colorful bird dashing forward on a ray of light, I believe JK is headed somewhere blissful, and he’s headed there fast. The pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, pretty much. Not just the shamans in Nepal consider the rainbow as an arch, Norse ones do, too. The Bifröst bridge connects Midgard to the Æsir. Jungkook has a sort of divine connection going on. That’s why his personality is dignified. Bifröst is translated to ‘shimmering path’, that he got famous was destined from the beginning.

Hoseok: THE SWEAT LODGE

Hey, Mama. I am not surprised that this card is all about a connection to mother earth and all things maternal. The hut — and the ritual that is behind it — is essentially an image for the womb. Hoseok is looking for that warm and cozy feeling in his life. That tells you a whole lot about the personality we rarely see on stage, it’s a much calmer state. The act of sweating disperses old habits and bad thoughts, this is precisely what he seeks. That blissful, protected place/state of being attracts him, or rather, draws him back into his past. His character is so youthful and cheery because he longs for a space like the sweat lodge that leaves you relaxed, drained from the weight of the world, and without sorrows. What he longs for is purity. He’s let go of demons and phases in his life he’s grown out of. His goal is to feel renewed and being without baggage. Note also that the sweat lodge is a community place. He is deeply social, it’s not an act. Hoseok aspires to be a nurturing figure in the future, and peace is very important to him.

Jin: TAMING THE WIND

Think about it: Something as dynamic as air representing Jin makes a lot of sense. He might be a fire sign, but air is nonetheless strong in him. He is a person who is self-directed and cannot be grasped at any time. Air does what it wants, and few other forces can stop it. On top of that, wind is malleable. It can be completely still, gently blowing, come on strong, or be a flat out hurricane. The different levels of intensity are all present in Jin’s character. As in, he can be the introvert of all introverts only to turn into extroversion embodied. The card tells us about just how versatile he can be. That he will achieve more consistency in the future is represented by the act of taming: Yes, he will settle. Visually, the feather is the most important part of this card. It symbolizes a holy dedication to life and distributes smoke during shaman rituals. It can also be interpreted as a pointer when you’re in alignment. So, I’d describe Jin’s character as something that dispels the old to bring about harmony. Thus, he is wild and tame alike. Very interesting duality.

Namjoon: THUNDER

Next to Jimin’s card, this is the most powerful one I pulled. If you’re familiar with The Tower in tarot, THUNDER is similar. Especially in its spiritual weight. Thunder always hails of new things coming. Namjoon is that kind of vanguard. Even his voice booms like thunder man, that’s no coincidence. That he’s the leader of one of the most famous boy groups on this planet means something dramatic and big coming our way. At his core, he is revolutionary. Namjoon is Namjoon because of his message that’s loud, terrifying to great many a hater, and a call to awakening. I am certain he is on his way to enlightenment, I’m not kidding. Because think about, thunder comes first, then: lightning. It describes his personality progression well: Namjoon did a full 180° in the last years. He did all of his shadow work. This card always says a person is about to fulfill their purpose, so he’s currently at the very brink. He is scared to the core but knows that he’s destined for great things. Like buffalos storming ahead, he is unstoppable just like that. It’s because of him that the game changes 😊

Yoongi: THE PRESENT

Beside the literal interpretation of Yoongi being a present to this world which truly is the case, this card also means unconditional offering in a general sense. You’d think it’s his wonderful music that he has gifted us. The meaning of the card says otherwise, things go deeper, it’s about something that is not material in nature. Only true love and true feelings can fully belong to a person and they can give them as a present. I think this is what Yoongi’s personality at its deepest level is about. He is a generous man. Who is more giving than someone so dedicated and full of tender emotions. The card is also a signifier of gratitude, and I think Yoongi truly is thankful. The winged woman shown on the card lifts up the sun, which tells me Yoongi wants to uphold joy and that he was sent to us as an angelic, radiant being. Lil’ cherub he is. The card is colored in such a bright yellow and orange way, I think he could be a kind of light worker, even, if you’re familiar with this concept. What Yoongi’s aim is at its most basic level is to gain access to the happiness of life. And he wishes so dearly we experience it, too. I need a moment.

Jimin: THE INCA CROSS

Ooof. Oh shit. This card is a massive fucking deal. I’m stunned every time I see it. It has a huge wtf factor. A simple but overarching symbol. To shamans, the Inca Cross symbolizes all directions and dimensions coming together. It even connects the Underworld with the Gods themselves. It also has a hole in the middle, allowing us to travel to a different perspective. It tells me Jimin is the one holding everything around him together with his personality. He is that cross, a compass basically. He has access to greater wisdom. The Inca Cross is a big leap, this is what Jimin essentially is. What he exudes propels us forward and unites us. He can make people change their mind and direction in life. He is only halfway aware of that skill. I wouldn’t mess with him either way, he is the true axis of Bangtan. The crucial (=cross-like!) one, even Namjoon said that. Now what’s also important is not just the cross itself but also the color. It is made of solid gold, a very warm tone. His charm and soothing character is innate to Jimin, and that is a regal feat. It’s very important that he knows his worth, that is the crux —cross— of the matter. Now this is where it gets really metaphysical: That the Inca Cross bridges the lower, middle (Human), and upper realm to shamans in Peru is no coincidence. It tells us Jimin was sent from a place that is not this, aka the middle world. I think even people who are not into spirituality can feel that. He is either a saved soul from the Underworld so this is his first incarnation after a long time or he was sent from the Gods. Because the cross connects all worlds, it could even be both at the same time. And since the Inca Cross allows dimension and time travel (!)… maybe he can do even that. This card is telling me the wildest shit.

Taehyung: HEART OF SKY

During the last tarot readings I drew The Empress for him several times, the energy is no different here. This card has Queen of the Night type of imagery. It’s a very dreamy, whimsical woman immersed in melancholy, dressed in lavish garments. It’s not hard to see the parallel to Taehyung’s character. He is just as nostalgic and concerned with all things that bring more beauty to this planet. That is his purpose. I repeat: Taehyung is here to spread the fine things in life to bring us sophistication and wholesomeness. The Heart of Sky is quite possibly the card most connected to creativity and love. It encourages the one receiving it to paint. We know he’s already an artist at heart, the shaman cards know it, too. Heart of Sky means to pour out your emotions. And to show all your talents in a gorgeous way. The card is just… spot on. Nighttime plays an important role in this illustration, Tae is more Moon than Sun in personality. He’s in tune not just with his divine masculine, but also feminine. Perfect balance. The Heart of Sky carries with it a strong ethical component also, that means Taehyung is figuring out his intent very often. He’s a benevolent person, a creator. A good person, a benevolent heart. He wants the best for everyone, you and me, anybody.

Bangtan: THE SUN 

I also pulled a card for the personality of the group as a sum. THE SUN is pretty straightforward: BTS are luminaries, a figurative giant. A super-star. Shamans connect the sun to male energy so the allegory fits, there’s a bright and positive masculine quality in their work. BTS are a hot topic and the energy is high. Sometimes even overpowered because their solar pizzazz is so ardent — burning out is the #1 danger here. That’s why the members connected to the moon and night (Joon, Tae, Yoongi, to some extent Jimin) are so important to balance everything. Passion, humor, creativity, playfulness are always around when BTS is near. The sun is at the center or the universe and widely seen, the group indeed takes that center spot right now. Many other life forms depend on the sun, revolve around it, BTS and their light are needed. If they fall, a system collapses. The card tells us they are currently at their zenith, truly radiant now, soaring like the winged spirit on the card. Also, to state the obvious: Come on, who’s the sun of BTS? Hobi’s personality sticks out the most, reflects back to the group dynamic. This is his card and time to shine. He makes or breaks the deal and the cards know it. He sets the tone.

bighit: THE JAGUAR

I wanted to see what the personality of bighit as a whole is, too. Unsurprisingly — what came out is an animal who’s a roaring force to be reckoned with. The energy is a lot more competitive and serious compared to The Sun. I find it convincing and see why these cards came out: Lighthearted group, big business company. Now, the Jaguar has a dark side as well as extreme advantages. He sure doesn’t look like the scariest animal ever, but being on top of the food chain allows him to do whatever he pleases: He’ll never be prey. On the other hand, he is protected because he’s so strong. Bighit does have that quality of being untouchable. Much like the jaguar, it’s an undertaking that operated in the shadows for long. We know that Bang PD claims to have the secret success formula and isn’t as public as say Lee Soo Man and JYP. There is a component of mystery, and the other companies are careful because of it. On the light side, BTS certainly have powerful and rational guidance. To give an analogy from the jungle book: Bighit is like Bagheera, the voice of reason, infusing BTS with strength and knowledge.

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